1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,240 Speaker 1: Blood on the Tracks is a production of I Heart 2 00:00:02,360 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 1: Radio and Double Elvis. John Lennon was a musical genius 3 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:09,479 Speaker 1: and one of the most beloved cultural figures of the 4 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:15,120 Speaker 1: twentieth century. His songs inspired dreamers to imagine, his search 5 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:18,360 Speaker 1: for the truth gave power to the people. But some 6 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:22,639 Speaker 1: thought he dreamed too much. Others thought he was too powerful. 7 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:26,200 Speaker 1: So he was followed, he was threatened, he was declared 8 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 1: a danger to the United States, and in night he 9 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:34,839 Speaker 1: was assassinated. This is his story told by his so 10 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:45,600 Speaker 1: called friends. This is Special Agent Jim Steele with the 11 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 1: Federal Bureau of Investigation work in case number double own 12 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:53,159 Speaker 1: mind dash zero eight dash zero four one. Case subject 13 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 1: is Lennon, John Winston, Oh No. This information pertains to 14 00:00:56,800 --> 00:01:00,760 Speaker 1: a period end in June four in view subject as 15 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 1: Nielsen Harry Edward the third interview number one dash zero 16 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 1: five Dash seven six one dash recall number one December. 17 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 1: Was I about influence on John Lennon or was he 18 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:26,679 Speaker 1: a bad influence on me? Take your pick. I didn't 19 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:30,480 Speaker 1: force any foul tasting liquids down his throat. In my eyes, 20 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:33,400 Speaker 1: I was the one hanging out with them, the Beatles, 21 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:38,400 Speaker 1: And you can commit murder with that group. I thought, well, 22 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:42,440 Speaker 1: if they drink, I'll drink. And at the same time 23 00:01:42,440 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 1: they're thinking, well, Harry is this big drinker, so we'll 24 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:49,720 Speaker 1: live like Harry. We laughed like hell all night long 25 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 1: and not know what we were laughing about. Ringo would 26 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:55,880 Speaker 1: call me the next day and asked, can you remember 27 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: one thing? One thing that we laughed about last night? 28 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:04,520 Speaker 1: It became a problem in all our lives. I think 29 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 1: when you get to self pity and suicidal thoughts, you know, 30 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 1: I'm no good, nobody likes me, who who? You have 31 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 1: no friends except for the ones who are drinking with you, 32 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:18,080 Speaker 1: and you simply cannot see things for the way they 33 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:22,720 Speaker 1: truly are. I think that's when you quit. That's when 34 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:27,839 Speaker 1: you stop, look back, take stock, and realize that you've 35 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:53,320 Speaker 1: left all this blood on the tracks. Chapter five, John 36 00:02:53,400 --> 00:03:10,680 Speaker 1: Lennon and Harry Nilson. I'll admit it. I wasn't the 37 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:15,520 Speaker 1: best influence on John Lennon. Influence on John Lennon. I'm 38 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:17,799 Speaker 1: not about to take responsibility for all the crazy shit 39 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:20,840 Speaker 1: he did in nine four, but you know I didn't 40 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 1: exactly help the situations. When you spent the night drinking 41 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:29,919 Speaker 1: your weight and Brandy Alexander's There's really nothing you can 42 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 1: do to help any situation, not a thing me. I 43 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:36,400 Speaker 1: didn't know it at the time, but I was on 44 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:38,520 Speaker 1: the cusp of going from good to bad to worse. 45 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 1: That's a well documented fact. I had some solid successes 46 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 1: with Everybody's Talking Coconut Without You, Nielsen Schmilsen was nominated 47 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 1: for some Grammys, even one, but I didn't make it 48 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 1: easy to keep the hits coming. Look, man, I didn't 49 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 1: tour or form live, and I wasn't exactly David Cassidy 50 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:02,240 Speaker 1: peering out at you on my album covers with acute 51 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 1: smile and feathered hair. In fact, I looked frumpy as 52 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:09,600 Speaker 1: hell in my fucking bathrobe on the one that we 53 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 1: called Nilsen Schmilsen, which is also a great big fuck 54 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:18,440 Speaker 1: you to the very notion of album titles. While on 55 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:21,120 Speaker 1: the subject of fuck you, when I want to gram 56 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:24,320 Speaker 1: you for without You, I immediately followed that record up 57 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:26,599 Speaker 1: with a song that said fuck you in the chorus 58 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:29,360 Speaker 1: and you simply cannot see things for the way they 59 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:33,039 Speaker 1: truly are. And then I followed that with a little 60 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:36,240 Speaker 1: touch of Schmilsen in the Night, an album entirely of 61 00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 1: standards from the Great American Songbook. I wasn't exactly gunning 62 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 1: for sales or radio play, more like fueling up for 63 00:04:44,279 --> 00:04:50,839 Speaker 1: self destruction life, Am I right? Give it a few 64 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:53,320 Speaker 1: years and things will funk right up, just nicely on 65 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:57,320 Speaker 1: their own. It was just the Beatles gave that press 66 00:04:57,320 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 1: conference in New York when they formed Apple Records. Some 67 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 1: reporter asked them who their favorite American singer was, and 68 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 1: John and Paul both answered Nielsen. My phone rang off 69 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:10,119 Speaker 1: the hook for days. You couldn't ask for a better press. 70 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:14,400 Speaker 1: It was better than airplane, better than a decent record review. 71 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:19,240 Speaker 1: And then before I knew it, I was everywhere, not 72 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:23,240 Speaker 1: as a famous celebrity. Understand many people knew me simply 73 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 1: as Nielsen. Since I didn't do the promotional circuit, there 74 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:28,279 Speaker 1: was a bit of mystery as to who or what 75 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:32,080 Speaker 1: I really was. But I mean I was everywhere. I 76 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:34,919 Speaker 1: was in the studio when the Beatles cut Piggies. I 77 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:38,440 Speaker 1: recommended this new songwriter, Randy Newman, and even performed an 78 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 1: entire album of his songs. I watched Carly Simon as 79 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:44,200 Speaker 1: she tracked her vocal for Your So Vain, while Mick 80 00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:48,880 Speaker 1: Jagger sang back up. I'm not overstating it when I 81 00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:52,359 Speaker 1: say that the Beatles made my career, but I didn't 82 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:54,279 Speaker 1: need a little help from my friends to unmake it. 83 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:58,160 Speaker 1: I could do that on my own, just fine. My 84 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:03,440 Speaker 1: point is life, man, you go from receiving public accolades 85 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:06,280 Speaker 1: from the Beatles of all people, to what some would 86 00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:09,599 Speaker 1: reasonably call a low point just a few years later, 87 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:13,080 Speaker 1: when you're hungover, eyes blood shot, offering angel dust to 88 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 1: the same people who once sang your praises no ship. 89 00:06:20,279 --> 00:06:22,400 Speaker 1: I asked Paul McCartney if he wanted to smoke some 90 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:29,240 Speaker 1: angel dust, or maybe it was a horse tranquilizer. I 91 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:31,720 Speaker 1: was at the beach house in Santa Monica, the one 92 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:33,840 Speaker 1: that John rented and we were all crashing at while 93 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 1: we were making Pussycats. John was passed out in bed 94 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:39,880 Speaker 1: with May and then Paul and Linda just showed up 95 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:43,599 Speaker 1: in four Who is the last person you would expect 96 00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:45,680 Speaker 1: to show up at a house that John Lennon is renting. 97 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:52,520 Speaker 1: Paul McCartney, right fucking a man, Because at this point, 98 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 1: the word on the street is that John and Paul 99 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:58,479 Speaker 1: hate each other's guts. They're suing each other they're taking 100 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 1: cheap shots at each other on their soul albums. But 101 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:04,039 Speaker 1: after Yoko had sent John to Los Angeles on this 102 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:06,800 Speaker 1: soul searching walk about or whatever the hell it was, 103 00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:10,200 Speaker 1: when Yoko finally decided she was ready to welcome John 104 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:12,640 Speaker 1: back into her life and to try to repair their 105 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:16,040 Speaker 1: marriage and you know, start over. Yoko is the one 106 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:18,440 Speaker 1: who went directly to Paul and asked Paul to play 107 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:24,000 Speaker 1: the role of intermediary peacekeeper. So Paul flies out to 108 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 1: l A and hunts John down at the Santa Monica 109 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:31,320 Speaker 1: Beach House. John sleeping. It's late morning or early afternoon, 110 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:33,680 Speaker 1: and I'm drinking and smoking whatever I can get my 111 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:36,360 Speaker 1: hands on because my mouth tastes like a dumpster. My 112 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 1: head's on fire from whatever we did the night before, 113 00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:44,160 Speaker 1: and there's all kinds of stuff floating around grass coke PCP. 114 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:47,240 Speaker 1: I asked Paul if he wants some angel dust while 115 00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 1: he's waiting for John to wake up. He goes, what 116 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:57,040 Speaker 1: is it? And I say, I don't know, man, Maybe 117 00:07:57,040 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 1: it's a horse tranquilizer. I mean, honestly, some and told 118 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 1: me it was angel does, But what the hell do 119 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 1: I know? And so Paul asks, is it fun. I 120 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:09,680 Speaker 1: thought long and hard about that. It was a fair question. 121 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:12,320 Speaker 1: I think at that point I knew what we were 122 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:15,680 Speaker 1: doing was not sustainable, that it was destructive, that it 123 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:20,960 Speaker 1: was wrong, became a problem with our lives. But of 124 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:23,880 Speaker 1: course every day we just started right up again, drinking 125 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 1: and drugging to drown out those sorts of thoughts. But 126 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:29,040 Speaker 1: this was still early enough in the day, and I 127 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:33,880 Speaker 1: could respond with some truth. NAH might tell Paul it's 128 00:08:33,920 --> 00:08:37,800 Speaker 1: really not fun at all. Paul passed on the angel dust. 129 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 1: Once John woke up, he was surprised to see Paul 130 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:45,480 Speaker 1: waiting for him. I honestly don't know how long it 131 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:49,160 Speaker 1: had been since they had seen each other. Paul passed 132 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:52,120 Speaker 1: on Yoko's message that John should come back to New York, 133 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:55,240 Speaker 1: but he needed to get his own place at first quarter. 134 00:08:55,880 --> 00:08:58,400 Speaker 1: Send her flowers, take her out, really make an effort, 135 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:01,800 Speaker 1: and of course John did it. He played by the 136 00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:06,640 Speaker 1: rules because John loved Joko. I truly believe that. And 137 00:09:06,679 --> 00:09:08,720 Speaker 1: it was John's first steps out of the haze we 138 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:14,199 Speaker 1: had all found ourselves in. I even went with him 139 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:16,400 Speaker 1: to New York, where, for the second time in my life, 140 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:20,680 Speaker 1: John Lennon had a profound effect on my career. But first, 141 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:24,319 Speaker 1: before John accepted Yoko's invitation to head home, there was 142 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:28,640 Speaker 1: unfinished business. Unfinished monkey business. That is to put in 143 00:09:28,679 --> 00:09:34,719 Speaker 1: Beatles terms, because when you look into the future and 144 00:09:34,760 --> 00:09:38,199 Speaker 1: see nothing but calm, domestic bliss, you tend to realize 145 00:09:38,200 --> 00:10:10,160 Speaker 1: that you have limited time left to break bad. It 146 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:15,160 Speaker 1: was spring of seventy Burbank Cocaine was going around a 147 00:10:15,280 --> 00:10:21,199 Speaker 1: wired his ship in that recording studio, me John, Paul, Linda, Jesse, 148 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:25,239 Speaker 1: Ed Davis on the guitar, the Great Bobby Keys on saxophone, 149 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:30,400 Speaker 1: May Hang on tambourine, and Stevie Wonder on keys. Paul 150 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:33,160 Speaker 1: played ringos, drums and ringos. Pissed the next day when 151 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:36,559 Speaker 1: he found out Bobby Keys was probably coming up for 152 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:40,400 Speaker 1: air after partying with the Stones. But man, I have 153 00:10:40,559 --> 00:10:43,360 Speaker 1: no idea how Stevie Wonder, of all people ended up 154 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:46,040 Speaker 1: in there with us, he was probably the only one 155 00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:49,280 Speaker 1: who stayed straight for the entire session. He passed on 156 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:53,160 Speaker 1: grass Man. He just said no to John Lennon, if 157 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:59,559 Speaker 1: you want a snort, Steve, it's going around. It seems 158 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:01,440 Speaker 1: like the right thing to do. Since Paul was in 159 00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:04,480 Speaker 1: town and he and John were talking and all, let's 160 00:11:04,520 --> 00:11:08,680 Speaker 1: all go into the studio and have a laugh. You 161 00:11:08,679 --> 00:11:11,360 Speaker 1: would think with a lineup like that, it would have 162 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:17,920 Speaker 1: just killed a supergroup. That's what they call those things 163 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:20,840 Speaker 1: back in the day. Can you imagine what something like 164 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:23,920 Speaker 1: that would have sold if it was released. But the 165 00:11:23,960 --> 00:11:29,600 Speaker 1: results were really more of a nightmare, sloppy playing, sloppy singing, mangled, 166 00:11:29,679 --> 00:11:34,000 Speaker 1: bungled covers. We recorded it on tape while we were 167 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:36,520 Speaker 1: in there, but none of us was that idiotic to 168 00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:40,080 Speaker 1: actually release it, so it circulated as a rumor and 169 00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:44,800 Speaker 1: then as a bootleg for years. It's too bad too, 170 00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:47,240 Speaker 1: because it's the first and last time that John and 171 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:49,840 Speaker 1: Paul played together between when the Beatles broke up and 172 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:55,480 Speaker 1: John was shot. A missed opportunity. Really, none of us 173 00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:58,000 Speaker 1: had the mental stability in that moment to recognize that. 174 00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:04,200 Speaker 1: Of course, well maybe Stevie wonder that studio in Burbank 175 00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:06,840 Speaker 1: was one of the studios we were using to make Pussycats, 176 00:12:07,320 --> 00:12:10,800 Speaker 1: my album that John was producing. Well, Rise Up, Get 177 00:12:10,840 --> 00:12:14,800 Speaker 1: Yourself Harry Nielsen's new album Pussycats, produced by John Lennon. 178 00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:22,079 Speaker 1: Nielsen's latest Pussycats on our CIA Records and Tapes. At 179 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:24,160 Speaker 1: the time, we were making it. We were calling it 180 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:28,200 Speaker 1: strange pussies. Hey, our Cia had let me put funk 181 00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 1: you in the chorus of a song. I figured it 182 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:36,440 Speaker 1: was worth a shot. Me ow. And now people used 183 00:12:36,480 --> 00:12:39,720 Speaker 1: to call my voice boyish and angelic. They said I 184 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:42,079 Speaker 1: was a delightful mimic, and that my voice seemed to 185 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:45,559 Speaker 1: spring fully formed from this blanky, dorky body that was 186 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:49,160 Speaker 1: simply a vessel for this beautiful gift from God. But 187 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:52,280 Speaker 1: when John and I were making strange pussies, my voice 188 00:12:52,280 --> 00:12:55,560 Speaker 1: was anything but angelic. I don't know if it was 189 00:12:55,600 --> 00:12:59,000 Speaker 1: the bottomless brandy Alexander's or the cocaine or the cigarettes. 190 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:03,240 Speaker 1: I don't know if it was the angel dust or 191 00:13:03,240 --> 00:13:11,040 Speaker 1: horse tranquilizer or whatever the funk that ship was. I 192 00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:13,600 Speaker 1: don't think it was the L S D. Because I've 193 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:17,120 Speaker 1: never heard of that stuff messing with your throat. My 194 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:19,920 Speaker 1: neighbor Timothy Leary told me there was absolutely nothing wrong 195 00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:24,400 Speaker 1: with acid. But my voice was getting worse. Gravel it 196 00:13:25,320 --> 00:13:31,440 Speaker 1: horse like stretched leather man. I couldn't hit the upper register. 197 00:13:32,280 --> 00:13:33,760 Speaker 1: I had reached for it, and it was like a 198 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:38,079 Speaker 1: shelf just out of reach. I tried over and over again. 199 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:42,840 Speaker 1: I tried John called for another take and another, and 200 00:13:42,840 --> 00:13:45,719 Speaker 1: I kept on trying. I kept trying to get there, 201 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:48,480 Speaker 1: and he shimply, can't see things for the way they 202 00:13:48,480 --> 00:13:52,960 Speaker 1: truly are. Maybe I was trying to impress John, show 203 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:54,880 Speaker 1: him that I was really as good as he thought 204 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:58,040 Speaker 1: I was. And as soon as I pushed it as 205 00:13:58,040 --> 00:14:00,320 Speaker 1: far as I could possibly push it, I fasted at 206 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:03,880 Speaker 1: the blood They're on the back of my throat. I 207 00:14:04,040 --> 00:14:09,120 Speaker 1: coughed and blood splattered all over the mic. The doctor 208 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:12,000 Speaker 1: said my vocal cords had hemorrhaged. He told me to 209 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:14,640 Speaker 1: stopped talking for two weeks, that I had to write 210 00:14:14,679 --> 00:14:22,080 Speaker 1: everything down. That's when you stop look back. But of 211 00:14:22,120 --> 00:14:25,160 Speaker 1: course that was easier said than done, because when you're 212 00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:28,880 Speaker 1: driving John Lennon around Los Angeles and the Volkswagen Cure Wagon, 213 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:32,680 Speaker 1: this military style jeep I owned, you basically had to 214 00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:34,880 Speaker 1: scream to be heard above the rumble of the engine 215 00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:37,960 Speaker 1: and the howl of the wind. There's a crazy new 216 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:41,320 Speaker 1: thing from Volkswagen, and that comes with the top up 217 00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:46,800 Speaker 1: the top down. I always had the top down. It 218 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:51,840 Speaker 1: was like having a conversation on a fucking runway. People 219 00:14:51,880 --> 00:14:54,720 Speaker 1: called it the thing. And I showed for John any 220 00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:59,160 Speaker 1: chance I could get where to tonight John influence on 221 00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:02,840 Speaker 1: John Lennon. Yeah, shall we see if there's trouble to 222 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:10,840 Speaker 1: be had tonight John, Another brandy Alexander John. Maybe I 223 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:14,120 Speaker 1: did try a little too hard to impress John. It 224 00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:16,920 Speaker 1: was well past midnight one night when just out of 225 00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:19,040 Speaker 1: the blue, John told me he wished he had a 226 00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:22,040 Speaker 1: couple of girls and a handful of acid. It's like 227 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:25,560 Speaker 1: two three in the morning, and you're just now having 228 00:15:25,560 --> 00:15:31,840 Speaker 1: this burning desire. I had a hunch that I could deliver. 229 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:34,280 Speaker 1: I called up a friend of mine, a girl I 230 00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:37,360 Speaker 1: figured would be game. She just happened to be awake, 231 00:15:38,240 --> 00:15:40,120 Speaker 1: and she happened to have a friend with her, and 232 00:15:40,160 --> 00:15:42,960 Speaker 1: that friend happened to have some asset on her, like 233 00:15:43,040 --> 00:15:47,040 Speaker 1: it was meant to be friend. So I drove John 234 00:15:47,080 --> 00:15:50,120 Speaker 1: over her place. In the thing, we all dropped acid, 235 00:15:50,760 --> 00:15:54,840 Speaker 1: and then we all baled for days, literally days. I 236 00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:57,840 Speaker 1: think it was the acid that sustained us. You ever 237 00:15:57,920 --> 00:16:01,880 Speaker 1: bald for two days straight on LSD. I don't think 238 00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:05,160 Speaker 1: I even knew my fucking name after that. My body 239 00:16:05,240 --> 00:16:08,720 Speaker 1: was as ravaged as my voice was barely keeping it together. 240 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:13,240 Speaker 1: Strange pussies was getting stranger. I think that's where you quit. 241 00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:17,080 Speaker 1: At some point I just looked over at John and 242 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:19,960 Speaker 1: told him I needed a break. I asked him when 243 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:21,800 Speaker 1: he was leaving for New York, and then I asked 244 00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:27,840 Speaker 1: if I could go with him. We'll be right back. 245 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:39,560 Speaker 1: After this, word word word, John Lennon saved my ass. 246 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 1: It happened like this. Our CIA Records didn't want me anymore. 247 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:48,280 Speaker 1: I hadn't made a hit in Ages and after that 248 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:51,040 Speaker 1: album Standards, which r c A saw as a turkey 249 00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:53,960 Speaker 1: top brass at the label just wanted to cut their 250 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:56,240 Speaker 1: losses and move on without me. I think when you 251 00:16:56,320 --> 00:17:01,280 Speaker 1: get to self pity and suicide thoughts. My contract was 252 00:17:01,320 --> 00:17:04,720 Speaker 1: expiring and r c A we're not quiet about unceremoniously 253 00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:08,200 Speaker 1: passing on the renewal option. And then they heard about 254 00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:11,720 Speaker 1: my voice getting out. You know, the one thing that 255 00:17:11,760 --> 00:17:15,239 Speaker 1: I had that could potentially make them money. They were 256 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:21,880 Speaker 1: gonna bail. Nobody likes me and pussycats, which is what 257 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:25,800 Speaker 1: we were now calling strange pussies. Well, I don't know, man, 258 00:17:26,440 --> 00:17:28,960 Speaker 1: that was destined to mold away in some dusty vault, 259 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:31,359 Speaker 1: like the tapes of that wild recording session with Paul 260 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:34,800 Speaker 1: and Stevie Wonder all I'd wanted to do was make 261 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:37,240 Speaker 1: a record with John Lennon. Was a bad influence on 262 00:17:37,400 --> 00:17:41,640 Speaker 1: John Lennon? Was he a bad influencelfhy It was one 263 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:44,160 Speaker 1: thing to play on Ringo's records, and Ringo had played 264 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:47,080 Speaker 1: on mine, but John was a tougher nut for me 265 00:17:47,119 --> 00:17:50,119 Speaker 1: to crack. Ringo and I were mates, but there was 266 00:17:50,160 --> 00:17:54,800 Speaker 1: something unknowable about John. This is gonna sound weird since 267 00:17:54,840 --> 00:17:56,760 Speaker 1: we spent so much time out on the town together, 268 00:17:57,320 --> 00:18:02,240 Speaker 1: but it's true. But John was John. He was a walking, 269 00:18:02,359 --> 00:18:06,600 Speaker 1: talking myth and icon, and not just a beatle but 270 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:10,679 Speaker 1: a cultural force. This was never more obvious than when 271 00:18:10,720 --> 00:18:14,680 Speaker 1: he moved back to New York City upon Yoko's invitation. Now, 272 00:18:15,400 --> 00:18:18,840 Speaker 1: John and Yoko didn't immediately get back together. People think 273 00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:21,359 Speaker 1: this last weekend period of his was a few months 274 00:18:21,359 --> 00:18:25,280 Speaker 1: out in l A. No, the last Weekend lasted something 275 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:27,920 Speaker 1: like eighteen months and spanned his time in l A 276 00:18:28,119 --> 00:18:31,159 Speaker 1: and New York City. When he got back East, he 277 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:34,200 Speaker 1: and May got their own place at Sutton Place over 278 00:18:34,280 --> 00:18:37,879 Speaker 1: on East fifty second. Weird that John was courting Yoko 279 00:18:37,920 --> 00:18:40,959 Speaker 1: but still carrying on with May. None of my business, 280 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:44,800 Speaker 1: I suppose. And in New York John became a legend 281 00:18:44,840 --> 00:18:48,000 Speaker 1: again among the city's night clubs. The guy was a 282 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:53,760 Speaker 1: social butterfly man. He was a regular at Ashley's, a 283 00:18:53,800 --> 00:18:56,879 Speaker 1: disco club at Fifth Avenue and thirteenth Street, where the 284 00:18:56,920 --> 00:18:59,760 Speaker 1: staff gave him the royal treatment, drinks on the house 285 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:03,680 Speaker 1: drugs gratis. They let him stay after hours, smoke whatever 286 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:08,760 Speaker 1: was left, and snort the rest. My lord, he didn't 287 00:19:08,760 --> 00:19:10,959 Speaker 1: tell me personally about all the times he visited that 288 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:13,600 Speaker 1: brothel on twenty th Street, but I read later that 289 00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:17,040 Speaker 1: he was a regular. It's crazy to think someone who's 290 00:19:17,080 --> 00:19:19,320 Speaker 1: famous as John Lennon, and the city is big and 291 00:19:19,359 --> 00:19:21,720 Speaker 1: as loud as New York, that he could keep those 292 00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:25,440 Speaker 1: brothel visits hush hush for so many years. Even now, 293 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:28,160 Speaker 1: I'm sure some people don't want to believe that it's true. 294 00:19:29,040 --> 00:19:30,840 Speaker 1: There's a lot about our heroes that we don't want 295 00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:34,560 Speaker 1: to know about. But here's one thing about John that's true, 296 00:19:35,080 --> 00:19:38,159 Speaker 1: and this gets back to my story. John was loyal. 297 00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:41,399 Speaker 1: He knew that our c A was preparing to dump me, 298 00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:43,320 Speaker 1: and he put his name in his career on the 299 00:19:43,359 --> 00:19:45,760 Speaker 1: line to go to bad for me. That was in 300 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:50,760 Speaker 1: the spring of nine. We've been out all night and 301 00:19:50,800 --> 00:19:56,560 Speaker 1: the morning was cruel as usual. I don't know if 302 00:19:56,600 --> 00:19:58,239 Speaker 1: I could have gone to sleep if I wanted to. 303 00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:01,080 Speaker 1: I was telling John about how I reached out to 304 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:03,560 Speaker 1: our CIA to get a new contract signed and how 305 00:20:03,560 --> 00:20:07,880 Speaker 1: they were continuing to ignore me, and it just lit 306 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:13,040 Speaker 1: this fire under his ass. Let's go over there, John said, where. 307 00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:16,840 Speaker 1: I asked him our CIA records. John responded, let's go 308 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:18,840 Speaker 1: on over to Rockefeller Center and take a meeting with 309 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:25,480 Speaker 1: Kenneth Glancy. The get we'll get him to resign you. Now, 310 00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:29,639 Speaker 1: Kenneth Glancy was perhaps the root of my problem. He 311 00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:32,160 Speaker 1: had been recently appointed as the new head of our CIA, 312 00:20:32,400 --> 00:20:36,399 Speaker 1: and he didn't like me. The guy before him, Rocko 313 00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:40,200 Speaker 1: lagan Estra. Now he liked me. John didn't give a fuck. 314 00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:43,159 Speaker 1: It was mid morning, We've been up all night, and 315 00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:46,199 Speaker 1: he had a plan to save my ass. So we 316 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:49,320 Speaker 1: went over to Rockefeller Plaza up to our CIA offices, 317 00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:52,280 Speaker 1: both of us wearing dark sunglasses and hats to conceal 318 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:55,240 Speaker 1: whatever the night before it done to us, though I'm 319 00:20:55,280 --> 00:20:59,919 Speaker 1: sure the smell of us announced our presence a mile away. 320 00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:03,080 Speaker 1: John walked right up to the receptionist and said, I'm 321 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:06,159 Speaker 1: John Lennon. I'm here with Harry Nilson and we need 322 00:21:06,200 --> 00:21:11,639 Speaker 1: to speak with Kenneth Glancy. The girl practically hyperventilated. The 323 00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:13,480 Speaker 1: look in her eyes said that she couldn't believe that 324 00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:17,119 Speaker 1: John Lennon was talking to her. I still didn't know 325 00:21:17,119 --> 00:21:20,280 Speaker 1: what John was planning, what he could say to this guy. Besides, 326 00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:25,880 Speaker 1: I'm John Lennon and you should resign Nielsen. He could 327 00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:28,000 Speaker 1: use his fame and legend to get free drinks and 328 00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:30,880 Speaker 1: drugs at Ashley's. He could make an eighteen year old 329 00:21:30,920 --> 00:21:34,480 Speaker 1: receptionist blushed just by smiling. But these corporate music guys 330 00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:39,600 Speaker 1: are fucking stone man. Obviously, even I was underestimating John 331 00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:44,040 Speaker 1: at the moment. So we were ushered inside this lavish 332 00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:48,639 Speaker 1: office overlooking Rockefeller Plaza. Someone shoved cigars and glasses of 333 00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:55,080 Speaker 1: brandy in our hands. We sat down in these pristine 334 00:21:55,160 --> 00:21:57,119 Speaker 1: leather chairs across from the head of our c a. 335 00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:01,879 Speaker 1: John looked this guy dead in the eyes and says, look, 336 00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:04,800 Speaker 1: you've got two good artists on this piece of ship label, 337 00:22:05,359 --> 00:22:09,760 Speaker 1: Elvis Presley and Harry Nilson. Obviously at this point he'd 338 00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:13,080 Speaker 1: yet to befriend my labelmate David Bowie. But I digress. 339 00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:17,200 Speaker 1: Glancey raised his finger like he wanted to beg to differ, 340 00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:21,160 Speaker 1: but John told him he wasn't done yet. And then 341 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:24,200 Speaker 1: John pulled the ace out of his back pocket. He 342 00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:26,600 Speaker 1: told Glancy that if our ci A resigned me for 343 00:22:26,680 --> 00:22:29,440 Speaker 1: five million dollars, then John would sign with our c 344 00:22:29,600 --> 00:22:34,280 Speaker 1: A too, and he'd do it cheap. Glance he couldn't 345 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:37,080 Speaker 1: pick up the phone fast enough. He should have known better, 346 00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:40,360 Speaker 1: because who knows what kind of contract John was tied 347 00:22:40,440 --> 00:22:43,480 Speaker 1: up in at the moment. John didn't really have the 348 00:22:43,520 --> 00:22:46,000 Speaker 1: knowledge or the ability to be offering himself to any 349 00:22:46,080 --> 00:22:50,119 Speaker 1: label at that moment, but Glance he bought it, book 350 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:54,040 Speaker 1: line and sinc. Within minutes, the receptionist walked that contract 351 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:56,240 Speaker 1: inside the office and we signed on the bottom line 352 00:22:56,280 --> 00:22:59,920 Speaker 1: for five million. Did John ever intend to sign with 353 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:03,960 Speaker 1: darci A? Hell no, So we went through the motions 354 00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:06,560 Speaker 1: of the whole thing, shaking that dope's hand as we 355 00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:09,919 Speaker 1: left the office. Yes, yes, very good. I'll have my 356 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:13,359 Speaker 1: people call your people, quite right, great things. All that 357 00:23:14,640 --> 00:23:20,400 Speaker 1: just smoke smoke right up that corporate bastard's ass. That's 358 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:23,359 Speaker 1: how John Lennon saved me. And he wasn't bullshitting either. 359 00:23:24,080 --> 00:23:26,000 Speaker 1: He thought that Elvis and I were the only two 360 00:23:26,040 --> 00:23:30,280 Speaker 1: notable artists on that label. And then Elvis died just 361 00:23:30,359 --> 00:23:34,320 Speaker 1: two years later, slumped over on his porcelain throne. He's 362 00:23:34,320 --> 00:23:36,359 Speaker 1: got no friends except for the ones who were drinking 363 00:23:36,359 --> 00:23:41,200 Speaker 1: with you. I remember that day clearly because I immediately 364 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:43,080 Speaker 1: thought of John and what he had said to Kenneth 365 00:23:43,080 --> 00:23:45,439 Speaker 1: Glancy at our c A about me and Elvis, and 366 00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:48,600 Speaker 1: how I owed everything to him. That's when you stopped 367 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:54,280 Speaker 1: look back stock. I owed him my career when I 368 00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:56,879 Speaker 1: first started, and then I owed him again when it 369 00:23:56,920 --> 00:24:00,560 Speaker 1: looked like I had sucked everything up beyond repair. And 370 00:24:00,600 --> 00:24:02,280 Speaker 1: I'm not sure that I was ever in the right 371 00:24:02,359 --> 00:24:05,400 Speaker 1: state of mind at that time properly communicate to John 372 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:38,000 Speaker 1: just what all that meant to me? Yeah, Auguste. As 373 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:41,760 Speaker 1: far as John Lennon was concerned, Elvis Presley had died 374 00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:47,639 Speaker 1: years ago, Marty eight, to be exact. That was the 375 00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:50,119 Speaker 1: day that Elvis put rock and roll on hold to 376 00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:54,200 Speaker 1: join the United States Army in Memphis, Tennessee. That's when 377 00:24:54,200 --> 00:24:57,679 Speaker 1: they killed him. A disillusion John said. The rest was 378 00:24:57,720 --> 00:25:01,119 Speaker 1: a living death. There was time when Elvis had been 379 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:04,879 Speaker 1: John's religion. John was nearly struck dumb when he first 380 00:25:04,920 --> 00:25:09,440 Speaker 1: heard Heartbreak Hotel as a teenager, Elvis was everything. Elvis 381 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:13,200 Speaker 1: was it. Elvis Presley showed John Lennon what he would be. 382 00:25:14,160 --> 00:25:16,760 Speaker 1: But later, after the Beatles had broken up and after 383 00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:20,040 Speaker 1: he had returned from the service, Elvis turned his back 384 00:25:20,119 --> 00:25:22,560 Speaker 1: on John when he said what he really thought about 385 00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:25,919 Speaker 1: the liverpoody and lads who had once idolized him. He 386 00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:30,159 Speaker 1: told these things directly to President Richard Nixon. He sold 387 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:33,520 Speaker 1: out John as an anti American rabble rouser. He said 388 00:25:33,600 --> 00:25:38,000 Speaker 1: John abused to drugs. He said John planted conspiratorial ideas 389 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:42,159 Speaker 1: in the minds of America's impressionable youth. Of course, the 390 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:45,240 Speaker 1: irony of that conversation is that the king of rock 391 00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:48,840 Speaker 1: and roll could have been describing himself. If Nixon didn't 392 00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:51,320 Speaker 1: know it at the time, he likely figured it out 393 00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:55,720 Speaker 1: on August sixte n seventy seven, when Elvis Aaron Presley 394 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:59,560 Speaker 1: was found dead on his toilet, his bloated body loaded 395 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:02,800 Speaker 1: on us in his legacy one of filling the impressionable 396 00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:06,320 Speaker 1: young minds of American youth with hip twisting, naughty thoughts. 397 00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:10,560 Speaker 1: And Elvis's obituary for The Village Voice Rock critic and 398 00:26:10,640 --> 00:26:14,480 Speaker 1: perennial kurmudgeon Lester Bangs wrote that we will never again 399 00:26:14,520 --> 00:26:18,159 Speaker 1: agree on anything as we agreed on Elvis. That's a quote. 400 00:26:19,119 --> 00:26:22,440 Speaker 1: Lester Bangs was right, just like John was right that 401 00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:25,479 Speaker 1: Elvis was never the same after he returned from serving 402 00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:30,400 Speaker 1: in the army, and in the late nineties seventies, rock 403 00:26:30,440 --> 00:26:34,880 Speaker 1: and roll was in itself anymore. Rock was no longer king. 404 00:26:35,320 --> 00:26:37,920 Speaker 1: Rock now had to share room on the radio dial 405 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:42,520 Speaker 1: with disco, punk, prague and funk, and fans became zealous 406 00:26:42,520 --> 00:26:46,200 Speaker 1: who defended their chosen genre to the death. R c 407 00:26:46,359 --> 00:26:49,480 Speaker 1: A Records, on the other hand, went all in on Elvis. 408 00:26:50,119 --> 00:26:53,400 Speaker 1: In the wake of Elvis's death, the entire world clamored 409 00:26:53,440 --> 00:26:56,919 Speaker 1: for Elvis Presley Records. This was a time long before 410 00:26:57,080 --> 00:27:00,800 Speaker 1: streaming music, long before instant music, a time where you 411 00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:03,040 Speaker 1: had to have a physical copy of a twelve into 412 00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:05,720 Speaker 1: slab of wax of the title you long to hear. 413 00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:11,000 Speaker 1: Retail stores sold out of Elvis's entire catalog. R CIA's 414 00:27:11,080 --> 00:27:13,960 Speaker 1: pressing plants operated twenty four hours a day to meet 415 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:18,400 Speaker 1: the demand and even subcontracted other plants to help. One 416 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:21,480 Speaker 1: third of all albums sold in America between the fall 417 00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:25,119 Speaker 1: of nineteen seventy seven. In the fall of nineteen seventy eight, 418 00:27:25,320 --> 00:27:31,239 Speaker 1: where Elvis Presley Albums and so with our CI a 419 00:27:31,359 --> 00:27:34,960 Speaker 1: Laser focused on around the clock operation to keep Elvis 420 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:38,840 Speaker 1: Pressley's memory alive, they forgot about the other guy, The 421 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:41,840 Speaker 1: guy who, according to John Lennon, was the only other 422 00:27:41,920 --> 00:27:45,880 Speaker 1: artist of consequence on that label. Harry Nilson wasn't long 423 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:49,399 Speaker 1: for the r c A stables anyway. His final r 424 00:27:49,480 --> 00:27:53,119 Speaker 1: CIA album, Cannilson that's his surname, but spelled with a 425 00:27:53,160 --> 00:27:55,600 Speaker 1: whole bunch of ends in a k at the beginning 426 00:27:55,600 --> 00:27:58,000 Speaker 1: that shouldn't be there, was released in the summer of 427 00:27:58,080 --> 00:28:03,280 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy seven before Elvis's heart gave out. As a result, 428 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:06,440 Speaker 1: our Cier shifted all the money and resources they had 429 00:28:06,480 --> 00:28:09,679 Speaker 1: planned to use to promote Harry's record over to repressing 430 00:28:09,680 --> 00:28:14,000 Speaker 1: and replenishing Elvis's catalog from coast to coast. The timing 431 00:28:14,119 --> 00:28:17,080 Speaker 1: was absolute ship, but Harry had a laugh that it 432 00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:22,120 Speaker 1: was absurdly poetic. Nelson was intended to be Harry's triumphant return. 433 00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:25,720 Speaker 1: He was focused again, His vocal cords had healed, and 434 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:29,119 Speaker 1: his voice, while not the sublime instrument it once was 435 00:28:29,119 --> 00:28:32,040 Speaker 1: was on the men, but triumph was not in the 436 00:28:32,119 --> 00:28:35,320 Speaker 1: cards for Harry Nelson. He received no support from his 437 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:37,679 Speaker 1: label and there was no going away party. When his 438 00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:43,680 Speaker 1: contract came to an unceremonious end. Harry hadn't seen his 439 00:28:43,760 --> 00:28:47,040 Speaker 1: old friend and asked saver John Lennon in years when 440 00:28:47,120 --> 00:28:50,720 Speaker 1: in nine eighty he landed an opportunity to write songs 441 00:28:50,760 --> 00:28:54,360 Speaker 1: for a new movie by American autour director Robert Altman. 442 00:28:55,160 --> 00:28:59,440 Speaker 1: Popeye was a truly bizarre, yet undeniably endearing adaptation of 443 00:28:59,520 --> 00:29:02,360 Speaker 1: the popular A comic strip starring Robin Williams as the 444 00:29:02,520 --> 00:29:06,600 Speaker 1: spinach chomping Sailor and Shelley Duval as Olive Oil. Harry 445 00:29:06,640 --> 00:29:09,640 Speaker 1: injected more than a little of that lost weekend spirit 446 00:29:09,720 --> 00:29:13,120 Speaker 1: into the tipsy melodies of the soundtrack, which sounded even 447 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:16,560 Speaker 1: otter in the actual film because the cast members sang 448 00:29:16,560 --> 00:29:19,720 Speaker 1: the songs live instead of in post production as was 449 00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:24,840 Speaker 1: usually the case. Harry's Puppeye soundtrack was a stark contrast 450 00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:28,200 Speaker 1: to John and Yoko's latest album, which was released a 451 00:29:28,280 --> 00:29:32,680 Speaker 1: month earlier. Double Fantasy presented some of John's most lucid 452 00:29:32,760 --> 00:29:36,600 Speaker 1: domestic music of his entire career. Harry and John were 453 00:29:36,640 --> 00:29:39,840 Speaker 1: still fellow pussycats. It's just that one of them still 454 00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:43,080 Speaker 1: preferred an occasional stroll down a back alley while the 455 00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:45,920 Speaker 1: other was content growing up in front of a fireplace. 456 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:49,600 Speaker 1: John was playing the part of the house bound pussycat 457 00:29:49,640 --> 00:29:52,800 Speaker 1: at the Dakota in New York City on Saturday, December six, 458 00:29:54,080 --> 00:29:57,600 Speaker 1: when Popeye made as much anticipated premiere in Los Angeles. 459 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:01,280 Speaker 1: John never did get a chance to see the film 460 00:30:01,280 --> 00:30:05,920 Speaker 1: where here Harry's delightfully skewed soundtrack, because two days later, 461 00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:10,760 Speaker 1: on December eighth, the unthinkable happened and the entire world 462 00:30:10,880 --> 00:30:14,320 Speaker 1: changed in a blink. The news would travel fast and 463 00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:16,920 Speaker 1: hit Harry hard. He wouldn't be able to think about 464 00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:20,840 Speaker 1: anything else for years, not music, not pussycatty. He would 465 00:30:20,880 --> 00:30:23,240 Speaker 1: turn from cat to bulldog and take on the n 466 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:27,360 Speaker 1: r A to lobby for sweeping gun control reform. But 467 00:30:27,480 --> 00:30:30,840 Speaker 1: before that, Harry spent the weekend of December six, then 468 00:30:30,840 --> 00:30:34,320 Speaker 1: a darkened movie theater in l A, watching Robin Williams 469 00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:37,080 Speaker 1: and Shelley Duval sing his songs on the big screen. 470 00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:40,920 Speaker 1: He became caught up in Van dyke parks evocative orchestrations 471 00:30:40,960 --> 00:30:43,280 Speaker 1: and was swept away to a place that was part 472 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:47,200 Speaker 1: fantasy in part reality, the kind of place that only 473 00:30:47,280 --> 00:30:49,800 Speaker 1: music or a movie can take you, the kind of 474 00:30:49,800 --> 00:30:52,280 Speaker 1: place where you could dance till a quarter to three, 475 00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:54,840 Speaker 1: the kind of place where the good times would never end, 476 00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:57,640 Speaker 1: and no one got old, no one grew cold. There 477 00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:00,600 Speaker 1: was no pain or a struggle or conflict or strife, 478 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:17,400 Speaker 1: and there's certainly there's no Blood on the Tracks, right, 479 00:31:19,240 --> 00:31:22,040 Speaker 1: all right, everybody, thanks for listening to Blood on the Tracks. 480 00:31:22,120 --> 00:31:23,880 Speaker 1: If you like what you hear, be sure to find 481 00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:26,800 Speaker 1: and follow Blood on the Tracks on Apple podcast, I 482 00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:30,360 Speaker 1: Heart Radio, app, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. 483 00:31:30,800 --> 00:31:33,200 Speaker 1: On this season two of Blood on the Tracks, we'll 484 00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:36,560 Speaker 1: be releasing ten episodes on the incredible life of John Lennon, 485 00:31:36,880 --> 00:31:39,800 Speaker 1: with a new episode every Thursday. You can also binge 486 00:31:39,920 --> 00:31:43,280 Speaker 1: all ten episodes of season one on the insane story 487 00:31:43,360 --> 00:31:46,560 Speaker 1: of the notorious record producer Phil Spector right now. It's 488 00:31:46,600 --> 00:31:49,840 Speaker 1: available wherever you get your podcast. This episode of Blood 489 00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:52,240 Speaker 1: on the Tracks was written by Zeth Lundie and hosted 490 00:31:52,280 --> 00:31:56,160 Speaker 1: an executive produced by me Jake Brennan, also executive produced 491 00:31:56,200 --> 00:31:59,480 Speaker 1: by Brady sad Story and copy editing by Pat Heally. 492 00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:03,000 Speaker 1: This episode was mixed by Colin Fleming. Additional music and 493 00:32:03,040 --> 00:32:07,280 Speaker 1: score elements by Ryan Spraaker. This episode featured Chris ANZELONEI 494 00:32:07,360 --> 00:32:10,280 Speaker 1: has Harry Nilson. Blood on the Tracks is produced by 495 00:32:10,360 --> 00:32:13,720 Speaker 1: Double Elvis and partnership with I Heart Radio. Sources for 496 00:32:13,800 --> 00:32:16,920 Speaker 1: this episode are available at double Elvis dot com on 497 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:19,360 Speaker 1: the Blood on the Track series page. If you want 498 00:32:19,400 --> 00:32:21,280 Speaker 1: to chat about this show or hear more about the 499 00:32:21,320 --> 00:32:24,000 Speaker 1: other shows, we're making a Double Elvis tap in on 500 00:32:24,040 --> 00:32:27,920 Speaker 1: Instagram at double Elvis, on Twitter at double Elvis FM, 501 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:30,560 Speaker 1: and now on Twitch, where we're streaming three days a 502 00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:35,360 Speaker 1: week at twitch dot tv slash Double Elvis Podcasts, and finally, 503 00:32:35,640 --> 00:32:38,520 Speaker 1: be sure to check out disgrace Land, the award winning 504 00:32:38,600 --> 00:32:42,080 Speaker 1: music and true crime podcast that I also host. Disgraceland 505 00:32:42,120 --> 00:32:45,200 Speaker 1: is available only on the free Amazon Music. To hear 506 00:32:45,280 --> 00:32:48,320 Speaker 1: tons of insane stories about your favorite musicians getting away 507 00:32:48,320 --> 00:32:51,360 Speaker 1: with murder and behaving very badly, go to Amazon dot 508 00:32:51,360 --> 00:32:54,320 Speaker 1: com slash disgrace lamb, or if you have an Echo device, 509 00:32:54,560 --> 00:32:58,600 Speaker 1: just say Alexa play the disgrace Land podcast. Rock Alone, 510 00:33:05,760 --> 00:33:08,800 Speaker 1: Dytegrages our dand