"Baby (You've Got What It Takes)" is a song written by Clyde Otis and Murray Stein.
Originally titled "You've Got What It Takes", the song was first recorded by Brook Benton's sister, Dorothy Pay, in 1958, as the B-side of her single "Strollin' with My Baby" on Mercury 71277. "You've Got What It Takes", Secondhand Songs. Retrieved 12 January 2018 Singles Discography for Mercury Records - 71000 series, Global Dog Productions. Retrieved 12 January 2018
In August 1959, Brook Benton partnered with Dinah Washington to record the song as "Baby (You've Got What It Takes)". Their version, released in January 1960, was hugely successful on both the pop and R&B charts, reaching No.5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No.1 on the Hot R&B sides chart for ten weeks, becoming one of the most successful R&B singles of the 1960s. The song was also featured on their 1960 duet album, The Two of Us.
Piano parts were composed by Joe Zawinul and Belford Hendricks was the arranger and conductor.
Charts Dinah Washington and Brook Benton Chart (1960) Peakposition Canada CHUM Chart 14 US Billboard Hot 1005 US Billboard Hot R&B Sides1
Later versions Charlie Louvin and Melba Montgomery recorded a duet on their 1971 album, Baby, You've Got What It Takes, with the single peaking at No. 30 on the country charts. Kevin Mahogany included it as a duet with Jeanie Bryson in his 1995 album You Got What It Takes. Canadian singer-songwriter Michael Bublé recorded it, featuring Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, for his 2009 album Crazy Love. The song was also released as a single. Ledisi recorded the song with Gregory Porter and released it as the third single from her Dinah Washington tribute album For Dinah (2025).Ledisi - For Dinah (AllMusic Overview). AllMusic. Retrieved on October 3, 2025
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