Maps of Music

Aerial Ballet (1968)

Where the lyrics of Aerial Ballet take you, and where it was really made.

The album's opening track was pulled from the first copies because The Monkees had paid $35,000 for exclusive rights to that song.

Key places

Where Aerial Ballet was recorded (1968)

Recording site The Music Grinder (Hollywood) — Aerial Ballet was recorded at RCA Victor's Music Center of the World in Hollywood, California. The pin marks the city centre, not the exact building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Third studio album by Harry Nilsson, released July 1968
• Nilsson's second album for RCA Victor
• Title taken from the highwire circus act of his grandparents
• Almost entirely songs written by Nilsson
• The one cover is Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talkin'"
• Title cited by Joey Kramer as the inspiration for Aerosmith's name

Background

• The original opening number was "Daddy's Song"
• Removed after the first copies were issued, because The Monkees had recorded a cover version for their film Head
• The Monkees had paid $35,000 for exclusive rights to the song
• "One" later became a number five hit for Three Dog Night
• During a 1968 London visit, John Lennon played Nilsson demos and White Album selections

Recording

• Recorded at RCA Victor's Music Center of the World, Hollywood, California
• Stereo DYNAGROOVE recording
• Producer: Rick Jarrard; arrangements by George Tipton
• Engineers: Brian Christian, Grover Helsley, Allen Zentz, Hank McGill

Cover

• Artwork and cover illustration by Dick Hendler

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · it.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

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 in July 1968 as Nilsson's third studio album
• Its single "Everybody's Talkin'" came out in North America in 1968
• In Canada the single reached the top forty
• In the US the single initially flopped

Reappraisal

• The song was later selected for the Oscar-winning film Midnight Cowboy
• After that use it became one of Nilsson's biggest hits as a performer
• It reached the US top ten in 1969
• Nilsson's "One" later became a number five hit for Three Dog Night

Records

• Canada: "Everybody's Talkin'" single in the top forty
• United States: initial flop, then US top ten in 1969

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · ko.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The original opening track "Daddy's Song" was removed after the first copies were issued.
• "Everybody's Talkin'" is the only track on the album not written by Nilsson.
• When Nilsson visited London in 1968, John Lennon played him "Revolution" and White Album selections.
• Nilsson in return played Lennon a demo of Aerial Ballet.

Sources: ko.wikipedia.org · it.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org

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