As long as we had him: Rick Nelson’s inner circle expose his unreleased last record

Rick Nelson insiders and experts — youngest child Sam Nelson, Telecaster maestro James Burton, arranger-producer Jimmie Haskell, personal manager Greg McDonald, authors Philip Bashe and Sheree Homer — set the record straight on the rock entertainer’s final recording project left undisturbed for nearly 35 years. Seen above is the single cover for Nelson’s “You Know What I Mean” b/w “Don’t Leave Me This Way,” distributed on February 24, 1986, via Silver Eagle / MCA Records. The passionate stage shot originates from Nelson’s August 22, 1985, televised show with Fats Domino at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. Image Credit: 45Cat user MusicTom / Universal Music Group

Rick Nelson, an esteemed member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s sophomore class, was hard at work on his first album of original material since Playing to Win was unleashed to scant fanfare in January 1981 on Capitol Records.

Things had been bleak for the singer during the early ’80s, but a change in the weather was…