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Your Johnny Williams Collection


Damien F

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What CDs by JW are in your collection from the time he was still known as Johnny Williams? I have Fitzwilly, None But The Brave and How To Steal A Million / Bachelor Flat. I'm not really interested in his jazz / light orchestral work for those other screwball comedies. The sample clips do nothing for me. I quite like How To Steal A Million though.

I would like to get my hands on a copy of the Checkmate soundtrack too.

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Bachelor Flat

Checkmate

A Guide for the Married Man

How to Steal a Million

Penelope

Rhythm in Motion

Diamond Head

Jazz Beginnings

John Goldfarb, Please Come Home

Nightwatch

Not With My Wife You Don't! (vol 1 and 2)

None But the Brave

Bolded my favorites. :)

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What makes you rate Penelope as a favorite. Based on the FSM samples, I don't hear anything that distinguishes it from the other jazzy comedy scores that disinterest me.

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The Ghostbreaker

Checkmate / Rhythm in Motion

A Guide for the Married Man

How to Steal a Million / Bachelor Flat

Penelope

Diamond Head

Fitzwilly

John Goldfarb, Please Come Home

Nightwatch

Not With My Wife You Don't! (vol 1 and 2)

None But the Brave

M Squad

"Here´s What I´m Here For" - The Music of Harold Arlen performed by The Johnny Williams Band

That Towering Feeling / Young And Lively - 2 Albums on one CD by Vic Damone (Singer) Conducted by Johnny Williams

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I have all the ones released by the specialty labels.

Still need to pick up jazz beginnings

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The Ghostbreaker

Checkmate / Rhythm in Motion

A Guide for the Married Man

How to Steal a Million / Bachelor Flat

Penelope

Diamond Head

Fitzwilly

John Goldfarb, Please Come Home

Nightwatch

Not With My Wife You Don't! (vol 1 and 2)

None But the Brave

This.

I can't remember if Williams was still Johnny when he scored all those Irwin Allen tv series in the 60s. I have those albums too.

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What makes you rate Penelope as a favorite. Based on the FSM samples, I don't hear anything that distinguishes it from the other jazzy comedy scores that disinterest me.

It's got a nice main theme that--in certain developments--can become quite soaring. Still, it's the least favorite of the ones I bolded. Honestly it's good but not sure I shoudl've bolded it.

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I tried but i have zero affection for this special period in Williams's career (save for some of the droll marches from FITZWILLY). Either it's Mancini lite or Williams lite (meaning there are stylistic traits that he's done much better 10, 20 years later).

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"Big Beautiful Ball" I think is pretty unique in Williams' output. And not a total Mancini rip either. John Goldfarb also has a cool blend of Irish/Arabic music in "King Fawz Feast" which is weird but cool

They're not masterpieces but some of them can be really fun.

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I'm the opposite of publicist. These days, I'm more into this period of his career than anything he did from the mid 70s and beyond. It's the natural evolution when you're a Williams completist/fanboy, I guess. Yes, the favourites will always be the classics, but at some point you want to explore further and not get stuck in those over and over again.

As to the original question -- I have everything, basically, as far as compositions are concerned. But I'm still missing quite a few albums where he performs (piano/arranging), although I have several of those too.

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I have everything as well—officially released material, anyway. I can't do boots with SFX.

It's the natural evolution when you're a Williams completist/fanboy, I guess. Yes, the favourites will always be the classics, but at some point you want to explore further and not get stuck in those over and over again.

I agree with this. It's Williams' variety that makes him such a remarkable composer. His career covers such an amazing range of styles and colors, you have to take in the entire landscape in order to truly appreciate the scope of it all.

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Vertical stacks?

This was my only option after I gave up a whole room devoted to Williams, Star Wars, etc. ....

It's not ideal, but I guess anything's better than storage boxes in the attic.

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Actually, JW has used 3 professional names.

More than that, actually. I can think of:

John Williams

Johnny Williams

John T. Williams Jr.

John T. Williams

John Towner Williams

John Towner

Am I missing any?

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I tried but i have zero affection for this special period in Williams's career (save for some of the droll marches from FITZWILLY). Either it's Mancini lite or Williams lite (meaning there are stylistic traits that he's done much better 10, 20 years later).

There's still the occasional highlight that makes at least some of these worthwhile. E.g. The Globetrotters. Love that track.

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