|
Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZWILLIAMS, John (guitarist)(b John Christopher Williams, 24 April 1941, Melbourne, Australia) Classical guitarist who often reached the UK pop charts. John Williams Plays Spanish Music '70 on CBS reached the UK top 50 albums, followed by Travelling '78 on Cube; his recording of Rodrigo's Concerto De Aranjuez with the English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Daniel Barenboim '76 on CBS reached the top 20; Bridges '79 on Lotus/K-Tel was no. 5 and Cavatina '79 on Cube/Electric also charted. He formed the fusion group Sky, with Steve Gray on keyboards, Herbie Flowers on electric bass, Kevin Peek on guitars, Tristan Fry on tuned percussion (not to be confused with a Detroit rock trio called Sky who charted '70). Their instrumental skill was amazing but for many listeners they lacked soul. Their first two LPs charted in USA but all did well in UK: Sky '79, Sky 2 '80 (no. 1), Sky 3 '81, Sky Forthcoming '82; two-disc Sky Five Live '83 was recorded on Australian tour; Cadmium '83 was also on Ariola/Arista. Masterpieces '83 was a Telstar compilation; the first three were reissued in a boxed set. Williams left early '84, and later indicated that he was disappointed in their later albums, saying that they had not thought carefully enough about what they were doing. (The others carried on as a quartet: The Great Balloon Race '85 on CBS, Mozart '87 on Mercury). Williams sought projects with other musicians, not so much wishing to be a solo star; he played in the premier performance of Michael Tippett's opera King Priam in 1963, and contributed to Pierre Boulez's ambitious project of recording the complete works of Anton Webern. After many years in Britain he said he still felt more Australian than British, but more a Londoner than either. Too many recordings to list here, but a few more albums were Portrait Of John Williams '82, The Guitar Is The Song and Let The Music Take You '83, with Cleo Laine and Paul Hart's Concerto for guitar and jazz orchestra '87, all on CBS; another album with the Chilean folk group Inti-Illinali; many reissues and compilations on various labels. A biography by William Starling called Strings Attached had very mixed reviews: Williams is probably too interesting a musician to be easily captured in a book. |