Phantom of the Opera on the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ (OSP, AZ)

[lcextra]

I've watched Lew play this piece countless times, Charlie as well. I've been a semi regular at Organ Stop over the last 5 years since my mom took me as a toddler in the 80's. I've had both my kids in there and they loved every minute. Being less than 2 hours away, I make it a point to go here at least 10 times a year. If you have never been here, it is well worth the trip!!!

[jimamia77]

what are the chords for the up and down part?

[arbitterm]

Why does everyone rush the opening riff? Half the live recordings of this song, people hammer out those five notes supper fast.

[SpottedHyenaStudios]

They need one of those in every wal-mart.

[TheChickeneer]

There is a reason I do not like little kids.

[tehfailcopter]

fucking black mesa

[Adamrc98]

this used to freak me out so much... but it is amazing

[Christianmusicjunki1]

These types of restrauants were EVERYWHERE about 15 to 20 years ago.  Organ Stop and one in the Surburban Milwaukee area migh just be the only two left. I went to Pipes & Pizza (Lansing Il.) A LOT!!!!!

[Karlfalcon]

You would think that with the instrument blasting out like that the little grubs would be too shocked to chatter...

[1591element]

too fast

[Audinos]

I remember the Organ Grinder Pizza in Portland, Oregon. Worst pizza in town, but nobody really came for the food. It was a shame when they closed and the organ was parted out. I believe that parts of it ended up in this organ.

[BanazirGalpsi1968]

Beautiful! I wish OS Pizza was in Rochester! It would give my former employer, the big grey rat - a run for his money! I love this concept! btw, in my home town we have some really cool organs too!

[browncoatkevin]

Mr. Williams is quite talented, to pull off such a complex medley of multipart pieces... if this was at an anime convention and he was playing anime music, the background cheering would be enormous (and I've been there - 5,000 men and women, teens, college-age, and older, all acting like rabid fangirls.).

[CJLiveReborn]

Great Music

Great Pizza:)

[scooboy]

Totally awesome, thanks for posting

[manga12]

Ohh what a fancy counsal on the organ, they dont make theater organs like they used to and they dont make organs like they used to complicated insterments they are, and lots of relays.

[virginiaorganbuilder]

Did anyone else notice that at the very beginning he is playing Messiaen's "Vision of the Eternal Church"? It works perfectly! Fantastic organ.

[warcheifoflegion]

This place is awsome. We had a tour and went there. it was fucking amazing

[greyantelope]

The Organ Stop Pizza has built its reputation as a mecca for theatre organ fans with the best organists in Country and by providing them with a great instrument to play. Lew Williams certainly ranks among the top handful of theatre organists in the country and he never ceases to amaze even the most jaded know-it-alls with his playing skills and voicing

[starwarschic12]

i love how the people r singing along

[DifferenceDiversity]

i think its a little more than "slightly similar" well that particular section anyway , but yeah i agree if we start copywriting every chord and sequence then soon we will run out of chords to use without having to pay royalties haha , wouldve been nice if andrew at least mentioned it tho , even rap songs state the samples they use in thier music.

[DifferenceDiversity]

while i agree that it was copied and i agree its an awesome piece of music , roger waters stated that he never sued andrew lloyd webber for using it so i cant see how on earth it benefited the floyd any , but this clip is epic as hell haha

[Diapasonic]

While Lloyd-Webber's opening is only slightly similar to a part of "Echoes," it would be difficult to copyright a musical device known as "chord planing," which is the exact movement sideways (chromatically), up and down, of a fixed chord voicing.

[DifferenceDiversity]

it sounds so similar to pink floyds echoes lol its uncanny haha AWESOME :P

[jansenmann]

I agree, some of this is "lifted" from Pink Floyd's "Echoes." Still, the Pink Floyd band haven't done too badly out of being "copied" musically by Mr. Andrew Lloyd Webber, so I'd suggest we all sit back and enjoy this splendid piece of music for what it is - until the piano lid comes down.. :)

[TJM862]

We to have a restaurant in Toronto like this with organist who could play this just as well.

[deatheateregg]

I love this place! Whenever I go to Phoenix its a must go =]

[seaquestatari]

the theater organ is breathtaking

[guitarfred1234]

any1 know the name of the older guy that does this. i went with the show low high marching band after the quarter finals playoff game when we beat winslow

[HarborGuy]

Wonderful, shows movies were truly never "silent"  Congrats on the bio's too.

[TheLeopardAppaloosa]

This looks awsome!

[chareezey]

I love this place!! :D

[jjdsmayes]

Which organist was playing?

[gusgus777]

Lew Williams

[TheMidgetNme]

lol i'm using5 this for my halloween backround music

[AJHcorolla]

maybe children shouldn't be allowed on certain nights

[ThePsychoSarah]

@AJHcorolla well said....

[erglesnarf]

@AJHcorolla Their parents should stay home too if they can't restrain the noise any better than that.

[veritablevirgo]

@AJHcorolla Right? Or maybe some parents need to learn to shut their kids up.

[Hurlanator]

@veritablevirgo yeah or that

[Babejuda]

Amazing instrument, music and performance!

[riverscuomo06]

great video, too bad you didn't get the piece that was ending when the video starts (messiaen). tease!

[remocleo]

i really like the vid can i have it no just jking

[jennefer74]

Absolute magic sound.....could listen all day....

[ejhirschberg]

i LOVE going to this place! but recently, this organist hasnt been there when i go usually. does he still play for Organ Stop?

[Kabraxisx]

Yes

[Gillyyorkie]

The console is as beautiful as the sounds it produces I wish we had these magnificent instruments here in the UK

[lythamcharlie]

we do! in Blackpool

[449GO]

and beyond! They are SCATTERED all over the UK.

[bufnyguy]

Wurlitzer organs were built in North Tonawanda NY outside of Bufalo... also the home of the first Carousel (Merry Go Round)

[sayspepe]

beautiful sounding vox humana at 3:58!

[fireball01e]

also most of the original wurly parts which were used for the organs are not functional, but have been replaced by various other parts. This mainly means that most of the wurlys which are in the UK are wurlys with no wurly parts on the inside. I had another double check on the burton one and it was apprently replaced by a custom organ.

But most of the wurlys which are in the USA are not the original one iver, mainly cause wurly ceased production of theather consoles in the early 1920's.

[Wnoronz]

WurliTzer actually ceased theatre pipe organ production in 1939. One of the last was installed in the Opera House Blackpool and remains there to this day.

There were no WurliTzer organs in Blackpool before 1929. There were once as many as four WurliTzers in Blackpool. Two remain to this day, one in the Tower Ballroom and the other at the Opera House.

[fireball01e]

There are quite a few wurlitzers around the UK, but mor than you think. Black pool has two (stage and a renovation project), Worthing (Blackpools original organ, from the early 1900's), i know about burtons organ (which is not a wurly), crompton and redding (deco piece, but europes biggest wurly). The three organs which blackpool originally brought back in the late 1800's, where built in germany (before they moved to the USA). Worthing and cromton got gutted leftovers from blackpools organ.

[drcopperwire]

Sweet home Arizona, This is one of my favorite piecies i like to hear from organ stop pizza.

[The14thDoctor]

The sound of a Wurlitzer STILL takes some beating :)

I used to play a Wurlitzer that moved on rails, I'm afraid that the rotating stage would drive me mad.

Very nice...thank you

[MikeMullay]

The OSP in Mesa, Arizona reminds me very much of a place in Tacoma, Washington I used to go to as a kid. It was called Pizza and Pipes. The organ was a huge Wurlitzer Balaban which had come out of a silent movie house in Nevada. It literally had all the bells and whistles, which lined the walls surrounding the pipes which were encased in a giant glass showcase. I always loved going there. At least once a night someone would request the theme from the movie "2001"

[davidgray2]

Ah, Lew is one of the real musicians that the public should be exposed to. Not all this Blackpool shit, look at this...there's some class in it.

[compton357]

nicely put, blackpool style is typicaly blackpool, tacky, cheap, n cheesy! Its ok for a laugh, buts its not a serious musical style!

[LeBossuFantome]

It is interesting to note that Andrew stole music from Pink Floyd's song 'Echoes' to write the title piece. I am sad to realize that Andrew's pitiful rendition of the story is the most popular. Such a horrible person to steal...sorry, 'write' such pleasing music.

[SylentPhantom]

Amen so true and so sad Gaston Leroux is rolling in his grave. Nice organ playing though.

[EmilyGreene1984]

I think there are worse stage adaptions of Gaston Leroux's novel than Andrew Lloyd Webber's. The Yeston/Kopit & ice skating version are two prime examples. Also, if you want to talk stealing then the Ken Hill version is another example - as he stole classical and operatic arias to suit his score.

[KE5RHD]

Didn't he also steal from "School Days" as complained by Billy Crystal on, "When Harry Met Sally."

[arachlyco]

PS i went to the same place lol

[arachlyco]

this thing is so cool, it is said only 3 are made in the world!

[robr55]

Nah there are at least 3 here in the UK...1 each in Blackpool, Bolton and Burton. But it's easy to see that they are sadly a dying breed

[The14thDoctor]

robr55 The one on rails that I used to play was the one at Burton Town Hall :)

[Wnoronz]

The WurliTzer at Burton on Trent was originally in the Forum cinema Northenden, Manchester.

[musicmanWP]

it is nice to hear everyone singing in the background

[Gillyyorkie]

Nice video very good but why are people so rude as to talk and make background noise during a performance ?. Anyone who plays theatre organ deserves respect NOT an easy instrument to play

[oceanking18]

Just to answer your question. This performance is at a Pizza Place that caters to lots of age groups and their are a lot of kids running around and stuff. Great Performance for a Pizza Place.

[thewylion]

wow that really is unique

[ham256]

I've been there last year and the experience is WWAAYYY different when you're actually there. I wish there was a proffesionally recorded video of the organ.  It's AMAZING!

[MurlocShaman14]

Then I guess you just have no taste in the theatrical and musical arts if you don't even like Phantom of the Opera.

[nnelson93]

I kinda think the voices make it sound scary

like demons or goblins or something

[pogo506]

are they sining in the background

[MurlocShaman14]

The next, everyone of those kids watched Phantom of the Opera and wished they actually listened to the organist :P

[DickLiebert]

Lew does a great job here. While one would like to have the audience be quiet,listen to the organ quietly and appreciate the artist, it's all part of the job. Unfortunately people just talk on and have no respect for the performer or the instrument. It does help to have a big organ to play on however, especially of it's black.

[ProdigyStepper]

@DickLiebert hey ya know what they say "THE BIGGER THE ORGAN THE HADER THEY FALL BACK IN AWSOMENESS!"

[tikidude6]

my grandma lives around here so when we stop by we always go to that place! I LOVE the pizza! There is a mexican resteraunt right next door with almost unlmited margaritas!! That place is WAY good too!!!

[oppositronic]

i actually kind of like the sounds of teh children with the music

[Ephantom13]

I'm going to Arizona in the Summertime and I am planning to swing by that place. I'm also a big PHANTOM fan as well.

[Brandotuomikoski]

The messaein is the weirdest organ song but it is so cool. very very long piece though

[daveplomin]

BEAUTIFUL ORGAN. What theater was it originally in during its' heyday? This guy plays really good also!

[KE5RHD]

Its funny you mention noise. Reminded me of a former church organist who is currently the president of the organist guild in my state. Back in my teen years she was organist of our church. She preferred to play formal classical preludes instead of usual religious stuff. The pastor once asked her why she didn't play them more often. She said people talked to much. She wound up leaving when they ripped out the pipe organ and installed an Allen.

[Maxxarcade]

That was so awesome... I wish I could play that on my organ.

[chaz1138]

D'oh... Messiaen.

[chaz1138]

This has got to be the best Phantom interpretation I've heard on the organ. The Messaein intro is perfect, nothing seems to work as well as this.

[FlowerGirl9016]

Dude, I've got the chills. And it's not because I'm sitting in a chilly room, either.

It took me a second to realise the 2nd song was "think of me." lol! Awesome arrangement!

[davidgray2]

God Lew, you do get a wonderful sound of that instrument! Hopefully be seeing you and the beast at Christmas! David

[ParcelPhantom]

I would love a copy of the music too

[diaphone32]

A great arrangement of Phantom of the opera.

[9fq6z]

Always a thrill to hear Lew play, accurate and musical!

[andreileb]

I've also been looking everywhere for the organ score, but it seems the original score is out of print. Would you be kind enough to mail it to me as well?

[mouritz123]

Yeah i mean the partiture (for organ). Isn't that called scores? But anyway i would be very glad if you could mail them.

[mouritz123]

Where can i find the scores for this piece? I REALLY need them. Anyone who can help me?

[vOoNneE]

what do u mean by scores? cause i have the partiture if thats what u mean (they would be scanned but i have them)

[32Diaph]

Great Music Maestro! As always, a superb preformance.

[blyth25]

i have one kid he is 13 and i am not 44 o somthing i am 25

[Yaledmot]

Good show Lew!

Bro'

[badon20]

Lew Williams is from my home town!!! Go Lew

[sayspepe]

cant wait to get my organ!!

[Yellowcorrado]

Lew is one of the nicest organists I've ever met. Also VERY good when it comes to classical music. ;)

[julorg]

Oups... mixing Messiaen (Apparition de l'église éternelle) and The Phantom of the Opera....

[organmaster89]

:) in sleep he sang to me in dreams he came!!!

joy joy joy happy 5 stars

[drakkette]

OOHH NICE!! Yea you can tell he doesn't play there often. A suit in THIS heat?? LOL. Nice sound and video. A lot better than mine!

[Kiddman32]

Actually, he HAS played there often, having been a staff organist with the Organ Stop for many years. That is Lew Williams, one of the finest theatre organists on the planet.