Recorded - June 1971
Released - November 1971 (album), December 1971 (single)
#1 for weeks of February 19 and 26 & March 4 and 11, 1972.
An overwhelming amount of #1 pop songs from the 1970's were either non-serious and dated novelties, or songs written by non-serious songwriters. Well, here comes a one-two punch of songs written by acclaimed songwriters. First up, we have the only #1 hit by Harry Nilsson.
Harry already made his name well-known due to his own compositions being bit hits by several big name artists such as Three Dog Night. In 1971, Harry recorded and released his classic Nilsson Schmilsson album. The most recognizable song from this album is "Coconut", a rare example of a classy and humorous novelty song that doesn't come across as hideously dated or annoying.
Another Schmilsson track, "Without You", had the surprising fortune of topping the pop charts. What's equally surprising is that not only is "Without You" a serious number, but it was not one of Harry's own compositions. It was actually written by Peter Ham and Tom Evans of the British band "Badfinger".
This highly underrated power pop band has come back under the limelight in recent years due to their song "Baby Blue" being featured in the series finale of Breaking Bad. The Badfinger version of "Without You" was released on their 1970 album No Dice. Compared to most of their upbeat work, it's a late-period Beatles-esque power ballad that is extra poignant today due to the fact that both Pete Ham and Tom Evans ended up later taking their own lives.
By comparison, the Nilsson rendition is far more piano heavy with a prominent orchestral arrangement. Harry's voice has a strong mournful quality to it which fits the song's rather somber-in-hindsight lyrics. I appreciate the vocal contrast between the quiet verses and the powerful choruses. Nilsson's version of "Without You" has a very heavy production, with a clear aim at an epic listening experience as opposed to a quiet and quaint piece of music. My only gripe is that the song lacks a strong hook, so it won't exactly get stuck in your head upon first listen.
The cynic in me wants to believe this song charted so high due to its rather commercialized early 1970's piano pop sound, which was eaten up by the AM radio market during the decade. The Badfinger Version is very grounded in rock, while Nilsson's resembles some of the Wall Of Sound music productions of the 1960's. Although I'll conceed that if you are going to add an orchestral arrangement to a song like "Without You", you need to go all out. Thus, I believe Harry succeeded in that regard.
After an active and even a collaboration with John Lennon in 1974, Harry all but disappeared from the music charts during the 1980's. Despite his passing away some 20 years ago, the songs Harry wrote have an entrancing and timeless quality to them. As "Without You" proves, he could also take someone else's composition and make it his own. Not many musicians today can make that claim.
Final Verdict - "Without You" is a brave departure from Harry's usual sound, but it's a risk that paid off. It may not be as well-known as some of his other hits, nor does it have a lasting quality to it, but I'd still consider it a buried gem that deserves a listen. I have no issue with this song charting the pop charts, nor can I determine which version (Badfinger's or Harry's) I like best. Which one is your cup of tea?
Coming Up Next - "Heart Of Gold" by Neil Young.
Until Next Time, I'm Dr. Rock and I put the lime in de coconut and drank 'em both up -
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