1965 Hit, Covered by Linda Ronstadt, Is Suddenly Climbing the Charts 61 Years Later ...Saudi Arabia

In 1965, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles released one of Robinson’s most enduring ballads, “Ooo Baby Baby,” a song he would later call his “national anthem.” But more than six decades later, it isn’t the Miracles’ original recording, or even Linda Ronstadt’s hugely successful 1978 cover, that’s suddenly finding a new audience.

It’s The Five Stairsteps’ version of “Oooh, Baby Baby,” and it’s currently climbing TikTok’s Top 50 Songs chart, where it has reached No. 32.

The Chicago family group, best remembered for their 1970 Top 10 hit “O-o-h Child,” recorded their version of the Robinson and Pete Moore-penned song early in their career. Released in 1967, their rendition reached No. 63 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 34 on the R&B chart.

Now, nearly 60 years after The Five Stairsteps recorded it and 61 years after Robinson first released the song, TikTok is giving that lesser-known version an unexpected second life.

The Five Stairsteps Put Their Own Spin on ‘Ooo Baby Baby’

The Five Stairsteps were a true family affair. The Chicago group originally consisted of siblings Alohe Jean, Clarence Jr., James, Dennis and Kenneth “Keni” Burke, five of Betty and Clarence Burke Sr.’s six children. Their mother reportedly came up with their name because the children resembled stair steps when lined up by age.

After winning a talent contest at Chicago’s Regal Theater, the siblings were introduced to Curtis Mayfield through Fred Cash of the Impressions and signed with Mayfield’s Windy City label. Their first charting single, “You Waited Too Long,” arrived in 1966.

The following year brought “Oooh, Baby Baby,” their take on the song Robinson and Moore had written for the Miracles.

The original was already a major hit. The Miracles’ recording reached No. 16 on the Hot 100 and No. 4 on the R&B chart in 1965. Built around Robinson’s wounded lead vocal and the group’s intricate harmonies, the song finds its narrator admitting his infidelity and pleading for forgiveness.

Rolling Stone later ranked the Miracles’ version among its 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, praising Robinson’s delicate, wounded vocal and noting the remarkable staying power of a song that has been covered by generations of artists.

Robinson himself understood just how deeply “Ooo Baby Baby” connected with listeners. He once told rock critic Dave Marsh that he considered the song his “national anthem” because “wherever we go, it’s the one song that everybody always asks for.”

Marsh, who ranked “Ooo Baby Baby” No. 329 in his book “The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made,” believed its power went well beyond its popularity. He praised the way its lyrics flow effortlessly from one vernacular phrase to another and wrote that Robinson’s singing “just about defines the soul music version of rubato.”

Marsh was particularly struck by the way Robinson could stretch one phrase and double-time another while still hitting his marks, writing that a listener could spend a lifetime trying to figure out exactly how he did it and what Robinson’s smallest vocal quavers meant.

Six decades later, the song’s pull clearly hasn’t disappeared. What’s changed is the recording listeners are finding.

The Five Stairsteps’ version never approached the commercial heights of the original, but the group soon scored the song that would define its career. “O-o-h Child” reached No. 8 on the Hot 100 in 1970 and sold more than 1 million copies.

Linda Ronstadt Took ‘Ooh Baby Baby’ Back Into the Top 10

More than a decade after The Five Stairsteps recorded “Oooh, Baby Baby,” Ronstadt introduced the song to another generation.

She recorded “Ooh Baby Baby” for her 1978 album Living in the USA, with producer Peter Asher and a memorable opening saxophone solo from David Sanborn. Her rendition became one of the song’s biggest covers, reaching No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Ronstadt eventually performed the song alongside Robinson himself. The pair sang both “Ooh Baby Baby” and another Miracles favorite, “The Tracks of My Tears,” on the 1983 television special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever.

The song has been covered by numerous other artists over the decades, including Ella Fitzgerald and Todd Rundgren, but it’s now the Five Stairsteps’ comparatively overlooked recording that’s having its turn in the spotlight.

Why ‘Oooh, Baby Baby’ Is Suddenly Everywhere Again

There’s no single TikTok trend driving the Five Stairsteps’ resurgence. Instead, the song has found its way into two very different corners of the platform.

One is unabashedly romantic. In one video, a man covers his face in disbelief while text on the screen ticks through everything he’s “obsessed” with about someone, from their eyes and smile to their voice, laugh and sense of humor. Another pairs the song with a slideshow of memorable movie romances.

Then there’s the considerably hungrier side of “Oooh, Baby Baby” TikTok.

Biscoff Cinnamon Rolls ? (makes ~8 rolls) Dough: ¾ cup (180g) warm milk 1 packet instant yeast (2¼ tsp/7g) *if using active dry yeast, gently stir it in with the warm milk and sugar then let sit 5-10 min until foamy) ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar 1 egg + 1 egg yolk, room temp ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, melted 3-3½ cups (360-420g) all purpose flour (start with 3 cups and only add more if it’s super sticky) ¾ tsp salt optional: ⅓-½ cup warm heavy cream to pour over the rolls before baking Biscoff cinnamon filling: ⅓ cup (76g) unsalted butter, softened ⅓ cup (~80g) Biscoff spread/cookie butter ¾ cup (165g) brown sugar, packed 1½ tbsp cinnamon + crushed Biscoff cookies Cream cheese icing: 6oz (170g) cream cheese, room temp (block style, not spreadable) ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, room temp ⅓ cup (~80g) biscoff spread 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar ½ tsp vanilla Instructions: Combine the warm milk and instant yeast. Add sugar, eggs, and melted butter, mix. Stir in salt and flour. Mix until a soft dough forms. Knead the dough for 8-10 min. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1-1½ hrs or until doubled. For the biscoff cinnamon filling, mix the soft butter, biscoff spread, brown sugar, and cinnamon until combined and spreadable. Roll dough into about a 9x14in rectangle. Spread biscoff cinnamon filling evenly and scatter the crushed biscoff cookies on top of it. I like to use a pizza cutter or knife to first slice 8 pieces then roll them each up tightly. (Or you can tightly roll the whole thing then slice) Place in greased 9×13 pan (it could also probably fit tightly in a 9×9). Cover and let rise 35-45 min. Pour warm heavy cream over the rolls right before baking. Bake at 350°F for 22-28 min until golden. (tent with foil towards the end if the tops are browning too quickly) To make the icing, beat cream cheese, butter, and biscoff spread together until smooth. Then, beat in powdered sugar and vanilla until fully combined. Spread over warm rolls and sprinkle extra crushed biscoff cookies over the top. Enjoy! biscoff/cookie butter and cinnamon rolls are my new favorite combo ?#bakingrecipe #cookiebutter #cinnamonrolls #bakingszn

The dreamy soul recording has become a soundtrack for decadent recipe videos, including warm chocolate chip banana bread being sliced open, Biscoff cinnamon rolls pulled apart and gooey Twix cookies. The creators pair all that slow-motion food temptation with the Five Stairsteps crooning in the background, then provide the recipes in their captions.

It’s an unlikely combination, but apparently “Oooh, Baby Baby” works equally well for falling hopelessly in love and staring helplessly at a cinnamon roll.

More than half a century after it first appeared on the charts, The Five Stairsteps’ version is finally getting a moment of its own.

Related: 1976 Linda Ronstadt Deep Cut, Written by a 24-Year-Old Newcomer, Helped Launch the Songwriter’s Career

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