Spotlight on Rick

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Spotlight on Rick
Spotlight on Rick.jpg
Studio album by
Rick Nelson
ReleasedNovember 23, 1964
Genre
Length28:00
Label Decca
Producer Charles "Bud" Dant
Rick Nelson chronology
The Very Thought of You
(1964)		Spotlight on Rick
(1964)		 Best Always
(1965)
Singles from Spotlight on Rick
  1. "A Happy Guy"
    Released: November 9, 1964

Spotlight on Rick is the eleventh studio album by rock and roll and pop idol Rick Nelson and his fourth for Decca Records, released on November 23, 1964.

Contents

The track, "A Happy Guy", was released as a single and peaked at number 82 on the Billboard Hot 100. [1] and number 83 on the Cashbox singles chart. [2] it features the early recording of "I'm a Fool" (which would later be a hit for Dino, Desi & Billy the following year) and a cover of Chuck Berry "I'm Talking About You", [3] (which he would re-record it on His Album Garden Party 8 years later). [4] Jimmie Haskell arranged the album and Charles "Bud" Dant produced it.

The album was released on compact disc by Ace Records on December 9, 1997, as tracks 13 through 24 on a pairing of two albums on one CD with tracks 1 through 12 consisting of Nelson's 1964 album, The Very Thought of You. [5] Bear Family included the album in the 2008 For You: The Decca Years box set. [6]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Record Mirror Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]

Richie Unterberger of AllMusic wrote that 'Nelson's mid-'60s albums would have seemed like far more respectable efforts had they been able to escape comparison with a fast-changing rock scene. which had some average contributions by above-average writers like Baker Knight and Jerry Fuller. An energetic stab at Chuck Berry's "I'm Talking About You," and a nice tune from the pen of ex-Cricket Sonny Curtis ("Don't Breathe a Word"), were mild highlights'. [7]

Billboard selected the album for a "Spotlight Album" review, and stated his easy-going ballads and delivered in his usual winning style. The songs are teen-grooved". [10]

Cashbox stated his 'distinctive wide range baritone voice and emotion-packed delivery carries him in good stead.' [11]

Record Mirror give the album a positive review, saying "[Nelson] persents a new collection of songs" [9]

Variety praised Nelson for "his delivering his ballads with strong rock feeling and belting out the uptempo sides in a manner that should catch the teen beaters." [12]

Track listing

Side one

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I'm a Fool"Joey Cooper, Red West 1:57
2."I Tried"Joey Cooper, Red West2:43
3."I'm Talking About You" Chuck Berry 2:07
4."Yesterday's Love" Baker Knight 2:12
5."A Happy Guy" Larry Kusik, Kenny Rankin 2:15
6."From a Distance"Johnny Bachelor3:00

Side two

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Stop, Look, Listen" Joy Byers 2:11
2."Don't Breathe a Word" Sonny Curtis 2:08
3."That's Why I Love You Like I Do"Charles Bene2:38
4."In My Dreams"Chuck Fain, Dotty Harmony, James Smith, Cathy Temen2:25
5."Just Relax" Baker Knight 2:04
6."Live and Learn"Clyde Pitts2:20

Charts

Singles

YearTitleU.S. Hot 100 U.S Cashbox
1964A Happy Guy8382

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References

  1. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2003). Joel Whitburn's top pop singles 1955-2002. Menomonee Falls, Wisc.: Record Research. p. 502. ISBN   0898201551.
  2. ↑ Downey, Pat (1994). Cash box pop singles charts, 1950-1993. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited. pp. 244–245. ISBN   1-56308-316-7.
  3. ↑ Selvin, Joel (1990). Ricky Nelson: Idol for a Generation. Chicago: Contemporary Books. pp. 161–162. ISBN   978-0-8092-4187-3.
  4. ↑ Selvin, Joel (1990). Ricky Nelson: Idol for a Generation. Chicago: Contemporary Books. p. 207. ISBN   978-0-8092-4187-3.
  5. ↑ "Very Thought of You/Spotlight on Rick". allmusic.com. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  6. ↑ "For You: The Decca Years". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
  7. 1 2 Unterberger, Richie. "Rick Nelson – Spotlight on Rick": Album Review". AllMusic . Retrieved 2023-10-09.
  8. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. p. 1020. ISBN   9781846098567 . Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  9. 1 2 "A POUNDING BLUESY ALBUM FROM JOHN MAYALL AND AN INDIVIDUAL SEARCHERS SOUND". Record Mirror . No. 213. April 10, 1965. p. 8.
  10. ↑ "Billboard Spotlight Pick: Spotlight on Rick". Billboard . Vol. 76, no. 48. November 28, 1964. p. 64.
  11. ↑ Cash Box. Cash Box Pub. Co. 1964-11-28. p. 22.
  12. ↑ "Variety Album Reviews Mexico, Bobby Darin, Ethel Ennis, Coyle & Sharpe, Nelson, The Kinks, Springfield, Welk Top New LPs: Spotlight on Rick". Variety . Vol. 237, no. 1. November 25, 1964. p. 46.
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