The Johnny Williams Orchestra Plays Sounds from Screen Spectaculars

The Johnny Williams Orchestra Plays Sounds from Screen Spectaculars (Craftsmen, 1957) spotlighted future composer and conductor John Williams at the beginning of his career as a pianist and studio musician.

This was long before Williams gained wide fame for his scores for such movie blockbusters as Jaws and Star Wars, and for conducting the Boston Pops Orchestra.

This budget label LP does not appear to have sold very well and within a year it was reissued with a new title, Big Hits from Columbia Pictures, and a far more sales worthy cover featuring cheesecake portraits of Kim Novak and Rita Hayworth.

This version came out on no less than three different labels -- Tops, Golden Tone and Mayfair -- in 1958. All the labels were owned by the same company, with the Golden Tone and Mayfair releases including stereo versions of the LP.

Note that the album is now credited to the Hollywood Grand Studio Orchestra conducted by John T. Williams.

The Latin standard Brazil was among the tracks on the LP due to its inclusion in the film The Eddy Duchin Story, which came out in 1956. The orchestra sits out for this tune: It's just Williams on piano with a small combo.

Brazil



This early album by John Williams gained new life in the digital age when it was released on a Pickwick CD in 1996.

Movie Memories was mastered from the original stereo tapes and the sound quality is excellent. The CD is out of print but there are plenty of cheap copies for sale online. The album is also available as a download.