Look up remember in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Remember may refer to:

Music[link]

• "Remember" (1925 song), a song by Irving Berlin
• Remember, a song featured in an episode of Danny Phantom
• "Remember (Walking in the Sand)", a 1964 single by the Shangri-Las
• "Remember", a song by the Jimi Hendrix Experience
• "Remember", a song by Free from their 1970 album Fire and Water
• "Remember (John Lennon song)", song by John Lennon from his 1970 album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
• Remember (John Lennon album), a 2006 John Lennon compilation video album released exclusively by Starbucks
• Remember, a 1973 song by Bay City Rollers
• Remember (Rusted Root album), a 1996 album by Rusted Root
• Remember (Genocide Organ album), a 1997 album by Genocide Organ
• Remember (The Fiery Furnaces album), a 2008 live album by The Fiery Furnaces
• "Remember", a 1996 song by Skold
• "Remember", a 2001 song by Ten Mile Tide
• "Remember" (Disturbed song), a 2002 single by Disturbed
• "Remember" (Fayray song)
• Remember (Big Bang album), an album by the Korean band Big Bang
• "Remember", a song performed by Josh Groban and Tanja Tzarovska for the 2004 film Troy
• "Remember", a 2004 song by The Underdog Project
• "Remember", a song from the cartoon Danny Phantom

Television[link]

• "Remember" (Star Trek: Voyager), an episode of Star Trek: Voyager
• "Remember" (Desperate Housewives episode), a 2006 episode of Desperate Housewives

Other[link]

• Recall (memory)
• "Remember, remember the fifth of November", a traditional rhyme recited on Guy Fawkes Night
• "Remember", a sonnet by Christina Rossetti
• Remember? (1939 film), a 1939 film starring Robert Taylor and Greer Garson
• Remember, a fantasy novella by Mateiu Caragiale
• "Remember", the epic quote by Mufasa in The Lion King

See also[link]

• All pages beginning with "Remember"
• All pages with titles containing "Remember"
• Recall (disambiguation)
• Member (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (October 2011)

Tom Rush
Tom Rush performing in 2006.
Background information
Born	(1941-02-08) February 8, 1941 (age 71) Portsmouth, New Hampshire, United States
Genres	Blues, folk, country
Occupations	Arranger Singer Songwriter Record producer
Instruments	Vocals, acoustic guitar
Years active	1961–present
Labels	Elektra Records Prestige Records Columbia Records
Associated acts	Eric Von Schmidt
Website	http://www.tomrush.com/

Tom Rush (born February 8, 1941) is an American folk and blues singer, songwriter, musician and recording artist.^[1]

Life and career[link]

Rush was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. His father was a teacher at St. Paul's School, in Concord, New Hampshire. Tom began performing in 1961 while studying at Harvard University after graduating from the Groton School. He majored in English literature. Many of his early recordings are versions of Lowland Scots and Appalachian folk songs. He regularly performed at the Club 47 coffeehouse (now called Club Passim) in Cambridge, the Unicorn in Boston and The Main Point in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

Rush is credited by Rolling Stone magazine with ushering in the era of the singer/songwriter. In addition to performing his own compositions, he covered songs by Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Murray McLauchlan, David Wiffen and William Hawkins, helping them to gain recognition early in their careers.

Bob Dylan is reputed to be the "Roosevelt Gook" credited as playing piano on the 1966 Elektra album Take A Little Walk With Me, though many believe it was Al Kooper under another name to collect a second musician's fee.

His 1968 composition "No Regrets" has become an acknowledged standard, with numerous cover versions having been recorded (Rush did two radically different versions himself). These include The Walker Brothers, who gave Tom Rush a belated Top Ten exposure as a songwriter on the UK singles chart, and Emmylou Harris, who included the song on her 1988 album Bluebird.

A video of his performance of Steven Walters' "The Remember Song" was placed on YouTube and to date (June 2012) it has received over 5.9 million plays. Writing on his website, Rush said "I've been waiting 45 years to be an overnight sensation, and it's finally happened! A video clip of my performance of "The Remember Song" has 'gone viral.' I felt terrible at first, thinking I was being accused of being a musical equivalent of Ebola, but my children explained to me that this was a good thing." One of the earliest music videos produced (1968) for an artist by a record company, Elektra, can be found at his website, www.tomrush.com. It was used to promote his signature song, "No Regrets" for "The Circle Game" album. A number of recent videos from a 2010 concert performed in Old Saybrook, CT can be found on the video website Vimeo under a search for Tom Rush.

Tom Rush is married to the author Renée Askins and was formerly married to Beverly Rush.

Over the years Tom Rush has used a number of guitars on stage - his primary current one being a hand crafted acoustic made by Don Musser. In February 2012 Rush appeared on stage in Colorado with a new instrument - a cedar-top Dreadnaught with an inlay of a snake wrapped around a reclining nude woman. The guitar, crafted by McKenzie & Marr Guitars is a "re-incarnation" of one of Rush's earliest acoustics - the famous Naked Lady.

Discography[link]

• 1962 – Tom Rush at the Unicorn
• 1963 – Got a Mind to Ramble
• 1963 – Blues, Songs & Ballads
• 1965 – Tom Rush (Elektra)
• 1966 – Take a Little Walk with Me
• 1968 – The Circle Game
• 1970 – Tom Rush (Columbia)
• 1970 – Wrong End of the Rainbow
• 1972 – Merrimack County
• 1974 – Ladies Love Outlaws
• 1975 – The Best of Tom Rush (Columbia)
• 1982 – Tom Rush: New Year
• 1982 – Tom Rush: Late Night Radio
• 1991 – Blues, Songs and Ballads [Compilation]
• 1999 – No Regrets: The Very Best Of Tom Rush
• 1999 – Wrong End of the Rainbow (Import, Original recording remastered)
• 2001 – Tom Rush/Take a Little Walk With Me (Import, Original recording remastered)
• 2001 – Live at Symphony Hall, Boston (Live)
• 2002 – Merrimack County/Ladies Love Outlaws (Import)
• 2002 – Take a Little Walk with Me
• 2003 – Trolling for Owls
• 2009 – What I Know
• 2011 – The Fish Story Song & readings

References[link]

External links[link]

• Tom Rush Official web site
• Tom Rush at Allmusic
• Tom Rush live in studio from WGBH Radio Boston
• "The Remember Song" on YouTube
• Renee Askins official web site

Damien Rice
Damien Rice performing in Villa Arconati, Milan.
Background information
Birth name	Damien Rice
Born	(1973-12-07) 7 December 1973 (age 38)
Origin	Kildare, Ireland
Genres	Folk, indie pop, folk rock
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, record producer
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano, clarinet, percussion
Years active	1991–present
Labels	Vector Recordings, Republic, Heffa, Warner Bros., DRM/14th Floor
Associated acts	Juniper, Bell X1, Lisa Hannigan
Website	www.damienrice.com

Damien Rice (born 7 December 1973) is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician and record producer who plays guitar, piano, clarinet and percussion.

Rice was raised in Celbridge, County Kildare, Ireland and began his musical career as a member of the 1990s rock group Juniper. After leaving the band he worked as a farmer in Tuscany and busked throughout Europe before returning to Ireland in 2001 and beginning a solo musical career.

In 2002 his debut album O reached #8 on the UK albums chart, won the Shortlist music prize and generated three top-30 singles in the UK. Rice released his second album 9 in 2006 and his songs have appeared in numerous films and television episodes.

Rice's personal activities include musical contributions to charitable projects such as the Songs for Tibet, Freedom Campaign and the Enough Project.

Early life[link]

Rice was born to George and Maureen Rice and raised in Celbridge, County Kildare, Ireland.^[1]

Career[link]

Rice began his music career using the stage name "Dodima" Rice^{[citation needed]} and formed the rock band Juniper along with Paul Noonan, Dominic Philips, David Geraghty and Brian Crosby in 1991. The band met whilst they were attending Salesian College secondary school in Celbridge, Co. Kildare as students. After touring throughout Ireland the band released their debut EP Manna in 1995.^[2]
Based in Straffan, Kildare the band continued touring and signed a six album record deal with Polygram. Their recording projects generated the singles “Weatherman” and “Single of the Fortnight” which received favorable reviews.^[2]

After achieving his musical goals with Juniper, Rice became frustrated with the artistic compromises required by the record label, and he left the band in 1998.^[3] Rice moved to Tuscany in Italy and took up farming for some time, then returned to Ireland before busking around Europe.^[3] After returning to Ireland a second time, Rice gave a demo recording to his cousin, music producer David Arnold who then gave Rice a mobile studio.^[4][5]

2000 to present[link]

Damien Rice at Coachella in 2007

In 2001, Rice's song "The Blower's Daughter" made a top 40 chart.^[4] Over the next year he continued to record his album with New York drummer Tom Osander aka Tomo, Paris pianist Jean Meunier, London producer David Arnold, Dublin vocalist Lisa Hannigan and cellist Vyvienne Long.^[5] Rice then embarked on a tour of Ireland with Hannigan, Tomo, Vyvienne, and Dublin bassist Shane Fitzsimons.^[5]

In 2002, Rice’s debut album O was released in Ireland, the UK and the United States.^[6] The album peaked at #8 on the UK albums chart and remained on the chart for 97 weeks, selling 650,000 copies in the US.^[6][7] The album won the Shortlist music prize and the songs "Cannonball" and "Volcano" became top 30 hits in the UK.^[7][8]

In 2006 Rice released his second album 9 which was recorded during the two years prior.^[9] That year he also recorded at Abbey Road Studios for the program Live from Abbey Road.

2007 was a year of heavy touring with Rice appearing at England's Glastonbury Festival and the Rock Werchter festival in Belgium. That same year he performed with David Gray at the UK leg at Wembley Stadium, London and played at the T in the Park music event in Scotland. Rice also performed at the Latitude Festival in Suffolk, the V Festival in Stafford, Staffordshire, Hylands Park in Chelmsford, Essex and the Osheaga Festival in Montreal.^[10] He made additional appearances in Ireland and North America.

In 2010, Damien played at the Iceland Inspires concert held in Hljómskálagarðurinn near Reykjavík centrum.^[11]

Rice recorded a cover of the Juniper track, "Crosseyed Bear" for the compilation, Help: A Day in the Life. Rice's albums are published under his record label Heffa (originally named DRM) in Ireland and Vector Records in North American. Records released in the UK, Europe and other countries are published by 14th Floor Records via Warner Music.^[12]

In spring 2011, Rice featured on the debut album by French actress and singer Melanie Laurent. He appears on two tracks on her debut album En t'attendant while collaborating on a total of five tracks which feature on the album.^[13]

In November 2011, the compilation album "AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered" was released to celebrate the 20 year anniversary of U2's Achtung Baby album. AHK-toong BAY-bi features Damien Rice in a cover of "One," a stripped-down, piano-driven interpretation of one of the most popular U2 songs.^{[citation needed]}

In December 2011, his song "Cannonball" was used as the winner's single on The X Factor (UK series 8). Little Mix, the winners released the song.^{[citation needed]}

In May of 2012, Rice's song "Volcano" was covered by American Idol finalist Phillip Phillips, drawing praise from the judges and Steven Tyler specifically, stating "Thats the kind of song I could listen to over and over on my headphones (sp)." ^[14]

Personal life[link]

Rice participated in the Freedom Campaign, the Burma Campaign UK and the U.S. Campaign for Burma to free Burmese democracy movement leader Aung San Suu Kyi.^[15] He campaigned for her release by writing and performing the song "Unplayed Piano" at the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo.^[16]

In 2008 he participated in a music album called Songs for Tibet in support of the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso and Tibet.^[17]

In 2010, he contributed the song "Lonely Soldier" to the Enough Project which supported women's rights in the Congo.^[18]

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Live albums[link]

EPs[link]

Singles[link]

Film and TV contributions[link]

Rice's songs have been heard on numerous television shows including American Idol, The L Word,True Blood, Hidden Palms, Bones, The Cleaner, Jericho, ER, The Black Donnellys, The OC, Alias, Lost, Huff, Crossing Jordan, Grey's Anatomy, Criminal Minds, House, Spin 1038, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Inbetweeners, One Tree Hill, and the Korean drama, Spring Waltz.^{[34][35][35][36][37][37][38][39][40][41]}

Rice's songs have appeared in films such as Reservation Road, Higher Ground, Closer, I am David, Stay, In Good Company, The Girl in the Café, Shrek the Third and Dear Frankie.^{[42][43][44][45]}

His music is referenced in the 2009 novel The Suicide Club by Rhys Thomas and his songs have been used in professional figure skating competitions.^[46][47]

Collaborations[link]

• "Be Yourself" with Jerry Fish and the Mudbug Club (September 2002)^{[citation needed]}
• Skylarkin' with Mic Christopher (November 2002)^{[citation needed]}
• "Get The Party Started," cover version performed with Lisa Hannigan (2003)^[48]
• "The Power of Orange Knickers" with Tori Amos (February 2005)^[49]
• "Don't Explain" with Herbie Hancock and Lisa Hannigan (August 2005)^[50]
• Live At The Olympia with Aslan (2005)^{[citation needed]}
• "Que Sera Sera" with David Gray (November 2007)^[51]
• "To Love Somebody" with Ray Lamontagne on Taratata^[52]
• "Making Noise" with The Cheshire Project ^[53]
• "There Are Debts" with David Hopkins on There Are Debts (December 2010)^[54]
• "Back to Beginning" on Lamb's album 5 (2011)^[55]
• "Everything You're Not Supposed To Be" with Mélanie Laurent (2011)
• "Uncomfortable" with Mélanie Laurent (2011)

See also[link]

• List of songs performed by Damien Rice

References[link]

External links[link]

• Damien Rice - Official website
• Damien Rice - Official MySpace page
• EskimoFriends.com - Unofficial fan community, established in 2001

Harry Edward Nilsson III (June 15, 1941 – January 15, 1994^[1]) was an American singer-songwriter who achieved the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. On all but his earliest recordings he is credited as Nilsson. He is known for the hit singles "Everybody's Talkin'" (1969), "Without You" (1971), and "Coconut" (1972). Nilsson's career is also notable for the fact that he was one of the few major pop-rock recording artists of his era to achieve significant commercial success without ever performing major public concerts or undertaking regular tours.

He was awarded Grammys for two of his recordings; best male contemporary vocal in 1969 for "Everybody's Talkin'", the theme song to the Academy Award-winning movie Midnight Cowboy, and best male pop vocal in 1972 for "Without You."

Life and career[link]

Early years[link]

Nilsson was born in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, New York, in 1941. His paternal grandparents were Swedish circus performers and dancers, especially known for their "aerial ballet" (which is the title of one of Nilsson's albums). His father, Harry Edward Nilsson, Jr., abandoned the family when young Harry was three. An autobiographical reference to this is found in the opening to Nilsson's song "1941":

Well, in 1941, the happy father had a son

And in 1944, the father walked right out the door

Nilsson's "Daddy's Song" also refers to this period in Nilsson's childhood.^[2]

Nilsson grew up with his mother Bette and his younger half-sister. His younger half-brother Drake was left with family or friends during their moves between California and New York, sometimes living with a succession of relatives and stepfathers. His Uncle John, a mechanic in San Bernardino, California, helped Nilsson improve his vocal and musical abilities.^[3]

He had a half-brother and a half-sister through their mother. He also had three half-sisters and one half-brother through his father.^[2]

Because of the poor financial situation of his family, Nilsson worked from an early age, including a job at the Paramount Theatre in Los Angeles. When the Paramount closed in 1960, Nilsson applied for a job at a bank, falsely stating he was a high school graduate on his application (he only completed ninth grade).^[3] He had an aptitude for computers, which were beginning to be employed by banks at the time. He performed so well that the bank retained him after discovering the lie about his education. He worked on bank computers at night, and in the daytime pursued his songwriting and singing career.^[3]

Musical beginnings[link]

As early as 1958, Nilsson was intrigued by emerging forms of popular music, especially rhythm and blues artists like Ray Charles. He had made early attempts at performing while he was working at the Paramount, forming a vocal duo with his friend Jerry Smith and singing close harmonies in the style of the Everly Brothers. The manager at a favorite hangout gave Nilsson a plastic ukulele, which he learned to play, and he later learned to play the guitar and piano. In the 2010 documentary Who is Harry Nilsson? (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him), Nilsson recalled that when he could not remember lyrics or parts of the melodies to popular songs, he created his own, which led to writing original songs.

Uncle John's singing lessons, along with Nilsson's natural talent, helped when he got a job singing demos for songwriter Scott Turner in 1960. Turner paid Nilsson five dollars for each track they recorded. (When Nilsson became famous, Turner decided to release these early recordings, and contacted Nilsson to work out a fair payment. Nilsson replied that he had already been paid — five dollars a track.).^[2]

In 1963, Nilsson began to have some early success as a songwriter, working with John Marascalco on a song for Little Richard. Upon hearing Nilsson sing, Little Richard reportedly remarked: "My! You sing good for a white boy!"^[3] Marascalco also financed some independent singles by Nilsson. One, "Baa Baa Blacksheep", was released under the pseudonym "Bo Pete" to some small local airplay. Another recording, "Donna, I Understand", convinced Mercury Records to offer Nilsson a contract, and release recordings by him under the name "Johnny Niles."^[3]

In 1964, Nilsson worked with Phil Spector, writing three songs with him. He also established a relationship with songwriter and publisher Perry Botkin, Jr., who began to find a market for Nilsson's songs. Botkin also gave Nilsson a key to his office, providing another place to write after hours.^[2] Through his association with Botkin, Nilsson met and became friends with musician, composer and arranger George Tipton, who was at the time working for Botkin as a music copyist. During 1964 Tipton invested his life savings - $2500 - to finance the recording of four Nilsson songs, which he arranged; they were able to sell the completed recordings to the Tower label, a recently-established subsidiary of Capitol Records, and the tracks were subsequently included on Nilsson's debut album. The fruitful association between Nilsson and Tipton continued after Nilsson signed with RCA Records - Tipton went on to create the arrangements for nearly all of Nilsson's RCA recordings between 1967 and 1971 but their association ended in the 1970s when the two fell out for unknown reasons. Whatever the cause, it was evidently a source of lingering resentment for Tipton, who was one of the few significant collaborators who refused to participate in the 2010 documentary on Nilsson's life and career.

Nilsson's recording contract was picked up by Tower Records, which in 1966 released the first singles actually credited to him by name, as well as the debut album Spotlight on Nilsson. None of Nilsson's Tower releases charted or gained much critical attention, although his songs were being recorded by Glen Campbell, Fred Astaire, The Shangri-Las, The Yardbirds, and others. Despite his growing success, Nilsson remained on the night shift at the bank.^[2]

Signing with RCA Victor[link]

Nilsson signed with RCA Victor in 1966 and released an album the following year, Pandemonium Shadow Show, which was a critical (if not commercial) success. Music industry insiders were impressed both with the songwriting and with Nilsson's pure-toned, multi-octave vocals. One such insider was Beatles press officer Derek Taylor, who bought an entire box of copies of the album to share this new sound with others. With a major-label release, and continued songwriting success (most notably with The Monkees, who had a hit with Nilsson's "Cuddly Toy"^[4] after meeting him through their producer Chip Douglas), Nilsson finally felt secure enough in the music business to quit his job with the bank. Monkees member Micky Dolenz maintained a close friendship until Nilsson's death in 1994.

Some of the albums from Derek Taylor's box eventually ended up with the Beatles themselves,^[5] who quickly became Nilsson fans. This may have been helped by the track "You Can't Do That", in which Nilsson covered one Beatles song but added 22 others in the multi-tracked background vocals. When John Lennon and Paul McCartney held a press conference in 1968 to announce the formation of Apple Corps, John was asked to name his favorite American artist. He replied, "Nilsson". Paul was then asked to name his favorite American group. He replied, "Nilsson".^[2]

Aided by the Beatles' praise, "You Can't Do That" became a minor hit in the US, and a top 10 hit in Canada.^[2]

When RCA had asked if there was anything special he wanted as a signing premium, Nilsson asked for his own office at RCA, being used to working out of one. In the weeks after the Apple press conference, Nilsson's office phone began ringing constantly, with offers and requests for interviews and inquiries about his performing schedule. Nilsson usually answered the calls himself, surprising the callers, and answered questions candidly. (He recalled years later the flow of a typical conversation: "When did you play last?" "I didn't." "Where have you played before?" "I haven't." "When will you be playing next?" "I don't.") Nilsson acquired a manager, who steered him into a handful of TV guest appearances, and a brief run of stage performances in Europe set up by RCA. He disliked the experiences he had, though, and decided to stick to the recording studio. He later admitted this was a huge mistake on his part.^[2]

Once John Lennon called and praised Pandemonium Shadow Show, which he had listened to in a 36-hour marathon.^[3] Paul McCartney called the following day, also expressing his admiration. Eventually a message came, inviting him to London to meet the Beatles, watch them at work, and possibly sign with Apple Corps.

Pandemonium Shadow Show was followed in 1968 by Aerial Ballet, an album that included Nilsson's rendition of Fred Neil's song "Everybody's Talkin'". A minor US hit at the time of release (and a top 40 hit in Canada), the song would become extremely popular a year later when it was featured in the film Midnight Cowboy, and it would earn Nilsson his first Grammy Award.^[4] The song would also become Nilsson's first US top 10 hit, reaching #6, and his first Canadian #1.

Aerial Ballet also contained Nilsson's version of his own composition, "One", which was later taken to the top 5 of the US charts by Three Dog Night and also successfully covered in Australia by John Farnham. Nilsson was also commissioned at this time to write and perform the theme song for the ABC television series The Courtship of Eddie's Father. The result, "Best Friend", was very popular, but Nilsson never released the song on record; the original version of the song (entitled "Girlfriend") was recorded during the making of Aerial Ballet but not included on that LP, and it eventually appeared on the 1995 Personal Best anthology. Late in 1968, The Monkees' notorious experimental film Head premiered, featuring a memorable song-and-dance sequence with Davy Jones and Toni Basil performing Nilsson's composition "Daddy's Song." (This is followed by Frank Zappa's cameo as "The Critic," who dismisses the 1920s-style tune as "pretty white.")^[2]

With the success of Nilsson's RCA recordings, Tower re-issued or re-packaged many of their early Nilsson recordings in various formats. All of these re-issues failed to chart, including a 1969 single "Good Times".^[2]

Chart success[link]

Nilsson's next album, Harry (1969), was his first to hit the charts, and also provided a Top 40 single with "I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City" (written as a contender for the theme to Midnight Cowboy), used in the Sophia Loren movie La Mortadella (1971) (US title: Lady Liberty). While the album still presented Nilsson as primarily a songwriter, his astute choice of cover material included, this time, a song by a then-little-known composer named Randy Newman, "Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear." Nilsson was so impressed with Newman's talent that he devoted his entire next album to Newman compositions, with Newman himself playing piano behind Nilsson's multi-tracked vocals.^[3] The result, Nilsson Sings Newman (1970), was commercially disappointing but was named Record of the Year by Stereo Review magazine and provided momentum to Newman's career.^[3] The self-produced Nilsson Sings Newman also marked the end of his collaboration with RCA staff producer Rick Jarrard, who recounted in the Nilsson documentary that the partnership was terminated by a phone call from Nilsson, who abruptly informed Jarrard that he wanted to work with other producers, and the two never met or spoke again.^[2]

Nilsson's next project was an animated film, The Point!, created with animation director Fred Wolf, and broadcast on ABC television on February 2, 1971, as an "ABC Movie of the Week". Nilsson's self-produced album of songs from The Point! was well received, and it spawned a hit single, "Me and My Arrow".^[2]

Later that year, Nilsson went to England with producer Richard Perry to record what became the most successful album of his career. Nilsson Schmilsson yielded three very stylistically different hit singles. The first was a cover of Badfinger's song "Without You" (by Pete Ham and Tom Evans), featuring a highly emotional arrangement and soaring vocals to match - recorded, according to Perry, in a single take.^[2] His superb performance was rewarded with Nilsson's second Grammy Award.^[4]

The second single was "Coconut", a novelty calypso number featuring three characters (the narrator, the sister, and the doctor) all sung (at Perry's suggestion^[2]) in different voices by Nilsson. The song is best remembered for its chorus lyric, "Put de lime in de coconut, and drink 'em both up." Also notable is that the entire song is played using one chord, C 7th.

The third single, "Jump into the Fire", was raucous, screaming rock and roll, including a drum solo by Derek and the Dominos' Jim Gordon and a bass detuning by Herbie Flowers.

Nilsson followed quickly with Son of Schmilsson (1972), released while its predecessor was still in the charts. Besides the problem of competing with himself, Nilsson was by then ignoring most of Perry's production advice^[2] and his decision to give free rein to his bawdiness and bluntness on this release alienated some of his earlier, more conservative fan base. With lyrics like "I sang my balls off for you, baby", "Roll the world over / And give her a kiss and a feel", and the notorious "You're breaking my heart / You're tearing it apart / So fuck you"- a reference to his ongoing divorce, Nilsson had traveled far afield from his earlier work. Still, the album reached 12 in the US Hot 100 and the single "Spaceman" was a Top 40 hit. However, the follow-up single "Remember (Christmas)" stalled at #53. A third single, the tongue-in-cheek C&W send up "Joy", was issued on RCA's country imprint Green and credited to Buck Earle, but it failed to chart.^[2]

Maverick[link]

Nilsson's disregard for commercialism in favor of artistic satisfaction showed itself in his next release, A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night (1973). Performing a selection of pop standards by the likes of Berlin, Kalmar and Ruby, Nilsson sang in front of an orchestra arranged and conducted by veteran Gordon Jenkins in sessions produced by Derek Taylor. This musical endeavor did not do well commercially. The session was filmed, and broadcast as a television special by the BBC in the UK.^[2]

1973 found Nilsson back in California, and when John Lennon moved there during his separation from Yoko Ono, the two musicians rekindled their earlier friendship. Lennon was intent upon producing Nilsson's next album, much to Nilsson's delight. However, their time together in California became known much more for heavy drinking and drug use than it did for musical collaboration. In a widely publicized incident, they were ejected from the Troubadour nightclub in West Hollywood for drunken heckling of the Smothers Brothers.^[6] Both men also caused property damage during binges, with Lennon trashing a bedroom in Lou Adler's house, and Nilsson throwing a bottle through a 30-foot-high hotel window.

To make matters worse, Nilsson ruptured a vocal cord during the sessions for this album, but he hid the injury for fear that Lennon would call a halt to the production. The resulting album was Pussy Cats. In an effort to clean up,^[2] Lennon, Nilsson and Ringo Starr first rented a house together, then Lennon and Nilsson left for New York.^[2]

After the relative failure of his latest two albums, RCA Records considered dropping Nilsson's contract. In a show of friendship, Lennon accompanied Nilsson to negotiations, and both intimated to RCA that Lennon and Starr might want to sign with them, once their Apple Records contracts with EMI expired in 1975, but would not be interested if Nilsson were no longer with the label.^[3] RCA took the hint and re-signed Nilsson (adding a bonus clause, to apply to each new album completed), but neither Lennon nor Starr signed with RCA.

Nilsson's voice had mostly recovered by his next release, Duit on Mon Dei (1975), but neither it nor its follow-ups, Sandman and ...That's the Way It Is (both 1976) met with chart success. Finally, Nilsson recorded what he later considered to be his favorite album, 1977's Knnillssonn. With his voice strong again, and his songs exploring musical territory reminiscent of Harry or The Point!, Nilsson anticipated Knnillssonn to be a comeback album. RCA seemed to agree, and promised Nilsson a substantial marketing campaign for the album. However, the death of Elvis Presley caused RCA to ignore everything except meeting demand for Presley's back catalog, and the promised marketing push never happened^{[citation needed]}. This, combined with RCA releasing a Nilsson Greatest Hits collection without consulting him, prompted Nilsson to leave the label.^[2]

London flat[link]

Nilsson's 1970s London flat, at Flat #12, 9 Curzon Street on the edge of Mayfair, was a two-bedroom apartment decorated by the design company that Starr and Robin Cruikshank owned at that time. Nilsson cumulatively spent several years at the flat, which was located near Apple Records, the Playboy Club, Tramps disco and the homes of friends and business associates. Nilsson's work and interests took him to the US for extended periods, and while he was away he lent his place to numerous musician friends. During one of his absences, ex-Mamas and Papas singer Cass Elliot and a few members of her tour group stayed at the flat while she performed solo at the London Palladium, headlining with her Torch Songs and "Don't Call Me Mama Anymore." Following a strenuous performance with encores, Elliot returned to the flat to relax and sleep and was discovered in one of the bedrooms, dead of heart failure at 32, on July 29, 1974.^[3]

On September 7, 1978, The Who's drummer Keith Moon returned to the same room in the flat after a night out, and died at 32 from an overdose of Clomethiazole, a prescribed anti-alcohol drug.^[3] Nilsson, distraught over another friend's death in his flat, and having little need for the property, sold it to Moon's bandmate Pete Townshend and consolidated his life in Los Angeles.

Winding down[link]

Nilsson's musical work after leaving RCA Victor was sporadic. He wrote a musical, Zapata, with Perry Botkin, Jr., libretto by Allan Katz, which was produced and directed by longtime friend Bert Convy. The show was mounted at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut, but never had another production. He wrote all the songs for Robert Altman's movie-musical Popeye (1980),^[3] the score of which met with unfavorable reviews. Nilsson's Popeye compositions included several songs that were representative of Nilsson's acclaimed "Point" era, such as "Everything is Food" and "Sweethaven". The song "He Needs Me" featured years later in the film Punch-Drunk Love. Nilsson recorded one more album, Flash Harry, co-produced by Bruce Robb and Steve Cropper, which was released in the UK but not in the US. From this point onward, Nilsson increasingly began referring to himself as a "retired musician".

Nilsson was profoundly affected by the death of John Lennon on December 8, 1980. He joined the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and overcame his preference for privacy to make appearances for gun control fundraising. He began to appear at Beatlefest conventions and he would get on stage with the Beatlefest house band "Liverpool" to either sing some of his own songs or "Give Peace a Chance."^[2]

After a long hiatus from the studio, Nilsson started recording sporadically once again in the mid to late 1980s. Most of these recordings were commissioned songs for movies or television shows. One notable exception was his work on a Yoko Ono Lennon tribute album, Every Man Has A Woman (1984) (Polydor); another was a cover of "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" recorded for Hal Willner's 1988 tribute album Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films. Nilsson donated his performance royalties from the song to the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.^[2]

In 1985 Nilsson set up a production company, Hawkeye, to oversee various film, TV and multimedia projects he was involved in. He appointed his friend, satirist and screenwriter Terry Southern, as one of the principals. They collaborated on a number of screenplays including Obits (a Citizen Kane-style story about a journalist investigating an obituary notice) and The Telephone, a comedy about an unhinged unemployed actor.^[2]

The Telephone was virtually the only Hawkeye project that made it to the screen. It had been written with Robin Williams in mind but he turned it down; comedian-actress Whoopi Goldberg then signed on, with Southern's friend Rip Torn directing, but the project was troubled. Torn battled with Goldberg, who interfered in the production and constantly digressed from the script during shooting, and Torn was forced to plead with her to perform takes that stuck to the screenplay. Torn, Southern and Nilsson put together their own version of the film, which screened at the Sundance Film Festival in early 1988, but it was overtaken by the "official" version from the studio, and this version premiered to poor reviews in late January 1988. The project reportedly had some later success when adapted as a theatre piece in Germany.^[7]

In 1990, Hawkeye floundered and Nilsson found himself in a dire financial situation after it was discovered that his financial adviser Cindy Sims had embezzled all the funds he had earned as a recording artist. The Nilssons were left with $300 in the bank and a mountain of debt, while Sims served less than two years and was released from prison in 1994 without making restitution.^[8]

In 1991, the Disney CD For Our Children, a compilation of children's music performed by celebrities to benefit the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, included Nilsson's original composition "Blanket for a Sail," recorded at the Shandaliza Recording Studio in Los Angeles.^[2]

Nilsson made his last concert appearance September 1, 1992, when he joined Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band on stage at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada to sing "Without You" with Todd Rundgren handling the high notes. Afterwards, an emotional Ringo Starr embraced Nilsson on stage.^[2]

Death[link]

Nilsson suffered a massive heart attack in 1993. After surviving that, he began pressing his old label, RCA, to release a boxed-set retrospective of his career, and resumed recording, attempting to complete one final album. He finished the vocal tracks for the album with producer Mark Hudson, who still retains the tapes of that session.

Nilsson died of heart failure on January 15, 1994 in his Agoura Hills, California, home.

In 1995, the 2-CD anthology he worked on with RCA, Personal Best, was released.^[2]

Legacy[link]

Nilsson is the subject of a 2006 documentary, Who is Harry Nilsson? (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him) produced by David Leaf and John Schienfeld. The film was screened in 2006 at the Seattle International Film Festival and the Santa Barbara Film Festival. In August 2006, the film received its Los Angeles premiere when it was screened at the 7th Annual Mods & Rockers Film Festival followed by a panel discussion about Nilsson featuring the filmmakers and two friends of Nilsson, producer Richard Perry and attorney/executive producer Lee Blackman.^[2]

The filmmakers re-edited the film with found rare footage of Nilsson, further interviews, and family photographs, and finally released it on September 17, 2010 at selected theaters in the United States. A DVD, including additional footage not in the theatrical release, was released on October 26, 2010.^[2]

As of July 2010^[update], Nilsson's final album, tentatively titled Papa's Got a Brown New Robe (produced by Mark Hudson) has not been released, though several demos from the album are available on promotional CDs and online.^[2]

The musical Everyday Rapture features three songs by Nilsson.

Nilsson was survived by his third wife, Una (née O'Keeffe), and their six children (Annie, Beau, Ben, Kief, Olivia, Oscar), his son Zachary Nine Nilsson from his marriage to Diane Clatworthy, and one grandson (Caleb). He was married to Sandy Maganiello (1964 to 1966), Diane Clatworthy (1969 to 1974) and Una O'Keeffe (1976 to his passing in 1994).

Awards and nominations[link]

Nilsson won two Grammy Awards. He received several more Grammy nominations for the album Nilsson Schmilsson.^[9]

The New York Post rated Nilsson's cover of Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talking" #51 on their list of the 100 Best Cover Songs of All Time.^[10]

Discography[link]

Tribute albums[link]

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2012)

• Nilsson by Tipton (1970, Warner Bros. Records), Although it may not be considered a tribute, it featured George Tipton conducting instrumental versions of 11 Nilsson songs.

• For The Love of Harry: Everybody Sings Nilsson^[11] (1995, MusicMasters/BMG), featured Nilsson's songs performed by Ringo Starr, Stevie Nicks, Richard Barone, Brian Wilson, Aimee Mann, Fred Schneider, and others, with proceeds benefitting the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.

• "Pussy Cats" Starring The Walkmen. The whole of the Pussy Cats album covered by The Walkmen.

• I'll Never Leave You: A Tribute to Harry Nilsson (2005 Wood Records). A percentage of profits from sales of the CD went to benefit Amnesty International.

Filmography[link]

Note: this section is for songs Nilsson recorded specifically for film and television projects, as well as his few acting roles. Later use of Nilsson recordings are listed in the next section.

• Skidoo (1968) songs written and performed, soundtrack music composer, actor (bit role)
• The Ghost & Mrs. Muir (1969 TV Series) acted and sang—He appeared in the episode "The Music Maker", and his character name was Tim Seagirt. He sang "Without Her" and "If Only I Could Touch Your Hand."
• The Courtship of Eddie's Father (TV series, 1969–1972) theme song written and performed, incidental music
• Midnight Cowboy (1969) new version of "Everybody's Talkin'" performed
• Jenny (1970) song "Waiting" written and performed
• The Point! (1971) story, all songs written and performed
• Son of Dracula (1974) actor (lead role), all songs performed
• The World's Greatest Lover (1978) song "Ain't It Kinda Wonderful" performed
• In God We Tru$t (1980) new version of "Good For God" performed
• Popeye (1980) all songs written, except "I'm Popeye the Sailor Man"
• Handgun (1983) song "Lay Down Your Arms" written and performed
• First Impressions, (TV series, 1988) theme song co-written, performed
• Camp Candy (TV series, animated, 1989–1991) theme song written, and performed with John Candy
• The Fisher King (1991) song "How About You" performed
• Me, Myself, and I (1992) song "Me, Myself and I" written and performed

In film and television[link]

• The Monkees (1967, 2nd season) - "Cuddly Toy" (cover version by The Monkees)
• Head (1968) - "Daddy's Song" (cover version by The Monkees)
• The Ghost & Mrs. Muir (TV series) 1969 - "Without Her" and fragments of other songs
• Midnight Cowboy (1969) - "Everybody's Talkin'"
• Dusty and Sweets McGee (1971) - "Don't Leave Me"
• La Mortadella (1971) - "I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City"
• The Muppet Show (1979, episode 410) - "Coconut"
• All That Jazz (1979) - "Perfect Day"
• Real Life (1979) - "Jump Into the Fire"
• Porridge (film version, 1979) - "Without You"
• Popeye (1980) - Soundtrack—all songs
• Ziggy's Gift (1982) - "Ziggy's Gift"
• Only Fools And Horses The Jolly Boys' Outing (1989) - "Everybody's Talkin'"
• Private School for Girls (1983) - "You're Breakin' My Heart"
• Goodfellas (1990) - "Jump Into the Fire"
• Reservoir Dogs (1992) - "Coconut"
• Caroline (animated short, 1993) - "Caroline"
• Forrest Gump (1994) - "Everybody's Talkin'"
• Duckman (1994 episode) - "Best Friend"
• Casino (1995) - "Without You"
• Seinfeld (1995 episode) - "Everybody's Talkin'"
• Beverly Hills, 90210 (1995 episode) - "Remember"
• The Craft (1996) - "Jump Into The Fire"(covered by Tripping Daisy)
• Angel on My Shoulder (1997)
• Contact (1997) - "Spaceman"
• Ellen Foster (1997) - "Remember"
• The Ice Storm (1997) - "Coconut"
• Practical Magic (1998) - "Coconut"
• You've Got Mail (1998) - "I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City", "Remember", "The Puppy Song", "Over The Rainbow"
• Dick (1999) - "Coconut"
• Futurama - Brannigan Begin Again (1999) - "Everybody's Talkin"
• Magnolia (1999) - "One" (Aimee Mann's cover version opens with a sample from Cuddly Toy)
• High Fidelity (2000) - "The Moonbeam Song"
• Bridget Jones' Diary (2001) - "Without You"
• Riding in Cars with Boys (2001) - "Everything's Got 'Em", "Me And My Arrow"
• Black Books - "Everybody's Talkin'"
• Punch-Drunk Love (2002) - "He Needs Me" (Shelley Duvall's version from Popeye)
• The Rules of Attraction (2002) - "Without You"
• Shanghai Knights (2003) - "One"
• Good Boy! (2003) - "The Puppy Song"
• Daddy Day Care (2003) - Jeff Garlin entertains the kids with "Coconut"
• That '70s Show (2004) - "Best Friend"
• Around the Bend (2004) - "Daddy's Song"
• The Girl Next Door (2004) - "Jump Into the Fire"
• House (2004) - "One"
• Max & Paddy's Road To Nowhere (UK) (2004, Series 1, episode 2) - "Everybody's Talkin'"
• Coke with Lime Ad (2005) - altered version of "Coconut"
• Breakfast on Pluto (2005) - "Me And My Arrow", "You're Breakin' My Heart", "The Moonbeam Song"
• Beyond Our Control (1967–1986) - "Remember" Closing theme for the series
• Little Man (2006) - "Best Friend"
• Crank (2006) - "Everybody's Talkin'"
• Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006) - "Everybody's Talkin'"
• Rob & Big (2006) - "Best Friend"
• American Dad (2006 episode 2.08) - "Everybody's Talkin'"
• A Good Year (2007) - "How Can I Be Sure Of You" "Jump Into The Fire", "Gotta Get Up"
• Unison TV Advert (2007) - "One"
• DigitalUK TV Advert (2007) - "Everybody's Talkin'"
• My Name is Earl (2008 episode) - "Me And My Arrow"
• Life on Mars (2008 episode) - "Spaceman"
• Confessions Of A Shopaholic (2009) - "Don't Forget Me" (covered by Macy Gray)
• 44 Inch Chest (2009) - "Without You"
• You Don't Know Jack (film) (2010) - "Early in the Morning"
• Bones (TV series), 2011) - "Coconut"
• Red Dog (film), 2011) - "Jump Into The Fire"

References[link]

External links[link]

• For The Love Of Harry (rare recordings, articles, videos, photos)
• The Harry Nilsson Web Pages: A Little Touch of Schmilsson on the Net
• RareHarry: Email discussion group covering rare Harry Nilsson audio and video recordings
• Harry Nilsson Discography/Bibliography
• Harry Nilsson at the Internet Movie Database
• Podcast featuring Harry Nilsson
• "One Last Touch of Nilsson" by Dawn Eden (Goldmine magazine, April 29, 1994)
• Bruce Robb (producer)