"Hey Baby" by Henry Lee Summer

Song#:  3905

Date:  05/20/1989

Debut:  83

Peak:  18

Weeks:  18

Genre:  Rock

Pop Bits:  Summer's 1988 self-titled album would put him on the map. It would reach #56 thanks to a pair of Rock Top 10 hits including the #1 "I Wish I Had a Girl" (#20 Pop). For his follow-up album I've Got Everything, Summer would fully take over production duties and with the exception of one, he would compose all the songs including this first single. It would be another winner at Rock reaching #6. On the Pop chart, it would also do well cracking the Top 20. It would end up being Summer's biggest hit on that chart. A second single would be issued out, but it was unable to reach the charts. With those results, the album wouldn't do all that well topping out at #78.

ReduxReview:  This was another good radio-ready rock tune from Summer. It had a catchy chorus, a great mid-section, and excellent production. I think it had Top 10 potential, but its #18 showing was a good result for a heartland rocker at the time. Summer had a knack of writing breezy, hooky tunes and was able to wrap them up in slick radio friendly production. He really should have scored a few more hits, but as the 90s progressed, sounds and tastes changed and Summer's brand of rock kind of got left behind.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  For his next album, 1991's Way Past Midnight, it seems the label hooked up Summer with some big names in order to secure a hit. The song "Till Somebody Loves You" would be a co-write between Summer, Diane Warren, and Michael Bolton. It would be produced by Ric Wake, who had recent success with Taylor Dayne and Mariah Carey. Bolton would supply backing vocals. The track would be issued out as the LP's first single, but even the star power wasn't enough to carry it to the upper reaches of the Pop chart. It would stall at #51. In turn, the album would fail to chart. Summer was given one more opportunity from his label and in 1993 issued out Slamdunk. Unfortunately, it wasn't one and neither it nor any singles would chart. The results brought an end to Summer's major label days.

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