HOWARD KAYLAN Shell Shocked: My Life With The Turtles, Flo & Eddie and Frank Zappa (2013)

The autobiography of Turtles lead singer Howard Kaylan (a.k.a."Eddie" of Flo & Eddie) is out. As fans know, The Turtles were early supporters of Nilsson's music, recording a couple of Harry's songs during the sessions for 1968's The Turtles Present The Battle Of The Bands. And, in the years that followed, Kaylan (along with partner Mark Volman, "Flo") were frequently in Nilsson's orbit, as both colleagues and drug buddies, twice featuring Harry as a guest on their infamous radio show. Sadly, though, Shell Shocked doesn't delve very deeply into the Nilsson/Kaylan relationship, as Harry is only name checked for his session work ("singing with Harry was like working with Gershwin"), a "free for all" recording session in London with Alice Cooper, Marc Bolan and Keith Moon (this one) and Flo & Eddie's debut By The Fireside radio program for KMET ("It never got better than that"). But Howard does relay one heartbreaking anecdote about the last time he was with Harry. Viewers of the documentary, Who Is Harry Nilsson..., may remember the story that songwriter Jimmy Webb tells about driving around Los Angeles with Harry, listening to Nilsson's music, after it was known that Nilsson didn't have long to live. Kaylan had the same experience, which you can read above. Click on the page for a readable pop up. Shell Shocked is available at Amazon.

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