If you listen @ 0:20 right after the tap dancing it moves into the opening trombone slides of his later Best Friend. I dare you not to start singing; "People let me tell you 'bout my best friend..."
Does anyone remember Bill Bixby and the Courtship of Eddie's Father? It's right there at the beginning of my memories. Feels like I can almost remember a few episodes-yet I can't bring them up to my consciousness. All I can remember is this song at the opening credits and an image of Bill sitting with the kid.
@@carladiciaccio8955 yes. I figured that out shortly after I wrote that. Hadn't fully considered how many bad fathering songs he'd written. 1941 is definitely my favorite.
I at first thought this was the same song, but there is another similar-sounding song called Girlfriend, which I can't tell if it is from this album or an outtake, but this is what he changed the lyrics to become Best Friend. And include the brass. Or maybe all three are the same song... th-cam.com/video/40nKkWPQG6A/w-d-xo.html
As a kid in the late 70s and early 80s, that was one of my favorite shows, which was in syndication already, along with another favorite, My Favorite Martian. So this was around the time my other favorite show was on -- The Incredible Hulk. I had been watching them for probably a year or two before I realized Bill Bixby was the star of all 3 -- and Eddie's father was the same guy who was David Banner on The Hulk, and Tim on My Favorite Martian. I must have thought tv was all documentaries at such a young age or didn't understand the concept of acting. It was a mind-blowing revelation.
Too bad RCA cut this song from the album without Nilsson knowing. (They did it because it coincided with the Monkees cover of the song; they probably had more faith in that version suceeding,) although this version is much better and the one Nilsson did later on in Aerial Pandemonium Ballet just doesn't compare. The vinyl with this song is unfortunately extremely rare now, gotta release more of it.
This is perfection. The circus like happy music, the voice, the background words thrown in, the tempo; the entire way Nilsson sings & presents it makes the song all the more poignant. God bless Nilsson, too smart & talented for the suits who cut this from his record. He was more amazing than most realize. He died too young and "the daddy who went away.." had a hand in that, no matter how far back in his life. This world.... 😔
I'm glad they cut it and pissed that every version on youtube has it added. It doesn't fit with the tone of the rest of the album and 0:21 in it should connect flawlessly, flowing into the music at the opening of Good Old Desk. But the way it's done here makes the entire transition awkward & (AND) making it now the only damn flaw in the album- thanks a lot! I've owned several copies of the original and wish people would stop fucking with these albums! Make your damn catalogue up of all the songs not recorded on the original albums then peddle that to the dumb masses! This is a form of cancel culture! If you're going to add it at all, add it at the end....never part of the original album!!!!!
@@toddparke8535 No offense but that's a horrible take lol. This isn't some masterminded political scheme...The original copies of this album had Daddy's Song on it, so if you had a copy without Daddy's Song, then it wasn't an original copy. It was a reissue. Big difference. The original copy was how Harry meant the album to be put together. I also don't see how it doesn't fit with the rest of the album? It's not a dramatic style change. Is it that you're not used to hearing it with the rest of the songs?
@@HarryNilssonCatalogue Bullshit. I had original copies of this on order after owning Pandemonium Shadow Show and still have a copy in my storage space. This has been added because of "The Courtship of Eddie's Father" just like "Welcome Back" by John Sebastian has been added to Lovin' Spoonful albums to get any nitch that they can add to sell the album. Sell it to someone that will buy it, not here. And I am offended and if you feel offended by me, you should.
@@HarryNilssonCatalogue stop it at 0:21 then start it at the opening of Good Old Desk. The one should flow flawlessly into the next because Daddy's Song was never meant by Nilsson to be part of this album!
I feel they must have shared trauma. John lost his mother at a young age and Harry had complicated relationships with his parents from a young age... I can understand them bonding over such a topic that would make others regularly react with pity or sympathy but not with the understanding of having experienced such trauma from a young age
@@TheDevilYouDont Both Nilsson and McCartney had a genuine gift for writing melodies. It came relatively easy to them, and both can be heard on album 'outtakes' inventing new melodies for the songs even as they were being recorded...
"Most" fathers don't leave their children, they leave the crazy bitch they married. The women keeps the kids away (with the help of a onesided court system) from the man through any spiteful means and corrupts the child's mind and gives the child the mothers mindset, aka the mindset of a women. Look at Harry's mom's future, she was married and divorced several times after he Harry's dad walked out on his mom causing the kids to be bounced from home to home. Yet, he blames the father. He needed to apologize to his father and forgive his mother for what she did to all the kids and he would have found peace.
@@daniel.holbrook I'll have to reread up on my biology 😂. My wife murdered my son because we were divorcing and you say the man isn't a man for leaving? And if you think them leaving makes them not a man means your a Beta female and abusive one at that. What you said is a old tactic desperate women used to keep a good man locked down to a crazy bitch. Now if you said a "man" doesn't abandon his children even though he left his wife I'd understand that. But you know, because ya know, you're a manipulative bitch, women use kids as pawns ALL THE TIME! So go take your meds and bench press your Beta man a few times.
@@divineknowledge4607 genuinely heartbroken to hear that happened man, I know it's no consolation to hear that. I'm not gonna try and duke it out with you in TH-cam comments. I hope you're able to find peace someday
This song is so sad.
Amen. 👍🥺😟
Jim Gordon on drums for this entire record.
Unique style
Davy made it more dramatic with just a hint of nostalgic tenderness.
The one and only Harry N.
If you listen @ 0:20 right after the tap dancing it moves into the opening trombone slides of his later Best Friend. I dare you not to start singing; "People let me tell you 'bout my best friend..."
Does anyone remember Bill Bixby and the Courtship of Eddie's Father? It's right there at the beginning of my memories. Feels like I can almost remember a few episodes-yet I can't bring them up to my consciousness. All I can remember is this song at the opening credits and an image of Bill sitting with the kid.
“Best Friend” is a different song from this song and was the theme song for that TV show written by and sang by Harry Nilsson.
@@carladiciaccio8955 yes. I figured that out shortly after I wrote that. Hadn't fully considered how many bad fathering songs he'd written. 1941 is definitely my favorite.
I at first thought this was the same song, but there is another similar-sounding song called Girlfriend, which I can't tell if it is from this album or an outtake, but this is what he changed the lyrics to become Best Friend. And include the brass. Or maybe all three are the same song... th-cam.com/video/40nKkWPQG6A/w-d-xo.html
As a kid in the late 70s and early 80s, that was one of my favorite shows, which was in syndication already, along with another favorite, My Favorite Martian. So this was around the time my other favorite show was on -- The Incredible Hulk. I had been watching them for probably a year or two before I realized Bill Bixby was the star of all 3 -- and Eddie's father was the same guy who was David Banner on The Hulk, and Tim on My Favorite Martian. I must have thought tv was all documentaries at such a young age or didn't understand the concept of acting. It was a mind-blowing revelation.
Very Lennonesque
Someone mashup the Davy Jones vocals and this version
Too bad RCA cut this song from the album without Nilsson knowing. (They did it because it coincided with the Monkees cover of the song; they probably had more faith in that version suceeding,) although this version is much better and the one Nilsson did later on in Aerial Pandemonium Ballet just doesn't compare. The vinyl with this song is unfortunately extremely rare now, gotta release more of it.
This is perfection. The circus like happy music, the voice, the background words thrown in, the tempo; the entire way Nilsson sings & presents it makes the song all the more poignant. God bless Nilsson, too smart & talented for the suits who cut this from his record. He was more amazing than most realize. He died too young and "the daddy who went away.." had a hand in that, no matter how far back in his life. This world.... 😔
I'm glad they cut it and pissed that every version on youtube has it added. It doesn't fit with the tone of the rest of the album and 0:21 in it should connect flawlessly, flowing into the music at the opening of Good Old Desk. But the way it's done here makes the entire transition awkward & (AND) making it now the only damn flaw in the album- thanks a lot! I've owned several copies of the original and wish people would stop fucking with these albums! Make your damn catalogue up of all the songs not recorded on the original albums then peddle that to the dumb masses! This is a form of cancel culture! If you're going to add it at all, add it at the end....never part of the original album!!!!!
@@toddparke8535 No offense but that's a horrible take lol. This isn't some masterminded political scheme...The original copies of this album had Daddy's Song on it, so if you had a copy without Daddy's Song, then it wasn't an original copy. It was a reissue. Big difference. The original copy was how Harry meant the album to be put together. I also don't see how it doesn't fit with the rest of the album? It's not a dramatic style change. Is it that you're not used to hearing it with the rest of the songs?
@@HarryNilssonCatalogue Bullshit. I had original copies of this on order after owning Pandemonium Shadow Show and still have a copy in my storage space. This has been added because of "The Courtship of Eddie's Father" just like "Welcome Back" by John Sebastian has been added to Lovin' Spoonful albums to get any nitch that they can add to sell the album. Sell it to someone that will buy it, not here. And I am offended and if you feel offended by me, you should.
@@HarryNilssonCatalogue stop it at 0:21 then start it at the opening of Good Old Desk. The one should flow flawlessly into the next because Daddy's Song was never meant by Nilsson to be part of this album!
I can tell why McCartney loves this guy, but Lennon? And he turned out to hang with John quite a bit. Drinking buddies.
John said that Harry Nilsson was his "favorite group in the world".
A bad influence on one another haha
I feel they must have shared trauma. John lost his mother at a young age and Harry had complicated relationships with his parents from a young age... I can understand them bonding over such a topic that would make others regularly react with pity or sympathy but not with the understanding of having experienced such trauma from a young age
He wrote Paul Mccartney songs and sang them like John. Lol.
@@TheDevilYouDont Both Nilsson and McCartney had a genuine gift for writing melodies. It came relatively easy to them, and both can be heard on album 'outtakes' inventing new melodies for the songs even as they were being recorded...
Oggy and the cockroaches?
"Most" fathers don't leave their children, they leave the crazy bitch they married. The women keeps the kids away (with the help of a onesided court system) from the man through any spiteful means and corrupts the child's mind and gives the child the mothers mindset, aka the mindset of a women. Look at Harry's mom's future, she was married and divorced several times after he Harry's dad walked out on his mom causing the kids to be bounced from home to home. Yet, he blames the father. He needed to apologize to his father and forgive his mother for what she did to all the kids and he would have found peace.
A man who abandons his son is not a man
@@daniel.holbrook I'll have to reread up on my biology 😂. My wife murdered my son because we were divorcing and you say the man isn't a man for leaving? And if you think them leaving makes them not a man means your a Beta female and abusive one at that. What you said is a old tactic desperate women used to keep a good man locked down to a crazy bitch. Now if you said a "man" doesn't abandon his children even though he left his wife I'd understand that. But you know, because ya know, you're a manipulative bitch, women use kids as pawns ALL THE TIME! So go take your meds and bench press your Beta man a few times.
@@divineknowledge4607 genuinely heartbroken to hear that happened man, I know it's no consolation to hear that. I'm not gonna try and duke it out with you in TH-cam comments. I hope you're able to find peace someday
@@daniel.holbrook I must say thank you and sorry my fuse burned so fast. I don't mean what I said and am sure you're a very nice person.
@@divineknowledge4607 Good for you for coming to a greater understanding, I respect that always.