He’s Only Just Begun….

Just finished watching the Carpenters’ documentary (for about the 4th time) and got to thinking more about Paul Williams who penned “We’ve Only Just Begun” and “Rainy Days and Mondays” as well as a few more gems.

When I returned from Vietnam in 1971 I returned to the sounds of Carole King, Carly Simon, Paul Simon, Neil Sedaka, James Taylor and many more who were making the adjustment to composing and singing their own songs – and this included Paul Williams.

Paul Williams was born Paul Hamilton Williams Jr on September 19th, 1940 in Omaha, Nebraska. He moved with his family to Long Beach, California as a teen.

His first exposure to song writing came when he met up with Biff Rose on L.A. They penned the song “Fill Your Heart” which appeared on Rose’s LP “The Thorn in Mrs. Roses Side”. Later, it would appear on the flipside of a Tiny Tim hit, “Tiptoe Through The Tulips” in 1968.

Paul’s career would take off once he began writing with songwriter Roger Nichols and the two would pen several Three Dog Night hit songs including “Old Fashioned Love Son”.

Paul, as did so many others, auditioned for membership into the Monkees but didn’t make the final cut. But a Nichols/Williams song would be recorded by the four Monkees, “Someday Man” in 1969 and would dent the charts at number 88.

Paul would move on to write with Kenneth Ascher to deliver the Kermit the Frog tune “Rainbow Connection” and then Paul penned several songs for many popular motion pictures including “Cinderella Liberty”, “A Star Is Born” and “Bugsy Malone” to name a few.

Paul enjoyed a long a rich career writing songs for movies and TV to go along with his listing of hits through the years.

Though he struggled with substance addiction, he managed to overcome that and continue on with his life and he carries on today (December 2021) residing in California.

Paul Williams Selected Discography

45 – James O’Gwynn – Blue Memories – Number 28 Country – December 1958

45 – Margie Singleton – Nothing but True Love – Number 25 Country – August 1959

45 – The First Edition – Only Me – Number 133 Bubbling – May, 1968

45 – The Monkees – Someday Man – Number 81 Hot 100 – May, 1969

45 – Steve Lawrence – The Drifter – Number 14 Adult Contemporary – September, 1969

45 – Paul Williams – Someday Man – April, 1970

45 – Three Dog Night – Out In the Country – Number 15 Hot 100 – Number 11 Adult Contemporary – August, 1970

45 – The Carpenters – We’ve Only Just Begun – Number 2 Hot 100 – Number 1 Adult Contemporary – Number 28 UK – September, 1970

45 – Paul Williams – We’ve Only Just Begun – January, 1972

LP Soundtrack – Phantom of the Paradise – Number 194 LP Charts – March, 1975

45 – The Neighborhood – Laugh – Number 104 Bubbling Under – October, 1970

45 – Bobby Sherman – Cried Like A Baby – Number 16 Hot 100 – Number 9 Adult Contemporary – February, 1971

45 – The Carpenters – Rainy Days and Mondays – Number 2 Hot 100 – Number 1 Adult Contemporary – May, 1971

45 – Jack Jones – Let Me Be the One – Number 18 Adult Contemporary – May, 1971

45 – Anne Murray – Talk It Over In the Morning – Number 7 Adult Contemporary – Number 57 Hot 100 – September, 1971

45 – Three Dog Night – An Old Fashioned Love Song – Number 4 Hot 100 – Number 1 Adult Contemporary – November, 1971

45 – Chase – So Many People – Number 81 Hot 100 – December, 1971

LP – Paul Williams – Just An Old Fashioned Love Song – Number 141 LP Charts – December, 1971

45 – Paul Williams – Waking Up Alone – Number 19 Adult Contemporary – Number 60 Hot 100 – b/w We’ve Only Just Begun – February, 1972

45 – Three Dog Night – The Family of Man – Number 12 Hot 100 – Number 27 Adult Contemporary – March, 1972

45 – Jeris Ross – Old Fashioned Love Song – Number 58 Country – June, 1972

45 – B.J. Thomas – That’s What Friends Are For – Number 74 Hot 100 – Number 38 Adult Contemporary – July, 1972

LP – Paul Williams – Life Goes On – Number 159 LP Charts – December, 1972

45 – Paul Williams – I Won’t Last A Day Without You – Number 40 Adult Contemporary – Number 106 Bubbling Under – January, 1973

45 – Maureen McGovern – I Won’t Last A Day Without You – Number 14 Adult Contemporary – Number 89 Hot 100 – October, 1973

45 – Paul Williams – Inspiration – Number 18 Adult Contemporary – Number 108 Bubbling Under – November, 1973

LP – Paul Williams – Here Comes Inspiration – Number 165 LP Charts – March, 1974

45 – Paul Williams – That’s What Friends Are For – April, 1974

45 – Maureen McGovern – Nice To Be Around – Number 28 Adult Contemporary – Number 101 Bubbling Under – March, 1974

45 – Art Garfunkle – Traveling Boy – Number 30 Adult Contemporary – Number 102 Bubbling Under – Number 51 UK – April, 1974

45 – The Carpenters – I Won’t Last A Day Without You – Number 1 Adult Contemporary – Number 11 Hot 100 – Number 32 UK – April, 1974

45 – Buddy Alan – I Never Had It So Good – Number 70 Country – May, 1974

45 – Helen Reddy – You And Me Against The World – Number 1 Adult Contemporary – Number 9 Hot 100 – June, 1974

LP – Paul Williams – A Little Bit Of Love – Number 95 Hot 100 – November, 1974

45 – Al Wilson – I Won’t Last A Day Without You/Let Me Be the One – December, 1974

45 – The Intruders – Rainy Days and Mondays – Number 81 R&B – December, 1974

LP – Paul Williams – Ordinary Fool – Number 148 LP Charts – December, 1975

LP Soundtrack – Bugsy Malone – 1976

45 – Paul Williams – Bugsy Malone – September, 1976

45 – Barbara Streisand – Evergreen (Love Theme From a Star Is Born) – Number 1 Hot 100 – Number 1 Adult Contemporary – Number 3 UK – December, 1976

LP Soundtrack – A Star Is Born – Number 1 for 8 Weeks LP Charts – December, 1976

LP TV Soundtrack – Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas – 1977

45 – Jack Jones – With One More Look At You – Number 21 Adult Contemporary – April, 1977

45 – Kris Kristofferson – Watch Closely Now – Number 52 Hot 100 – May, 1977

LP – Paul Williams – Classics – Number 155 LP Charts – August, 1977

45 – Seals and Crofts – My Fair Share – Number 11 Adult Contemporary – Number 28 Hot 100 – September, 1977

LP Soundtrack – One on One – Number 118 LP Charts – October, 1977

45 – Glen Campbell – Another Fine Mess (from motion picture “The End”) – May, 1978

45 – Glen Campbell – Another Fine Mess – Number 21 Country – Number 38 Adult Contemporary – June,1978

LP – The Muppet Movie – Number 32 LP Charts – July, 1979

45 – Jim Henson as Kermit the Frog – The Rainbow Connection – Number 18 Adult Contemporary – Number 25 Hot 100 – September, 1979

45 – Jack Jones – The Love Boat Theme – Number 37 Adult Contemporary – January, 1980

45 – Vince and Diane Hatfield – I Won’t Last A Day Without You – Number 83 Country – August, 1981

LP Soundtrack – The Secret of NIMH – 1982

45 – Hazell Dean – Jealous Love – Number 8 Dance – Number 63 UK – February, 1984

45 – Ray Charles – A Little Bit Of Heaven – Number 76 Country – January, 1987

LP Soundtrack – The Muppet Christmas Carol – Number 189 LP Charts – December, 1992

CD Single – Benet – Rainy Days and Mondays – Number 116 R&B – February, 1993

LP CD Track – Neal McCoy – Party On – Number 50 Country – March, 1998

45 – Diamond Rio – You’re Gone – Number 4 Country – May, 1998

LP Soundtrack – The Princess Diaries 2 – 2004