"Hey You" is a song written by

Randy Bachman Randolph Charles Bachman (; born September 27, 1943) is a Canadian guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He was a founding member of the bands The Guess Who and Bachman–Turner Overdrive. Bachman recorded as a solo artist and was part of a num ...

, and was first recorded by Canadian rock group

Bachman–Turner Overdrive Bachman–Turner Overdrive, often abbreviated BTO, were a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, founded by Randy Bachman, Robbie Bachman and Fred Turner in 1973. Their 1970s catalogue included five top-40 albums and six US top-40 single ...

(BTO) for their 1975 album ''

Four Wheel Drive Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case ...

''. It was the first and more successful of two singles issued from the LP, the second being "Quick Change Artist", which was released in Canada only.

Background

The lead vocal is provided by Randy Bachman. There were rumors circulated that Randy Bachman directed the lyrics of "Hey You" at former bandmate

Burton Cummings Burton Lorne Cummings (born December 31, 1947) is a Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known for leading The Guess Who during that band's most successful period from 1965 to 1975, and for a lengthy solo career. Cummings has ...

, who had publicly stated that Bachman would never make it in the music business again following his departure from

The Guess Who The Guess Who are a Canadian rock band formed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1965. The band originated in 1962 and achieved an international hit single with a cover of "Shakin' All Over" in 1965 under the name Chad Allan and the Expressions. After c ...

. Randy confirmed the rumors in interviews years later, stating: "I deserved to gloat a bit after all the mud Burton had slung at me." ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' said it has elements of earlier Bachman-Turner Overdrive singles "

Let It Ride Let or LET may refer to: Sports * Let serve, when the served object in certain racket sports hits the net and lands in the correct service court, such as; ** Let (badminton) ** Let (pickleball) ** Let (tennis) * Ladies European Tour, the ladie ...

" and " You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" and contains "the suttering vocals of Randy Bachman, and some more heavy guitar chording."

Charts

"Hey You" was the second BTO single to hit number 1 on the Canadian ''

RPM Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...

'' chart, following " You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet". It held the top position on the ''RPM'' chart for two weeks in June 1975. The song peaked at number 21 on the US ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' Hot 100 on July 5, 1975. , - , Austria , style="text-align:center;", 14 , - , Canada ''RPM'' Top Singles , style="text-align:center;", 1 , - , New Zealand , style="text-align:center;", 10 , - , US ''

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

, style="text-align:center;", 21 , - , West GermanyInfinity Charts - German Top 20 of 1975
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hey You (Bachman-Turner Overdrive song) 1975 songs 1975 singles Bachman–Turner Overdrive songs Songs written by Randy Bachman Mercury Records singles RPM Top Singles number-one singles