Maps of Music

A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night (1973)

Where the lyrics of A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night take you, and where it was really made.

Harry Nilsson recorded this album of old standards about a decade before such records became popular again, and he later said his voice could not have done it much longer.

Key places

Where the album was recorded (1973)

Recording site Wild Bunch Studios (London) — The album was recorded at Wembley Studios, which the source places in London. The point shows the city centre, not the studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

New York recording studio (1973)

Recording site Record Plant Studios — The source links RCA Recording Studios to the album's recording. The point is set at New York City's centre, not at the studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night: 1973 album by American singer Harry Nilsson
• Collection of classic 20th-century standards
• Arranged by Gordon Jenkins, Frank Sinatra's arranger; produced by Derek Taylor
• Standards album made about a decade before such works became popular again
• Nilsson's seventh studio album, released June 1973 on RCA Victor

Background

• The project grew from a game: Nilsson and Taylor challenged each other to name the composers of obscure songs
• Richard Perry, producer of Nilsson's two previous albums, was unenthusiastic about a traditional pop album
• Perry judged the timing bad, given the weak critical and commercial results of the second of those albums compared with the first
• Perry had no involvement in the project
• Jenkins's arrangements use other standards as transitions between songs
• Some lyrics differ from the most popular versions
• Nilsson called the album God-like and the best he had been associated with
• He believed it was the last time his voice suited such a project

Recording

• Recorded at Wembley Studios
• Days after the recording, Nilsson recreated the material with a live orchestra for a BBC television special of the same name

Cover

• Cover photograph shot by Tom Hanley, known for his black and white shots of The Beatles
• Lapel buttons show Frank Wills and Nilsson's son Zak
• The flame from Nilsson's thumb refers to a Stan Laurel gag in the 1937 film Way Out West

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Harold Edward Nilsson III, born June 15, 1941 in Brooklyn, New York; known as Harry Nilsson.
• Moved to Los Angeles as a teenager; worked as a bank computer programmer while pursuing songwriting from 1962.
• Debuted on RCA Victor with Pandemonium Shadow Show (1967); collaborated with arranger George Tipton until 1971.

Career

• Known for a versatile tenor range, pioneering vocal overdubbing, Great American Songbook explorations, and Caribbean fusion sounds.
• Nine singles reached the US or UK top 40 between 1968 and 1974, including top 10 hits "Everybody's Talkin'", "Without You", and "Coconut".
• Won two Grammy Awards, for "Everybody's Talkin'" and "Without You".
• Nilsson Schmilsson and Son of Schmilsson were certified gold by the RIAA.
• Close friendships with John Lennon and Ringo Starr; Lennon produced Pussy Cats.
• Largely avoided touring and live concerts, a rarity among major pop-rock artists.
• Died of heart failure on January 15, 1994 in Agoura Hills, California, aged 52.
• Ranked 62nd in Rolling Stone's 2015 list of the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Released June 1973 on RCA Victor, according to German Wikipedia
• Produced by Derek Taylor, described there as a former Beatles press officer
• Nilsson used a full orchestra almost a decade before many other performers did
• The album had no live performance, because Nilsson did not want to give up his arsenal of studio effects

Reappraisal

• The Guardian praised the orchestration and the singer's simultaneously fragile and melancholy voice
• AllMusic also praised the outstanding use of the orchestra and called Nilsson a wonderful interpreter
• The album is often regarded as the best example of Nilsson's virtuosic singing

Records

• On the charts the album had only modest success

Sources: de.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Taylor recalled the Henry V quote from the title while the album was being recorded, and Stanley Dorfman suggested replacing "Harry" with "Schmilsson"
• Dorfman directed and produced the BBC TV special of the same name a few days later
• The special was filmed in one take at BBC Television Theatre, with Nilsson in the middle of an orchestra
• The album is dedicated to Frank Wills, the security guard who found the Watergate break-in
• The original gatefold back cover carries track-by-track commentary by Nilsson and producer Derek Taylor

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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