Nothing from Nothing

"Nothing from Nothing" is a song written by Billy Preston and Bruce Fisher and recorded by Billy Preston for his 1974 album The Kids & Me. The song reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for one week in October 1974, becoming Preston's second solo chart-topper in the United States (following his 1973 hit "Will It Go Round in Circles").^[2] It spent four and a half months on the chart.

B-side"My Soul Is a Witness"

ReleasedAugust 5, 1974

Genre

• Soul
• pop^[1]

Length2:38

Quick facts Single by Billy Preston, from the album The Kids & Me ...

"Nothing from Nothing"
US single picture sleeve
Single by Billy Preston
from the album The Kids & Me
B-side	"My Soul Is a Witness"
Released	August 5, 1974
Genre	Soul pop[1]
Length	2:38
Label	A&M
Songwriters	Billy Preston Bruce Fisher
Producer	Billy Preston
Billy Preston singles chronology
"You're So Unique" (1974) "Nothing from Nothing" (1974) "Struttin'" (1974)
Music video
"Nothing from Nothing" on YouTube

Close

Preston performed "Nothing from Nothing" on Saturday Night Live, the first musical performance ever on the show.

The song was also used in late 2002 for all GM-brand commercials and was also prominently featured in both the 1975 low-budget independent bank-heist caper Flash and the Firecat and the 2008 film Be Kind Rewind.

The song is also mentioned in the novel Just Above My Head by James Baldwin.^[3]

The song was also featured in the 2024 Apple TV+ animated Peanuts special Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin.^[4] It was also featured at the end of the season 3 finale of The White Lotus.