Paul Williams: Difference between revisions
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==Biography from Paul Williams' website== | ==Biography from Paul Williams' website== | ||
The following biography is taken from Paul Williams' website, archived here: | |||
https://web.archive.org/web/20190420115630/http://paulwilliams-uk.com/index.html | |||
The parts referring to his work with Allan have been highlighted in '''bold'''. | |||
I first became interested in music from an early age, my father being a musician - a wonderful piano player touring with bands like The Stanley Black Orchestra and Harry Roy's Band. He was also Vera Lynn's piano player. Every Sunday he would play a baby grand with invited friends and family into the small hours. When he passed away at a young age I was left to my own devices, having no idea that I could be good enough to follow in his footsteps. I had tried a few different careers - jewelry maker, window dresser and other assorted jobs, but nothing really stuck. I used to go out with friends and we all had to do different things to enjoy ourselves and others; mine was singing and playing Ray Charles songs. It was fun and it wasn't until my friend Graham told me about a band that played in the Flamingo Club in Wardour Street that I became totally obsessed with the music of Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames. I would go and listen to the band as much as I could, learning some of his songs and thinking I could sing that. I finally plucked up the courage to ask if I could sing a song, I was introduced and off I went. It seemed to go okay as I regularly went and sang with the band. After a while Mick Eves the sax player came up to me and asked if I was interested in joining a band that he knew. It was called the Wes Minster Five - a five piece band with Wes as the leader; also in the band were Dave Greenslade and Jon Hiseman. I auditioned and got the job, playing around London at a lot blues and rock venues. | I first became interested in music from an early age, my father being a musician - a wonderful piano player touring with bands like The Stanley Black Orchestra and Harry Roy's Band. He was also Vera Lynn's piano player. Every Sunday he would play a baby grand with invited friends and family into the small hours. When he passed away at a young age I was left to my own devices, having no idea that I could be good enough to follow in his footsteps. I had tried a few different careers - jewelry maker, window dresser and other assorted jobs, but nothing really stuck. I used to go out with friends and we all had to do different things to enjoy ourselves and others; mine was singing and playing Ray Charles songs. It was fun and it wasn't until my friend Graham told me about a band that played in the Flamingo Club in Wardour Street that I became totally obsessed with the music of Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames. I would go and listen to the band as much as I could, learning some of his songs and thinking I could sing that. I finally plucked up the courage to ask if I could sing a song, I was introduced and off I went. It seemed to go okay as I regularly went and sang with the band. After a while Mick Eves the sax player came up to me and asked if I was interested in joining a band that he knew. It was called the Wes Minster Five - a five piece band with Wes as the leader; also in the band were Dave Greenslade and Jon Hiseman. I auditioned and got the job, playing around London at a lot blues and rock venues. | ||
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After the Paul Williams Set dissolved and everybody went their separate ways, I worked on various projects and bands that didn't quite work including Aynsley Dunbar's Blue Whale. Off we went again touring England and Europe until one night we were in Munich doing the beer festival for two nights. We played the first night. Afterward we went back to the hotel and the band were in the bar when Aynsley came up and said he was joining Frank Zappa's band, so we could carry on or not without him. Within what seemed like minutes I got a call from London - they wanted a front man for Juicy Lucy and was I interested. I said yes and jumped on the plane without telling Aynsley I had left. The band knew, and the next night when they went on without me, Aynsley asked where I was and they told him I was in London. That was that. I did finish the album off but not a lot of thought went into it - I did the vocals in about three hours! | After the Paul Williams Set dissolved and everybody went their separate ways, I worked on various projects and bands that didn't quite work including Aynsley Dunbar's Blue Whale. Off we went again touring England and Europe until one night we were in Munich doing the beer festival for two nights. We played the first night. Afterward we went back to the hotel and the band were in the bar when Aynsley came up and said he was joining Frank Zappa's band, so we could carry on or not without him. Within what seemed like minutes I got a call from London - they wanted a front man for Juicy Lucy and was I interested. I said yes and jumped on the plane without telling Aynsley I had left. The band knew, and the next night when they went on without me, Aynsley asked where I was and they told him I was in London. That was that. I did finish the album off but not a lot of thought went into it - I did the vocals in about three hours! | ||
Juicy Lucy had already had a hit with 'Who Do You Love' before I joined so I had to jump in the deep end. I had started to write most of the material for the band and at a certain point Glen Campbell the slide player left to join Joe Cocker. This was after we had toured the world extensively. Different members were leaving and others joining until there was only myself and Micky Moody who I found playing in a band in Redcar. Anyway we decided to carry on, got some more players and had a minor chart hit with our second single. After the next tour supporting Joe Cocker in Europe, owing to management terrorism, money missing etc., I decided to leave and join a new band called Tempest - Jon Hiseman, Allan Holdsworth, Mark Clarke and myself. It was promoted as a 'supergroup' and we toured America and Europe, but after a while it wasn't working for me, so I left and so did Alan and that was it. | Juicy Lucy had already had a hit with 'Who Do You Love' before I joined so I had to jump in the deep end. I had started to write most of the material for the band and at a certain point Glen Campbell the slide player left to join Joe Cocker. This was after we had toured the world extensively. Different members were leaving and others joining until there was only myself and Micky Moody who I found playing in a band in Redcar. Anyway we decided to carry on, got some more players and had a minor chart hit with our second single. After the next tour supporting Joe Cocker in Europe, owing to management terrorism, money missing etc., '''I decided to leave and join a new band called Tempest - Jon Hiseman, Allan Holdsworth, Mark Clarke and myself. It was promoted as a 'supergroup' and we toured America and Europe, but after a while it wasn't working for me, so I left and so did Alan and that was it.''' | ||
About this time, I didn't know it, but I had contracted tuberculosis and was unable to work for about three years. After I recovered I decided to go to the US to live. Allan had wanted to form a band and asked me if I was interested, so we made an album which was very ahead of it's time but challenging. Allan came to the US and we got the project off the ground. After about five years Allan decided to go completely instrumental, and so I decided to go back to my roots where I formed Blue Thunder. | '''About this time, I didn't know it, but I had contracted tuberculosis and was unable to work for about three years. After I recovered I decided to go to the US to live. Allan had wanted to form a band and asked me if I was interested, so we made an album which was very ahead of it's time but challenging. Allan came to the US and we got the project off the ground. After about five years Allan decided to go completely instrumental, and so I decided to go back to my roots where I formed Blue Thunder.''' | ||
Although Blue Thunder was my main thing, I did do a tour with Colisseum in England filling in for Chris Farlowe who was working with Van Morrison. I also recently toured with the Blues Package - John Baldry, Ray Dorset, Zoot Money, Colin Hodgkinson and Ronnie Johnson - an enjoyable 30 dates touring England, Ireland and Scotland. | Although Blue Thunder was my main thing, I did do a tour with Colisseum in England filling in for Chris Farlowe who was working with Van Morrison. I also recently toured with the Blues Package - John Baldry, Ray Dorset, Zoot Money, Colin Hodgkinson and Ronnie Johnson - an enjoyable 30 dates touring England, Ireland and Scotland. | ||
Paul Williams, summer 2007. | Paul Williams, summer 2007. | ||
[[Category: Musicians]] | [[Category: Musicians]] | ||
