English Deutsch Français Italiano Español Português 繁體中文 Bahasa Indonesia Tiếng Việt ภาษาไทย
All categories

2006-12-02 07:14:35 · 17 answers · asked by david w 1 in Entertainment & Music Music

17 answers

"Without You" is a song originally recorded by Badfinger for their album No Dice (1970), and written by Pete Ham and Tom Evans and produced by Geoff Emerick. Its verse was composed by Ham, originally titled "If It's Love", but had lacked a strong chorus. Evans had written a chorus without a strong verse, so the duo fused the two sections together. The protagonist of this ballad lets a lover know that they "can't live if living is without you". Badfinger's recording of the song, which is more brusque than its successors' versions, languished as an obscure album track until it was noticed a year later by Harry Nilsson. Both Ham and Evans later committed suicide, Ham on 24 April 1975, and Evans on 19 November 1983. The suicides were unrelated.

"Without You" became a hit single after being covered by Nilsson for his album Nilsson Schmilsson in 1971; it stayed at number-one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks, from February 13 to March 11, 1972. It replaced "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green, and was replaced by Neil Young's "Heart of Gold". The song has been covered by several other artists, including:

Shirley Bassey, for the album And I Love You So released in August 1972;
the rock band Heart, for the album Magazine released in April 1978;
the band Air Supply, for the album The Earth Is... released in 1991;
Mariah Carey, for the album Music Box released in 1993;
Jade Kwan, for the album Jade-2 Special Edition released in January 2003;
Clay Aiken, for the album A Thousand Different Ways released in September 2006.

Mariah Carey version

Mariah Carey co-produced her cover of the song with Walter Afanasieff, and the production is based on Harry Nilsson's version. It was released as the album's third single in the first quarter of 1994, and in the United States it was released on January 24, 1994, the day that Nilsson died of heart failure. In the U.S. it was promoted as a double A-side with "Never Forget You" and reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100, remaining in the top forty for twenty-one weeks. Both radio airplay and sales were strong, and it was certified gold by the RIAA. It was ranked sixteenth on the Hot 100 1994 year-end charts.

"Without You" was Carey's biggest hit outside the U.S. (until "We Belong Together") and was largely successful across Europe. It became her first UK number-one single, and still remains her only number one there as a solo artist. It stayed at number one for four weeks and became her third number-one single in Brazil. It was also her first chart-topper in Italy, but was most successful in Switzerland (with ten non-consecutive weeks at number one) and the Netherlands (twelve weeks). It also topped the singles chart in Germany for four weeks and Austria for eight weeks, where Carey's success had previously been limited. It was able to make the top three in Canada, France, Norway and Australia. "Without You" was later included on some non-U.S. pressings of her compilation album #1's (1998).

The single's video, directed by Larry Jordan, is derived from Carey's 1993 concert at Proctor Theatre. In addition to "Never Forget You", the UK CD single for "Without You" included a live recording of "Dreamlover" (1993).

______________________

2006-12-02 07:23:05 · answer #1 · answered by funnyrob01 4 · 3 0

Harry Nilsson had the hit in the 70's

I also agree with with starlet10
Gotta get up is brilliant, my cousin had without you as a single and i used to always play the B Side!!
Have never been able to find a copy of the single for that B side though

2006-12-02 17:17:54 · answer #2 · answered by Anni 3 · 0 0

Mariah Carey has sung it as has Harry Nilsson, but the original was recorded by Badfinger for their album No Dice (1970).

2006-12-02 15:52:27 · answer #3 · answered by Baps . 7 · 1 0

Nielson first sang it in the 70's and was No. 1 for a long time. I remember the original - the B side was a catchy little tune called 'Gotta get up' xxx

2006-12-02 15:18:57 · answer #4 · answered by starlet108 7 · 2 1

Mariah Carey has sung the song, as have Air Supply, but the original artist was harry nielsson

2006-12-02 15:17:16 · answer #5 · answered by Tues 2 · 0 1

If you mean the song that goes "I can't live, if living is without you" then it was Harry Neilson (Neilson Schmielson), who he starred with Barbara Streisand in A Star Is Born.

2006-12-02 15:27:51 · answer #6 · answered by Claire M G in East Sussex 1 · 0 1

Pretty Ricky Nelson sang that one

2006-12-02 15:17:09 · answer #7 · answered by silverearth1 7 · 0 1

words came from the song without you by Niillson

2006-12-02 15:25:50 · answer #8 · answered by miicck 1 · 1 0

Harry Neils on sang this song , early 7o's

Awwwwwww sigh

>^,,^<

2006-12-02 15:36:52 · answer #9 · answered by sweet-cookie 6 · 0 1

If you mean that awful dirge that goes "I can't live if living is without you/ I can't live, I can't give anymore" then it was Harry Nilsson, later covered by Mariah Carey. The actual title is "Without you" and it is a really depressing joyless dirge.

2006-12-02 15:25:09 · answer #10 · answered by monkeymanelvis 7 · 1 2

fedest.com, questions and answers