I'm a Woman (song)
The song "I'm a Woman" was written by famed songwriting duo Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, and was first recorded in 1962 by Christine Kittrell.
| "I'm a Woman" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Peggy Lee | ||||
| from the album I'm a Woman | ||||
| B-side | "Big Bad Bill (is Sweet William Now)" | |||
| Released | November 1962 | |||
| Recorded | November 1962 | |||
| Genre | Soft rock | |||
| Length | 2:07 | |||
| Label | Capitol Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Leiber & Stoller | |||
| Producer(s) | Dave Cavanaugh | |||
| Peggy Lee singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| "I'm a Woman" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Maria Muldaur | ||||
| from the album Waitress in a Donut Shop | ||||
| B-side | "Cool River" | |||
| Released | December 1974 | |||
| Genre | Soft rock | |||
| Label | Reprise Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Leiber & Stoller | |||
| Producer(s) | Dave Cavanaugh | |||
| Maria Muldaur singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
It was recorded and released as a single later that year by Peggy Lee, reaching number 54 on U.S. pop charts. It was also the title song to Lee's 1963 album I'm a Woman, and appeared on her subsequent albums In Love Again! (1964) and Is That All There Is? (1969).
It has been covered many times, including two covers by Maria Muldaur; first with Jim Kweskin's Jug Band in the mid-1960s, then again as a solo performer in 1974. The latter reached number 12 on U.S. pop charts, and was Muldaur's only hit other than her signature song "Midnight at the Oasis".
Other well-known versions include Bette Midler's from her Peggy Lee tribute album Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook; a duet by Raquel Welch and Miss Piggy from the former's appearance on The Muppet Show, with Raquel spelling the first two letters from the word "Woman" (W O) while Miss Piggy ended it with the letters "P I G"; and two performances by Melinda Doolittle on season 6 of American Idol. Beverly Hillbillies star Irene Ryan (in her Granny persona) performed an adaptation of the song on The Hollywood Palace on ABC-TV in 1969. Country legend Reba McEntire recorded "I'm a Woman" for her 1979 album Out of a Dream. Nanette Workman recorded it for her 2001 Roots 'n' Blues album. Elisa Girlando and Out of Truth released a version in 2008. Country star Wynonna Judd recorded it for her 2009 album Sing: Chapter 1. A female ensemble version of "I'm a Woman" also was included in 1995's Leiber & Stoller-themed musical revue Smokey Joe's Cafe, upon which a rendition in an episode of Ally McBeal, as sung by Jane Krakowski, Vonda Shepard, and Lisa Nicole Carson, was based. Raquel Welch and Cher performed the song on The Cher Show in 1975.
The song, with modified lyrics, was used in Enjoli perfume commercials of the 1970s. In 2013, Jennifer Love Hewitt released a new version of the song to promote her Lifetime TV show The Client List. The video reached the top 10 in the iTunes Music Video chart.[1]
Chart history
- Peggy Lee
| Chart (1962-63) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[2] | 54 |
| U.S. Cash Box Top 100[3] | 75 |
- Maria Muldaur
| Chart (1974-75) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[4] | 2 |
| Canada RPM Top Singles[5] | 41 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[6] | 12 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 4 |
| U.S. Cash Box Top 100[7] | 24 |
Notes
- Feliciano, Kristina. "Matthew Rolston and Jennifer Love Hewitt join forces for "I'm a Woman," the sexy new promotional music video for Lifetime's hit series "The Client List"". Stockland Martel. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
- Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
- Cash Box Top 100 Singles, February 2, 1963
- "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1975-03-15. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
- "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1975-03-15. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
- Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
- Cash Box Top 100 Singles, March 1, 1975
