The Mason Williams Phonograph Record

Last updated
The Mason Williams Phonograph Record
MasonWilliamsPhonographRecord-Cover.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedFebruary 1968
Genre Easy listening, classical, instrumental rock, classical crossover
Length29:40
Label Warner Bros. Records
Producer Mike Post
Mason Williams chronology
The Smothers Brothers Play It Straight
(1966)
The Mason Williams Phonograph Record
(1968)
The Mason Williams Ear Show
(1968)

The Mason Williams Phonograph Record is an album by classical guitarist and composer Mason Williams (with various accompaniment) released in 1968. It is Williams's most successful and most recognized album, and contains the instrumental "Classical Gas," his best known song. Mason Williams won two Grammy awards, for Best Pop Instrumental Performance and Best Instrumental Theme, and Mike Post won Best Instrumental Arrangement on the song. In Canada, the album reached #16. [1]

Contents

Track listing

All tracks are written by Mason Williams, unless otherwise noted. Arranged by Al Capps, except Overture and Classical Gas by Post and Dylan Thomas and Life Song by Williams. The first printing of the vinyl label misspelled The Prince's Panties as "Princess Panties"

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Overture"Mike Post1:49
2."All the Time" 2:40
3."Dylan Thomas"(Lowell Mason, uncredited – tune of London Bridge is Falling Down)0:29
4."Wanderlove" 3:22
5."She's Gone Away" 2:15
6."Here Am I" 4:06
7."Classical Gas" 3:06
8."Long Time Blues" 3:35
9."Baroque-a-Nova"Allan Blye, Williams2:20
10."The Prince's Panties" 1:40
11."Life Song" 0:27
12."Sunflower" 3:43
Total length:29:40

Personnel

Musicians
Production

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bread (band)</span> American soft rock band

Bread was an American soft rock band from Los Angeles, California. They had 13 songs chart on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1970 and 1977.

The 11th Annual Grammy Awards were held on March 12, 1969. They recognized accomplishments of musicians for the year 1968.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Post</span> American composer and record producer

Mike Post is an American composer, best known for his television theme music for various shows, including Law & Order; Law & Order: Special Victims Unit; The A-Team; The Byrds of Paradise; NYPD Blue; Renegade;The Rockford Files; L.A. Law; Quantum Leap; Magnum, P.I.; and Hill Street Blues. He was also the producer of the Van Halen III album by the band Van Halen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Classical Gas</span> 1968 instrumental musical piece

"Classical Gas" is an instrumental musical piece composed and originally performed by American guitarist Mason Williams with instrumental backing by members of the Wrecking Crew. Originally released in 1968 on the album The Mason Williams Phonograph Record, it has been rerecorded and rereleased numerous times since by Williams. One later version served as the title track of a 1987 album by Williams and the band Mannheim Steamroller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mason Williams</span> American musician

Mason Douglas Williams is an American classical guitarist, composer, singer, writer, comedian, and poet, best known for his 1968 instrumental "Classical Gas" and for his work as a comedy writer on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, and Saturday Night Live.

<i>Aerial Ballet</i> 1968 studio album by Nilsson

Aerial Ballet is the third studio album by American musician Harry Nilsson, released in July 1968.

<i>Randy Newman</i> (album) 1968 studio album by Randy Newman

Randy Newman is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Randy Newman, released in 1968 by Reprise Records. The album is sometimes referred to as Randy Newman Creates Something New Under the Sun, written on the reverse of the album sleeve. Newman had been a noted songwriter for some years prior to the release of his debut, which was advertised as sounding "like a greatest hits". In contrast to his later albums which usually feature Newman and his piano with a rock backing, Randy Newman is highly orchestral.

<i>Instant Replay</i> (The Monkees album) 1969 studio album by the Monkees

Instant Replay is the seventh studio album by the Monkees. Issued 11 months after the cancellation of the group's NBC television series, it is also the first album released after Peter Tork left the group and the only album of the original nine studio albums that does not include any songs featured in the TV show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady Lynda</span> 1979 single by the Beach Boys

"Lady Lynda" is a song written by vocalist/guitarist Al Jardine and touring keyboardist Ron Altbach for American rock band the Beach Boys. It was released on the band's 1979 album L.A. . Its melody is based on "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" by J. S. Bach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">10538 Overture</span> Original song written and composed by Jeff Lynne

"10538 Overture" is the debut single by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), released in 1972.

<i>A Tramp Shining</i> 1968 studio album by Richard Harris

A Tramp Shining is the debut album of Richard Harris, released in 1968 by Dunhill Records. The album was written, arranged, and produced by singer-songwriter Jimmy Webb. Although Harris sang several numbers on the soundtrack album to the film musical Camelot the previous year, A Tramp Shining was Harris' first solo album. "MacArthur Park" was one of the biggest singles of that year, reaching number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. The album as a whole was also highly successful and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1969.

<i>Missing Links</i> (album) 1987 compilation album by the Monkees

Missing Links is a compilation album of rare and previously unreleased songs by the Monkees, issued by Rhino Records in 1987. It is the first volume of a three-volume set, followed by Missing Links Volume Two in 1990 and Missing Links Volume Three in 1996.

<i>Easy Does It</i> (Al Kooper album) 1970 studio album by Al Kooper

Easy Does It is the third solo album by American singer-songwriter Al Kooper, recorded and released in 1970 for Columbia Records.

<i>Missing Links Volume Three</i> 1996 compilation album by The Monkees

Missing Links Volume Three is a compilation album of rare and previously unreleased songs by The Monkees issued by Rhino Records in 1996. It is the third and final volume of a three-volume set, preceded by Missing Links in 1987 and Missing Links Volume Two in 1990.

<i>The Wichita Train Whistle Sings</i> 1968 studio album by Michael Nesmith

The Wichita Train Whistle Sings is the de facto first solo album by Michael Nesmith, although the artist credited on the initial release is actually "The Wichita Train Whistle". It was recorded while Nesmith was still a member of the Monkees, and it peaked at No. 144 on the Billboard Pop Albums charts.

<i>Deadicated: A Tribute to the Grateful Dead</i> 1991 Grateful Dead tribute album

Deadicated: A Tribute to the Grateful Dead is a 1991 tribute album with music of the Grateful Dead performed by various artists.

<i>Solitaire</i> (Andy Williams album) 1973 studio album by Andy Williams

Solitaire is the thirty-first studio album by American pop singer Andy Williams, released in the fall of 1973 by Columbia Records and was an attempt to move away from his formulaic series of recent releases that relied heavily on songs that other artists had made popular.

Lyle Joseph Ritz was an American musician, known for his work on ukulele and bass. His early career in jazz as a ukulele player made him a key part of the Hawaii music scene in the 1950s. By the 1960s, he had begun working as a session musician, more often on double bass or electric bass guitar. His prominence in the Los Angeles session scene made him a part of the Wrecking Crew, an informal group of well-used Los Angeles–based musicians. Ritz contributed to many American pop hits from the mid 1960s to the early 1980s. Starting in the mid-1980s, a rediscovery of his earlier ukulele work led to him becoming a fixture in live festivals, and a revival of his interest in playing the ukulele. He was inducted to both the Ukulele Hall of Fame Museum and the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2007.

<i>Classical Gas</i> (Mason Williams and Mannheim Steamroller album) Album by Mannheim Steamroller, Mason Williams

Classical Gas is a 1987 album by new age group Mannheim Steamroller and guitarist/composer Mason Williams. The album's title piece, "Classical Gas", was originally featured on Williams's 1968 solo album The Mason Williams Phonograph Record.

<i>The Beach Boys with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra</i> 2018 remix album by The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a 2018 album of remixed Beach Boys recordings with new orchestral arrangements performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. It was produced by Nick Patrick and Don Reedman, who conducted similar projects for Roy Orbison and Elvis Presley.

References

  1. "RPM Top 50 Albums - October 21, 1968" (PDF).