A Rose and a Baby Ruth

"A Rose and a Baby Ruth"
Single by George Hamilton IV
B-side	"If You Don't Know"
Released	October 1956
Genre	Pop
Length	2:02
Label	ABC-Paramount
Writer(s)	John D. Loudermilk
Certification	Gold (RIAA)
George Hamilton IV singles chronology
"A Rose and a Baby Ruth" (1956) "High School Romance" (1957)

"A Rose and a Baby Ruth" is a song written by John D. Loudermilk. The song was published in 1956. The best-known version was recorded by George Hamilton IV sung almost a capella. The song reached number 6 on the Billboard magazine pop chart.

"A Rose and a Baby Ruth" had regional appeal in country music, foreshadowing Hamilton's highly successful career, in the 1960s.

Chart performance

Chart (1956)	Peak position
Billboard Top 100	6
Billboard Best Sellers in Stores	7
Billboard Most Played by Jockeys	7
Billboard Most Played in Juke Boxes	8

Covers

At the same date as Billboard reviewed George Hamilton IV´s original version -in October 1956- they reviewed a competing cover which Decca had released by Eddie Fontaine. Billboard predicted it would be a close race, but the Decca release did not even make the lower part of the Billboard´s Top 100.

Johnny Maestro & The Crests did a version in 1960 for their first album "The Crests Sing All Biggies" - (Coed LP 901).

Al Kooper covered it on his 1970 Columbia release "Easy Does It".

The song was covered by Marilyn Manson as a bonus studio track on the limited edition version of The Last Tour On Earth live album in 1999.

Singles

By George Hamilton IV

• (1956) A Rose and a Baby Ruth/If You Don't Know-ABC Paramount Records
• (1956) A Rose and a Baby Ruth/If You Don't Know-Colonial Records With the Country Gentlemen, Featuring Joe Tanner on guitar