The Early Birds Catch the British Folkies’ Hearts Special Edition: John Williams/Mike Wallace: John Williams — “Early Bird of Morning”, Mike Wallace — “Early Morning Bird”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — February 20, 2024

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

1,118) John Williams — “Early Bird of Morning”

From John Williams’ (see #402, 784, 857, 858, 1,051) legendary Jimmy Page-infused Maureeny Wishfull album comes a gentle tribute to his wife to be. Lenny Helsing writes that the “rare 1968 Maureeny Wishfull album[ is] a shimmering . . . and enchanting slab of strange folk excellence that features significant contributions from Jimmy Page, Big Jim Sullivan [see #817] and John Paul Jones.” (https://www.psychedelicbabymag.com/2015/04/john-williams.html)

John Andrews hails the LP:

It’s so loaded. The songwriting has depth but there are also so many catchy & accessible moments with simply an acoustic guitar. John Williams is singing, Big Jim Sullivan is playin guitar, and, none other than freaking JIMMY PAGE, plays guitar/sitar. . . . The songwriting is so damn beautiful, it’s crazy to me that this record kinda slipped through the cracks and is mostly unknown.

https://www.ravensingstheblues.com/john-andrews-on-john-williams-the-maureeny-wishful-album/

Scott Swanson notes that “In 1965, Page went to work for Andrew Loog Oldham as a talent scout & producer for Immediate Records. John Williams was subsequently signed to Immediate, and began to record ‘The Maureeny Wishfull Album’ with contributions from Page (guitar & sitar), Big Jim Sullivan (guitar), Vic Flick (guitar), and Berne Williams (guitar).” (https://jppsessionman.jimdofree.com/john-williams/) The album was “a homage to [Williams’] girlfriend/wife.” (Jellyfish Records, https://www.facebook.com/112275930400880/posts/maureeny-wishfull-maureeny-wishful-album-moonshine-1972this-is-actually-john-wil/128027272159079/)

Swanson explains the saga of the album’s release:

Williams recorded two albums worth of material for Immediate, but Oldham pulled the plug — and confiscated the master tapes! Williams then signed a solo contract with EMI/Columbia, releasing a self-titled folk album and two 45s in 1967. The album contained some of the material from the Immediate sessions . . . . Meanwhile, Williams recovered some of the master tapes from “Maureeny Wishfull” project. He arranged to release 14 of the songs on a privately pressed album (supposedly limited to 300 original copies). . . . [A]ll of the songs were written by Williams. Williams quietly disappeared from the music scene in the late ’60s, and went on to work as a probation officer in Britain.

https://jppsessionman.jimdofree.com/john-williams/

Williams recalls:

I was 18 and by that time we were playing at American bases and supporting London bands such as Neil Christian & the Crusaders. That is when I first linked up with Jimmy Page who introduced us to the London scene. For two years, as The Authentics, we played regularly at the Crawdaddy and Rikki-Tik clubs, held a residency at the Marquee supporting the Yardbirds on Friday nights and did a short tour backing Sonny Boy Williamson. I had written a lot of songs by then and had recorded some with The Authentics, Julie Driscoll and Paul Samwell Smith and this seemed to interest Jimmy who contracted me to write for his publishing company and later for Immediate Records. This led to recording the “Maureeny Wishful” tracks and a number of other recordings with Jimmy, Big Jim Sullivan and John Paul Jones.

https://www.psychedelicbabymag.com/2015/04/john-williams.html

Corbin adds:

After The Authentics disbanded, largely due to John Williams burgeoning interest in folk music, Williams began to write more extensively, ultimately brought in Jimmy Page and Big Jim Sullivan along with other noted session guitarist Vic Flick to work on an album. Williams’ brother Brian told the story of what happened once the album was completed: “My brother had written a lot of songs. Andrew Oldham took us on, and my brother wrote and recorded a double album called ‘The Maureeny Wishfull Album’ for Immediate Records. I did the cover art – but unfortunately[,] Andrew Oldham disappeared with the master tapes! John eventually got one of the master tapes back and pressed the record himself. . . . Jimmy Page plays sitar and Vik Flic, Big Jim Sullivan . . . and all the good session artists of the time are on it. The master tape of the other album, which I’m playing on, was unfortunately never recovered.” Jimmy is credited with playing guitar as well as sitar on the album, with John Williams doing the vocal work. There isn’t any credited producer, but one can assume that Page had a large amount of input upon how the sound of the album was crafted.

http://findingzoso.blogspot.com/2012/07/pageia-obscura-maureeny-wishful.html

Finally, Jimsue says: “I lived next door to John in 1967 and helped finance the printing and pressing of the 300 mono albums. . . . [T]he release date which I recall being early 70’s, since I didn’t have any money in 1968! . . . John had other work on a separate master tape both of which were stolen but only one got returned.” (https://forums.ledzeppelin.com/topic/19880-maureeny-wishfull-lp-how-to-teii-if-its-og-or-a-re/)

As to Williams, Corbin adds:

John Williams was an artist in the mold of Donovan a sort of traditional folk artist with a twist. . . . He hailed from Bedford, England, a town about 30 miles north of London, and in 1964 was the lead singer and rhythm guitarist in a band with his brother Brian known as The Authentics. . . . Jimmy [Page] met Williams when Williams was a member of The Authentics[, ] an early 60’s British pop outfit who regularly performed gigs at the famed Marquee Club in London. The group had been signed to a record deal by Jimmy’s manager Giorgio Gomelsky. Jimmy would go on to sit in with the band on a few recording sessions, even co-authoring one of their songs, a number titled “Without You”. Williams and Page soon struck up a friendship that revolved around their mutual love of folk music, and Jimmy would pass around songs written by Williams to groups he worked sessions for, notably “Little Nightingale” performed by The Mindbenders.

http://findingzoso.blogspot.com/2012/07/pageia-obscura-maureeny-wishful.html

1,119) Mike Wallace — “Early Morning Bird“

Here is “an engaging lyte pop dream” expo67-cavestones, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eT1lPrw2Uc) from “[a] flower-powered troubadour . . . . [who] presented a hedonistic, rural hippy vibe”. (liner notes to the CD comp Piccadilly Sunshine: Volumes 11-20: A Compendium of Rare Pop Curios From the British Psychedelic Era). Wallace was also in the Swedish band The Caretakers.

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