Young Girl (song)

"Young Girl" is a RIAA million-selling Gold-certified single that was written, composed, and produced by Jerry Fuller and performed by Gary Puckett & The Union Gap with instrumental backing by members of "The Wrecking Crew".^[3] It was released in 1968.

"Young Girl"
1968 45rpm record label
Single by Gary Puckett & The Union Gap
from the album Young Girl
B-side	"I'm Losing You"
Released	March 1968
Recorded	January 9, 1968 (1968-01-09)[1]
Genre	Pop
Length	3:16
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Jerry Fuller[2]
Producer(s)	Jerry Fuller[2]
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap singles chronology
"Woman, Woman" (1967) "Young Girl" (1968) "Lady Willpower" (1968)

The song hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks, stuck behind "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding for the first week and "Honey" by Bobby Goldsboro for the remaining two.^[4] It also reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart^[2] and the US Cash Box listing.^[5] It made No. 34 on the US Easy Listening.^[6] It climbed to No. 2 in South Africa.^[7]

In the UK, "Young Girl" was re-released in 1974 as part of a CBS Records series entitled "Hall of Fame Hits", and enjoyed a second UK chart run, peaking at No. 6.

Lyrics

The song is delivered from the point of view of a man who has become distressed upon finding out that the girl he is with, contrary to the first impression she had made upon him, is actually younger than the legal age of consent. He is asking her to leave before things go any further: "Get out of here / before I have the time / to change my mind / 'cause I'm afraid we'll go too far".^[8]

Chart history

Weekly charts Chart (1968) Peak position Australia 2 Canada RPM Top Singles[9] 1 Ireland (IRMA)[10] 1 New Zealand (Listener)[11] 1 South Africa (Springbok Radio)[12] 2 UK (OCC)[2] 1 U.S. Billboard Hot 100[13] 2 U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary[14] 34 U.S. Cash Box Top 100[15] 1 Chart (1974) Peak position UK (OCC)[16] 6

Year-end charts Chart (1968) Rank Canada[17] 4 U.S. Billboard Hot 100[18] 15 U.S. Cash Box[19] 3

References

1. Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, Scan of Official Cover (2004). The Best Of Gary Puckett And The Union Gap (booklet). Sony, Columbia. p. 10. CK 90626. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
2. Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 117. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
3. Hartman, Kent (2012). The Wrecking Crew. St. Martin's Griffin. pp. 261–263. ISBN 978-1-250-03046-7.
4. "Billboard Top 100 April 13, 1968". Billboard.
5. "Song artist 849 - Gary Puckett & The Union Gap". Tsort.info. Retrieved 2014-04-07.
6. Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 194.
7. "South African Rock Lists Website - SA Charts 1969 - 1989 Acts (P)".
8. Ryan, Shayne (October 17, 2013). "Secretly Horrifying Song Lyrics: "Young Girl" by Gary Puckett and The Union Gap". Paste. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
9. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1968-04-20. Retrieved 2024-07-21.
10. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Young Girl". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
11. Flavour of New Zealand, 14 June 1968
12. "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 5 September 2018.
13. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
14. Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 194.
15. Cash Box Top 100 Singles, April 13, 1968
16. "Official Charts Company". Retrieved 2018-07-19.
17. "RPM Top Singles of 1968 - January 6, 1969" (PDF).
18. "Top 100 Hits of 1968/Top 100 Songs of 1968". musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
19. "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles". December 28, 1968.