SUPERIOR COVERS: Echoes of His Mind

If you think about the movie Midnight Cowboy, you might recall Dustin Hoffman's famous line, "I'm walkin' here!" You may think of that sad last scene on the bus . You may even remember seeing Bob Balaban do something you never thought Bob Balaban would do. Most likely, though, you recall the gentle, lilting voice of Harry Nilsson singing "Everybody's Talkin'." The song brings us to this week's topic: Superior Covers.

"Everybody's Talkin'" first appeared on a 1966 album by folksinger Fred Neil, who composed it. Three years later, the producers of Midnight Cowboy asked Harry Nilsson to perform the song for their film (after rejecting his original composition, "I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City.") Nilsson's recording became the film's theme-- this is back when movies had themes, instead of soundtracks jammed with incongruous pop hits-- and moviegoers have since been unable to forget the song, or the sad fate of Ratso Rizzo and Joe Buck. Midnight Cowboy went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture, despite being rated "X" for its gay themes. (Interestingly, Fred Neil was a homosexual).

Neil's recording of the song is a fine showcase for his smooth baritone and crisp 12-string guitar. But Nilsson really ran with it. His pure voice, with its four-octave range, wrings every ounce of emotion from Neil's lonely lyric. The arrangement, with Glen Campbellesque acoustic guitar and sweeping strings, is pure '60s schlock, but Nilsson's eccentricity makes it distinctive. No matter how many times you hear it, the yodeling is still odd, but it's also perfect.

Midnight Cowboy, a groundbreaking film in its time, has dated. Nilsson's Grammy-winning recording of "Everybody's Talkin'" remains evergreen, a career highlight of a vastly underrated talent.

TODAY'S RECOMMENDATION: "Everybody's Talkin'" by Nilsson
AVAILABLE ON: Nilsson: All Time Greatest Hits; iTunes