In an effort to further answer the question posed in the title of a recent post, Who is Harry Nilsson… (And Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About Him?), here is another reason: He wrote and performed, “Best Friend,” the memorable theme tune for The Courtship of Eddie’s Father TV series starring Bill Bixby, something that is not generally known.
But here’s a kicker: the original lyrics to the most iconic father and son bonding song this side of Cat Stevens, were about a woman! That’s right, “Girlfriend,” as the song was originally known, was an outtake from his Aerial Ballet album.
Nilsson never released the show’s theme on record, but “Girlfriend” was released on the posthumous, Personal Best
Here’s a fan video for “Girlfriend”—take note of all the famous female faces from 1970s television who dated Bixby’s character, “Mr. Eddie’s Father” (as the Japanese housekeeper, Mrs. Livingstone, called him):
