Jerry Williams - Review by Big Mick

Thanks go to Soul Essence Mag (see fanzine section for more details) for letting Soul Source use this great review

010898. JERRY (SWAMP DOGG) WILLIAMS LIVE AT LOWTON

What a privilege to be invited to watch JERRY (SWAMP DOGG) WILLIAMS rehearse and do an interview with the man himself.The editor and myself arrived about 1.30pm and were instantly press-ganged into carrying the large speakers into the hall. Meanwhile, ROBBO was doing the 'fan' bit and having his photo taken with JW. Also he was doing the autograph thing and getting a stack of records signed (seeing the smile on ROBBOs face reminded me that I hadn't put the cat out, yep, it was still on fire when I left earlier).

I was stunned seeing JW, I had this vision in my head of a tall dude, long leather coat, wide brimmed hat with a huge feather on one side, you know, the JOHN SHAFT kinda look. JW was stocky, 5'8'' and so down to earth he spoke to people as if he'd known them years, you couldn't help but like the guy. Travelling with JW was a softly spoken, cool young lady who turned out to be his daughter - JERRY YVONNE Jnr. There were no 'roadies' here, everyone including the band rolled up their sleeves and helped to get the stage prepared.

When all the wiring seemed to be ok, a few adjustments made to the sound deck controls, JW went through the rehearsal routine, which had the dozen or so privileged few totally spellbound. The smooth, matured, soft, soulful voice of JW filled the hall. When hitting the notes, raising strongly emphasising the mood depicted by the lyrics, all my hairs stood on end on the back of my neck, my goose bumps had goose bumps of their own. He went into 'synthetic world' , 'mammas' baby, daddy's' maybe', the wailing lead guitar - pleading muted horn solo, JW's bluesey rendition tore at my heart. I'm thinking to myself, 'if you ask me' is likely that all most people will know, this guy is gonna educate everyone to just what soul is all about. JW is so 'laid back', never once did he get upset when a cord was played wrong (which was very rare) or a musician played a piece in an alternative 'key'. He was always the gentleman who took time to discuss the finer points with the band and even changed a few bars because he liked the way the musicians played certain sections. But make no mistake, everyone understood, JW was 100% in charge.

Not too long after JW came over to me to arrange the interview and to check I was ok! Jeeze, what other artist would give a shit if a magazine had sent along a reporter and whether that reporter minded waiting a while longer and even apologized for taking so long!!. I wanted the guy to adopt me there and then, I even tried telling him I was house trained. He turned to me and said, "after hearing the rehearsal you may think fuck it, I'm off, after hearing me", I nearly fell off my seat, I could only shake my head and blubber. I'd have waited a lifetime if I had to, well, at least until the chippy opened. The band was truly professional and believe it or not was only put together at the last minute by MIKE SUMMERS who had to do all the running around to acquire the instruments and do a lot of negotiating, this guy was a genius.

Whilst JW sang his heart out I managed to talk his daughter, JERRY YVONNE Jnr............

BM. Are you still at high school?

JY. I'm 22, I've just graduated and I'm applying to 'Med' (medical) school.

BM. How is JW received in the STATES?

JY. oh, he's still getting standing ovations and he played a tribute to ELVIS PRESLEY at the 'HOUSE OF BLUES' and they loved him. I like the way my father writes, songs today have no meaning. He adapts to the audience. In ITALY most of the people couldn't speak English but there were around 5 - 6000 people yelling and screaming and my father had about 5 or 6 standing ovations.

BM. What's your father really like?

JY. he's so humble, never a swelled head you know, he plays for the people. He's doing theme music for T.V. and movies, people are always asking him. He's huge in AUSTIN, TEXAS at the 'SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST' music festival were they play all types of music including Indie.

BM. What's happening on the album scene?

JY. oh he's still writing and building for a new album, his last was called, 'f..k the bomb, stop the drugs' which was released through 'VIRGIN' and contained his greatest hits. My father is working on a new album, which may possibly be finished by the end of the year and released around this time next year.

BM. Did you ever get to meet your father's famous associates?

JY. I get to meet people now and again, I've met ESTHER PHILLIPS and TOMMY HUNT stayed with us for a while whilst recording with my father.

BM. What type of music do you enjoy listening to?

JY. I'm into all types, Indie, Rock, all types. In our house, we have this jukebox with most of my fathers' music on it, there seems to be a revival of my fathers' music it's great, everybody loves him where-ever he goes. It was fantastic in PRATTA, ITALY, they really appreciated my father's work.

BM. How about your friends, how do they react?

JY.at first none of my friends really knew who he was but now it's like, wow he's your dad? I get to go to many of my fathers' performances, I stand up front and take photos...

One memory I'll not forget too soon was when one of the organisers, BERNIE O'BRIAN asked to borrow a record while I was talking to JW. This was in order to test the twin decks for the evenings soul offering of the vinyl type. The record I produced was JW's 'if you ask me' on Carla. There I was, sitting mere inches away from JW whilst his record was playing and the man himself was singing along, shit, what a trip!!!!!

Soon the man was back on stage doing his thing, only this time he was feeling the cold air in the main hall. On goes the long raincoat and he starts to pace up and down as he sings with the aid of a 'headset' microphone and looking not unlike Detective Colombo from the 70s' series. Taking up position behind the electronic piano he comments, "one day I'm gonna get me a piano teacher" the band just cracks up and then the man begins to sing 'I was born blue'. From time to time he enquires "D minor, E minor" ? The only miner I know comes from Wigan and eats meat pies.

A couple of hours later JW brings the rehearsal to a close, I do my inter view in which JW turns his humour in my direction, sarky git, and then later make my way home to get changed before returning for the show. The editor had buggered off some time ago to stuff his face thanks to KEV & Mrs MURPH' (didn't send me a buttie tight sods and I'm doing all the work) but somehow I hadn't noticed or bothered, I even lost track of time. When I later return to LOWTON, the place is rapidly filling. Although not the full capacity as you'd get with a normal soul night but never the less quite a good turn out. During the afternoon I did managed to get JW to sign a limited number of copies of the latest edition of 'NORTHERN ESSENCE' which were almost snatched out of my hands as I began to sell them at the entrance.

The whole 'gaff' was buzzing and the atmos' electric. When the time came for JW to walk on stage I was enrolled into the security staff and positioned at the side of the stage to watch JW and his daughter JY. The performance went smoothly but for the faulty headset microphone, which was quickly replaced by a hand mike.

'We need a revolution', 'Sam Stone'(an old favourite of mine I got out of a 'SOUL PACK' back in the seventies when virtually every pack had 'armed and extremely dangerous' by First Choice in) , 'I was born blue',' if you ask me' and ' mammas baby, daddy's maybe' out of the 13 rehearsed around 8 were sang, 'if you ask me' was demanded and performed about 4 / 5 times through the evening.

At one point JW commented, "I'm a bootleggers dream', I knew what he was getting at as he revealed during his interview with me earlier during the afternoon that he had never been paid for the track, 'if you ask me' even though he owned the 'masters'. In fact there were certain record companies that were due to receive certain pieces of paper guaranteed to balls up their day for issuing JERRY's work without paying him (serves them right) in the near future. Anyway, those who couldn't fight their way to the front of the stage were content in sitting were they were and singing along, those who did manage to get to the front of the stage were rewarded with signed autographs as JW sang. I noticed one or two ignorant gits in one corner talking and laughing throughout the performance. I thought it not only a waste of money to show everyone what a bunch of numb bastards they were but they spoilt it for those stood around nearby trying to listen to JW. Well I suppose you're going to get people like that no matter where you go. They'd be better off in a working mans' club playing dominoes and slagging off the tart in the red dress, whilst some overweight no-mark of a comedian tries to get a laugh out the sad gits knocking back the gin & tonics trying to look sexy in two tonne of f...ing make-up and dressed in last years cast offs from 'OXFAM'.

Apart from that, the whole evening was a success on all fronts and many thanks and congratulations must go to the hard working individuals but for whom it might never have been.

One or two 'hic-cups' arose from beginning to end in order to get JERRY from the STATES to LOWTON and consequently on to the other venues were JW would be performing. But for the perseverance of the organisers and the bloody hard work, determination and dedication none of this would have been possible. These guys have bent over backwards to give you one of the top living soul artists today, I think they deserve our thanks. If you would like to show your appreciation by putting pen to paper and sending your letters to 'NORTHERN ESSENCE' I will see that the right people receive them. BERNIE O'BRIAN, STEVE FLETCHER, BIG MURPH, LEE ROGERS, STEVE CONNER, BRIAN JOLLY, DEAN MITCHELL, INTRACK (FOR THE EQUIPMENT).

Cheers lads, can we have DES O'CONNER next?.