Editing Harry Nilsson (section)

===1973–1979: Maverick===
[[File:Harry Nilsson (1973).png|upright|thumb|Nilsson in 1973]]
Nilsson's disregard for commercialism in favor of artistic satisfaction was on display in his next release, ''[[A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night]]'' (1973). Performing a selection of [[pop standards]] by the likes of [[Irving Berlin|Berlin]], [[Bert Kalmar|Kalmar]], and [[Harry Ruby|Ruby]], Nilsson sang in front of an orchestra arranged and conducted by veteran [[Gordon Jenkins]] in sessions produced by [[Derek Taylor]]. This musical endeavor did not do well commercially. The session was filmed, and broadcast as a television special by the [[BBC]] in the UK.<ref name="Who is"/>

Nilsson appeared in a [[television special]] directed and produced by [[Stanley Dorfman]] for the [[BBC Two|BBC]] in 1973, entitled ''[[A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night (TV Special)|A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night]]'', which was filmed live in the [[BBC Television Theatre|BBC TV theatre]] in [[Shepherd's Bush]] days after Nilsson and [[Frank Sinatra|Frank Sinatra's]] arranger [[Gordon Jenkins]] recorded Nilsson's [[A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night|album]] by the same name with a live orchestra.<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Little Touch Of Schmilsson In The Night |url=https://www.harrynilsson.com/music/a-little-touch-of-schmilsson-in-the-night/ |access-date=2023-06-08 |website=The Official Harry Nilsson Site |date=June 1973 |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 1973, Nilsson was back in California, and when John Lennon moved there during his separation from [[Yoko Ono]], the two musicians rekindled their earlier friendship. Lennon was intent upon producing Nilsson's next album, much to Nilsson's delight. However, their time together in California became known much more for [[The Hollywood Vampires|heavy drinking]] than it did for musical collaboration. In a widely publicized incident, the two were ejected from the [[The Troubadour (Los Angeles)|Troubadour]] nightclub in [[West Hollywood, California|West Hollywood]] for drunken heckling of the [[Smothers Brothers]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.today.com/popculture/john-lennon-we-did-not-know-wbna19418319|title=The John Lennon we did not know|publisher=Today |date=June 27, 2007|access-date=March 28, 2008}}</ref>

To make matters worse, at a late night party and jam session during the recording of the album, attended by Lennon, McCartney, [[Danny Kortchmar]], and other musicians,<ref name=rs1180>{{cite magazine|last=Browne|first=David|title=The Knights of Soft Rock|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=April 11, 2013|issue=1180|pages=52–59, 70}}</ref> Nilsson ruptured a [[vocal cords|vocal cord]], but he hid the injury for fear that Lennon would call a halt to the production. The resulting album was ''[[Pussy Cats]]''. In an effort to clean up, Lennon, Nilsson and [[Ringo Starr]] first rented a house together, then Lennon and Nilsson left for New York.<ref name="Who is"/> After the relative failure of his latest two albums, RCA Records considered dropping Nilsson's contract. In a show of friendship, Lennon accompanied Nilsson to negotiations, and both intimated to RCA that Lennon and Starr might want to sign with them, once their [[Apple Records]] contracts with [[EMI]] expired in 1975, but would not be interested if Nilsson were no longer with the label.<ref name="Eden"/> RCA took the hint and re-signed Nilsson (adding a bonus clause, to apply to each new album completed), but neither Lennon nor Starr signed with RCA.

In 1973, Nilsson performed in a film with Starr called ''Son of Dracula'', a musical featuring many of his songs and a new cut, "Daybreak". The subsequent soundtrack produced by Richard Perry was released in 1974. Nilsson also sang backup on Starr's hit recording from 1973, "[[You're Sixteen]]".<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=Record World |date=December 15, 1973 |access-date=August 23, 2024 |title=Hits of the Week |page=1 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/73/RW-1973-12-15.pdf}}</ref>

Nilsson's voice had mostly recovered by his next release, ''[[Duit on Mon Dei]]'' (1975), but neither it nor its follow-ups, ''[[Sandman (album)|Sandman]]'' and ''[[...That's the Way It Is]]'' (both 1976), were met with chart success. Finally, Nilsson recorded what he later considered to be his favorite album ''[[Knnillssonn]]'' (1977). With his voice strong again, and his songs exploring musical territory reminiscent of ''Harry'' or ''The Point!'', Nilsson anticipated ''Knnillssonn'' to be a comeback album. RCA seemed to agree, and promised Nilsson a substantial marketing campaign for the album. However, the death of [[Elvis Presley]] caused RCA to ignore everything except meeting demand for Presley's back catalog, and the promised marketing push never happened.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9529179/the-legacy-harry-nilsson|title=Deconstructing Harry|first=Sean|last=Fennessey|publisher=[[Grantland]] |date=August 2, 2013|access-date=October 13, 2013}}</ref> This, combined with RCA releasing a ''Nilsson Greatest Hits'' collection without consulting him, prompted Nilsson to leave the label.<ref name="Who is"/>

====Nilsson's London apartment====
[[File:MoonflatCurzonPlace.JPG|thumb|left|9 Curzon Place, London in 2012; apartment on 4th floor, at top right belonged to Nilsson; it was also the site of the deaths of [[Cass Elliot]] and [[Keith Moon]].]]

Nilsson's 1970s London residence, at Flat 12, 9 [[Curzon Place]] on the edge of [[Mayfair]], was a two-bedroom apartment decorated by the ROR ("[[ROR (design company)|Ringo or Robin]]") design company owned by Starr and interior designer Robin Cruikshank. Nilsson cumulatively spent several years at the apartment, which was located near Apple Records, the [[Playboy Club]], the [[Tramp (nightclub)|Tramp]] nightclub, and the homes of friends and business associates. Nilsson's work and interests took him to the US for extended periods, and while he was away, he lent his place to numerous musician friends. During one of his absences, singer [[Cass Elliot]], formerly of [[The Mamas & the Papas]], and a few members of her tour group stayed at the apartment while she performed solo at the [[London Palladium]], headlining with her torch songs and "[[Don't Call Me Mama Anymore]]". Following a strenuous performance with encores on July 29, 1974, Elliot was discovered in one of the bedrooms, dead of heart failure at age 32.<ref name="Eden" />

On September 7, 1978, [[the Who]] drummer [[Keith Moon]] returned to the same room in the apartment after a night out, and died at 32 from an overdose of [[Clomethiazole]], a prescribed anti-alcohol drug.<ref name="Eden" /> Nilsson, distraught over another friend's death in his apartment, and having little need for the property, sold it to Moon's bandmate [[Pete Townshend]]{{sfn|Shipton|2013|page=235}} and consolidated his life in Los Angeles.