"Baby Baby" is a song by Italian band Corona,released in February 1995 by ZYX Music as the second single from their debut album,The Rhythm of the Night (1995). The song is written by Francesco Bontempi and Antonia Bottari,and was originally a hit in 1991 for Italian project Joy &Joyce as "Babe Babe". Both tracks were produced by Bontempi under his Lee Marrow guise. "Baby Baby" was successful on the singles charts around the world,peaking at number one for five weeks in Italy as well as on the Canadian RPM Dance/Urban chart. In the UK,it peaked at number five for two weeks. Two different music videos were produced for the song.
In 2007,the Swedish dance group Sunblock made a cover of the song,which peaked at number one in Spain and number four in Finland.
Critical reception
AllMusic editor Jose F. Promis described the song as the "aggressive" follow-up to "The Rhythm of the Night",naming it one of the standout tracks on the album.[2] Upon the release,Larry Flick from Billboard stated that the song "steamrolls down a similar Euro-NRGdance/pop path." He wrote,"Although the airwaves are now flooded with similarly giddy fare,this jampacks a chorus that is insistently contagious—and it is voiced with a fullthrottle diva energy. To that end,both radio and club tastemakers should climb aboard early."[1] Swedish Expressen complimented it as "at least as good" as their first single.[3]
Dave Sholin from the San Francisco-based Gavin Report said,"It took awhile for some to come to the party on 'The Rhythm of the Night',but they were happy with the results. This pumpin',thumpin' follow-up will keep 'em dancing and create the same excitement."[4] Alan Jones from Music Week described "Baby Baby" as "a storming house/Nu-NRG track that has already soared to the apex of RMs On a Pop Tip chart. If it charts lower than top five,I'll be very surprised."[5] Thessa Mooij from Music &Media praised it as "an uptempo dance track which mixes a synthi Europop sound and Corona's powerful R&B voice."[6]James Hamilton from the RM Dance Update declared it as "more squawking simple Italo catchiness" in his weekly dance column.[7]
Chart performance
"Baby Baby" was successful on the charts especially in Europe,North-America and Australia,peaking at number one in Italy for five weeks in April and May 1995,[8] as well as becoming a top-10 hit in Australia (7),Denmark (4),Finland (6),Iceland (10),Ireland (8),Norway (7),Spain (2),Sweden (10) and the UK (5).[9][10][11][12][13][14][15] In the latter nation,it peaked at number five in its second week on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks on April 9,after having debuted as number seven.[16] On the UK Dance Chart,the song reached number four,while peaking at number one on the UK on a Pop Tip Club Chart. On the Eurochart Hot 100,"Baby Baby" became a top-5 hit,peaking at number five after four weeks on the chart,on April 22,[17] while on the European Dance Radio Chart,it peaked at number one,becoming the most-played dance song on European radio that week.
In Europe,additionally,the single was a top-20 hit in Austria,France,Germany and Switzerland. Outside Europe,it reached number one on the Canadian RPM Dance/Urban chart.[18] In Australia,it peaked at number seven and stayed for 19 weeks inside the ARIA singles chart,with 6 weeks in the Australian top 10.[9] In neighboring New Zealand,the single reached number 22. In the US,"Baby Baby" peaked at numbers 39 and 57 on the Cash Box Top 100 and Billboard Hot 100.[19][20] On the BillboardHot Dance Club Play chart,the song reached number five.[21]
Music videos
Two different music videos were made for "Baby Baby";a European version and an US version. One of them was directed by Mark Humphrey.[22] The US version features frontwoman Olga de Souza attending a party in the disused Aldwych tube station in London.[23] In the second video,an overweight man is watching TV and switching from one channel to another with a remote control. Suddenly de Souza appears on the screen,and when the music starts,the man finds himself lying on a big bed with her. It has a headboard shaped as giant lips and she crawls on the bed,singing to him. Apparently frightened by this,he looks for an exit and tries to escape,but is surprised by two women behind a door. He is then placed in a chair,while the women are teasing and seducing him. In the end,the man is seen smiling,with lipstick kiss-marks all over his head.[24] A re-edited version of this video omits all footage of the man.[25]
Legacy
On Attitude's list of "The Top 10 Dance Tunes of the '90s" in 2016,"Baby Baby" was ranked number six.[26]
Track listings
Corona version
CD single
"Baby Baby" (Lee Marrow Radio Mix) (3:45)
"Baby Baby" (Robyx Piano Remix Short Edit) (3:55)
CD-maxi
"Baby Baby" (Lee Marrow Radio Mix) (3:45)
"Baby Baby" (Robyx Piano Remix Short Edit) (3:55)
"Baby Baby" (Dancing Divaz Club Mix) (6:07)
"Baby Baby" (Lee Marrow Extended Mix) (5:55)
"Baby Baby" (Robyx Piano Remix) (5:39)
"Baby Baby" (Dancing Divaz Rhythm Mix) (5:45)
7-inch single
"Baby Baby" (Lee Marrow Radio Mix) (3:45)
"Baby Baby" (Robyx Piano Remix Short Edit) (3:55)
7-inch maxi
"Baby Baby" (Lee Marrow Extended Mix) (5:55)
"Baby Baby" (Robyx Piano Remix) (5:39)
"Baby Baby" (Dancing Divaz Club Mix) (6:07)
"Baby Baby" (Dancing Divaz Rhythm Mix) (5:45)
Joy & Joyce version
CD single & 12-inch single
"Babe Babe" (Extended Version) (6:18)
"Babe Babe" (Club Version) (6:18)
"Babe Babe" (Radio Edit) (3:53)
Sunblock version
CD-maxi
"Baby Baby" (Radio Edit)
"Baby Baby" (Extended Version)
"Baby Baby" (The Audiophiles Remix)
"Baby Baby" (Ian Carey Remix)
"Baby Baby" (DJ DLG Remix)
"Baby Baby" (Friday Night Posse Remix)
"Baby Baby" (Frisco Remix)
"Baby Baby" (Audiophiles Remix)
Personnel
Written by Francesco Bontempi and Antonia Bottari
Published by Many Edizioni Musicali - B. Mikulski Publ. - SFR Music
Created, arranged and produced by Checco and Maurizio Silvestri ITA & Soul Train for a Lee Marrow production
Engineered by Francesco Alberti at Casablanca Recordings (Italy)
'Lee Marrow Radio Mix' and 'Lee Marrow Extended Mix': Additional editing by Robyx
'Robyx Piano Remix Short Edit' and 'Robyx Piano Remix': Remixed and reconstructed by Robyx
'Dancing Divaz Club Mix' and 'Dancing Divaz Rhythm Mix'
Remix and additional editing by production by Dancing Divaz
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