Peak
3
Weeks
15
Score
2,781
Chart Year
1973
This recording was a demo of a song that Smith had written for a different artist to record. When he played it for Mickie Most, the record producer was impressed enough to tell him to release it as it was. Smith said about this song: "The melody was happy and simple. It was the producer in me that designed the lyric to recapture the era I grew up in. It's almost a true story of my life. I would go to a ballroom, but I was so shy I couldn't even ask someone to dance. I'd walk home imagining a romance when I'd never even reached first base. 'Oh, Babe' was about those fantasies." Born Norman Smith in northern England, he took up the "Hurricane Smith" moniker from a 1952 film. Smith worked as an engineer on all the Beatles' sessions between 1962 and 1965 when EMI promoted him to producer. The last Beatles album he recorded was Rubber Soul. In the late '60s Smith produced Pink Floyd's early albums and one of the first rock concept albums, The Pretty Things' S.F. Sorrow. Smith later appeared on albums by Teardrop Explodes and Julian Cope. He died on March 3, 2008. When this knocked Elton John's "Crocodile Rock" off #1 on the Cashbox charts in the US, John Lennon sent a telegram to congratulate Smith.
Have I a hope for half a chance, To even ask if I could dance with you? you hoo! Would you greet me or politely turn away? Would there suddenly be sunshine on a cold and rainy day? Oh, babe! what would you say? For there are you, sweet lollipop, Here am I with such a lot to say, hey, hey! Just to walk with you along the Milky Way. To caress you through the night time, bring you flowers every day Oh, babe! what would you say? Guess, though, baby, I know, I know I could be so in love with you! And I know that I could make you love me too. And if I could only hear you say you do, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh! But anyway, what would you say? Guess, though, baby, I know, I know I could be so in love with you! And I know that I could make you love me too. And if I could only hear you say you do, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh! But anyway, what would you say?
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dec 2, 1972 | 74 | 52 |
| 2 | Dec 9, 1972 | 59 | 67 |
| 3 | Dec 16, 1972 | 48 | 78 |
| 4 | Dec 23, 1972 | 37 | 89 |
| 5 | Dec 30, 1972 | 30 | 96 |
| 6 | Jan 6, 1973 | 25 | 101 |
| 7 | Jan 13, 1973 | 15 | 111 |
| 8 | Jan 20, 1973 | 10 | 116 |
| 9 | Jan 27, 1973 | 7 | 119 |
| 10 | Feb 3, 1973 | 6 | 120 |
| 11 | Feb 10, 1973 | 4 | 122 |
| 12 | Feb 17, 1973 | 3 | 123 |
| 13 | Feb 24, 1973 | 11 | 115 |
| 14 | Mar 3, 1973 | 15 | 111 |
| 15 | Mar 10, 1973 | 33 | 93 |