Serendipity, luck and a series of fortuitous moments have played a big part in fostering the musical career of Mason Williams. In fact he didn't learn to play the guitar until he was a student at Oklahoma State University. Folk music was big at the time and he formed a group to play at local venues near campus. On spring break, he and his folk group headed to Aspen, Colorado which was known for its many opportunities for folksingers. (Fortuitous Moment # 1).

Upon arrival the group found themselves ill-dressed for the weather and spent all their money buying warm shoes. Broke from the onset, they found lodging in a local shelter similar to a YMCA and began looking for work. In a few days they landed a gig that paid $30.00 per night or $10.00/each. Near the end of the week, the manager from one of the other larger venues in town heard the trio and offered them a better-paying gig at his club-opening for a duo from California called The Smothers Brothers. This was the first gig Tom and Dick Smothers had ever played outside of California. (Fortuitous Moment # 2).

When Tom and Dick were offered their own TV show and began searching for writers, they remembered Mason and hired him. They sponsored a contest to write a theme song for the show and Mason and a partner wrote the winning tune. It was the beginning of a very busy period for Mason and he had little time to spend with his guitar. That would change when the TV season ended.

Tommy Smothers had been given a "Cordova" model classical guitar by German manufacturer Oscar Teller who was hoping that Tommy would become an endorser. Since Tommy didn't play nylon strings or the classical style, he gave the guitar to Mason. (Fortuitous Moment # 3)

When the TV season ended, Mason had some quality time to spend with his new guitar. He wanted to write a guitar piece he could play at parties when a guitar was passed around. In his mind, the tune would serve as 'fuel for the guitar', so he named his piece "Classical Gasoline." It was nearly complete in about six months of writing and re-writing.

In open dispute with a network that thought only established acts should be used, the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour earned a reputation as a place where new acts could get their television debuts. The show caught the attention of Warner Brothers Records who came to Tommy wanting to sign ten new acts to their record label. Responding to the mega label's needs Tommy suggested, "Why not give Mason a shot?" (Fortuitous Moment # 4) Warner signed Mason along with Randy Newman, Jimi Hendrix, and others.

When they went into the studio to record Mason's tune, the secretary who made copies of sheet music for all the musicians on the session had abbreviated the title from "Classical Gasoline" to "Classical Gas." It wasn't until later that everyone realized the secondary meaning the revised title provided. It's a gas! (Fortuitous Moment # 5) I have always felt the orchestral arrangement by Mike Post contributed a lot to the commercial success of "Classical Gas," but even when you hear Mason's solo guitar part, the genius shines through.

"Classical Gas" has become the most radio-played instrumental of all time. It surpassed the "Theme from Moulin Rouge" years ago and is nearing 6 million airplays! If you do the math, you'll see that "Classical Gas" has been played on the radio somewhere in the world the equivalent of three out of every four minutes since its release in 1968! "Classical Gas" is a juggernaut, a phenomenon that will likely never be repeated as the nature of broadcast radio is changing rapidly. With satellite radio, the Internet and downloads becoming common, broadcast radio will surely lose its grip on the "ears" of the world. As a result, it is likely that the record for the most airplays that "Classical Gas" currently enjoys will never be broken.

"Classical Gas" will celebrate its 40th Anniversary in 2008. Is that enough to put 40 candles on the cake and say, "Thanks, Mason"? I don't think so, and when you put it all in perspective, you won't think so either. To truly appreciate what I call "The Classical Gas Phenomenon" you have to look at it from three perspectives: historically, musically, and simply for its longevity.

How well do you really remember 1968? Do you remember the demonstrations against the Viet Nam War, race-related demonstrations and riots, the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King and RFK, or the Democratic National Convention in Chicago? How about the Apollo capsule fire or the Christmas Eve lunar orbit of Apollo Ten? It was a rough year and events that brought all of us together seemed to be all too few. If you were actually 'planning' a year in which to release this beautiful guitar piece, odds are it would not have been 1968.

The 60's may have been the greatest decade of change in the history of the popular music industry. The decade began with the folk music of Peter, Paul & Mary and The Kingston Trio and yes, Elvis and rock were there too and the momentum was building.

The British Invasion led by you-know-who led the next major change which was swift and complete. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was released in 1967 and whole new types of music evolved from this fork in the tree. Acoustic guitars for the most part took a back seat until entertainers such as James Taylor, John Denver, Harry Chapin, Cat Stevens and others ushered in the singer/songwriter phase that began in the early 70's.

The musically earth-shaking event of 1969 was Woodstock. For a whole week, Woodstock was said to be the 3rd largest city in the State of New York! With "tune-in, drop-out," free-love, and flower power being the watch words of the era and performers burning guitars on stage, how could our parents NOT have been dismayed?

Considering 1967 and the release of Sgt. Pepper and then Woodstock in 1969, right smack in the middle in 1968 came "Classical Gas." When you look at the musical environment in which "Classical Gas" was released, it is even more of a marvel that the tune became a hit. Not that the composition lacked anything, but the audience of the time could rightly be described as "diverse" to say the least.

"Classical Gas" didn't rise on the charts like a bullet; it was more like The Little Engine that Could. It just kept on being discovered by listeners and each week climbed higher and higher until it reached #1 in August of 1968.

In the midst of the musical cacophony and political and social confusion of the period, "Classical Gas" brought relief, structure and balance. It was a piece that listeners never tired of hearing and that spirit continues to this day. That leads to the last facet of the "Classical Gas" phenomenon, its longevity.

I've had a chance to speak directly with Mason Williams about the longevity of the Classical Gas phenomenon and will summarize his observations here. He mentioned a few things like the tune's energy, the way the listener can anticipate where the song is going, and the fact that it is an instrumental. Let's look at this last element first.

Christmas Carols are played every year and are the only thing that can be compared to Classical Gas and its affect on the listener. We all have our favorites, but over many Christmas seasons, the ones that are the least offensive to the ears are the instrumentals. It doesn't matter how wonderful the voice is on any given song, if played continually, it would become irritating long before the instrumental version of the same song. This same reflex has helped Classical Gas enjoy its support over the years.

More than any other art form, music has the ability to take the listener back to a specific time and place. The better the music, the more firm the memory becomes. It is this impulse that gives us the unconscious reflex to 'turn it up' when we hear the first few bars of Classical Gas.

The energy of Classical Gas is as infectious as its melody. You'll tap your foot or move your hands or head in time as you listen. It is hard to sit still. Name another instrumental that has that affect, come on- quick … Time's up!

The anticipation that the listener feels when hearing "Classical Gas" is due solely to Mason Williams' skill as a composer. He has an uncanny ability to write chord structure and changes that seem to pull you along as the music progresses. When you listen to other music in Mason's catalog, you will find other songs that foster a similar anticipation. It's like reading a novel and becoming familiar with the characters. Mason's music sounds familiar and that perceived familiarity fosters anticipation.

So how long will the "Classical Gas" phenomenon last? It's hard to say but I would bet it will still be heard well into the 21st century. Check out the Foggy Mountain Guitars luthiery column in this issue of maker.asp">Guitar Sessions, and note the Mason Williams 40th Anniversary Classical Gas Tour kicking off in early 2008.