Sweet Little Sixteen
| "Sweet Little Sixteen" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Chuck Berry | ||||
| from the album One Dozen Berrys | ||||
| B-side | "Reelin' and Rockin'" | |||
| Released | January 1958 | |||
| Recorded | December 29–30, 1957 in Chicago, Illinois[1] | |||
| Genre | Rock and roll | |||
| Label | Chess 1683 | |||
| Writer(s) | Chuck Berry | |||
| Producer(s) | Leonard and Phil Chess | |||
| Chuck Berry singles chronology | ||||
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"Sweet Little Sixteen" is a rock and roll song written and originally performed by Chuck Berry, who released it as a single in January 1958. It reached number two on the American charts, Berry's second-highest position ever on that chart (surpassed only by his suggestive hit "My Ding-A-Ling", which reached number one in 1972). "Sweet Little Sixteen" also reached number one on the R&B Best Sellers chart.[2] Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song #272 on their list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004.
Personnel
Recorded December 29-30, 1957.
- Chuck Berry, vocals and guitar
- Lafayette Leake, piano
- Willie Dixon, bass
- Fred Below, drums
Covers
The Beach Boys' 1963 song "Surfin' U.S.A." features lyrics by Brian Wilson set to the music of "Sweet Little Sixteen." Under pressure from Berry's publisher, Wilson's father and manager, Murry Wilson, gave the copyright, including Brian Wilson's lyrics, to Arc Music.[3]
The Hollies recorded it in 1966 for their album Would You Believe?
The Beatles played this song live in one of their BBC sessions; it was released in 1994 on the compilation album Live at the BBC.
John Lennon recorded the song on his 1975 album Rock 'n' Roll.
The Beatles Version
Recorded live at the BBC on July 10, 1963
Personnel
- John Lennon - vocals, lead guitar
- George Harrison - rhythm guitar
- Paul McCartney - bass
- Ringo Starr - drums
References
- ↑ 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Chuck Berry (CD). Chuck Berry. MCA Records. 1999. MCAD-11944.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 55.
- ↑ Pegg, Bruce. Brown Eyed Handsome Man (2002): 162-163
External links
| Preceded by "Get a Job" by The Silhouettes |
Billboard R&B Best Sellers in Stores number-one single March 10, 1958 - March 21, 1958 (three weeks) |
Succeeded by "Tequila" by The Champs |
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