Hey! Baby by Bruce Channel

About

"Hey! Baby" is a song written by Margaret Cobb and Bruce Channel, recorded at Clifford Herring Studios in Ft. 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) 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 "Hey! Baby" in his jukebox, and it is also featured on the 2004 related compilation album John Lennon's Jukebox. In addition to this, a version of the song was recorded by Ringo Starr in 1976. "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.