The song was first recorded by Bessie Smith in November 1931 in New York City. It was released by Columbia Records as disc 14634-D. It was written by Clarence Williams, J. Tim Brymn, and Dally Small. Williams also accompanied Smith on piano.[1] The song was Smith's final recording under her contract with Columbia.[2] The song initially employs innuendo and metaphor, but eventually becomes relatively overt in its sexual implications.
The song has been re-issued on multiple vinyl and compact disc editions, including Bessie Smith: The Greatest Blues Singer (1970),[3] The Complete Recordings, Vol. 5: The Final Chapter (1996),[4] The Essential Bessie Smith (1997),[5] Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: Bessie Smith (2003),[6] Empress of the Blues, Vol, 2: 1926–1933 (2008),[7] and The Complete Columbia Recordings (2012).[8]
Nina Simone recorded "I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl" many times, including as the B-side of her Colpix single "I Got It Bad" in 1962 and on her 1967 album Nina Simone Sings the Blues.[9] While Simone's version changes the lyrics slightly,[9] it has been described as "a first-person representation of empowered female sexuality."[10]
The song has been covered by many performers, including Christina Aguilera,[11][12] Thelma Houston,[13] Hadda Brooks,[14] Gaye Adegbalola,[15] Helen Schneider,[16] Rory Block,[17] Sandra Reaves,[18] and Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers.[19]
In 2010, the song was also included in a "nearly show-stealing performance" by E. Faye Butler as part of a ballet interpretation of The Great Gatsby, staged at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.[20] The song was also included in the stage production, The Devil's Music: The Life and Blues of Besse Smith.[21]