The Best of Paul Williams

by Paul Williams

Overview

At the time of this collection's original release in 1974, Paul Williams had firmly established himself as a premier songwriter in the industry, releasing six albums of his own and scoring major hits with the Carpenters and Three Dog Night. Considering that the Oklahoma native had originally come to Hollywood as an actor in the 1960s, his subsequent move to music was quite a fruitful one. This lean anthology is culled from Williams' early-'70s albums and contains his own versions of "We've Only Just Begun" and "Rainy Days and Mondays," the former of which became a signature song for Karen and Richard Carpenter in 1970 and remains a popular wedding favorite. Classic pop cuts like "Inspiration" and "Loneliness" show an inventive and crafty songwriter working in a similar milieu as contemporaries Harry Nilsson and Randy Newman. Many more hits and other anthologies would follow, but this collection, though brief, captures Williams in his creative prime.

Product Details

Release Date:	05/27/2014
Label:	Creature Music
UPC:	5060051331886
catalogNumber:	106
Rank:	30252

Tracks

1. Waking Up Alone
2. You and Me Against the World
3. Nice to Be Around
4. We've Only Just Begun
5. Inspiration
6. An Old Fashioned Love Song
7. Loneliness
8. That's Enough for Me
9. Rainy Days and Mondays
10. I Won't Last a Day Without You

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Paul Williams   Primary Artist
Bob Brookmeyer   Trombone
Tom Scott   Clarinet,Flute,Alto Saxophone,Tenor Saxophone
Clydie King   Background Vocals
Kerry Chater   Background Vocals
Aarons   Trumpet
Kenny Ascher   Piano,Keyboards
Tom Bahler   Background Vocals
Colin Cameron   Bass
Gene Cipriano   Oboe,Tenor Saxophone
Craig Doerge   Piano,Tack Piano
Stan Farber   Background Vocals
Gene Morford   Background Vocals
Jim Gilstrap   Background Vocals
Ron Hicklin   Background Vocals
Jon Joyce   Background Vocals
Danny Kortchmar   Acoustic Guitar
Russ Kunkel   Conga,Drums,Shaker
Marti McCall   Background Vocals
Art Munson   Guitar
David Spinozza   Acoustic Guitar,Electric Guitar,Classical Guitar
Jerry Whitman   Background Vocals
Dick Hyde   Tuba
Gary Mallaber   Percussion,Drums
Michael Utley   Organ
Leland Sklar   Bass
Jessie Smith   Background Vocals
Sherlie Matthews   Background Vocals
Bobbye Hall Porter   Percussion
David Parlato   Bass
Hobbit   Kazoo
Dave Garland   Organ
Teddy Boy Friesen   Kazoo
Daffy Jackson   Kazoo

Technical Credits

Tom Scott   Horn Arrangements,String Arrangements
John Williams [composer]   Composer,Lyricist
Kenny Ascher   Composer,Lyricist,Producer,Horn Arrangements,String Arrangements,Horn Conductor,String Conductor
David Spinozza   String Arrangements
Paul Williams   Composer,Lyricist
Joe Garnett   Cover Painting
Harry Mittman   Cover Photo
Roger Nichols   Composer,Lyricist,Art Direction
Leopold Mittmann   Cover Painting
Michael J. Jackson   Producer
Luke Weall   Repackaging