Bring It on Home to Me



"Bring It on Home to Me" is a song by American soul singer Sam Cooke, released on May 8, 1962 by RCA Victor. Produced by Hugo & Luigi and arranged and conducted by René Hall, the song was the B-side to "Having a Party". The song peaked at number two on Billboard Hot R&B Sides chart, and also charted at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The song has become a pop standard, covered by numerous artists of different genres. It is one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

Background
"Bring It on Home to Me", like its A-side, "Having a Party", was written while Cooke was on tour for Henry Wynn. The song was initially offered to fellow singer Dee Clark, who turned it down. While in Atlanta, Cooke called co-producer Luigi Creatore and pitched both numbers; he was sold and booked an immediate recording session in Los Angeles scheduled for two weeks later. The session's mood "matched the title" of the song, according to biographer Peter Guralnick, as many friends had been invited. "It was a very happy session," recalled engineer Al Schmitt. "Everybody was just having a ball. We were getting people out there [on the floor], and some of the outtakes were hilarious, there was so much ad lib that went on." René Hall assembled an eighteen-piece backing group, "composed of six violins, two violas, two cellos, and a sax, plus a seven-piece rhythm section that included two percussionists, two bassists, two guitars, and a piano."

The song is a significant reworking of Charles Brown's 1959 single "I Want to Go Home", and it retains the gospel flavor and call-and-response format; the song differs significantly in that its refrain ("Bring it to me, bring your sweet lovin', bring it on home to me") is overtly secular. The song was the first serious nod to his gospel roots ("[He] felt that he needed more weight, that that light shit wouldn't sustain him," said J.W. Alexander). The song was aiming for a sound similar to Cooke’s former group, the Soul Stirrers. The original, unreleased first take includes vocals from Lou Rawls, J.W. Alexander, Fred Smith (former assistant A&R rep at Keen Records), and "probably" the Sims Twins. A second, final take leaves Lou Rawls as the only echoing voice.

Personnel
"Bring It On Home to Me" was recorded on April 26, 1962, at RCA Studio 1 in Hollywood, California. The engineer present was Al Schmitt, and the session was conducted and arranged by René Hall. The musicians also recorded "Having a Party" the same day. Credits adapted from the liner notes to the 2003 compilation Portrait of a Legend: 1951–1964.


 * Sam Cooke – vocals
 * Lou Rawls – backing vocals
 * Clifton White – guitar
 * Tommy Tedesco – guitar
 * René Hall – guitar
 * Adolphus Asbrook – bass guitar
 * Ray Pohlman – bass guitar
 * Ernie Freeman – piano
 * Frank Capp – drums, percussion
 * William Green – saxophone


 * Cecil Figelski – cello
 * Armand Kaproff – cello
 * Wilbert Nuttycombe – viola
 * Irving Weinper – viola
 * Myron Sandler – violin
 * Joseph Saxon – violin
 * Ralph Schaeffer – violin
 * Marshall Sosson – violin
 * Elliot Fisher – violin
 * Marvin Limonick – violin

Cover versions
The most significant cover versions of the song include versions by:
 * The Animals (their last single to include original organist Alan Price).
 * Mickey Gilley hit number one on the country chart in 1976 with his cover.
 * Eddie Floyd hit #4 on the R&B charts and #17 on the Hot 100 in 1968.
 * Rod Stewart released this song as part of a medley with "You Send Me" and charted it on the UK Singles Chart at #7 as a double A-side with "Farewell".
 * Rita MacNeil covered the song on her 1992 album Thinking of You. It was released as the album's first single and charted on the RPM pop and country charts.
 * Otis Redding and Carla Thomas
 * Dave Mason
 * American country singer Martina McBride covered this song as a duet with Gavin DeGraw on her 2014 studio album Everlasting, which features covers of famous soul, pop, and R&B songs.
 * Van Morrison included a cover version of the song on his 1974 live album, It's Too Late to Stop Now, and again on his 2017 album, Roll with the Punches.
 * Mandy Moore covered the song alongside Sam Trammell in a 2017 episode of the American drama series, This Is Us
 * Paul McCartney in his CHOBA B CCCP album.

Cultural references
The song was featured in the 2017 film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.