Baby Shambles (possibly an allusion to Jonathan Swift's satiric essay, A Modest Proposal) refers to a set of recordings by United Kingdom rock and roll band, The Libertines, and to a separate band formed by singer and guitarist, Pete Doherty. (The name could also be a play on the alcoholic drink Babysham). The Babyshambles Sessions is a set of songs recorded by The Libertines while in New York. The singer and guitarist Carl Barat left before completion of the tapes, which were intended for the second album, in disgust at the drugged-up hangers-on who surrounded Doherty. Bassist John Hassall also lent a hand, playing the bassline on one song, The Man Who Would Be King. It is thought that Barat played drums on some tracks. Doherty then gave the tapes to a fan who, at his request (a fact he later denied), made the tracks available to the band's hardcore fans over the internet. A 3-CD set of these sessions can also often be found for sale on internet auction sites such as eBay and can also be downloaded for free at Albion Arks. Several of the tracks that feature on the sessions were later recorded and included on The Libertines' second studio album. Baby Shambles is a separate band formed by Pete Doherty following his departure from The Libertines allegedly due to the band's refusal to tolerate his drug use. Doherty has often disputed this, claiming that he was not the only member of the band to use drugs and stating his belief that Barat had other motives for excluding him from the band.
The band's first single, Baby Shambles, was released in April 2004 on High Society Records. Fewer than 1,000 copies of the CD and 7" were released and both can now be found changing hands for more than £50 on internet auction sites such as eBay.