"Well I can't forget this evening,
And your face as you were leaving,
But I guess that's just the way the story goes..."

Harry Nilsson – “Without You”

How is it possible that one of the most influential artists of all time not find a way to capitalize on himself?  If he was still around, we might want to ask Harry Nilsson, singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist, and all-around musical genius.  Most people never even knew his name, though his songs were popularized as cover versions by groups like The Monkees.  He did find some commercial success, showing off his amazing three-octave range on his hits “Everybody’s Talkin’” and “Without You,” though his influence as a pop musician will live on forever.

Born in New York, as a child Nilsson moved back and forth between coasts, eventually settling in California.  His family never did well, financially, so Nilsson worked as a young man, most notably at the Paramount Theater in Los Angeles.  He later took a night job at a bank, working on their computers, to fund his daytime musical pursuits.  As his talents grew, he branched into songwriting, a fine starting point for many a fine artist, most notably for Little Richard and famed producer Phil Spector. 

Nilsson contract with Mercury Records got picked up by Tower Records for a recording contract in 1966.  With them, he released a handful of singles, as well as his debut, Spotlight on Nilsson.  Though none of it charted, nor found much critical praise, Nilsson was on the receiving end of unspoken praise as his songs were being covered by the likes of Glen Campbell, the Shangri-Las and the Yardbirds. 

By the end of the year, Nilsson was picked up by RCA Victor, and with them he released Pandemonium Shadow Show.  The album gave Nilsson a taste of the success he much deserved.  The album was a fine display of his writing and vocal talents, impressing critics and music fans alike with its blend of pop and rock.  With hits like the plaintive “Without Her” and the brassy “1941,” the music had a quality that could have been of any time and place; it was truly timeless. 

People everywhere were getting on the Nilsson bandwagon, even legendary pop rockers The Beatles, no doubt aided by his cover of their single, “She’s Leaving Home” and Nilsson’s track “You Can’t Do That” in which he covers another Beatles track of the same name and pays a lush homage to a multitude of Beatles hits, from “Drive My Car” to “Yesterday.”  Within a short time, and coinciding with the formation of Apple Corps, the Beatles were singing his praise to the world, helping “You Can’t Do That” to become a minor hit in the U.S. and an even bigger hit elsewhere.  With his success, RCA was willing to do anything to keep him on board, giving him his own offices and eventually setting him up with a manager.  His early experiences with fame were less than desirable for Nilsson, and he stayed mostly in the studio from that point on.

In 1968, Nilsson wrote the soundtrack for the comedy, Skidoo, which gave him one of his first hits, “I Will Take You There.”  Later featured on the 1969 album, Harry, “I Will Take You There,” the song exposed audiences to his lush-orchestral stylings.  His 1968 release, Aerial Ballet, also found some success with a cover of the Fried Neil song, “Everybody’s Talkin’” which went on to become the theme to Midnight Cowboy.  Aerial Ballet later found a resurrected hit with the 1969 cover of the song “One” by Three Dog Night.  Nilsson continued on working with Hollywood, doing music for the show The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, including their hit theme song “Good Friend.”  He also wrote the soundtrack for the animated TV special, The Point.  All the while, he was in the studio working on his own career, releasing the albums Harry and Nilsson Sings Newman. 

Bouyed by the success he’d found, in 1971, he released Nilsson Schmilsson in 1971.  The album would bring him his greatest commercial success with its slick production and string of hits, which included his popular cover of the Badfinger ballad “Without You,” the calypso influenced “Coconut” and the atypically hard-rocking “Jump Into the Fire.”  Riding high on the success of Nilsson Schmilsson, Nilsson continued his run with 1972’s Son of  Schmilsson, which boasted the sci-fi orchestral hit, “Space Man.” The following year he released the last of the ‘Schmilssons’ A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night, which featured Nilsson’s lush renditions of classics such as “Over the Rainbow,” “As Time Goes By,” and many other arranged by Frank Sinatra’s musical arranger, Gordon Jenkins.

1974 was a return to pop music with his album Pussy Cats.  Produced by his pal, John Lennon, the album was a mix of oldies and originals.  What went unsaid at the time, was that Nilsson damaged his vocal chords, losing much of his range.  The result was an uneven tone in his voice that fans just couldn’t wrap their minds around.  In the same year, he appeared alongside Ringo Starr in the vampire spoof Son of Dracula, which came with a soundtrack chock full of Nilsson songs.  One song, “Daybreak” was repackaged as a single and went on to become a Top 40 hit.  After flopping Pussy Cats and the lackluster sales of A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night, RCA threatened to drop him for the label.  Luckily for Nilsson, his friends John and Ringo stepped up to bat for him during negotiations.  After a string of unnoticed albums and the moderately successful Knillssonn, Nilsson took the next few years away from the studio. 

He returned in 1980 with the score for the film Popeye, starring Robin Williams.  He also released Flash Harry, which opened with comedian Eric Idle singing the song “Harry” and with Nilsson performing Idle’s song, “Bright Side of Life” from The Life of Brian.  Nilsson pretty much stayed away from the music business throughout the decade, focusing primarily upon his new film production company and gun-control causes in honor of his good friend John Lennon.  In the 1990s, he resurfaced to contribute to the soundtrack of The Fisher King.  Poised for a comeback, Nilsson passed away due to heart trouble during his sessions for another album in 1995. 

Not only did Nilsson inspire those of his own time, he went on to inspire countless artists who would follow him, as evidenced by a tribute album that came out in 1996, For the Love of Harry, which featured artists ranging from Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson to modern alt-rocker Aimee Mann.  Nilsson’s ability to create timeless music continues to leave an impression on pop culture – whether by being featured in films, including Goodfellas to Reservoir Dogs to being covered by countless artists of today.  In each case, in each performance, we hear a testament to the genius of Nilsson and what it has meant to have his music in our lives.