OMG this is Nilsson?? I never knew. My older brother (now deceased) used to play this all the time when I was little. Thank you SO much. My brother’s birthday was just three days ago. I am smiling.
@@razor3683 ok, I was just curious...I had a friend named John who passed away and his birthday and death anniversary are both in December...thanks for the reply!!
Now it’s 53 years old and I played it incessantly back in the day. Dancing like a nut case and screaming the lyrics, haha. This is REAL musicianship. No fake electronics.
I don't think we Baby Boomers have made it a secret of our Love for Nillson. A few years back, my Children went out and bought for me every Nillson CD they could find for Christmas. We had so much fun that year.
This song is desparation. It is shaking your fist at the sky and screaming uncontrollably. This is an unstable guy making unstable art. This may be the first punk song. Pure analog anger with zero fucks given. A masterpiece.
Nilsson Schmilsson is one of the best albums ever. I grew up on it in the early 80s and am always shocked that more people don't know about him. Welcome to the ride!
Harry Nilsson is known for pioneering vocal over dubs. He also created the first remix album, recorder the first mash-up song and was voted number 62 in Rolling Stone Magazine's list of "100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time". He was a tenor with a 3 1/2 octave range. Two of his albums "Nilsson Schmilsson" (1971) and "Son of Schmilsson" (1972) can be enjoyed start to finish, every jam was a potential FM radio hit. Most of them were. He wrote theme music for movies and TV that became Top 40 AM radio hits. He writes all styles of music including bangers. Two bangers that I like are "Take 54" and "At My Front Door."
As a woman, let me offer another perspective. The frantic pace, the drums and the base plus the lyrics is meant to convey desperation and the edge of anger. This isn’t a love song; it’s a grasping, emotional plea to someone who doesn’t share the feelings.
That's fascinating, Kathleen. And your perspective lends to why I can't connect with this song. To state it less eloquently than you did, I find the energy of this song ....constipated. No real movement. It's running in place. It conveys what you're saying; but I don't like it (the song).
@@McBeth. Exactly! The (non-existent) relationship is stuck, and he’s in a futile rut, trying to convince her to move forward by screaming frustratedly about how happy he can make her. 😁
Martin Scorsese agrees with you. He used the song in Goodfellas because paranoia is the vibe he gets from it. I think it's a matter of gender psychology and highlights one of those instances of how sexually dimorphic we truly are as a species. Nilsson's songs are ALL able to be interpreted in multiple layers. Myself . . . I've always preferred the interpretation A&A present here and have loved the song since it's release. It's all in one's perspective.
Harry was definitely a one-of-a-kind artist. His albums are three equal parts: flat out Rock songs, goofy novelty songs, and ballads that are so beautiful they’ll bring you to tears. Nobody covered so many emotions in each album.
For the next example of Harry's extended range you should really do "Coconut"--a good showpiece for his incredible vocal abilities (I'm a little puzzled why you haven't mentioned this, too). For Alex the lyricist, "You're Breaking My Heart" is a must.
I agree with you and the (until now) 2 replies ... 💯%. There was a time that EVERYONE knew the words to Coconut and c'mon, You're Breaking My Heart is an awesome, funny, straight forward song ... which I "mind think" towards others on occasion 😁😊👍😎.
My late husband fought wild land fires. He would play this song on the crew radio when they headed out to a fire. One of Nilsson's great songs off that album.
Harry Nilsson is a national treasure. He's extremely underrated in one of the best singer-songwriters of all time. He was also John Lennon's drinking buddy in LA.
This song is so integral to one of the greatest movie scenes of all time. In Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas, this song plays while a sweating, coked up Ray Liotta is trying to get out of town, a helicopter hovering overhead. No song replicates the experience of a fleeing criminal who's done eight lines of coke better than this one.
The first time I heard this was 72 or 73 in the den at a friend’s parents’ house. His parents had just bought a fancy new quadraphonic stereo system, this was an album I hadn’t yet heard and holy shit it was absolutely the most amazing thing I’d ever heard. The separation, the way the music swirled around literally circling the room, what a trip!
A friend is into 1970s quad pressings, and some of that stuff is nuts, totally different feeling than the usual stereo mixes. It was so hard to set up a system properly for maximum effect, probably why quad didn't catch on.
The drummer was Jim Gordon. Great drummer played with many including Derek and the Dominoes. He had undiagnosed schizophrenia at the time that he killed his mother in 1983 he is still incarcerated in a California mental facility. Great drummer! Sad story!
Jim Gordon The man who was insane Jim Gordon Had Glaxo in his brain Jim Gordon was insane He took his mother's life He used the hammer first So she wouldn't feel the knife ---"Jim Gordon". M.O.D.
Andy commented that this was so different from "Without You". Agreed! Now, listen to "Coconut" for something again completely different. There is nothing boring about this album.
"One" is a phenomenal song. Not written by Nilsson, actually. The Three Dog Night version is probably the best, but the Aimee Mann version is also very good.
9:53 Alex throwing out the Pablo Neruda quote -- I already appreciated Alex's critical acumen, but as a literary person, he just leveled up about two more levels in my esteem
Love everything about this song, the reverb, the way his voice echoes throughout, his sustained screaming, the detuned bass, the drum solo , especially the passion.
A quick and well deserved return to Harry. I was hoping I wouldn't have to wait too long. Without a doubt one of my top 5 singers of all time. Thanks guys! ❤
My favorite Harry Nilsson song is called "Remember (Christmas)", which doesn't mention Christmas at all, but is a sweet, sentimental tune about memory and the passage of time. It couldn't be more different than this, as every Nilsson song is different from the others.
Drums were played by Jim Gordon famous for being in Derek and the Dominos and currently in jail for killing his mother. The de-tuned bass was by Herbie Flowers whose resume is incredible. The bass line in Lou Reed's Walk on the Wild Side was Herbie. Nilsson's voice had such incredible range that he could sing everything from standards to the freak out of Jump Into The Fire. Unfortunately, his lifestyle of smoking, drinking, and other vices caused his vocal cords to rupture and he lost a lot of his abilities, although he did have a recovery that allowed him to continue recording. He also wasn't one for touring. He toured Europe briefly but hated it so he stuck to being a recording artist only, which he admitted probably didn't help in terms of success. One song you should listen to is Spaceman which was a minor hit, but one of my favorite songs of his....
Like The Beatles he soured on touring. Or never did it, really. I can't help but think that if the Las Vegas residency had existed in that time, it might have been a solution for both of them. Familiar performance space, tailored to their needs. They wouldn't have to be constantly moving around, fans could come to them. (EDIT: It did exist, Elvis did it.)
Nilsson sang the theme song for "Midnight Cowboy", a very controversial film that came out when I was a child. You don't have to watch the both young Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight. The song is "Everybody's Talkin'". This song got into the top-40, if I recall correctly, in either late '69 or early '70. "Midnight Cowboy" was one of the first "major motion pictures" rated "X" for it's content, dealing with prostitution. It was the first "X-rated" (though pretty tame by today's standards) motion picture to receive "Best Picture".
MPAA re-rated the film to R upon reissue in 1971. No cuts or changes were made to the film, MPAA had refined their criteria for content, along with X (or XXX) being co-opted by the adult film industry.
Fun facts: "Everybody's Talking" was his biggest hit and unbelievably he didn't write it. He wrote the huge Three Dog Night hit "One". My office used to rotate Nilsson albums every Friday...what a great kickoff to the weekend.
Geez, I'm 60 years old and I've never heard this song before. 😬 Didn't think I was raised in a cave, but now I wonder. The only Nilsson songs I know are "Without You" and "Everybody's Talkin" from the movie "Midnight Cowboy." I guess I'll let two 20-somethings introduce me to music I was supposed to hear as a teenager. This might be cool! 👍🔥🤪
Me too. From the comments I know he also did "Me and My Arrow" and "Coconut". You probably know those as well. I always dismissed him because "Without You" was not my favorite. So, right there with you in never having heard this one before. Liked it, a lot.
Maybe you are from the UK? After "Without You" got to #1 here in 1972, they released "Coconut" and it didn't even get in the UK top 40. So Nilsson kind of vanished a bit from the UK scene - until the mid 1970s anyway when he made a bit of a comeback. Consequently this track may well have gone under the UK radar. All a bit odd, cos his earlier albums (pre "Without You") from the late 1960s onward all did quite well here, being boosted by frequent plays by DJs like Kenny Everett and the Beatles and influential music critics were always praising him to anyone who would listen.
Billy Preston is another artist well respected by the Beatles. Totally different style than Nilsson. Preston takes funk to a whole new level. "Outta Space," "Nothing From Nothing," and "Will it Go Round in Circles" are just some of the hits you should listen to.
Nilsson wrote a cartoon called The Point while on magic mushrooms lol. It spawned a song called Me & My Arrow. Not too mention the toon is really cool. Watch it, you'll like it.
Actually, he was high on a hit of acid that someone left behind at the (I'm sure a wild) party at his house the night before. But you're totally right about "The Point!" My nephew turned me on to it, so I ordered it on line for my grandchildren. I already had the CD of it, but the film is GREAT!! 🌺 Janet 🌹
Harry's range is endless. Besides his ONE TAKE LIVE album of old standards, get into Son of Schmillson, with Ringo and many others. His humor is also legendary. This rabbit hole is very deep.
Great song. GREAT reaction. Almost the the beat my eyes kept moving back and forth between both of your faces to catch your emotions. AND Alex your echo "wwhhaaa" made me laugh out loud. LOVE IT and love you guys. Thanks for a fun, bright spot to my day.
If you liked the bass and guitar fuzz on this track, may I suggest an influential tune by The Chambers Brothers, TIME HAS COME TODAY. It is a dreamy psychedelic journey full of distortion with a call and response lyric similar to rap or gospel, and the the best use of COWBELL in the history of rock. According to wikipedia, "it integrated blues and gospel with rock and psychedelia." It's an eleven minute trip put out in 1967! Try it, you'll like it.
MM558: no, watch the 15 minute version of Time, recorded on German TV then "overdubbed" with psychedelic visuals, here on UA-cam. I think it's a song about the Apocalypse; Bruce Dern would agree.
We used to listen to this song on 8 track in the 70's was our favorite cruising tune. I still laugh remembering the 8 track player clicking over to a second track on this 7 minute tune...absolutely fantastic song writer/performer!
This was a top 30 hit on Billboard in 1972. They had to play a shorter 3:34 version on radio because back then songs had to be close to 3 minutes long for airplay.
Finally .....You can climb a mountain you can swim the sea you can jump into the fire, but you will never be free no no. The bass line reverberates distances
That’s the song that plays in one of the greatest scenes of any movie ….in Goodfellas when Henry is rolling around in his Caddy just jacked to the hilt,trying to sell guns & meet his plug while a helicopter follows him …..great scene,great movie
God I LOVED cruising in my friends van blasting this tune. This album was released the week of my birthday and has always been one of my favorite birthday presents. So glad you decided to hit this so quick! Next....Everybody's Talkin, excellent writing. HAPPY HOLIDAZE TO ALL!
What serendipity! I JUST watched a documentary CD I picked up at the library called "Who is Harry Nilsson (And Why is Everybody Talkin' About Him). Very interesting film, you should look for it. Anyway, turned on the computer and here you are playing one of my favorite Nilsson songs! Thank you. So happy you young guys have discovered this late, not terribly well known genius.
In their prime, Harry and Paul had the two best voices in rock...anything from a heart-wrenching ballad to something like this or Oh Darling or Helter Skelter. Just amazing.
Dropping some Neruda, nice! Here's the full poem, if anybody's interested: I don’t love you as if you were a rose of salt, topaz, or arrow of carnations that propagate fire: I love you as one loves certain obscure things, secretly, between the shadow and the soul. I love you as the plant that doesn’t bloom but carries the light of those flowers, hidden, within itself, and thanks to your love the tight aroma that arose from the earth lives dimly in my body. I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where, I love you directly without problems or pride: I love you like this because I don’t know any other way to love, except in this form in which I am not nor are you, so close that your hand upon my chest is mine, so close that your eyes close with my dreams.
I worked at a fast food place in the 70's and my manager invited me and this girl to his place. We smoked some stuff and he turned on a strobe light and put this song on and he did the Robot and my life changed.........
He used several musicians on this that worked with the Beatles. You need to read about the lost weekend, stories about him, Lennon and Keith Moon. Amazing!
One of the best raw, unapologetic, and emotional jams of ALL TIME! For being 50+ years old it still blows me away.... and I mean completely! RIP Nilsson.
Guys, you have no idea how unique Harry was. I strongly recommend you watch " Who is Harry Nilsson and why is everybody talking about him?" Never toured. Never had a regular band and performed. Was on a softball team with Alice Cooper, Joe Walsh, Mackey Dolenz from the Monkees, Keith Moon You can't make this stuff up. For some reason I can see Alex's mind totally blown by Harry.
This is absolutely positively without a doubt hands down no questions asked my favorite Nilsson song. I am so glad you guys listened to this and enjoyed it so much. I could listen to the drum solo and the rest of the ending of the song for twenty minutes or more. I listen to this song all the time and never get tired of it. I also agree that this song does not seem like it is seven minutes long. Incredible.
Since others are recommending songs to scout out Harry's range of performances, I'll mention "A Little Schmilsson in the Night" which is his collection of crooner standards that show off his vocal virtuosity.
I believe he was the first rock singer to come up with the idea of recoding an album of standards. All the others (Rondstadt, Rod Stewart, …) followed with the idea.
Fun fact… Harry wrote a song that the Monkees recorded on their 4th album, “Cuddly Toy”. It’s a dark tale about a girl who was passed around at a Hell’s Angel’s gathering. The tune is light and bouncy and offsets the subject matter. He also recorded it on one of his albums.
Seriously? Not only does the mood of the music not reflect the sordid subject matter you are saying is at the heart of Nilsson's song, but the only lyrics that might even come close to the "dark tale" you allege are "you're not the kind of girl to tell your mother about the company you keep." But since that is followed by "I never told you that I love no other, you must have dreamed it in your sleep," is that supposed to be a Hell's Angel professing his fidelity to the girl he is "passing around" to his fellow Angels? There is no logic to this. If there some source as to why Harry Nilsson would choose this as a story for a song he wanted to write I'd be curious, but very, very surprised. It's not even a story so much as an allegation.
@@syater my recollection is that this was “known” to have happened, perhaps some were there. It’s dark subject matter, but it doesn’t necessarily allude to a gang rape….it sounds “willing”, hence the lyrics. You can certainly look it up.
@GoldTopSlinger , agree that Harry was next level but Davy was a musician in addition to being an actor. He cracked Billboard's top 100 (at 100) in August of 1965. He was a Tony nominated Broadway actor/singer for his role at the Artful Dodger in Oliver in '63! He already had been signed to a contract for TV shows, movies, and a recording contract prior to his being the first to be cast in the Monkees.
I forgot how good that was. My town had a progressive rock station that played albums and deep cuts... we got these types of songs all day long and loved it. RIP KFMH...
WIBZ in Parkersburg, WV. I am still grateful for that station (which does not exist any more). We called it the "album rock" station because they did not play the 45's. Without that station we would have been stuck with top 40.
Good choice for Nielsen, especially after Without You. The whole LP is strong. Coconut a lot of fun and Everybody’s Talkin an obvious choice but Got to Get Up and Early in the Morning also good ones.
Dateline Portland Oregon-Woman of unspecified age, but well old enough to know better, blows out her vocal chords singing along with Harry Nilsson as A&A enjoy their first listen to Jump into the Fire. Film at 11
His songs and songwriting styles were so diverse and eclectic, it’s hard to imagine it’s the same person that produced them all. Happy Monday! Hey that reminds me - you should do the Happy Mondays one day. Whiskey…
I remember hearing this in the 70s & it's the only song I know of where the bass player tunes one string down as he plays it to where it's almost too low to hear & then slowly tunes it back to pitch for the rest of the song.
Look up the personnel in the recording. Jimmy Webb, the great songwriter, played the piano. Jim Gordon played the drums. Herbie Flowers played the bass.
OMFG... I remember this song from back in the day but this is the first time I've really listened to it in its entirety. I'm blown away... this song is a masterpiece!
Harry Nilsson was a wild man with the soul of a sweetheart. His tune Daddy's Song (from Aerial Ballet) encapsulates a seemingly preternatural gift for singing and melody that perhaps only Paul McCartney could equal. But McCartney had The Beatles to write and harmonise with, Nilsson had himself. Funnily enough, (in a review of Pandemonium Shadow Show) a critic chastised Nilsson for not crediting his backing singers in the sleeve notes, not realising that all the vocals were overdubbed by the main man himself! ua-cam.com/video/OztZ-xKk5kg/v-deo.html
Love. Love. This is a Banger! Now we know where INXS found inspiration?? idk... There's nothing like a fat bass line and amazing drums, etc. Wow. See what happens when you get inspired late at night? haha! Keep it up... So fun! Have a great day fellas! 💗✌️😊👋
"There it is. You see that, Michael, that helicopter right there? Right in front of us, there. I think it's been following me all morning." Henry Hill, Goodfellas
This was a big hit in the 70's in Australia and if it wasn't No.1 it would have been darn close.The album it's off Nilsson Schmilsson is a beauty. Recommend it !!
‘You’re Breaking My Heart’ was the song that George Harrison convinced a bunch of mourners at Nilsson funeral to sing. You won’t truly understand Nilsson until you’ve heard this song.
I'm loving watching how much you guys are loving Harry! Won't bother making suggestions because you have plenty here already. Just keep digging and keep up the good work!
Nilsson is one of my favorites, and you guys are getting some great suggestions for future reactions. You won't go wrong with any of them. But, I want to throw in a recommendation for another band with close ties to the Beatles, and that is Badfinger. In fact, Nilsson's hit "Without You" was written by two members of Badfinger. Try "Day After Day", "Baby Blue", "No Matter What" or "Come and Get It." You won't regret it.
13:51 Alex, the BEST FUZZY GUITAR song of all time is Neil Young's "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)" -- gotta hit it, along with its acoustic companion "Hey Hey, My My (Out of the Blue)
OMG this is Nilsson?? I never knew. My older brother (now deceased) used to play this all the time when I was little. Thank you SO much. My brother’s birthday was just three days ago. I am smiling.
John?? Was that your brother's name?
Didn't know this was Nilsson either
@@carolinagallegos3926 no. My brother was Rick.
@@razor3683 ok, I was just curious...I had a friend named John who passed away and his birthday and death anniversary are both in December...thanks for the reply!!
It’s a great record as well. Nilsson Schmilsson. So many great songs on that album : Gotta Get Up , Down , The Moonbeam Song. Highly recommended.
This song is 50 years old and still KICKS ASS!!!🤘❤
Not 50 until next year.
Definitely!!
And I was 13 when it was released and 50 yrs later I still kick ass too!!
Yes, it does! Great Classic Rock is timeless!
Now it’s 53 years old and I played it incessantly back in the day. Dancing like a nut case and screaming the lyrics, haha. This is REAL musicianship. No fake electronics.
I definitely did not predict you fellas would get into Harry Nilsson, but I'm here for it!
Morning Lucie 🥰
I don't think we Baby Boomers have made it a secret of our Love for Nillson. A few years back, my Children went out and bought for me every Nillson CD they could find for Christmas. We had so much fun that year.
This song is desparation. It is shaking your fist at the sky and screaming uncontrollably. This is an unstable guy making unstable art. This may be the first punk song. Pure analog anger with zero fucks given. A masterpiece.
Dude, awesome description.
Yep. Not a love song.
Was about to write something similar, but your comment expresses it so much better than I could.
Unique take, I think you are on to something
talking of proto-punk I was getting a Stooges presage from this.
Nilsson Schmilsson is one of the best albums ever. I grew up on it in the early 80s and am always shocked that more people don't know about him. Welcome to the ride!
How bout son of schmillson.
Son Of Schmilsson was great too
"You put the lime in the coconut, and drink it all up." This album is off the wall.
DOCTOOOOR!!
relieve this bellyache
I dare anyone to try to not sing along with “Coconut”…
@@vinnygi impossible! I sing it with my parrots, they love it.
OK, did not know that was him either. Never really payed much attention to the name.
Harry Nilsson is known for pioneering vocal over dubs. He also created the first remix album, recorder the first mash-up song and was voted number 62 in Rolling Stone Magazine's list of "100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time". He was a tenor with a 3 1/2 octave range. Two of his albums "Nilsson Schmilsson" (1971) and "Son of Schmilsson" (1972) can be enjoyed start to finish, every jam was a potential FM radio hit. Most of them were. He wrote theme music for movies and TV that became Top 40 AM radio hits. He writes all styles of music including bangers. Two bangers that I like are "Take 54" and "At My Front Door."
As a woman, let me offer another perspective. The frantic pace, the drums and the base plus the lyrics is meant to convey desperation and the edge of anger. This isn’t a love song; it’s a grasping, emotional plea to someone who doesn’t share the feelings.
That's fascinating, Kathleen. And your perspective lends to why I can't connect with this song. To state it less eloquently than you did, I find the energy of this song ....constipated. No real movement. It's running in place. It conveys what you're saying; but I don't like it (the song).
@@McBeth. Exactly! The (non-existent) relationship is stuck, and he’s in a futile rut, trying to convince her to move forward by screaming frustratedly about how happy he can make her. 😁
Agree that he sounds desperate.
Martin Scorsese agrees with you. He used the song in Goodfellas because paranoia is the vibe he gets from it. I think it's a matter of gender psychology and highlights one of those instances of how sexually dimorphic we truly are as a species. Nilsson's songs are ALL able to be interpreted in multiple layers. Myself . . . I've always preferred the interpretation A&A present here and have loved the song since it's release. It's all in one's perspective.
Kathleen what do you think of You’re Breaking My Heart?
Harry was definitely a one-of-a-kind artist. His albums are three equal parts: flat out Rock songs, goofy novelty songs, and ballads that are so beautiful they’ll bring you to tears. Nobody covered so many emotions in each album.
Yours is possibly the best concise description of virtually every Nilsson album. Thank you sir.
@ you’re welcome.
For the next example of Harry's extended range you should really do "Coconut"--a good showpiece for his incredible vocal abilities (I'm a little puzzled why you haven't mentioned this, too). For Alex the lyricist, "You're Breaking My Heart" is a must.
Nice novelty song - but you're right, it shows H.N.'s range. The video is a classic.
I agree with you and the (until now) 2 replies ... 💯%. There was a time that EVERYONE knew the words to Coconut and c'mon, You're Breaking My Heart is an awesome, funny, straight forward song ... which I "mind think" towards others on occasion 😁😊👍😎.
Agreed Coconut Song is a must next!
@GoldTopSlinger
Now let me get this straight.
Just having you mention it in a comment will have it in my head all day. So, thanks? lol
" Your Breaking My Heart" - Harry Nilson
A must react!!
Yep!
The most requested on radio, never played song
Gotta do Harry's "You're Breaking My Heart"..probably the best break up song ever!!!
The dirty version, YES.
That's the one. But that has to be Andy & Alex After Dark.
Absolutely!
One of my all time favorites of his!!
Greatest love song of all time.
My late husband fought wild land fires. He would play this song on the crew radio when they headed out to a fire. One of Nilsson's great songs off that album.
Harry Nilsson is a national treasure. He's extremely underrated in one of the best singer-songwriters of all time. He was also John Lennon's drinking buddy in LA.
Hollywood Vampires!
@GoldTopSlinger Alice Cooper formed the Vampires who also included Keith Moon and Mickey Dolenz!
Unfortunately, too much drinking and smoking with John and Ringo in the 70's led to Harry blowing his voice out. 😥
Was !
and founding member of the Hollywood Vampires
Since you guys were clearly getting into the Nilsson rabbit hole, was just waiting for this one. Knew 100% Alex would love it
This song is so integral to one of the greatest movie scenes of all time. In Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas, this song plays while a sweating, coked up Ray Liotta is trying to get out of town, a helicopter hovering overhead. No song replicates the experience of a fleeing criminal who's done eight lines of coke better than this one.
Yeah, inclusion in Goodfella's brought this already great song to another level...and to future generations.
The first time I heard this was 72 or 73 in the den at a friend’s parents’ house. His parents had just bought a fancy new quadraphonic stereo system, this was an album I hadn’t yet heard and holy shit it was absolutely the most amazing thing I’d ever heard. The separation, the way the music swirled around literally circling the room, what a trip!
I remember my first song heard on a kick ass system...Black Water.
A friend is into 1970s quad pressings, and some of that stuff is nuts, totally different feeling than the usual stereo mixes. It was so hard to set up a system properly for maximum effect, probably why quad didn't catch on.
Trip?
Yeah, trip. Experience. It was a trip. It was an experience! Can you dig it? @billburkle215
The drummer was Jim Gordon. Great drummer played with many including Derek and the Dominoes. He had undiagnosed schizophrenia at the time that he killed his mother in 1983 he is still incarcerated in a California mental facility. Great drummer! Sad story!
With a hammer. Ugh
Jim Gordon
The man who was insane
Jim Gordon
Had Glaxo in his brain
Jim Gordon was insane
He took his mother's life
He used the hammer first
So she wouldn't feel the knife
---"Jim Gordon". M.O.D.
Wow never heard that. No matter your age you can still learn. Thanks for that.
Also played drums on The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys by Traffic and was part of Mad Dogs and Englishmen featuring Joe Cocker
Wasn’t it Jim Keltner on one version and Keith Moon on another?
Andy commented that this was so different from "Without You". Agreed! Now, listen to "Coconut" for something again completely different. There is nothing boring about this album.
The Most Eclectic Album Ever ! I was in radio back in the day and I’ve heard Thousands ! Harry, another one gone to soon.
@@chancecub Eclectic is the perfect word to descibe the diversity of Nilsson Schmilsson. It's a masterpiece.
Can't wait to see you do Nilsson's "One" (another Metallica title) and "Everybody's Talking." They are S tier to me.
Everybody's Talking is very beautiful.
Me And My Arrow or just play The Point as one listen.
@@vincentschmitt7597 It's a great cover of Freddie Neil's song. Stephen Stills does a nice version too.
I'd rather hear 3 Dogs Night version, personally
"One" is a phenomenal song. Not written by Nilsson, actually. The Three Dog Night version is probably the best, but the Aimee Mann version is also very good.
This song was the soundtrack to the best scene in Goodfellas.
"You wanna see helicopters?"
You beat me. If you haven't seen Goodfellas you have to see it.
Thank you! Was bugging the crap out of me.
Forgot about that!
Yes, was wondering if anyone else remembered. 🚁
9:53 Alex throwing out the Pablo Neruda quote -- I already appreciated Alex's critical acumen, but as a literary person, he just leveled up about two more levels in my esteem
Love everything about this song, the reverb, the way his voice echoes throughout, his sustained screaming, the detuned bass, the drum solo , especially the passion.
Wowza! So many of us have been dying for you to play this. Thank you!
Morning Susan 🥰
@@Shadowrider1872 Morning John!
Amen!!! 🙌🏻
Happy Monday, @John H and @Susan Klasinski!
@@allisonreed7682 Hi Alison! 💓
A quick and well deserved return to Harry. I was hoping I wouldn't have to wait too long. Without a doubt one of my top 5 singers of all time. Thanks guys! ❤
I agree...you are a Steely Dan fan I see Bodhi....Rock On...🎄
This is a banger that most people have never heard before. It’s fantastic.
My favorite Harry Nilsson song is called "Remember (Christmas)", which doesn't mention Christmas at all, but is a sweet, sentimental tune about memory and the passage of time. It couldn't be more different than this, as every Nilsson song is different from the others.
One of my favorites, too. If you listen closely, you can hear sleigh bells deep in the mix.
Listen to Harry slide into that last verse without a breath... What a musical moment!
Drums were played by Jim Gordon famous for being in Derek and the Dominos and currently in jail for killing his mother. The de-tuned bass was by Herbie Flowers whose resume is incredible. The bass line in Lou Reed's Walk on the Wild Side was Herbie.
Nilsson's voice had such incredible range that he could sing everything from standards to the freak out of Jump Into The Fire. Unfortunately, his lifestyle of smoking, drinking, and other vices caused his vocal cords to rupture and he lost a lot of his abilities, although he did have a recovery that allowed him to continue recording. He also wasn't one for touring. He toured Europe briefly but hated it so he stuck to being a recording artist only, which he admitted probably didn't help in terms of success.
One song you should listen to is Spaceman which was a minor hit, but one of my favorite songs of his....
Like The Beatles he soured on touring. Or never did it, really. I can't help but think that if the Las Vegas residency had existed in that time, it might have been a solution for both of them. Familiar performance space, tailored to their needs. They wouldn't have to be constantly moving around, fans could come to them. (EDIT: It did exist, Elvis did it.)
Nilsson sang the theme song for "Midnight Cowboy", a very controversial film that came out when I was a child. You don't have to watch the both young Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight. The song is "Everybody's Talkin'". This song got into the top-40, if I recall correctly, in either late '69 or early '70.
"Midnight Cowboy" was one of the first "major motion pictures" rated "X" for it's content, dealing with prostitution. It was the first "X-rated" (though pretty tame by today's standards) motion picture to receive "Best Picture".
MPAA re-rated the film to R upon reissue in 1971. No cuts or changes were made to the film, MPAA had refined their criteria for content, along with X (or XXX) being co-opted by the adult film industry.
@@WRRHalum back then X ment like NC-17 now. Sex but not hard core. XX and XXX were made for actual hard core.
Fun facts: "Everybody's Talking" was his biggest hit and unbelievably he didn't write it. He wrote the huge Three Dog Night hit "One". My office used to rotate Nilsson albums every Friday...what a great kickoff to the weekend.
Great choice, love this song! This is a banger that has Andy&Alex's name written all over it!
Geez, I'm 60 years old and I've never heard this song before. 😬 Didn't think I was raised in a cave, but now I wonder. The only Nilsson songs I know are "Without You" and "Everybody's Talkin" from the movie "Midnight Cowboy." I guess I'll let two 20-somethings introduce me to music I was supposed to hear as a teenager. This might be cool! 👍🔥🤪
Me too. From the comments I know he also did "Me and My Arrow" and "Coconut". You probably know those as well. I always dismissed him because "Without You" was not my favorite. So, right there with you in never having heard this one before. Liked it, a lot.
Nilsson Schmilsson is a an "island" worthy record, I bought it when it came out in '71 and still listen to it today
Maybe you are from the UK? After "Without You" got to #1 here in 1972, they released "Coconut" and it didn't even get in the UK top 40. So Nilsson kind of vanished a bit from the UK scene - until the mid 1970s anyway when he made a bit of a comeback. Consequently this track may well have gone under the UK radar. All a bit odd, cos his earlier albums (pre "Without You") from the late 1960s onward all did quite well here, being boosted by frequent plays by DJs like Kenny Everett and the Beatles and influential music critics were always praising him to anyone who would listen.
Then you haven’t see Goodfellas ? A must watch. I never till today knew this was Harry’s song. Absolutely perfect song for the movie. 🚁🚁🚁🚁🚁💫
It’s in Good fellas when Henry was freaking out at the end in the Cadillac
Billy Preston is another artist well respected by the Beatles. Totally different style than Nilsson. Preston takes funk to a whole new level. "Outta Space," "Nothing From Nothing," and "Will it Go Round in Circles" are just some of the hits you should listen to.
Try "Space Race" and Billy's version of "Get Back". "I Wrote A Simple Song" is great too.
Now I have Will It Go Round in Circles stuck in my head!!!!
Nilsson wrote a cartoon called The Point while on magic mushrooms lol. It spawned a song called Me & My Arrow. Not too mention the toon is really cool. Watch it, you'll like it.
Harry's good friend Ringo Starr narrated it!
Actually, he was high on a hit of acid that someone left behind at the (I'm sure a wild) party at his house the night before. But you're totally right about "The Point!" My nephew turned me on to it, so I ordered it on line for my grandchildren. I already had the CD of it, but the film is GREAT!!
🌺 Janet 🌹
I think this was used in "Goodfellas" when the DEA helicopter is flying over Ray Liotta. It's so cool to know that Nilsson did this song.
Harry's range is endless. Besides his ONE TAKE LIVE album of old standards, get into Son of Schmillson, with Ringo and many others. His humor is also legendary. This rabbit hole is very deep.
“Everybody’s Talking”… fabulous
Nilsson sprinkles his albums with a lot of humor, too. It's a lot of fun to listen to his full albums. The whole Son of Schmilsson album is a riot.
I am so happy that you are getting into Harry, he has been one of those special voices of my lifetime, and I am 70 years old.
Great song. GREAT reaction. Almost the the beat my eyes kept moving back and forth between both of your faces to catch your emotions. AND Alex your echo "wwhhaaa" made me laugh out loud. LOVE IT and love you guys. Thanks for a fun, bright spot to my day.
Harry Nilsson's songs have good range. Coconut, Everybody's Talkin' and One sound different from the songs that you've heard.
Coconut is super fun.
For sure...the other group that sounded different with every song was Three Dog Night. I'm not sure if the boys have got into Three Dog yet.
The song Coconut is run at the end of the movie reservoir dogs.
@@williameckert1623 Jump Into the Fire was in "Goodfellas"......the helicopter scene.
O love Coconut
Put the Lime in the Coconut and drink it both up. So crazy different than your last two. Your going to be blown away by his versatility!
You said it Alex...RANGE! That is his forte.
If you liked the bass and guitar fuzz on this track, may I suggest an influential tune by The Chambers Brothers, TIME HAS COME TODAY. It is a dreamy psychedelic journey full of distortion with a call and response lyric similar to rap or gospel, and the the best use of COWBELL in the history of rock. According to wikipedia, "it integrated blues and gospel with rock and psychedelia." It's an eleven minute trip put out in 1967! Try it, you'll like it.
Yup, I had both albums back in the day.❤️
Oh yeah, I loved that song!
Yes!
MM558: no, watch the 15 minute version of Time, recorded on German TV then "overdubbed" with psychedelic visuals, here on UA-cam. I think it's a song about the Apocalypse; Bruce Dern would agree.
We used to listen to this song on 8 track in the 70's was our favorite cruising tune. I still laugh remembering the 8 track player clicking over to a second track on this 7 minute tune...absolutely fantastic song writer/performer!
This was a top 30 hit on Billboard in 1972. They had to play a shorter 3:34 version on radio because back then songs had to be close to 3 minutes long for airplay.
Finally .....You can climb a mountain you can swim the sea you can jump into the fire, but you will never be free no no. The bass line reverberates distances
That’s the song that plays in one of the greatest scenes of any movie ….in Goodfellas when Henry is rolling around in his Caddy just jacked to the hilt,trying to sell guns & meet his plug while a helicopter follows him …..great scene,great movie
It's a masterpiece PERIOD
This is Harry's rockingest tune. But I also love "You're Breaking My Heart", "Gotta Get Up" and "Spaceman."
God I LOVED cruising in my friends van blasting this tune. This album was released the week of my birthday and has always been one of my favorite birthday presents. So glad you decided to hit this so quick! Next....Everybody's Talkin, excellent writing. HAPPY HOLIDAZE TO ALL!
What serendipity! I JUST watched a documentary CD I picked up at the library called "Who is Harry Nilsson (And Why is Everybody Talkin' About Him). Very interesting film, you should look for it. Anyway, turned on the computer and here you are playing one of my favorite Nilsson songs! Thank you. So happy you young guys have discovered this late, not terribly well known genius.
I just watched it last night! Great documentary!
Hears this a hundred times in Goodfellas and liked it, but had no idea it was Harry Nilsson until recently.. Even my wife was shocked. Love it.
Wow, now I’m learning from you guys. I’m very familiar with his big hits, but I wasn’t drawn deeper into his stuff. This is great! Thanks A&A!
Can't believe you referenced Neruda!!! My and my pops FAVE!
"Driving Along" and "Down" hurry hurry!
In their prime, Harry and Paul had the two best voices in rock...anything from a heart-wrenching ballad to something like this or Oh Darling or Helter Skelter. Just amazing.
You need to listen to Coconut...while having a drink 😂 you won’t regret it 😎
Dropping some Neruda, nice!
Here's the full poem, if anybody's interested:
I don’t love you as if you were a rose of salt, topaz,
or arrow of carnations that propagate fire:
I love you as one loves certain obscure things,
secretly, between the shadow and the soul.
I love you as the plant that doesn’t bloom but carries
the light of those flowers, hidden, within itself,
and thanks to your love the tight aroma that arose
from the earth lives dimly in my body.
I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where,
I love you directly without problems or pride:
I love you like this because I don’t know any other way to love,
except in this form in which I am not nor are you,
so close that your hand upon my chest is mine,
so close that your eyes close with my dreams.
thanks, what's the title and translator btw?
@@robland6804 One Hundred Love Sonnets: XVII . . . trans: Mark Eisner
@@AaronHunter thanks, I think I read this translation in The Essential Neruda
I worked at a fast food place in the 70's and my manager invited me and this girl to his place. We smoked some stuff and he turned on a strobe light and put this song on and he did the Robot and my life changed.........
Best Harry Song Ever!
He used several musicians on this that worked with the Beatles. You need to read about the lost weekend, stories about him, Lennon and Keith Moon. Amazing!
John Lennon's drinking buddy in LA.
@@williameckert1623 And Keith Moon's. And Micky Dolenz's. And Alice Cooper's.
They called themselves "the Hollywood Vampires."
The bass had every whale in the ocean going crazy! Thanks guys for reacting to this song!
One of the best raw, unapologetic, and emotional jams of ALL TIME! For being 50+ years old it still blows me away.... and I mean completely! RIP Nilsson.
This song was an early 70s staple for all Rock and Rollers. Really good stuff from Harry Nillson.
This is the song we would use to test the bass on someone’s new speakers. 🔈
Guys, you have no idea how unique Harry was. I strongly recommend you watch " Who is Harry Nilsson and why is everybody talking about him?"
Never toured. Never had a regular band and performed. Was on a softball team with Alice Cooper, Joe Walsh, Mackey Dolenz from the Monkees, Keith Moon
You can't make this stuff up. For some reason I can see Alex's mind totally blown by Harry.
This screaming in this song makes me soooooooo happy
Great tune. Drummer was drummer with Derek and the Dominos. What a voice.
Also serving life for killing his own mother.
This is absolutely positively without a doubt hands down no questions asked my favorite Nilsson song. I am so glad you guys listened to this and enjoyed it so much. I could listen to the drum solo and the rest of the ending of the song for twenty minutes or more. I listen to this song all the time and never get tired of it. I also agree that this song does not seem like it is seven minutes long. Incredible.
Haven't seen smiles on your faces like that in a long time.. Excellent! So happy for you guys. Merry Christmas boys..
This song takes me to Henry Hill frantically driving, looking at the helicopter following him, and slamming on his brakes.
One of the best bass lines ever!!!
My months of begging for you to react to this song has FINALLY paid off! WOHOO! This is a straight up jam session and that bass! WOW!❤
Since others are recommending songs to scout out Harry's range of performances, I'll mention "A Little Schmilsson in the Night" which is his collection of crooner standards that show off his vocal virtuosity.
I believe he was the first rock singer to come up with the idea of recoding an album of standards. All the others (Rondstadt, Rod Stewart, …) followed with the idea.
BASS! Herbie Flowers detunes the low E string way down to a warble then comes back up to a drop D. The song is in D.
Flowers just did it for a laugh right in the middle of Jim Gordon's drum solo, but Nilsson and producer Richard Perry loved it and left it in.
Fun fact… Harry wrote a song that the Monkees recorded on their 4th album, “Cuddly Toy”. It’s a dark tale about a girl who was passed around at a Hell’s Angel’s gathering. The tune is light and bouncy and offsets the subject matter. He also recorded it on one of his albums.
Seriously? Not only does the mood of the music not reflect the sordid subject matter you are saying is at the heart of Nilsson's song, but the only lyrics that might even come close to the "dark tale" you allege are "you're not the kind of girl to tell your mother about the company you keep." But since that is followed by "I never told you that I love no other, you must have dreamed it in your sleep," is that supposed to be a Hell's Angel professing his fidelity to the girl he is "passing around" to his fellow Angels? There is no logic to this. If there some source as to why Harry Nilsson would choose this as a story for a song he wanted to write I'd be curious, but very, very surprised. It's not even a story so much as an allegation.
@@syater my recollection is that this was “known” to have happened, perhaps some were there. It’s dark subject matter, but it doesn’t necessarily allude to a gang rape….it sounds “willing”, hence the lyrics. You can certainly look it up.
@@robynmatheson7687 Okay.
@@syater just look it up for yourself
@GoldTopSlinger , agree that Harry was next level but Davy was a musician in addition to being an actor. He cracked Billboard's top 100 (at 100) in August of 1965. He was a Tony nominated Broadway actor/singer for his role at the Artful Dodger in Oliver in '63! He already had been signed to a contract for TV shows, movies, and a recording contract prior to his being the first to be cast in the Monkees.
I forgot how good that was. My town had a progressive rock station that played albums and deep cuts... we got these types of songs all day long and loved it. RIP KFMH...
We had the same type of station here in Des Moines- KFMG! and it's still doing its thing!
WIBZ in Parkersburg, WV. I am still grateful for that station (which does not exist any more). We called it the "album rock" station because they did not play the 45's. Without that station we would have been stuck with top 40.
Good choice for Nielsen, especially after Without You. The whole LP is strong. Coconut a lot of fun and Everybody’s Talkin an obvious choice but Got to Get Up and Early in the Morning also good ones.
This song is better than a drum circle. It's like a band circle when it all gets going. R.I.P. Harry
God this music brings back memories of my high school days, magical time for music.
Dateline Portland Oregon-Woman of unspecified age, but well old enough to know better, blows out her vocal chords singing along with Harry Nilsson as A&A enjoy their first listen to Jump into the Fire. Film at 11
His songs and songwriting styles were so diverse and eclectic, it’s hard to imagine it’s the same person that produced them all. Happy Monday!
Hey that reminds me - you should do the Happy Mondays one day. Whiskey…
I remember hearing this in the 70s & it's the only song I know of where the bass player tunes one string down as he plays it to where it's almost too low to hear & then slowly tunes it back to pitch for the rest of the song.
I love this!!!!! I wish I could say it's my favorite from Nillson but so many of his songs "Makes Me Happy" Time for the " Coconut" song.
Look up the personnel in the recording. Jimmy Webb, the great songwriter, played the piano. Jim Gordon played the drums. Herbie Flowers played the bass.
Guys, watch "Goodflellas" just to see how beautifully Martin Scorsese uses this song for a long sequence towards the end of the film. :))
"Helicopters are following me" Henry Hill - Goodfellas
So happy you decided to hit Harry again, and you didn't wait a minute! 😊🔥
OMFG... I remember this song from back in the day but this is the first time I've really listened to it in its entirety. I'm blown away... this song is a masterpiece!
Harry Nilsson was a wild man with the soul of a sweetheart. His tune Daddy's Song (from Aerial Ballet) encapsulates a seemingly preternatural gift for singing and melody that perhaps only Paul McCartney could equal. But McCartney had The Beatles to write and harmonise with, Nilsson had himself. Funnily enough, (in a review of Pandemonium Shadow Show) a critic chastised Nilsson for not crediting his backing singers in the sleeve notes, not realising that all the vocals were overdubbed by the main man himself!
ua-cam.com/video/OztZ-xKk5kg/v-deo.html
Aerial Ballet is an awesome album from start to finish.
Love. Love. This is a Banger! Now we know where INXS found inspiration?? idk... There's nothing like a fat bass line and amazing drums, etc. Wow. See what happens when you get inspired late at night? haha! Keep it up... So fun! Have a great day fellas! 💗✌️😊👋
Morning Lisa!!
Now you must do COCONUT from the same album!
"There it is. You see that, Michael, that helicopter right there? Right in front of us, there. I think it's been following me all morning." Henry Hill, Goodfellas
This was a big hit in the 70's in Australia and if it wasn't No.1 it would have been darn close.The album it's off Nilsson Schmilsson is a beauty. Recommend it !!
Me and my arrow is a cool song, too
‘You’re Breaking My Heart’ was the song that George Harrison convinced a bunch of mourners at Nilsson funeral to sing. You won’t truly understand Nilsson until you’ve heard this song.
I'm loving watching how much you guys are loving Harry! Won't bother making suggestions because you have plenty here already. Just keep digging and keep up the good work!
Nilsson is one of my favorites, and you guys are getting some great suggestions for future reactions. You won't go wrong with any of them. But, I want to throw in a recommendation for another band with close ties to the Beatles, and that is Badfinger. In fact, Nilsson's hit "Without You" was written by two members of Badfinger. Try "Day After Day", "Baby Blue", "No Matter What" or "Come and Get It." You won't regret it.
13:51 Alex, the BEST FUZZY GUITAR song of all time is Neil Young's "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)" -- gotta hit it, along with its acoustic companion "Hey Hey, My My (Out of the Blue)
Harry definitely walked to the beat kf his own drum 🥁. I guess I just loved his voice and vibe. Thanks for sharing guys.
About time you guys did this song!