Baby Face (song)

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Baby Face is a classic Tin Pan Alley jazz song written by Harry Akst (music) and Benny Davis (lyrics), published in 1926. The first big hit was by Jan Garber and His Orchestra, with Davis singing the chorus, and it topped the charts that year. The first full vocal version on record came later in 1926 from Whispering Jack Smith, who sang in a half-spoken style and opened the verses with lines like “baby cheeks.” The song became a standard and was performed by many artists, including Al Jolson, with an instrumental version used in the 1933 film Baby Face.

In 1958, Little Richard released a rock-and-roll take that charted in the U.S. and the U.K., becoming his highest-charting UK single. Bobby Darin released a version in 1962 that reached the Canadian charts. A 1975 disco version by Wing and a Prayer Fife and Drum Corps was popular on several charts around the world.

The song has appeared in other media and performances, such as a Muppet Chickens rendition on The Muppet Show 2 album and performances linked to Jim Henson’s memorial service. It remains a widely performed standard.