Harry Nilsson vs. Mariah Carey | Head 2 Head 🗣️

On the 4th edition of Head 2 Head, Harry Nilsson and Mariah Carey duke it over their respective takes on a Badfinger classic, “Without You.”

Welcome to Head 2 Head! On Head 2 Head, we pit at least two musicians singing the same song together, comparing and contrasting their performances.  Then, after much deliberation, we deliver a verdict of which performance was the best, or at least, subjectively, which performance moved us more.  For our 4^th head-to-head, the source material is 🎙 Badfinger, specifically their song, 🎵 “Without You”. The two artists going head-to-head are 🎙Harry Nilsson and 🎙 Mariah Carey. So, without further ado, let the Head 2 Head commence!

Additional Background

Badfinger wrote and originally recorded “Without You” (🎼✍ Peter Ham and 🎼✍ Tom Evans).  But it was Nilsson who’d make it a hit.  Carey would also go on to have huge success with her take.  Of course, there are a number of covers.  We’ll focus on the two most important here…

1. Harry Nilsson, “Without You”

💿 Nilsson Schmilsson • 🏷 RCA • 📅 1971

For 🎙 Harry Nilsson, his version of “Without You” can be likened to what 🎙 Whitney Houston did for 🎵 “I Will Always Love You”. This brilliant record – among the best of all time in my opinion – was written by another band.  Even so, the original by Badfinger doesn’t earn that ‘definitive’ status despite the fact that they wrote and recorded it first.  That’s just the way that it works out sometimes.  Ask 🎙 Dolly Parton…

Anyways, Nilsson made this rock power ballad his own, period.  He serves up cooler, more restrained vocals on the verses, turning things up on the epic refrain.  Even though he showcases poise on the verses, you still totally buy into the feels exhibited – it’s totally lures you in. By the final refrain, he ‘lets ‘er rip’ and you can easily feel the authenticity – you totally believe it.  Radio felt the same way about this distinct, 🏆 Grammy-winning number one hit.  Honestly, after usurping Badfinger on their own song, it’s hard to imagine anyone giving Nilsson a run for their money on this gorgeous, superbly produced pop gem, right? Well, not so fast!

2. Mariah Carey, “Without You”

💿 Music Box • 🏷 Columbia • 📅 1993

Born out of the mid-80s, many people my age sometimes end up being more familiar with covers of originals or even covers of covers.  My introduction to “Without You” wasn’t from Badfinger or Nilsson – it was from 🎙 Mariah Carey.  Carey covered this gem on her 1993 album, 💿 Music Box. Her recording preceded Nilsson’s death in January 1994, while she’d release it as a single in the same month.

Mariah Carey always gives a great vocal performance.  That’s the case on “Without You.” Like Nilsson, she showcases more poise on the verses. Notably, her lower register is incredibly rich and refined – quite impressive.  Interestingly, on the first half of the first chorus, Carey continues to showcase her lower register, before ascending on the second half into that ever familiar, dynamic upper register.  Of course, on the second iteration of the chorus, she sings all of it up the octave (like Nilsson), unleashing more grit and oomph.  The ad-libs are absolutely stunning, coming directly from gospel and soul music.  You can argue that even with the ad-libs, Carey’s version has slightly more finesse compared to the rawness of Nilsson’s, particularly that second iteration of the chorus.

One more note: The production naturally gets a R&B update, sounding much more like the 90s as opposed to the 70s.  Fans of the original could cry foul, obviously, but for a new generation (like myself at the time), “Without You” definitely sounded like a new song.  Would it be far-fetched to say this was sort of that Whitney Houston “I Will Always Love You” moment for Carey?

The Verdict 👨🏿‍⚖️

So, does this Head 2 Head belong to the late, great Harry Nilsson or the prodigiously gifted diva, Mariah Carey?  This one is incredibly tough to be honest.  Personally, I heart the Mariah Carey version – it’s the one I grew up with and am more apt to listen to.  That said, Nilsson’s authenticity, particularly that last refrain might give him a slight edge. Carey packs a punch and definitely does vocal aerobics, yet Nilsson has a different degree of rawness.  Also, he has a Grammy to show for it, so, there’s that. Call it a draw, maybe?

Nilsson vs. Mariah Carey: Head 2 Head 🗣️ No. 4 [📷: Brent Faulkner, Columbia, The Musical Hype, RCA, Valentin Tikhonov from Pixabay]