Original The song was first recorded by Bessie Smith in November 1931 in
New York City. It was released by Columbia Records as disc 14634-D. It was written by Clarence Williams, J. Tim Brymn, and Dally Small. Williams also accompanied Smith on piano. The song was Smith's final recording under her contract with Columbia. The song initially employs
innuendo and
metaphor, but eventually becomes relatively overt in its sexual implications. The song has been re-issued on multiple vinyl and compact disc editions, including
Bessie Smith: The Greatest Blues Singer (1970),
The Complete Recordings, Vol. 5: The Final Chapter (1996),
The Essential Bessie Smith (1997),
Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: Bessie Smith (2003),
Empress of the Blues, Vol, 2: 1926–1933 (2008), and
The Complete Columbia Recordings (2012).
Covers Nina Simone recorded "I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl" many times, including
as the B-side of her Colpix single "I Got It Bad" in 1962 and on her 1967 album
Nina Simone Sings the Blues. While Simone's version changes the lyrics slightly, The song has been covered by many performers, including
Christina Aguilera,
Thelma Houston,
Hadda Brooks,
Gaye Adegbalola,
Helen Schneider,
Rory Block,
Sandra Reaves, and
Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers. In 2010, the song was also included in a "nearly show-stealing performance" by E. Faye Butler as part of a ballet interpretation of
The Great Gatsby, staged at the
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The song was also included in the stage production, ''The Devil's Music: The Life and Blues of Besse Smith''. ==Lyrics==