Album Seven by Rick explained

Album Seven by Rick
Type:studio
Artist:Rick Nelson
Cover:Album Seven by Rick cover.jpg
Released:March 1962
Studio:United Western, Hollywood
Genre:
Length:27:18
Label:Imperial
Producer:Charles "Bud" Dant
Prev Title:Rick Is 21
Prev Year:1961
Next Title:Best Sellers by Rick Nelson
Next Year:1963

Album Seven by Rick is the seventh album by rock and roll and pop idol Rick Nelson, released in March 1962 by Imperial Records. This was his final LP for the label. The album was entirely recorded in Los Angeles, California, at United Western Recorders studios. It featured Nelson's usual group of songwriters, including Jerry Fuller.[1] Jimmie Haskell was the arranger and Charles "Bud" Dant produced the album.

The album debuted on the Billboard Top LPs chart in the issue dated April 14, 1962, and remained on the chart for 20 weeks, peaking at number 27.[2] It reached No. 31 on the Cashbox albums chart where it stayed there for 10 weeks[3]

The album was released on compact disc by Beat Goes On on January 30, 2001, as tracks 1 through 12 on a pairing of two albums on one disc with tracks 13 through 24 consisting of Nelson's 1963 compilation album, It's Up to You.[4] It was also released as one of two albums on one CD by Capitol Records on June 19, 2001, with the other album being Nelson's 1960 EP, Ricky Sings Spirituals.[5] Bear Family included also the album in the 2001 The American Dream box set.[6]

Reception

On release, Billboard stated that Nelson's warbling is folksy, sincere and loaded with teen appeal. He sings everything from Gershwin ('Summertime") to rockabilly, but the main emphasis is on teen-appeal tunes - "Today's Teardrops", "Thank You Darling", "Baby You Don't Know".[7] Variety wrote in their review that "his homesupn styling makes 'em sound good at the moment"[8] , Cashbox stated that it "offers eleven other tunes with the musical accompaniment of his own group. While playing the rhythm guitar Rick dishes up attractive renditions of “Congratulations,” “Excuse Me Baby,” and “Poor Loser".[9]

William Ruhlmann of AllMusic said that "The writers have a good sense of Nelson's taste in rock & roll, even if on occasion they sound like they're trying to clone earlier triumphs ("Today's Teardrops" particularly sounds like an attempt to rewrite "Hello Mary Lou"). For once, even the covers are striking: "Summertime" is given a rock & roll arrangement that would have surprised George Gershwin, and the choice of the 1958 country hit "I Can't Stop Loving You" was inspired.[10]

Track listing

Side two

Charts

Chart (1962)Peakposition
US Top LPs (Billboard)27
US Cashbox31

Singles

YearTitleU.S. Hot 100[11] [12] U.S. Cashbox[13]
1962"Summertime"89111
1963""There's Not a Minute"127149
"Today's Teardrops"5465
1964"Congratulations"63104

Notes and References

  1. Book: Selvin, Joel . Ricky Nelson: Idol for a Generation . 1990 . Contemporary Books . 978-0-8092-4187-3 . Chicago . 145.
  2. Book: Whitburn . Joel . Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Albums 1955-1996 . 1996 . Record Research Inc. . 0898201179 . Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin . 556 . November 5, 2023.
  3. Book: Hoffmann, Frank W . The Cash box album charts, 1955-1974 . 1988 . Scarecrow Press . 0-8108-2005-6 . Metuchen, N.J. . 268.
  4. Web site: Album Seven By Rick/It's Up To You . 15 September 2024 . AllMusic.
  5. Web site: Album Seven By Rick/Rick Sings Spirituals . 15 September 2024 . AllMusic.
  6. Web site: The American Dream: The Complete Imperial and Verve 1957-1962 . 29 November 2024 . AllMusic.
  7. March 3, 1962 . Billboard Spotlight: Album Seven by Rick . . 18 .
  8. March 7, 1962 . Variety Album Reviews: Album Seven by Rick . . 44 . 226 . 6.
  9. March 10, 1962 . Album Reviews . . 30 . 23 . 24.
  10. Web site: Ruhlmann . William . Album Seven by Rick . 2023-04-02 . Allmusic.
  11. Book: Whitburn . Joel . Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles . Record Research Inc. . 2009 . 0898201802 . 12th . Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin . 697 . October 10, 2023.
  12. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Joel Whitburn's Bubbling under the hot 100, 1959-1981 . Record Research . 1982 . 978-0-8982-0047-8 . Menomonee Falls, Wis . 174.
  13. Book: Downey, Pat . Cash box pop singles charts, 1950-1993 . 1994 . Libraries Unlimited . 1-56308-316-7 . Englewood, Colo. . 244-245.