Paul McCartney attends Andy Williams’ concert

Andy Williams – THAT SGT PEPPER ALBUM WAS THE VERY BEGINNING AND END

THE Thames-view suite at London’s Savoy Hotel glowed with the instant, canned bonhomie that could only attend a visiting American showbiz star and his orbiting satellites. The welcoming reception given the MM by Mr Andy Williams and Company ran true to form.

“Glad to meet you,” said Andy’s PRO Sheldon Saltman, with a warmth suggesting his required bedside reading was Dale Carnegies How To Win Friends And Influence People. His friendliness was only matched by manager Alan Byron Bernard, who juggled a cup of coffee from nowhere, and agent Jerry Perenchio, a well-groomed gentleman who looked as though he had stepped from the courtroom in a Perry Mason TV show.

The Williams entourage is completed by secretary Keats Tyler and conductor Jack Elliott. “They all go where he goes,” said CBS Records publicity manager Rodney Burbeck.

Andy was suffering from a cold and — on his own admission — a hangover. “I didn’t get to bed until 4:30 and I was up at eight,” said Andy. With that, he disappeared momentarily into the bed room. “I have to take this little pill for my cold,” he said. Then rapidly added: “No, I mustn’t say I have a cold.” Mr Saltman, like the whizkid PRO he is, jumped in on cue. “It’s a case of mind over matter,” he said swiftly. “If Andy doesn’t mind the cold, then the cold doesn’t matter. The power of thought is very important.”

Mr Saltman is certainly no slouch at earning his keep. He’s ready with a barrage of facts and figures

[…] Andy also expressed a keen interest in meeting the Beatles. And Mr Sheldon was dutifully on the phone trying to fix a dinner engagement with the Beatles. “Just a quiet meeting,” urged Mr Saltman. “No publicity,” he added with somewhat unexpected ease, to supplement Andy Williams’ somewhat economical replies to questions.

Andy mentioned he was interested in golf, antique furniture and paintings. Mr Saltman was off the mark like runner Jim Ryun. It emerged that Andy Williams sponsors his own golf tournament, the Andy Williams San Diego Open. “It carries the second largest purse in the world — $165,000,” volunteered Mr Saltman. He did a rapid calculation. “That’s around £80,000. And Andy has just furnished his home in antique Mexican and Spanish furniture. He didn’t buy it in the normal shops —he picked it up in junk shops.“

Andy also expressed a keen interest in meeting the Beatles. And Mr Sheldon was dutifully on the phone trying to fix a dinner engagement with the Beatles.

“Just a quiet meeting,” urged Mr Saltman. “No publicity,” he added with somewhat unexpected ease.

“I’ve never met the Beatles,” said Andy. “I specially want to get together with Paul and John. I’m a great admirer. That Sgt. Pepper album was the very beginning and end.“

While he draws heavily on the song standards, Andy feels that today’s songs are better than ever before. “The lyrical idiom is much better,” he says. “It’s not just the moon, June, spoon routine. They’re saying things in songs in America much more than they used to. In France, they’ve been doing it for years.’’

Andy’s somewhat modest approach to questions finds a more voluble outlet on a subject that is obviously very close to his heart: politics. He is helping the Robert Kennedy Democratic campaign, and dismisses the idea in some quarters that show business personalities should not be involved on the political scene.

“If you think back to John Kennedy, a lot of Hollywood figures were campaigning for him. And this new election is most important. It’s important to me because I realise that, for the first time in American history, we are not well liked. In Europe, I see signs saying ‘Yanks Go Home.’”

Because of the unpopularity of the Vietnam War? we ventured. “Yes,” said Andy firmly. “It’s an immoral war. Something that goes right against what America stands for. They’re become so obsessed with the fear of Communism. There was a time, even when they wouldn’t allow school students to read about Marxism. It’s different now. But that’s what Democracy is all about — to read what you want to read and be able to make up your own mind. If it’s a free choice between Communism or Democracy, Democracy will win. But everybody was running around scared.”

From Melody Maker, May 25, 1968