With decades in the music business, John Williams has amassed a wealth of experience and expertise in various roles, from record plugger to label manager, recording artist, songwriter and producer. Now John continues to take the spotlight with his latest musical endeavour with The John Williams Syndicate, the highly anticipated album ‘Into The Light‘. Following the success of his debut release, ‘Out of Darkness’ Williams showcases continued innovation on this new record, which features an array of outstanding collaborations. Jason Barnard speaks with John about the creative process behind the album and the artistic journey that led Williams to this remarkable point in his career.
Can you tell me about your route into the music industry and what led you into production?
I spent 5 years after doing my A levels at Bromsgrove in higher education. In 1969 I went to live in France and was enrolled at the Institut de Touraine in Tours, France. There weren’t any exams so pretty much after a month there I played hooky and wrote poetry and songs. There was a small music scene, and I mimicked in particular the songs of Georges Moustaki.
I then went to University in Canada at the University of Western Ontario where I did a 4 years Honours course in English literature. I became a rock critic for the University newspaper, played the local coffee house circuit with my 12 string, and started a magazine called Trouser Press.
When I graduated in 1974 I wrote letters to every record label, publisher and weekly mags like NME asking for jobs back in England. I got 3 responses. Polydor, Virgin, and Sounds magazine. Polydor offered the best deal. It was the advent of ILR – Independent Local Radio, and I became part of a new regional promotion team – my patch was the East Midlands, and I moved to a cottage in Rutland.
Essentially I was a plugger and for 2 years I arranged interviews for promo tours for acts as diverse as The Rubettes, Barclay James Harvest, Lulu, Mac and Katie Kissoon, Disco Tex, and plugged records by Eric Clapton, The Bee Gees, The Who, Johnny Bristol and Slade.
In 1976 I moved to London to begin plugging Radio One at Polydor, got spotted by Island Records and spent 18 months working at the legendary label on acts like Bob Marley, JJ Cale, and Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers.
All the time I had my Teac 4 track set up and would continue to make demos. I got signed by Wayne Bickerton to State Music and began recording at Polydor studios in Stratford Place.
In 1979 Mickie Most at RAK Records heard one of my recordings and released a single “Rendezvous’ by East Side Band. This was the band name I chose for the project. It became Record of the Week on Radio One, and for about 6 weeks it was hammered on the radio. It charted just outside the top 75 and wasn’t a hit. I got dropped midway through 1980. But I had learned a bit about multi track recording and studio etiquette.
I started managing Blancmange, and one happy day I got a call out of the blue from Radio One’s Stuart Grundy. He was looking for a freelance producer to become a live session producer for not only the John Peel show, but also Peter Powell, Kid Jensen, Bruno Brookes, Janice Long, and the Friday Night rock show.
From 1981- 85 I produced 200 sessions for bands like The Cure, Killing Joke, The Waterboys, Simple Minds, Big Country, Aswad, The Birthday Party, Barrington Levy, Loudon Wainwright, China Crisis, The Cocteau Twins, Billy Bragg, and The Housemartins. That’s where I learned to produce!
What are your highlights from producing and why?
I’ve been fortunate to have witnessed so many great performances by great artists, some highlights include the first album I produced by The Gymslips, both The Housemartins albums, and the debut albums by The Proclaimers, The Almighty, and The High. So many highlights including records by Blancmange (Living On the Ceiling), The Waterboys (Medicine Bow) and Simple Minds (King Is White), Debbie Harry (Standing In My Way)
I probably would have produced more records but for the fact that I was also an A&R man for 20 years. I was Director of A&R at Polydor from 87-90, Director of A&R at Chrysalis from 90-95, Senior VP of A&R at Sanctuary 95–05, and MD of W14 Music from 05-08, and worked with Cathy Dennis, Andrew Lloyd Webber, The Blue Nile, Status Quo, Alison Moyet, Elaine Paige, Sarah Brightman, Gary Jules, Jethro Tull, Siouxsie Sioux Level 42, Robert Plant, Fun Lovin’ Criminals, Hall And Oates, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Suzi Quatro, and Petula Clark.
But one of the highlights is producing Paul Heaton. I’ve produced all 5 Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott albums, 3 at The Chairworks in Castleford, and the last two at Blueprint in Salford. The last two both entered the charts at No 1. That’s a pretty fantastic achievement!
How much did you write and record your own songs before The John Williams Syndicate?
I recorded 12 songs during my East Side Band career from 1979-81. I released two singles – one on RAK – “Rendezvous “ which was Kid Jensen record of the week and “Won’t You Be Mine” – which was Terry Wogan record of the week on Radio 2.
The unreleased East Side Band album with my songs is being released by Rhino later this year. Together we have compiled the album from my recordings and the original RAK recordings, now owned by Warner Music. It sounds fantastic!!
I wrote the cast album for The Tribe TV series with co writer Matt Prime- which I produced in Wellington New. Zealand, and finally I wrote and produced albums from my garden shed for Petula Clark (Lost In You, Living For Today) and Claudia Brücken (Where Else).
How was the making of your new album, ‘Into The Light’ compared with your debut ‘Out of Darkness’?
They were both enjoyable to make. Both were equally challenging, and they both took a lot of man hours to complete. “Into The Light” was easier as a whole to make because I had a template. The name The John Williams Syndicate was slightly branded and there were a few avid supporters. They gave me the courage to do Volume 2 and the licence to continue with further volumes. It’s an extraordinary world I have created – quite out of time and unique, melodically beautiful. There are parts that are absolute sonic bliss – where you almost forget you are listening to a record. It’s a work of perfect harmony.
I wanted each song to be completely different stylistically and the whole album to be a journey through pop history – that was the modest gauntlet I threw myself at! I wanted it to be the perfect love song, happy and positive!
Could you share some details about the collaborations featured on the album, including Claudia Brucken and Petula Clark?
I loved working with all the collaborators. Claudia Brücken has been a permanent songwriting companion since we met in 2013. We wrote the “Where Else” album together, we co-wrote the XPropaganda album, and we’re always doing stuff for her as a solo, an xPropaganda or a John Williams Syndicate track.
As Paul Philips reflects in the liner notes from the CD, her voice seamlessly calls up 80’s/90’s synth pop and 20’s Berlin cabaret without any of the brittleness and cynicism of either of those eras. What she does evoke is a pan European melancholy that recalls Juliet Greco and Barbara, and the mature breaking apart mood of late ABBA. She sings on two tracks, the fabulous, haunting “As long As You’re There For Me” and “So High So Low”, the Plastic Ono Lennon style track. The snare sound is amazing on this song! Courtesy of fab drummer Pete Marshall.
Petula sings the beautiful “Luminescent”. Terry Young, who used to run her fanzine, calls it “one of the best recordings of her career”. I wouldn’t dare to contradict him – why are the simple things so hard to say!
John Moore is a ridiculously talented artist who, when I was Director of A&R at Polydor in the late 80’s I signed as John Moore and The Expressway. “Don’t Go” shows off John’s dramatic reading of what has to be one of the finest build up to the end chorus. It’s a kitchen sink of sound, sings majestically and was arranged by guitarist Ben Walker.
What can listeners expect from the first single, ‘In The Morning Sun’ and how does Nicki Leighton-Thomas’s voice contribute to your overall sound?
Hopefully they will be uplifted by its glorious sound. This is an epically crafted slice of pop with its exquisite organ fugue courtesy of Stephen Large, and Ben Walker’s skilfully arranged rhythm track, my Stonesish/Big Star bridge guitars, and Nicki’s shimmering pop soprano voice. It’s perfect!
She is a signature all over the album.Such a resonating presence. “In The Morning Sun” had been on the back burner, but had been insisted on being completed by Pontefract music lady Liz Wheeldon. You don’t argue with her!
Did you face any specific challenges or creative decisions while working the record?
Only the usual questions about finding the right key, BPM and arrangement. Often I would scrap a completed track just because it didn’t feel right. Exploring, judging, tinkering, deleting, improving. They are all scrutinised in the search of that perfect record
Do you take learning or inspiration from your extensive work with Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott?
I have produced the first 5 Paul and Jacqui albums and it is always a privilege and honour being Captain of the ship. It’s been quite an inspirational journey. I am in awe of Paul. Such an extraordinary artist, songwriter, humanitarian, and friend. He inspires loyalty and is without any doubt in my mind one of the greatest artists to have emerged in the 80’s. I am constantly inspired by him. It’s a given. Hopefully some of his magic has rubbed off on me!
Are there any particular themes you wanted to convey through the songs on the album?
I wanted this to be an uplifting and joyous album. Love is the answer, being kind, generous, and inspiring. My glass is always half full despite the challenging times that we are all presented with. The album is one long love song to the world.
Further Information
‘In The Morning Sun’ by The John Williams Syndicate is available from June 30th 2023, the album ‘Into The Light’ following on July 28th.
