Album Seven by Rick
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Album Seven by Rick
| type = studio
| artist = Rick Nelson
| cover = Album Seven by Rick cover.jpg
| released = March 1962
| recorded =
| studio = United Western, Hollywood
| genre = *Rock and roll
| 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
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Album Seven by Rick
| type = studio
| single1 = Summertime
| single1date = February 24, 1962
| single2 = There's Not A Minute
| single2date = August 1963
| single3 = Today's Teardrops
| single3date = September 1963
| single4 = Congratulations
| single4date = February 1964
}}
}}
Album Seven by Rick is the seventh studio 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 recorded at United Western Recorders studios in Los Angeles, California. It featured Nelson's usual group of songwriters, including Jerry Fuller.{{Cite book |last=Selvin |first=Joel |url=https://archive.org/details/rickynelsonidolf00selv/page/145/mode/2up |title=Ricky Nelson: Idol for a Generation |date=1990 |publisher=Contemporary Books |isbn=978-0-8092-4187-3 |location=Chicago |pages=145}} 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.{{cite book |last1=Whitburn |first1=Joel |url=https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnstopp00whit/page/556/mode/2up |title=Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Albums 1955-1996 |date=1996 |publisher=Record Research Inc. |isbn=0898201179 |location=Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin |pages=556 |access-date=November 5, 2023}} It reached No. 31 on the Cashbox albums chart during a ten-week run.{{Cite book |last=Hoffmann |first=Frank W |url=https://archive.org/details/cashboxalbumchar0000hoff/page/268/mode/2up |title=The Cash box album charts, 1955-1974 |date=1988 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=0-8108-2005-6 |location=Metuchen, N.J. |pages=268}}
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.{{cite web |title=Album Seven by Rick/It's Up to You |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/album-seven-by-rick-its-up-to-you-mw0000115903 |access-date=15 September 2024 |publisher=AllMusic}} It was released as one of two albums on one CD by Capitol Records on June 19, 2001, along with Nelson's 1960 EP, Ricky Sings Spirituals.{{cite web |title=Album Seven By Rick/Rick Sings Spirituals |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/album-seven-by-rick-rick-sings-spirituals-mw0000006673 |access-date=15 September 2024 |publisher=AllMusic}} Bear Family included the album in The American Dream box set in 2001.{{cite web |title=The American Dream: The Complete Imperial and Verve 1957-1962 |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-american-dream-the-complete-imperial-and-verve-1957-1962-mw0000016804 |access-date=29 November 2024 |publisher=AllMusic}}
Singles
The singles from the album, "Summertime" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on March 10, 1962, spending one week at number 89 during its three-weeks stay,{{Cite book |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |url=https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnstop00whitbur/page/742/mode/2up |title=Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles: 1955-2002 |date=2002 |publisher=Record Research |isbn=0898-2-0155-1 |location=Menomonee Falls, Wis. |pages=742}} and number 111 on the Cashbox singles chart. "There's Not a Minute", spent a week on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart in the issue dated September 7, 1963, and peaked at number 127. and number 149 on the Cashbox singles chart. "Today's Tearsdrops", was released as a single to coincide with the release of the 1964 Imperial compilation Rick Nelson sings For You, and entered the Hot 100 issue dated November 30, 1963, spending one week at number 54 during its nine-weeks stay, and number 65 on the Cashbox singles during its seven-week stay. and "Congratulations", was also released as a single to coincide with the release of the 1964 Imperial compilation Rick Nelson sings For You, and entered the Hot 100 issue dated March 14, 1964, spending one week at number 63 during its five-weeks stay, and number 104 on the Cashbox singles chart.
Reception
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{rating|3|5}}{{cite web |last=Ruhlmann |first=William |title=Rick Nelson – Album Seven by Rick: Review |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/album-seven-by-rick-mw0000550139 |accessdate=March 6, 2025 |publisher=AllMusic}}
| rev2 = The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
| rev3 = Disc
| rev3score = {{rating|3|5}}{{Cite magazine |last=Hunter |first=Nigel |date=September 29, 1962 |title=LPs Reviewed by Nigel Hunter: New name but it's same old Ricky |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Disc/1962/DISC-1962-09-29.pdf |access-date=March 6, 2025 |magazine=Disc |page=11 |issue=236}}
}}
Upon release, Billboard stated that "Nelson's warbling is folksy, sincere and loaded with teen appeal", singing "everything from Gershwin...to rockabilly".{{cite magazine |date=March 3, 1962 |title=Album Reviews: Spotlight Albums of the Week |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VBYEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA10&dq=billboard%20album%20seven%20by%20rick%20march%201962&pg=PA18#v=onepage&q&f=false |magazine=Billboard |page=18}} Variety wrote in their review that "there doesn't seem to be anything ... in long range statue but [Nelson's] homespun styling makes [th]em sound good at the moment".{{Cite magazine |date=March 7, 1962 |title=Record Reviews: B'way's 'Family Affair,' Rick's '7,' Casals' 'White House' Top New LPs |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1962-03-07_226_2/page/44/mode/2up |magazine=Variety |pages=44 |volume=226 |issue=6}} Cashbox claims "Nelson's teen admirers should come out in force for this seventh helping of his vocal talents" and that he "dishes up attractive renditions of 'Congratulations,' 'Excuse Me Baby,' and 'Poor Loser.'"{{Cite magazine |date=March 10, 1962 |title=Album Reviews: Popular Picks of the Week |url=https://archive.org/details/cashbox23unse_24/page/30/mode/2up |magazine=Cash Box |pages=30 |volume=23 |issue=24}} Nigel Hunter of Disc was critical of the set singling out Nelson's "tasteless butchering of Gershwin's 'Summertime'" and questioning why the producers "altered the melody line of ... 'I Can't Stop Lovin' You."
Retrospectively, William Ruhlmann of AllMusic thinks "the album is a good set of songs mostly written for Nelson by his old guard of songwriters". Like Disc
Track listing
= Side one =
{{Track listing
| title1 = Summertime
| length1 = 2:14
| writer1 = George Gershwin
| title2 = Congratulations
| length2 = 2:16
| writer2 = Jerry Fuller
| title3 = Baby You Don't Know
| length3 = 1:54
| writer3 = Dave Burgess, Jerry Fuller
| title4 = I Can't Stop Loving You
| length4 = 2:39
| writer4 = Don Gibson
| title5 = Excuse Me Baby
| length5 = 2:37
| writer5 = Dorsey Burnette
| title6 = History of Love
| length6 = 2:04
| writer6 = Dave Burgess, Jerry Fuller
}}
= Side two =
{{Track listing
| title1 = Today's Teardrops
| length1 = 2:05
| writer1 = Gene Pitney, Aaron Schroeder
| title2 = Mad Mad World
| length2 = 2:01
| writer2 = Dorsey Burnette, Joe Osborn
| title3 = Thank You Darling
| length3 = 1:38
| writer3 = Jackie DeShannon, Sharon Sheeley
| title4 = Poor Loser
| length4 = 2:19
| writer4 = Jerry Fuller
| title5 = Stop Sneakin' Around
| length5 = 2:34
| writer5 = Baker Knight
| title6 = There's Not a Minute
| length6 = 2:24
| writer6 = Clint Ballard, Jr., Frederick Tobias
}}
Personnel
- Guitar: James Burton, Rick Nelson
- Bass: Joe Osborn
- Drums: Richie Frost
- Piano: Ray Johnson
Charts
| class="wikitable"
!Chart (1962) !Peak{{break}}position |
| US Top LPs (Billboard)
| align="center" |27 |
| US Cashbox Albums
| align="center" |31 |