Peter Williams with more guitar instrumentals of well-known songs.1.Diana 2.Theme from 'The Boys' 3.He'll have to go 4.When you walk in the room 5.Lavender blue 6.When the girl in your arms 7.All I have to do is dream 8.Moonlight shadow 9.Theme from 'Shane' 10.I don't know why (but I do) 11.All my loving 12.Bad moon rising 13.Cryin' in the rain 14.When will you say (I love you) 15.Annie's song 16.It doesn't matter anymore 17.Hello Mary Lou 18.Have you ever seen the rain
"The present disc was never intended for public hearing, it consisting of recordings which did not fit in with Williams' album projects. But those who have heard them have convinced the guitarist that they should be released. Here is lovely music which should not remain hidden and unheard. It is typical of his 'proper' albums in that it is hard to pick tracks which stand out for the material and performance are consistently of a high calibre. Doubtless each listener will have his own favourites. The disc's strength lies in its power to grow on the listener. Having already listened to it some nine or ten times I still find it growing on me, and am amazed to find certain tracks which did not strike me at first now going around and around in my head!
If there is one track I would single out for attention it is the one dedicated to Steve Etherington Williams' Manager, MOONLIGHT SHADOW. Though never intended for commercial release any deejay with a modicum of imagination should play this track, not once but again and again. I doubt if anyone exposed to its hypnotic and irresistible melody would not want to seek this CD for this one track alone. Why are deejays so reluctant to believe in a record and play it again and again? Are they or their employers terrified that they might gasp! create a hit? In 1959, Santo & Johnny's instrumental masterpiece SLEEPWALK was a complete flop. It was not played, nobody wanted it, nobody cared. It was a flop along with the hundreds of other records competing in the market at the same time. Then somehow Alan Freed, a man never afraid to believe in a record, got hold of it. He loved it and wouldn't stop playing it. It became the biggest selling instrumental of the year. Perhaps in today's rigid environment, there is no scope for jockeys to believe in what they play, but why not? If I had a radio show with the freedom to play what I wanted I would play MOONLIGHT SHADOW week in week out. Listener indifference would turn to attention, and attention would turn into action.
Another charming tune, and after Peter Williams I cannot listen to any other version, is THEME FROM THE BOYS. ANNIE'S SONG is a lovely song in anybody's hands, but Williams' version is so tender that it almost hurts.
Haunting and magical is his rendition of HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE RAIN, and WHEN THE GIRL IN YOUR ARMS complements the original with its beauty and simplicity. CRYIN' IN THE RAIN and ALL I HAVE TO DO IS DREAM sound better all the time; and our man's jaunty treatments of songs associated with Sammy Turner and Tommy Bruce, Paul Anka, Rick Nelson and Clarence Henry are great fun." Finnbarr Int.