Early career

Main articles: Home (UK band) and Bandit (band)

Clifford Williams was born on 14 December 1949 in Romford, Essex, on the outskirts of London. The Williams family moved to Hoylake, near Liverpool, in 1961, where he was influenced by the local Merseybeat movement and decided to become a rock musician. At the age of 13, he and some friends formed a band. Williams has listed The Rolling Stones, The Kinks and blues musicians such as Bo Diddley as influences for his style. He mostly learned to play bass guitar by "listening to records and picking out notes", with formal training limited to some lessons from a professional Liverpool bassist. Williams left school when he was 16 years old, becoming an engineer by day and musician by night.

In 1966, Williams became a professional musician and moved back to London, where he worked at a demolition site and in supermarkets, and played in short-lived bands. Williams met guitarist Laurie Wisefield (later a member of Wishbone Ash), and the two became members of a band, Sugar, which soon broke up.

In 1970, Williams and Wisefield joined with singer Mick Stubbs, keyboardist Clive John and drummer Mick Cook to form the progressive rock group Home. The band signed a recording deal with Epic Records and issued their debut LP, Pause for a Hoarse Horse, in 1971. Home was a supporting act for Jeff Beck, Mott the Hoople, The Faces and Led Zeppelin. In 1972, Jim Anderson replaced John on keyboards and Home released a self-titled album, featuring their only hit single, "Dreamer", which peaked at No. 41 in the UK album charts. Their next album, The Alchemist, followed in 1973, but did not gain chart success. When British folk singer-songwriter Al Stewart suggested that Home back him on his first American tour in March 1974, Mick Stubbs left the group. The rest of the members became the Al Stewart Band, but split up after the tour.

Williams briefly played with the American band Stars before forming Bandit in 1974. Bandit's line-up included vocalist Jim Diamond and drummer Graham Broad (later in Bucks Fizz and Roger Waters's band). The group signed with Arista Records and released a self-titled album in 1977. Bandit also performed as Alexis Korner's backing band on 1977's The Lost Album before disbanding later that year.

AC/DC

Main article: AC/DC

In 1977, Williams considered retiring from music when Bandit disbanded, but one of the group's guitarists, Jimmy Litherland, convinced him to audition for Australian heavy rockers AC/DC. They were looking for a bassist as Mark Evans had been fired shortly after recording the 1977 studio album Let There Be Rock. AC/DC had formed in Australia in 1973 and by mid-1977 the line-up was Malcolm Young on rhythm guitar and backing vocals alongside his brother Angus Young on lead guitar, Phil Rudd on drums and Bon Scott on vocals. Williams said shortly after being told about AC/DC's auditions, he saw the band on Top of the Pops and reacted positively, describing them as "outrageous".

For his audition, Williams played four jam sessions with the band, and on 27 May 1977, he was asked to join AC/DC. Angus declared it was partly motivated because he thought the bassist's good looks would attract more women to their concerts. Given Williams was replacing an Australian musician, he initially had difficulties obtaining a work permit to enter the country. His first performances with AC/DC were on the tour there supporting Let There Be Rock, with two secret gigs at Sydney's Lifesaver. The album Powerage (1978), produced by Vanda & Young, marked Williams's studio debut. Williams has remained in AC/DC ever since, with only a temporary departure in 1991 as he suffered a kidney infection, during which Paul Greg had to play bass for some North American concerts in the Razors Edge World Tour. The only current member who has been with the band longer is Angus Young. Along with playing bass, Williams also sings backing vocals. His favourite albums with the band are Powerage and Back in Black.

Since Williams' introduction to the band, AC/DC has been inducted to the Australian Recording Industry Association's Hall of Fame (in 1988), and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (in 2003). In 1982, Kerrang! readers voted him as Best Bassist of the year.

Personal life

Williams' wife, Georganne, is from the US state of Colorado. After they married in 1980, he moved permanently to the United States. Initially the couple lived in Hawaii, but Williams found the islands too isolated and the school system lacking. In 1986, they moved to Fort Myers, Florida, following a suggestion from AC/DC bandmate Brian Johnson (Bon Scott's replacement), who lives nearby in Sarasota. He has been known to spend time in Aix-en-Provence among distant relatives, including local French guitar player Noah Tchenio. The couple have two children: Erin (born 1985) who is a model-actress under the name Erin Lucas, and Luke (born 1986). His hobbies include fishing and amateur flying.

Side projects

In 1984, Williams played bass and backing vocals on Adam Bomb's song "I Want My Heavy Metal", for the album Fatal Attraction. During AC/DC's hiatus in the 2000s, Williams joined Bosnian musician Emir Bukovica's band Emir & Frozen Camels. The group recorded the album San in 2002 and played in some European clubs. In 2005, Williams and AC/DC singer Johnson played in a hurricane relief event in Florida, promoted by the John Entwistle Foundation. There Williams met drummer Steve Luongo, president of the foundation and former member of the John Entwistle band. Luongo later brought Williams, Johnson, and guitarist Mark Hitt for the Classic Rock Cares charity project. The quartet composed and recorded ten tracks in the studio in 2007, and followed that with a tour to raise funds for the foundation. In 2011, Williams played on a benefit concert organized by Mark Farner. Williams said he also occasionally plays with a rhythm and blues band from Fort Myers called The Juice.

Style

"It's not the line that counts. It is the feel. My favorite AC/DC tune to play is 'Down Payment Blues', because it's so simple. I play four notes throughout the song, but I get off on the whole thing—not me noodlin' away."

—Williams on his playing

Williams's role in AC/DC is to provide steady but basic bass lines which follow the rhythm guitar of Malcolm Young, consisting mostly of eighth notes. His bass lines are sometimes written by Malcolm and Angus Young during composition, and at other times Williams develops them based on the other instrumental tracks. Williams said he plays "the same thing in every song, for the most part. In AC/DC's music, the song is more important than any individual's bit in it." He added that "complex lines wouldn't add anything to a guitar-oriented band like ours, so I try to create a bottom layer that drives what our guys are doing on top." Williams has no difficulty keeping his low profile within the band, declaring that "I don't have any problem doing this, because I enjoy playing simply. I never feel angry or prisoner." His playing technique is mostly centred around downpicking, with occasional use of plucking to mute the strings, which he says "adds more definition and tightens up the notes, and it gives the sound less sustain".

Equipment

In his first appearance in 1977, he used a Gibson ripper only for the "Let There Be Rock" music video. Cliff Williams' trademark instrument is the StingRay and other basses by Music Man, strung with D'Addario (.045, .065, .085, .105) flatwounds in the studio and roundwound XLs in concert. Williams states that despite trying other basses over the years, he always goes back to Music Man's instruments, which he described as "a tremendous work horse of a bass". Other basses used include the Fender Precision Bass, a Gibson Thunderbird non-reverse, Fender Jazz Bass, the Steinberger L-series, a Gibson EB-3 and at least two LAG Custom basses. Williams has used 3 Ampeg SVT-810E cabinets with 2 SVT-4PRO Heads. If there was any interference with the wireless systems, he has used cables in his live performances.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]