Post by erik on Aug 26, 2023 19:24:24 GMT -5
Rick Nelson's final "teen idol" hit, a cover of a long-standing Johnny Mercer classic done in his patented pop/rockabilly style, is featured in this week's Pop Music Hits Spotlight.
FOOLS RUSH IN (Rick Nelson; Decca: 1963)—Growing up in the spotlight of well known parents is never easy for kids, particularly if those same kids are following in their parents’ footsteps. Such is what transpired with Rick Nelson, who, as Ricky Nelson, was featured on his parents’ long-running TV show The Adventures Of Ozzie And Harrier, In Rick’s case, however, he did manage to gain a music career independent of that TV show by chalking up many hits during the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, utilizing a pop/rockabilly style not dissimilar to what Elvis had been doing. Even though Rick’s hits of that time didn’t overshadow Elvis’ (an impossible task for anyone to do), he was nevertheless able to have at least seven good years of success, with such hits as “Stood Up”, “Poor Little Fool”, “My Bucket’s Got A Hole In It”, “It’s Late”, “Lonesome Town”, “Travelin’ Man”, “Hello Mary Lou”, and the rather rueful “Teenage Idol”. This latter hit was very telling as, when that song hit in 1962, Rick was already very much an adult, and thus going for bigger things. One of the ways he did it was to record a rockabilly-influenced version of the classic Johnny Mercer song “Fools Rush In”. With his long-time guitarist James Burton in tow, Rick recorded this indisputable American show tune, which had already seen recordings by, among others, Tony Martin, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey (with Frank Sinatra), Brenda Lee, and, most popular of all, Brook Benton. Released in late 1963 on his album Rick Nelson Sings For You, “Fools Rush In” would manage to reach #12 on Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart in late January and early February 1964. After that, however, because of the Beatles and the British Invasion that came with him, Rick suddenly found his career on the outs for a number of years. It was with the guidance of Burton that Rick followed his way into a left-of-center approach to country music with albums like 1966’s Bright Lights And Country Music and 1967’s Country Fever, both of which featured guitar contributions from Burton, Clarence White, and Glen Campbell. Rick’s career took another step forward when, in 1969, he formed the Stone Canyon Band, intending on getting into the nascent California country-rock scene, a gambit that paid off when his recording of Bob Dylan’s “She Belongs To Me” became a modest hit at the start of 1970.
FOOLS RUSH IN (Rick Nelson; Decca: 1963)—Growing up in the spotlight of well known parents is never easy for kids, particularly if those same kids are following in their parents’ footsteps. Such is what transpired with Rick Nelson, who, as Ricky Nelson, was featured on his parents’ long-running TV show The Adventures Of Ozzie And Harrier, In Rick’s case, however, he did manage to gain a music career independent of that TV show by chalking up many hits during the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, utilizing a pop/rockabilly style not dissimilar to what Elvis had been doing. Even though Rick’s hits of that time didn’t overshadow Elvis’ (an impossible task for anyone to do), he was nevertheless able to have at least seven good years of success, with such hits as “Stood Up”, “Poor Little Fool”, “My Bucket’s Got A Hole In It”, “It’s Late”, “Lonesome Town”, “Travelin’ Man”, “Hello Mary Lou”, and the rather rueful “Teenage Idol”. This latter hit was very telling as, when that song hit in 1962, Rick was already very much an adult, and thus going for bigger things. One of the ways he did it was to record a rockabilly-influenced version of the classic Johnny Mercer song “Fools Rush In”. With his long-time guitarist James Burton in tow, Rick recorded this indisputable American show tune, which had already seen recordings by, among others, Tony Martin, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey (with Frank Sinatra), Brenda Lee, and, most popular of all, Brook Benton. Released in late 1963 on his album Rick Nelson Sings For You, “Fools Rush In” would manage to reach #12 on Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart in late January and early February 1964. After that, however, because of the Beatles and the British Invasion that came with him, Rick suddenly found his career on the outs for a number of years. It was with the guidance of Burton that Rick followed his way into a left-of-center approach to country music with albums like 1966’s Bright Lights And Country Music and 1967’s Country Fever, both of which featured guitar contributions from Burton, Clarence White, and Glen Campbell. Rick’s career took another step forward when, in 1969, he formed the Stone Canyon Band, intending on getting into the nascent California country-rock scene, a gambit that paid off when his recording of Bob Dylan’s “She Belongs To Me” became a modest hit at the start of 1970.