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Harry Nilsson News (2023-09-05)

The Dream Weaver Has Died

Gary Wright died at his home in Palos Verdes Estates, California, on September 4, 2023. Although best known for his solo hits "Dream Weaver" and "Love Is Alive" - and having been born and raised in the US - Wright first caught the attention of music fans as a member of the British band Spooky Tooth in the late 1960s. Wright left the band in early 1970 to begin a career as a solo artist and session musician.

In 1971 Harry Nilsson recorded "Without You" which was destined to be his biggest hit. Rick Wakeman played the piano for an early take of the song, Nilsson and his producer, Richard Perry, decided that Wakeman's track was "too busy, too complex."

So we replaced Rick Wakeman with Gary Wright and he began, just like you hear on the record, very simple. It was just right![1]

[1] Dan Matovina. Frances Glover Books (2000) "Without You: The Tragic Story of Badfinger"

Harry Nilsson News (2023-09-01)

The Lost Weekend: A Love Story Released on Home Video

A Blu-Ray of The Lost Weekend: A Love Story is being released in mid-October of 2023. It is currently available for pre-order from Amazon.com. The film is also available for purchase online through Amazon Prime.

Harry Nilsson News (2023-07-10)

Bob Segarini Has Died

Songwriter and performer, Bob Segarini, died in his sleep on July 10, 2023. He was 77 years of age.

Patty Faralla, a press agent for RCA, introduced Segarini to Harry Nilsson in 1965.

Harry and Bob wrote a song together. Segarini's group, Family Tree, released their version of "Miss Butter's Lament" on their 1968 album Miss Butters album. Nilsson's recording of the song went unreleased until 1995 when it appeared on the Personal Best - The Harry Nilsson Anthology album.

At Patty’s apartment the first time we met, we passed an old acoustic guitar back and forth and played our songs for one another. [...] Harry is dutifully impressed when I play him a tune or two. I hand him the guitar, and he starts singing: “Well in 1941 a happy father had a son.... [...] "Holy crap," I thought, "this guy is amazing."

In 1967, Bob introduced Harry to Diane Clatworthy, the secretary of the Family Tree fan club. Diane and Harry married on December 31, 1969, in Las Vegas.

Segarini wrote a song, "He Spins Around" about his friend, Harry Nilsson. It was released as the B-side of single in 1968 then on the CD release of the Miss Butters in 2007.

Harry and Bob's relationship soured in the mid to late 1970s as Harry's lifestyle became intertwined with the Beatles, drugs, and alcohol.

The last time I saw Harry was in line at the Carnegie Deli in New York. He was in front of me in an overcoat and I recognized the back of his head somehow. He was on his way to London to hang out, record, and move into Ringo’s flat for a while. He looked world weary, but still had the old twinkle in his eye. We reminisced while his limo idled out front, caught up, and had a few laughs waiting for our medium old fashioned (pastrami) on a Kaiser with double mustard, pickle on the side. When I asked after Diane, he said that they had gotten divorced, the twinkle in his eyes dimming, with what I could only imagine was caused by leaving his wife and young son behind, of abandoning them, of becoming his father.

Harry Nilsson News (2023-03-30)

Walk of Fame Star for Bill Bixby Campaign Meets Major Goal

Brandon Cruz's effort to have a star for Bill Bixby added to the Hollywood Walk of Fame has reached a major goal. The Go Fund Me account to raise money for the star has reached its goal and now the process for having the star approved and installed has begun.

You can follow the effort at:

https://m.facebook.com/100028543013324/

Harry Nilsson News (2023-03-13)

Drummer Jim Gordon Dies

Jim Gordon who contributed to several Harry Nilsson albums as a percussionist has died at the age of 77 on March 13, 2023.

More Harry Nilsson News ...

Featured Article of the Day

Duit On Mon Dei

By Curtis Armstrong and Diane Nilsson

Originally Published in Everybody's Talkin' Spring 1997

"Duit On Mon Dei" is a phrase which has intrigued Harry Nilsson fans for some time. Duit on Mon Dei is the name Harry gave to the album he had originally titled God's Greatest Hits.

Curtis:

Through one of those bizarre coincidences that seem to happen fairly frequently with this crowd, last weekend I discovered what I would like to think is an answer to the "Duit On Mon Dei" question. It's my theory that the phrase is a corruption of the Latin "Dieu Et Mon Droit," which translates as "God and My Right." Maxim Newmark's Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases reports that this was the motto of the Royal Arms of England, first assumed by Richard the First.

But, the weird part is this ... last Saturday I met an old and valued pal (not a Nilsson fan) in one of the legendary bars in these parts, Bob Burns (as in the "Bard of the North Country"). There is English and Scottish memorabilia festooning the place and, among the bric-a-brac, I spied my friend Dan taking nourishment at the big curved bar. He had been there for some time apparently and hailed me with much warmth and hilarity. He then pointed to a mounted coat-of-arms on the wall behind me. "Don't you love that motto?" he said. "Do it on Monday." I looked and sure enough, there was the phrase: "Dieu Et Mon Droit". Then I remembered hearing that Harry's mom lived in Santa Monica, which is where Bob Burns is located. I imagined Harry at that big curved bar back in the seventies, tossing back a few quick ones, and saying to a friend, "Don't you love that motto...?"

Diane Nilsson became aware of Curtis's musings on the topic and responded with:

Diane:

In response to questions a few weeks ago regarding "Duit On Mon Dei" and where it may have come from ...

Harry and I spent quite a few fun-filled days hanging out at the Apple offices on Saville Row in London in the fall of 1968. Most of the time we were visiting with Derek Taylor in the Apple press office. Derek handled all press/publicity issues for Apple and the Beatles - so it was a very busy place. Derek's office was full of secretaries and aides who were constantly fielding phone calls and it seemed that there were a million things going at once.

Amid this chaos, Derek put together a monthly in-house newsletter detailing Apple/Beatles doings.

The physical design of the newsletter is a copy and parody of position papers put out by the British government, called white papers. The insignia at the top of the white paper shows a lion and a unicorn holding up a circle with a shield inside and a crown on top. At their feet are the words "DIEU ET MON DROIT." On the Apple newsletter version, the circle becomes an apple, the shield has four beetles, musical notes and a record on it, and the words at the feet of the lion and unicorn are "DOIT ONMO NDAY."