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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jul 20, 2023 17:27:54 GMT
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Post by kds on Jul 20, 2023 18:39:29 GMT
Yeah, I get it. We're romanticizing songs that are, in some cases, well over a half a century old. But, it still stinks a bit, especially when the bar for music quality feels so low today.
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Post by kds on Jul 20, 2023 18:56:36 GMT
Back to Ricky Nelson, I remember when Queen released Live at Wembley in 1992. I had a copy of the cassette, but my Dad had the 2CD set, which was the complete concert, and it included a live cover of Hello Mary Lou.
I remember hearing that and how much it reminded me of being in the car hearing that Ricky Nelson tape as a kid.
Is it weird to wax nostalgic at the age of 12?
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Post by B.E. on Jul 21, 2023 2:01:04 GMT
I like Ricky Nelson. I've long had a 12-track 1991 'best of' compilation that I listen to at least once or twice a year...that I'm realizing right now are re-recordings! I guess it's sourced from his final album, the 22-track 1985 album, All My Best, where he rerecorded songs with "familiar session musicians" and the Jordanaires. I've been comparing a few of the original versions to the re-recordings, and I think I actually prefer the re-recordings. Sure, a large part of that has to just be my familiarity with the re-recordings, but I really do like the softer, smoother-sounding vocals. The recordings are a little cleaner and the mixes have a better balance. The lead vocal is tucked into the mix while the backing vocals are more prominent. I really like that. Obviously, his voice is more youthful, and stronger, on the originals, but it's also noticeably sharper/nasal/twangy (not sure what the right word is). That said, I plan on getting a more robust comp with all original recordings, but I really do like how calming his voice is on the re-recordings.
As for the song, "Poor Little Fool", I like it a lot - it's the lead track on the compilation - but I like at least half a dozen of the other tracks more.
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Post by B.E. on Jul 21, 2023 2:19:36 GMT
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Post by kds on Jul 21, 2023 12:20:17 GMT
I like Ricky Nelson. I've long had a 12-track 1991 'best of' compilation that I listen to at least once or twice a year... that I'm realizing right now are re-recordings! I guess it's sourced from his final album, the 22-track 1985 album, All My Best, where he rerecorded songs with "familiar session musicians" and the Jordanaires. I've been comparing a few of the original versions to the re-recordings, and I think I actually prefer the re-recordings. Sure, a large part of that has to just be my familiarity with the re-recordings, but I really do like the softer, smoother-sounding vocals. The recordings are a little cleaner and the mixes have a better balance. The lead vocal is tucked into the mix while the backing vocals are more prominent. I really like that. Obviously, his voice is more youthful, and stronger, on the originals, but it's also noticeably sharper/nasal/twangy (not sure what the right word is). That said, I plan on getting a more robust comp with all original recordings, but I really do like how calming his voice is on the re-recordings. As for the song, "Poor Little Fool", I like it a lot - it's the lead track on the compilation - but I like at least half a dozen of the other tracks more. The Ricky Nelson's Greatest Hits comp that's shown on the YouTube video is a very good single disc, 25 song compilation that was released in 2005. That's the collection I wound up getting a couple years ago.
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Post by lonelysummer on Jul 22, 2023 2:17:19 GMT
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Post by lonelysummer on Jul 23, 2023 2:46:58 GMT
I like Ricky Nelson. I've long had a 12-track 1991 'best of' compilation that I listen to at least once or twice a year... that I'm realizing right now are re-recordings! I guess it's sourced from his final album, the 22-track 1985 album, All My Best, where he rerecorded songs with "familiar session musicians" and the Jordanaires. I've been comparing a few of the original versions to the re-recordings, and I think I actually prefer the re-recordings. Sure, a large part of that has to just be my familiarity with the re-recordings, but I really do like the softer, smoother-sounding vocals. The recordings are a little cleaner and the mixes have a better balance. The lead vocal is tucked into the mix while the backing vocals are more prominent. I really like that. Obviously, his voice is more youthful, and stronger, on the originals, but it's also noticeably sharper/nasal/twangy (not sure what the right word is). That said, I plan on getting a more robust comp with all original recordings, but I really do like how calming his voice is on the re-recordings. As for the song, "Poor Little Fool", I like it a lot - it's the lead track on the compilation - but I like at least half a dozen of the other tracks more. It's interesting you say that about the re-recordings; i have chatted with Rick's daughter Tracy online, and she hates the remakes! I think it has something to do with her feelings about Rick's last manager, Greg McDonald. She doesn't like him at all. Myself, I think the new versions are very good. On some songs, I prefer Rick's older, more mature voice. Never Be Anyone Else But You, Don't Leave Me This Way, I Got a Feeling, Mighty Good, Just a Little Too Much. That last band Rick had was great, with Bobby Neal on lead guitar. I have everything Rick (yes, I prefer to call him Rick - he didn't like being called Ricky as a adult) - recorded. It's true that some people dismiss his music as teenybop or bubblegum, but that only applies to his earliest recordings like Be Bop Baby and A Teenager's Romance. I think his style was similar to that of the Everly Brothers and of course Elvis. He tended to alternate rockabilly style songs with smooth midtempo tunes. He sang smooth and clearly, you could always understand the words. He always had a country influence, which became more prominent on his records in the mid 60's. Gram Parsons gets all the credit for creating country rock, but isn't that what Hello Mary Lou is? It's unfortunate that things always get narrowed down to one or two people. I hear country rock in the works of the Lovin' Spoonful, the Everly Brothers, Buffalo Springfield, Mike Nesmith's songs on the Monkees albums, and Rick was right there with the rest of them. What the Eagles were doing on their early albums was basically following the template created by Poco and ....Rick Nelson and the Stone Canyon Band.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jul 23, 2023 11:34:58 GMT
I like Ricky Nelson. I've long had a 12-track 1991 'best of' compilation that I listen to at least once or twice a year... that I'm realizing right now are re-recordings! I guess it's sourced from his final album, the 22-track 1985 album, All My Best, where he rerecorded songs with "familiar session musicians" and the Jordanaires. I've been comparing a few of the original versions to the re-recordings, and I think I actually prefer the re-recordings. Sure, a large part of that has to just be my familiarity with the re-recordings, but I really do like the softer, smoother-sounding vocals. The recordings are a little cleaner and the mixes have a better balance. The lead vocal is tucked into the mix while the backing vocals are more prominent. I really like that. Obviously, his voice is more youthful, and stronger, on the originals, but it's also noticeably sharper/nasal/twangy (not sure what the right word is). That said, I plan on getting a more robust comp with all original recordings, but I really do like how calming his voice is on the re-recordings. As for the song, "Poor Little Fool", I like it a lot - it's the lead track on the compilation - but I like at least half a dozen of the other tracks more. It's interesting you say that about the re-recordings; i have chatted with Rick's daughter Tracy online, and she hates the remakes! I think it has something to do with her feelings about Rick's last manager, Greg McDonald. She doesn't like him at all. Did Tracy Nelson expand on her problems with Rick's last manager, Greg McDonald? I'm curious.
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Post by Kapitan on Jul 23, 2023 12:11:19 GMT
"Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu)," Domenico Modugno
Franco Migliacci was waiting for his friend Domenico Modugno one summer day in 1957: the Italians were planning to go to the sea. But while he waited, Migliacci began writing lyrics inspired by some paintings. Also drinking wine, he fell asleep. Later that day, he discussed the lyrics with Modugno: lyrics about a man who dreams he paints himself blue and can fly. (The song's title translates to "To Fly: In the Blue Painted Blue") The two worked on the song on and off for days.
Modugno recorded the song, releasing it on February 1, 1958. It was entered into the Sanremo Music Festival and won; subsequently it was entered into the Eurovision song contest, placing third (of 10).
The song was an immediate hit in Italy, eventually being released globally. It debuted at #54 on the first Hot 100 chart, and climbed to #2 in its second week. In its third week, "Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu)" topped the Hot 100. Its success continued, as it won two awards at the first ever Grammy Awards in 1959: Song of the Year and Record of the Year, the only foreign-language song so honored and the only Eurovision song to receive a grammy.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jul 23, 2023 12:45:05 GMT
I'm not very familiar with the No. 1 hit version by Domenico Modugno. The versions that stick out in my mind were by Dean Martin and Bobby Rydell. I also remember the Plymouth Volare car in the 1970s which used the song for its commercials.
I always thought of "Volare" as a happy song that made you want to sing along. I probably tried a few times, but could never remember any words after "Volare, oh oh..." 
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Post by lonelysummer on Jul 23, 2023 16:42:34 GMT
It's interesting you say that about the re-recordings; i have chatted with Rick's daughter Tracy online, and she hates the remakes! I think it has something to do with her feelings about Rick's last manager, Greg McDonald. She doesn't like him at all. Did Tracy Nelson expand on her problems with Rick's last manager, Greg McDonald? I'm curious.
The most shocking thing Tracy said about McDonald was about the plane. She didn't like the idea of Rick buying the plane, but it was something McDonald pushed him to do. She said the plane was not in good shape, and McDonald himself refused to fly on it. She said he was working Rick to death - literally. Rick traditionally never worked during Christmas/New Years, but the manager came up with these last minute bookings - and then refused to travel with Rick and the band. I don't know how much of the above is true - certainly the pilot and co-pilot must have felt the plane was safe. I do know that Rick's twins were supposed to go on that trip with Rick, but at the last moment, Rick told them to stay at home. Damn planes! Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, Big Bopper, Patsy Cline, Jim Croce, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Rick. And Roberto Clemente, if you're a baseball fan.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jul 23, 2023 18:06:54 GMT
Did Tracy Nelson expand on her problems with Rick's last manager, Greg McDonald? I'm curious.
The most shocking thing Tracy said about McDonald was about the plane. She didn't like the idea of Rick buying the plane, but it was something McDonald pushed him to do. She said the plane was not in good shape, and McDonald himself refused to fly on it. She said he was working Rick to death - literally. Rick traditionally never worked during Christmas/New Years, but the manager came up with these last minute bookings - and then refused to travel with Rick and the band. I don't know how much of the above is true - certainly the pilot and co-pilot must have felt the plane was safe. I do know that Rick's twins were supposed to go on that trip with Rick, but at the last moment, Rick told them to stay at home. Damn planes! Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, Big Bopper, Patsy Cline, Jim Croce, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Rick. And Roberto Clemente, if you're a baseball fan. And, the strange thing about the airplane failure/crash was that it was caused by a faulty heater, albeit a gasoline one. It's not like it was engine failure or something like that. I never thought Ricky Nelson's death, how can I word it, got the notoriety of other similar rock & roll deaths, especially airplane crashes. Maybe because of his age (45); he was older and had his "day in the sun". But, as far as popularity and success, in his day he was as big as any of them including Buddy Holly.
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Post by lonelysummer on Jul 24, 2023 5:46:43 GMT
The most shocking thing Tracy said about McDonald was about the plane. She didn't like the idea of Rick buying the plane, but it was something McDonald pushed him to do. She said the plane was not in good shape, and McDonald himself refused to fly on it. She said he was working Rick to death - literally. Rick traditionally never worked during Christmas/New Years, but the manager came up with these last minute bookings - and then refused to travel with Rick and the band. I don't know how much of the above is true - certainly the pilot and co-pilot must have felt the plane was safe. I do know that Rick's twins were supposed to go on that trip with Rick, but at the last moment, Rick told them to stay at home. Damn planes! Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, Big Bopper, Patsy Cline, Jim Croce, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Rick. And Roberto Clemente, if you're a baseball fan. And, the strange thing about the airplane failure/crash was that it was caused by a faulty heater, albeit a gasoline one. It's not like it was engine failure or something like that. I never thought Ricky Nelson's death, how can I word it, got the notoriety of other similar rock & roll deaths, especially airplane crashes. Maybe because of his age (45); he was older and had his "day in the sun". But, as far as popularity and success, in his day he was as big as any of them including Buddy Holly. That plane was old, and made during WW2, when there was a shortage of aluminum; they substituted with magnesium, which is very flammable. So I can understand Tracy's anger, if it really was the manager that pushed Rick to buy that plane. Yeah, people still do remembrances for the day Buddy, Ritchie, and the Big Bopper went down. I only remember once when the same was done for Rick; I think it was the 20th anniversary, Larry King had Rick's kids, his brother Dave, James Burton and Glen Campbell on his show. It's kind of surprising that with all the hits Rick had during his teen idol days, that only two of them made it to #1. Although if you include the other charts, that might be different. I know that Garden Party was #1 on the AC chart in 1972; and I haven't checked Cashbox or Record World.
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Post by Kapitan on Jul 24, 2023 11:43:21 GMT
It's kind of surprising that with all the hits Rick had during his teen idol days, that only two of them made it to #1. Although if you include the other charts, that might be different. I know that Garden Party was #1 on the AC chart in 1972; and I haven't checked Cashbox or Record World. If you add Cashbox and the Billboard AC and Country charts, you end up with two more #1s (two songs, one week apiece). Depending on where you date his "teen idol days," you could say neither is from that era: the latter was indeed "Garden Party" on the AC charts in '72; the other one was "Travelin Man" in 1961 on Cashbox. Nelson was about to turn 21 and begin going by Rick, but he hadn't quite yet. So I guess that's still teen idol days.
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Sept 30, 2024 19:53:42 GMT
Sept 30, 2024 19:53:42 GMT
