‘You’re Sixteen’ by Ringo Starr peaks at #1 in USA 50 years ago #OnThisDay (Jan 26 1974)

(Saturday, January 26, 1974) — “You’re Sixteen” by former Beatle Ringo Starr, the second single from his first solo rock music album Ringo, peaked at #1 on today’s Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for one week.

It was the former Beatle’s second and final solo number one hit on the chart (1973-1974).

The performance reunited Starr with his former Beatles bandmate Paul McCartney.

Although McCartney is credited on the liner notes of the album Ringo as having played the solo on a kazoo, reviewer Michael Verity has quoted the song’s producer Richard Perry as revealing that it wasn’t actually a kazoo: “In fact, the solo on ‘You’re Sixteen,’ which sounds like a kazoo or something, was Paul singing very spontaneously as we played that track back, so he’s singing the solo on that.”

Harry Nilsson sang backing vocals on Starr’s version; Nicky Hopkins is heard playing the piano, including going up and down the scale in the instrumental fade of the song.

The ending featured Starr singing the chorus from Clarence “Frogman” Henry’s hit song “(I Don’t Know Why) But I Do” before breaking into a chorus of “What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor?” at the fade.