Go Away Little Girl
"Go Away Little Girl" is a popular song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. It was first recorded by Bobby Vee for Liberty Records on March 28, 1962. The lyrics consist of a young man asking a young attractive woman to stay away from him, so that he will not be tempted to betray his steady girlfriend by kissing her. The song is notable for making the American Top 20 three times: for Steve Lawrence in 1962 (US number 1), for The Happenings in 1966 (US number 12), and for Donny Osmond in 1971 (US number 1). It is also the first song, and one of only nine, to reach US number 1 by two different artists.[1]
Steve Lawrence version
| "Go Away Little Girl" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Steve Lawrence | |
| B-side | "If You Love Her Tell Her So" |
| Released | November 1962 |
| Format | Vinyl record (7") |
| Genre | Pop |
| Length | 2:12 |
| Label | Columbia |
| Writer(s) | Gerry Goffin and Carole King |
| Certification | Gold (RIAA) |
In late 1962, Steve Lawrence released the second recording of this song (Bobby Vee recorded it first in March 1962). The single reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1963 and remained in the top position for two weeks. This recording also spent six weeks atop the U.S. Easy Listening chart.[2] It also went to number 1 on the New Zealand Lever chart and number 18 in Canada.
Marc Wynter version
Mark Wynter's 1962 cover of the song on the Pye Records label also made the UK Singles Chart, reaching number six in Britain.[3][4]
Donny Osmond version
| "Go Away Little Girl" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Donny Osmond | ||||
| from the album To You With Love, Donny | ||||
| B-side | The Wild Rover (Time to Ride) | |||
| Released | July 31, 1971 | |||
| Format | Vinyl record (7") | |||
| Genre | Pop, bubblegum pop, blue-eyed soul | |||
| Length | 2:42 | |||
| Label | MGM | |||
| Writer(s) | Gerry Goffin and Carole King | |||
| Certification | Gold (RIAA) | |||
| Donny Osmond singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Donny Osmond's cover version of "Go Away Little Girl" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on September 11, 1971. It remained in the top position for three weeks. Osmond's version also went to number 36 on the Australian Go-Set chart. It was certified Gold by the RIAA on October 13, 1971.
Chart performance
| Chart (1971) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| US Easy Listening | 14 |
| Australia Kent Music Report | 52 |
Marlena Shaw version
Marlena Shaw does a version called "Yu-Ma/Go Away Little Boy" from her 1977 album Sweet Beginnings. This reached number twenty one on the Billboard R & B chart staying in the Top 100 for eleven weeks.[5] In the 1980s it became a popular UK record on the Rare Groove dance scene.
References
- ↑ "Cover Me: Same Songs to Hit No. 1 By Two Different Artists". Billboard. Retrieved 10 February 2010.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 141.
- ↑ Mark Wynter singles discography on www.45rpm.org.uk, accessed 2009-05-06
- ↑ Mark Wynter biography on allmusic.com, accessed 2009-05-06
- ↑ Joel Whitburn, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles, 1942-2004, Billboard, 2005
External links
| Preceded by "All Alone Am I" by Brenda Lee |
Billboard Middle-Road number-one single (Steve Lawrence version) December 15, 1962 (six weeks) |
Succeeded by "Walk Right In" by The Rooftop Singers |
| Preceded by "Telstar" by The Tornados |
Billboard Hot 100 number-one single (Steve Lawrence version) January 12, 1963 (two weeks) |
Succeeded by "Walk Right In" by The Rooftop Singers |
| Preceded by "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" by Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney |
Billboard Hot 100 number-one single (Donny Osmond version) September 11, 1971 (three weeks) |
Succeeded by "Maggie May" / "Reason to Believe" by Rod Stewart |