Hey Girl (Freddie Scott song)
"Hey Girl" is a song written and composed by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. It first became a popular Top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1963 when recorded by Freddie Scott. Donny Osmond took the song back to the Billboard top ten chart with his remake in 1972. There have also been many other cover versions of this song, including a cover by Billy Joel in 1997.
| "Hey Girl" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Billy Joel | ||||
| from the album Greatest Hits Volume III | ||||
| Released | 1997 | |||
| Format | CD | |||
| Recorded | New York City, 1992 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Writer(s) | Gerry Goffin, Carole King | |||
| Producer(s) | Billy Joel, Danny Kortchmar | |||
| Billy Joel singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Freddie Scott version
Background
"Hey Girl" first became a hit for Freddie Scott in 1963, peaking at number ten on both the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles and R&B charts.[1]
Chart performance
| Chart (1963) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 10 |
| U.S. Billboard R&B Singles | 10 |
Donny Osmond version
| "Hey Girl" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Donny Osmond | ||||
| from the album Portrait of Donny | ||||
| B-side | "I Knew You When" | |||
| Released | November 6, 1971 | |||
| Format | Vinyl record 7" single | |||
| Recorded | September 10, 1971 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 3:13 | |||
| Label | MGM | |||
| Writer(s) | Gerry Goffin, Carole King | |||
| Producer(s) | Rick Hall | |||
| Certification | Gold (RIAA) | |||
| Donny Osmond singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
Donny Osmond released a version of this song on November 6, 1971. It reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 on January 15, 1972. It was certified Gold by the RIAA on July 28, 1972.
Chart performance
| Chart (1972) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 9 |
Billy Joel version
Background
Billy Joel recorded the song as part of the new material featured on his 1997 compilation album Greatest Hits Volume III. Jazz musician Everette Harp plays saxophone on the track.
Chart performance
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 13 |
Other versions
Aside from the above-mentioned cover versions, "Hey Girl" has been remade by many artists.
- In 1966, The Righteous Brothers covered this song on their Soul & Inspiration album from Verve Records.
- Carole King recorded the song on her 1980 album Pearls, which consists of the materials she wrote with Goffin during the 1960s. King also played the song as a part of medley during her 2000s concert tour entitled The Living Room, which was released as the double live album in 2005.
- A cover version performed by Ray Charles with Michael McDonald was included on Genius Loves Company, the 2004 Grammy Award-winning posthumous album of Charles.
- George Benson. Livin' Inside Your Love album, a 1979 Warner Bros. Records Inc. release.
- Isaac Hayes recorded a version for his 1986 Columbia Records album U-Turn.
- The Temptations released a version of the song on their Cloud 9 album in 1969.
References
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 514.
