Baby Baby (Amy Grant song)

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"Baby Baby"
Artwork for US CD single
Single by Amy Grant
from the album Heart in Motion
B-side"Lead Me On"
ReleasedJanuary 18, 1991 (1991-01-18)
StudioThe Bennet House, Franklin, Tennessee
Quad Studio, Nashville, Tennessee
Genre
Length3:57
LabelA&M
Songwriter(s)Keith Thomas, Amy Grant
Producer(s)Keith Thomas
Amy Grant singles chronology
"'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus"
(1989) 		"Baby Baby"
(1991) 		"Hope Set High"
(1991)
Music video
"Baby Baby" on YouTube

"Baby Baby" is a pop song by American recording artist Amy Grant and it was issued as the first single from her eighth studio album, Heart in Motion (1991). The song was written by Grant and Keith Thomas, who also produced it. It was released on January 18, 1991, through A&M Records and topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for two consecutive weeks in April 1991, becoming the first in a string of hits from Heart in Motion. At the 34th Annual Grammy Awards in 1992, the song received three Grammy Award nominations, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year. Its music video was directed by D.J. Webster and first aired in March 1991.

Background[edit]

The music was written by Keith Thomas. Grant always knew the song would be a smash hit, and was begging Thomas to write the song.[2] He agreed with the only condition that the song's title must be "Baby Baby". Grant had a hard time writing the lyrics, because her early attempts to write a romantic-sounding lyric to a song with such title came off sounding like "some overgrown football jock with no vocabulary trying desperately to be romantic".[3] But one day, after having seen her six-week-old daughter Millie, she said to herself: "Oh, baby baby". As a result, the lyrics were written in about ten minutes in her kitchen. In the Heart in Motion booklet are the words: This song is dedicated to Millie, whose six-week-old face was my inspiration. Millie would also appear on stage during Grant's performance at the 34th Grammy Awards.

Composition[edit]

"Baby Baby"
The first 32 seconds of Amy Grant's "Baby Baby"
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The song is almost four minutes in length and is composed in the key of F-sharp major, set in the time signature of 4
4 common time with a moderate tempo of 98 beats per minute. In the middle of the song, the key is changed to A-flat major, then for a short amount of time goes back to F♯ major and finally ends with A♭ major. Grant's vocal range spans from F3 to D♯5.[4][5]

The song consists of three verses that are interrupted by a bridge, "'Stop for a minute, baby I'm so glad you're mine". Lyrically, the song praises that special someone and expresses love that started since the day her heart was "put in motion". The chorus is the source of the album's title: "And ever since the day you put my heart in motion, baby I realized that there's just no gettin' over you". It fades out with the lyrics:

Don't stop givin' love
Don't stop, no
(Baby I'm so glad)
Glad that you're mine
Baby I'm glad

Critical reception[edit]

Pan-European magazine Music & Media wrote, "New single from the lady who brought us the 1988 hit single "Lead Me On", which is also featured on this. She still sounds grand on this danceable pop tune."[6] In their review of the Heart in Motion album, Music & Media complimented "Baby Baby" as "heavenly".[7]

Chart performance[edit]

"Baby Baby" was Amy Grant's biggest hit since her 1986 duet with Peter Cetera, "The Next Time I Fall". In the United States, "Baby Baby" became Grant's second number-one hit on the pop charts and her first as a solo artist, topping the Billboard Hot 100 (replacing Wilson Phillips' "You're in Love" from the top spot) and Adult Contemporary charts for two and three weeks, respectively. It also made Grant the first Christian pop singer to have a number-one single in the United States.[8] The single reached the Top Ten in ten countries, in addition to reaching No. 11 in Switzerland. In the United Kingdom, "Baby Baby" was the singer's first (and only) Top Five hit in that country, reaching No. 2 in the UK Singles Chart. "Baby Baby" went on to become Grant's biggest hit single and one of the most successful singles of 1991.

Music video[edit]

Development and release[edit]

Grant singing and dancing along with her on-screen love interest, played by Jme Stein.[9]

The accompanying music video for "Baby Baby" was directed by D.J. Webster.[10] and edited by Scott C. Wilson. According to Webster, the video's main idea was to create a picture of the relationship that everybody wants.[10] Grant added, "I think when you get film where there is a good sense of humor and mutual respect and people are just having a good time, everybody wants a piece of that".[10] Its beginning features Grant receiving attention from other men, and her staying loyal to her lover, portrayed by model Jme Stein (who also appeared in her other video from that album "Good for Me"). At some point Stein is seen singing along with Grant and at the end lip-syncing to the words "Baby I'm so glad". The rest of the video is all about the couple having fun together.

Release and reception[edit]

The video first aired in March 1991, although MTV didn't air it until it had become too popular not to.[11] A music critic J.D. Considine praised the video, writing that "the Baby Baby clip defines the way most of us imagine her. It was hardly typical video fare, with no special effects or distant locales; all it offered was Grant and a good-looking guy cavorting and acting pretty as she lip-synced to the song. Yet there was something genuinely appealing about the image it conveyed, something that made viewers want to see the thing again".[10] It received a nomination for Best Female Video at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards, but lost to Janet Jackson's "Love Will Never Do".

It's available on the 1992 music video tape The Heart in Motion Video Collection and 2004 music video DVD Greatest Videos 1986-2004. A live performance is available on the 2006 DVD Time Again… Amy Grant Live.

Track listings[edit]

Credits and personnel[edit]

Credits are adapted from the Heart in Motion booklet.[12]

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Certifications and sales for "Baby Baby"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[36] Gold 35,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[47] Gold 5,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[48] Silver 200,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history[edit]

Release dates and formats for "Baby Baby"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
Europe January 18, 1991
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
 A&M [22]
United Kingdom April 29, 1991
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
 [49]
Japan July 1, 1992 CD [50]

Legacy[edit]

The song received three Grammy nominations for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Song of the Year, but lost in both categories to Bonnie Raitt's "Something to Talk About" and Natalie Cole's "Unforgettable", respectively.[citation needed]

Grant appeared on Monday Night Football in a promotional music video for "Baby Baby" that featured new lyrics custom-made for the night's game.[citation needed] "Baby Baby" was covered by The Swirling Eddies on the 1996 album Sacred Cows.[51] It was covered by Alana D on the Mr. & Mrs. Smith soundtrack.[citation needed] It is also featured in the 2004 film Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.[citation needed] It was also briefly referenced in the 30 Rock episode "Queen of Jordan" where it was derided as "white nonsense".[citation needed] The song is referenced in Grant's 1997 Got Milk? ad.[citation needed] The song is heard in the Only Fools and Horses episode "Miami Twice" when Del Boy and Rodney arrive in the night club they go to in Miami.[citation needed]

Grant recorded an updated version of the song with pop artist Tori Kelly. Released on April 29, 2016, it commemorates the song's 25th anniversary.[52]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Henderson, Alex. Amy Grant - Heart in Motion (1991): Review at AllMusic. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  2. ^ "Life is the same for Amy Grant". The Mount Airy News. Nashville, Tennessee: Heartland Publications, LLC. Associated Press. May 14, 1991. p. 11. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  3. ^ Bronson, Fred (1997). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits. Billboard Books. p. 785. ISBN 978-0-8230-7641-3.
  4. ^ Amy, Grant; Keith, Thomas; Amy, Grant; Tori, Kelly (July 24, 2006). "Baby Baby". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  5. ^ "Key & BPM for Baby, Baby by Amy Grant | Tunebat". tunebat.com. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  6. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. April 13, 1991. p. 12. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
  7. ^ "New Releases: Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. April 27, 1991. p. 12. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
  8. ^ Nager, Larry (August 1, 1991). "Modern gospel crawls up charts". The Vindicator. The Vindicator Printing Co. p. D3. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  9. ^ "Amy Grant, Tori Kelly Give "Baby Baby" a Makeover: The Ram Report". Rolling Stone. April 29, 2016. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  10. ^ a b c d Considine, J. D. (September 4, 1994). "A matter of perception". The Spokesman-Review. Cowles Publishing Company. p. 6. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  11. ^ Morse, Steve (May 17, 1991). "Amy Grant crosses over". The Boston Globe. The New York Times Company. ISSN 0743-1791. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  12. ^ Heart in Motion (Liner Notes [CD, Album]). Amy Grant. EMI Records. 1991. 0946 3 96796 2 1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ^ "Amy Grant – Baby Baby". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  14. ^ "Amy Grant – Baby Baby" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  15. ^ "Amy Grant – Baby Baby" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  16. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1528." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  17. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 1523." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  18. ^ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 1529." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  19. ^ Lwin, Nanda. Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide (2000). Mississauga, Ont.: Music Data Canada
  20. ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 38. September 21, 1991. p. 23. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  21. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 26. June 29, 1991. p. 25. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  22. ^ a b "Amy Grant – Baby Baby" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  23. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Baby Baby". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  24. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 28, 1991" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  25. ^ "Amy Grant – Baby Baby" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  26. ^ "Amy Grant – Baby Baby". Top 40 Singles.
  27. ^ "Amy Grant – Baby Baby". VG-lista.
  28. ^ "Amy Grant – Baby Baby". Singles Top 100.
  29. ^ "Amy Grant – Baby Baby". Swiss Singles Chart.
  30. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  31. ^ "Amy Grant Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  32. ^ "Amy Grant Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  33. ^ a b "Amy Grant Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
  34. ^ "Amy Grant Chart History (Hot Dance/Electronic Songs)". Billboard.
  35. ^ "Amy Grant Chart History (Hot Christian Songs)". Billboard.
  36. ^ a b "ARIA Top 50 Singles for 1991". ARIA. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  37. ^ "RPM 100 Hit Tracks of 1991". RPM. Retrieved April 12, 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  38. ^ "RPM 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of 1991". RPM. Retrieved April 12, 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  39. ^ "RPM Dance Tracks of 1991". RPM. Retrieved April 12, 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  40. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 1991" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 51–52. December 21, 1991. p. 21. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  41. ^ "EHR Year-End Top 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 51–52. December 21, 1991. p. 20. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  42. ^ "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1991" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  43. ^ "End of Year Charts 1991". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  44. ^ "1991 Top 100 Singles" (PDF). Music Week. London, England: Spotlight Publications. January 11, 1992. p. 20. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  45. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1991". Archived from the original on July 7, 2009. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
  46. ^ "1991 The Year in Music" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 103, no. 51. December 21, 1991. p. YE-36. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  47. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Amy Grant – Baby Baby". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  48. ^ "British single certifications – Amy Grant – Baby Baby". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  49. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. April 27, 1991. p. 23.
  50. ^ "ベイビー・ベイビー/エブリー・ハートビート-remix collection- | エイミー・グラント" [Baby Baby / Every Heartbeat -Remix Collection- | Amy Grant] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  51. ^ Mark Allender. "Sacred Cows". AllMusic. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  52. ^ "Amy Grant Releasing Updated Version of "Baby Baby" With Tori Kelly"". Vintage Vinyl News. April 18, 2016.
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