Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Rick Ely (1970)


Does anyone out there remember a very short-lived television series called "The Young Rebels"? Or the handsome star, Rick Ely (wasn't he just dreamy?), who played "Jeremy Larkin" on the show? Well, here's a record from my celebrity vocal collection that I forgot I even had! I searched for this for a long time and finally found it on eBay a few years ago (sealed!), listened to it once, and forgot about it. So, I thought this would be a real treat (depending on how you look at it).

I never watched an episode of the show - it came and went pretty fast - but I do vaguely remember watching commercials for it. And I do remember Rick Ely from the teen magazines like Tiger Beat and 16 (okay, I still have a few of those). He wasn't one of my "faves" back then (I was more in the David Cassidy and Donny Osmond crowd), but when I bought some old teen magazines on eBay a few years ago, and some of them had pictures and articles about him, I developed a bit of a crush on him - well, a crush on the guy in the pictures from 38 years ago anyway (I'm thinking he must be in his early sixties now). I don't know what happened to him after that except that he was on a soap opera for a while. But then... nothing. So, if anyone out there can give me an update on Rick Ely (also went by Richard Ely and Richard K. Weber), I would love it! I know there are other Rick Ely fans out there who would like to know whatever happened to him.

This album is the only album he recorded, that I know of. He did release a single off it - "Circle Game" - but it wasn't a top-40 hit, although I think I read that it enjoyed some modest play in Hawaii. His voice reminds me a little of Bobby Sherman - easy, laid-back, mellow - and I find it rather pleasant. You'll recognize most of the songs, too, as it's mostly covers (I think just about everybody has recorded "Your Song"). I even have a suggestion for a double-play - download this one and the album by Peggy Lipton (who is still HOT), and you'll have a nice double-album to burn to a CD. So, go back to 1970 and listen to Rick sing.

Track listing for Rick Ely:

Side 1:
1. Circle Game
2. Up On the Roof
3. The Other Side of Life
4. Something
5. Make It With You

Side 2:
1. Morning Girl
2. Your Song
3. The Last Thing On My Mind
4. The Fool On the Hill

3 comments:

Rokit said...

Hi Esther

Thanks for posting Rick Ely's music ... I have been searching for these songs for a long time... keep on rockin'

*2 thumbs up*

Rokit

Unknown said...

Just read tonight that Rick Ely passed away in October 1995 at the age of 53 from a heart attack. I could not find any more details on it, though.

George said...

I finally found this album and transferred it to cd. I lived in Hawaii when this album came out and remember hearing "Circle Game" on the radio. "Morning Girl" was also a single and a hit in Hawaii after "Circle Game". There's no mention of it as a single, but I still HAVE the 45 rpm of it. They played "Morning Girl" more than "Circle Game" on the radio as I remember. Great songs and a really good album.