Hey Baby

Album: Ted Nugent (1975)
Charted: 72
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Songfacts®:

  • You don't see this very often: A charting song by a solo artist that the artist didn't sing on or write.

    "Hey Baby" was written and sung by Nugent's guitar player, Derek St. Holmes, who often handled the lead vocals around this time. Still, Nugent embraced the song, keeping it in his setlist when he had St. Holmes in the lineup.

    Nugent and Derek St. Holmes parted ways in 1978 over what St. Holmes called "musical and financial differences." He connected with Brad Whitford, who had recently left Aerosmith, and formed Whitford St. Holmes, releasing an album in 1981. St. Holmes started working with Nugent again in 1982 and often joined him on tour. He's also the voice of Nugent's songs "Stranglehold" and "Stormtroopin'."
  • This rocker finds Derek St. Holmes making a girl a sweet offer: a ride in his Ford followed by some good lovin'. It's more melodic than many Ted Nugent songs, and proved more hit-worthy than most, reaching the Hot 100 at #72.
  • The Ted Nugent album was technically his first as a solo artist. Nugent started out with a group called The Amboy Dukes, which had a hit in 1968 with "Journey To The Center Of The Mind." He gradually assumed more and more control of the group, which became known as Ted Nugent And The Amboy Dukes. This configuration released an album in 1974 called Tooth, Fang & Claw that included Nugent's soon-to-be stalwart "Great White Buffalo," then Nugent moved to Epic Records, assembled a new band, and started recording as a solo artist, with "Hey Baby" part of his debut album.

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