Maps of Music

Duit on Mon Dei (1975)

Where the lyrics of Duit on Mon Dei take you, and where it was really made.

The title pun 'Duit on Mon Dei' was first used on the cover of Ringo Starr's 1973 album Ringo, before Nilsson adopted it for his own album.

Key places

Recording site in Hollywood (1975)

Recording site The Music Grinder (Hollywood) — The album was recorded at RCA's Music Center of the World in Hollywood, California. The point is placed at city-center level, so the exact building is not marked. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Duit on Mon Dei: eleventh album by American singer and songwriter Harry Nilsson
• Released by RCA Victor in March 1975
• Provisional title God's Greatest Hits was not approved by RCA Records management
• Title is a punning spelling of "Do It On Monday"
• Pun plays on the British Monarchy's motto Dieu et mon droit (God and my right)

Background

• The pun was first used on the cover of Ringo Starr's 1973 album Ringo
• Nilsson drew inspiration from Van Dyke Parks' Trinidadian musical explorations
• Nilsson and Parks had a longtime familiarity with the session players
• Parks had worked with the session players throughout 1974

Recording

• First time Nilsson acted as his own producer since 1971
• Parks described his role as Nilsson's "musical secretary", translating fragmentary concepts into fully realized compositions
• Music historian Richard Henderson said Parks' organizational skills were vital during the chaotic, drug-fueled sessions
• Session players included Jesse Ed Davis, Jim Keltner, Bobby Keys and Klaus Voormann
• "Turn Out the Light" was an older demo reworked by Parks and arranger Fredric Myrow with steel pans and brass to evoke a Caribbean aesthetic
• "Kojak Columbo" was a new original co-developed by Parks and Dr. John
• "Good for God" was expanded from a spontaneous studio exchange and originated by Parks
• Plans for live performances involving Parks, the studio ensemble, Jesse Ed Davis and Ringo Starr were abandoned due to challenges securing Nilsson's ideal venue
• Recorded in RCA's Music Center of the World, Hollywood, California

Sources: en.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

• Robert Christgau of The Village Voice compared Nilsson's production style unfavorably to "an audio salesman"
• The criticism targeted the production approach, the area where Nilsson took on the producer role for the first time since 1971

Reappraisal

• The A.V. Club retrospectively dubbed the album "vastly underrated"
• The retrospective verdict contrasts with the production criticism from the time of release
• Van Dyke Parks' role as the musical secretary shaped the sound that critics discussed
• Parks' organizational work during the chaotic sessions is cited by music historian Richard Henderson as vital to the album

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The provisional title God's Greatest Hits was proposed, but RCA Records management did not approve it
• The title pun was originally used on the cover of Ringo Starr's 1973 album Ringo
• 'Easier for Me' had been recorded earlier by Ringo Starr as 'Easy for Me' on Goodnight Vienna
• 'Good for God' was later re-recorded for In God We Tru$t
• The 8-track tape version places excerpts of 'Salmon Falls' through Programs 1 and 2 and closes with 'Turn Out The Light (Reprise)'
• 'Jesus Christ You're Tall' is a demo version, later re-recorded on Sandman

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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