ANDY WILLIAMS - ACE SINGER OF MOVIE THEME SONGS

Last night, as I closed my eyes to go to sleep, Andy Williams appeared in my thoughts. Why, I wondered, did I suddenly remember this great singer from days gone by?

Then I recalled that in the evening, I was reading about how the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences seemed to be ignoring Martin Scorsese who is considered by many as one of the best directors of all time but has only one Oscar to his credit despite critical acclaim for many movies and dozens of nominations. His Italian connection brought to mind "The Godfather" and its love theme 'Speak Softly Love'. That song was sung by Andy Williams.

So I indulged in more thinking about Andy Williams, the smooth-voiced crooner who in his prime in the 1960-70s, gave us one hit after another and was as successful as Frank Sinatra or Elvis Presley. For the record, he had 15 gold and 3 platinum certified albums and 6 Top Hits on US Billboard Hot 100. 

The first song by Andy that I heard and loved was 'Butterfly' in February 1957. It was an instant hit and topped the US and the UK music charts and our own Binaca Hit Parade.

His next big hit came a year later, 'Are You Sincere?' Others followed and then in 1962, he came up with a song that would put him on the road to everlasting fame. It was 'Moon River' from "Breakfast At Tiffany's", which he was asked to sing at the Oscar Awards function where it won as Best Original Song. 

The success of Moon River made Andy adopt the song as the theme for his TV show. Later that year, he recorded an album, "Moon River And Other Great Movie Themes" which included older movie themes such as 'Love Is A Many-Splendoured Thing', 'Theme From A Summer Place', 'As Time Goes By', and 'Three Coins In The Fountain'. The huge popularity of the album made him keep vocalising movie themes which brought out the best in him.

Among the movie theme hits to follow were 'A Time For Us' from the 1968 film "Romeo And Juliet", 'Where Do I Begin' from "Love Story", and, of course, 'Speak Softly Love' from "The Godfather". 

Some other Andy Williams' version of movie songs include 'The Shadow of Your Smile', 'Born Free', 'The Way We Were', 'Theme From Exodus' and 'Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head'. A tall list with many more.

Andy was also good at Christmas songs and his 8 such albums earned him the title of "Mr. Christmas". The most popular song among them is 'It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year', a must-play number during the Yuletide season. On the solemn side, he touchingly sang Schubert's 'Ave Maria' at the funeral of his friend, Robert F. Kennedy. 

A song is given birth by an inspired composer and an imaginative lyricist but finally it is the singer who with his voice and style brings the number to us and gets the credit for its popularity and lifespan. At this Andy Williams with his smooth, charming voice and easy-to-listen style was a master and will be remembered long after his favourite composers like Henry Mancini and lyricists like Johnny Mercer are forgotten. So let's recall six of his best songs and their engaging lyrics though you will have to listen to them yourself.

We begin with the Mancini-Mercer 'Moon River' which made Andy a star. Moon River in the song was a metaphor for a lover, a maker of dreams as also a heart breaker, who the smitten one was determined to follow on life's journey right to the end:-

"....Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker,

Wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way....

We're after the same rainbow's end,

Waitin' round the bend....

Moon river and me."

The musical score for "Love Story" was written by Francis Lai and then there was demand for its theme to be given lyrics. That was done by Carl Sigman and Andy Williams delivered the sad, heart-rending hit song:-

"Where do I begin

To tell the story of how great a love can be

The sweet love story that is older than the sea....

How long does it last

Can love be measured by the hours in a day

I have no answers now but this much I can say

I know I'll need her 'til the stars all burn away

And she'll be there!"

To take a break from the sentimental, let's go to Andy's first top hit 'Butterfly' which was sung appropriately in a fluttering style conjuring a vision of a butterfly flitting from flower to flower:-

"You tell me you love me, you say you'll be true,

Then you fly around with somebody new

But I'm crazy about you, you butterfly...."

And so:-

"I love you so much I know what I'll do

I'm clippin' your wings, your flyin' is through

'Cause I'm crazy about you, you butterfly".

Another delightful song rendered in a light way was 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You':-

"Pardon the way that I stare, there's nothing else to compare

The sight of you leaves me weak, there are no words left to speak

You're just too good to be true

Can't take my eyes off you."

Back to movies and we have the moving composition by the Italian, Nino Rota, for Franco Zefirelli's outstanding "Romeo And Juliet" with the title roles brilliantly played by two unknown teenagers, Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey. In the movie, a troubadour character performed a song 'What Is A Youth' in a party with Juliet anxiously searching for Romeo. Andy's song was titled 'A Time For Us':-

"A time for us at last to see 

A life worthwhile for you and me

And with our love through tears and thorns

We will endure as we pass surely through every storm

A time for us, some day there'll be a new world

A world of shining hope for you and me".

Finally, there was the enticing 'Love Theme From The Godfather', once again composed by Nino Rota, which was sung as 'Speak Softly Love' by Andy:-

"Wine-coloured days warmed by the sun

Deep velvet nights when we are one

Speak softly love so no one hears us but the sky

The vows of love we make will live until we die 

My life is yours and all because

You came into my world with love so softly love".

Andy Williams came into our world softly with his easy-to-listen, captivating voice which lives on to delight us anytime we desire.

Tidbit. Was Bollywood listening? Yes indeed. Tune in to 'Raja Ko Rani Se Pyar Ho Gaya' from "Akele Hum Akele Tum".