Record #0022: Stood Up / Waitin’ In School – RICKY NELSON

Imperial 5483 (original), USA, 1958
Words & Music by:  Side A – Willis Dickerson, Erma Herrold Peak; Side B – Johnny & Dorsey Burnette
Musicians:  Ricky Nelson (vocals), Joe Maphis (lead guitar), James Burton (rhythm guitar), James Kirkland (bass), Earl Palmer (drums), Don Ferris (piano), unknown backing vocals
Recording sessions:  Somewhere in the LA area, California, Nov.28, 1957
Highest chart positions:  Side A - US #2, US Country #8, UK #27; Side B – US #18, US Country #12

Ricky Nelson wasn’t happy with the various studio musicians that backed him on his first recordings and tours in 1957, thus he wanted to put together a band of his own. This session was done in the middle of the process and included two members (Burton and Kirkland) of his coming band.
This was the first recording where James Burton played with Ricky Nelson and probably the only one where he was set to play rhythm guitar only (he moved to play the lead by the sessions of Nelson’s next single).

Johnny and Dorsey Burnette (brothers and rock’n’roll pioneers from Memphis, TN) had just started to try their luck in writing songs for other artists in California. Waitin’In School was the first one (?) to be released and it was followed by many others.

List price:  “Very Good+” is $12.50 and “Near Mint” is $25; picture sleeve is $35 and $70 correspondingly