Everipedia Logo
Everipedia is now IQ.wiki - Join the IQ Brainlist and our Discord for early access to editing on the new platform and to participate in the beta testing.
Hey! Baby

Hey! Baby

"Hey! Baby" is a song written by Margaret Cobb and Bruce Channel, and recorded by Channel in 1961, first released on LeCam Records, a local Fort Worth, Texas label. After it hit, it was released on Smash Records for national distribution. He co-produced the song with Major Bill Smith (owner of LeCam) and released it on Mercury Records' Smash label. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks, starting the week ending March 10, 1962.

The song features a prominent riff from well-known harmonica player Delbert McClinton, and drums played by Ray Torres. Other musicians on the record included Bob Jones and Billy Sanders on guitar and Jim Rogers on bass. According to a CNN article[4] from 2002, while touring the UK in 1962 with The Beatles, McClinton met John Lennon and gave him some harmonica tips. Lennon put the lessons to use right away on "Love Me Do" and later "Please Please Me". Lennon included the song in his jukebox, and it is also featured on the 2004 related compilation album John Lennon's Jukebox.

The song was used in the 1987 hit film Dirty Dancing in the scene where Johnny and Baby dance on top of a log.

"Hey! Baby"
Single by Bruce Channel
from the album Hey! Baby
B-side"Dream Girl"
ReleasedDecember 1961
GenrePop[3]
Length2:27
LabelLeCam / Smash / CBS in the USA
Songwriter(s)Margaret Cobb
Bruce Channel
Producer(s)Bruce Channel
Major Bill Smith
Bruce Channel singles chronology
"Now or Never"
(1960)
"Hey! Baby"
(1961)
"Run Romance Run"
(1962)
"Hey! Baby!"
HeyBabyAnneMurray.png
Single by Anne Murray
from the album The Hottest Night of the Year
B-side"Song for the Mira"
ReleasedMay 1982
GenreCountry
Length2:47
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)Margaret Cobb, Bruce Channel
Producer(s)Jim Ed Norman
Anne Murray singles chronology
"Another Sleepless Night"
(1982)
"Hey! Baby!"
(1982)
"Somebody's Always Saying Goodbye"
(1982)
"Hey Baby (Uhh, Ahh)"
HeyBabyDJOtzi.jpg
Single by DJ Ötzi
from the album Love, Peace & Vollgas
Released31 July 2000
FormatCD single
GenreEurodance
Length3:37
LabelHit Galaxy, EMI Electrola
Songwriter(s)Margaret Cobb, Bruce Channel
Producer(s)Christian Seitz, Claus Marcus, Klaus Biedermann, Mark Duran
DJ Ötzi singles chronology
"Gemma Bier trinken"
(2000)
"Hey Baby (Uhh, Ahh)"
(2000)
"Doh Wah Diddy"
(2001)
img

Charts

Chart (1962)Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[5]1
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Sides2
UK Singles Chart2

Anne Murray version

Canadian country pop singer Anne Murray covered the song in 1982, reaching number 7 on the US Country Singles chart and number 26 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Murray also reached number-one on the RPM country and adult contemporary charts in Canada.

Charts

Chart (1982)Peak
position
Canadian RPM Country Tracks1
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks1
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[6]7
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[7]26

DJ Ötzi version

Austrian artist DJ Ötzi recorded a cover version titled "Hey Baby (Uhh, Ahh)". It was released in July 2000 as the lead single from his debut solo album, Love, Peace & Vollgas. In 2002, it was re-released when it became the unofficial theme song for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.[8] It reached number-one in the United Kingdom,[9] Ireland, and Australia. Darts player Tony O'Shea uses it as his walk-on song.[10]

Music video

The official music video features large groups of people singing along to the song in a taxi at different times, interspersed with DJ Ötzi singing on a TV screen.

Track listings

CD Maxi-single (Europe, 2000)
  1. "Hey Baby" (Uhh, Ahh) (Radio Mix) - 3:36

  2. "Hey Baby" (Uhh, Ahh) (Club Mix) - 4:15

  3. "Uh! Ah!" - 3:38

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2000–2002)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[11]1
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[12]4
Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)[13]9
Denmark (Tracklisten)[14]2
Germany (Official German Charts)[15]11
Ireland (IRMA)[16]1
Ireland Dance (IRMA)[17]1
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[18]56
Norway (VG-lista)[19]9
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[20]1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[21]3
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[9]1

Year-end charts

Chart (2001)Position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[22]17
Germany (Official German Charts)[23]56
Ireland (IRMA)[24]4
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[25]9
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[26]5
Chart (2002)Position
Australia (ARIA)[27]13

Certifications

RegionCertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[28]Platinum70,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[29]Gold20,000
Germany (BVMI)[30]Gold250,000^
Sweden (GLF)[31]Platinum30,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[33]Platinum776,000[32]
sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

Other versions

  • Arthur Alexander covered the song on his 1962 album You Better Move On.

  • Johnny Hallyday covered the song arranged in French on his 1962 10" record Madison Twist.

  • Paul and Paula covered the song on their 1964 album Paul and Paula Sing For Young Lovers.

  • Jerry Lee Lewis recorded the song in 1967 for his album Soul My Way.

  • NRBQ covered the song on their 1969 self-titled debut album for Columbia Records.

  • Bobby G. Rice released a cover version in 1970, which reached number 35 on the country music charts.[34]

  • Conway Twitty covered the song on his 1970 album Fifteen Years Ago.

  • Don Partridge covered the song on his 1973 album Don Partridge and Friends.[35]

  • Ringo Starr released the song as a single, backed with "Lady Gaye", from his Ringo's Rotogravure album, on 22 November 1976 in the US[1][36] (reaching number 74 US Pop), and on 26 November in the UK.[2][37] He had also sampled it in his previous chart hit, "A Dose of Rock 'n' Roll" (reaching number 26 US Pop).

  • Juice Newton covered the song on her 1978 album Well Kept Secret.

  • Alabama covered the song on their 1997 album Dancin' on the Boulevard w/guest vocals by Bruce Channel

  • Cooldown Café, a Dutch band, covered it in 2000; it was top-5 hit in the Netherlands.

  • Crazy Frog covered the song on his hit follow up 2006 album More Crazy Hits.

  • Canadian band Crowbar covered it in 1972 on their album Heavy Duty.

  • "Hey Baby" has become a popular terrace chant among football supporters, with the lyrics changed to refer to teams or individual players.[38]

References

[1]
Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgUS Atlantic 45-3371 Harry, Bill (2004). The Ringo Starr Encyclopedia. London: Virgin Books. p. 183. ISBN 9780753508435.
Sep 28, 2019, 8:35 PM
[2]
Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgUK Polydor 2001 699 Harry, Bill (2004). The Ringo Starr Encyclopedia. London: Virgin Books. p. 182. ISBN 9780753508435.
Sep 28, 2019, 8:35 PM
[3]
Citation Linkwww.allmusic.com"Crazy Frog Presents More Crazy Hits - Crazy Frog - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
Sep 28, 2019, 8:35 PM
[4]
Citation Linkarticles.cnn.com"The man who taught John Lennon harp". Articles.cnn.com. 8 October 2002. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 2014-04-01.
Sep 28, 2019, 8:35 PM
[5]
Citation Linkwww.billboard.com"Bruce Channel Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
Sep 28, 2019, 8:35 PM
[6]
Citation Linkwww.billboard.com"Anne Murray Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
Sep 28, 2019, 8:35 PM
[7]
Citation Linkwww.billboard.com"Anne Murray Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
Sep 28, 2019, 8:35 PM
[8]
Citation Linkwww.youtube.com"DJ Ötzi - Hey Baby (The Unofficial World Cup Remix 2002)". YouTube. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
Sep 28, 2019, 8:35 PM
[9]
Citation Linkwww.officialcharts.com"Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
Sep 28, 2019, 8:35 PM
[10]
Citation Linkwww.expressandstar.com"BDO world title hopeful on way". Express & Star. 4 January 2013. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
Sep 28, 2019, 8:35 PM
[11]
Citation Linkaustralian-charts.com"Australian-charts.com – DJ Ötzi – Hey Baby (Uhh, Ahh)". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
Sep 28, 2019, 8:35 PM
[12]
Citation Linkaustriancharts.at"Austriancharts.at – DJ Ötzi – Hey Baby (Uhh, Ahh)" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
Sep 28, 2019, 8:35 PM
[13]
Citation Linkwww.ultratop.be"Ultratop.be – DJ Ötzi – Hey Baby (Uhh, Ahh)" (in French). Ultratip.
Sep 28, 2019, 8:35 PM
[14]
Citation Linkdanishcharts.dk"Danishcharts.com – DJ Ötzi – Hey Baby (Uhh, Ahh)". Tracklisten.
Sep 28, 2019, 8:35 PM
[15]
Citation Linkwww.offiziellecharts.de"Offiziellecharts.de – DJ Ötzi – Hey Baby (Uhh, Ahh)". GfK Entertainment Charts.
Sep 28, 2019, 8:35 PM
[16]
Citation Linkwww.chart-track.co.uk"Chart Track: Week 30, 2001". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
Sep 28, 2019, 8:35 PM
[17]
Citation Linkwww.chart-track.co.uk"Top 10 Dance Singles, Week Ending 12 July 2001". GfK Chart-Track. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
Sep 28, 2019, 8:35 PM
[18]
Citation Linkdutchcharts.nl"Dutchcharts.nl – DJ Ötzi – Hey Baby (Uhh, Ahh)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
Sep 28, 2019, 8:35 PM
[19]
Citation Linknorwegiancharts.com"Norwegiancharts.com – DJ Ötzi – Hey Baby (Uhh, Ahh)". VG-lista.
Sep 28, 2019, 8:35 PM
[20]
Citation Linkwww.officialcharts.com"Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
Sep 28, 2019, 8:35 PM