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Mason Williams

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For other people named Mason Williams, seeMason Williams (disambiguation).

Mason Williams
Williams in 1969
Williams in 1969
Background information
Birth nameMason Douglas Williams
Born(1938-08-24)August 24, 1938(age 86)
Abilene, Texas,U.S.
GenresEasy listening,classical,bluegrass,folk
Occupation(s)Musician, composer, songwriter, writer, poet, photographer
Instrument(s)Guitar,banjo
Years active1958–present
LabelsAmerican Gramaphone,Everest,Flying Fish,Olympic, Real Music, Skookum,Vanguard,Vee-Jay,Warner Bros.,WEA
Websitemasonwilliams-online

Mason Douglas Williams(born August 24, 1938) is an Americanclassical guitarist,composer, singer, writer, comedian, and poet, best known for his 1968 instrumental "Classical Gas"and for his work as a comedy writer onThe Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour,andSaturday Night Live.

Early life

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Williams was born inAbilene, Texas,the son of Jackson Eugene (a tile setter) and Kathlyn (née Nations) Williams.[1]

Williams grew up dividing his time between living with his father in Oklahoma and his mother inOakridge, Oregon.[2]He graduated fromNorthwest Classen High SchoolinOklahoma City, Oklahoma[3]in 1956. It was in Oklahoma that he began his lifelong friendship with artistEdward Ruscha.[4]

He attendedOklahoma City University(1957–60) andNorth Texas State Universityfor one semester, and served in theUnited States Navyfrom 1961 to 1963.[1]

Career

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Music

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In 1968, Williams won threeGrammy Awardsfor his guitarinstrumental"Classical Gas".[5]: 200 "Classical Gas" was released as a single fromThe Mason Williams Phonograph Recordin 1968. "Classical Gas" won three Grammys that year for "Best Instrumental (theme) Composition", "Best Instrumental (theme) Performance", and "Best Instrumental Orchestra Arrangement",Mike Post,arranger. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded agold disc.[6]He also wrote songs forThe Kingston Trio.For bothHandmadeandSharepickers,Mason received two more Grammy nominations for "Best Album Cover Design". Together withNancy Ames,he wrote "Cinderella Rockefella",a 1968 number one hit forEsther and Abi Ofarimin the United Kingdom.[7]

In 1970, Williams made a television appearance on a variety show,Just Friends,which reunited regulars ofThe Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.To create a visual element for his performance, he used a special playable classicalplexiglassguitar built for him byBilly Cheatwoodand a prop designer forABC.For the performance, Williams filled the guitar with water and added a couple of goldfish. He then used the plexiglass guitar tofinger-synchis hit version of "Classical Gas".[8]

Williams has recorded more than a dozen albums, five on theWarner Bros.label (The Mason Williams Phonograph Record,The Mason Williams Ear Show,Music,Handmade,andSharepickers). The LP cover for the 1968Musicwas painted by pop artistEdward Ruscha.The credit reads "Sorry, Cover by Edward Ruscha."[9]

In December 1970, Williams performed benefit concerts for the Pala Indian Reservation Cultural Center hosted by Clairemont High School. Sponsored by the nonprofit Americans for Indian Future and Tradition, with the help of Ken Kragen and Friends, Williams performed two shows. The event raised enough funds to pay for the construction of the block walls.[10][11]

In 1987, he teamed withMannheim Steamrollerto release a new album on theAmerican Gramaphonelabel. The album, titledClassical Gas,included a remake of the 1968 composition. Another track from the album, "Country Idyll", was a 1988 nominee for a Grammy in thecountry musiccategory for "Best Instrumental Performance by a Soloist, Group or Orchestra". The albumwent goldin 1991.[12]Williams' plexiglass guitar appears on the cover of the album. He released an acoustic instrumental album of Christmas and holiday music,A Gift of Song,on the Real Music label, featuring arrangements of traditional carols and original compositions.[citation needed]

In 1992, theVanguardlabel releasedMusic 1968–1971,a compilation of tracks from his fiveWarner Bros.albums recorded in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Williams relates that when compiling the album he went to Warner Bros. and asked "Where's that painting thatEd Ruschadid for that old [Music] cover? "and was told it had been thrown away; a probable loss of 3–5 million dollars.[13]

In conjunction with the release of this album, Williams added a "Holiday Concert Program" to his repertoire, featuring music from the album as well as other traditional music of the season. In 1994, he played six sold-out concerts with theOregon SymphonyinPortland, Oregon.In the 1990s he also performed with theEugene Symphonywith friendKen Kesey.[3]

Williams then concentrated on a variety of programs for his concert appearances. His "Concert For Bluegrass Band And Orchestra", also titled "Symphonic Bluegrass", has been performed with over 40 symphony orchestras, including theColorado Symphony Orchestra,Kansas City Symphony,Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra,Oklahoma City Philharmonic,Louisville Orchestra,and theEdmonton Symphony Orchestra.[14]

In 1984, Williams released an album,Of Time & Rivers Flowing,on his own Skookum label, containing 14 of the approximately 35 songs performed in the concert. In 1993, the title cut from the album was used as the soundtrack for a ninety-secondpublic service announcement(PSA) created by the American Rivers Council[clarification needed]on the home video release ofA River Runs Through It.The PSA was also on the 1995 home video release ofThe River Wild.That same year, in 1995, Williams was invited to play for Oregon governorJohn Kitzhaber's inauguration and in 1996, Williams received an honorary Doctorate of Music from his alma mater,Oklahoma City University.[citation needed]

In 1998,BMI,the performance rights organization that tracks air play performances on radio and television, presented Williams with a Special Citation of Achievement in recognition of the great national and international popularity of "Classical Gas". By 2008, the song logged over six million broadcast performances, to become the all-time number-one instrumental composition for air play in BMI's repertoire.[15]

In 1999, Williams played again for theKitzhaber's second inauguration. In February, Williams' "Bus" art piece was included in theNorton Simon Museumexhibition "Radical Past", inPasadena, California.In the spring he played hisOf Time and Rivers Flowingconcert with the Oregon Children's Choral Festival, a two-day event involving 3,000 elementary school children singing water and rivers songs with Williams and his band. Williams received the Distinguished Service Award from theUniversity of Oregonin honor of his contribution to the arts in Oregon. In late 1999, he and the Bluegrass Band played forByron Berline'sOklahoma International Bluegrass FestivalinGuthrie, Oklahoma,with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic.[citation needed]

Williams' music has been featured in several movies includingThe Story of Us,Cheaper by the Dozen,The Dish,The Heidi Chronicles,andHeartbreakers.His compositions also have been played on the television seriesThe Sopranos.[16]

In 2003, Williams released anEP,Music for the Epicurean Harkener,and again was nominated for a Grammy in 2004 for best instrumental album. In 2005, he collaborated withUKguitaristZoe McCullochon the albumElectrical Gas.

In June 2006, Williams performed at his 50th high school reunion atNorthwest Classen High SchoolinOklahoma City.He performed with other musicians as 'Mason Williams and Friends' at concerts inEugeneandSpringfield(Oregon) and at the opening gala at the Richard E. Wildish Community Theater in Springfield.[3]

In January 2007, he was reunited with long-time friend[17]and artistEdward Ruscha,performing at theGetty CenterinLos Angeles.[18]

In October 2007, he was inducted into theOregon Music Hall of Fame.[19]and co-headlined a concert withEverclearandPaul Revere and the Raiders.[20]

In 2022, BGO Records announced the release of a 2-cd collection of five of his early albums.[citation needed]

Comedy

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Like many writer-performers, Williams was also astand-up comedian.He set most of his comic ideas to music and sang or recited the jokes in lyric form with guitar accompaniment. In 1964,Vee-Jay RecordsreleasedThem Poems,a record album on which Williams entertains a live audience with "them poems about them people", covering such varied topics as "Them Moose Goosers", "Them Sand Pickers", and "Them Surf Serfs". A typical "them poem" is "Them Banjo Pickers", which begins: "Them banjo pickers! Mighty funny ways. Same damn song three or four days!" Several other "them" poems, along with many ditties, song lyrics, odd and amusing photographs from around the country, and assorted bits of visual and verbal silliness are collected inThe Mason Williams Reading Matter(Doubleday,1969), and theThem Poemsrecord album was reissued (also in 1969, on the heels of the success of "Classical Gas" ) asThe Mason Williams Listening Matter.[21]

Williams has written more than 175 hours of music and comedy for network television programming and was a prime creative force forCBS' controversialSmothers Brothers Comedy Hour.[22]His experience infolk musicgave him the background for many ofTomandDick Smothers' comedy routines and with co-writer Nancy Ames, also composed the show's musical theme.[23]

It was on theSmothers Brothers Comedy Hourthat he created and perpetuated the 1968 "Pat Paulsenfor President "campaign, an elaboratepolitical satire.[22]Williams also helped launch the career of entertainerSteve Martin.Martin was hired by Williams as a writer on theSmothers Brothers Comedy Hour,for which his contributions were initially paid out of Williams' own pocket.[24]In 1968, he won anEmmy Awardfor his work as a comedy writer onThe Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.[25]

Other television personalities he has written for includeAndy Williams,Glen Campbell,Dinah Shore,Roger Miller,andPetula Clark.[26]In 1980, Williams briefly served as head writer forNBC'sSaturday Night Live,but left after clashing with producerJean Doumanian.[27]In 1988, Williams received his third Emmy nomination as a comedy writer for his work onThe Smothers Brothers 20th Reunion Specialon CBS.[25]

In February 2000, Williams participated in theU.S. Comedy Arts FestivalinAspen, Colorado.The sixth annual festival honoredThe Smothers Brothers Comedy Hourand its contribution to television. Williams performed a concert with Tom and Dick Smothers, and again on a late night show with performers that includedCatherine O'Hara,Martin Short,Andrea Martin,Steve Martin,Robin Williams,andMarc Shaiman.[28]

Other artistic work

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Also aphotographer,Williams published a life-sized photo print of aGreyhoundbus in the 1960s.

Williams also created a book titled "THE MASON WILLIAMS READING MATTER" which was published by Doubleday & Company with copyrights ranging from 1964 to 1969. In this opus, he included original poetry, many with comical lyrics, and original photographs some of which are funny.

In 1967 Williams attempted a filming of drawing the world's biggest sunflower.[29]As Williams remarked, "the film was to be a slow-motion aerial ballet in which an old bi-wing aeroplane skywrites “draws” the stem and leaves of a flower in the sky beneath the sun, the sun itself thereby becoming the blossom of a “Sun “flower." Due to technical difficulties dealing with filming photographing directly into the sun, the film did not turn out. Nevertheless, the completed flower measured 2 miles wide by 3 miles high, and lasted 40 seconds.

He appeared with the print on the cover of his firstalbum,The Mason Williams Phonograph Record.

Environmentalism

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After becoming involved in protests against aWillamette Riverhydroelectricpower project, Williams eventually collected over 400 songs about rivers.

He created a program calledOf Time and Rivers Flowing.[30]that encompassesclassical,folk,minstrel,gospel,jazz,country,pop& contemporaryrock.

Personal life

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Williams married Sheila Ann Massey on April 22, 1961; they had one daughter, Kathryn Michelle, before divorcing.

He remarried, to Katherine Elizabeth Kahn, in February 1994; the couple divorced after ten years.[31]

He lives inEugene, Oregon,with his Canadian-born wife, Karen, an attorney.[3][32]

Discography

[edit]

Albums

[edit]
  • Them Poems,Rel. 1964
  • The Mason Williams Phonograph Record,Rel. 2/1968
  • The Mason Williams Ear Show,Rel. 11/1968
  • Music,Rel. 3/1969; #27 Canada, June 23, 1969[33]
  • The Mason Williams Listening Matter(Them Poems re-release), Rel. 3/1969
  • Handmade,Rel. 3/1970
  • Sharepickers,Rel. 10/1971
  • Of Time & Rivers Flowing,Rel. 12/1984
  • Music 1968-1971,Rel. 7/1992
  • A Gift of Song,Rel. 9/1992
  • Of Time & Rivers Flowing,Re-rel. 5/1997
  • Classical Gas,at the Wildish Theater, Rel. 12/2006

Singles

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  • "Love Are Wine" / "The Exciting Accident", April 1966
  • "Classical Gas"/" Long Time Blues ", April 1968
  • "Baroque-a-Nova" / "Wanderlove", August 1968
  • "Saturday Night at the World" / "One Minute Commercial", October 1968
  • "Greensleeves" / "$13 Stella", March 1969
  • "A Gift Of Song" / "A Major Thing", June 1969
  • "José's Piece" / "Find a Reason To Believe, June 1970
  • "Train Ride in G" / "Here I Am Again", August 1971

EPs

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For others

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  • Folk Baroque,producer/arranger, Rel. 10/1963
  • Introducing Jayne Heather,arranger/musician, Rel. 12/1965
  • Tour de Farce,The Smothers Brothers, sideman/songwriter, Rel. 1965
  • The Smothers Brothers Play It Straight,co-producer, Rel 1966
  • Jennifer(Jennifer Warnes), guest vocalist, Rel. 1969
  • Fiddle & A Song,Byron Berline CD, sideman, Rel. 9/1995
  • 1995 Sony Disc Manufacturing Holiday Choir,producer, Rel. 12.1995

With others

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  • Little Billy Blue Shoes b/wRun Comeun See,The Wayfarers Trio,Rel. 1960
  • Folk Music as Heard at the Gourd,unknown group name, Rel. 8/1960
  • Songs of the Blue and Grey,The Wayfarers Trio, Rel. 4/1961
  • Away All Boats(EP), unknown group name, Rel. 4/1962
  • More Hootenanny(LP), The Hootenaires, Rel. 8/1963
  • Fresh Fish(LP), as Mason Williams & the Santa Fe Recital, Rel. 1978
  • Classical Gas,withMannheim Steamroller(LP), Rel. 10/1987
  • Electrical Gas,with Zoe McCulloch (CD), Rel. 7/2005
  • Classical Gas,with Craig Einhorn, Rel. 9/2006

Compilation appearances

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  • The Big Hootenanny,Rel. 1963
  • I Am an American,Rel. 3/1963
  • The Twelve-String Story Vol. 1,Rel. 1963
  • The Twelve-String Story Vol. 2,Rel. 1963
  • The Banjo Story,Rel. 1963
  • 5-String Banjo Greats,Rel. 4/1964
  • Rock Instrumental Classics Vol. 2 - The Sixties.Rel. 1994
  • 1968 Billboard Top Pop Hits(CD)
  • Cascadia(1996 Oregon Governor's Arts Awards) Rel. 4/1996

Bibliography

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  • Williams, Mason (1964).Bicyclists Dismount.Hollywood, Calif.: Davon Music Corp.
  • Williams, Mason; Willis, Robert (1966).Tosadnessday.Los Angeles, Calif.: Tasmania Press.ASINB000J0VPDW.
  • Williams, Mason (1966).The Night I Lost My Baby: A Las Vegas Vignette.Los Angeles, Calif.ASINB00IFF9PSK.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Williams, Mason;Ruscha, Edward;Blackwell, Patrick (1967).Royal Road Test.New York: G. Wittenborn.ASINB000OZQULY.
  • Williams, Mason (1967).Boneless Roast.Los Angeles.ASINB00H20YI5E.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Williams, Mason; Kragen, Jinx (1968).Pat Paulsen For President.Calif: Kragen/Fritz.ASINB0007ET48I.
  • Williams, Mason; Willis, Robert (1969).Roadsign Business.Los Angeles, Calif.: M. Williams.
  • Williams, Mason (1969).The Mason Williams Reading Matter.Garden City, New York:Doubleday.ISBN978-0-385-01266-9.
  • Ruscha, Edward;Williams, Mason (1969).Crackers.Hollywood, Calif.: Heavy Industries.ASINB0006EDMFK.
  • Williams, Mason (1970).The Mason Williams F.C.C. Rapport.New York:Liveright.ISBN978-0-87140-022-2.
  • Williams, Mason (1970).Flavors.Garden City, New York:Doubleday.ASINB0006CKFOS.
  • Williams, Mason (2000).Them Poems.Madison, Wisconsin: Parallel Press.ISBN1-893311-11-2.
  • Williams, Mason; Gardiner, James R. (1997).Santa's Scenic Trip Home.Flotsam & Jetsam.

References

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  1. ^ab"Contemporary Authors Online: Mason Williams".gale.Farmington Hills, Mich.:Gale.2002.RetrievedApril 20,2009.Closed access icon
  2. ^Williams, Mason (2003).Classical gas: The music of Mason Williams.Miami, Fla.:Warner Bros.p. 162.ISBN978-0-7579-9863-8.
  3. ^abcdKeefer, Bob (November 30, 2006)."Wildish Theater opening: Bring on Mason Williams".Eugene, Oregon: The Register-Guardian.RetrievedJuly 15,2010.
  4. ^Twardy, Chuck (September 24, 1989)."Contemporary Art Exhibit Brings Together Boyhood Pals".Orlando Sentinel.
  5. ^The Musician's Guide.Music Information Service. 1972.ISBN978-0-912596-00-6.
  6. ^Murrells, Joseph (1978).The Book of Golden Discs(2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p.251.ISBN0-214-20512-6.
  7. ^Rice, Jo (1982).The Guinness book of 500 number one hits(2 ed.). Enfield, Middlesex, United Kingdom: Guinness Superlatives. p. 114.ISBN978-0-85112-250-2.
  8. ^""Sixth Guitar – Glass guitar built by Billy Cheatwood":Mason Williams Biography Featuring the Guitars of Mason Williams"(PDF).2005. pp. 8–9.RetrievedOctober 7,2011.
  9. ^"Long Playing",New York Times,September 19, 2010. pg. ST.3. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
  10. ^"Editor's Testimony".
  11. ^Profile,cupa.palatribe. Accessed August 9, 2022.
  12. ^"Mason Williams Biography"(PDF).p. 7.RetrievedMay 3,2009.
  13. ^"Archived copy".iTunes.Archived fromthe originalon August 21, 2012.RetrievedJune 9,2014.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. ^"Bluegrass gives symphony needed lift: Williams brings group to Colorado" George Kane.Colorado Springs Gazette–Telegraph.Colorado Springs, Colo.: Feb 9, 1990. pg. D7. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
  15. ^"Classical Gas Website".RetrievedMay 3,2009.
  16. ^Williams, Mason.(2003). Classical gas: The music of Mason Williams. Miami, Fla.: Warner Bros., pg. 167;ISBN978-0-7579-9863-8
  17. ^Bluhm, Erik. Along for the Ride:Ed Ruschaand Mason Williams.ArtUS,May/June 2006, issue 13, pp. 10–13.
  18. ^"Modern Art in Los Angeles: Okies Go West. An Evening With Jerry McMillan, Ed Ruscha and Mason Williams (panel discussion and performance)".The Getty.The J. Paul Getty Trust.RetrievedAugust 27,2010.
  19. ^"Honorees".Oregon Music Hall of Fame web site.Omhof.org. Archived fromthe originalon September 24, 2009.RetrievedAugust 27,2010.
  20. ^"Safeco Insurance Presents The 1st Annual Oregon Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony & Celebration"(PDF)(Press release). Oregon Music Hall of Fame. August 17, 2007. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on November 27, 2010.RetrievedAugust 27,2010.
  21. ^Williams, Mason (2000).Them Poems.Parallel Press. pp. Introduction, 9–11.ISBN1-893311-11-2.
  22. ^abBlye, Allan."InSmothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.Documentary film by Maureen Muldaur ".YouTube.Archivedfrom the original on December 12, 2021.Free access icon
  23. ^The brothers' theme (Musical score, 1968).[WorldCat.org]. April 15, 2015.OCLC30620912.
  24. ^Martin, Steve. "Aspen Comedy Festival 2000 Smothers Brothers Reunion" hosted by Bill Maher. On DVD ofSmothers Brothers Comedy Hour: Season 3.Time Life (1968).
  25. ^ab"Mason Williams – Television Academy".RetrievedDecember 1,2017.
  26. ^"Mason Williams Television Comedy Writing".Masonwilliams-online.RetrievedOctober 7,2011.
  27. ^"Williams' TV, folk music career not always easy picking." Mikel Toombs.The San Diego Union.San Diego, Calif.: Aug 14, 1990. p. C-1. Retrieved March 17, 2010.
  28. ^Harden, Mark (February 6, 2000)."Funny folks find way to Aspen".The Denver Post.
  29. ^Williams, Mason."Sunflower Skywriter art concept".Mason Williams.RetrievedNovember 2,2023.
  30. ^Williams, Mason (May 1996)."Of Time and Rivers FlowingConcert History ".MasonWilliams-Online.RetrievedOctober 28,2006.
  31. ^Bianculli, David (2009).Dangerously funny: the uncensored story of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.New York: Simon & Schuster. p.349.ISBN978-1-4391-0116-2.
  32. ^Salmon, Ben (February 1, 2008)."Looking Back".The Bulletin.Bend, OR.
  33. ^"RPM Top 50 Albums - June 23, 1969"(PDF).
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