Too Young (1951 song)
"Too Young" is a popular song. The music was written by Sidney Lippman, the lyrics by Sylvia Dee. The song was published in 1951.
In the United States, the best-known version of the song was recorded by Nat King Cole on February 6, 1951 and released by Capitol Records as catalog number 1449. It was a million-selling record and reached the #1 position on the Billboard magazine chart, staying at #1 for 5 weeks and altogether on the Best Seller chart for 29 weeks.[1] Billboard ranked this version as the No. 1 song of 1951.[2] Cole described this song as one of his three favorites among his own songs.[3]
Several contemporary versions were also recorded, making the charts but not as high.
The recording by Patty Andrews was released by Decca Records as catalog number 27569. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on June 8, 1951 and lasted 1 week on the chart, peaking at #30.[1] On other Billboard charts, this version reached as high as #19.[4]
Versions that did not make the top 30 best-seller list, but did chart on other Billboard charts[4] were by Toni Arden (#15, on Columbia), by Fran Allison (#20, on RCA), by Richard Hayes (#24, on Mercury), and by Michael Jackson (on Motown).
Semprini, piano with rhythm accompaniment recorded it in London on July 7, 1951, as the second song of the medley "Dancing to the piano (No. 7): Part 1. Hit Medley of Slow Foxtrots" along with "Alice in Wonderland" and "Forbidden Love". It was released by EMI on the His Master's Voice label as catalog number B 10123.
In the United Kingdom, Jimmy Young had a hit version of the song, also made in 1951. Sam Cooke recorded it for his Hits Of The Fifties LP. A version by Donny Osmond became a hit for him, spending eight weeks on the chart with a peak position of #13[4][5] when released as a single (MGM catalog number 14407) in 1972.
Trivia
In Akira Kurosawa's 1952 film Ikiru, protagonist Watanabe's daughter-in-law is heard humming the tune in a point-of-view scene in which the character is approaching the family home late at night.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Whitburn, Joel (1973). Top Pop Records 1940-1955. Record Research.
- ↑ Billboard year-end top 30 singles of 1951
- ↑ Nat King Cole interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lonergan, David (2004-01-28). Hit Records 1950-1975. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-5129-0.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2000-11-01). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (7th Rev. edition ed.). New York: Watson-Guptill Publications. ISBN 978-0-8230-7690-1.
| Preceded by On Top of Old Smoky |
Cash Box magazine best selling record chart #1 record June 9, 1951 |
Succeeded by How High the Moon |
| Preceded by How High the Moon |
Cash Box magazine best selling record chart #1 record June 30, 1951–August 4, 1951 |
Succeeded by Come On-a My House |
| Preceded by "How High the Moon" by Les Paul and Mary Ford |
U.S. Billboard Best Sellers in Stores number-one single June 23–July 21, 1951 (Nat King Cole) |
Succeeded by "Come on-a My House" by Rosemary Clooney |
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