Harry Nilsson

[PopTodd]

Seriously, all I really know of his work are: Nilsson Schmilsson and Son Of Schmilsson, but judging by those two albums alone (and the critical responses to his other albums) why are we not talking about him in the same sentences as much bigger names?

 

He had a couple of hits. Yeah, not as many as some other bands, but... there are a lot of other bands that had fewer. (Pixies, although in a different time.) He had a 4-octave range(!?!?!), wrote great melodies, and had an oddball sense of humor that crept in more than just occasionally. It's got to be that last bit that some find distasteful. Still... I've only just started getting into him and cannot believe that it took me this long.

 

You're breaking my heart

You're tearing it apart

So fuck you

 

So pretty it makes me laugh.

[mkush001]

nilsson sings newman is one of my favorite albums of all time and no one seems to give two shits about it, but talking about it would probably lead me to praising randy newman more than would be desired on a harry nilsson thread. but yeah, what a voice. and everyone should buy that album.

[cryptique]

The Nilsson song I know best is one he covered (though it's sometimes mistakenly attributed to him), and it's one of my favorite songs of all time: "Everybody's Talkin'"

 

Of course, I don't actually possess a copy of the Nilsson version ... just the Fred Neil original and three or four other cover versions.

[OOO]

The Point was my favorite animated movie for most of my childhood, so i love Mr. Nilsson. It's one of the best soundtracks ever. Soooooo good.

 

"I was on acid and I looked at the trees and I realized that they all came to points, and the little branches came to points, and the houses came to point. I thought, 'Oh! Everything has a point, and if it doesn't, then there's a point to it.'" -- Harry Nilsson

 

 

I also adore Nilsson Schmilsson. I was always under the impression that he is very highly regarded, though not often lauded and thrown in with the biggest names ever. He's awesome though.

[Sir Stewart]

[tongue-tied lightning]

Brother bought a coconut, he bought it for a dime

His sister had another one, she paid it for a lime.

She put the lime in the coconut, she drank them both up

She put the lime in the coconut, she drank them both up

She put the lime in the coconut, she drank them both up

She put the lime in the coconut, she called the doctor, woke him up,

And said, "Doctor, ain't there nothin' I can take,

I say, Doctor, to relieve this belly ache?

I say, Doctor, ain't there nothin' I can take,

I say, Doctor, to relieve this belly ache?"

"Now let me get this straight ",

Put the lime in the coconut, you drank them both up

Put the lime in the coconut, you drank them both up

Put the lime in the coconut, you drank them both up

Put the lime in the coconut, you called your doctor, woke him up,

And say, 'Doctor, ain't there nothing I can take,

I say, Doctor, to relieve this belly ache?

I say, Doctor, doctor, ain't there nothin' I can take,

I say, Doctor, dooooctor, to relieve this belly ache?'

Put the lime in the coconut, drink them both together,

Put the lime in the coconut, then you feel better,

Put the lime in the coconut, drink them both up,

Put the lime in the coconut, and call me in the morning

Wouh wouh wouh wouh wouh

Brother bought a coconut, he bought it for a dime

His sister had another one, she paid it for a lime.

She put the lime in the coconut, she drank them both up,

She put the lime in the coconut, she called the doctor, woke him up,

Say "Doctor, ain't there nothin' I can take,

I say, Doctor, to relieve this belly ache?

I say, Doctor, ain't there nothin' I can take,

I say Doctor! let me get this straight".

You put the lime in the coconut, drink them both up,

You put the lime in the coconut, drink them both up,

You put the lime in the coconut, drink them both up,

Put the lime in the coconut, you such a silly woman!,

Put the lime in the coconut, drink them both together,

Put the lime in the coconut, then you feel better.

Put the lime in the coconut, drink them both down

Put the lime in the coconut, and call me in the morning

Woo Woo, ain't there nothin' you can take, I say

Woo Woo, to relieve my belly ache,

You say woo woo ain't there nothin' I can take, I say

Woo woo, to relieve your belly ache,

You say yah yah, ain't there nothin' I can take, I say

Waah waah, to relieve this belly ache,

I say doctor!, ain't there nothin' I can take,

I say doctor!, ain't there nothin' I can take,

I say doctor!, ain't there nothin' I can take,

I say Doctor!, you such a silly woman!,

Put the lime in the coconut, drink them both together,

Put the lime in the coconut, then you feel better,

Put the lime in the coconut, drink them both up,

Put the lime in the coconut, and call me in the moooooorning,

Yes, you call me in the morning,

[LouieB]

nilsson sings newman is one of my favorite albums of all time and no one seems to give two shits about it, but talking about it would probably lead me to praising randy newman more than would be desired on a harry nilsson thread. but yeah, what a voice. and everyone should buy that album.

Actually I think it kind of sucks. Newman does his own songs better. I find it kind of unlistenable actually. I like his other albums, including Pussycats.

 

LouieB

[Synthesizer Patel]

pandemonium shadow show, aerial ballet & harry (harry being my personal favourite of all) are all great albums, so far unmentioned, too.

 

'you can't do that' from pandemonium shadow show is very funny - he sings a bag full of beatles choruses over the melody, which makes you think that maybe all the beatles songs sounded the same.

[Analogman]

A Toot And a Snore

 

A Toot and a Snore in '74 is a rare bootleg album of the one and only jam session in which John Lennon and Paul McCartney played together after the break-up of the Beatles. First mentioned by Lennon in a 1975 intereview, details were brought to light in May Pang's 1983 book, Loving John -- and it gained wider prominence when McCartney made reference to the session in a 1997 interview. Discussing with Australian writer Sean Sennett in his Soho office, McCartney claimed the 'session was hazy ... for a number of reasons'. The story is corroborated by biographies such as Christopher Sandford's 2006 McCartney.[1]

 

Lennon was in his "lost weekend", kicked out of the house by Yoko Ono for 18 months; thus he was with his girlfriend May Pang. Sandford paints the scene very vividly, as the room froze when McCartney walked in, and remained perfectly silent until Lennon said, "Valiant Paul McCartney, I presume?" McCartney responded: "Sir Jasper Lennon [a character Lennon played during an early TV appearance skit], I presume?" McCartney extended a hand, Lennon shook it, and the mood was pleasant but subdued, cordial but not especially warm (at least initially). McCartney went to Los Angeles at Ono's request to help John repair his marriage with Yoko.

 

Lennon had begun producing Harry Nilsson's latest album, Pussy Cats, when Paul and Linda McCartney dropped in on the Burbank Studios session on March 28, 1974. They were joined by Stevie Wonder, Harry Nilsson, Jesse Ed Davis, May Pang, Bobby Keys and producer Ed Freeman for an impromptu jam session.

 

What followed was not very productive. Lennon sounds to be on cocaine

[the carlos]

I'm a fan.

[Wendy]

Me too!!!

 

 

 

Harry on The Ghost and Mrs. Muir? Unbelievable.

 

 

 

But this is one of my fav's though

 

[Whitty]

My friends and I like to set up a projector a few times every summer for an outdoor movie night. The Point was one of the selections this year. That soundtrack is a lot of fun.

 

"Me and my arrow..."

[NightOfJoy]

The Nilsson song I know best is one he covered (though it's sometimes mistakenly attributed to him), and it's one of my favorite songs of all time: "Everybody's Talkin'"

 

Of course, I don't actually possess a copy of the Nilsson version ... just the Fred Neil original and three or four other cover versions.

 

Everybodys Talking is a great tune....

 

Who sang it for Midnight Cowboy?

 

I think I have a copy of the Meat Puppets singing 'Everybodys Talkin' somewhere...

[Analogman]

Harry did. Originally, Lay Lady Lay was suppose to be the song used in the movie.

[Synthesizer Patel]

Harry also wrote "I Guess The Lord Must Be In York City" as the song instead of "Everybody's Talkin" but they regected it - it actually sounds an awful lot like "Everybody's Talkin" too (the guitar picking is virtually the same).

[NightOfJoy]

Lay Lady Lay?

 

Peeee-you! One of the few Dylan tunes that I flat out cant stand.....

[SmokeUpJohnny]

Nilsson Schmilsson was one my parents listened to when I was a toddler in the early '70's. I bought it on a whim in my early 20's and was blown away. As a kid I loved coconut & jump into the fire, but as an adult the 1st 4 songs are all time classics to me: Gotta get up, driving along, early in the morning (blues cover, i think), the moonbeam song. gorgeous.

 

I have a ton of Nilsson on vinyl now that I listen to regularly. I am not a big fan of Pussycats, always sounded like it was more fun to make than to listen to.

 

Don't forget the Popeye movie soundtrackfrom the 80's, it's a little tough to listen to, but you can still hear Harry's gorgeous melodies even when sung by Shelley Duvall & Robin Williams!

[PopTodd]

Nilsson Schmilsson was one my parents listened to when I was a toddler in the early '70's. I bought it on a whim in my early 20's and was blown away. As a kid I loved coconut & jump into the fire, but as an adult the 1st 4 songs are all time classics to me: Gotta get up, driving along, early in the morning (blues cover, i think), the moonbeam song. gorgeous.

 

I have a ton of Nilsson on vinyl now that I listen to regularly. I am not a big fan of Pussycats, always sounded like it was more fun to make than to listen to.

 

Don't forget the Popeye movie soundtrackfrom the 80's, it's a little tough to listen to, but you can still hear Harry's gorgeous melodies even when sung by Shelley Duvall & Robin Williams!

 

"Gotta Get Up"

Does it or does it not sound like Spoon?

I say: does.

Absolutely.

[mpolak21]

Harry also wrote "I Guess The Lord Must Be In York City" as the song instead of "Everybody's Talkin" but they regected it - it actually sounds an awful lot like "Everybody's Talkin" too (the guitar picking is virtually the same).

 

I love that song, I have a Ron Sexsmith cover of that from a NPR session somewhere that's incredible.

 

--Mike

[randrus5]

Harry Nilsson wouldn't make a worn out callous on Fred Neil's left ring finger.

[LouieB]

I just discovered a new cover of Everybody's Talkin on the Bobby Bare Sr. album produced by Bobby Jr.

 

LouieB

[Sir Stewart]

I love that song, I have a Ron Sexsmith cover of that from a NPR session somewhere that's incredible.

 

--Mike

I'd love to hear that if you come across it.

[isadorah]

I love Harry Nilsson! "Without You" is one of the best love songs ever made and Mariah Carey ruined it. When I was a teenager, I discovered my mom's 45s and she had "Without You". I listened to it all the time. She thought I was strange (I also listened to Metallica at the time). I still have the 45 (and my mom doesn't know I have it, so shhhhh).

 

Although, I think he is much more known for being a "songwriter" and not a "singer" i could be wrong about that.

[PopTodd]

I love Harry Nilsson! "Without You" is one of the best love songs ever made and Mariah Carey ruined it. When I was a teenager, I discovered my mom's 45s and she had "Without You". I listened to it all the time. She thought I was strange (I also listened to Metallica at the time). I still have the 45 (and my mom doesn't know I have it, so shhhhh).

 

Although, I think he is much more known for being a "songwriter" and not a "singer" i could be wrong about that.

 

Ironically, "Without You" is actually a Badfinger song.

[tongue-tied lightning]

sure is, another very underrated band, headed by the great Pete Ham