Ain’t Nobody’s Business — Jimmy Witherspoon (Supreme, 1947)

Jimmy Witherspoon applied his ample pipes to revivals of several blues standards from the 1920s and ’30s during his November 1947 sessions for Supreme Records in Los Angeles. “Ain’t Nobody’s Business” was first recorded in 1922-23 by several blues women under titles including “’Tain’t Nobody’s Business If I Do,” most famously by Bessie Smith. Its message continued to resonate, as borne out by the remarkable success of Witherspoon’s two-part rendition, which remained on the Billboard “race records” charts for 34 weeks. It was rated No.3 in all-time chart longevity in Joel Whitburn’s Top R&B Singles 1942-1988.