Young Love (1956 song)

"Young Love" is a popular song, written by Ric Cartey and Carole Joyner and published in 1956.

The original version was recorded by Ric Cartey With The Jiva-Tones on November 24, 1956. It was originally released in 1956 by Stars Records as catalog number 539 and one month later by RCA Records as catalog number 47-6751. Cartey's version never charted, but better-known versions were released by Sonny James, Tab Hunter (in a version that did even better on the charts) and The Crew-Cuts.

Early cover versions

Tab Hunter

The recording by Tab Hunter was released by Dot Records as catalog number 15533. It first reached the Billboard magazine charts on January 19, 1957. On the Disk Jockey chart, it peaked at #1; on the Best Seller chart, at #1; on the Juke Box chart, at #1; on the composite chart of the top 100 songs, it reached #1. The success of this record led Warner Bros., where Hunter was a contract player, to form Warner Bros. Records.

Sonny James

The recording by Sonny James was released by Capitol Records as catalog number 3602. It first reached the Billboard magazine charts on January 5, 1957. On the Disk Jockey chart, it peaked at #1; on the Best Seller chart, at #2; on the Juke Box chart, at #4; on the composite chart of the top 100 songs, it reached #2. On Billboard's country music charts, it was a No. 1 hit for nine weeks, and remained the longest-reigning of James' 23 chart-topping songs on the chart.

Vocal backing on the recording was provided by the Eligibles, a Pacific Northwest vocal group that backed Sonny James on several songs, including the singles, "Talk of the School" and "Pure Love" (both 1959). The group itself recorded twelve singles and three albums from 1959 to 1963.

The flip side of James' version of "Young Love" was a song called "You're the Reason I'm In Love." That song was a Top 10 hit on the Billboard country charts in early 1957. In 1971 – 14 years after the original — James re-recorded that song in a faster-tempoed, horn-heavy rendition as "That's Why I Love You Like I Do" (the original slower-tempoed song featured an electric guitar solo); the newly recorded, re-titled version was released as a single and reached No. 1 in June 1972.

The Crew-Cuts

The recording by The Crew-Cuts was released by Mercury Records as catalog number 71022. It first reached the Billboard magazine charts on January 26, 1957. On the Disk Jockey chart, it peaked at #17; on the Juke Box chart, at #17; on the composite chart of the top 100 songs, it reached #24.

Later cover versions

In 1958, Frankie Avalon covered "Young Love" on his first album (on the Chancellor label).

In 1964, the song was released by a vocal duo called 'Bo and Peep' on Decca Records, produced by Andrew Loog Oldham, and directed by Mike Leander, and there is an unconfirmed rumour that Mick Jagger took part in the recording.

In 1966, the song was covered by Lesley Gore, her version reached number 50. In 1969 the song was covered by Mary Hopkin, and included on her album, Postcard, which was produced by Paul McCartney. The same year, a duet version of the song was made by country music singers Connie Smith and Nat Stuckey. Their version reached #20 on the Country Music charts.

In 1973, the song was revived by Donny Osmond. The Mike Curb and Don Costa produced version became a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, reaching #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the UK Singles Chart, spending four weeks at the top in August 1973. In 1976, Ray Stevens had a minor country and pop hit with the song.

In 1993, Twister Alley covered the song on their self-titled album, and released it as a single. It peaked at #70 on the US Country singles chart.

Celtic Thunder also performed the song. It was released on their album, Celtic Thunder: Act II.

Succession

Preceded by "Don't Forbid Me" by Pat Boone	U.S. Billboard Top 100 number-one single (Tab Hunter version) February 16, 1957 (6 weeks)	Succeeded by "Butterfly" by Andy Williams
Preceded by "Too Much" by Elvis Presley	U.S. Billboard Best Sellers in Stores number-one single (Tab Hunter version) March 2, 1957 (4 weeks)	Succeeded by "Party Doll" by Buddy Knox
Preceded by "Singing the Blues" by Guy Mitchell	U.S. Billboard Most Played by Jockeys number-one single February 9, 1957 (one week) by Sonny James February 16, 1957 (6 weeks) by Tab Hunter	Succeeded by "Butterfly" by Andy Williams
Preceded by "Don't Forbid Me" by Pat Boone	U.S. Billboard Most Played in Jukeboxes number-one single (Tab Hunter version) March 2, 1957 (one week)	Succeeded by "Too Much" by Elvis Presley
Preceded by "Too Much" by Elvis Presley	U.S. Billboard Most Played in Jukeboxes number-one single (Tab Hunter version) March 16, 1957 (4 weeks)	Succeeded by "Butterfly" by Charlie Gracie
Preceded by "Singing the Blues" by Guy Mitchell	Cash Box magazine best selling record chart #1 record (Tab Hunter version) February 2, 1957–February 9, 1957	Succeeded by "Too Much" by Elvis Presley
Preceded by "Too Much" by Elvis Presley	Cash Box magazine best selling record chart #1 record (Tab Hunter version) March 9, 1957–March 30, 1957	Succeeded by "Party Doll" by Buddy Knox
Preceded by "Singing the Blues" by Marty Robbins	C&W Best Seller in Stores number one single by Sonny James February 2, 1957	Succeeded by "Gone" by Ferlin Husky
Preceded by "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)" by Gary Glitter	UK number one single (Donny Osmond version) August 25, 1973 for four weeks	Succeeded by "Angel Fingers (A Teen Ballad)" by Wizzard