Information taken from the Rick Nelson biography "Teenage Idol - Travelin' Man" by Phillip Bashe, Hyperion Press, 1992. At sixteen years of age, Ricky Nelson was a celebrated TV star (on his parent's show "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet") and an adolescent sex symbol. But when Ricky discovered rock and roll, he found his true passion in life, and he was excited because he wound up creating something totally divorced from his father, mother and brother David - something all his own - his own music! It is not surprising that music was in Ricky's blood, since his father Ozzie was a famous bandleader and musician before the family turned to situation comedy on radio and TV. Ricky loved rock and roll, and although Ozzie and Harriet were initially not crazy about it, they had to admit that songs like "Tutti Frutti" were no better or worse than "Marizy Doats" (a novelty pop song from their own youth). After Ricky did a very well received Elvis Presley imitation on his folks TV show - and to impress a beautiful girl he was dating named Arlene - he told his Dad he wanted to make a record. Since Ozzie knew his son was serious about this, and since Ozzie himself was once a pop star - he decided to help his son with this project. An audio of Ricky singing Fats Domino's "I'm Walkin'" (one of Ricky's favorite songs) taken from a TV episode and backed by the musicians who supplied music for the TV series - was taken to various record labels who either turned it down or only offered peanuts for it. When the tape crossed the desk of Barney Kessel, a guitarist and A&R man for the jazz-oriented Verve label (owned by producer Norman Granz), Barney immediately saw the potential of recording a young man who was already known by millions of TV viewers. Norman Granz and Ozzie Nelson shook hands on a one-record deal, with a second-single option, and Kessel started to work with Ricky. On March 25, 1957 - at Master Recorders in Hollywood - the songs "A Teenager's Romance", "You're My One And Only Love" and "I'm Walkin'" were recorded. Then, on April 10, 1957, Ozzie built an episode of their TV show around Ricky, entitled "Ricky The Drummer", where Ricky sang his version of "I'm Walkin'" - and the kids in the program's audience - and kids in the viewing audience - all went crazy. Two weeks after this episode was shown on 93 stations nationwide, Verve Records issued "I'm Walkin'" (with "A Teenager's Romance" on the flip) to great demand. In the city of Cleveland alone, 58,000 copies flew out of record shops the day of release, and by May, sales eclipsed half a million, with "I'm Walkin'" reaching #4 on the charts, and "A Teenager's Romance" doing even better - reaching #2, behind Pat Boone's "Love Letters In The Sand" - a song that Ozzie himself (with his Orchestra) had introduced in 1931. With the TV series on summer hiatus, Ricky left on his first road trip, playing four state and county fairs, accompanied by The Four Preps. Ricky's performances were met by wildly enthusiastic, screaming teenagers - who wanted to tear off his clothes. At this time, he fully realized he found his calling as a singer. Ozzie realized his son deserved a larger record company than Verve - which had underestimated the demand for "I'm Walkin'" and shipped it late to stores. When Norman Granz threatened not to pay unless Ricky recorded a full album for Verve, Ozzie yanked his son off the label. "We got a deal" Granz cried. "Not on paper" said Ozzie - and he was right - Verve had no paper proof (since Ozzie kept delaying signing a contract that had been drawn up). Father and son signed with Lew Chudd's Imperial Records (home to Ricky's hero Fats Domino) - and Lew Chudd had as much business savvy as Ozzie. Verve released Ricky's 3 songs on two singles ("You're My One And Only Love" was backed by "Honey Rock", an instrumental that had nothing to do with Ricky), and also released a four song EP (extended play 45), and - in addition - included Ricky's 3 songs (plus "Honey Rock") as part of the album pictured above, "Teen Time" Verve MG V 2083. This is the birth of a legendary rock and roll career! Produced by Barney Kessel. Earl Palmer on drums.

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