The summer time of 1959 had been one other nice one for Ricky Nelson, and because the evenings grew cooler, he was again within the album charts. After he posted nearly simultaneous Prime 10 hits in America with each side of his Imperial single “Just A Little Too Much” and “Sweeter Than You,” Billboard’s Finest Promoting LPs listings for September 28 included a brand new entry for Songs By Ricky.
The album, his fourth, included additional materials by the Burnette brothers, Dorsey and Johnny, who had written a number of hits for Nelson already. Nonetheless solely 19, and two years into his profession as America’s largest teen idol, Ricky was producing pop materials to a constantly excessive commonplace, with the assistance of a top-notch band that featured guitar virtuoso James Burton.
Pianist Gene Garf, bassist James Kirkland, and drummer Richie Frost have been additionally a part of what was, by now, a daily line-up, and there have been backing vocals by the Elvis-endorsed Jordanaires. Burton himself would in fact be a part of the courtroom of The King in later years.
The younger star had gone all the way in which to No.1 together with his first album Ricky in January 1958, just a few months after bursting onto the singles scene. A swift, self-titled follow-up, reached No.7, earlier than early 1959’s Ricky Sings Once more made No.14.
Songs By Ricky had a barely more durable time, climbing solely as excessive as No.22, and the next 12 months of 1960 was additionally a bit extra restrained by comparability to his huge preliminary success. Extra Songs By Ricky went to No.18 that 12 months. But when Nelson and his label thought that the writing was on the wall, that they had reckoned with out the following golden interval he would enter, after turning 21, in 1961 and 1962, with hits like “Travelin’ Man” and “Hello Mary Lou.”
Purchase or stream Songs By Ricky, in a double version with Ricky Sings Once more.
