Nilsson Schmilsson Archives

Album: Nilsson Schmilsson
Year: 1971

I kinda love that Harry Nilsson chose “Jump Into The Fire” to be the single that followed the massive “Without You,” even though it barely cracked the Top Thirty, because the two songs couldn’t be more different.

Driven by a pumped-up Herbie Flowers bassline and clipped rhythm guitar from Klaus Voormann, “Jump Into The Fire” establishes its groove early and then piles on with crazy-ass lead guitar from John Uribe and a vocal performance from Harry Nilsson that starts at psychotic and only gets more unhinged from there.

Gang, this is a disturbing song on any number of levels.

Album: Nilsson Schmilsson
Year: 1971

Despite being both insanely talented and Beatle-approved, Harry Nilsson also a little bit too off to have a sustained career in the public eye. So while he had a couple-three of Top Ten hits — the Midnight Cowboy-powered “Everybody’s Talking,” the transcendently schlocky “Without You” and the just plain weird “Coconut” — that was pretty much it for him, singles-wise.

Those last two, of course, were from his one big album, 1971’s Nilsson Schmilsson, and while other Nilsson fans love records like Aerial Ballet or Son of Schmilsson or even the utterly chaotic Pussy Cats, I’m going to side with the general public.

Nilsson Schmilsson

Certain Songs #581: Harry Nilsson – “Jump Into The Fire”

Certain Songs #580: Harry Nilsson – “Early in the Morning”