A pop cover of "Hey Joe!" was made by
Frankie Laine on June 22, 1953, at
Radio Recorders in
Hollywood, with
Paul Weston and his Orchestra and the
Norman Luboff Choir, also featuring
Carl Fischer on piano. Produced by
Mitch Miller, the single was released by
Columbia (the same label who issued the
Carl Smith version) on July 6. It was featured in
Billboard's New Records To Watch, with the magazine commenting, "It's a good tune for Laine, and he handles it in his customary exciting style." Laine's "Hey Joe!" entered
Billboard's Best Selling Singles chart on August 22, where it peaked at No. 6. In the UK, Laine's recording was an even bigger success. Released by
Philips in August 1953, it entered the
New Musical Express singles chart on October 16, 1953. "Hey Joe!" reached No. 1 on the
UK Singles Chart the following week, October 23. It was Laine's second UK chart topper, but unlike his record-breaking hit "
I Believe", "Hey Joe!" only stayed on the
chart for eight weeks, including two at No. 1. On October 23, Laine had three
singles in the chart, which at that time consisted of only twelve positions. The following week, Laine's third No. 1 hit in the UK, "
Answer Me", entered the chart, giving him a third of all the
records on the listing. == Other contemporary recordings ==