This was written by Seymour Gottlieb and Herb Weiner. Gottlieb’s lyrics were based on actual events relating to his daughter Judy’s 16th birthday party. Judy recalled to the New York Daily News in 2015: ‘My parents insisted that my grandparents had to be invited. I of course, being a bratty teenager, said I didn’t want them there. I burst into tears, and my father said, “Don’t cry”. She responded by exclaiming: ‘It’s my party, and I’ll cry if I want to.’
The first recording of the song was in 1962 by the Chiffons for their One Fine Day album.
Helen Shapiro recorded it in February 1963 for her Helen in Nashville album. However the album was not released until October, well after the Lesley Gore version.
Gore, aged 16, recorded it on March 30, 1963. It was the first production by Quincy Jones. It was rush-released six days later after Jones heard that Phil Spector was planning to record it with the Crystals, and Gore heard it for the first time on her car radio. At first she did not recognise her own voice and thought it was someone else’s record. It went to No 1 in America and No 9 in the UK.
This is a live performance from 1964.