Spotlight on Rick is the eleventh studio album by rock and roll and pop idol Rick Nelson,[1] and his fourth for Decca Records, released on November 23, 1964. The track, "A Happy Guy", was released as a single and peaked at number 82 on the Billboard Hot 100.[2] and number 83 on the Cashbox singles chart.[3] Jimmie Haskell arranged the album and Charles "Bud" Dant produced it.
| Spotlight on Rick | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 23, 1964 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 28:00 | |||
| Label | Decca | |||
| Producer | Charles "Bud" Dant | |||
| Rick Nelson chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Spotlight on Rick | ||||
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The album was released on compact disc for the first time 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 the other album being Nelson's other Decca album from August 1964, The Very Thought of You[4]
Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [5] |
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.[1]
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".[6]
Cashbox stated his "distinctive widerange baritone voice and emotion-packed delivery carries him in good stead."[7]
Track listing
editSide one
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I'm a Fool" | Joey Cooper, Red West | 1:57 |
| 2. | "I Tried" | Joey Cooper, Red West | 2:43 |
| 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 Bachelor | 3:00 |
Side two
edit| No. | Title | Writer(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 Bene | 2:38 |
| 4. | "In My Dreams" | Chuck Fain, Dotty Harmony, James Smith, Cathy Temen | 2:25 |
| 5. | "Just Relax" | Baker Knight | 2:04 |
| 6. | "Live and Learn" | Clyde Pitts | 2:20 |
Charts
editSingles
edit| Year | Title | U.S. Hot 100 | U.S Cashbox |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | A Happy Guy | 83 | 82 |
References
edit- ^ a b c Unterberger, Richie. "Rick Nelson – Spotlight on Rick": Album Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2003). Joel Whitburn's top pop singles 1955-2002. Menomonee Falls, Wisc.: Record Research. p. 502. ISBN 0898201551.
- ^ Downey, Pat (1994). Cash box pop singles charts, 1950-1993. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited. pp. 244–245. ISBN 1-56308-316-7.
- ^ "Very Thought of You/Spotlight on Rick". allmusic.com. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. p. 1020. ISBN 9781846098567. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
- ^ "Billboard Spotlight Pick: Spotlight on Rick". Billboard. November 28, 1964. p. 64.
- ^ Cash Box. Cash Box Pub. Co. 1964-11-28. p. 22.