Continuing this week’s focus on instrumental hits, today’s classic instrumental song of the day is that guitar rock classic, “Because They’re Young,” by Duane Eddy. Released as a single in April of 1960, this classic track went all the way to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“Because They’re Young” was written by Aaron Schroeder, Don Costa, and Wally Gold, and produced by Lee Hazlewood and Lester Sill. It’s a majestic tune, with Eddy’s lead guitar supplemented by a lush orchestral accompaniment. (In fact, the orchestra pretty much carries the melody in the first verse; Eddy’s guitar is almost an afterthought until the second verse.)
A somewhat schmaltzy vocal version of the song was performed by James Darren in the 1960 B-movie, Because They”re Young. The flick starred a young Dick Clark (yes, that Dick Clark) as a high school teacher to students Tuesday Weld, Michael Callan, Warren Berlinger, Roberta Shore, and Doug McClure. Much teenaged angst ensued.
Duane Eddy played a twangy, pre-surf-like electric guitar and had a string of instrumental hits in the late ’50s/early ’60s. Those hits included “Rebel-‘Rouser” (1958), “Cannonball” (1958), “Forty Miles of Bad Road” (1959), “Pepe” (1961), “Moanin’ and Twistin'” (1962), and “(Dance with the) Guitar Man” (1962). While his recording career petered out later in the ’60s, Eddy kept performing over the years; he was one of 66 musicians, billed as “Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes,” who played on Knopfler’s 2024 re-recording of “Going Home (Theme from Local Hero).”
Duane Eddy was a true guitar legend who influenced generations of guitarists, including George Harrison, Dave Davies, John Fogerty, Steve Earle, Mark Knopfler (obviously), and Bruce Springsteen. (You can hear traces of Eddy’s twangy guitar on Springsteen’s solo on “Born to Run.”) Duane Eddy passed away in April of 2024, four days after his 86th birthday.
For your daily bonus video of the day, here’s the official trailer for the movie Because They’re Young, featuring Duane Eddy’s “Because They’re Young” as its theme song. Boy, that Dick Clark was some actor, wasn’t he?
