This week’s Two for Tuesday songs are oldies but goodies.
Young Love by Sonny James, aka The Southern Gentleman
and
Puppy Love by Paul Anka
Young Love is a 1956 song written by Carole Joyner and Ric Cartey. Cartey had a hit with the song before Sonny James covered it and it was a hugely successful cross-over hit for him in country and pop music. Sonny James’ version went to No. 1 in January 1957. It was the longest No. 1 chart topper of his career. This song had three close-to-simultaneous chart topping hit versions by Sonny James, Tab Hunter, and the Crew-Cuts.
Paul Anka wrote Puppy Love in 1956 for Annette Funicello, a popular Mousketeer. They were instructed to keep their young love romance a secret from the general Mousketeer viewing public for fear it would ruin their reputations and negatively impact television ratings for the Mickey Mouse Club. The song reached No. 2.
Both songs share the theme of young love that adults don’t take seriously. They can’t possibly know what real love is, because they are too young.
There is teenaged angst all through these songs. But there is also love, desire, passion, excitement, and longing that can only be felt by those experience love for the first time, regardless of their age.
Until next time,
Kaye Spencer
Lasterday Stories
writing through history one romance upon a time