Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby

"Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby"
Single by Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
A-side	"G.I. Jive"
Released	1944 (1944)
Format	10"
Genre	Rhythm and blues
Label	Decca
Writer(s)	Billy Austin, Louis Jordan

"Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby" is a 1944 Louis Jordan song, released as the B-side of a single with "G.I. Jive". "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby" reached No. 1 on the US folk/country charts. The Louis Jordan recording also peaked at number two for three weeks on the pop chart and peaked at number three on the R&B charts. This was Jordan's second and last country chart No. 1, and the last No. 1 country chart topper for an African American artist until Charley Pride scored his first No.1, All I Have to Offer You (Is Me) on August 9, 1969.

It was co-written by Jordan and Billy Austin. Austin (March 6, 1896 – July 24, 1964) was a songwriter and author, born in Denver, Colorado. The phrase "is you is or is you ain't" is dialect, apparently first recorded in a 1921 story by Octavus Roy Cohen, a Jewish writer from South Carolina who wrote humorous black dialect fiction. Glenn Miller recorded this song on a radio broadcast from Europe during World War II.

Cover versions

• The tune has become something of a jazz standard with versions recorded by artists including The Andrews Sisters, June Christy, Bing Crosby, Nat "King" Cole, Buster Brown, Glenn Miller, Renee Olstead, Dinah Washington, Woody Herman, Anita O'Day, Joe Williams, B.B. King with Dr. John, Vic Damone, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Diana Krall, Joe Jackson and Emilie-Claire Barlow. There was also a cover of this on Tom and Jerry, sung by Ira Woods as Tom Cat in Solid Serenade (1946) on the double bass.
• Max Cullen sings the song in the style of Billie Holiday in the 1995 film Billy's Holiday.
• A version by the JB Jazz and Blues Band featured prominently in the closing scenes of the final episode of the first series of Spaced by Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes in 1999.
• A remix of the Dinah Washington version by Rae & Christian appeared on the Verve Remixed (2002) album.
• Joe Jackson covered this song on his Jumpin Jive album.
• The song was used in an advertisement for credit card Access with the words changed to "does you do or does you don't take Access?"

References

Preceded by "Straighten Up and Fly Right" by King Cole Trio

Most Played Juke Box Folk Records number one single by Louis Jordan July 29, 1944 - August 26, 1944 (five weeks)

Succeeded by "Soldier's Last Letter" by Ernest Tubb