More Songs by Ricky explained

Cover:More Songs by Ricky.jpg
More Songs by Ricky
Type:studio
Artist:Ricky Nelson
Released:July 1960
Genre:
Length:27:16
Label:Imperial
Producer:Charles "Bud" Dant
Prev Title:Ricky Sings Spirituals
Prev Year:1960
Next Title:Rick Is 21
Next Year:1961

More Songs by Ricky is the fifth album by rock and roll and pop idol Ricky Nelson, released in July 1960. The album was recorded at Master Recorders studios in Hollywood, California, United States.

The album contains old standards from his dad Ozzie Nelson's era, including "When Your Lover Has Gone", "Baby Won't You Please Come Home", "Time After Time", and "Again". The album was the last to credit his first name as "Ricky" and final studio album credited as "Ricky Nelson" during his lifetime. Jimmie Haskell arranged the album and Charles "Bud" Dant produced it.

The album debuted on the Billboard Best Selling LPs chart in the issue dated August 29, 1960, remaining on the chart for 22 weeks and peaking at number 18.[1] It reached No. 24 on the Cashbox albums chart during an 11-week stay on the chart.[2] The only single from the album was "I'm Not Afraid", which debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 in the issue dated September 5, 1960, peaking at number 27 during its eight-week stay.[3] and number 40 on the Cashbox singles chart,[4]

The album was released on compact disc by Capitol Records on June 19, 2001, as tracks 1 through 12 on a pairing of two albums on one CD with tracks 19 through 30 consisting of Nelson's 1961 album, Rick Is 21.[5] Bear Family included also the album in the 2001 The American Dream box set.[6]

Reception

Cashbox praised Nelson for his "performances of ballad evergreens 'Again,' 'Time After Time' and 'When Your Lover Has Gone' to the more rousing rockers."[7], Billboard appreciated the effort. "Nelson warbles with easy charm on a group of great standards and a few originals"[8], Variety gave the album a Postive reviews, saying "He has a mixture of familiar and un-familiar songs that he twangs through easily"[9]

William Ruhlmann of AllMusic said that "Nelson turned back to the music of his bandleader father Ozzie, cutting covers of songs from the 1920s ("Baby Won't You Please Come Home," "I'd Climb the Highest Mountain"), the 1930s ("When Your Lover Has Gone"), and the 1940s ("Time After Time," "Again") in arrangements that incorporated not only horns, but also strings and chirpy female backup vocals. It was all a big change from Nelson's previous recordings, and it did not restore his commercial fortunes.[10]

Track listing

Side two

Charts

Album

Chart (1960)Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Top Pop Albums (Billboard)18
U.S. Cashbox24

Singles

Notes and References

  1. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Albums: 1955-1996 . 1996 . Record Research . 0898201179 . Menomonee Falls, Wis. . 556.
  2. Book: Hoffmann, Frank W . The Cash box album charts, 1955-1974 . 1988 . Scarecrow Press . 0-8108-2005-6 . Metuchen, N.J. . 268.
  3. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Joel Whitburn's top pop singles 1955-2002 . 2002 . Record Research . 0898201551 . Menomonee Falls, Wisc. . 502.
  4. Book: Downey, Pat . Cash box pop singles charts, 1950-1993 . 1994 . Libraries Unlimited . 1-56308-316-7 . Englewood, Colo. . 244-245.
  5. Web site: More Songs By Ricky - Rick Is 21 . 15 September 2024 . allmusic.com .
  6. Web site: The American Dream: The Complete Imperial and Verve 1957-1962 . 29 November 2024 . AllMusic.
  7. Book: Cash Box Popular Pick of The Week: More Songs By Ricky . 1960-07-16 . Cash Box Pub. Co. . 30.
  8. July 18, 1960 . Billboard Spotlight Pick: More Songs By Ricky . . 29 .
  9. July 27, 1960 . Variety Album Reviews: More Songs by Ricky . . 110 . 219 . 9.
  10. Web site: Ricky Nelson – More Songs By Ricky: Album Review . 2023-11-13 . AllMusic.