Salvatore "Sonny" Bono and Cherilyn "Cher" Sarkisian-Lapierre were an aspiring duo, with Bono writing and producing songs for the couple under the name Caesar and Cleo but with little success. In 1964 they decided to change their act's name to Sonny & Cher, and signed with Frank Sinatra's Reprise Records. Reprise executives were apparently unaware that they already had Sonny & Cher signed as Caesar and Cleo.

Bono composed "Baby Don't Go" on an $85 upright piano that he had purchased and kept in the couple's garage or living room. Working in the middle of the night and lacking paper, Bono wrote the lyrics down on a piece of shirt cardboard, a practice he would continue with.