For The Love Of Harry - The Nilsson Thread

[Charlie O.]

I ordered the box from Amazon UK so it won't arrive for a while.

Same here.

[Snarfyguy]

I ordered the box from Amazon UK so it won't arrive for a while.

Same here.

When did you order it? I "pre-ordered" from Amazon U.K. a couple of months ago and just got an email saying it's on its way.

[Six String]

I ordered pretty soon after they offered it so maybe sometime in May? As of last night I had not received any such email but it will arrive soon enough. I've been avoiding his albums since I ordered it since I know I'll want to play a bunch of his music when the box arrives. I'm looking forward to the book and hope it fleshes out the DVD that came out a while back.

[Neige]

I ordered the box from Amazon UK so it won't arrive for a while.

Same here.

When did you order it? I "pre-ordered" from Amazon U.K. a couple of months ago and just got an email saying it's on its way.

Same here, but with Amazon Germany... and for only for 50 Euro.

Expected to arrive Friday....

[Charlie O.]

When did you order it? I "pre-ordered" from Amazon U.K. a couple of months ago and just got an email saying it's on its way.

Ditto!

[Charlie O.]

Never seen this before:

[NMB]

I see that nobody who was waiting for the boxed set mentioned whether it arrived and what they thought of it. I knew hardly any Nilsson before and it's made a fan of me.

[Charlie O.]

It's a wonderful set - a model of the form, really.

[Snarfyguy]

It's up there with the Roxy Music box.

[Six String]

I see that nobody who was waiting for the boxed set mentioned whether it arrived and what they thought of it. I knew hardly any Nilsson before and it's made a fan of me.

I was a fan before the box but it certainly made me a bigger fan. I have most of it on vinyl but there was so much extra tracks in the box I couldn't resist. I play them regularly. The sound quality is terrific and the quirky little box is ki d of cool. I've since chased down a few soundtracks albums plus his last release that was on another label. It's very late here so brain is less than trustworthy at the momemt. I particularly like the early stuff ncluding the bonus tracks. It was one of those projects that actually turned out better than expected imo.

[...]

I see that nobody who was waiting for the boxed set mentioned whether it arrived and what they thought of it. I knew hardly any Nilsson before and it's made a fan of me.

Fantastic set and I'm glad I got it three years ago when I did as it is now about 4 x the price

[Neige]

It's a wonderful set - a model of the form, really.

This - comprehensive little booklet, bonus tracks, mono versions, extra session discs - fabulous!

[Muskrat]

Fantastic set and I'm glad I got it three years ago when I did as it is now about 4 x the price

US Amazon is still selling it for $109 -- pretty much what it's always been

[NMB]

Fantastic set and I'm glad I got it three years ago when I did as it is now about 4 x the price

US Amazon is still selling it for $109 -- pretty much what it's always been

But £116 on Amazon UK and I think I paid under £40.

[...]

Fantastic set and I'm glad I got it three years ago when I did as it is now about 4 x the price

US Amazon is still selling it for $109 -- pretty much what it's always been

But £116 on Amazon UK and I think I paid under £40.

Assume the reason for the swingeing price increase between when it came out in the UK (iirc about UK£30) and now is that the UK version would have got deleted pretty quickly at that price, and that AUK then started importing copies from AUS

[Charlie O.]

Well, blow me down! Varese Sarabande has just shared the news with The Second Disc that the label will be bringing the soundtrack to composer-lyricist Harry Nilsson and director Robert Altman’s loopy film musical version of Popeye to compact disc for the very first time in July – but that’s not all. This 2-CD deluxe edition will not only feature all of Nilsson’s memorable songs as performed by the perfectly-cast likes of Robin Williams, Shelley Duvall, and Paul Dooley, but will also debut Thomas Pierson’s instrumental score on CD, and an entire disc of previously unreleased demos performed by Nilsson! Varese continues to fill in the gaps of the Nilsson discography with this release; in addition to premiering Flash Harry on CD, the label previously brought the original album back into print on vinyl for 2016’s Black Friday Record Store Day event with two previously unreleased score tracks. (Needless to say, both are included on this release.)

The 1980 film Popeye, a rare co-production between Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney Productions (the partnership later yielded the fantasy Dragonslayer), wore its countercultural credentials on its sleeve. Robert Altman (MASH, Nashville) would hardly have been the obvious choice to bring E.C. Segar’s classic comic strip to life, yet that’s what he did – aided by maverick producer Robert Evans, cartoonist and acclaimed playwright-screenwriter Jules Feiffer, and rock-and-roll iconoclast Nilsson. By the time production began, Segar’s strip was already well-represented on screen by both Max Fleischer’s beloved cinematic cartoons and subsequent television series, but Altman’s adaptation would be the first to present Popeye (Williams), Olive Oyl (Duvall), Wimpy (Dooley), Poopdeck Pappy (Ray Walston), Bluto (Paul L. Smith), and co. in live-action.

Popeye’s home of Sweethaven was built in the country of Malta; the larger-than-life sets still stand today and are in use as a popular tourist attraction called Popeye Village. Cast, crew, and creative team (including Nilsson and arranger-conductor Van Dyke Parks) bonded on Malta for the unusual location shoot, resulting in a colorful, offbeat film like no other. Among the Sweethaven denizens were musicians Klaus Voormann, Ray Cooper, and Doug Dillard, joining Nilsson and Parks as The Falcons, the house band. Upon its December 6, 1980 release, Popeye was greeted by mixed reviews, with many critics not quite knowing what to make of Altman’s excursion into family filmmaking. Though the film performed respectably at the box office, it was considered a disappointment by not attaining blockbuster status.

Nilsson’s score, however, was one of the more acclaimed aspects of Popeye. The New York Times wrote a couple of months after the movie’s opening that it was “the rare film score that works better as a record than as an actual soundtrack…[evoking] a gentle, slightly wistful, childhood world.” Indeed, the composer-lyricist of The Point was able to channel that spirit for Popeye. The newspaper went so far as to compare his tunes (deftly arranged with nostalgic flair by Parks) such as “Sweethaven,” “I Yam What I Am,” “He Needs Me,” and “Sailin'” to the likes of Cohan, Gershwin, and McCartney.

Until now, Popeye (released on LP by Boardwalk Records) has never been released on CD. Varese’s deluxe edition betters the original album by adding music not on that release, including Thomas Pierson’s instrumental underscore and Paul Dooley’s song “Everything is Food.” The first disc of this set is a full 20 tracks compared to just 12 on the LP. The second disc here is another cause for major excitement, boasting a full 18 never-before-released demos performed by Harry Nilsson himself, including duets with Shelley Duvall and Paul L. Smith.

The expanded CD premiere of Popeye is due from Varese Vintage on July 28.



CD 1:

Sweethaven (Performed by The Citizens of Sweet Haven)
Blow Me Down (Performed by Robin Williams as Popeye)
Everything Is Food (Performed by Paul Dooley as Wimpy, Allan F. Nichols as Roughhouse, The Toughs, Barbershop and The Steinettes) *
Rough House Fight *
He’s Large (Performed by Shelley Duvall as Olive Oyl)
I’m Mean (Performed by Paul L. Smith as Bluto)
Sailin’ (Performed by Shelley Duvall as Olive Oyl and Robin Williams as Popeye)
March Through Town *
I Yam What I Yam (Performed by Robin Williams as Popeye)
The Grand Finale *
He Needs Me (Performed by Shelley Duvall as Olive Oyl)
Swee’Pea’s Lullaby (Performed by Robin Williams as Popeye)
Din’ We (Performed by Robert Fortier as Bill Barnacle – the Town Drunk)
It’s Not Easy Being Me (Performed by Ray Walston as Poopdeck Pappy)
Kids (Performed by Ray Walston as Poopdeck Pappy)
Skeleton Cave *
Now Listen Kid/To The Rescue/Mr. Eye Is Trapped/Back Into Action *
Saved/Still At It/The Treasure/What? More Fighting/Pap’s Boy/Olive & The Octopus/What’s Up Pop/Popeye Triumphant * 3:10
I’m Popeye The Sailor Man (Performed by Robin Williams as Popeye)
End Title Medley*
CD 2 (The Harry Nilsson Demos):

(NOTE: The running order is not finalized)

Sweethaven
I’m Mean
Swee Pea
Blow Me Down
Everything Is Food
He Needs Me
Everybody's Got To Eat**
Sail With Me
I Yam What I Yam
It’s Not Easy Being Me
Kids
I’m Popeye The Sailor
I’m Mean – Harry Nilsson with Paul L. Smith
He Needs Me – Harry Nilsson with Shelly Duvall
Din We
Sailin’
I’d Rather Be Me**
Applause**




(*) denotes track previously unreleased on the soundtrack album, but featured in the film
Composed and Arranged by Thomas Pierson, except as noted.

(**) denotes track or song not included in the film

Those interested should note that Varese Sarabande releases tend to go out of print relatively quickly (although their Flash Harry reissue is still available as of this writing).


https://theseconddisc.com/2017/05/exclusive-i-yam-what-i-yam-varese-brings-complete-popeye-with-harry-nilsson-demos-to-cd/

[Snarfyguy]

Those Popeye demos are solid. I downloaded them from Napster way back in the day. Not sure I've ever heard the actual album though, so I'll probably spring for this set.

Thanks for the info, Charlie!

[Davey the Fat Boy]

Very cool!

BTW - Doing another Harry's birthday show in LA on June 15th this year!

[Sneelock]

okay, so those Popeye tracks....

I spent my weekend with them. I LOVE this stuff. it's one more great Harry album to put on the stack.the tracks are tidied up a lot but they leave a lot of the nuts & bolts ( telling Van Dyke play slower, telling Klaus when to come in). I've grown to love Harry's demos. there's a real fly on the wall quality to them and these just might be the cream of the crop.

two things: these songs are GOOD and Harry sings GOOD. so much for the "harry's voice was shot" theory. yeah, it WAS shot. maybe he is not fully rehabilitated but (for example on the Swee' Pea song) he warbles all over the place just like the early stuff or DAMNED close.

I'm loving these things so much I've barely played the movie tracks which are enjoyable on their own merits (especially for the vocalists)
Even Harry's take on the Popeye song from the old cartoons is a keeper. what a wonderful singer! I'm far from getting tired of these. nice job.

I think they really stand on their own apart from the movie - like Prince's Batman album.

[Sneelock]

I think they really stand on their own apart from the movie - like Prince's Batman album.

ok, I got a little carried away there. whatever you think of Prince's "Batman" it's a very well put together record. some of these "popeye" tracks sound like they were never meant to reach human ears and the world would probably go along just fine if they hadn't.

I guess what I meant is that if you don't like the Popeye movie but you DO like Harry that you might like this as much as I do. some of the tracks are really surprisingly well arranged - others sound like they were made in the kitchen sink.

I guess what I'm really responding to is that Harry sounds engaged. He seemed pretty out of it in those days. Altman and Southern biographers make it sound like he was VERY out to lunch in those days. well, you turned on his mike and he seemed to get down to business... most of the time. there is a little bit of dreck here. It's nice hearing Harry's voice again but there are a few places where you want somebody to smack him to get him out of a redundant riff that doesn't seem to be going anywhere. other tracks sound pretty complete - surprisingly so.