Hello Joseph, how are you doing???
Joseph Williams: I am very well,how are you?
Great to have you back. Can we call Vertigo album as your comeback to your AOR/Rock roots???
Joseph Williams: If you like,I don?t really think of this album as a comeback,I don?t feel like I went away.I am making my living mostly writing music for film and TV nowadays but I still sing on all kinds of projects.I guess it?s been a while since anyone has heard me sing this kinda stuff so yeah,it?s a return to my roots
Are you satisfied with the album?
Joseph Williams: Very much,I love the way it came out
On the album you have worked with Fabrizio V.Zee Grossi, can you tell us who he is and how you got in contact with him??
Joseph Williams: Fab was chosen by the record company to produce the tracks for this album,I think he did a fine job,we didn?t have a chance to actually work together other than some vocal fixes adn additions.He took care of the tracks and I took care of the vocals
After you left Toto you have released couple of solo albums that has been more into westcoast pop/rock. It has taken you 15 years to come up with an AOR album that reminds very much of the sound Toto had in the 80?s. What made you deside to record a true AOR/Rock album?
Joseph Williams: Seemed like a good idea at the time,actually Frontiers really wanted an album of this type and I was more than happy to give them what they wanted
How did you get in contact with Frontiers Records??
Joseph Williams: My manager Joey Carbone made contact with Frontiers records,he put the album together with the owner of Frontiers,Serafino Perrugino
On the album you have got big help from different songwritters. Why did you not write your own songs and record them??
Joseph Williams: Mostly because of schedualing,at the time we came up with the idea of this project I was very busy writing music for TV and the time I usually take to write and record an album was just not there,so we agreed to do this type of project
There are many strong songs on the album. Can you tell us about some of them.
Joseph Williams: NOT ENOUGH HOURS IN THE NIGHT-Good song,not my favorite but it did remind me of "Home of the brave" from the 7th one!
STRAIGHT TO YOUR HEART-Solid tune,very straight ahead 80?s rock
MORE THAN ENOUGH-At first I wasn?t crazy about this one,but as the vocal came together and the final touches were put on the track I started to really dig it.And now it?s one of my favorites composed by Joey carbone and Dennis Belfield
NEVER LET YOU GO-Cool tune
I WANT TO BE WANTED-I really liked this one,it was fun to sing,it had a great energy and sounded very young to me.It feels like a good tune to do live
LOVE IS BLIND-Straight ahead rock tune,rough around the edges on our album which works better for me
Is this just a one album project or can we look out for a second album???
Joseph Williams: I hope there is a second one,but we will see
. The Toto album "The Seventh One" is my favorite Toto album. Can you tell us a short story about your time in Toto and what made you to leave them??
Joseph Williams: The 7th one was a very hard record to make,a lotta time spent writing and choosing each song and a long time in the studio pulling it off,rewarding in the ned though.To set the record straight about my departure from ToTo,there was a time during the tour for the 7th one when we were all not diggin eachother.No longer having fun you know,and I was talking about leaving the group but I really never intended to leave and they knew that!After we returned home while we were taking time off,they hired another singer.I found out by reading an article in the L.A times,I called David Paich but he stopped returning my calls.The official story was that I had quit but the reality is that I was replaced.
Your wrote one song "Mad About You"(Best song on the album) on "Mindfields" but that was it. Why just one song and did they never ask you to come back as the lead singer??
Joseph Williams: I was lucky to have that one song considered!,if it wasn?t a David Paich tune I?m sure it would not have made it on the record and now that they have Bobby Kimball back,why would they need me?
Do you have any fun or cool tour memory from the time in Toto to share with us??
Joseph Williams: In Puerto Rico the power went dead so I brought out my video camera and filmed the audience,when they appeared to get bored I did a strip tease,very amusing.
What Toto album and song is your personal favourite and why??
Joseph Williams: "Pamela",because she broke my heart and "We can make it tonight" because it was the first thing I brought to the table as a songwriter and it was an underestimated song in my opinion.
What did you think about the cover album "Through The Looking Glass" Toto released last year???
Joseph Williams: I never saw it!
What are your influences??
Joseph Williams: Beatles,Led Zeppelin,Yes,Elton John etc.
Are you involved in other musicprojects right now???
Joseph Williams: Yes,I?m continuing to work on TV and Film scores
What do you think about the new modern rock music like Nickeback, 3 Doors Down, Creed, Linkin Park and many more??
Joseph Williams: I like it!,music is cyclical,80?s stuff is coming back again
Can you give us 5 CD?s that are spinning in your CD-player at the moment??
Joseph Williams: Pick any 5 Beatle records and you are likely to find them all in my CD player
Do you think that the AOR/Rock music is coming back???
Joseph Williams: It may take a while but yes I do
Thanks for doing this interview with us. Is there anything you would like to add or say to our readers???
Joseph Williams: Thanx for supporting our work and keep listening,I hope to come over and perform Live for you very soon
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