James Williamson
Encyclopedia
James Robert Williamson (born 29 October 1949 in Castroville, Texas
) is an American guitarist
, songwriter
, record producer
and electronics engineer
who is best known for his contribution to the protopunk
rock band
Iggy & The Stooges
.
: 'One summer while visiting Texas, I wound up getting a guitar because I thought it was cool. My sister was bringing home Elvis records and so I thought, "I gotta have a guitar". So I talked my mom into getting me one. My uncle worked for Sears, so I ended up with an old Sears f-hole guitar with action about an inch and a half off the fret board. Anyway, when I first learned to play guitar a little bit, it was just chords and stuff, but then about a year or so later we moved to Detroit area, and it just so happened that I moved next door to a family that all played music. The son in that family, his name was Ken Black. He played electric guitar. I remember moving to Detroit - it was the summer when Martha And The Vandellas’ "Heatwave"
was a smash hit record. I would spend my days hanging over in his room, listening to him play and also learning how to play barre chords and things like that. By the end of that summer, I got good enough that I ended up getting my own electric guitar, which was a Fender Jaguar'. When Williamson was in the 9th grade in Detroit he formed his first rock 'n' roll band, The Chosen Few, with schoolmate Scott Richardson. They performed cover version
s of Rolling Stones songs and others. Williamson also spent some time in a juvenile home after his step father had told him to cut his hair - Williamson refused. In one of the Chosen Few's later line-ups, in 11th grade, Ron Asheton
was the bassist. Asheton, as guitarist, went on to form The Stooges
with his brother Scott
, Dave Alexander and Iggy Pop
.
After graduating from High School in 1969, Williamson travelled to New York City
to keep in touch with his friends The Stooges, who were recording their debut album
with former Velvet Underground member John Cale
.
In 1972 David Bowie
offered Iggy Pop and James Williamson a chance to record in London
, and, having failed to find other suitable musicians, the Asheton brothers joined them, with Ron moving from guitar to bass. Williamson co-wrote all the songs with Iggy and played all the guitar parts for The Stooges' classic 1973 album Raw Power
. He played louder and raunchier than almost anybody at the time, with a jagged high-energy approach. Williamson stated that 'I was a very emotional guitar player, so I always played that way. That’s how we felt, so that was what it sounded like'.
Williamson's explosive and aggressive guitar playing on Raw Power
has often been cited as a major influence on the emerging punk scene in the mid-seventies. In fact, Williamson's influence goes well beyond that, with Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr
stating 'I'm his biggest fan. He has the technical ability of Jimmy Page
without being as studious, and the swagger of Keith Richards
without being sloppy. He's both demonic and intellectual, almost how you would imagine Darth Vader to sound if he was in a band.'
(despite Pop's objections), Williamson gave up playing music professionally to train as an electronics engineer: 'The Stooges was maybe my only real band and kind of a family and so when that fell apart it was difficult to go on'.
In 1979 Williamson was again persuaded to work with Iggy Pop to produce and write for Iggy's third solo album New Values
, with former Stooge multi-instrumentalist Scott Thurston
playing guitar on all the tracks except "Don't Look Down". Williamson also did the initial production work on Iggy's subsequent album Soldier
, before falling out with Iggy over recording methods and losing contact with him for 16 years.
After working on Soldier
, Williamson removed himself from the music business entirely and concentrated on his career in electronics and in 1982 got an electrical engineering degree from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
and eventually becoming Vice President of Technology Standards for Sony. Looking back in 2010, Williamson said, 'I gave up being a Stooge to study calculus. I designed computer chips, working with geeks who had no idea about my past and who wouldn't have heard of the Stooges'.
. To rehearse for the Stooges gigs, he hooked up with San Jose based roots rock band Careless Hearts, who backed him on his first gig in 35 years at the Blank Club in San Jose, CA on September 5, 2009. They performed a number of early Stooges songs, and also some material from the Kill City
album. In June 2010, a CD + DVD combo was released of this event called James Williamson with Careless Hearts.,
The Stooges first reunion concert with Williamson occurred on November 7, 2009, in São Paulo, Brazil. The band added material from Raw Power and several of Pop's early solo albums to its repertoire.
In March 2010 the Stooges were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, playing "Search and Destroy" from the Raw Power
album with Stooges pianist Scott Thurston.
were written in his London bedroom on a Gibson B-25 acoustic and the acoustic guitar used in the studio was a Martin D-28. A Vox AC30 amplifier was used for recording Raw Power
and no effects pedals were used. Williamson says he plugged his Les Paul Custom into the AC30's Top Boost channel, volume at full and bass low, and played primarily on the Custom's low-impedance bridge humbucker pickup. Williamson had always used Marshall amplifiers when playing live until recently when he switched to Blackstar Amplification's Artisan 30.
Castroville, Texas
Castroville is a city in Medina County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,664 at the 2000 census. Prior to 1893, Castroville was the first county seat of Medina County....
) is an American guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and electronics engineer
Electronic engineering
Electronics engineering, also referred to as electronic engineering, is an engineering discipline where non-linear and active electrical components such as electron tubes, and semiconductor devices, especially transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, are utilized to design electronic...
who is best known for his contribution to the protopunk
Protopunk
Protopunk is a term used retrospectively to describe a number of musicians who were important precursors of punk rock in the late 1960s to mid-1970s, or who have been cited by early punk musicians as influential...
rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
Iggy & The Stooges
The Stooges
The Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...
.
Early years
Williamson began playing guitar in the 7th grade, while his family were living in Lawton, OklahomaLawton, Oklahoma
The city of Lawton is the county seat of Comanche County, in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Located in the southwestern region of Oklahoma approximately southwest of Oklahoma City, it is the principal city of the Lawton Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area...
: 'One summer while visiting Texas, I wound up getting a guitar because I thought it was cool. My sister was bringing home Elvis records and so I thought, "I gotta have a guitar". So I talked my mom into getting me one. My uncle worked for Sears, so I ended up with an old Sears f-hole guitar with action about an inch and a half off the fret board. Anyway, when I first learned to play guitar a little bit, it was just chords and stuff, but then about a year or so later we moved to Detroit area, and it just so happened that I moved next door to a family that all played music. The son in that family, his name was Ken Black. He played electric guitar. I remember moving to Detroit - it was the summer when Martha And The Vandellas’ "Heatwave"
(Love is Like a) Heat Wave
" Heat Wave" is a 1963 hit single penned by the Holland–Dozier–Holland songwriting team and made popular by Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas. It was originally released in July 1963, on the Motown subsidiary label Gordy, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard Hot...
was a smash hit record. I would spend my days hanging over in his room, listening to him play and also learning how to play barre chords and things like that. By the end of that summer, I got good enough that I ended up getting my own electric guitar, which was a Fender Jaguar'. When Williamson was in the 9th grade in Detroit he formed his first rock 'n' roll band, The Chosen Few, with schoolmate Scott Richardson. They performed cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s of Rolling Stones songs and others. Williamson also spent some time in a juvenile home after his step father had told him to cut his hair - Williamson refused. In one of the Chosen Few's later line-ups, in 11th grade, Ron Asheton
Ron Asheton
Ronald Frank Asheton was an American guitarist and co-songwriter with Iggy Pop for the rock band The Stooges.Asheton is ranked as number 29 on Rolling Stones list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time....
was the bassist. Asheton, as guitarist, went on to form The Stooges
The Stooges
The Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...
with his brother Scott
Scott Asheton
Scott "Rock Action" Asheton is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the rock band The Stooges...
, Dave Alexander and Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
.
After graduating from High School in 1969, Williamson travelled to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to keep in touch with his friends The Stooges, who were recording their debut album
The Stooges (album)
The Stooges is the self-titled debut of the rock band The Stooges. It was released in August 1969 and peaked at number 106 on the Billboard album charts. Two songs, "I Wanna Be Your Dog" and "1969", were released as singles. It is widely considered as one of the best proto punk albums...
with former Velvet Underground member John Cale
John Cale
John Davies Cale, OBE is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground....
.
The Stooges
By late 1970, Williamson joined The Stooges as a second guitarist. He performed his first gig with the band on December 5, 1970. The band were by then struggling with drug problems and a lack of commercial success, and despite the injection of Williamson's considerable talent and enthusiasm, the Stooges couldn't overcome their difficulties, Williamson stating that "I got hepatitis and moved back to Detroit and basically the band completely dissolved". Many of the demo recordings made during this period were belatedly issued as vinyl singles or EPs, including the proto-punk tracks "I Got A Right" and "Gimme Some Skin".In 1972 David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
offered Iggy Pop and James Williamson a chance to record in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and, having failed to find other suitable musicians, the Asheton brothers joined them, with Ron moving from guitar to bass. Williamson co-wrote all the songs with Iggy and played all the guitar parts for The Stooges' classic 1973 album Raw Power
Raw Power
Raw Power is the third studio album by American rock band The Stooges. Though not initially commercially successful, Raw Power gained a cult fanbase in the years following its release and, like its predecessor , is generally considered an influential forerunner of punk rock.-Recording history:After...
. He played louder and raunchier than almost anybody at the time, with a jagged high-energy approach. Williamson stated that 'I was a very emotional guitar player, so I always played that way. That’s how we felt, so that was what it sounded like'.
Williamson's explosive and aggressive guitar playing on Raw Power
Raw Power
Raw Power is the third studio album by American rock band The Stooges. Though not initially commercially successful, Raw Power gained a cult fanbase in the years following its release and, like its predecessor , is generally considered an influential forerunner of punk rock.-Recording history:After...
has often been cited as a major influence on the emerging punk scene in the mid-seventies. In fact, Williamson's influence goes well beyond that, with Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr is an English musician and songwriter. Marr rose to fame in the 1980s as the guitarist in The Smiths, with whom he formed a prolific songwriting partnership with Morrissey. Marr has been a member of Electronic, The The, and Modest Mouse...
stating 'I'm his biggest fan. He has the technical ability of Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
without being as studious, and the swagger of Keith Richards
Keith Richards
Keith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...
without being sloppy. He's both demonic and intellectual, almost how you would imagine Darth Vader to sound if he was in a band.'
After the Stooges
After collaborating with Iggy Pop in 1975 on demo sessions for a proposed new album to be produced by John Cale, which were released in 1977 as Kill CityKill City
Kill City is a 1977 album by Stooges vocalist Iggy Pop and guitarist James Williamson. "Johanna" and "I Got Nothin'" were both performed live during 1973-74 by the James Williamson-era Stooges.-Recording:...
(despite Pop's objections), Williamson gave up playing music professionally to train as an electronics engineer: 'The Stooges was maybe my only real band and kind of a family and so when that fell apart it was difficult to go on'.
In 1979 Williamson was again persuaded to work with Iggy Pop to produce and write for Iggy's third solo album New Values
New Values
New Values was Iggy Pop's third solo studio album and his first since The Stooges' Fun House without any involvement from David Bowie. Released in 1979, it was Pop's first record for Arista and the first collaboration by Pop and James Williamson since Kill City...
, with former Stooge multi-instrumentalist Scott Thurston
Scott Thurston
Scott Troy Thurston is an American guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, and session musician. He is currently a member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, in which he sings harmony vocals and plays guitar, keyboards, and harmonica....
playing guitar on all the tracks except "Don't Look Down". Williamson also did the initial production work on Iggy's subsequent album Soldier
Soldier (album)
Soldier is a 1980 album by proto-punk musician Iggy Pop. David Bowie and Simple Minds provide backing vocals on "Play it Safe"....
, before falling out with Iggy over recording methods and losing contact with him for 16 years.
After working on Soldier
Soldier (album)
Soldier is a 1980 album by proto-punk musician Iggy Pop. David Bowie and Simple Minds provide backing vocals on "Play it Safe"....
, Williamson removed himself from the music business entirely and concentrated on his career in electronics and in 1982 got an electrical engineering degree from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, or Cal Poly Pomona, is a public university located in Pomona, California, United States...
and eventually becoming Vice President of Technology Standards for Sony. Looking back in 2010, Williamson said, 'I gave up being a Stooge to study calculus. I designed computer chips, working with geeks who had no idea about my past and who wouldn't have heard of the Stooges'.
Reuniting With the Stooges
After taking early retirement from his post at Sony in 2009, Williamson rejoined Iggy & The Stooges following the death of Ron AshetonRon Asheton
Ronald Frank Asheton was an American guitarist and co-songwriter with Iggy Pop for the rock band The Stooges.Asheton is ranked as number 29 on Rolling Stones list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time....
. To rehearse for the Stooges gigs, he hooked up with San Jose based roots rock band Careless Hearts, who backed him on his first gig in 35 years at the Blank Club in San Jose, CA on September 5, 2009. They performed a number of early Stooges songs, and also some material from the Kill City
Kill City
Kill City is a 1977 album by Stooges vocalist Iggy Pop and guitarist James Williamson. "Johanna" and "I Got Nothin'" were both performed live during 1973-74 by the James Williamson-era Stooges.-Recording:...
album. In June 2010, a CD + DVD combo was released of this event called James Williamson with Careless Hearts.,
The Stooges first reunion concert with Williamson occurred on November 7, 2009, in São Paulo, Brazil. The band added material from Raw Power and several of Pop's early solo albums to its repertoire.
In March 2010 the Stooges were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, playing "Search and Destroy" from the Raw Power
Raw Power
Raw Power is the third studio album by American rock band The Stooges. Though not initially commercially successful, Raw Power gained a cult fanbase in the years following its release and, like its predecessor , is generally considered an influential forerunner of punk rock.-Recording history:After...
album with Stooges pianist Scott Thurston.
Equipment
Williamson is known primarily for his use of Gibson Les Paul Custom guitars, but he also plays other guitars live. Williamson says that all the songs on Raw PowerRaw Power
Raw Power is the third studio album by American rock band The Stooges. Though not initially commercially successful, Raw Power gained a cult fanbase in the years following its release and, like its predecessor , is generally considered an influential forerunner of punk rock.-Recording history:After...
were written in his London bedroom on a Gibson B-25 acoustic and the acoustic guitar used in the studio was a Martin D-28. A Vox AC30 amplifier was used for recording Raw Power
Raw Power
Raw Power is the third studio album by American rock band The Stooges. Though not initially commercially successful, Raw Power gained a cult fanbase in the years following its release and, like its predecessor , is generally considered an influential forerunner of punk rock.-Recording history:After...
and no effects pedals were used. Williamson says he plugged his Les Paul Custom into the AC30's Top Boost channel, volume at full and bass low, and played primarily on the Custom's low-impedance bridge humbucker pickup. Williamson had always used Marshall amplifiers when playing live until recently when he switched to Blackstar Amplification's Artisan 30.
with The Stooges
- 1973 - Raw PowerRaw PowerRaw Power is the third studio album by American rock band The Stooges. Though not initially commercially successful, Raw Power gained a cult fanbase in the years following its release and, like its predecessor , is generally considered an influential forerunner of punk rock.-Recording history:After...
: Guitars - 1977 - Metallic K.O.Metallic K.O.Metallic K.O. is a live recording by American hard rock band The Stooges. In its original form, the album was purported to contain the last half of a performance at the Michigan Palace in Detroit, on February 9, 1974—the band's final live performance until their reformation in 2003...
: Guitars (live) - 1995 - Open Up and BleedOpen Up and BleedOpen Up and Bleed! is a live album by Iggy and the Stooges that was released in 1995. The album consisted of 2 types.-Type 1:# "Rubber Legs" - 5:22# "Open Up And Bleed" - 4:55# "Johanna" - 4:37# "Cock In My Pocket" - 3:51...
: Guitars
with Iggy Pop
- 1977 - Kill CityKill CityKill City is a 1977 album by Stooges vocalist Iggy Pop and guitarist James Williamson. "Johanna" and "I Got Nothin'" were both performed live during 1973-74 by the James Williamson-era Stooges.-Recording:...
: Guitar, Vocals, Producer, Mixing - 1979 - New ValuesNew ValuesNew Values was Iggy Pop's third solo studio album and his first since The Stooges' Fun House without any involvement from David Bowie. Released in 1979, it was Pop's first record for Arista and the first collaboration by Pop and James Williamson since Kill City...
: Producer, Guitar, Vocals - 1980 - SoldierSoldier (album)Soldier is a 1980 album by proto-punk musician Iggy Pop. David Bowie and Simple Minds provide backing vocals on "Play it Safe"....
: Producer (uncredited) - 2005 - A Million in Prizes: The AnthologyA Million in Prizes: The AnthologyA Million in Prizes: The Anthology is a 2-disc greatest hits collection of Iggy Pop, released in 2005. It supersedes the compilation Nude & Rude: The Best of Iggy Pop. The title comes from the lyrics of "Lust for Life"...
:
External links
- 2009 interview with Williamson Paraphilia Magazine Issue Five
- 2007 interview with Williamson
- 2001 interview with Williamson
- Creem magazine 1974 interview with Williamson & Pop
- iggypop.org fan site
- IEEE 2008 Annual Election page for Standards Association Board of Governors with Williamson as nominee
- James' official Myspace page
- 2010 Interview on American Public Radio