Baby Can I Hold You

"Baby Can I Hold You" is the third single released by the American contemporary folk artist Tracy Chapman, released in late 1988. The song reached the top 50 in the United States, unlike its predecessor, "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution", but it failed to become Chapman's second top 40 hit, peaking at #48. It did, however, give her a second chart entry on the US Adult Contemporary charts, peaking at #19 in early 1989. Given the commercial decline Chapman suffered following the release of her second album Crossroads, "Baby Can I Hold You" also became her last top 50 hit until 1996's "Give Me One Reason". In July 1990, the song reached No. 1 in Portugal. Chapman re-released the song in 2001, in support of her first greatest hits album Collection.

"Baby Can I Hold You"
Single by Tracy Chapman
from the album Tracy Chapman
B-side	"Across The Lines" "If Not Now..." "Mountains O' Things" (Live)
Released	October 1, 1988
Genre	Folk
Length	3:14
Label	Elektra/Asylum Records
Songwriter(s)	Tracy Chapman
Producer(s)	David Kershenbaum
Tracy Chapman singles chronology
"Talkin' 'bout a Revolution" (1988) "Baby Can I Hold You" (1988) "Crossroads" (1989)
"Wedding Song" (2000) "Baby Can I Hold You" (2001) "You're the One" (2002)

The song created buzz in popular media in 2018, when Nicki Minaj used an interpolation of "Baby Can I Hold You" in her song "Sorry" featuring Nas. Minaj had used the sample believing from the song "Sorry" by Shelly Thunder, unaware that song was actually a cover of "Baby Can I Hold You".[1] Minaj left the song off her fourth studio album due to clearance issues, but the song was leaked to Funkmaster Flex shortly after the album's release in August.[2] In October, Chapman sued Minaj for copyright infringement, claiming that Minaj leaked the song to Flex after Chapman denied her team's request for clearance of the song multiple times beginning in June.[3][4][5][6][7][8]

Charts

Chart (1988-1990)[9]	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)[10]	68
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[11]	27
Portugal (AFP)[12]	1
US Billboard Hot 100	48
US Adult Contemporary	19

Boyzone version

"Baby Can I Hold You" / "Shooting Star"
Single by Boyzone
from the album Where We Belong
Released	November 24, 1997
Recorded	1997
Genre	Pop
Label	Polydor
Songwriter(s)	Tracy Chapman
Producer(s)	Stephen Lipson
Boyzone singles chronology
"Picture of You" (1997) "Baby Can I Hold You" / "Shooting Star" (1997) "All That I Need" (1998)

In 1997, the Irish boy band Boyzone released a cover of "Baby Can I Hold You" as a double A-side with the non-album track "Shooting Star". "Baby Can I Hold You" thus became their second single from their third studio album, Where We Belong. The single, like "Picture of You" before it, peaked at #2 on the official UK singles chart and stayed in the top 75 for fourteen weeks. The song was the 26th best selling single of 1997 in the United Kingdom. The song was the 9th biggest selling boyband single of the 90's in the United Kingdom. The song has received a Platinum sales status certification for sales of over 600,000 copies in the United Kingdom and has appeared on compilations of Boyzone's work. The song reappeared on lead singer Ronan Keating's greatest-hits compilation 10 Years of Hits.

Track listing

CD1

1. "Baby Can I Hold You" (7" Edit) – 3:16
2. "Shooting Star" – 4:13
3. "Mystical Experience" – 4:10
4. "Mystical Experience" (Remix) – 4:36

CD2 (In Limited Edition Digipak)

1. "Baby Can I Hold You" (7" Edit) – 3:16
2. "Shooting Star" (Radio Edit) – 4:11
3. "Words" (Spanglish Version) – 4:04
4. "From Here To Eternity" – 3:54

Charts

Chart (1997)	Peak position
Danish Singles Chart[13]	2
Iceland Singles Chart[14]	32
Irish Singles Chart[15]	2
Scottish Singles Chart[16]	2
UK Singles Chart[17]	2
Finnish Singles Chart[13]	15
Chart (1998)	Peak position
New Zealand Singles Chart[13]	11
Swedish Singles Chart[13]	12
Swiss Singles Chart[13]	17
French Singles Chart[13]	26
Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart[13]	31
Austrian Singles Chart[13]	39
Dutch Singles Chart[13]	43
Australian Singles Chart[13]	56
German Singles Chart[18]	80

End of year charts

End of year chart (1997)	Position
UK Singles Chart	26

Ronan Keating version

"Baby Can I Hold You"
Single by Ronan Keating
from the album 10 Years of Hits
Released	July 6, 2005
Recorded	2004
Genre	Pop
Length	3:14
Label	Polydor Records
Songwriter(s)	Tracy Chapman
Producer(s)	Steve Mac
Ronan Keating singles chronology
"Father and Son" (2004) "Baby Can I Hold You" (2005) "All Over Again" (2006)

In 2005, Boyzone frontman Ronan Keating released his own cover of "Baby Can I Hold You" as the third and final single from his greatest hits compilation, 10 Years of Hits. It became the second song that he originally recorded with Boyzone to be re-released for his own solo career. In the United Kingdom, the single was only released via digital download and thus it failed to chart. In Germany, the single received a full-scale release and peaked at #42 on the German Singles Chart.

Track listing

Digital download

1. "Baby Can I Hold You" – 3:14

German CD single[19]

1. "Baby Can I Hold You" (German Radio Mix) – 3:10
2. "Baby Can I Hold You" (Live & Acoustic) – 3:09
3. "This Is Your Song" (Live At Wembley Arena) – 4:38
4. "Life Is A Rollercoaster" (Live & Acoustic) – 3:47

Charts

Chart (2005)	Peak position
German Singles Chart[20]	42

Other cover versions and usages in media

• In 1989, Neil Diamond recorded the song for his album The Best Years of Our Lives.[21]
• In 1989, Jamaican reggae singer Sanchez covered the song.[21]
• In 1998, R&B singer Andrea Martin recorded a cover version for her album The Best of Me.[21]
• In 2000, Chapman re-recorded the song as a duet with Luciano Pavarotti for the CD Pavarotti and Friends for Cambodia and Tibet.

References

1. Espinoza, Joshua (August 11, 2018). "Nicki Minaj Drops Nas-Assisted Track "Sorry"". Complex. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
2. Aswad, Jem (August 12, 2018). "Nicki Minaj, Nas Drop 'Sorry,' a Song Cut From 'Queen'". Variety. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
3. Holmes, Charles (October 23, 2018). "Tracy Chapman Sues Nicki Minaj for Copyright Infringment". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
4. Cullins, Ashley (October 23, 2018). "Hollywood Docket: Nicki Minaj Track "Sorry" Sparks Tracy Chapman Lawsuit". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
5. "Tracy Chapman sues Nicki Minaj for copyright infringement". Associated Press. October 23, 2018. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
6. "TRACY CHAPMAN SUES NICKI MINAJ ... You Stole 'Baby Can I Hold You'". TMZ. October 23, 2018. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
7. Lockett, Dee (October 23, 2018). "Tracy Chapman Has Reportedly Sued Nicki Minaj for Never Clearing That Sample". Vulture.com. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
8. Reed, Ryan (February 27, 2019). "Nicki Minaj Denies Copyright Infringement in Response to Tracy Chapman Lawsuit". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
9. Artist Chart History: Billboard.com
10. "25 Years Ago This Week: February 26, 1989". chartbeat.blogspot.com.au. Retrieved 2015-09-22.
11. Canada Top Singles peak RPM Magazine
12. "Top 3 Portugal" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
13. Steffen Hung. "Boyzone - Baby Can I Hold You". dutchcharts.nl. Archived from the original on 2012-10-24. Retrieved 2012-07-24.
14. "Tonlist Top 40". DV. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
15. "Irishcharts.ie" Archived July 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Note: User must define search parameter as "Boyzone". (Retrieved August 5, 2013)
16. Scottish Singles Chart (Retrieved August 25, 2008)
17. UK Singles Chart OfficialCharts.com (Retrieved August 25, 2008)
18. "Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts, News, Neuerscheinungen, Tickets, Genres, Genresuche, Genrelexikon, Künstler-Suche, Musik-Suche, Track-Suche, Ticket-Suche". musicline.de. Retrieved 2012-07-24.
19. "Baby Can I Hold You: Amazon.de: Musik". Amazon.de. 1970-01-01. Retrieved 2012-07-24.
20. "charts.de". charts.de. Retrieved 2012-07-24.
21. "Baby Can I Hold You by Tracy Chapman". WhoSampled. Retrieved July 8, 2020.