"Hey! Baby" is a song written by Margaret Cobb and Bruce Channel, recorded at Clifford Herring Studios in Fort Worth, Texas, by Channel in 1961. First released on a local Fort Worth label, LeCam Records. After it hit, it was released on Smash Records for national distribution. Channel co-produced the song with Major Bill Smith (owner of LeCam)[citation needed] and released it on Mercury Records' Smash label. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks, starting the week ending March 10, 1962.
The song features a prominent harmonica melody performed by Delbert McClinton. Other musicians on the record included Bob Jones and Billy Sanders on guitar, Ray Torres on drums, and Jim Rogers on bass.
According to a 2002 CNN article McClinton met John Lennon while touring on the same bill as The Beatles, and gave Lennon some harmonica tips. Lennon put the lessons to use right away on "Love Me Do" and later "Please Please Me". Lennon included a version of "Hey! Baby" in his personal jukebox, and the song is also featured on the 2004 related compilation album John Lennon's Jukebox. Ringo Starr recorded a version of "Hey! Baby" in 1976.
"Hey! Baby" was used in the 1987 hit film Dirty Dancing.
Canadian country pop singer Anne Murray covered the song in 1982, reaching number seven 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.
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. This version reached number one in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia. In 2002, it was re-released when it became the unofficial theme song for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. In the United States, the song was released to promote the 2003 buddy comedy film Kangaroo Jack. At Australian music festivals the song is routinely sung a capella by the crowd as a way to pass the time between sets.
Music video
The official music video features large groups of people singing along to the song in a London 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.
Darts player Tony O'Shea uses it as his walk-on song. In 2017 and 2018, Team Canada used the radio mix version of the hit as their goal song at the 2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. The song has become an icon in the WJC as the song was heard around 39 times in the tournament, as the Canadian juniors scored 39 goals. In 2021, the song returned in Edmonton at the 2022 World Juniors. However, three days after the tournament began, the 2022 edition of the WJC was cancelled due to multiple COVID-19 outbreaks within teams. WWE fans often chant the song at Bayley, substituting her name for the word "baby". The song is played after the top of the 8th inning at every Toronto Blue Jays home game at the Rogers Centre to hype up the fans. In Banana Ball, popularized by the Savannah Bananas barnstorming baseball team, in the middle of the 4th inning, similar to a seventh inning stretch, both teams lead the entire stadium in a choreographed dance. In Australian Rules football, the song is played whenever AFL player Zac Bailey, who plays for the Brisbane Lions, kicks a goal.
Other notable versions
In 1963 David Box recorded his Version In Ben Hall's Studio in Big Spring
New Zealand group the La De Da's covered it in 1967, making the song chart at number one in New Zealand twice.[citation needed]
Bobby G. Rice in 1970, which reached number 35 on the country music charts.
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. Record World said that it "should bring some good time sounds to the top of the charts and end the year on a spirited note." He had also sampled it in his previous chart hit, "A Dose of Rock 'n' Roll" (reaching number 26 US Pop).
Cooldown Café, a Dutch band, covered it in 2000; it was top-5 hit in the Netherlands.[citation needed]
"Hey Baby" has become a popular terrace chant among football supporters, with the lyrics changed to refer to teams or individual players.
DJ Ötzi's version of "Hey Baby" has been used by Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies at home games since the 2007 season, played during the seventh inning stretch. The Rockies won the National League pennant that year.
In 2026 during the ICE protests in Minneapolis protesters interpreted the song, with a satirical tone about Kristi Noem and the satirical and comedy content creators scaredketchup covered the protest song, for their YouTube channel.
