Refab Four: You Can't Do That

Our final “Refab Four” song was released in August 1967 by Harry Nilsson and was a unique cover of a Beatles’ flipside – “You Can’t Do That.” While it appeared as the B-Side to The Beatles’ “Can’t Buy Me Love,” the original also was featured in the motion picture “A Hard Day’s Night.” Nilsson’s take on the song incorporated the lyrics of over a dozen different Beatles’ tunes that weave through and around the lyrics of “You Can’t Do That.”

Although this single release from Nilsson’s second album, “Pandemonium Shadow Show,” was a #10 hit in Canada, it stalled on the American charts at #122. Upon hearing portions of the album in Canada, The Beatles’ publicist Derek Taylor ordered a case of albums to give to others in the music business including the Fab Four.

The result caused John Lennon and Paul McCartney to announce that Nilsson was their favorite American artist. In addition, John Lennon developed a long lasting relationship with Harry Nilsson. Billy J. Kramer, another Liverpudlian managed by Brian Epstein, also recorded Nilsson’s “1941” that appeared on “Pandemonium Shadow Show.”