"Comin' Home Baby"

[Lionel Mandrake]

I heard this song on the radio and liked it. I thought the title should be "Come On Home", since that is what the lady sings, not "Comin' Home Baby".

It turns out that this song has a history. It started out as an instrumental piece:

But then lyrics were written by Bob Dorough and sung by Mel Tormé, in a complicated arrangement involving a chorus.

And that's why the title of the song seemed strange to me. Jackie Ryan's lyrics are just the choral part of the Bob Dorough - Mel Tormé version. They tell only one side of the story.

By the way, the chorus backing up Mel Tormé had previously worked with Ray Charles. The conversation between the male vocalist and female chorus is similar to that in "Hit the Road, Jack".

[Lionel Mandrake]

1. anyone?