Hey! Baby

For other uses, see Hey Baby.

"Hey! Baby"
File:Hey! Baby - Bruce Channel.jpg
Single by Bruce Channel
from the album Hey! Baby
B-side	"Dream Girl"
Released	December 1961
Genre	Pop
Length	2:27
Label	LeCam, Smash, CBS (US)
Songwriter(s)	Margaret Cobb Bruce Channel
Producer(s)	Bruce Channel Major Bill Smith
singles chronology
"Now or Never" (1960) "Hey! Baby" (1961) "Run Romance Run" (1962)

"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. Channel co-produced the song with Major Bill Smith (owner of LeCam) and released it on Mercury Records' Smash label. It reached number 1 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 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.

"Hey! Baby" was used in the 1987 hit film Dirty Dancing in the scene in which Johnny and Baby dance on top of a log.

Charts

Chart (1962)	Peak position
New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade)	1
UK Singles Chart	2
US Billboard Hot 100	1
US Billboard Hot R&B Sides	2

Anne Murray version

"Hey! Baby!"
Single by Anne Murray
from the album The Hottest Night of the Year
B-side	"Song for the Mira"
Released	May 1982
Genre	Country
Length	2:47
Label	Capitol
Songwriter(s)	Margaret Cobb Bruce Channel
Producer(s)	Jim Ed Norman
singles chronology
"Another Sleepless Night" (1982) "Hey! Baby!" (1982) "Somebody's Always Saying Goodbye" (1982)

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 1 on the RPM country and adult contemporary charts in Canada.

Charts

Chart (1982)	Peak position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)	1
Canadian Adult Contemporary Tracks (RPM)	1
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)	7
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)	26

DJ Ötzi version

"Hey Baby (Uhh, Ahh)"
Single by DJ Ötzi
from the album Love, Peace & Vollgas
Released	July 31, 2000 (2000-07-31)
Length	3:37
Label	EMI
Songwriter(s)	Margaret Cobb Bruce Channel
Producer(s)	Christian Seitz Claus Marcus Klaus Biedermann Mark Duran
singles chronology
"Gemma Bier trinken" (2000) "Hey Baby (Uhh, Ahh)" (2000) "Doh Wah Diddy" (2001)

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. It reached number one in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia. Darts player Tony O'Shea uses it as his walk-on song.

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. An animated music video was also produced featuring a cartoon version of DJ Ötzi performing with a band of robots while trying to woo a princess.

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)	1
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)	4
Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)	9
Denmark (Tracklisten)	2
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)	8
Germany (Official German Charts)	11
Ireland (IRMA)	1
Ireland Dance (IRMA)	1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)	8
Netherlands (Single Top 100)	56
Norway (VG-lista)	9
Scotland (Official Charts Company)	1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)	3
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)	1

Year-end charts

Chart (2000)	Position
Germany (Official German Charts)	60

Chart (2001)	Position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)	17
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)	24
Germany (Official German Charts)	56
Ireland (IRMA)	4
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)	56
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)	9
UK Singles (OCC)	5

Chart (2002)	Position
Australia (ARIA)	14
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)	92

Certifications

Region	Certification	Sales/shipments
Australia (ARIA)	Platinum	70,000
Austria (IFPI Austria)	Gold	20,000
Germany (BVMI)	Gold	250,000
Sweden (GLF)	Platinum	30,000
United Kingdom (BPI)	Platinum	776,000
*sales figures based on certification alone ^shipments figures based on certification alone xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Release history

Region	Version	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
Europe	Original	July 31, 2000	CD	EMI
United Kingdom		September 10, 2001	CD cassette
Australia		February 11, 2002	CD	Shock
United Kingdom	World Cup Mix	May 27, 2002	CD cassette	EMI Liberty

Other versions

• Arthur Alexander on his 1962 album You Better Move On.
• Johnny Hallyday did a rendition, arranged in French, on his 1962 10-inch record Madison Twist.
• Paul and Paula on their 1964 album Paul and Paula Sing For Young Lovers.
• Jerry Lee Lewis, in 1967, for his album Soul My Way.
• New Zealand group the La De Da's covered it in 1967, making the song chart at number one in New Zealand twice.
• NRBQ on their 1969 self-titled debut album for Columbia Records.
• Bobby G. Rice in 1970, which reached number 35 on the country music charts.
• Conway Twitty on his 1970 album Fifteen Years Ago.
• Canadian band Crowbar, in 1972, on their album Heavy Duty.
• Don Partridge on his 1973 album Don Partridge and Friends.
• Ringo Starr released the song as a single, backed with "Lady Gaye", from his Ringo's Rotogravure album, on November 22, 1976, in the US (reaching number 74 US Pop), and on November 26 in the UK. He had also sampled it in his previous chart hit, "A Dose of Rock 'n' Roll" (reaching number 26 US Pop).
• Juice Newton on her 1978 album Well Kept Secret.
• DTV, in 1984, set the Anne Murray version to Peter Pan.
• Alabama 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 on his hit follow up 2006 album More Crazy Hits.
• "Hey Baby" has become a popular terrace chant among football supporters, with the lyrics changed to refer to teams or individual players.
• "Hey Baby" was used by fans of professional wrestler Bayley, who chanted it as "Hey Bayley, I wanna know, will you be my girl?"
• DJ Otzi's version of "Hey Baby" was used by Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies in the 2007 season, played during the seventh inning stretch. The Rockies won the National League pennant that year.

See also

• List of 1960s one-hit wonders in the United States

References

Footnotes

Citations