01/07/2026
He has been called a musical genius, a troublemaker, a drunk, the nicest guy on earth, a friend for all time—and, again, a musical genius. Harry Nilsson was born in New York City in 1941, just the right age for the pop-culture zeitgeist of the 1960s. His family moved to Los Angeles, and eventually Harry found employment as a banker. In short order, he got his foot in the door of the music business, and by the middle of the decade he had signed to a label and started releasing singles. None went anywhere, but he stayed the course. His talents were soon recognized by RCA Records and producer Richard Perry, who set him in motion to record a proper LP.
Pandemonium Shadow Show was released in 1967 to seemingly universal acclaim, especially among fellow writers and musicians. Harry had a knack for a catchy tune and first-rate wordplay, creating a style all his own. Among his most enthusiastic fans were none other than the Beatles, who regularly talked him up in the music press. Five more albums would follow over the next four years, until finally, in 1971, he hit pay dirt with the classic Nilsson Schmilsson—an album chock full of now-classic songs like “Gotta Get Up,” “Coconut,” and “Jump Into the Fire.” The album reached No. 8, while its singles climbed as high as No. 27. It was, however, a song he didn’t compose that became his calling card.
Written by Pete Ham and Tom Evans of Badfinger, it originally appeared on their 1970 album No Dice in a somewhat less grandiose form. Nilsson heard the song and knew exactly what it needed, setting about transforming the plaintive ballad into a show-stopping, Oscar-worthy performance. The record went to No. 1 and won the Grammy for Record of the Year, while the LP went Gold. It’s worth noting that, though history knows him as a world-class songwriter, his first two “hits” were written by others. Before “Without You,” he had scored notoriety for the theme from Midnight Cowboy, “Everybody’s Talkin’,” penned by Fred Neil.
The catalog of Harry Nilsson is intensely interesting and well worth exploring. Nilsson Schmilsson is as good a place to start as any—and yes, it remains essential all these years on.
Tune in all day Thursday!
