Paul Williams

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Paul Williams, in full David Paul Gifford Williams, is an English composer, songwriter and producer. He was born in Kingston upon Thames and began composing at the age of eight. He studied music and composition at Tiffin School and the Royal College of Music, where at twelve he was already given a Saturday-morning scholarship for talent. During his studies he worked in the summer as a pianist on the ship RMS Queen Elizabeth. He then studied at Jesus College, Cambridge, under the musicologist Thurston Dart. There he made his first professional songs and productions, including Running Shoes with the athlete Herb Elliott, which Decca released in 1964. Later David Frost invited him to the Cambridge Footlights because of his talent as a pianist.

Music and breakthrough

At the BBC he worked with presenters such as Tony Blackburn and Jimmy Young. As a producer he made recordings for radio of Led Zeppelin, David Bowie and The Who. In 1969 he produced four tracks for Session 3 of Led Zeppelin's BBC Sessions, including Communication Breakdown, which came out on an album in 1997.

Influence

Williams is best known for his piano playing on production music, written for international music publishers. He writes adventurous music, romantic songs, ambient and high-tech soundscapes. This shows in the titles of his albums, such as Electric Piano Solos, Piano Moods and Piano Atmospheres.

Listening

Discography

Studio albums

• 1985Electric Piano Solos
• 1986Voices
• 1987Aquarius
• 1987Piano Moods / Piano Atmospheres