"Have You Seen Her" is a song by American soul vocal group the Chi-Lites, released via Brunswick Records in October 1971. Composed by the lead singer Eugene Record and Barbara Acklin, the song was included on the group's 1971 album (For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People.
The song begins and ends with a spoken narrator remarking on how he was once happy with a woman. However, she left him, so he passes the days by partaking in leisure activities, where he tries to get relief by telling jokes to the children:
Much to his dismay, the woman does not return or attempt to communicate with him as he had hoped. The narrator ends the song, in a spoken voice, musing on how foolish he was for believing the woman of his dreams would always be around, thinking that he had her in the palm of his hand. Some radio edits have omitted the spoken dialogue. The song peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and reached the top of the Billboard R&B Singles chart in November 1971. It also reached No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart in February 1972, and was a UK hit again in 1975 when reissued as a double A-side with "Oh Girl", this time peaking at No. 5.
There are two commonly available versions. The original 45 and LP version, and a remix that features the fuzz guitar continuing from 0:29 to 0:40 and the background vocals at the beginning having more reverb - this version was issued on their 1972 Greatest Hits album and then in the UK in 1975 as a double a-side with "Oh Girl" and reaching No. 5 (after the original had charted in early 1972 at No. 3).
Charts Weekly charts Chart (1971–1972)PeakpositionCanada RPM Top Singles47UK Singles Chart3US Billboard Hot 1003US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs1
Chart (1975)PeakpositionUK5
Year-end charts Chart (1972)PositionUK39
MC Hammer version
The most significant cover of "Have You Seen Her" was recorded by MC Hammer, for his successful 1990 LP, Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em, which reached No. 4 on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the US Cash Box Top 100. It also peaked at No. 8 on the UK singles chart.
Charts Weekly charts Chart (1990)PeakpositionEurope (Eurochart Hot 100)15Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)6Luxembourg (Radio Luxembourg)Radio Luxembourg Singles. October 14, 1990.5Portugal (AFP)6US Billboard Hot 1004US Hot Black Singles (Billboard)4US Hot Rap Singles (Billboard)9US Cash Box Top 1004
Year-end charts Chart (1990)PositionBelgium (Ultratop)81Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)38Netherlands (Single Top 100)34New Zealand (RIANZ)20Sweden (Topplistan)97US Billboard Hot 10047US Hot R&B Singles (Billboard)52US Cash Box Top 10030
Certifications
Release history RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)United StatesJune 1990CapitolAustraliaAugust 20, 1990JapanSeptember 12, 1990Mini-CD
In pop culture The Barron Knights produced a parody version. The song was included in the 2001 list of songs that Clear Channel Communications warned its radio stations that they "might not want to play" after 9/11. The song was featured in the 2026 video game Mixtape.
References
External links Official website [ AllMusic]