Sweet Sixteen (song)
| Sweet Sixteen | |
|---|---|
| Billy Idol | |
| publication | October 20, 1986 (album) April 1, 1987 (US, Europe) June 1987 (UK, AUS) (single) |
| length | 4:14 |
| Genre (s) | Pop , rock |
| Author (s) | Billy Idol |
| Producer (s) | Keith Forsey |
| Label | Chrysalis Records |
| album | Whiplash smile |
Sweet Sixteen is a song by British singer Billy Idol that was released on his third studio album Whiplash Smile in October 1986 . In April 1987 it was released from it as the third single.
Origin and content
Sweet Sixteen was written by Idol and produced by Keith Forsey . It is inspired by the true story of Edward Leedskalnin , a Latvian émigré who single- handedly built Coral Castle in Florida . In Latvia, Leedskalnin was supposed to marry Agnes Skuvst, but she broke the engagement and Leedskalnin decided to emigrate to America. He built the coral castle there in memory of Skuvst, whom he often referred to as his Sweet Sixteen . Idol wrote the song after watching The Castle of Secrets , an episode of Leonard Nimoy's program In Search of ... which referred to the Coral Castle. In addition, he also visited the place. The song was written during the creation of Idol's 1983 album Rebel Yell .
In his 2014 autobiography, Idol described the song as a "lament from the heart". He added that Leedskalnins Castle was the "coral memorial " for his former love, while Sweet Sixteen was Idol's memorial to his then girlfriend Perri Lister.
Music videos
Two music videos were shot to promote the single. In the black and white version, directed by Peter Sinclair, Idol played the song in an empty room. This was accessed over 15 million times (as of March 2020). A fade-in at the beginning shows Leedskalnin and the sentence “Love turned to stone”. A second video shot in color showed scenes shot at Coral Castle.
Publication and reception
The single was released on 7 ", 12" and cassette by Chrysalis Records . The B-side was the album track Beyond Belief . The 12 ″ single also contained another track from the album, One Night, One Chance . The UK version of the 12 "single, which was also released in several other European countries, instead contained the Extended Version by Rebel Yell .
Sweet Sixteen reached # 20 in the US and # 17 in the UK. It was also a hit all over Europe and beyond, reaching number two in Germany , number five in Austria and number twelve in Switzerland and number three in New Zealand . The song was also featured in the Miami Vice episode Honor Among Thieves? (1988) used. In a contemporary review of Whiplash Smile, Rolling Stone wrote that the song had an "acoustic shuffle," reminiscent of "the texture" of Idol's 1984 hit Eyes Without a Face . The Billboard magazine noted in his review of the album, "... a fast Preview World's Forgotten Boy , Sweet Sixteen and Do not Need a Gun . Gives a good indication that Idol rocks on the right track" In a retrospective AllMusic review of the album, Johnny Loftus also selected the song as one of the highlights of the album. On the album's 30th anniversary, Ultimate Classic Rock described the song as a "relatively low-key acoustic love song".
Individual evidence
- ^ Edward Leedskalnin and his Coral Castle in Florida . Latvian History. January 12, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ↑ Kevin Wuench: Monday lost and found: The bizarre story behind Billy Idol's 'Sweet Sixteen' | Tampa Bay Times . Tampabay.com. June 2, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ↑ Billy Idol explains Sweet Sixteen background: first two minutes . YouTube. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ↑ Kathy Doore: Coral Castle. A Geomantic Wonder
- ↑ a b Rolling Stone: Preview Billy Idol's Candid Memoir 'Dancing With Myself' . Rolling Stone. September 25, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ↑ Billy Idol - Sweet Sixteen . YouTube. March 9, 2009. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ↑ Billy Idol: Sweet Sixteen (Video 1987) - IMDb . Retrieved June 27, 2019.
- ↑ Gladys L. Knight: Pop Culture Places: An Encyclopedia of Places in American Popular Culture [3 volumes ] . ABC-CLIO,, p. 213.
- ↑ Billy Idol Sweet Sixteen . YouTube. July 19, 2012. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
- ↑ Billy Idol - Sweet Sixteen , hitparade.ch
- ^ Rob Tannenbaum: Whiplash Smile . Rolling Stone. December 4, 1986. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ^ Billboard - Google Books . Books.google.co.uk. October 18, 1986. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ↑ AllMusic Review by Johnny Loftus: Whiplash Smile - Billy Idol | Songs, reviews, credits . AllMusic. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ↑ 30 Years Ago: Billy Idol Releases His Third Album, 'Whiplash Smile' . Ultimateclassicrock.com. Retrieved July 6, 2017.