In music magazine Hot Licks (no.19 1975) Mark Williams explained his easy-going, working relationship with Alan Galbraith, his HMV producer:

“Alan sent up a whole lot of material and I had a listen through them and picked out which ones I wanted to do and which ones I didn’t. And the ones I didn’t want to do we did.”

Williams was commenting on the least successful of his three albums, the rockier Sweet Trials.

Already, at the age of 21, Williams was intent on leaving the country. “I don’t want to stay in New Zealand much longer, basically because I want to learn a lot.” 

Williams had found that being a “star” in his homeland was not all fun. His version of “glam” – he has since called “drag” – “The reaction was either absolute adoration or total disgust. Complete opposites. I was very scared of what it created. That’s one of the reasons I left New Zealand, because it was just too scary.”   

When RipItUp spoke to Williams in 1977, Alan Galbraith, the record producer had taken on the role of manager and reiterated the need to move on – “If we’re going to stay in these pubs much longer, we’re all going to die.”

After booking The Face, Pryme encouraged Williams to leave the band and appear as a resident singer on the 1974 TV pop show Free Ride.

Galbraith was critical of NZ talent managers, “All they are is booking agents.” The producer is probably referring to old school managers like Lew Pryme who discovered Williams playing in Dargaville band Face. After booking Face, Pryme encouraged Williams to leave the band and appear as a resident singer on the 1974 TV pop show Free Ride.

By the end of 1977, Williams and Galbraith were both in Sydney. The singer would soon be enjoying working as a recording session backing vocalist and Galbraith joined CBS to work in A&R.

Williams did not record another album until Life After Dark in 1981. The CBS album made no impact on either side of the Tasman.

In 1990 Williams returned to the charts on both sides of the Tasman with ‘Show No Mercy’ for Albert Productions. The single was released under both his band’s name Boy Rocking and his own name, reaching the chart position of No.9 in both countries.

During the 1990s Williams would combine trips home to see family with a booking at Auckland’s Sky City Casino bar, fronting a band that included funky bass player Max Stowers. The singer would perform his hits but also excelled on Stevie Wonder’s ‘Master Blaster (Jammin')’, Bob Marley’s ‘Is This Love?’ and Aretha Franklin’s live arrangement of ‘Love The One You’re With’.

Since 2005 Williams has been the lead singer for Todd Hunter’s reformed Dragon touring both Australia and New Zealand. 

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