Maps of Music

Nilsson Schmilsson (1971)

Where the lyrics of Nilsson Schmilsson take you, and where it was really made.

Its best-known hit, Without You, was written by two members of another band, Badfinger, not by Nilsson himself.

Key places

Trident Studios, London (1971)

Recording site Trident Studios — Most of the album was recorded at Trident Studios in London. Robin Geoffrey Cable engineered the sessions there. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

RCA Studios, Hollywood (1971)

Recording site The Music Grinder (Hollywood) — Early in the Morning and I'll Never Leave You were recorded at RCA Studios in Hollywood, not at the London sessions. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Nilsson Schmilsson is the seventh studio album by American singer Harry Nilsson
• Released by RCA Records on November 11, 1971
• Nilsson's most commercially successful work
• Produced three of his best-known songs
• The number 1 hit Without You was written by Pete Ham and Tom Evans of the group Badfinger
• Jump into the Fire and Coconut, both written by Nilsson, also became hits

Background

• The album was the first of two Nilsson albums recorded in London and produced by Richard Perry
• Most of the recording took place at Trident Studios in London
• Early in the Morning and I'll Never Leave You were recorded at RCA Studios in Hollywood
• Nilsson sang lead vocals on the album and played piano, Mellotron and organ on several tracks
• Gary Wright, Jim Webb and Klaus Voormann appear among the session players

Recording

• Produced by Richard Perry
• Robin Geoffrey Cable was the engineer at Trident Studios
• Richie Schmitt was the engineer at RCA Studios
• Phill Brown worked as an additional engineer at Island Studios

Cover

• Graphics by Acy Lehman
• Photography by Dean Torrence

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · ja.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

• Coconut reached number 8 in the United States and number 42 in the United Kingdom
• Jump into the Fire reached number 27 in the United States
• The album reached number 3 on the Billboard 200

Reappraisal

• In 2006, Nilsson Schmilsson was ranked number 84 on Pitchfork's Top 100 Albums of the 1970s
• The album was ranked number 281 in the 2020 revision of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list

Records

• The album performed well at the 1973 Grammy Awards, earning a nomination for Album of the Year
• Without You won the Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
• Without You reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and on the UK singles chart
• The album was certified gold by the RIAA in March 1972

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · ja.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The album came with an 82x51cm black and white poster, with catalogue numbers reversed out of the bottom left corner
• Jump into the Fire was used in the film Goodfellas (1990)
• The album is described as Nilsson's most commercially successful work, producing three of his best-known songs
• It was the first of two Nilsson albums recorded in London and produced by Richard Perry

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

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