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Baby What You Want Me To Do
Composer: Jimmy Reed

The Grateful Dead played Baby What You Want Me To Do, with Etta James on vocals, on NYE 1982 and three times, without a guest, in 1985. Members of the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane performed the song once in 1969. Bob Weir played the song with Merl Saunders, John Cipollina and others at the Haight Street Fair on June 9, 1985.

The original Jimmy Reed version of the song released in 1959 reached #10 in the R&B charts in 1960.

Baby What You Want Me To Do has been recorded many times. The lists below are not intended to be comprehensive.



Jimmy Reed

no info Single (Baby What You Want Me To Do / Caress Me Baby), Jimmy Reed, 1959
info Found Love, Jimmy Reed, 1960
no info Teen Delights, Various Artists (Jimmy Reed), 1960
info Jimmy Reed at Carnegie Hall, Jimmy Reed, 1961
info The Best Of, Jimmy Reed, 1961
no info Plays 12 String Guitar Blues, Jimmy Reed, 1963
no info Soul Meeting Saturday Night Hootennanny Style, Various Artists, 1963
no info Live at the Whiskey a Go-Go, Various Artists, 1964
no info The Legend, The Man, Jimmy Reed, 1965
no info The New Jimmy Reed Album, Jimmy Reed, 1967
no info The Ultimate, Jimmy Reed, 1973
no info Rock 'N' Soul 1960, Various Artists, 1973
no info 20 Soulful Oldies, Volume 6, Various Artists, 1973
no info The Best of, Jimmy Reed, 1974
no info The Blues, Various Artists, 1974
no info Upside Your Head, Jimmy Reed, 1980
no info Vee Jay Blues, Various Artists (Jimmy Reed), 1985
no info Big Boss Blues, Jimmy Reed, 1986
no info The Real Blues Brothers, Various Artists, 1987
no info The Best of, Jimmy Reed, 1990
no info Oldies But Goodies, Vol. 11, Various Artists, 1990
no info The Rock 'N' Roll Era: R&B Gems, Various Artists, 1991
no info Speak the Lyrics to Me, Mama Reed, Jimmy Reed, 1993
no info Vee-Jay: Celebrating 40 Years of Classic Hits 1953-1993, Various Artists, 1993
no info Blues Masters, Vol. 7: Blues Revival, Various Artists, 1993
no info Classic Recordings, Jimmy Reed, 1995
no info Ain't Times Hard, Various Artists, 1995
no info Blues Anthology, Various Artists, 1995
no info Living the Blues: Blues Masters, Various Artists, 1995
no info Charly Blues Masterworks, Vol. 17: Bright Lights, Big City, Jimmy Reed, 1996
no info Big Boss Man, Jimmy Reed, 1996
no info Lost In The Shuffle, Jimmy Reed, 1997
no info His Greatest Recordings, Jimmy Reed, 1998
no info Living the Blues: Blues Greats, Various Artists, 1999
no info Boss Man, Jimmy Reed, 1999
no info Blues Masters: The Very Best of, Jimmy Reed, 2000
info The Very Best of, Jimmy Reed, 2000
info EP Collection...Plus, Jimmy Reed, 2000
no info Glory Days of Rock n' Roll: R & B Legends, Various Artists, 2000
info Big Boss Man (Box set), Jimmy Reed, 2001
no info Best of Vee-Jay Blues, Various Artists, 2003
no info The Time-Life Treasury of the Blues, Various Artists, 2003
no info The Ultimate Blues Album, Various Artists, 2003
info The Essential Boss Man: The Very Best of the Vee-Jay Years, 1953-1966, Jimmy Reed, 2005
info Blowing the Fuse: 31 R&B Classics That Rocked the Jukebox in 1960, Various Artists (Jimmy Reed)), 2006
no info Blowing the Fuse: 31 R&B Classics That Rocked the Jukebox in 1960, Various Artists, 2006
no info Ain't Times Hard: Political and Social Comment In The Blues, Various Artists, 2007
no info Joe Strummer's Jukebox, Various Artists, 2008
no info Boss Man: The Best & Rarest of, Jimmy Reed, 2009
no info ABC of the Blues: The Ultimate Collection from the Delta to the Big Cities, Various Artists, 2010


Other recordings

no info You're Lookin' Good, Dee Clark, 1960
no info Date With The Everly Brothers, Everly Brothers, 1961
no info Mashed Potatoes, Steve Alaimo, 1962
no info Rocks The House, Etta James, 1964
no info Some Blue-Eyed Soul, Righteous Brothers, 1964
no info Here We á Go-Go Again!, Johnny Rivers, 1964
no info Country Meets Folk, Brian Hyland, 1964
no info Single (Baby What You Want Me To Do / What I Say), Etta James, 1964
no info Single (It's Only Make Believe / Baby What Do You Want Me To Do), Billy Fury, 1964
no info Single (Baby What You Want Me To Do / Hey, Hey, Love Me), The Halos, 1965
no info Single (Don't Mess Up A Good Thing / Baby, What You Want Me To Do), Fontella Bass with Bobby Mc Clure, 1965
no info Single (Baby What You Want Me To Do / Twelve-O-Four), Bob & Bobby, 1965
no info Beach Ball Soundtrack, Various Artists (Righteous Brothers), 1965
no info Carla, Carla Thomas, 1966
no info The Wild and Frantic, Little Richard, 1966
no info Single (I Remember The Feeling / Baby What You Want Me To Do), Barbara Lewis, 1966
no info Shake Rattle & Roll, Arthur Conley, 1967
no info Wings of a Dove, Bluesbusters, 1967
no info Knight In Rusty Armour, Peter & Gordon, 1967
no info Bill Cosby Sings/Silver Throat, Bill Cosby, 1967
no info Takin' Care of Business, Gene Russell, 1967
no info Whatever's Right, Lonnie Mack, 1969
no info Soul Bag, Mongo Santamaría, 1969
no info Jammed Together, Albert King, Steve Cropper & Pops Staples, 1969
no info Great Oldies Done Hear and Now, The Rock & Roll Review, 1969
no info Single (Baby What You Want Me To Do, Pt 1 / Baby What You Want Me To Do, Pt 2), Little Richard, 1969
no info LA, Memphis and Tyler, Texas, Dale Hawkins, 1969
info Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde, The Byrds, 1969
no info Trash Talkin', Albert Collins, 1969
no info Greatest Songs Of Jimmy Reed, Buddy Rogers, 196?
info The Everly Brothers Show, Everly Brothers, 1970
no info New King of the Blues Harmonica, Little Sonny, 1970
no info Single (Baby What You Want Me To Do / The Creeper Returns), Little Sonny, 1970
no info Magic Sand, Magic Sand, 1970
info Peaches, Etta James, 1971
no info The Bridge In Blue, Bridge, 1972
no info Blues Rock Cookbook: Montreux Festival, Various Artists (Bo Diddley), 1972
no info The Beginning, Them, 1972
no info Live Dates, Wishbone Ash, 1973
info Yellow Fever, Hot Tuna, 1975
no info Chuck Berry 75, Chuck Berry, 1975
no info Single (Shake Rattle And Roll / Baby What You Want Me To Do), Chuck Berry, 1975
no info Helen of Troy, John Cale, 1975
info It's All Over Now Baby Blue, Them, 1975
no info Legendary Performer Vol 2, Elvis Presley, 1976
info Ruby, Ruby, 1977
no info Shades of Blue, Lou Rawls, 1980
info Guido Toffoletti's Birthday Album, Guido Toffoletti, 1981
no info Jukin', Johnny Dyer, 1983
no info So Why Didn't You Do That The First Time?, Dion and the Belmonts, 1985
no info Blues in the Night, Volume 2: The Late Show, Etta James/Eddie" Cleanhead" Vinson, 1987
no info Runaround Sue: The Best of the Rest, Dion, 1988
no info In the Spirit, The Holmes Brothers, 1990
no info Blue Hand Johnnie, Johnnie Johnson, 1990
no info Alone and Acoustic, Buddy Guy/Junior Wells, 1991
no info Lovers Who Wander/So Why Didn't You Do That the First Time?, Dion, 1991
no info New King of Blues Harmonica/Hard Goin' Up, Little Sonny, 1991
no info The Moonglow Years, Righteous Brothers, 1991
no info Rescued: The Best Of, Fontella Bass, 1992
no info Portrait Of The Blues, Lou Rawls, 1992
no info Live Dates, Wishbone Ash, 1992
no info Ridin', Lucky Peterson, 1993
no info Portrait Of The Blues, Lou Rawls, 1993
no info Blue Hand Johnnie, Johnnie Johnson, 1993
no info Portrait of a Delta Bluesman, Pinetop Perkins, 1993
no info Time Was: The Collection, Wishbone Ash, 1993
info Essential Etta James, Etta James, 1994
no info New Orleans Rhythm and Blues, Vol. 3, James Rivers, 1994
info Live From San Francisco, Etta James, 1994
no info Introducing, Roy Roberts, 1995
no info Totally Live at the Whiskey a Go Go, Johnny Rivers, 1995
no info Feets Don't Fail Me Now, Rockin Dopsies, 1995
no info She's a Good Un (It's Alright), Bobby Rush, 1995
no info Sweetheart of the Blues, Bonnie Lee, 1995
no info Broken Arrow, Neil Young, 1996
no info Missing Links, Vol. 2, Big City, Link Wray, 1996
no info Back To Clarksdale, Reunion Blues Band, 1996
info The Story of Them Featuring Van Morrison, Them, 1997
no info Platinum: A Life In Music, Elvis Presley, 1997
no info Dr. Byrd and Mr. Hyde, The Byrds, 1997 (expanded CD)
info Her Best, Etta James, 1997
no info Summer Heat, Etta James, 1997
no info It's Alright, Bobby Rush, 1997
no info Rockin' On ... and Beyond, Mickey Lee Lane, 1997
no info The Elvis Presley Collection: Rock 'N' Roll, Elvis Presley, 1997
no info The Elvis Presley Collection: Rhythm and Blues, Elvis Presley, 1998
no info The 40th Anniversary Anthology, Billy Fury, 1998
no info Rockin' with the Iceman, Albert Collins, 1998
no info Touch of Platinum, Vol. 2, Elvis Presley, 1998
no info Golden Celebration, Elvis Presley, 1998
no info Hezekiah and The House Rockers, Hezekiah and The House Rockers, 1998
no info Chicago Blues Session, Vol. 22, Hubert Sumlin & Billy Branch, 1998
info Rhythm and Blues at Abbey Road, Various Artists (Sons Of Fred), 1998
info Green Crystal Ties Vol. 7: Mind Expanding Punk of 60's, Various Artists (Tony Lane and The Fabulous Spades), 1998
info The Chess Box, Etta James, 2000
no info Back on Top, Carl Perkins, 2000
no info It's Everly Time/A Date with, The Everly Brothers, 2001
no info Live in Las Vegas Box Set, Elvis Presley, 2001
no info Rockin' the Roadshow, John Mayall, 2003
no info Sweet Soul Music/Shake Rattle & Roll, Arthur Conley, 2004
no info Rusty Rocks, Rusty York, 2004
info West Cork Tuning, Noel Redding and 3:05 AM, 2004
info Thaw Out at the Fillmore, Albert Collins, 2004
info Gold, Them, 2005
info Deep Freeze, Albert Collins, 2005
no info The Very Best of: The Chess Singles, Etta James, 2005
no info Live from Austin TX, Texas Tornados, 2005
no info Troubles, Troubles: The Sonet Blues Story, Otis Rush, 2006
info There Is a Season, The Byrds, 2006
info Chained to a Memory 1966-1972, The Everly Brothers, 2006
info The Price of Fame 1960-1965, The Everly Brothers, 2006
info Live At Lou's, Out-Front, 2006
info Yellow Fever / Hoppkorv, Hot Tuna, 2007
no info Gold, Etta James, 2007
no info Live at Royal Albert Hall 1971, The Byrds, 2008
no info Piece of Her Heart: The Epic and Shout Years, Erma Franklin, 2009
no info Have Mercy: His Complete Chess Recordings (1969-1974), Chuck Berry, 2010
no info Whole Lotta Shakin'/On Top, Carl Perkins, 2010
no info Original Album Series, The Everly Brothers, 2010
no info Heart & Soul: A Retrospective, Etta James, 2011
no info Lady Godiva/Knight in Rusty Armour/In London for Tea, Peter & Gordon, 2011
info The Complete Columbia Albums Collection, Taj Mahal, 2013

 
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