From David Bowie to Britney Spears, I was surprised to find out just how many artists have covered the classic Sonny & Cher song, I Got You Babe.
It all started with a trip to the record store. It had been a few weeks since I stopped by the record store closest to me to do some shopping. Unfortunately, after a quick stroll through the LP section, I couldn’t find anything interesting to buy.
I noticed they had a sale sign on their 45s so I started going through the rows of little records, hoping to find something that piqued my interest. It wasn’t long before I found just the right 45 that led me down this rabbit hole of finding as many cover versions of I Got You Babe as possible.
Below, in no particular order, are 11 cover versions of I Got You Babe:
Etta James
As noted in the photo above, I found this 45 at the record store a couple of weeks ago. I usually keep my Airpods plugged in when I’m thumbing through the large section of 45s for sale so if I find one interesting, I can pull the song up on YouTube for a quick listen and decide if I should buy or not.
When I saw the name Etta James and the song title, I Got You Babe, I immediately hoped to hear a soul version of the Sonny & Cher tune. To my delight, that’s exactly what I heard when pulling it up on YouTube. I added the 45 to my stack immediately.
Before the pandemic, I had regular DJ gigs at a local record store on the weekends and I’m always looking for interesting songs to take and spin during my sets. It’s a four hour set so I like to break things up in different genres, playing a 25+ minute mini set of soul jams. I will definitely add Etta’s 45 to my soul jam set as I think it really moves, while also reminding you of the original classic song.
During the holiday season of 2021, I Got You Babe by Etta James is being used in the Walmart commercial.
UB40 with Chrissie Hynde
It’s the year 1985 and UB40 get together with the Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde to record a reggae version of I Got You Babe, only to see it skyrocket to number one on the UK charts and even crack the top 30 on the US charts.
UB40 are known for their laid back reggae songs, selling millions of records across the globe. According to Wikipedia, all three of their UK number one hits and four out five of their US top ten hits were all cover songs! That explains how they scored a #1 hit in the UK with I Got You Babe.
Mark Kozelek
Mark Kozelek is best known as a member of two indie bands of the 1990s, Red House Painters and Sun Kil Moon. In 2013, he released a solo album of cover songs from a diverse range of artists including the Misfits, Bad Brains, Bruno Mars, Yes, Genesis and of course, Sonny & Cher.
Mark’s version of I Got You Babe strips it down to the bare essentials presenting a kind of eerie, haunting vibe. I enjoy his use of layering his vocals in the chorus to give it a more fleshed out sound.
David Bowie with Marianne Faithful
Perhaps one of the oddest covers of I Got You Babe takes place in this video of David Bowie and Marianne Faithfull from Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust era. I’m not sure what exactly is going here. It almost appears to be a karaoke party with a live band rather than an actual concert. Perhaps it’s just rehearsal footage?
What I enjoy the most about this video is Marianne’s deep voice that gives the song a very somber feel. You can see Bowie is happy to sing it at the beginning and then Marianne comes in with her low register and David immediately makes a sad face while she sings. It’s silly and sloppy and worth watching more than once.
The Dictators
If you need a gritty, punk rock version of I Got You Babe, look no further than the Dictators.
The Dictators were an early New York City band that helped define what punk rock would later become with bands like the Ramones. Released in 1975, they recorded a cover of I Got You Babe on their classic debut album, Go Girl Crazy!.
If you’re looking for the upbeat raw version of I Got You Babe, this is it.
Britney Spears
Frank Skinner is an English TV personality who somehow convinced Britney Spears to sing their own duet version of I Got You Babe on his television show.
I can’t tell if they are actually singing in this clip or not. Britney appears to be singing much more thank Frank. Regardless, if you’re a die hard Britney fan (and I know there are a lot of you out there), add this video to your must view list.
Tiny Tim
This is the obvious choice for most unique cover version of Sonny & Cher’s song. But it goes without saying that Tiny Tim, in general, is just unique.
Tiny Tim was a ukulele player who specialized in singing in a very high register. It was always entertaining to watch such a large sized human play a tiny instrument and sing in a wild falsetto. He approached his music with a sense of humor which you can hear in this version of I Got You Babe in which he sings both Sonny and Cher’s parts while branding the song as him singing a duet.
Beavis & Butt-head with Cher
As a child of the Nineties, I grew up with Beavis & Butt-head. In 1993, it was nearly impossible to not hear their version of I Got You Babe with Cher. Recorded for their album, The Beavis and Butt-head Experience, the song helped it become one of the fastest selling comedy albums of all time.
James Last
This is the version of I Got You Babe that you’re most likely to find in a pile of records at your local thrift store. An instrumental, this might be your grandparents’ favorite version of the song. James Last was a German composer who specialized in a big band sound. This album is called Beat in Sweet and sweet is exactly how it sounds.
Richard ‘Jah’ Ace & Sons of Ace
Need another reggae version of I Got You Babe? Look no further than the soundtrack to In Her Shoes for Richard ‘Jah’ Ace’s version. In Her Shoes stars Toni Collette, Cameron Diaz and Shirley MacLaine.
Boom Forest
This is another great laid back, organic sounding version by Nashville based, Boom Forest. I think if I were making a mixtape and needed the perfect version to impress someone, I would choose this one.
There must be something in the water because I visited my local record store again this weekend and they had a 50 cent sidewalk sale. I flipped through their 45s and found a copy of Sonny & Cher’s original version. For 50 cents, I had to bring it home.
Before you go…
Please sign up for our mailing list below. You will receive a 15% off coupon for our Etsy Store where you can buy shirts for analog fans and other gifts for the music lovers in your life.
Also, don’t forget to shop our Discogs Store to purchase used records, CDs and 45s!
