Anybody Seen My Baby? Explained

Anybody Seen My Baby?
Cover:RollStones-Single1997 AnybodySeenMyBaby.jpg
Type:single
Artist:the Rolling Stones
Album:Bridges to Babylon
Genre:Rock
Length:4:31
Label:Virgin
Producer:
Chronology:The Rolling Stones
Prev Title:Wild Horses
Prev Year:1996
Next Title:Saint of Me
Next Year:1998

"Anybody Seen My Baby?" is a song by English rock band the Rolling Stones, released as the first single from their 21st British and 23rd American studio album, Bridges to Babylon (1997). It was written by band vocalist Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards, and writing credits were added for k.d. lang and Ben Mink due to the similarities the chorus possesses with lang's 1992 hit "Constant Craving".

"Anybody Seen My Baby?" peaked at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart to become the band's 38th top-40 hit in their home country. It was more successful abroad, topping the RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart in Canada and reaching the top 20 in several European countries, including Hungary and Spain. In the United States, it peaked at number three on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number two on the Adult Alternative Songs chart.

Background and composition

Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the song also carries writing credits for k.d. lang and Ben Mink.[1] The song is known for its chorus, which sounds strikingly similar to lang's 1992 hit song "Constant Craving". Jagger and Richards claimed to have never heard the song before, only having discovered the similarity prior to the Stones' release. As Richards reported in his autobiography Life, "My daughter Angela and a friend were at Redlands and I was playing the record and they start singing this totally different song over it. They were listening to k.d. lang's 'Constant Craving.' It was Angela and her friend that recognized it."[2] The two gave Lang credit, along with her co-writer Mink. Lang said she was "completely honored and flattered" by receiving the songwriting credit.[3]

Coincidentally, "Anybody Seen My Baby?" is reported to have been the title of a song written and recorded by Brian Jones after leaving the Rolling Stones.[4] "Anybody Seen My Baby?" would go on to be the only track from Bridges to Babylon to appear on the Stones' 2002 career retrospective Forty Licks.

"Anybody Seen My Baby?" features wide-ranging inspirations, including sampling of hip-hop artist Biz Markie, making it the only song by the Rolling Stones to include sampling. Bass and keyboards on the song are performed by Jamie Muhoberac. Waddy Wachtel plays acoustic guitar and Jagger, Richards, and Wachtel play electric guitars. The song has a distinctive R&B feel, driven by Muhoberac's bass.

Release

The song was a worldwide hit in 1997, reaching the top 20 in several European countries, number one on Canada's Top Singles and Alternative 30 charts, and number three on Billboards Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in the United States.

Critical reception

British magazine Music Week rated the song four out of five, stating that "this is top-form Stones co-written, co-produced and part-played by non-Stones."[5]

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Anybody Seen My Baby?" features American actress Angelina Jolie.[6] She appears as a stripper who leaves mid-performance to wander New York City. Two versions of the video exist, with minor differences between them.

Personnel

Personnel adapted from CD liner notes [7]

The Rolling Stones

Additional musicians

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1997)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[8] 58
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[9] 18
Hungary (Mahasz)[10] 2
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[11] 15
Italy (Musica e dischi)[12] 20
Spain (AFYVE)[13] 4

Year-end charts

Chart (1997)Position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[14] 19
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[15] 41
Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)[16] 27
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[17] 85
Romania (Romanian Top 100)[18] 35
US Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard)[19] 39
US Triple-A (Billboard)[20] 27

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)
United Kingdom22 September 1997Virgin[21]
Japan29 October 1997CD[22]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Anybody Seen My Baby. ACE Title Search. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. 13 October 2008.
  2. Richards, Keith. Life. New York: Little, Brown & Co., 2010. p. 457.
  3. Web site: The Country Network - k.d. lang . 27 September 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160807064812/http://www.tcncountry.com/K/kd-lang.html . 7 August 2016 . dead .
  4. http://www/aeppli.ch/TUG08/CDJonesUp.pdf
  5. Reviews: Singles. Music Week. 20 September 1997. 31. 13 September 2022.
  6. Web site: Angelina Jolie in 'Anybody Seen My Baby?' by the Rolling Stones. Ultimate Classic Rock. 23 April 2018.
  7. Bridges To Babylon . . 1997 . CD liner notes.
  8. 238.
  9. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 14. 41. 12. 11 October 1997. 29 May 2020.
  10. Top National Sellers. Music & Media. 14. 41. 14. 11 October 1997. 6 May 2018.
  11. News: Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (20.11. – 27.11.1997). Dagblaðið Vísir. is. 22. 21 November 1997. 3 October 2019.
  12. Hits of the World – Italy. Billboard. 109. 41. 60. 11 October 1997. 4 June 2020.
  13. Book: Salaverri, Fernando. Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002. 1st. September 2005. Fundación Autor-SGAE. Spain. 84-8048-639-2.
  14. RPM '97 Year End Top 100 Hit Tracks. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 4 October 2018.
  15. RPM '97 Year End Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 4 October 2018.
  16. RPM '97 Year End Top 50 Alternative Tracks. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 4 October 2018.
  17. News: Árslistinn 1997 – Íslenski Listinn – 100 Vinsælustu Lögin. Dagblaðið Vísir. is. 25. 2 January 1998. 16 February 2020.
  18. Web site: Romanian Top 100 Singles Airplay – Top of the Year 1997. Romanian Top 100. ro. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20050122082314/http://www.rt100.ro/topul-anului-1997.html. 22 January 2005. 4 May 2020.
  19. The Year in Music 1997: Mainstream Rock. Billboard. 109. 52. YE-73. December 27, 1997.
  20. Best of '97: Triple A Tracks. Airplay Monitor. 5. 52. 28. December 26, 1997.
  21. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 47. 20 September 1997. 5 July 2021.
  22. Web site: エニバディ・シーン・マイ・ベイビー ザ・ローリング・ストーンズ. Anybody Seen My Baby The Rolling Stones. Oricon. ja. 26 February 2024.