Baby Can I Hold You - wikipedia Baby Can I Hold You `` Baby Can I Hold You '' Single by Tracy Chapman from the album Tracy Chapman B - side `` Across The Lines '' `` If Not Now... '' `` Mountains O ' Things '' ( Live ) Released October 1, 1988 Genre Folk Length 3 : 14 Label Elektra / Asylum Records Songwriter ( s ) Tracy Chapman Producer ( s ) David Kershenbaum Tracy Chapman singles chronology `` Talkin ' ' bout a Revolution '' ( 1988 ) `` Baby Can I Hold You '' ( 1988 ) `` Crossroads '' ( 1989 ) `` Talkin ' ' bout a Revolution '' ( 1988 ) `` Baby Can I Hold You '' ( 1988 ) `` Crossroads '' ( 1989 ) `` Wedding Song '' ( 2000 ) Wedding Song2000 `` Baby Can I Hold You '' ( 2001 ) ( Re-release ) Baby Can I Hold You2001 `` You 're the One '' ( 2002 ) You 're the One2002 `` 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 50 in the United States, unlike its predecessor, `` Talkin ' ' bout a Revolution '', but it failed to become Chapman 's second top 40 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. Given the commercial decline Chapman suffered following the release of her second album Crossroads, `` Baby Can I Hold You '' also became her last top 50 hit until 1996 's `` Give Me One Reason ''. In July 1990 the song reached # 1 in Portugal. 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. In 1989 the song was notably covered by Jamaican reggae singer Sanchez, and the version became a staple in dance clubs internationally and is still widely played on America urban radio stations. Boyzone 's version ( December 1997 ) peak at # 2 in the UK charts. Chapman subsequently re-recorded the song, in 2000, 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. Contents 1 Charts 2 Boyzone version 2.1 Track listing 2.2 Charts 2.3 End of year charts 3 Ronan Keating version 3.1 Track listing 3.2 Charts 4 References Charts Chart ( 1988 - 1990 ) Peak position US Billboard Hot 100 48 US Adult Contemporary 19 Australia ( ARIA ) 68 Portugal ( AFP ) Boyzone version `` Baby Can I Hold You '' / `` Shooting Star '' Single by Boyzone from the album Where We Belong Released November 24, 1997 Genre Pop Label Polydor Songwriter ( s ) Tracy Chapman Producer ( s ) Stephen Lipson Boyzone singles chronology `` Picture of You '' ( 1997 ) `` Baby Can I Hold You '' / `` Shooting Star '' ( 1997 ) `` All That I Need '' ( 1998 ) `` Picture of You '' ( 1997 ) `` Baby Can I Hold You '' ( 1997 ) `` All That I Need '' ( 1998 ) In 1997, the Irish boy band Boyzone released a cover of `` Baby Can I Hold You '' as a double A-side with the non-album track `` Shooting Star ''. `` Baby Can I Hold You '' thus became their second single from their third studio album, Where We Belong. The single, like `` Picture of You '' before it, peaked at # 2 on the official UK singles chart and stayed in the top 75 for fourteen weeks. The song was the 26th best selling single of 1997 in the United Kingdom. The song was the 9th biggest selling boyband single of the 90 's in the United Kingdom. The song has received a Gold sales status certification for sales of over 400,000 copies in the United Kingdom and has appeared on compilations of Boyzone 's work. The song reappeared on lead singer Ronan Keating 's greatest - hits compilation 10 Years of Hits. Track listing CD1 `` Baby Can I Hold You '' ( 7 '' Edit ) -- 3 : 16 `` Shooting Star '' -- 4 : 13 `` Mystical Experience '' -- 4 : 10 `` Mystical Experience '' ( Remix ) -- 4 : 36 CD2 ( In Limited Edition Digipak ) `` Baby Can I Hold You '' ( 7 '' Edit ) -- 3 : 16 `` Shooting Star '' ( Radio Edit ) -- 4 : 11 `` Words '' ( Spanglish Version ) -- 4 : 04 `` From Here To Eternity '' -- 3 : 54 Charts Chart ( 1997 ) Peak position Danish Singles Chart Iceland Singles Chart 32 Irish Singles Chart Scottish Singles Chart UK Singles Chart Finnish Singles Chart 15 Chart ( 1998 ) Peak position New Zealand Singles Chart 11 Swedish Singles Chart 12 Swiss Singles Chart 17 French Singles Chart 26 Belgian ( Flanders ) Singles Chart 31 Austrian Singles Chart 39 Dutch Singles Chart 43 Australian Singles Chart 56 German Singles Chart 80 End of year charts End of year chart ( 1997 ) Position UK Singles Chart 26 Ronan Keating version `` Baby Can I Hold You '' Single by Ronan Keating from the album 10 Years of Hits Released July 11, 2005 Format CD single, digital download Recorded Genre Pop Length 3 : 14 Label Polydor Records Songwriter ( s ) Tracy Chapman Producer ( s ) Steve Mac Ronan Keating singles chronology `` Father and Son '' ( 2004 ) `` Baby Can I Hold You '' ( 2005 ) `` All Over Again '' ( 2006 ) `` Father and Son '' ( 2004 ) `` Baby Can I Hold You '' ( 2005 ) `` All Over Again '' ( 2006 ) In 2005, Boyzone frontman Ronan Keating released his own cover of `` Baby Can I Hold You '' as the third and final single from his greatest hits compilation, 10 Years of Hits. It became the second song that he originally recorded with Boyzone to be re-released for his own solo career. In the United Kingdom, the single was only released via digital download and thus it failed to chart. In Germany, the single received a full - scale release and peaked at # 42 on the German Singles Chart. Track listing Digital download `` Baby Can I Hold You '' -- 3 : 14 German CD single `` Baby Can I Hold You '' ( German Radio Mix ) -- 3 : 10 `` Baby Can I Hold You '' ( Live & Acoustic ) -- 3 : 09 `` This Is Your Song '' ( Live At Wembley Arena ) -- 4 : 38 `` Life Is A Rollercoaster '' ( Live & Acoustic ) -- 3 : 47 Charts Chart ( 2005 ) Peak position German Singles Chart 42 References Jump up ^ `` Baby Can I Hold You '' from SecondHandSongs Jump up ^ Artist Chart History : Billboard.com Jump up ^ `` 25 Years Ago This Week : February 26, 1989 ''. chartbeat.blogspot.com.au. Retrieved 2015 - 09 - 22. Jump up ^ `` Top 3 Portugal '' ( PDF ). Music & Media. Retrieved 2018 - 03 - 22. ^ Jump up to : Steffen Hung. `` Boyzone - Baby Can I Hold You ''. dutchcharts.nl. Archived from the original on 2012 - 10 - 24. Retrieved 2012 - 07 - 24. Jump up ^ `` Tonlist Top 40 ''. DV. Retrieved 2017 - 02 - 09. Jump up ^ `` Irishcharts.ie '' Archived July 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine... Note : User must define search parameter as `` Boyzone ''. ( Retrieved August 5, 2013 ) Jump up ^ Scottish Singles Chart ( 1 ) ( Retrieved August 25, 2008 ) Jump up ^ UK Singles Chart Chartstats.com ( Retrieved August 25, 2008 ) Jump up ^ `` Die ganze Musik im Internet : Charts, News, Neuerscheinungen, Tickets, Genres, Genresuche, Genrelexikon, Künstler - Suche, Musik - Suche, Track - Suche, Ticket - Suche ''. musicline.de. Retrieved 2012 - 07 - 24. Jump up ^ `` Baby Can I Hold You : Amazon.de : Musik ''. Amazon.de. 1970 - 01 - 01. Retrieved 2012 - 07 - 24. Jump up ^ `` charts.de ''. charts.de. Retrieved 2012 - 07 - 24. Tracy Chapman Studio albums Tracy Chapman ( 1988 ) Crossroads ( 1989 ) Matters of the Heart ( 1992 ) New Beginning ( 1995 ) Telling Stories ( 2000 ) Let It Rain ( 2002 ) Where You Live ( 2005 ) Our Bright Future ( 2008 ) Compilations Collection ( 2001 ) Singles `` Fast Car '' `` Talkin ' ' bout a Revolution '' `` Baby Can I Hold You '' `` Give Me One Reason '' Related articles Discography Boyzone Keith Duffy Mikey Graham Ronan Keating Shane Lynch Stephen Gately Studio albums Said and Done A Different Beat Where We Belong Brother BZ20 Dublin to Detroit Thank You & Goodnight Compilation albums By Request Ballads -- The Love Song Collection Key to My Life : Collection Back Again... No Matter What B - Sides & Rarities Love Me for a Reason -- The Collection Singles `` Working My Way Back to You '' `` Love Me for a Reason '' `` Key to My Life '' `` So Good '' `` Father and Son '' `` Coming Home Now '' `` Words '' `` A Different Beat '' `` Is n't It a Wonder '' `` Picture of You '' `` Mystical Experience '' `` Picture of You '' `` Baby Can I Hold You '' `` All That I Need '' `` No Matter What '' `` I Love the Way You Love Me '' `` When the Going Gets Tough '' `` You Needed Me '' `` Every Day I Love You '' `` Love You Anyway '' `` Better '' `` Gave It All Away '' `` Love Is a Hurricane '' `` Love Will Save the Day '' `` Light Up the Night '' `` Because '' Other songs `` I Can Dream '' Books The Tree of Seasons Related articles Discography Ronan Keating Discography Studio albums Ronan ( 2000 ) Destination ( 2002 ) Turn It On ( 2003 ) Bring You Home ( 2006 ) Fires ( 2012 ) Time of My Life ( 2016 ) Cover albums Songs for My Mother ( 2009 ) Winter Songs ( 2009 ) Duet ( 2010 ) When Ronan Met Burt ( 2011 ) Compilation albums 10 Years of Hits ( 2004 ) Singles `` When You Say Nothing at All '' `` Life Is a Rollercoaster '' `` The Way You Make Me Feel '' `` In This Life '' `` Lovin ' Each Day '' `` If Tomorrow Never Comes '' `` I Love It When We Do '' `` We 've Got Tonight '' `` The Long Goodbye '' `` Lost for Words '' `` She Believes ( In Me ) '' `` Last Thing on My Mind '' `` I Hope You Dance '' `` Father and Son '' `` Baby Can I Hold You '' `` All Over Again '' `` Iris '' `` Time After Time '' `` This Is Your Song '' `` Stay '' `` It 's Only Christmas '' `` Believe Again '' `` What The World Needs Now '' `` Fires '' `` Wasted Light '' Related articles Boyzone Sanchez Studio albums Sanchez The Sweetest Girl Wild Sanchez Loneliness Number One In Fine Style I Ca n't Wait Bring Back The Love The One for Me Tell it Like it is Number One Dub Can We Talk Missing You Here I Am Brown Eye Girl Praise Him Perilous Time Who is this Man True Identity Simply Being Me Songs From The Heart Stays on My Mind He 's Got the Power No More Heartaches Now and Forever Love You More Singles `` I 'm Missing You '' `` Amazing Grace '' `` Oh Honey '' `` Never Dis Di Man '' `` Let Me Love You Down '' `` Frenzy '' `` I Ca n't Wait '' `` Wo n't Surrender '' `` Hit Song '' `` Tell You How I Feel '' `` Loneliness '' `` Give It a Chance '' `` I 'm Never Gonna Fall in Love '' `` I Care for You '' `` Longing to Come Home '' `` Pretty Girl '' `` If I Ever Fall In Love '' `` One in a Million '' `` Ca n't Remember the Last Time '' Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Baby_Can_I_Hold_You&oldid=851764582 '' Categories : 1988 singles 1997 singles Tracy Chapman songs Folk ballads Pop ballads Songs written by Tracy Chapman Elektra Records singles 1988 songs 1980s ballads Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Music infoboxes with deprecated parameters Articles with hAudio microformats Talk Contents About Wikipedia Italiano Português Edit links This page was last edited on 24 July 2018, at 13 : 06 ( UTC ). 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Question: who wrote baby can i hold you tonight
Answer: Tracy Chapman