Harris/Waltz Advertisement Uses "Best Friend"
On September 19, 2024, the Kamala Harris presidential campaign released a video showing clips of rival Donald Trump praising Mark Robinson a gubernatorial candidate under scrutiny for posting inflammatory comments on a pornography website. Nilsson's "Best Friend" plays throughout the short video.
Best friends ❤️ pic.twitter.com/baS5sRfzIo
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) September 19, 2024
The video was posted on X (Twitter) but later superceded by a longer TV commercial without Nilsson's song.
Herbie Flowers - "Jump Into the Fire" Bass Player - Has Died
Herbie Flowers died on September 5, 2024, at the age of 86. Flowers was a member of several groups including Blue Mink, T. Rex, and Sky. As a session musician, he played bass guitar, double bass, and tuba on recordings for artists including Elton John, David Bowie, Lou Reed, David Essex, Al Kooper, Bryan Ferry, Cat Stevens, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and Harry Nilsson.
Flowers played bass on Nilsson's Nilsson Schmilsson album and created the famous "detuning bass" part in "Jump into the Fire."
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]
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.
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.
Paul Williams recorded the short song "Nilsson Sings Newman" which mentions both Harry Nilsson and Randy Newman:
You don't like Schumann
Or Randy Newman
And Nilsson's not your cup of tea
You say Van Heusen is the shirt worth choosin'
But you're still undecided about me ....
We went to England to do a television show, Kenny was a member of my band. And when we got there, there was a problem with the work permits. So the guys in my band couldn't play. I had to use local musicians. So, Kenny's sitting around with nothing to do in a hotel in London. So, we're sitting there, and we're having a few drinks, because that's what I did in those days. I'm 17 years sober. [But] in those days I drank. We're sitting around and we're talking about writers, and we all love Cole Porter and a certain kind of writer and all. And we started talking about Harry Nilsson and Randy Newman. I loved Harry, but every time I tried to tell Harry how much I loved his songs, he would always tell me, 'No, here's the great writer,' and he'd play me Randy Newman, who I also loved.
So, Kenny and I wrote this little song, 'Do you love me, babe, do you love me not? Let's decide in the morning, not now. Boy, you don't like Shuman, or Randy Newman, Nilsson ain't your cup of tea. You think Van Heusen is a shirt worth choosin', but you're still undecided 'bout me. Bo-wo do you love me, babe, do you love me not, let's decide in the morning, not now.' It was really kind of a cute little song.
-- Paul Williams (2007) [1]
On June 15, 2001, the Loser's Lounge presented a "Tribute to Paul Williams" concert in New York. Williams himself appeared in the show and performed "Nilsson Sings Newman." As the short singer finished the short song, he said "That's too high a key. That's not the key I usually do it in. In the spirit of losers everywhere I did it in the wrong key. We've never, ever performed this song, ever, on stage before."
(June 15 was, is, of course, Harry Nilsson's birthday.)
Williams wrote the song with Kenny Ascher. It was released on Williams' Here Comes Inspiration album.
"Nilsson Sings Newman" by Paul Williams
