Harry Nilsson famously refused to ever perform live. Despite being gifted with an acrobatic golden voice and an ear for picking, plucking and perfecting pop songs of many genres, he simply would not do it.
There's a fair amount of speculation as to why such a talented artist would refuse to go on the road. Some simply chalk it up to nerves, others ego. Nilsson himself described it as not wanting to have to be 'on' for an audience. He said it was the job of other musicians to tour- not his.
Out of this blanket refusal came the 1971 BBC special The Music Of Nilsson. The BBC offered Harry full control over the studio space while recording live solo renditions of a number of his songs, alongside a few doctored with effects (such as a triple tracked harmony piece shown as three Nilsson's singing at a piano or fake audience sound effects).
The performance is a virtuoso showcase of Harry's talents, as can be seen in today's Best Song Ever- the medley of Mr. Richland's Favorite Song and Nilsson's famous hit One.
In just a little over three and a half minutes Harry allows his piano to twirl and tangle city streets and nightclubs around your ears as he sets down the fall of a pop singer to a blues rag. When he nimbly glides into the chorus of One, it becomes the song sung by the ill fated protagonist. Finally, as he draws the tale to a close he finishes with one of the Best Scat Solos Ever, a perfect balance of flair and elegance.
Sadly this record of Nilsson's live abilities has yet to be released in any official format. Forunately the good folks over at For The Love Of Harry have collated streaming and downloadable versions of the video alongside mp3's of the whole set for free.
Loving and lovely piece, Dashiell
ReplyDeleteThank you!