February 14, 2017
So you guys know Harry's version of "One" was featured in the Lego Batman movie, and actually they let it run for most of the song, which I thought was really cool. Very front and center. I'm friends with the editor of the movie, we originally met somewhere around 20 years ago, when he was a struggling editor, working on crappy projects and trying to break into the big time. We were talking recently about the movie, about Harry and about music.
He told me that it was the director's idea to use "One" in the movie there, but it was my friend's idea to use Harry's version of it. After the director listened to 3 Dog Night's version and Harry's version, he decided to use Harry's version, which I think we can probably all agree was a good call. I think it fit into that scene perfectly, the sparseness of it really lent itself to the mood I thought.
Anyway I just thought it was interesting how that came about.
October 9, 2017
John Lennon's birthday today. Harry never stopped missing him. In 1991, when we were in England so Harry could record "How About You" for The Fisher King, there was one night where we stayed up until the wee hours of the morning just talking.
Harry told me he always regretted that I was never able to meet John. Whenever I was in LA visiting Harry, John was in England or somewhere else, so it just never worked out. John was one of Harry's best friends, and he said he always felt bad that John and I never met. He told me I would have liked John a lot, and that John was a great guy, very intelligent and had a great sense of humor.
And of course I always wanted to meet John, I mean... obviously. He was John Lennon. But for whatever reason, it just never happened. But it struck me how even many years later, Harry still wished that I had met him. It impressed upon me the depth of their friendship, and how much Harry truly cared for John.
Anybody who really knew Harry will tell you that Harry didn't suffer fools lightly, and if Harry chose you to take on one of his crazy spontaneous middle of the night adventures that lasted 4 days and ended somewhere in the Arizona desert, you were the kind of intelligent, kind people that Harry was most attracted to.
John was one of the most intelligent and kind of all. Sure, he had a temper, so did Harry, so do all of us to some degree. But listen to John's lyrics over the years, and you'll hear who he really was.
Nobody's perfect, but Harry and John loved each other like brothers, they even fought like brothers sometimes. And when John died, Harry grieved the loss of his brother for the rest of his life.
So happy birthday John, from one of the Nilsson clan. Wish you were here.