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Pandemonium Shadow Show (1967)

Where the lyrics of Pandemonium Shadow Show take you, and where it was really made.

Nilsson wanted to title this album after Ray Bradbury's novel, but permission never arrived in time, so a sideshow name from the book was used instead.

Key places

Recorded at RCA Victor's Hollywood studio (1967)

Recording site The Music Grinder (Hollywood) — The album was recorded in RCA Victor's Hollywood studio. The point is set at the Hollywood city center, not at the exact studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Pandemonium Shadow Show: second studio album by American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson
• Released December 1967 on RCA Victor
• First product of Nilsson's three-year, $50,000 recording contract with RCA Victor
• Mix of original Nilsson songs and covers
• Covers include Phil Spector's “River Deep – Mountain High” and two Beatles songs, “She's Leaving Home” and “You Can't Do That”

Background

• Nilsson had hoped to use the title Something Wicked This Way Comes
• Permission from Ray Bradbury had not arrived by the release date, so a lesser-known title was chosen
• The chosen title names a circus sideshow appearing in Bradbury's novel
• Earlier records used Nilsson's voice far less; this album used the full potential of his voice in the studio
• The voice became what was described as a “chorus of ninety-eight voices”
• Other covers include songs by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, and by Cliff Hess, Howard Johnson and Milton Ager

Recording

• Recorded in RCA Victor's Hollywood studio
• George Tipton handled arrangements; Perry Botkin Jr. arranged “Freckles” and “It's Been So Long”
• Musicians include Dr. John, Lyle Ritz, Mike Deasy and Milt Holland
• Engineer Dick Bogert

Cover

• Photography by Jeff Gold
• Photography montage by Donald Burgess

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · ko.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

• Pandemonium Shadow Show, Harry Nilsson's second studio album, released December 1967 on RCA Victor
• The album debuted to little public attention in the US or the UK
• It was an immediate hit in Canada, where “You Can't Do That” was a top 10 hit
• Beatles publicist Derek Taylor heard “1941” on his car radio while waiting for his wife at the supermarket
• Taylor enjoyed the track, ordered a case of copies, and sent them to industry people he believed would be interested
• The Beatles were among those who received copies; they later invited Nilsson to London and helped further his career

Records

• A cover of “1941” by Tom Northcott charted in both Canada and the US in 1968
• Edoardo Bennato also covered “1941” in the same period, with text translated into Italian
• The Monkees covered “Cuddly Toy” (on their fourth album) and later “Daddy's Song” (on Head), after Chip Douglas introduced Nilsson to them
• Blood, Sweat and Tears covered “Without Her” on Child Is Father to the Man
• Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass covered “Without Her” on Warm, and the supergroup Beckley-Lamm-Wilson covered it on Like a Brother
• Nilsson's early work sold better after hits like “Without You” and albums like Nilsson Schmilsson
• In 1971 Nilsson revamped several tracks from his first two albums for Aerial Pandemonium Ballet, one of the first remix albums

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Nilsson wanted the title Something Wicked This Way Comes, but Ray Bradbury's permission came too late, so a lesser-known sideshow title was used
• Nilsson's voice was used so fully in the studio that it was described as a chorus of ninety-eight voices
• Derek Taylor's copies, sent to industry people, reached the Beatles, who later invited Nilsson to London
• Chip Douglas introduced Nilsson to the Monkees, whom he was producing; Nilsson gave them an impromptu audition
• The Monkees covered two of his songs and became his friends

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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