Home | Songs By Year | Songs from 1960
You're Sixteen
Buy You're Sixteen now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the song. And once you've experienced the song, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
"'You're Sixteen'" is a song written by the Sherman Brothers (Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman). It was first performed by American rockabilly singer Johnny Burnette, whose version peaked at number eight on the US 'Billboard' Hot 100 in December 1960 and number 3 in the UK in 1961.[http://musicvf.com/song.php?id=22864 You're Sixteen Chart Positions] Retrieved June 16, 2012. The song was covered by Ringo Starr in 1973 and this version reached number one in the US.
In popular culture
The version by Burnette was included on the soundtrack to the 1973 film 'American Graffiti', directed by George Lucas.
Chart history
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Personnel
The personnel on the Johnny Burnette version included:
* Johnny Burnette vocal
* Bobby Gibbons guitar
* Vincent Terri guitar
* Red Callender bass
* Ernie Freeman piano
* Jerry Allison drums
* Alvin Dinkin viola
* Stanley Harris viola
* Dave Berman violin
* Herman Clebanoff violin
* Harold Dicterow violin
* Ben "Benny" Gill violin
* Irma Newman violin
* Joe Stepansky violin
* Darrel Terwilliger violin
* Gerald Vinci violin
* Bill Tobin backing vocals
Ringo Starr version
Ringo Starr's version was released as a single in the United States on December 3, 1973, and in the UK on February 8, 1974.
In January 1974, the song, taken from the album 'Ringo', hit number one on the 'Billboard' Hot 100. The latter performance reunited Ringo Starr with his former Beatles bandmate Paul McCartney. Although McCartney is credited on the liner notes of the album 'Ringo' as having played the solo on a kazoo, reviewer Michael Verity has quoted the song's producer Richard Perry as revealing that it wasn't actually a kazoo: "In fact, the solo on 'You're Sixteen,' which sounds like a kazoo or something, was Paul singing very spontaneously as we played that track back, so hes singing the solo on that."[https://archive.today/20130616151939/http://cbswnewhd.wordpress.com/2012/03/27/number-1-with-a-bullet-ringo-starrs-youre-sixteen Michael Verity, "Number 1 With A Bullet: Ringo Starr's 'You're Sixteen] Retrieved May 24, 2013. Starr's version remains one of the few No. 1 singles to feature a 'kazoo-sound' solo. Harry Nilsson sang backing vocals on Starr's version; Nicky Hopkins is heard playing the piano, including going up and down the scale in the instrumental fade of the song. In Ringo's version, the melody and the chords were different in the bridge section, which led to a minor key, while the original version used only major keys. The ending featured Starr singing the chorus from Clarence "Frogman" Henry's hit song "(I Don't Know Why) But I Do" before breaking into a chorus of "What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor?" at the fade.
The 1978 video of Starr's version features Carrie Fisher as Starr's love interest.
Reception
Upon release, a reviewer for 'Cash Box' called Ringo's version "fantastic and perfect for the '70's," going on to say that "not only is the vocal perfect, and steady, for this delightful easy going rocker, but the music is the perfect complement."In 2019, Tom Breihan of 'Stereogum' reviewed the song negatively, writing that, as it relates to musicians courting or having sex with teenagers, "Ringo Starr wasn't the worst offender of his era, and there's plenty of plausible deniability built into 'You're Sixteen.' But it's still a gross song. And even if it wasn't gross, it's not like it has any real musical merit. Maybe people thought this shit was cute then, but it's not cute now, and I won't be sad if I never hear 'You're Sixteen' again."
Chart history
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
References
; Footnotes
; Citations
Category:1960 singles
Category:1973 singles
Category:1974 singles
Category:Johnny Burnette songs
Category:Ringo Starr songs
Category:Songs written by the Sherman Brothers
Category:Apple Records singles
Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
Category:Cashbox number-one singles
Category:Song recordings produced by Snuff Garrett
Category:Song recordings produced by Richard Perry
Category:London Records singles
Category:Liberty Records singles
Category:1960 songs
Category:Songs about teenagers
Buy You're Sixteen now from Amazon
<-- Return to songs from 1960