“Hello, Mary Lou” was written by Gene Pitney, who was much better known as a vocalist than a song writer, and originally released by Johnny Duncan in 1960. That cut went nowhere, but Rick Nelson had a big hit with it the following year. Nelson began his performing career as a child actor on his parents’ eponymous sitcom “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet” (who themselves began as a band leader and vocalist). He did not like to be called Ricky, as he was on television, and insisted on being recorded as Rick.
Nelson’s “Hello, Mary Lou” featured an influential guitar solo — introducing rockabilly to the mainstream — by James Burton, who later led Elvis’s band in Las Vegas and recorded with many country stars, including Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris and countless others.
Gene Pitney had his own hits, rendered in his distinctive voice, including “Town without a Pity,” which was nominated for an academy award, and “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” (by Burt Bacharach and Hal David) at the bottom of the post.
Burton’s solo begins at 1:00 (interesting decision to limit the drummer to a cowbell):
Pretty good for a kid with bunk beds and a Beatles poster:
Johnny Duncan’s original release: