Guy Williams appears in Three's new local comedy show New Zealand Today which premieres Friday, August 23 at 9.45pm. Photo / Supplied.
Guy Williams appears in Three's new local comedy show New Zealand Today which premieres Friday, August 23 at 9.45pm. Photo / Supplied.
Each week we invite music lovers to share the songs that have soundtracked their lives. This week, we speak to Guy Williams, who appears in Three's new local comedy show New Zealand Today, premiering at 9.45pm tomorrow.
1. OLYMPICS - Jerry Seinfeld (1998)
This is a comedy track, but Ihave a good reason; I didn't really listen to music growing up. My dad used to play Michael Jackson's Thriller in the car on repeat but we don't talk about that anymore. My mum played Jerry Seinfeld's I'm Telling You for the Last Time on repeat for at least three years after it came out, which is crazy. Mum loved it so much that I was forced to absorb stand-up comedy before I even knew what stand-up comedy was. I can still quote almost the entire album by heart, and it holds up!
If my parents were musically challenged, my friends were worse. Nelson in the 90s, there was a lot of Aqua's Barbie Girl and Limp Bizkit. Not surprisingly, I pretty much avoided music until I was 16 when I got an iPod and discovered the classics. Before then I owned just three CDs: Now That's What I Call Music 1, Nesian Mystik's Polysaturated, and Michael Jackson's HIStory - again, we don't talk about that one anymore. It's kind of embarrassing that I used to sing "Nesian style is here, ladies beware" out loud, but I bloody loved it. Also "ladies beware" now sounds a bit wrong written down. Polysaturated is one of the best Kiwi albums ever, and I also loved the comedy tracks from the Naked Samoans.
3. THINK ABOUT IT - Flight of the Conchords (2008)
Flight of the Conchords are what makes me proudest to be a New Zealander. They're the best comedians of the 2000s and their 2005 HBO special is one of the best comedy specials ever. I first heard it at my first-year uni hostel talent show where two guys won with a Conchords song but didn't credit them. I was jealous because I thought these two uni bros were comedy geniuses without realising that they'd just copied a YouTube video. I love Think About It because it's not only hilarious, but it's actually a beautiful melody.
Kanye is one of my all-time favourites and it's sad to see him falling apart in public now. I still think he's one of the best producers in 2019 but back in The College Dropout days, he was also a top MC. RIP to old Kanye.
5. HANDLE ME - Robyn (2005)
I moved to Auckland and started working at the C4 music TV station and immediately went from a guy who loved classic rock and a bit of modern hip-hop to full-on pop music immersion therapy. It was a traumatic time in my life, and I'm still haunted by the backup vocals on Britney Spears' Piece Of Me (they drop her voice and it's hard to hear - once you notice, it will drive you insane). Robyn was the angel that saved me from the darkness of my Bruno Mars jail.
6. CLOUSTON BRIDGE - Paul Williams (2018)
I love my brother's albums. Paul is also a comedian/musician and I'm not just trying to give him a plug - I honestly can't believe he's not signed to a label! His album last year, Surf Music, dominated my most-listened-to 2018 Spotify list and was the walkout song for my comedy shows. His beats and melodies are great, plus he makes a lot of subtle NBA references that I enjoy as we do an NBA podcast together.
7. BLUE - Joni Mitchell (1971)
I find this song romantic. Is that weird? Is it supposed to be sad? I don't have much time to read music journalism anymore, which is annoying. But the positive byproduct of this means that I make my own interpretations of songs and if that means I'm wrong about Blue from the album Blue, then so be it. This song represents the beautiful romance of when I met my partner, but don't tell her I said that. I find the way Mitchell sings "Acid, booze, and ass, needles, guns, and grass, lots of laughs" really affecting. I should stop talking now.
