One (Harry Nilsson song) explained

One
Cover:One by nilsson UK single side-B solid centre.png
Alt:side-B label
Caption:Side B of the UK single; solid center variant
Type:single
Artist:Harry Nilsson
Album:Aerial Ballet
B-Side:Sister Marie
Released:1968
Recorded:1967
Studio:RCA (Hollywood, California)
Genre:
Label:RCA Records
Producer:Rick Jarrard
Prev Title:Good Old Desk
Prev Year:1967
Next Title:Everybody's Talkin'
Next Year:1968

"One" is a song by American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson from his 1968 album Aerial Ballet. It is known for its opening line "One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do". Nilsson wrote the song after calling someone and getting a busy signal. He stayed on the line listening to the "beep, beep, beep, beep..." tone, writing the song. The busy signal became the opening notes.

A better-known cover version, recorded by Three Dog Night, reached number five on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100[4] in 1969 and number four in Canada. In 1969, the song was also recorded by Australian pop singer Johnny Farnham, reaching number four on the Go-Set National Top 40 Chart.[5]

Three Dog Night version

One
Cover:One by three dog night 1979 US reissue.png
Alt:vinyl side label
Caption:Late 1970s US reissue
Type:single
Artist:Three Dog Night
Album:Three Dog Night
B-Side:Chest Fever
Released:April 1969
Recorded:1968
Genre:
Length:3:06 (album)
2:55 (single)
Label:Dunhill
Producer:Gabriel Mekler
Prev Title:Try a Little Tenderness
Prev Year:1969
Next Title:Easy to Be Hard
Next Year:1969

Three Dog Night released One as the second single from their eponymous first album, with Chuck Negron performing the lead vocal.[8] It became their first of seven gold records over the next five years.

The original issue of the single version fades out about ten seconds before the final notes heard on the album version. Upon reissues by ABC Records and its successor labels, the label reverted to the album version which is heard on radio today.

The song reached number five on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and spent three weeks at number two on the Cash Box Top 100.[9] It also reached number four in Canada.

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1969)Peak
position
Australia (Go-Set)39
Canada RPM Top Singles4
New Zealand (Listener)16
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[10] 5
U.S. Cash Box Top 1002

Year-end charts

Chart (1969)Rank
Canada[11] 20
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[12] 11
U.S. Cash Box [13] 16

Other versions

Many cover versions have been recorded. Among the most notable are:

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Playlist: Best Harry Nilsson songs for what would be his 75th birthday . Azcentral.com . June 16, 2016 . August 20, 2016.
  2. Book: Harry Nilsson. Coleman. Mark. Matos. Michaelangelo. . 2004 . . 4th . Brackett . Nathan . Hoard . Christian . 0-7432-0169-8 . 586–587.
  3. Web site: Stephen Thomas . Erlewine . Stephen Thomas Erlewine . Harry Nilsson – Everybody's Talkin' [BMG] ]. . October 9, 2023.
  4. Web site: One (song by Three Dog Night) ••• Music VF, US & UK hits charts . Musicvf.com . August 20, 2016.
  5. Web site: National Top 40 . Nimmervoll . Ed . Ed Nimmervoll . . Waverley Press . September 13, 1969 . May 16, 2014 .
  6. Web site: Rick . Moore . Three Dog Night, "One" . . 2017 . “Nilsson's ‘One’ was very melancholy, lacked passion,” he said. “It was a song sang to the beat of a busy signal … We turned that into a rock and roll song. . October 16, 2022.
  7. Web site: Pitchfork Staff . The 200 Best Songs of the 1960s . . August 18, 2006 . I grew up on Three Dog Night's R&B bombast so returning to Harry's original I forget how wispy and ethereal this tune could be.. October 12, 2022.
  8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5261s3Z3RU YouTube.com "Old Fashioned Love Song by Three Dog Night" video - live performance
  9. Web site: Cash Box Top 100 7/19/69. https://web.archive.org/web/20130718080722/http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/60s_files/19690719.html. dead. July 18, 2013. tropicalglen.com.
  10. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 -
  11. RPM's Top 100 of 1969. RPM. January 10, 1970.
  12. Web site: Top 100 Hits of 1969/Top 100 Songs of 1969. www.musicoutfitters.com.
  13. Web site: Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1969. tropicalglen.com. November 13, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20190125055422/http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/60s_files/1969YESP.html. January 25, 2019. dead.
  14. Web site: Go-Set National Top 40, 11 October 1969.