Written by: Chuck Berry
Recorded: 10 July 1963
Producer: Terry Henebery
Released: 30 November 1994 (UK), 5 December 1994 (US)
John Lennon: vocals, rhythm guitar
Paul McCartney: bass
George Harrison: lead guitar
Ringo Starr: drums
Available on:
Live At The BBC
Although a part of The Beatles' live show for some time, they only recorded Chuck Berry's Sweet Little Sixteen once – for a BBC radio show.
Chuck Berry first released the song as a single in January 1958. Like the majority of Berry's songs performed by The Beatles, John Lennon took lead vocals.
We might change the programme for the Olympia tomorrow, and put in some of the early rock numbers we used to do in Hamburg and at the Cavern – like Sweet Little Sixteen and things. Easy.
Anthology
The group performed it for the sixth edition of the Pop Go The Beatles radio show, on 10 July 1963. It was recorded at the Aeolian Hall, London, and first broadcast on 23 July.
An earlier version, captured at the Star-Club in Hamburg in December 1962, also exists on Beatles bootlegs.
Lyrics
They're really rockin' in Boston
Philadelphia, PA
Deep in the heart of Texas
And down in Frisco Bay
All over St Louis
And down in New Orleans
All the cats wanna dance with
Sweet little sixteen
Sweet little sixteen
She's just got to have
About half a million
Framed autographs
Her wallet filled with pictures
She gets them one by one
Becomes so excited
Watch her, look at her run
Oh Mommy, Mommy
Please may I go
It's such a sight to see
Somebody steal the show
Oh Daddy, Daddy
I beg of you
Whisper to Mommy
It's alright with you
Sweet little sixteen
She got the grown up blues
Tight dresses and lipstick
She's sporting high heel shoes
Oh but tomorrow morning
She'll have to change her trend
Become sweet sixteen
And back in class again
Yeah 'cause they'll be rockin' in Boston
Philadelphia, PA
Deep in the heart of Texas
And down in Frisco Bay
All over St Louis
And down in New Orleans
All the cats wanna dance with
Sweet little sixteen
The vocals are unbelievable. When Lennon raises it to “Oh Mommy Mommy,” and “All over St Louis” it’s just inexpressible how good it is. It’s like we really are going to go all over St Louis, like we really might just do it. If that moment could just last forever we might just be forever sixteen, forever young.
Berry saw it, he commented on it. Lennon made it, he told us it, made us feel it and believe in it. Listening to those moments, that’s when we are exactly furthest away from disillusionment and at the same time just about to fall most deeply back into it.
I’ve had the thought that maybe this was in McCartney’s head when he wrote I Saw Her Standing There. Everybody wants to dance with sweet little 16…..she was just 17, I’ll never dance with another.
If you listen minus the intro you can hear that John is actually playing the solo on this song on his Rickenbacker its very John too very rough and ready when you really analyze it the same goes for lonesome tears in my eyes which has the same sound to it I think John plays lead or at least the solos on both which would explain how John knows how to play in that style at the end of The Ballad of John and Yoko since George obviously was not there. Just my thoughts for clarification go on youtube and look up the user Scugs who covers their really early stuff quite well on his duo jet.
Well said. Not many people realize that John was the lead guitarist on many of the early BBC recordings, playing solos on “Sweet Little Sixteen”, “Too Much Monkey Business”, “Lonesome Tears In My Eyes”, and most of the other Chuck Berry and Little Richard numbers. Very under-rated lead player Lennon was in my opinion.
Love how the guitar (George) jumps the beat here and there in the verses.
The version of Sweet Little Sixteen on the Star Club tapes is so much better, raw and powerful than that of the BBC that the difference knocks you down! And it is “’cause they were rockin’ in Hamburg!” at the very second before the mania took us all…