"Oh Babe, What Would You Say" is a song by record producer Hurricane Smith, written by his wife Eileen Sylvia Smith, and released in the US by Capitol Records in March 1972.[3] It was a transatlantic hit, becoming a US No. 1 Cash Box and a Billboard Pop No. 3 hit,[4] No. 3 in the Canadian RPM Magazine chart, and No. 4 in the UK Singles Chart.[5]
| "Oh Babe, What Would You Say" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Hurricane Smith | ||||
| B-side | "Getting to Know You"[3] | |||
| Released | 30 March 1972 (UK)[1] July 1972 (US)[2] | |||
| Recorded | 1972 | |||
| Genre | Pop rock[3] | |||
| Length | 3:33[3] | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Eileen Sylvia Smith[3] | |||
| Producer(s) | Hurricane Smith[3] | |||
| Hurricane Smith singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Official audio | ||||
| "Oh Babe, What Would You Say" on YouTube | ||||
Charts
Year-end charts
| Chart (1972) | Rank |
|---|---|
| UK [12] | 48 |
| Chart (1973) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Australia | 74 |
| Canada[13] | 36 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[14] | 57 |
| US Cash Box [15] | 31 |
The song is noted for its alto saxophone solo, played by Frank Hardcastle, which is heard in the intro, the middle instrumental section, and the outro before the song's fade. The arrangement is in the style of the 1930s popular song genre. It's sentimental lyrics include the line: "Just to walk with you along the Milky Way".
Other versions
- Cass Elliot, in the summer of 1972, on her album The Road Is No Place for a Lady.
- Liza Minnelli, for her 1973 album The Singer.
- Popular Italian trumpeter and singer Nini Rosso released it as a single in September 1972.
- A modified rendition was recorded by Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton for the album "Archie and Edith Side by Side" in 1973.