Pop Music
The song “Travelin’ Man” is a golden oldie pop and rock and roll song from a talented artist. Eric Hilliard Nelson (aka Ricky Nelson and then Rick Nelson) had an amazing career as a singer, songwriter, instrumentalist , teen idol, and actor. Besides his music, he’s best known for playing himself with his family on the long-running television series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952-1966) as well as co-starring with John Wayne and Dean Martin in Howard Hawks’s western film Rio Bravo (1959). Nelson has been inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He died in a plane crash in De Kalb, Texas, on December 31, 1985.
In his younger days, when Ricky had a record out, they would work it into the plots of the TV show The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. Why not? It helped to promote the show as well as sell records. For this song, Ricky sang “Travelin’ Man” with some travelogue scenes in the background. The segment appeared at the end of an episode and could be considered a proto-music video. “Travelin’ Man” was written by songwriter, singer and record producer Jerry Fuller. It’s a not-so-politically-correct golden oldie about a guy with a gal in every port. It was originally meant for Sam Cooke, but Ricky Nelson recorded it, and, in 1961, it went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 on U.S. Cashbox, #2 in the U.K., and #1 in Australia. It was produced by Joe Johnson (“Tequila” by The Champs). The B-Side of “Travelin’ Man” was “Hello Mary Lou,” written by Gene Pitney, and was another terrific song, charting at #9.
2 Comments
As an old “60’s” DJ, I was a great fan of Travelin Man. My wife of 58 years and I have it as one of our top songs, as
I was in the Navy.
Can anyone tell us why the pronoun for the polynesian was in first tense (You) and all the others mentioned were in
third tense (She, her etc). Since “her” would have fit in the lyrics and tune…we wonder why Jerry made it appear
Ricky was singing “To” her instead “About her”.
I have never found anyone who could answer.
Dick –
Interesting. Maybe he REALLY liked her.