From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the Sam Cooke song. For the Terry Black album, see
Only 16 .
"Only Sixteen " is a song by American singer-songwriter
Sam Cooke , released in May 1959. It was a top 15 hit on
Billboard's
Hot R&B Sides chart and also charted within the top 30 of the
Billboard Hot 100 and the
UK Singles Chart .
[1] In the UK it was covered, and taken to No. 1, by
Craig Douglas .
[2]
Background
"Only Sixteen" was inspired by the sixteenth birthday of
Lou Rawls 's stepsister, Eunice.
[3] The song was originally intended for actor
Steve Rowland , who often hung around the Keen studio. Rowland asked Cooke to write a song for him, and Cooke borrowed the bridge from an earlier song of his, "Little Things You Do". Rowland's manager disliked the song, and Cooke re-recorded it for himself.
[3]
[4] The song's composition was originally credited to Barbara Campbell, a pseudonym used for Cooke,
Lou Adler and
Herb Alpert . Cooke married Campbell in October 1959.
[5]
[6] "Only Sixteen" was, in fact, solely written by Cooke.
[7]
Personnel
Credits adapted from the
liner notes to the 2003 compilation
Portrait of a Legend: 1951–1964 .
[3]
Sam Cooke –
vocals
Clifton White – guitar
René Hall – guitar
Adolphus Asbrook – bass guitar
Charles Blackwell – drums
Chart performance
The Supremes version
The Supremes recorded a version, first released on their
tribute album
We Remember Sam Cooke (1965).
[10] In 1968, it was released as an A-side single in Scandinavia, as
Diana Ross & the Supremes ,
[11] where it reached No. 3 in Sweden.
[12] The B-side, "
Some Things You Never Get Used To " was released elsewhere as an A-side, becoming a top 40 hit in the US,
[13] Canada,
[14] and the UK.
[15]
Charts
Dr. Hook version
Dr. Hook released a version of "Only Sixteen" in the winter of 1975. Their version was the most successful chart release of the song. It reached No. 6 on the US
Billboard Hot 100 and No. 5 on
Cash Box . Dr. Hook's version spent 22 weeks on the charts and became a Gold record.
Chart performance
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Chart (1976)
Rank
Australia (Kent Music Report)
[22]
39
Canada
[23]
54
US Billboard Hot 100
[24]
35
Certifications
Other cover versions
Samples
E-40 and The Click sampled it on their first record, singing the hook in the intro.
See also
References
^ Roberts, David (2006).
British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 119.
ISBN
1-904994-10-5 .
^ Roberts, David (2006).
British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 167.
ISBN
1-904994-10-5 .
^
a
b
c Portrait of a Legend: 1951–1964 (liner notes).
Sam Cooke . US:
ABKCO Records . 2003. 92642.{{
cite AV media notes }}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link )
^ Guralnick, Peter (2005). Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke . New York:
Back Bay Books , p. 280-81. First edition, 2005.
^ Kutner, Jon; Leigh, Spencer (May 26, 2010).
1,000 UK Number One Hits . Omnibus Press.
ISBN
978-0-85712-360-2 .
^ Gulla, Bob (2008). Icons of R&B and soul: an encyclopedia of the artists who revolutionized rhythm . Greenwood icons. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press.
ISBN
978-0-313-34044-4 .
^
Only Sixteen by Sam Cooke - Track Info | AllMusic , retrieved July 18, 2023
^
"Sam Cooke – Artist – Official Charts" .
Official Charts Company . Retrieved February 28, 2014 .
^
a
b
"Sam Cooke – Awards" .
AllMusic . Retrieved February 28, 2014 .
^ Hamilton, Andrew.
"We Remember Sam Cooke - The Supremes | Songs, Reviews, Credits..."
Allmusic . Retrieved January 30, 2022 .
^
"THE SUPREMES DISCOGRAPHY" . 7inchrecords.com . Retrieved January 30, 2022 .
^
a
b
"AUGUSTI 1968" (PDF) .
Kvällstoppen . p. 25. Retrieved January 17, 2022 – via hitsallertijden.nl.
^
"The Supremes Chart History - Hot 100" .
Billboard . Archived from
the original on January 30, 2019. Retrieved January 28, 2018 – via
Wayback Machine .
^
"Image : RPM Weekly" .
RPM . July 17, 2013. Retrieved March 12, 2019 .
^
"The Supremes | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company" .
Official Charts Company . Retrieved August 28, 2021 .
^
"Supremes - Se alla lȧtar och listplaceringer - NostalgiListan" .
Kvällstoppen (in Swedish). Retrieved January 30, 2022 – via nostalgilistan.se.
^
Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992: 23 years of hit singles & albums from the top 100 charts . St Ives, N.S.W, Australia: Australian Chart Book. p. 94.
ISBN
0-646-11917-6 .
^
"Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada" . Collectionscanada.gc.ca . Retrieved August 29, 2016 .
^
"Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada" . Collectionscanada.gc.ca . Retrieved August 29, 2016 .
^
Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012 . Record Research. p. 247.
^
Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993 . Record Research. p. 74.
^
"National Top 100 Singles for 1976" .
Kent Music Report . December 27, 1976. Retrieved January 11, 2022 – via
Imgur .
^
"Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada" . Collectionscanada.gc.ca . Retrieved August 29, 2016 .
^
"Top 100 Hits of 1976/Top 100 Songs of 1976" . Musicoutfitters.com . Retrieved August 29, 2016 .
^
"Hook Shots" (PDF) .
Cash Box . June 4, 1977. p. 52. Retrieved November 25, 2021 – via World Radio History.
^
"Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada" . Collectionscanada.gc.ca . Retrieved August 29, 2016 .
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