MEMORIES OF ANDY WILLIAMS

In the early 1980’s I was working as a junior camera operator for Granada Television in Manchester, UK. The station used to transmit a weekday magazine TV program at lunchtime. The usual fare consisted of chat with a celebrity or cookery items, frequently featuring a live music act. One particularly memorable show was done as a live “remote” from a nightclub in downtown Manchester. Andy Williams was the headline guest that particular day, but power supply problems resulted in camera and sound check rehearsals being severely delayed. In order to block out camera moves, a nervous and anxious program director asked Mr. Williams if he would mind rehearsing without his band, or the use of live microphones.
 

Being the true professional that he was, he agreed to sing without accompaniment. The stage manager called for quiet, and Andy Williams started singing. Whenever I hear a recorded version of “Moon River” I am transported instantly back to that virtuoso a cappella performance. Not long afterwards, he sang the song again on the live TV show, this time with his band and backing singers. 

The whole crew working that day agreed that the earlier rendition had been by far the better of the two performances.

 

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