charts Year-end charts Personnel The Miracles William "Smokey" Robinson – writer, producer, lead vocals Pete Moore – writer, vocal arrangements, background vocals Claudette Rogers Robinson – background vocals Ronnie White – background vocals Bobby Rogers – background vocals Marv Tarplin – guitar Other credits Detroit Symphony Orchestra – strings The Funk Brothers – other instruments, featuring Jack Ashford on vibraphone Linda Ronstadt version Background In 1978, Linda Ronstadt recorded a cover version of "Ooh Baby Baby" and included it on her double-platinum album Living in the USA. Her version of the single reached number 2 on the Contemporary chart and peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1979 (it also hit the R&B and Country singles charts). Her single, which opens with a saxophone solo by David Sanborn, was produced by Peter Asher and issued on Asylum Records. Ronstadt performed with Smokey Robinson both "The Tracks of My Tears" and "Ooh Baby Baby" on the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever special broadcast on May 16, 1983. Chart performance Weekly charts Year-end charts Other versions The Five Stairsteps (1967) Ella Fitzgerald (1969) The Fuzz on The Fuzz (1970) San Francisco T.K.O.'s on Herm b/w Oh Baby, Baby (1972) Honey Cone on Love, Peace & Soul as "O-O-O Baby Baby" (1972) Todd Rundgren on A Wizard, a True Star (1973) Ralfi Pagan on I Can See (1975) Gary Bartz on Music Is My Sanctuary (1977) Shalamar on Uptown Festival (1977) Aretha Franklin and Smokey Robinson performed the song on Soul Train on December 1, 1979. Sylvester on Too Hot to Sleep (1981) Zapp, titled "Ooh Baby Baby", on Zapp Vibe (1989), also released as a single Hugh Masekela, Uptownship (1989) Ray, Goodman & Brown, titled "Ooh Baby Baby", on Ray, Goodman & Brown Live (1992) Janet Kay on For the Love of You (1994) Laura Nyro (recorded 1994/95) released on Angel in the Dark in 2001 Yoko Takahashi (1996) LaToya London (2004) on American Idol during Motown Week Musiq on Luvanmusiq (2007, bonus track) Human Nature on Get Ready (2007) featuring Smokey Robinson. Anoop Desai (2009) on American Idol during Motown Week Marianne Faithfull featuring Antony Hegarty (2009) released on Easy Come, Easy Go Seal, titled "Ooh Baby Baby," on Soul 2 (2011) Teena Marie, bonus digital track on her posthumous album Beautiful (2013) Erich Cawalla on "The Great American Songbook" (2022) References External links List of cover versions