“Hey Ricky (You’re a Low-Down Heel)” is a track from American singer Melissa Manchester’s 1982 album Hey Ricky, released in April 1982 by Arista Records. The album is identified with the catalog number Arista AL 9574 in the United States and had editions issued in other territories as well, including European and Japanese pressings. Hey Ricky marked a strong commercial return for Manchester in the early 1980s, driven by the success of its lead single “You Should Hear How She Talks About You,” which became one of her highest-charting hits.
The song “Hey Ricky (You’re a Low-Down Heel)” appears on the LP as track A3, with a running time of approximately 4 minutes and 15 seconds. Although it was not released as a major single, it remains a notable part of the Hey Ricky record and highlights Manchester’s dynamic vocal range and stylistic versatility.
This particular track was co-written by Melissa Manchester and lyricist Bernie Taupin — the latter is best known for his long, celebrated collaboration with Elton John, making this songwriting credit an interesting point of crossover between Manchester’s work and one of pop music’s most significant creative partnerships. The album Hey Ricky was produced by legendary producer Arif Mardin, whose work helped shape a polished pop and rock sound throughout the record and guided Manchester through this creative phase in her career.
In addition to Manchester’s powerful lead vocals, Hey Ricky features contributions from prominent session musicians of the era, including Robbie Buchanan on keyboards and synthesizers, Michael Landau on guitars, and Larry Williams on saxophone and other instruments — all adding layered textures typical of early-1980s pop production.
The album was recorded in top studios of the time, including Sunset Sound and Cherokee in Los Angeles, and Record Plant in New York, reflecting both the commercial ambition and artistic refinement behind the project. Although “Hey Ricky (You’re a Low-Down Heel)” itself did not chart prominently, it remains an emblematic track within the album and a representative moment of Melissa Manchester’s engagement with sophisticated pop songwriting and production.
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Album Details
Artist: Melissa Manchester
Album: Hey Ricky
Label: Arista Records
US Catalog Number: Arista AL 9574
Release Date: April 1982
Genre: Pop / Pop Rock / Synth-pop
Producer: Arif Mardin
Lyrics: Bernie Taupin
Composers: Melissa Manchester, Bernie Taupin
Track Position: A3
Approx. Length: 4:15
The collaboration between Manchester and Taupin underscores how artists and songwriters in the early ’80s often intersected across genres, creating works that balanced mainstream appeal with the creative signatures of experienced and respected music figures
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