Anybody Seen My Baby?

"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?"
Single by the Rolling Stones
from the album Bridges to Babylon
Released	22 September 1997 (1997-09-22)
Genre	Rock
Length	4:31
Label	Virgin
Songwriter(s)	Mick Jagger Keith Richards k.d. lang Ben Mink
Producer(s)	Don Was Dust Brothers the Glimmer Twins
The Rolling Stones singles chronology
"Wild Horses" (1996) "Anybody Seen My Baby?" (1997) "Saint of Me" (1998)
Music video
"Anybody Seen My Baby?" on YouTube

"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][4]

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.^[5] "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 Billboard's 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."^[6]

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Anybody Seen My Baby?" features American actress Angelina Jolie.^[7] 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 ^[8]

The Rolling Stones

• Mick Jagger – lead vocals, guitar
• Keith Richards – guitar, backing vocals
• Ronnie Wood – guitar
• Charlie Watts – drums

Additional musicians

• Blondie Chaplin – backing vocals, shaker
• Bernard Fowler – backing vocals
• Biz Markie – rapping
• Jamie Muhoberac – bass, keyboards
• Waddy Wachtel – electric guitar, acoustic guitar
• Don Was – keyboards

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1997) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[9] 58 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[10] 12 Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[11] 2 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[12] 1 Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[13] 4 Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)[14] 1 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[15] 18 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[16] 11 Germany (GfK)[17] 24 Hungary (Mahasz)[18] 2 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[19] 15 Italy (Musica e dischi)[20] 20 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[21] 12 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[22] 25 Norway (VG-lista)[23] 14 Scotland (OCC)[24] 18 Spain (AFYVE)[25] 4 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[26] 18 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[27] 26 UK Singles (OCC)[28] 22 US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[29] 2 US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[30] 3

Year-end charts Chart (1997) Position Canada Top Singles (RPM)[31] 19 Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[32] 41 Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)[33] 27 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[34] 85 Romania (Romanian Top 100)[35] 35 US Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard)[36] 39 US Triple-A (Billboard)[37] 27

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United Kingdom	22 September 1997	7-inch vinyl CD cassette	Virgin	[38]
Japan	29 October 1997	CD		[39]

See also

• List of RPM number-one singles of 1997 (Canada)
• List of RPM Rock/Alternative number-one singles (Canada)
• "Break My Heart", another song in which a writing credit was given due to a similar chorus

References

1. "Anybody Seen My Baby". ACE Title Search. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved 13 October 2008.
2. Richards, Keith. Life. New York: Little, Brown & Co., 2010. p. 457.
3. "The Country Network - k.d. lang". Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
4. k.d. lang - Something for the Weekend 1/2 on YouTube
5. ^{[dead link‍]}
6. "Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 20 September 1997. p. 31. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
7. "Angelina Jolie in 'Anybody Seen My Baby?' by the Rolling Stones". Ultimate Classic Rock. 19 October 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
8. Bridges To Babylon (CD liner notes). The Rolling Stones. 1997.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
9. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 238.
10. "The Rolling Stones – Anybody Seen My Baby?" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
11. "The Rolling Stones – Anybody Seen My Baby?" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
12. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3369." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
13. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 3377." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
14. "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 3327." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
15. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 41. 11 October 1997. p. 12. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
16. "The Rolling Stones: Anybody Seen My Baby?" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
17. "The Rolling Stones – Anybody Seen My Baby?" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
18. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 41. 11 October 1997. p. 14. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
19. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (20.11. – 27.11.1997)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 21 November 1997. p. 22. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
20. "Hits of the World – Italy" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 41. 11 October 1997. p. 60. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
21. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 42, 1997" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
22. "The Rolling Stones – Anybody Seen My Baby?" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
23. "The Rolling Stones – Anybody Seen My Baby?". VG-lista. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
24. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
25. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
26. "The Rolling Stones – Anybody Seen My Baby?". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
27. "The Rolling Stones – Anybody Seen My Baby?". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
28. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
29. "The Rolling Stones Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
30. "The Rolling Stones Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
31. "RPM '97 Year End Top 100 Hit Tracks". RPM. Retrieved 4 October 2018 – via Library and Archives Canada.
32. "RPM '97 Year End Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks". RPM. Retrieved 4 October 2018 – via Library and Archives Canada.
33. "RPM '97 Year End Top 50 Alternative Tracks". RPM. Retrieved 4 October 2018 – via Library and Archives Canada.
34. "Árslistinn 1997 – Íslenski Listinn – 100 Vinsælustu Lögin". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 2 January 1998. p. 25. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
35. "Romanian Top 100 Singles Airplay – Top of the Year 1997" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on 22 January 2005. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
36. "The Year in Music 1997: Mainstream Rock". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 52. 27 December 1997. p. YE-73.
37. "Best of '97: Triple A Tracks". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 5, no. 52. 26 December 1997. p. 28.
38. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 20 September 1997. p. 47. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
39. "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] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 26 February 2024.