Too Young (Sidney Lippman and Sylvia Dee song)

{{Infobox song

| name = Too Young

| cover =

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Nat King Cole

| album =

| B-side = That's My Girl

| released = March 1951

| format =

| recorded = February 1951

| studio = Capitol, 5515 Melrose Ave, Hollywood

| venue =

| genre =

| length = 3:11

| label = Capitol Records

| writer = {{hlist|Sidney Lippman|Sylvia Dee}}

| producer =

| prev_title = Always You

| prev_year = 1951

| next_title = Red Sails in the Sunset

| next_year = 1951

}}

"Too Young" was one of the early attempts by record labels to release songs with a young musical persona that might appeal to a young audience.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dwJ4pa36cYkC&pg=PA214 |title=The Seventh Stream: The Emergence of Rocknroll in American Popular Music|first= Philip H. |last=Ennis |date=1992 |isbn=9780819562579 |publisher=Wesleyan University Press |page=214}} In the United States, among the earliest versions were those recorded by Victor Young and His Orchestra,{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zB0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA13|title=America's Fastest Selling Records - Specials |magazine=Billboard |page=13|date=December 16, 1950 }}{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/78_too-young_victor-young-and-his-orchestra-louanne-hogan-sidney-lippman-sylvia-dee_gbia0213276b/TOO+YOUNG+-+VICTOR+YOUNG+And+His+Orchestra.flac |title=Too Young |work=Internet Archive |year=1950 }} and Johnny Desmond. However, it was the version recorded by Nat King Cole that proved to be most successful.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hSCfBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA319 |title=Hit Songs, 1900-1955: American Popular Music of the Pre-Rock Era |first= Don |last=Tyler |date= 2007 |isbn=9780786429462 |publisher=McFarland |page=319}}

The song was recorded on February 6, 1951, and released by Capitol Records (catalog number 1449) in March. It reached the number one position on the Billboard chart in June 1951,{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0x4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA26 |title= Best-selling Pop Singles |magazine=Billboard |date=June 23, 1951 |page=26}} staying there for five weeks and altogether on the Best Seller chart for 29 weeks.{{cite book

| last = Whitburn

| first = Joel

| author-link = Joel Whitburn

| title = Top Pop Records 1940-1955

| publisher = Record Research

| year = 1973 }}

It also spent an unprecedented 12 weeks on top of Your Hit Parade, and 8 weeks at No. 1 on the Cash Box chart. It was a million-selling record and Billboard ranked this version as the number one best-selling song of 1951.{{cite journal |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/50s/1952/Billboard%201952-01-06.pdf |title=Year's Top Pop Records according to Retail Sales| journal=The Billboard |date=January 5, 1952 |volume=64 |issue=1 |page= 11}} Cole described this song as one of his three favorites among his own songs.{{Pop Chronicles |22| 4|Nat King Cole}}

The success of the song may have convinced record executives that young people had the buying power, which would lead to the boom of rock and roll music that catered to a young audience in the mid-'50s.

Several versions contemporary to Nat King Cole's version were recorded, some making the US charts but not as high.

The recording by Patty Andrews was released by Decca Records as catalog number 27569. It first reached the Billboard Best Seller chart on June 8, 1951 and lasted one week on the chart, peaking at number 30. On other Billboard charts, this version reached as high as number 19 on the Most-played Jukebox Records chart.{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8h4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA30 |title=Most Played Jukebox Records |magazine=Billboard |date=June 30, 1951 |page=30}}

Versions that did not make the top 30 best-seller list, but did chart on various other Billboard charts were by Toni Arden (Columbia, number 15 on Records Most Played by Disk Jockeys),{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m0UEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA18 |title=Records Most Played by Disk Jockeys |magazine=Billboard |date=July 7, 1951 |page=18}} by Fran Allison (RCA, number 20 on Records Most Played by Disk Jockeys), and by Richard Hayes (Mercury, number 24).{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NP6OdDrutyAC&pg=PA231

|title=Hit Records 1950-1975|

last= Lonergan|

first= David|

publisher= Scarecrow Press|

location=Lanham, Maryland|

date=2004-01-28

|page=231

|isbn= 978-0-8108-5129-0

}}

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.{{CN|date=October 2022}}

In the United Kingdom, Jimmy Young had a success with his version of the song, also made in 1951. The song made No. 1 on the UK's sheet music charts in 1951, spending 12 weeks in that position.{{Cite book|last=Henson|first=Brian|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/19389211|title=First hits, 1946-1959|date=1989|publisher=Boxtree|others=Colin Morgan|isbn=1-85283-268-1|location=London|oclc=19389211}} Another contemporary version was released by Steve Conway.{{cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/10545621-Steve-Conway-Too-Young-White-Wedding |title=Steve Conway - Too Young/White Wedding |website=Discogs |year=1951 }}

{{Infobox song

| name = Too Young

| cover = tooyoungosmond.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Donny Osmond

| album = Too Young

| B-side = Love Me

| released = June 10, 1972

| recorded = April 17, 1972

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Pop

| length = 2:59

| label = MGM

| writer = {{hlist|Sidney Lippman|Sylvia Dee}}

| producer = {{hlist|Mike Curb|Don Costa}}

| prev_title = Puppy Love

| prev_year = 1972

| next_title = Why/Lonely Boy

| next_year = 1972

}}

A version of "Too Young" by then 14-year-old Donny Osmond became an international top 10 hit for him, reaching number 5 in the UK and number 6 in Canada. It also spent eight weeks on the U.S. top 40, with a peak position of number 13{{cite book |title=The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits|

last= Whitburn|

first= Joel|

author-link= Joel Whitburn|

publisher= Watson-Guptill Publications|

location=New York|

edition= 7th Rev.|

date=2000-11-01|

isbn= 978-0-8230-7690-1

}} when released as a single (MGM catalog number 14407) in 1972.

{{Refimprove section|date=October 2022}}

• Sam Cooke recorded it for his Hits of the Fifties LP in 1960. In Australia, on Parlophone, Jim Gussey And His Orchestra, with vocals by Matt Dryden and Olive Lester, released their version.
• Bobby Vinton recorded the song for the album There! I've Said It Again.
• Michael Jackson included the song on Motown in 1973 in the album Music & Me. This version was released as a single in Italy.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yb_ghov9uEMC&pg=PA6 |title=Michael Jackson the Solo Years|first1=Craig |last1=Halstead|first2= Chris |last2=Cadman |date= 2003 |isbn=9780755200917 |page=6}}
• In 1978, the Swedish dansband Vikingarna released a disco version of the song on their album, The Vikings Export.

{{Reflist}}

• {{YouTube|KaFtsqU2V6U|Nat King Cole - Too Young}}
• {{YouTube|lFSzuUw50W0|Donny Osmond - Too Young}}

{{Nat King Cole}}

{{Donny Osmond}}

{{Michael Jackson songs}}

{{Billboard Year-End number one singles 1946–1959}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1951 singles

Category:1972 singles

Category:Nat King Cole songs

Category:Donny Osmond songs

Category:Michael Jackson songs

Category:Marvin Gaye songs

Category:Songs written by Sidney Lippman

Category:Songs with lyrics by Sylvia Dee

Category:1951 songs