Remembering When Harry Nilsson Used an Entire Album to Showcase Another Artist’s Songs in 1970
After two of his songs became hits in 1969, Harry Nilsson used his new profile to make an album devoted entirely to Randy Newman’s compositions. The unusual choice gave attention to a songwriter Nilsson admired, though the record sold poorly.
Released in February 1970, *Nilsson Sings Newman* features ten Newman songs in just over 25 minutes. Newman played piano, while Nilsson sang and arranged layered vocals that brought out the songs’ beauty and melancholy; a year later, Nilsson had a major hit with *Nilsson Schmilsson*, and Newman gained wider recognition as a songwriter.
- Nilsson recorded an entire album of Randy Newman songs.
- The 1970 collaboration sold little at the time.
- Its vocal arrangements helped make it a lasting highlight.
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Harry Nilsson was an American singer-songwriter whose 1969 hits, including “Everybody’s Talkin’”, brought him a wider audience. Randy Newman was a fellow American songwriter whose own recordings had attracted less attention than the songs he wrote.
Nilsson’s album of Newman’s songs brought the two musicians together, with Newman playing piano and Nilsson singing and arranging the vocals. It is an example of a better-known performer using an album to introduce listeners to another songwriter’s work, though it did not sell well at the time.