The Emotional Truth of the Blues Period

Fay Adams inspired almost all slow-burned blues ballads in this period. The real key to the song came when Brown heard the Orioles version of Big Joe Williams's Baby, Please Don't Go and use their backing vocal arrangements. They were signed to Federal Records by Ralph Bass, the visionary A&R man we've dealt with in many other episodes. Bass was absolutely convinced that Please, Please, Please would be a hit, and championed the flames in the face of opposition from his boss Sid Nathan.