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Without You (Badfinger song)

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"Without You" is a song written by Pete Ham and Tom Evans of British rock group Badfinger, and first released on their 1970 album No Dice. The power ballad[1] has been recorded by over 180 artists,[2] and versions released as singles by Harry Nilsson (1971) and Mariah Carey (1994) became international number one hits. The Nilsson version was included in 2021's Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[3] Paul McCartney once described it as "the killer song of all time".[4]

"Without You"
Song by Badfinger
from the album No Dice
Released9 November 1970 (1970-11-09)
Recorded15 & 29 July 1970
StudioAbbey Road, London
Length4:43
LabelApple
Songwriter(s)Pete Ham, Tom Evans
Producer(s)Geoff Emerick
Music video
"Without You" (audio) on YouTube

In 1972, writers Ham and Evans received the British Academy's Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically.[5]

Badfinger original

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First recorded by the rock group Badfinger, the song was composed by two of its members. Pete Ham wrote a song originally titled "If It's Love", but it had lacked a strong chorus. At the time of writing, the band shared residence with the Mojos at 7 Park Avenue in Golders Green. One evening, in the midst of the parties, songwriting, touring, in Golders Green, Ham and his girlfriend Beverly Tucker were about to go out for the evening. But just as they were leaving Tom Evans said he had an idea for a song – Ham said, "Not tonight, I've promised Bev." But she thought he would be wondering if he had done the right thing later, if he went out. She told him, "Go into the studio, I'm fine about it..."  He replied, "Your mouth is smiling, but your eyes are sad." The song Ham wrote that night was called "If it's Love" and has the verse "Well I can't forget tomorrow, when I think of all my sorrow, I had you there but then I let you go, and now it's only fair that I should let you know ... if it's love". But Ham wasn't happy with the chorus.[6][7]

Evans' relationship with his future wife Marianne influenced his lyrics:

One evening he [Evans] went to her [Marianne's] friend Karen and told Karen, "She's left me. I need her back. I can't live without her." He flew to Bonn to find her – he wrote a song called "I Can't Live". Its chorus included "I can't live, if living is without you, I can't live, I can't give any more." And so the merging of the two songs,[8][7] Ham and Evans created the hit [with] Ham's verse, "warm, sweet, sentimental" and Evans' chorus, "intense, dramatic, heartbreaking."[9]

Both Ham and Evans said they did not consider the song to have much potential at the time Badfinger recorded it, and the track was slotted to close the first side of their 1970 album No Dice. Badfinger's recording of the song, which is more brusque than its successors' versions, was not released as a single in Europe or North America.

Stereogum reviewer Tom Breihan said of Badfinger's version that it "is strummy and direct, but it also sounds like a blueprint, not a final version. They could’ve turned it into a showstopping ballad, but they didn’t."[7]

Ultimate Classic Rock critic Michael Gallucci rated it as Badfinger's 4th-best song, calling it a "quiet gem" that "hits all the right emotional notes."[10] Classic Rock critic Rob Hughes rated it Badfinger's 6th-best song, saying it is "less saccharine and more understated [than the Nilsson and Carey versions], delivered with a genuine sense of anguish."[11] Paul McCartney called it "the killer song of all time."[11]

The two writers of the song, Ham and Evans, later died by suicide due to legal and financial issues. In Evans' case, it was a dispute over songwriting royalties for "Without You" that precipitated his action. Songwriting royalties had become the subject of constant legal wrangling for Evans, and in 1983, following an acrimonious argument with his bandmate Joey Molland over the royalties for the song, Evans hanged himself.[12][13]

Harry Nilsson version

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"Without You"
 
Side A of US vinyl single
Single by Harry Nilsson
from the album Nilsson Schmilsson
B-side"Gotta Get Up"
Released11 October 1971 (1971-10-11)
Recorded1971
StudioIsland, London[14]
GenreSoft rock[15]
Length3:17
LabelRCA
Songwriter(s)Pete Ham, Tom Evans
Producer(s)Richard Perry
Harry Nilsson singles chronology
"Me and My Arrow"
(1971) 		"Without You"
(1971) 		"Jump into the Fire"
(1972)

Background and history

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Harry Nilsson (pictured in 1972) covered Badfinger's song "Without You".

Harry Nilsson, at the time best known for his hit "Everybody's Talkin'" and for composing "One", recorded by Three Dog Night, heard Badfinger's recording of "Without You" at a party,[16] and mistook it for a Beatles song.[7]

After realising it was not, he decided to cover the song for his 1971 album Nilsson Schmilsson. According to Breihan, "He wanted his version of the song to be a stark, heavy solo-piano thing, but [producer Richard] Perry convinced him to turn it into a grand, crashing, theatrical monster-ballad, complete with orchestra."[7] Gary Wright, who worked with Badfinger on George Harrison's projects, played the piano. Also featured are Klaus Voormann (bass), Jim Keltner (drums) and John Uribe (acoustic guitar). The string and horn arrangements are by Paul Buckmaster.

Commercial performance

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The single was released by RCA in the autumn of 1971, and it first charted on radio stations across the US in early December. "Without You" debuted at number 99 on the Billboard Hot 100 on 18 December 1971, and on its tenth week, in the chart dated 19 February 1972, started its four-week run at number one, as his only song to peak at that position. Billboard ranked it as the number-four single of 1972.[17] The record topped Billboard's Easy Listening chart for five weeks.

The record spent five weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart, beginning on 11 March, eventually selling almost 800,000 copies.[18] It went to number one in several other countries, including Australia (for five weeks), Ireland (two weeks) and New Zealand (two weeks).

Critical reception

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Billboard said it was "by far [Nilsson's] most commercial driving rock ballad in some time."[19] Cash Box said of the single "Couple a winning Badfinger tune with Gary Wright's piano and Nilsson's wideranging voice, and you've got Harry's biggest hit since 'Everybody's Talkin'.'"[20] Record World said that "Nilsson's brilliant rendition of this Badfinger song has more than enough of the stuff of which hits are made."[21] Breihan described the song as "going-for-it schmaltz," compared with Badfinger's "vaguely embarrassed schmaltz", but basically considered it a "big and silly and down-the-middle breakup ballad."[7] SingersRoom critic Erica Henderson rated it as Nilsson's best song, saying that "the song's haunting melody and heartbreaking lyrics about lost love have made it a timeless classic" and that "Nilsson’s rendition features soaring vocals, soaring strings, and a melancholic piano that perfectly complement the song’s mournful tone."[22]

The single, Grammy-nominated for Record of the Year, was produced by Richard Perry, who later explained, "It was a different record for its time. It was a big ballad with a heavy backbeat, and although many artists have cut songs like it since, no one was doing it then."[23] In 1973, the single won Nilsson the Grammy award for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male.[24] While Nilsson rarely gave live concerts, he did perform the song with Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas in September 1992.[25]

In 1972 Evans said of finding out that Nilsson had recorded the song as a single:

We were in our studios in London. We'd gone through one of those periods where things weren't going too well. This guy came in and said "Are you Badfinger? I'm Harry Nilsson. I've got this song to play for you." It was his version of "Without You." He said he was going to use it as a single. We're thinking about other songs we can lay on him. No one had recorded any of our songs until then. It had been our ambition to write songs other people would record. It's one of the most exciting things that has happened.[26]

In 2021, this version was ranked 496th on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[27]

Harry Nilsson track listing

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Worldwide Single

  1. "Without You" – 3:17
  2. "Gotta Get Up" – 2:24

EP (Portugal)

  1. "Without You" – 3:17
  2. "The Moonbeam Song" – 3:18
  3. "Gotta Get Up" – 2:24
  4. "Jump Into The Fire" – 3:32

Chart performance

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[45] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[46] Gold 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Personnel

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According to the 1971 LP credits:[47]

Mariah Carey version

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Main article: Without You (Mariah Carey recording)

American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey's version, based on Harry Nilsson's version rather than the Badfinger original, was released as the third single off Music Box in the first quarter of 1994, its US release date of 21 January 1994 by Columbia Records, falling a week after Nilsson had died following a heart attack on 15 January 1994. In the US "Without You" was promoted as a double A-side with "Never Forget You". While she had heard Nilsson's version as a very young girl, Carey's decision to remake his hit was based on a chance hearing during the time she was recording Music Box: "I heard that song in a restaurant and just knew it would be a huge international hit" recalls Carey.[48] Carey's version has been considered very popular on talent shows.[49] "Without You" was later included on some non-US pressings of her compilation albums #1's (1998) and #1 to Infinity (2015), and her 2001 compilation, Greatest Hits. "Without You" was also included on her 2008 compilation The Ballads.

"Without You" reached number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks. "Without You" remains Carey's biggest hit across Europe. In the United Kingdom, where Carey had yet to score a number one hit, "Without You" made its UK chart debut at number one where it remained for four weeks in total, and later ended as the 7th best-selling single of 1994 in the United Kingdom.[50] It topped the European Hot 100 Singles chart for two weeks and reached number one for ten weeks in Switzerland; eight weeks in Austria and Sweden; seven weeks in Belgium; five weeks in Ireland and the Netherlands; four weeks in Germany and Iceland; and two weeks in Scotland.

Other versions

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ASCAP and Ivor Novello recognition

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On 15 May 1995, at ASCAP's twelfth annual Pop Music Awards in Beverly Hills, California, "Without You" was recognised as one of the 50 most-played songs of 1994 (due largely to Mariah Carey's recording). Discrepancies in ASCAP's books, resulting from a lawsuit against the Ham and Evans estates by their former manager, incorrectly attributed the song as being composed not only by Ham and Evans, but also by Badfinger's other bandmembers, Mike Gibbins and Joey Molland, and their former manager, Bill Collins. This designation and a lack of correction by ASCAP prompted the Ham Estate to boycott the ceremony. The song was also nominated for "Song of the Year" in London at the Ivor Novello Awards.[56]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "The 40 Greatest Power Ballads Playlist". Classic Rock Magazine. 14 February 2015. Archived from the original on 29 May 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  2. ^ According to the ASCAP
  3. ^ "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. 15 September 2021. Archived from the original on 22 November 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  4. ^ Paul McCartney VH1 Behind The Music Archived 12 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved 10 June 2009
  5. ^ Lister, David, Pop ballads bite back in lyrical fashion, The Independent, 28 May 1994
  6. ^ "BBC Radio 2 – Song Stories, Without You". Bbc.co.uk. 9 February 2011. Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Breihan, Tom (20 February 2019). "The Number Ones: Nilsson's "Without You"". Stereogum. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  8. ^ "Badfinger – Without You". BBC Wales. Archived from the original on 19 October 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  9. ^ Song Stories, Radio 2, 9 February 2011
  10. ^ Gallucci, Michael (26 April 2013). "Top 10 Badfinger Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  11. ^ a b Hughes, Rob (26 June 2016). "The top 10 best Badfinger songs". Classic Rock. Louder Sound. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  12. ^ Clark, Nick (26 April 2013). "Badfinger: last act in a rock'n'roll tragedy". Independent. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  13. ^ Frasier, David K. (11 September 2015). Suicide in the Entertainment Industry: An Encyclopedia of 840 Twentieth Cases. McFarland. p. 20. ISBN 978-1-4766-0807-5.
  14. ^ "The HeliosCentric Helios Console". Bonhams.com. Archived from the original on 1 December 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  15. ^ Stanley, Bob (13 September 2013). "Pop Gets Sophisticated: Soft Rock". Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Faber & Faber. p. 240. ISBN 978-0-571-28198-5.
  16. ^ Matovina 2000, p. 152.
  17. ^ Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1972
  18. ^ Dafydd Rees and Luke Crampton, Rock Stars Encyclopedia (New York: DK Publishing, 1999), 714.
  19. ^ "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Billboard. 4 December 1971. p. 52. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  20. ^ "Cashbox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 4 December 1971. p. 14. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  21. ^ "Picks of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 4 December 1971. p. 1. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  22. ^ Henderson, Erica (20 March 2023). "10 Best Harry Nilsson Songs of All Time". SingersRoom. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  23. ^ ""Without You" – Nilsson". Superseventies.com. 19 February 1972. Archived from the original on 1 December 2010. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  24. ^ Matovina 2000, p. 209.
  25. ^ Chip Madinger and Mark Easter, Eight Arms To Hold You: The Solo Beatles Compendium (Chesterfield, MO: 44.1 Productions, 2000), 543.
  26. ^ Campbell, Mary (21 April 1972). "Badfinger Quartet Thrilled by Gold Record". The Daily Register. p. 5. Retrieved 7 April 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  27. ^ "Without You ranked #496 on Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs List". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 16 September 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  28. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  29. ^ "Nilsson – Without You" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  30. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7602." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  31. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 26 February 1972. Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  32. ^ "Nilsson – Without You" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  33. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Without You". Irish Singles Chart.
  34. ^ "flavour of new zealand – search listener". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Archived from the original on 24 April 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  35. ^ "Philippines". Billboard. Billboard Publications, Inc. 8 July 1972. p. 51. Archived from the original on 14 December 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022. (Courtesy: The Music Bank Report)
  36. ^ "Nilsson: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  37. ^ "Music: Top 100 Songs – Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on 16 March 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  38. ^ "Nilsson Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  39. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Nilsson – Without You" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  40. ^ "Australian-charts.com - Forum - 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Archived from the original on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  41. ^ "RPM's Top 100 Singles of '72". RPM. 13 January 1973. p. 20.
  42. ^ 1972 in British music#Best-selling singles
  43. ^ "Top Pop 100 Singles" Billboard 30 December 1972: TA-3
  44. ^ "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on 3 August 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  45. ^ "British single certifications – Nilsson – Without You". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  46. ^ "American single certifications – Nilsson – Without You". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  47. ^ Nilsson Schmilsson (CD booklet: reproduced 1971 LP sleeve). BMG Entertainment. 2000.
  48. ^ Locker, Melissa (18 April 2013). "Candice Steals the Show on 'American Idol'". Rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  49. ^ "Mariah's "Without you" popular on talent searches". The Mariah Carey Archives. Archived from the original on 10 September 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
  50. ^ Copsey, Rob (11 June 2021). "Official Top 40 best-selling songs of 1994". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  51. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–1995. Record Research. p. 489.
  52. ^ Without You on YouTube
  53. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 13.
  54. ^ Air Supply - Without You (Live 2021) Legendado em PT-BR on YouTube
  55. ^ "The most memorable 'Idols'". The National.
  56. ^ , page 395, Matovina, Dan. Without You: The Tragic Story of Badfinger Archived 15 January 2023 at the Wayback Machine, Google Books, 2000. Retrieved 17 June 2009

Sources

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