The clip for the third single from the rocker’s third studio record was filmed in 1987 at Coral Castle in Homestead, Florida, and never released until now.
"Sweet Sixteen" tells the story of Edward Leedskalnin, a Latvian immigrant whose fiancée left him the day before their wedding. He came to America and spent nearly three decades carving more than a thousand tons of stone into the monument now known as Coral Castle, working alone and mostly at night. Asked why he built it, he would say it was for his "Sweet Sixteen." Billy Idol learned of this story in the early 80s and wrote the song in 1983; he has called it "a heartfelt lament with a story behind it."
Two videos were made for the single in 1987. The black-and-white performance clip went to MTV and is the version fans have known ever since. This one was shot in color at the castle itself, with Idol among the stone chairs Leedskalnin carved. It was set aside and never released.
For this release, the video has been rebuilt from the original film source, re-edited shot by shot, and color graded from the full range of the film.
Billy Idol will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2026; the event will be taped on November 14 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, and will debut in December on ABC and Disney+.
Add some Billy Idol to your collection here.
