R+ Rockin' With Ricky

When Ricky Nelson made the first of the recordings here (in 1957), he was just 16 years old. Already a veteran of radio & TV (since the age of 8) with a gold record (gained earlier that year for I'm Walking), Ricky began a long relationship with Imperial Records towards the end of 1957. The band he used on these sessions helped define his sound almost as much as his singing. In its ranks lurk the likes of guitarists James Burton and Joe Maphis, drummers Earl Palmer and Ritchie Frost, pianists Gene Garth and Ray Johnson and bass players James Kirkland and Joe Osborne. "He had great backing - he always had a great band" - Jerry Lee Lewis.For this outstanding collection of early rock'n'roll, Ace have added 18 tracks to the original vinyl's 14 making this the definitive compilation of the uptempo material he recorded for Imperial. "History books are gonna have to say that he played a big role in rock 'n' roll music...and he did it his way" - (Carl Perkins).Sleeve note writer John Stafford, a founder member of the Rick Nelson Inter-national Club of Great Britain also quotes Roy Orbison, Fats Domino & Sam Phillips paying tribute to Nelson.James Burton has thankfully now fully recovered from a recent accident and is back in the studio. Ace will be donating a percentage from each sale of this CD to help towards his hospital bills.