Baby Can I Hold You

"Baby Can I Hold You" is the third single released by the American contemporary folk artist Tracy Chapman, released in late 1988. The song reached the top fifty in the United States, unlike its predecessor, "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution", but it failed to become Chapman's second top forty hit, peaking at #48. It did, however, give her a second chart entry on the US Adult Contemporary charts, peaking at #19 in early 1989. (Her first adult contemporary hit was "Fast Car", which reached #7 on the AC charts.) Given the commercial decline Chapman suffered following the release of her second album Crossroads, "Baby Can I Hold You" also became her last top fifty hit until 1996's "Give Me One Reason". Neil Diamond recorded the song for his 1989 album, The Best Years of Our Lives and became the first of many artists to cover the song. Chapman subsequently re-recorded the song as a duet with Luciano Pavarotti for the CD Pavarotti and Friends for Cambodia and Tibet. And it was re-released as a single in promotion of the hits package Collection which reached #3 in the United Kingdom in 2001.In 1989 for the song was notably covered by Jamaican Reggae singer Sanchez which became a staple in dance clubs internationally and still widely played on America urban radio stations.