Come June 2, Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music are living life a little on the windy side. That's the date for our remastered and expanded reissue of Paul Williams' 1979 album for Portrait Records, A Little on the Windy Side!
In a Grammy, Oscar and Golden Globe-winning career that's taken him from Tiny Tim to Daft Punk, Paul Williams has seen his songs recorded by Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Elvis Presley, David Bowie, The Carpenters, and of course, Kermit the Frog. During his reign as perhaps the Seventies' most in-demand songwriter, Williams also kept busy as an actor, television personality and recording artist. He came into his own as a vocalist at Reprise and A&M Records on albums such as Someday Man and Just an Old-Fashioned Love Song before moving to Epic Records' sister label, Portrait. At Portrait - also the home of Heart and, briefly, Ringo Starr - Williams recorded what he later described as "one of the most listenable and good-feeling records I've ever been associated with." That record was A Little on the Windy Side.
The album was recorded in Nashville with Paul's brother Mentor Williams--the songwriter and producer of Dobie Gray's Top 5 hit "Drift Away" and Paul's onetime bandmate in The Holy Mackerel--and featured Music City's top session cats including David Briggs, Reggie Young and Troy Seals (a talented songwriter in his own right.) Despite a wealth of strong material including movie tunes "Here's Another Fine Mess" and "My Fair Share," fan favorite "For Goodness Sake," and a collaboration with Brill Building legend Jeff Barry, A Little on the Windy Side all but disappeared when the Portrait label was briefly shuttered. Years later, a limited edition Japanese CD release came and went, too.
Real Gone Music and Second Disc Records have come to the rescue with this freshly-remastered first-ever American reissue. Even better, four bonus tracks have been added to this Expanded Edition! Three never-before-heard outtakes (including Paul's own rendition of "When the River Meets the Sea" from the beloved holiday special Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas and "Love Conquers All," originally performed by Seals & Crofts for the film One on One) and a rare mono single round out this package, which features my brand-new liner notes and remastering by Sean Brennan at Battery Studios in New York.
A Little on the Windy Side:Expanded Edition is due in stores on June 2 and can be pre-ordered below!
Paul Williams, A Little on the Windy Side (Portrait JR 35610, 1979 - reissued Second Disc Records/Real Gone Music, 2015) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)
1. Moonlight Becomes You
2. A Little on the Windy Side
3. Save Me a Dream
4. For Goodness' Sake
5. Brand New Song
6. A Little More Like You
7. This Strange New Feeling
8. Here's Another Fine Mess
9. My Fair Share
10. For the Life of Me
11. The Gift
12. Brand New Song (Reprise) (Previously Unreleased)
13. When the River Meets the Sea (Previously Unreleased Paul Williams Version)
14. Love Conquers All (Previously Unreleased Paul Williams Version)
15. A Little on the Windy Side (Mono Single Edit, from Portrait single 6-70029, 1979)
Zubb says
YES! I have been waiting forever for this great album to be remastered and reissued. I cannot wait!
Dean Vincent Micheli says
Great news. Just placed my order and now my Paul Williams CD collections is closer to complete.
Ken says
This is one of Pauls best albums. Not really a "lost classic" tho as it was re-issued in 2009 on cd. Worth buying again for the bonus tracks.
The only Paul Williams albums yet to be issued on cd are "Classics", which was a greatest hits package with some material unavailable elsewhere plus "And Crazy For Loving You" which was a country album Paul made in 1982. His superb single "Look What I Found" has never appeared on cd either.