As Ricky Nelson celebrated his twenty first birthday in 1961 with a brand new hit single and album, his music “Hello Mary Lou” — technically the B-side of the chart-topping “Travelin’ Man” — was on the point of journey the world itself. Years later, it will show what a mark it had left on the following era of stars. It was lined by Creedence Clearwater Revival within the studio, and Led Zeppelin and Queen in live performance.
“Hello Mary Lou” reached No.9 on the Sizzling 100 simply earlier than the A-side of the Imperial single hit the highest of the US chart. Then Liberty Information within the UK took the choice to make the B-side the lead observe, to nice impact. In June 1961, the one, listed as “Hello Mary Lou“/“Travelin’ Man,” entered the UK chart at No.32.
Pitney’s penmanship
The super-catchy “Mary Lou,” with its percussive type and excellent guitar solo by the good session participant James Burton, was written by Gene Pitney, throughout an vital 12 months in his profession. The singer from Hartford, Connecticut had been recording for the reason that late Nineteen Fifties, however made the US charts as an artist for the primary time in January 1961 with “(I Wanna) Love My Life Away.”
Texan nation singer Johnny Duncan had recorded the primary model of “Hello Mary Lou” in 1960, however it didn’t make the charts. When teen heartthrob Nelson reduce it, it flew into the bestsellers, serving to unfold Pitney’s identify as an achieved singer-writer. He had one other modest hit of his personal that summer season with “Every Breath I Take,” produced by Phil Spector, and by early 1962 was within the US High 20 for the primary time along with his title music from the Kirk Douglas film City With out Pity.
Largest-ever UK success
Nelson, for his half, had been having fun with UK success since 1958, the 12 months after his American breakthrough as a solo artist on the age of simply 17. The brand new single hit the High 10 in its fourth week and went on to spend two weeks at No.2 in July. It might be his biggest-ever hit there, and was an enormous vendor in Norway and round a lot of Europe.
“Hello Mary Lou” went on to be lined by Creedence on their last album, 1972’s Mardi Gras, and the identical 12 months, it was a part of the montage of songs inside Led Zeppelin’s efficiency of “Whole Lotta Love” on the Los Angeles Discussion board, later launched on the How The West Was Gained.
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Queen, whose Brian Could was an enormous fan and pupil of Burton’s taking part in, additionally carried out it on their Magic Tour of 1986. That model is offered on the Dwell At Wembley ’86 album, which got here out in 1992.
Purchase or stream “Hello Mary Lou” on the album Rick Is 21.
