MR

I am not a huge 70's guy. But sometimes I really want to hear songs with melody. Not many of today's songs have that. So I'll go back and listen to Charlie Rich, or even Neil Sedaka. Not a lot - not on my rotation or anything - but sometimes I just need to mellow out with something that is really well written.

So this past week or so it's been Paul Williams. I know his songs were popularized by others, but I do like his version. Much more intricate and stripped down. Plus I do like his voice. I couldn't find much to download as MP3, so I had to order a CD (a collection type CD). Good stuff.

Any fans out there?

Isn't he the Rainbow Connection guy? Or am I getting him mixed up with someone else?

DavidWT wrote:Isn't he the Rainbow Connection guy? Or am I getting him mixed up with someone else?

Rainbow Connection
Old Fashioned Love Song
We've Only Just Begun
Evergreen
Rainy Days and Mondays
and on and on and on....

I'm afraid I only know him for his Muppet-related stuff. I remember the episode when he guest starred... of course, it was full of jokes about his height (or lack thereof.)

Isn't he "Little Enos Burdette"? "Looks like a legend and an outta work bum look a lot alike, Daddy!"

If he is little Enos then he just appeared on Jimmy Fallon not too long ago.

jrnyman28 wrote:If he is little Enos then he just appeared on Jimmy Fallon not too long ago.

Rick wrote:

jrnyman28 wrote:If he is little Enos then he just appeared on Jimmy Fallon not too long ago.

Ok Burt Reynolds & Sally Fields & my Trans Am...what the hell was the name of the
movie???

Rick wrote:

jrnyman28 wrote:If he is little Enos then he just appeared on Jimmy Fallon not too long ago.

Yup. That's him. He had a lot of, um, little roles. Then he disappeared into crackville for a decade or so. My favorite is when he says "Just one time I'd like to kick his ass...".

He actually looks like and reminds me of my brother in many ways, who is a very funny guy (oh wait, turns out funny is just crazy before you know it's crazy).

What actually struck me the other day was reading the portion of the Lyrics to We've Only Just Begun that were for it's original purpose, a bank commercial:

We've only just begun to live
White lace and promises
A kiss for luck and we're on our way
We've only begun

Before the risin' sun, we fly
So many roads to choose
We'll start out walkin' and learn to run
And yes, we've just begun

Sharing horizons that are new to us
Watching the signs along the way
Talkin' it over, just the two of us
Workin' together day to day, together

It's actually quite brilliant. I'd always liked the melody but had never really paid attention to the lyric. I guess after people heard the commercial they wanted the whole song, so they (Williams and Roger Nichols) finished it up.

I also quite like the song What Would They Say. It was the end song for Boy in the Plastic Bubble. Can't remember if Travolta's version or Williams' was used in the actual movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d93Y1rJI6s8

Just to clarify - these are phases I go through. I'll do some Manilow, Charlie Rich, this stuff. Probably a few weeks out of the year. Mostly I live in the rock world though.

Memorex wrote:Just to clarify - these are phases I go through. I'll do some Manilow, Charlie Rich, this stuff. Probably a few weeks out of the year. Mostly I live in the rock world though.

Paul's brother Mentor was a bit of a writer himself. More of a country guy though he did have a bit of a pop hit with Drift Away.

tater1977 wrote:

Rick wrote:

jrnyman28 wrote:If he is little Enos then he just appeared on Jimmy Fallon not too long ago.

Ok Burt Reynolds & Sally Fields & my Trans Am...what the hell was the name of the
movie???

Smokey and the Bandit - I, II, and III. Like Beverly Hills Copy, III should have never been made.

Memorex wrote:Just to clarify - these are phases I go through. I'll do some Manilow, Charlie Rich, this stuff. Probably a few weeks out of the year. Mostly I live in the rock world though.

Same here with the phases. I rarely listened to the mellower stuff until the last few years, and still just for a day or two. But I like Peabo Bryson, James Ingram, Lionel Richie, and of course, Barry Manilow. I only like a few songs from each, so I have to make a compilation CD.

I tell you what's cool is making MP3 CD's. You can fit 130 songs on one.

Memorex wrote:

tater1977 wrote:

Rick wrote:

jrnyman28 wrote:If he is little Enos then he just appeared on Jimmy Fallon not too long ago.

Ok Burt Reynolds & Sally Fields & my Trans Am...what the hell was the name of the
movie???

Smokey and the Bandit - I, II, and III. Like Beverly Hills Copy, III should have never been made.

You ain't kiddin! Horrible.