Mason Williams
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- čas přidán 24. 08. 2024
- Mason Williams plays the the intro to his instrumental megahit "Classical Gas," then tells us about his Cordova classical guitar, the inspiration behind “Classical Gas” and its place in pop-music history. Read our exclusive interview in the August issue of Vintage Guitar! bit.ly/2KRZzYd
- Hudba
Years ago I was hired by Disney to provide background music for a movie premier party. I played this song not knowing that Mason Williams was in attendance. As soon as I started the intro, a woman standing about 20 feet in front of me hits this guy on the shoulder and points at me. He turned around and gave me a thumbs up. I realized instantly who he was and the song just kind slowly fell apart. I was so embarrassed. Mason
came over and told me it was great, but it was anything but. I would never have attempted to play it if I had known he was there. Later after the gig when I got in my car to head home, I turned on the radio and Classical Gas was playing. I thought that was kind of a weird coincidence.
Awesome story!
It is a privilege to be here listening to Mr Williams
I saw it on TV as The Smothers Brothers was my dad's favorite show. I still listen to the song to this day.
What a lovely, lovely man. So unassuming and yet so obviously filled with immense talent and experience. Classical Gas is TRULY one of those rare, great songs that can be played over and over without becoming stale. All these years later and I still get goosebumps every time I hear it. A song that will be rediscovered by future generations long after we are all gone. Thank you Mason for giving it to us.
I was in awe of Mason Williams. I thought he was such a handsome young man then, and at 73 years young now I still think hes handsome and talented.
Thank you Mason, this was WELL worth the 7 minutes and 34 seconds of my life that I spent watching.
Good to know he is still alive and well!
This gentleman responded to an e-mail I sent him a couple of years ago. I asked if there was a 12 string in the background of the original recording and he confirmed that indeed there was. Classical Gas is undoubtedly the finest piece of guitar music since the likes of Rodriguez etc. It is right up there with the best. When you have produced a piece of music of this quality, you can never equal or better it.
Wonderful stuff. Mr. Williams is incredible.
Mason is my brother. Best brother you could EVER have.
Timeless piece of music
There is much more to Mason Williams than just Classical Gas. The guy's a genius.
Classical Gas is one of the best instrumental tracks of all time and my favorite. I was 13 years old when the record came out in summer 1968. Boy, did that record get a lot of radio airplay! Classical Gas was everywhere. Thanks Mason for bringing that great song to us. And by the way I recently acquired a copy of The Mason Williams Phonograph Record on LP. I was expecting a record full of tunes like Classical Gas but instead you went a different route with a number of short vocal tracks. The singing was great! My favorite is a country favored tune called Long Time Gone. Classic Gas sounded great in 1968. It still sounds good today.
Awesome album!
This piece has been covered by every top-notch guitar player out there up to and including Chet Atkins. That speaks for itself...
Sad to hear Tommy Smothers has passed really, loved the show. Thank you Mr. Williams for your song really brings back some great memories.
My favourite song....great memouries from my teenage days. Amazing!
True genius! I have enjoyed learning and playing this classic tune for 40 years. Thank you Mason.
I was a dance student in Philly and at age 12. I decided to use this piece of music for my solo, Acro Jazz and choreographed to this brilliant tune. I went on to become a Professional dancer in my late 20’s into my 40’s. Now I look back to my formative years in dance. How the heck did I interpret this song to movement being a pre teen? Thank you Mason Williams for the brilliant memories.
Still gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. I hit the volume right up when I play it in my car.
The radio staple of my childhood. Thank you SO much for such an iconic, enduring, fascinating, and memorable piece.
Mr. Williams - born in 1964 - I cannot tell you how awesome I think classical gas is - listen more than you will ever know - awesomely great!!!
Such a delight to be watching this. I’ve always loved Mason Williams since the 60’s > Classical Gas has always been my all time favorite.
A very interesting man, who has given the world a timeless classic!
Mason, I was 13 in 1968 when I bought myself my first real guitar. Our brother (who had dabbled in learning the guitar when he was a teen 17 years prior) had earlier bought my twin and I each a plastic electronic guitar toy for Christmas in about 1965. It was not a real guitar. Your Classical Gas was a rare American song that revealed how beautiful the quitar actually is.
Now I play my own version of Classical Gas, the kids of now a days I ask are not familiar with it. So sad for those particular ears and youth. Your Classical Gas will survive, it will inspire guitar playing, it will continue to float to the top of man made sound - as it is one of the greats! Thank you!
wonderful wonderful wonderful man. I watched him just now on decades. When he was on The Ed Sullivan Show. Still handsome.
I remember hearing this as a youngster , wow does it bring back memories. Im 60 now and I love the song.
Back in the 80's he performed this piece with the Eugene Symphony. Being a percussionist with the group at that time, I was at the gig early to get set up. He was there early too, and we had a brief conversation where he commented "It's a hard piece"! Nice guy!
I was on the front row concert in SLC, Utah listening for the first time, I had a crush on Mason way back then. My God Son was named Mason at my suggestion. Thank you Mason for all the great music. 😍🙏🏻👏🏼
I love this song and this video. And it tells a fascinating story. I remember as a teenager watching Glen Campbell play it (live I think) on his TV show which we used to get on Saturday night in the UK, and having my mind blown, because he was a singer, right? Nobody told us he was a top notch session guitarist. And many, many years later I played it for my grade 8 music exam.
Just brilliant. A total legend.
I decided to learn to play the guitar solely because of this song. If I ever master it I will be so grateful. I think this song is incredible!
Thanks Mason, your solo hit inspired me to learn to play the guitar for myself and family/
I loved this. As a fledgling guitar player in my late 60's I've been trying to learn all of my favorites from the 60's and 70's. Classical Gas is one I've avoided because I just didn't feel I had the skill yet...maybe some day. Well, I just finished learning the intro today. Wish me luck going forward. What a great guitar and story. I love Tommy Smothers.
Mason Williams wrote so many wonderful pieces. Such a talent. He had humor in many songs yet the underlying compositions are exquisite.
Legend. Thank you sir - I listen to some version of classical gas every day 👌
Very interesting. One of my all time favorites compositions. I never tire of it.
Thank you for this musical piece - I'm learning it now and it is such a pleasure to play.
Thanks Mason, for Classical Gas lesson & for still being a "strumming Musician."
50+ years later - a Legend, his guitar, and some great stories.
BRAVO! Bravo! Bravo!
What a treasure of storytelling, this video. This ought to have more views. Thank you Vintage Guitar for this. ❤️🎸
One of the hit songs in my repertoire. Been playing it since about 1971.
Mason is one of the wonderful "One Hit Wonders" and it looks like he's taken pretty good care of himself over the years. Good to see. 😎
I have always loved this song,. Glad to know you are doing well 😘
Great song, it has natural drive which makes you want to grab your guitar and play along! Mason Williams seems to be a nice guy; I like the fact that he gives credit to his producer!
Thank you Mason! Best discussion and close up inspection of the Cordova I've ever seen. My three favorites of yours, in order:
CG
Shenandoah
Country Idyll
what a player, what a career, what a man. The Queen's gambit sent me here. anyone else?
You still got it! This is favourite tune bar none!❤
Love Classical since it came out
i saw him live 1961 at a coffee house in san Diego. he was playing 12 string. super show.
Thanks for making this happen!
All the cosmic tumblers fell into place for "Classical Gas"!!!
Where can I get some of those tumblers?
Mr Williams is a great guitar player.....
Excellent video. I love all the trivia. 👍🏻✌🏻
I love seeing him doing well. Not only is he a great guitarist and songwriter but he can be hilarious. A true Renaissance man.
One of my Pops' favorite tunes... I sure do miss him
Thank you for composing such a wonderful tune that brings back great memories.
"A flashy piece to play at parties"! Genius.
How come your channel is verified with no subscribers?
Love this musician. He reminds me of my father who plays the guitar
Thanks to you, sir. Truly.
Classical Gas was THE song all my friends and I learned in high school. One other song of yours we did in front of the entire school at an assembly was "Tomato Vendetta" complete with old tomatoes we got from a Thriftway store and our friend stomped all over them as we played. It was great! A picture of it is in our 1974 yearbook! Anyway, thanks for the music Mason! You're one of my favorites.
My mother could play this absolutely awesome piece of classical music on acoustic guitar. She was 14 at the time she owned it. My mother was gifted this is very special anyone whi can play this is a true musician.
😎😎😎💥👀👌🙏🤙🤙🤙
Just great. Nice story. Loved and one of my favorite songs ever.
Timeless composition.
Mason also co-wrote “Cinderella Rockefella” which many will remember.
Whenever I hear Classical Gas, I think of wrestling. The reason: in the late 1969s in Toronto, one of the television stations broadcast a wrestling program. And Classical Gas was the theme song they used. I must admit, it was an energizing start to seeing Angelo Mosca, Sweet Daddy Siki, The Sheikh, Whipper Billy Watson . . . Thank you Mr. Williams. You wrote a great song, and provided me with a very fond memory.
Thanks, Mason. Wonderful piece.
I used to own a Giannini 12 string that was stolen. (Whole 'nother story). But, your song (parts of it I could play) always sounded great.
So good! Thank you!
Yup, it’s a wonderful piece of music. Thanks.
Fascinating!
thank you for a great piece of music and explain how you created it. one of my all time favourite pieces
Classical gas is still the hold music for the phone lines for the city of Silverton, Oregon. It is truly the only hold music I love to listen to. Someone had good taste.
Back when TV broadcasts were largely in B&W, a local station would display a test pattern and play the tune whenever it had some "technical difficulty". If the station fixed the issue before the tune finished, it would cut back to the show in progress -- I often preferred that it let the tune finish before resuming the show.
Thanks for this, it is an amazing piece!
How does a comedy writer produce one of the greatest music classics ever written? Pure genius.
I played this even before I began playing Classical. My first guitar was a Yamaha Classical my parents bought for me in 1968.
Great tone, great composition. Good idea to employ the orchestra to make it even better.
Nice guy. Great Song!
Thank you Mason !
Gorgeous song.
One of the best songs ever.
ok, this goes in my favorites list ! On a Cordoba, never knew that - wow, I bought my first Cordoba this year - so now it has special meaning.
I was there when it happened....well, kind of - I was watching the Smothers Brothers show when Mason played Classical Gas - that memory is right up there with where was I when Kennedy was killed, when man first walked on the moon, the space shuttle disaster, 911 disaster, when Orville and Wilbur flew at Kitty Hawk (ok , kidding about that one),
when Biden fell off his bicycle and when the democrates told us the border was secure.
Same for me. I can remember who I was with in the room.
Well at least you got the Wright Brothers and puppet Biden. Queer boy (W.H. live in lover Lem Billings) JFK was not killed, men never went to the moon and the shuttle was the usual fake:
czcams.com/video/jDbUgd3MWSI/video.html
mileswmathis.com/barindex2.pdf
Truly awesome 😎
love this guy! I rspecially love the "Them Poems" like- Moose goosers, and Toad Suckers
I love it. I do the same thing. You work on a solid song that is mostly instrumental in nature as a “ repertoire “ song when people ask you to play them something. Unless you’re a great singer...bust most of us aren’t.
Thanks so much for posting this - am fascinated by all aspects that Mason touches on - strap included ( I copied this this when I was 15 ) . Also really taken with La Chanson Di Claudine , and , Oh heck all of his other guitar compositions . Fortunately able to see Mason perform in Ok. City about 1993 or there abouts . Highlight for me . Am waiting for him to talk about the 2-finger B mjr - somewhat painful to learn , but am willing . I'm still in the buggy with Mason Williams .
Amazing
Awasome!
It's in the movie, The Queen's Gambit
I love your original version, but also really love the version you did with Mannheim Steamroller
Cool
What work did you do after you did this wonderful sound it is thrilling to hear it again love that guitar and the backing.
5 years later, is this Cordoba, the same as the current Cordoba company? If so, what current model is it nearest to?
The best guitar in history
😀👍🏽
Gotta ask ; what is the post on the end of the guitar ? - to secure the strap there I suppose
Which recording of Classical Gas is that they start into before he starts talking? It's not the 68 version, which one is it?
It's the same composition. He (like most musicians) is emellishing it more with variations of the main piece.
Steven Johnson It's "embellishing" and all I'm trying to find out is where to get that particular recording. I know it's a complete recording because I've heard it elsewhere. I also know it's not the '68 recording, it's not the '70 recording, it's not any recording I can find except on CZcams.
It’s the 1988 Smothers Brothers 20th Anniversary special
What’s the term he uses at about 7:17 to describe the end of the composition? Sounds like tierst picrity?
Ah! Thank you!
I learned it in music school as the Picardy Third, but Mason calls it the Tierce de Picardie.
thank you 4 sharing
war wounds:)
I have the hat!
The other Smother.
I like his hillbilly and country singing better
👍👍😎✌️🤟⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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