1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:07,120 Speaker 1: Quest Love Supreme is a production of iHeartRadio. All Right, people, 2 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:09,440 Speaker 1: welcome back to Quest Love Supreme. It's me Quest Love 3 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:11,680 Speaker 1: you know. A few times this season, me and Team 4 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:16,280 Speaker 1: Supreme often do these special one on one episodes. Today's 5 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 1: guests Sananda Montoya. It wasn't planned as a one on one, 6 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:23,240 Speaker 1: but do just scheduling and life and whatnot, just having 7 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:25,440 Speaker 1: to turn out that way. Of course, I was thrilled 8 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:28,080 Speaker 1: about it because it allowed me to have a discussion 9 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:32,199 Speaker 1: with someone that I admired and called an inspiration. And 10 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:35,400 Speaker 1: in this interview we learn that we have a lot 11 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 1: of stuff in common. And this is part two, so 12 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:41,279 Speaker 1: if you haven't, please check out Part one, where we 13 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 1: speak about Sonondas growing up, his appreciation for Rod Stewart, 14 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: even his time as a boxer. All right, enjoy. I 15 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 1: always wanted to know when you're turning in the tapes 16 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:03,960 Speaker 1: for Neither Fish or Flesh, which I feel is your 17 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:07,400 Speaker 1: real first album, because your your first album is this 18 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:10,360 Speaker 1: your life experience up until that point, and you're you're 19 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:14,360 Speaker 1: feeling your way out and yeah, of the two, I 20 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:17,959 Speaker 1: choose the latter when you're turning that in. What is 21 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:22,120 Speaker 1: Donnie's response? What is Tommy's response, What is the Brass's response? 22 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 2: Okay, first of all, let this let me say this 23 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:27,960 Speaker 2: some interesting things that goes down with this. First of all, 24 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:30,960 Speaker 2: it's uncanny because in fact, I mentioned that quite a 25 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:34,680 Speaker 2: few times for this particular project as I was promoting it. 26 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 2: That and it's the truth. The first album felt like 27 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 2: the finale of a life that I was meant to. 28 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:45,320 Speaker 3: Finish your old life. Yes, let me just like specific. 29 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:47,480 Speaker 3: I can explain this if you can keep track. For me, 30 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 3: I do believe in doesn't matter what we call them. 31 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 3: I do believe in spares of angels and other things. 32 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 2: I do believe we're in this multi dimensional, interactive experience, 33 00:01:57,440 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 2: overlapping dimensions and all kinds of stuff, and of course 34 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 2: which our radio has got all of this capacity, but 35 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:07,080 Speaker 2: we're only focused on where it is on the dial 36 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 2: right now, and that's how frequency we focused, so we 37 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 2: are not aware that there's all these other frequencies going 38 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:18,519 Speaker 2: on as well. So for me, that's important because when 39 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:20,639 Speaker 2: I was eighteen years old, I had an experience where 40 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:24,240 Speaker 2: I was home from basic training from the military, and 41 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:27,440 Speaker 2: my old room obviously had been moved into and taken 42 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:30,040 Speaker 2: over by a younger sibling. So I slept in the den, 43 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 2: the TV room, and I had a dream that night 44 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 2: I'll never forget. It was December eighth, I was home 45 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 2: for two weeks from basic training before getting reassigned to 46 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:46,919 Speaker 2: my first posting in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and I had 47 00:02:46,919 --> 00:02:49,920 Speaker 2: this dream that like I said, my very first movie 48 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 2: I can remember seeing was Breakfast of Tiffany's. And in 49 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 2: the dream, the age I was eighteen, I'm standing in 50 00:02:56,680 --> 00:02:59,640 Speaker 2: front of Tiffany's department store in New York. Ear it's 51 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:03,640 Speaker 2: really early morning, and I see this figure, familiar figure 52 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 2: walking towards me, and as he gets closer to me, 53 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:09,800 Speaker 2: I recognize more and more, and his smile gets bigger 54 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:12,160 Speaker 2: and bigger and bigger, and at one point I go, 55 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:15,600 Speaker 2: oh shit, that's John Lennon. And I'll never forget. He 56 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 2: was wearing a white shirt, some blue jeans, and his 57 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:21,520 Speaker 2: hat and his granny glasses and he get close to me. 58 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 2: Is he looked like he was so happy to see me. 59 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 2: He stuck out his hands and as I stuck out 60 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 2: my hand, he went straight through me. Okay, these were 61 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:34,280 Speaker 2: my first, first first heroes with Fould influence. So I 62 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:36,480 Speaker 2: get up that morning and my mother says to me 63 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:39,000 Speaker 2: when she sees me that morning, did you hear what happened? 64 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 2: I said, what she says, John Lennon was killed last night. Oh, 65 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:46,360 Speaker 2: I said what she said? Yeah, he was shot, And 66 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 2: I said, I said, Mom, I dreamt he walked into me. 67 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:55,120 Speaker 2: So again, here's my take on these these things. If 68 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:59,640 Speaker 2: I agree to take some of your what you're leaving behind, 69 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:01,760 Speaker 2: I'm sure there were quite a few people on his 70 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:03,120 Speaker 2: list day. I'm going to leave you a little bit 71 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 2: of this beetle magic. I'm gonna leave you a little bit. 72 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 2: But you can't take that without taking the burden as well. 73 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 2: So he had issues with his mom, He had issues, 74 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 2: a lot of issues. You have to take some of 75 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 2: that shit on as well, because that was also what 76 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:19,919 Speaker 2: made him him. So I say that because, first of all, 77 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:25,320 Speaker 2: I believe that these overlapping experiences where that first album 78 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 2: felt like me and John were finishing something. Okay, his car, 79 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 2: something maybe he or whatever. I like your filter, I 80 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:37,320 Speaker 2: would like to work through you perfect, I'm your pin. 81 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:40,560 Speaker 2: Let's do it. And it felt like I had stepped 82 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:43,479 Speaker 2: out of something that I was just always destined to 83 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:46,279 Speaker 2: start step out of and into and out of. But 84 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:48,760 Speaker 2: I agree with you that neither officih no flesh for me. 85 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 2: And it was the most exciting time I've ever had 86 00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:57,280 Speaker 2: making a record because I could just feel in retrospect 87 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:02,279 Speaker 2: the roots of postalem rock agans there, and finally I 88 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:05,160 Speaker 2: was able to to you know, Mozart. The last thing 89 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:09,159 Speaker 2: he said was he he'd gotten a commission to be 90 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:12,120 Speaker 2: a church compel meister, and all they commissioned from him 91 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:14,719 Speaker 2: with like two or three pieces a year, so he 92 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:17,039 Speaker 2: would have had all of his chance, all this time 93 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:21,200 Speaker 2: to compose, and he said something to affect Damn. I 94 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:24,599 Speaker 2: was just getting ready to compose the music I really 95 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 2: wanted to make. And you think, like, fuck if Mozart 96 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:32,280 Speaker 2: feels that way or hiden Heyden's last words being I 97 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:36,200 Speaker 2: was finally learning how to write for horns. You mean 98 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:42,240 Speaker 2: I mean that words apparently, you know, apparently, so you. 99 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 1: Know I'm not done yet. 100 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:47,159 Speaker 2: Just yeah. So I do agree with you that it 101 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 2: felt like the breakthrough that that that was. Now Here's 102 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:54,760 Speaker 2: another situation was that before I went into the studio 103 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:58,720 Speaker 2: to make that record, the president of Columbia, a CBS 104 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:03,039 Speaker 2: England Russell, put me into his office and wanted to 105 00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:06,560 Speaker 2: show me all these demographic surveys that basically said that 106 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 2: though I hadn't sold as many records as Michael or 107 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:15,080 Speaker 2: anyone else, that I had ticked literally every demographic box 108 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:18,240 Speaker 2: that they even keep track of, and that they had 109 00:06:18,279 --> 00:06:21,560 Speaker 2: never seen that before and it freaked them out. So that, 110 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:24,120 Speaker 2: let me know one thing right there, I was seen 111 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:26,560 Speaker 2: as a political figure because, as you know, I don't 112 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:29,599 Speaker 2: have to be singing about politics if my music is 113 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:32,920 Speaker 2: bringing people together across the divides that are placed there 114 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:36,520 Speaker 2: artificially to keep people from me. So if I'm bringing 115 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:40,720 Speaker 2: in bikers and grandmothers and thirteen year olds and academics 116 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:44,039 Speaker 2: and all these people that they keep, people start in 117 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 2: power start to look at that and go hmm okay. 118 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:50,359 Speaker 2: Plus they didn't have enough time to vet me. I 119 00:06:50,480 --> 00:06:51,720 Speaker 2: just shot off like a rocket. 120 00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:56,240 Speaker 1: You didn't think that was just due to let's maximize, 121 00:06:56,279 --> 00:06:59,640 Speaker 1: if anything, like I could have sworn that. They were like, okay, 122 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:03,880 Speaker 1: this is someone that will I don't want to say 123 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 1: the word replaced, but you know, record execs feel like, 124 00:07:07,080 --> 00:07:11,840 Speaker 1: of course, this is the person that Michael as connected. 125 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:14,440 Speaker 2: That's all connected. So that's why this is very intriguing 126 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 2: because you know, when we do the book. I'll have 127 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:20,560 Speaker 2: time to extrapolate, you know, all of this information, look 128 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 2: at it in depth, because everything is connected, and I'm 129 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:24,400 Speaker 2: trying to keep it, you know, a hold over their 130 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:28,520 Speaker 2: thread myself. The point is that they knew who Michael was, 131 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:33,200 Speaker 2: so whatever he was guilty or not guilty of, they 132 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 2: would have known. They knew who he had been vetted 133 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:37,600 Speaker 2: his whole life. He had been vetted. They knew who 134 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:39,480 Speaker 2: he was. They knew where to take to motivate him, 135 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 2: they knew where to take to manipulate him. They didn't 136 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:44,440 Speaker 2: have that info me yet because I came up too quick. 137 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:45,440 Speaker 1: I get it. 138 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:47,240 Speaker 2: You know, the corporation is not going to get in 139 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:49,760 Speaker 2: found of money while the money's printing itself. They wait 140 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:52,400 Speaker 2: for the money to reset before they go, Okay, now 141 00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:54,680 Speaker 2: do we want to continue? Who is this mollfucker? Who 142 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:58,120 Speaker 2: is this kid? Okay? But Paul Russell brought me into 143 00:07:58,120 --> 00:07:59,680 Speaker 2: his office and he said, I just want you to 144 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:02,640 Speaker 2: know that the first two million records you brought when 145 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:06,280 Speaker 2: you sold were genuine to genuine music fans. He said, 146 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 2: after this, you become a cultural phenomenon, and people are 147 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:12,880 Speaker 2: not buying the record for the music. People are buying 148 00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:15,240 Speaker 2: the record because it's part of their cultural identity of 149 00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:17,520 Speaker 2: the moment that you can't say you're cool if you 150 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:20,400 Speaker 2: don't have this on your coffee table. If someone walks 151 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:23,480 Speaker 2: into your to your living room, have you heard the song, 152 00:08:23,560 --> 00:08:25,440 Speaker 2: say oh yeah, yeah, I've been there, done that. It 153 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:28,080 Speaker 2: becomes that kind of thing. He actually said to me, 154 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:30,680 Speaker 2: don't expect your next record or next couple of records 155 00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:34,080 Speaker 2: to follow the same formula. It won't, he said, because 156 00:08:34,160 --> 00:08:36,800 Speaker 2: you'll those people will come back to you, But the 157 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:39,079 Speaker 2: history of England especially, they won't come back to you 158 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:41,840 Speaker 2: to your third or fourth project. Okay, because you're gonna 159 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 2: have to pay for this success. 160 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:45,800 Speaker 1: Hey, was he telling you that you were too successful? 161 00:08:46,080 --> 00:08:48,320 Speaker 2: He was basically saying I wasn't going to have that 162 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 2: type of success again anytime soon, because at one point 163 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:55,600 Speaker 2: it went beyond being a musical thing and became becoming 164 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:59,720 Speaker 2: a cultural phenomenon that then developed steam is that that 165 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:03,040 Speaker 2: it goes beyond the music. So those people the next 166 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:05,679 Speaker 2: time you don't get those people to come right back. 167 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:08,240 Speaker 1: Let me ask you an important question then, and this 168 00:09:08,400 --> 00:09:11,680 Speaker 1: is kind of the theme of the slide film. Is 169 00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:18,840 Speaker 1: success as traumatic or more traumatic than failing? 170 00:09:18,920 --> 00:09:21,760 Speaker 2: Is look, the bottom line is this. We all have 171 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:24,199 Speaker 2: to be responsible for the energy that we create. There 172 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:27,480 Speaker 2: are no exceptions. Society may give us a free pass 173 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:31,080 Speaker 2: based on its affection for us or our image, but 174 00:09:31,280 --> 00:09:34,280 Speaker 2: karma is real and law is simple. We all have 175 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:37,520 Speaker 2: to be responsible for the energy we create those who 176 00:09:37,559 --> 00:09:40,800 Speaker 2: are capable of creating energy. That's just the way the 177 00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:44,480 Speaker 2: universe polices itself. So the bottom line is I was 178 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:47,280 Speaker 2: going to have to pay for that sojourn, regardless of 179 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:49,840 Speaker 2: whether I had wound up on this side or that side, 180 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:53,240 Speaker 2: because there is no free lunch. Everything has a price, 181 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:55,080 Speaker 2: and you either pay in advance or you pay on 182 00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:58,080 Speaker 2: the back end. I didn't have to pay in advance, well, 183 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:00,840 Speaker 2: at least far as the industry was concerned. So I 184 00:10:00,880 --> 00:10:02,319 Speaker 2: had to pay on the back end. But there was 185 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:07,640 Speaker 2: also genuine fear. Because I was genuine. I really believed 186 00:10:07,679 --> 00:10:10,520 Speaker 2: that I was given the power of transformation and I 187 00:10:10,559 --> 00:10:13,560 Speaker 2: could help. As George Harrison said, people say, you know, 188 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:17,199 Speaker 2: think for yourself. We understand that the state moun Olympus 189 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:20,520 Speaker 2: creates us demi gods in order to program the people 190 00:10:20,559 --> 00:10:23,080 Speaker 2: as to what is expected of them or how they 191 00:10:23,120 --> 00:10:26,520 Speaker 2: expected to be. In order to be members of a society, 192 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:32,480 Speaker 2: a governed society, a civilization, a community. So obviously it 193 00:10:32,559 --> 00:10:34,520 Speaker 2: is not in the best interest of any kind of 194 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:39,320 Speaker 2: organization with power to promote the power of someone who 195 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:43,640 Speaker 2: was not, in turn promoting them a team player. Yeah, 196 00:10:43,679 --> 00:10:45,439 Speaker 2: you know that makes sense. I mean, I can't be 197 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:48,360 Speaker 2: that naive like they came up against me. I wasn't 198 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:50,959 Speaker 2: trying to bring down the building, you know. I was 199 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:52,840 Speaker 2: just saying, look, I'm who I am, and I'm not 200 00:10:52,960 --> 00:10:55,320 Speaker 2: changing for some bullshit. I'm not going to become a 201 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:58,280 Speaker 2: black artist for you bitches. I won't. You can argue 202 00:10:58,280 --> 00:11:00,679 Speaker 2: for days how black a person and I am. I 203 00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:03,200 Speaker 2: have no beep but none of that whatever. But I 204 00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:05,720 Speaker 2: will never consent to be on a black artist because 205 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:09,560 Speaker 2: you know, and I know what that means. And you 206 00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:12,120 Speaker 2: know that unless you was Stevie Wonder and you had 207 00:11:12,559 --> 00:11:14,320 Speaker 2: all of motime telling you do what the hell you 208 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:17,440 Speaker 2: want it, you know exactly how limiting and handcuffing that was. 209 00:11:18,280 --> 00:11:20,920 Speaker 2: So I was never interested in being a black artist. 210 00:11:21,160 --> 00:11:25,840 Speaker 2: I was never interested in helping the establishment restabilize the image. 211 00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:30,280 Speaker 2: They were comfortable black people emulating black guys emulating. You 212 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:33,160 Speaker 2: don't want black dudes is the Maverick. And plus we 213 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:35,840 Speaker 2: only pay lip service to the Maverick because it's a 214 00:11:35,960 --> 00:11:40,480 Speaker 2: useful promotional image. We don't really support mavericks, but will 215 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:42,400 Speaker 2: support the image of one as long as we can 216 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:45,040 Speaker 2: control or we can collaborate on what it is you're doing. 217 00:11:45,320 --> 00:11:48,280 Speaker 2: But that's not a question for everyone questioning. Not everybody 218 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:50,360 Speaker 2: gives a shit. Everybody has any ambition other than to 219 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:53,040 Speaker 2: be famous, make great music and whatever, And I don't 220 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:56,240 Speaker 2: hold them responsible for anything that I feel responsible for. 221 00:11:56,800 --> 00:11:59,320 Speaker 2: But for me, I understood that I was not going 222 00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:03,680 Speaker 2: to be yet the next card in a machine. You 223 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:07,439 Speaker 2: know that determines how people are to behave to respond, 224 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:11,840 Speaker 2: what parts of themselves are acceptable, what parts are unacceptable, 225 00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:16,520 Speaker 2: and what the establishment is comfortable embracing you. As I 226 00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:22,040 Speaker 2: just I felt like I had many ancestors saying, you 227 00:12:22,160 --> 00:12:24,480 Speaker 2: don't have to do that. We did that, We were 228 00:12:24,520 --> 00:12:26,880 Speaker 2: not happy. This is why we are pushing you, you 229 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:30,440 Speaker 2: stubborn asshole. This is why we've made you so stubborn, 230 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:34,560 Speaker 2: because it's imperative that now as you have a chance 231 00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:38,160 Speaker 2: to turn this wheel, you must turn this wheel. Because 232 00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:40,880 Speaker 2: what we do is of consequence. You don't know the 233 00:12:40,920 --> 00:12:43,360 Speaker 2: people born the people might not even be born who 234 00:12:43,440 --> 00:12:45,840 Speaker 2: you're setting up their life for, but you must do 235 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:49,440 Speaker 2: this because I was enamored of the belief that if 236 00:12:49,480 --> 00:12:51,960 Speaker 2: I didn't do it, the music that I've been able 237 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:55,640 Speaker 2: to contribute wouldn't possibly be made by anyone else in particular, 238 00:12:55,720 --> 00:12:59,160 Speaker 2: but as that which came through my particular filter. And 239 00:12:59,240 --> 00:13:02,640 Speaker 2: you know, I'm grateful that you mentioned even D'Angelo, who 240 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:05,360 Speaker 2: I have to say that I'm extremely proud of, a 241 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:08,240 Speaker 2: few years ago, I was in Sweden and the Swedish 242 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:10,760 Speaker 2: journalist reminded me that I said to him twenty five 243 00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:14,880 Speaker 2: thirty years ago what I was going to do, and 244 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:17,679 Speaker 2: he said, my god, you've done it. You've done it, 245 00:13:18,280 --> 00:13:20,680 Speaker 2: and he mentioned another artist. He said, another artist, He 246 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:25,160 Speaker 2: mentioned D'Angelo. He said, D'Angelo has also continued to resist 247 00:13:25,800 --> 00:13:29,319 Speaker 2: caricaturing himself and just continuing to grow and expanding that thing. 248 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:31,840 Speaker 2: Because again, I don't care how many credentials you have 249 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:34,920 Speaker 2: or what kind of journalists you call yourself. You don't 250 00:13:34,920 --> 00:13:37,600 Speaker 2: tell the music what it is. The music tells you. 251 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:40,880 Speaker 2: You don't say, oh, this isn't jazz. Fuck you. Jazz 252 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:46,280 Speaker 2: isn't dead. Nothing's dead. Jazz is still writing chapters and verses. 253 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:50,440 Speaker 2: Rock is still saying none on this hip hop is 254 00:13:50,440 --> 00:13:53,199 Speaker 2: You're clear, it's still ever expanding, you know, saying no, 255 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:55,439 Speaker 2: that's not hip hop, that's not country to me. No 256 00:13:55,600 --> 00:13:58,400 Speaker 2: it's not country to you, but country tells me what 257 00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:03,079 Speaker 2: country is. I understood that it was imperative that one 258 00:14:03,120 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 2: of us, one of us had to get out ahead 259 00:14:06,280 --> 00:14:08,800 Speaker 2: of that thing this time and not feel the burden 260 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:12,280 Speaker 2: that Prince and Michael felt and others felt to maintain 261 00:14:12,400 --> 00:14:16,199 Speaker 2: that other pillar that they represented. And you know, this 262 00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:18,360 Speaker 2: is why I've also set to people as well as 263 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:20,080 Speaker 2: much of a pain in the ASCID was to come 264 00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:23,720 Speaker 2: behind Michael and Prince. What a stroke of tremendous fortune 265 00:14:23,720 --> 00:14:27,000 Speaker 2: to be as creatively inspired and curious as I have 266 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:30,200 Speaker 2: been blessed to be, and to be behind two bona 267 00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:33,240 Speaker 2: fide fucking geniuses. These cats were for real. These guys 268 00:14:33,280 --> 00:14:37,720 Speaker 2: were giants. And you were either gonna shrink like you know, 269 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:40,280 Speaker 2: coming after the Beagles, or you saw it as your license. 270 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:43,600 Speaker 2: There's no excuse not to just keep pushing this thing 271 00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:50,200 Speaker 2: when you've come behind to groundbreaking lifetime achievement type dudes 272 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:52,800 Speaker 2: like Prince and Michael. But Michael was involved, in this 273 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:56,520 Speaker 2: because also by the time he inherited the Beatles catalog. 274 00:14:56,720 --> 00:14:59,600 Speaker 2: Another great irony is that the very music that woke 275 00:14:59,640 --> 00:15:02,920 Speaker 2: me up in this life, the Beatles, when Michael got 276 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:05,400 Speaker 2: a hold of it, that was the very music that 277 00:15:05,520 --> 00:15:08,960 Speaker 2: kind of killed the battery charge on that life as well, 278 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:10,360 Speaker 2: like okay, boom. 279 00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:11,200 Speaker 1: Ah, too much power? 280 00:15:11,720 --> 00:15:14,200 Speaker 2: Well, who am I to say? Too much power? He 281 00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:17,400 Speaker 2: had power. And then of course the game began when 282 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:19,440 Speaker 2: he got the catalog because Sony knew they want to 283 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:22,480 Speaker 2: go in business with him. So basically, whatever you want, Michael, 284 00:15:22,480 --> 00:15:24,960 Speaker 2: fuck you want this guy? Is this guy paying your ass? 285 00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:28,800 Speaker 2: No problem? Because before he bought the Beatles Catalog, the 286 00:15:28,920 --> 00:15:31,200 Speaker 2: question they had to ask him was okay, but Michael, 287 00:15:31,240 --> 00:15:35,040 Speaker 2: can you replace his sales and yours? I don't know. 288 00:15:35,800 --> 00:15:40,520 Speaker 2: But when he had that catalog and Sony's half, even 289 00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:45,000 Speaker 2: in the nineties, was already over half a billion, yeah 290 00:15:45,360 --> 00:15:48,440 Speaker 2: a year, And forgetting that it wasn't just in not 291 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:51,760 Speaker 2: forgetting It wasn't just the Beatles catalog. The Beatles songs 292 00:15:51,800 --> 00:15:55,440 Speaker 2: were the jewel of that catalog. He also had all 293 00:15:55,480 --> 00:15:58,200 Speaker 2: the sly stuff, had all the little richer stuff. He 294 00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:02,600 Speaker 2: had one hundred country music number one hits. That was 295 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:07,240 Speaker 2: a copiously fat, thick docket. You mean, so from that 296 00:16:07,280 --> 00:16:11,160 Speaker 2: point onwards, you know, it was like, yeah, they gave him. 297 00:16:11,560 --> 00:16:13,040 Speaker 2: He wasn't very comfortable with me. 298 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:20,880 Speaker 1: I promised to wrap this up because trust me, like 299 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:23,600 Speaker 1: Jimmy Jam gave me seven hours. It was only supposed 300 00:16:23,640 --> 00:16:25,680 Speaker 1: to be one hour, and Jimmy Jam gave me seven. 301 00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:28,680 Speaker 1: So I will pull out every story, but I will 302 00:16:28,720 --> 00:16:30,920 Speaker 1: I will be sustinct and wrap this up because I'm 303 00:16:30,920 --> 00:16:31,920 Speaker 1: also got a chance. 304 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:33,960 Speaker 2: To work with jelly Bean on this. On this project, 305 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:36,920 Speaker 2: I did this song with jelly Bean. Really yeah, I 306 00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:39,720 Speaker 2: can't remember what is his name, walk On walk On? 307 00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:42,000 Speaker 2: His name he approached me last year and said he 308 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:44,600 Speaker 2: wanted me to participate with him if I would, I 309 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:47,680 Speaker 2: told him, look, just on principle alone, you guys were 310 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:50,320 Speaker 2: such a huge part of you know, my situation and 311 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:53,440 Speaker 2: the time in various projects you guys worked on. So 312 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:56,320 Speaker 2: I said sure. So basically we wound up collaborating on 313 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:59,200 Speaker 2: this on this piece, and it was really cool because 314 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:02,120 Speaker 2: it was also the very last session of Ronnie Drayton 315 00:17:02,880 --> 00:17:06,119 Speaker 2: because on us Yeah, I was gonna play the guitar 316 00:17:06,240 --> 00:17:08,200 Speaker 2: solo and then. 317 00:17:08,320 --> 00:17:12,640 Speaker 1: See, I don't have liner notes. So thus, damn, that's crazy. 318 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:16,119 Speaker 2: We'll get you whatever you need because, uh, there's a 319 00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:18,720 Speaker 2: gentleman named Oscar Derrek Brown. He was a very very 320 00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:21,919 Speaker 2: good friend of Ronnie's, and so when he told Ronnie 321 00:17:21,920 --> 00:17:24,520 Speaker 2: what I was doing, Ronnie said, oh, I want to 322 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:26,320 Speaker 2: play the solo. I want to And when I heard, 323 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:29,479 Speaker 2: I was like, please, please, I will be honored. So 324 00:17:30,040 --> 00:17:32,159 Speaker 2: it was apparently the last thing he kind of did 325 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:34,399 Speaker 2: professionally that were aware of, and I feel blessed to 326 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:37,400 Speaker 2: have participate with him because you know, he's he's definitely 327 00:17:37,440 --> 00:17:40,639 Speaker 2: one of the unsung heroes of the time. I was 328 00:17:40,640 --> 00:17:42,800 Speaker 2: coming through with his work with like Vernon in the 329 00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:44,280 Speaker 2: Black Rock Coalition and all of that. 330 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:47,920 Speaker 1: Yes, the legendary Ronnie Drayton by the way, Yeah, I 331 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:51,280 Speaker 1: didn't even get to this new album, but literally like 332 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:56,640 Speaker 1: nice things cam Town, Yeah, like those are my that's 333 00:17:56,680 --> 00:17:58,879 Speaker 1: my ship, man. I love that. 334 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:03,000 Speaker 2: You know that The moonishment about being careful of meeting 335 00:18:03,040 --> 00:18:06,160 Speaker 2: your heroes. Bruce Springsteen has been like a big brother 336 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:09,560 Speaker 2: to me. Prince was is still I'm still close to him, 337 00:18:09,920 --> 00:18:13,200 Speaker 2: and Miles played a pivotal role in my situation. Michael 338 00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:15,280 Speaker 2: wasn't just one of those situations. It was just one 339 00:18:15,280 --> 00:18:16,040 Speaker 2: of those things. 340 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:17,159 Speaker 1: Where he was competitive. 341 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:19,159 Speaker 2: I want to make this clear. Not only was he 342 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:21,960 Speaker 2: a competitive but but you know, in a perfect world, 343 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:24,520 Speaker 2: he would have seen me as like a gold like okay, 344 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:26,760 Speaker 2: I'm going sure this month right, and we'd have done 345 00:18:26,800 --> 00:18:29,960 Speaker 2: that Beatles Stones who thing where we just try to 346 00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:30,640 Speaker 2: top each other. 347 00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:32,959 Speaker 1: You know, I would have been here for it. I'm sorry, 348 00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:34,239 Speaker 1: I would have been here for it. 349 00:18:34,280 --> 00:18:36,119 Speaker 2: But you know by that time he was maybe just tired, 350 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:38,600 Speaker 2: like look whatever. But the point I'm trying to make 351 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:41,199 Speaker 2: is this, he didn't know me a damn thing. His 352 00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:43,640 Speaker 2: life provided for my life exactly what it was meant 353 00:18:43,880 --> 00:18:47,280 Speaker 2: to provide. And there's also a very very good chance 354 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:49,960 Speaker 2: that by getting in my way, he might have spared 355 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:50,560 Speaker 2: me his faith. 356 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:54,119 Speaker 1: You literally just answered the question that I was going 357 00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:54,639 Speaker 1: to ask. 358 00:18:55,119 --> 00:18:57,920 Speaker 2: Yes, he might have saved my life and getting in 359 00:18:57,960 --> 00:19:02,040 Speaker 2: front of me giving me more longevity because you know, 360 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:04,919 Speaker 2: I was even asked earlier in an interview with your 361 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:07,520 Speaker 2: voice you still sound the same as four years ago 362 00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:10,280 Speaker 2: and how compared to whatever? And I said. But you 363 00:19:10,359 --> 00:19:14,040 Speaker 2: know the truth is they didn't burn me out. I didn't. 364 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:16,399 Speaker 2: They didn't have a chance to burn me out. And 365 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:18,720 Speaker 2: I said, so many of my colleagues were just burned out, 366 00:19:18,760 --> 00:19:20,960 Speaker 2: and it was just doing what they could to keep 367 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:24,560 Speaker 2: up with it. And you know, when Whitney lost her 368 00:19:24,640 --> 00:19:27,600 Speaker 2: voice at the end, I was so moved because I realized, 369 00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:30,160 Speaker 2: you know, singers aren't mature to their forties anyway, they 370 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:34,280 Speaker 2: look out themselves even moderately well. But I realized she 371 00:19:34,359 --> 00:19:36,800 Speaker 2: hadn't lost her voice. With the sound of what you 372 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:38,600 Speaker 2: were hearing was a woman who had lost her heart 373 00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:41,879 Speaker 2: because she was all hard and the voice is just 374 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:44,520 Speaker 2: a conduit. It's just an amp. It's not the guitar. 375 00:19:45,040 --> 00:19:48,639 Speaker 2: The guitar is the guitar. The voice is the amp. Okay, 376 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:51,280 Speaker 2: if your guitar is fucked, the strings are broken, your 377 00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:53,720 Speaker 2: heart is broken, and you don't really want to be 378 00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:57,680 Speaker 2: doing that anymore. Obviously, it's gonna show and what comes 379 00:19:57,720 --> 00:19:59,680 Speaker 2: through you what comes out of you. And I felt 380 00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:02,679 Speaker 2: that the thing was she wasn't just trying to destroy 381 00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:04,800 Speaker 2: her voice. She was trying to destroy that life that 382 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:08,239 Speaker 2: held her in bondage and just became too much. And 383 00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:10,880 Speaker 2: you know, from our Native American heritage, we don't believe 384 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:13,199 Speaker 2: in death anyway. The way it's taught in the West, 385 00:20:13,760 --> 00:20:16,320 Speaker 2: and so you know, she wasn't obliged to be with 386 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:20,880 Speaker 2: us raggedy motherfuckers one minute past realizing she had done 387 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:23,159 Speaker 2: what she had come to do. She had blessed the 388 00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:26,159 Speaker 2: souls and the lives. I just saw her movie. I 389 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:28,840 Speaker 2: had on a carousel for two years. Question yet and 390 00:20:28,880 --> 00:20:31,479 Speaker 2: I just because I had her in Aretha's life stories 391 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:34,440 Speaker 2: on the to watch list, because I knew those lives 392 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:37,040 Speaker 2: reverberated so close to my own that I have to 393 00:20:37,080 --> 00:20:40,640 Speaker 2: be ready and prepared psychologically to digest those stories because 394 00:20:40,680 --> 00:20:43,280 Speaker 2: those stories are my stories as well. So you know, 395 00:20:43,320 --> 00:20:47,720 Speaker 2: I had forgotten how many like just groundbreaking records, WOULDN'TY had, 396 00:20:47,760 --> 00:20:51,440 Speaker 2: you know, broken and and just like wow. But it's 397 00:20:51,440 --> 00:20:53,679 Speaker 2: the same with Prince. You know, you do what you 398 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:57,879 Speaker 2: come to do, and sometimes spirit says, I will not 399 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:01,480 Speaker 2: let you be abused one second long because a life 400 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:03,960 Speaker 2: is easy to replace, a soul is a little harder, 401 00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:06,240 Speaker 2: So you know what I'm saying to you. So I 402 00:21:06,240 --> 00:21:09,880 Speaker 2: feel like those were taken from us to preserve what 403 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:13,880 Speaker 2: they were and for further service. Because the angels recycle. 404 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:17,160 Speaker 2: You know, it's like only twelve these motherfuckers and they 405 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:20,760 Speaker 2: play all the roles they're necessary play is MENI roles 406 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:25,520 Speaker 2: needed like traveling Shakespearean troupe, where this time you're the dad, 407 00:21:25,840 --> 00:21:28,400 Speaker 2: next time imbi popper. But we all travel together because 408 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:29,920 Speaker 2: we all know each other and we all trust each 409 00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:32,359 Speaker 2: other to play these roles for us. So I have 410 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:36,320 Speaker 2: no doubt that me and Michael were very, very very close, 411 00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:40,679 Speaker 2: and that's perhaps why he fucked my shit up, because 412 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:42,800 Speaker 2: it was in so doing he spared my life. And 413 00:21:43,600 --> 00:21:46,840 Speaker 2: I'm able now to have this conversation twenty twenty four 414 00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:51,600 Speaker 2: with you, another person whose life has been greatly touched 415 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:55,560 Speaker 2: by the magic Joll's geniuses laid down by the way. 416 00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:58,880 Speaker 2: I also am happy to hear that you I had 417 00:21:58,880 --> 00:22:01,639 Speaker 2: some influence because when you guys first came through, it 418 00:22:01,680 --> 00:22:04,479 Speaker 2: was same with Erica. You're not always sure if it's 419 00:22:04,520 --> 00:22:07,760 Speaker 2: your vanity or your pride, but sometimes you can feel 420 00:22:07,920 --> 00:22:10,920 Speaker 2: like when your spirit is a part of somebody else, 421 00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 2: it doesn't have to be anything specific, it's just a 422 00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:17,680 Speaker 2: vibe and you go like, yeah, I think these guys 423 00:22:17,760 --> 00:22:19,200 Speaker 2: might have been listening to my records, you know what 424 00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:23,560 Speaker 2: I mean. You think it's always really short, and when 425 00:22:23,560 --> 00:22:26,879 Speaker 2: you find out that yes, there is a family, and we, 426 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:29,080 Speaker 2: like I said before, we do travel together, and we 427 00:22:29,119 --> 00:22:32,480 Speaker 2: perform the works and the miracles that we're here to perform, 428 00:22:32,720 --> 00:22:34,480 Speaker 2: and we pack up the caravan and we move on 429 00:22:34,560 --> 00:22:35,440 Speaker 2: to the next performance. 430 00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:37,920 Speaker 1: I swear to God man if allowed to at least 431 00:22:38,680 --> 00:22:42,199 Speaker 1: refer to that other non diplume of yours, which was 432 00:22:42,280 --> 00:22:45,240 Speaker 1: e G. O'Reilly, like I was your number one disciple, 433 00:22:45,520 --> 00:22:51,280 Speaker 1: like literally for that. My closing question is your rebirth 434 00:22:51,359 --> 00:22:56,280 Speaker 1: with angels and vampires. Yes, where you're on your own 435 00:22:56,440 --> 00:22:59,760 Speaker 1: and you're out of the system. Can you just walk 436 00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:06,320 Speaker 1: me through kind of your caterpillar to butterfly transition to 437 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:09,560 Speaker 1: where you are now? Because the thing was is that 438 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:15,879 Speaker 1: I just thought after well, Vibrator Wildcart was the last 439 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:21,000 Speaker 1: Sony record Vibrator Vibrator Okay. So Wildcourt was your first 440 00:23:21,119 --> 00:23:23,639 Speaker 1: project on your own correst okay, And. 441 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:26,919 Speaker 2: It was actually created, It was created. This is an 442 00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:30,040 Speaker 2: interesting story if I can. Yes, it was created for 443 00:23:30,119 --> 00:23:33,080 Speaker 2: capital because I had ten years I had spent trying 444 00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:36,320 Speaker 2: to get off of the Sony arrangement. The English had 445 00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:38,879 Speaker 2: let me go. The Americans had been hanging on to it, 446 00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:41,520 Speaker 2: but the English were very reluctant. It was a messy situation, 447 00:23:41,600 --> 00:23:45,600 Speaker 2: but finally I got out of it. Then I was 448 00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:50,600 Speaker 2: supposed to do Sam Cook that the family. I was 449 00:23:50,640 --> 00:23:52,960 Speaker 2: extremely flat aby the family said that was the only 450 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:56,240 Speaker 2: person they wanted to play Sam. But I couldn't wrap 451 00:23:56,280 --> 00:23:59,000 Speaker 2: my head around the fact that I don't care how 452 00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:02,000 Speaker 2: flattered I am that you think my voice can replace Sam. 453 00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:06,240 Speaker 2: If the movie is about a legend, why would you 454 00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:10,199 Speaker 2: not want to expose his voice? And I also knew that, 455 00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:12,399 Speaker 2: and Sony had made the mistake of saying to my 456 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:14,919 Speaker 2: manager at the time, why is he coming all this 457 00:24:15,359 --> 00:24:17,600 Speaker 2: in their minds, all this innovative shit. All he has 458 00:24:17,640 --> 00:24:19,720 Speaker 2: to do is make Sam Cook records and we'll promote 459 00:24:19,760 --> 00:24:20,120 Speaker 2: him for life. 460 00:24:20,119 --> 00:24:22,600 Speaker 1: Shut up and sing and make the hits and yeah. 461 00:24:22,280 --> 00:24:26,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, And as much as I idolized Sam Cook, I 462 00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:28,680 Speaker 2: don't want to be buried in his grave. And those 463 00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:31,200 Speaker 2: things can be pyodic victories where you have success. Direcord 464 00:24:31,240 --> 00:24:33,960 Speaker 2: Company pushes it. And now every gig you show up, 465 00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:36,360 Speaker 2: if you don't do some Sam shit, you know they're 466 00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:40,080 Speaker 2: yelling at you're throwing shoes, right, So it was a 467 00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:43,240 Speaker 2: tough decision. But then I had been approached to play 468 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:47,080 Speaker 2: Sam in the Muhammad Ali film. So I had agreed 469 00:24:47,119 --> 00:24:50,040 Speaker 2: because Michael Mann had really talked me into it. The director. 470 00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:52,920 Speaker 2: I have a lot of time for him, Michael, and 471 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:56,280 Speaker 2: I was going to do it. And then I get 472 00:24:56,320 --> 00:24:58,639 Speaker 2: a call from Michael Mann saying do me a favor. 473 00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:01,000 Speaker 2: This was a couple days before I was supposed to 474 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:03,080 Speaker 2: start shooting. He said, I needed to talk to Tommy 475 00:25:03,119 --> 00:25:05,840 Speaker 2: Mottola because Tommy Mottola is trying to fuck with the 476 00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:08,520 Speaker 2: soundtrack because I didn't know that they had the soundtrack. 477 00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:10,679 Speaker 2: So basically I had spent ten years trying to get 478 00:25:10,680 --> 00:25:13,760 Speaker 2: away from Tommy Mottola in that situation, only to find 479 00:25:13,760 --> 00:25:16,400 Speaker 2: out the last minute that if I had song on 480 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:20,080 Speaker 2: the soundtrack, it would have belonged to Sony and Tommy 481 00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:24,280 Speaker 2: get me to sign another option that he wasn't going 482 00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:27,719 Speaker 2: to release the soundtrack rights to the film until I 483 00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:30,879 Speaker 2: did something for him, And so I basically said to 484 00:25:30,880 --> 00:25:32,880 Speaker 2: Michael Man, I said, well, I thank you very much 485 00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:36,320 Speaker 2: for this opportunity. I would rather go to hell, literally 486 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:40,000 Speaker 2: with gas strapped to my back than than to deal 487 00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:42,520 Speaker 2: with this guy again. So I bout out of the film. 488 00:25:42,840 --> 00:25:46,000 Speaker 1: Do you believe when I think he said this in 489 00:25:46,040 --> 00:25:49,720 Speaker 1: this book? But before I read his book. He was 490 00:25:49,760 --> 00:25:52,359 Speaker 1: a guest on The Tonight Show, and you know, just 491 00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:56,320 Speaker 1: casual three minute conversation, you know, I kind of always 492 00:25:56,320 --> 00:25:58,560 Speaker 1: ask like, is there an artist that got away or 493 00:25:58,640 --> 00:26:03,200 Speaker 1: like a regret or something like that, and he said 494 00:26:03,760 --> 00:26:07,160 Speaker 1: that it wasn't close to like we could have done 495 00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:12,159 Speaker 1: done better by him. Yeah, but he kind of and 496 00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:16,200 Speaker 1: he said in a very non industry you know, when 497 00:26:16,240 --> 00:26:18,080 Speaker 1: someone has a prepared answer, I. 498 00:26:18,200 --> 00:26:21,680 Speaker 2: Move that you say that, because I get my guides 499 00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:23,760 Speaker 2: if you will. My spirit tells me all the time 500 00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:27,560 Speaker 2: that there was a price that everyone had to pay 501 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:30,560 Speaker 2: who consciously went into it knowing that they were trying 502 00:26:30,640 --> 00:26:32,320 Speaker 2: because they got caught up to try to teach me 503 00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:34,880 Speaker 2: a lesson. It was like, plus, the other young ones 504 00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:36,439 Speaker 2: are watching, so we have to use him as an 505 00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:40,120 Speaker 2: example of you know, don't cross us. We're the biggest 506 00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:43,000 Speaker 2: record corporation in the world. You do. And you know, 507 00:26:43,280 --> 00:26:47,520 Speaker 2: CBS Columbia were, relative to that situation, a bit more 508 00:26:47,600 --> 00:26:51,880 Speaker 2: left liberal and artist friendly. Sony came in with a real, 509 00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:56,879 Speaker 2: if not necessarily politically right wing attitude, socially right wing. 510 00:26:56,960 --> 00:26:59,119 Speaker 2: The artists do what the fuck we tell them, you know, 511 00:26:59,240 --> 00:27:03,080 Speaker 2: listen to the artists. We're not mow Austin a Warner Brothers. 512 00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:06,879 Speaker 2: This isn't right. You know, we're not virgin records. The 513 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:10,399 Speaker 2: artist listens to Sony, we tell them, So it started 514 00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:12,600 Speaker 2: off the wrong foot. There was also the fact that 515 00:27:12,640 --> 00:27:15,720 Speaker 2: like were going back to the official flesh. If I 516 00:27:15,760 --> 00:27:17,360 Speaker 2: could go back and do it over again, I would 517 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:19,680 Speaker 2: probably delay the release by six months because it fell 518 00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:23,560 Speaker 2: in the cuffs between the old regime leaving and being 519 00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:27,720 Speaker 2: taken over by the new incoming Sony regime. So it 520 00:27:27,760 --> 00:27:31,200 Speaker 2: was also one of those situations where the timing. Nothing 521 00:27:31,240 --> 00:27:34,040 Speaker 2: about that situation was friendly. But as I said to you, 522 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:37,320 Speaker 2: Paul Russell went run. The English company had already told 523 00:27:37,359 --> 00:27:41,080 Speaker 2: me to expect some different shit. But here's also another 524 00:27:41,119 --> 00:27:44,680 Speaker 2: reality question that most guys people don't realize, artists don't realize. 525 00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:46,720 Speaker 2: And your manager for sure is not going to tell you. 526 00:27:47,040 --> 00:27:50,040 Speaker 2: So you go back and you renegotiate your contract. Now 527 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:52,040 Speaker 2: you get what you should have gotten in the first place, 528 00:27:52,040 --> 00:27:54,639 Speaker 2: as far as you're concerned. But what you don't realize 529 00:27:54,680 --> 00:27:57,119 Speaker 2: is that part of the reason your record was so 530 00:27:57,280 --> 00:28:00,520 Speaker 2: enticing is because they got it for nothing. I was 531 00:28:00,600 --> 00:28:07,680 Speaker 2: signed at the lowest legally binding contract. I was literally 532 00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:10,480 Speaker 2: thirty thousand pounds was the lowest limit that I got 533 00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:13,119 Speaker 2: signed at the time, might have been fifty forty grand 534 00:28:13,240 --> 00:28:18,520 Speaker 2: forty dollars, And so what I didn't realize is it 535 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:20,199 Speaker 2: was all gravy. We didn't spend a lot on the 536 00:28:20,200 --> 00:28:24,440 Speaker 2: record because the record was pretty much me re recording 537 00:28:24,440 --> 00:28:28,119 Speaker 2: the demos, and so it was just all found money. 538 00:28:28,680 --> 00:28:30,320 Speaker 2: What they don't tell you is you come back now 539 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:32,640 Speaker 2: you're making serious, serious boom boom. They got to share 540 00:28:32,640 --> 00:28:35,320 Speaker 2: a lot more at overhead. And now I realize to 541 00:28:35,359 --> 00:28:37,520 Speaker 2: get that same money they got before, this is how 542 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:41,000 Speaker 2: much they're gonna have to spend to get there. Meanwhile, 543 00:28:42,040 --> 00:28:45,360 Speaker 2: what they're gambling on is that, as you've alluded to before, 544 00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:48,480 Speaker 2: there's a new group, a new act that's on their 545 00:28:48,520 --> 00:28:53,200 Speaker 2: first deal. That this is why in the NFL they 546 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:57,400 Speaker 2: try to maximize that rookie quarterback contract to get the team, 547 00:28:57,960 --> 00:29:01,480 Speaker 2: you know, whatever they need. And it's the same. So 548 00:29:01,680 --> 00:29:04,000 Speaker 2: your manager's not gonna say, no, I'm gonna forfit this 549 00:29:04,080 --> 00:29:06,840 Speaker 2: big alimony check you're about to give me the pass 550 00:29:06,880 --> 00:29:10,400 Speaker 2: it on to my situation. I'm gonna you shouldn't do this. 551 00:29:10,600 --> 00:29:13,360 Speaker 2: You should stay on the same thing, but you should 552 00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:16,560 Speaker 2: instead just up your points. They don't tell you that 553 00:29:16,560 --> 00:29:19,680 Speaker 2: that basically you can become a victim of your success. 554 00:29:19,760 --> 00:29:23,120 Speaker 2: Where among the other machinations that were happening around it, 555 00:29:23,200 --> 00:29:27,360 Speaker 2: the perfect storm that I walked into, you've basically made 556 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:32,120 Speaker 2: yourself less financially viable and exploitative simply because you're getting 557 00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:35,200 Speaker 2: now a bigger piece of the pie for you. 558 00:29:35,320 --> 00:29:39,080 Speaker 1: What is a good takeaway? Because I know they're pros, 559 00:29:39,160 --> 00:29:42,320 Speaker 1: and I know that they're cons to the situation. 560 00:29:43,120 --> 00:29:45,040 Speaker 2: Well, first of all, let me just say this about 561 00:29:45,040 --> 00:29:48,600 Speaker 2: the Tommy regime. First of all, I was a yetnikov guy. 562 00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:51,560 Speaker 2: I idolized Walter Yetnikoff because I grew up reading books 563 00:29:51,880 --> 00:29:55,840 Speaker 2: that backed into I grew up reading Billboard magazine in 564 00:29:55,880 --> 00:29:58,680 Speaker 2: the school library, and not even walti yet Nicoff. So 565 00:29:58,720 --> 00:30:00,600 Speaker 2: I knew he was. I knew his storm, I knew 566 00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:04,000 Speaker 2: his history. I knew he had succeeded Clive Davis. He 567 00:30:04,120 --> 00:30:06,320 Speaker 2: was a rock star to me. We hit it off 568 00:30:06,440 --> 00:30:10,000 Speaker 2: like he was my Brooklyn Jewish uncle. He was that dude. 569 00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:13,440 Speaker 2: He was moved that I spoke Yiddish, that in the German. 570 00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:16,200 Speaker 2: We just had a vibe that he just never had. 571 00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:21,240 Speaker 2: Now here's the irony. It did occur to me later 572 00:30:21,400 --> 00:30:24,040 Speaker 2: that once again it could have been because of Michael 573 00:30:24,480 --> 00:30:28,400 Speaker 2: and getting Michael's attention that Walter decided to really pushed 574 00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:30,640 Speaker 2: me because I was I had broken all over the world. 575 00:30:31,120 --> 00:30:34,240 Speaker 2: And to be fair to Tommy Matola, he wasn't that 576 00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:37,560 Speaker 2: enthusiastic about me at any point in my career. He 577 00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:42,160 Speaker 2: just thought I was his hype. So really, well, he 578 00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:44,680 Speaker 2: wasn't a big no. He was never there. He always 579 00:30:44,680 --> 00:30:48,320 Speaker 2: thought Walter was over indulging me, and blah blah blah. 580 00:30:48,320 --> 00:30:50,680 Speaker 1: That was Walter's guy, not my guy. So okay, yeah, 581 00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:51,160 Speaker 1: I get it now. 582 00:30:51,240 --> 00:30:54,840 Speaker 2: Yeah. And plus when he took over, see the thing 583 00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:58,600 Speaker 2: is between again my first and second records, Walter was 584 00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:03,480 Speaker 2: in rehab. So Walter was in Minnesota drying out at 585 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:08,960 Speaker 2: John Hopkins. The Japanese get a call from Tarry Mottola. Hey, 586 00:31:09,240 --> 00:31:11,600 Speaker 2: your boy's coked out of his mind. He's in reality, 587 00:31:11,640 --> 00:31:15,000 Speaker 2: he's loose mining the store. Me, Tarry Mattola, I'm minding 588 00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:19,200 Speaker 2: the store. Basically, Mattola was yet Nikoll's fined. He was 589 00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:21,160 Speaker 2: his lieutenant. He was the one who put him in 590 00:31:21,160 --> 00:31:24,560 Speaker 2: that situation. So when Motola turned around and did what 591 00:31:24,640 --> 00:31:28,040 Speaker 2: he did to basically bust yet Nikov that got the 592 00:31:28,120 --> 00:31:32,000 Speaker 2: Japanese to replace him. From that point anyway, I was 593 00:31:32,080 --> 00:31:36,040 Speaker 2: I'm a loyal dude. I mean, that was my guy man, right, 594 00:31:36,040 --> 00:31:38,280 Speaker 2: and now you want me to switch my loyalty to you. 595 00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:41,000 Speaker 2: And you wear like short black socks with your like 596 00:31:41,040 --> 00:31:43,720 Speaker 2: hair sticking out between your pants leg and your socks 597 00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:45,880 Speaker 2: and shit, looking like some southern black dudes from the fifties. 598 00:31:46,400 --> 00:31:48,400 Speaker 2: And I remember him giving me a letter, a little 599 00:31:48,480 --> 00:31:51,800 Speaker 2: letter that Michael had written to me to get gave 600 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:54,280 Speaker 2: to him to give to me, and I could already 601 00:31:54,320 --> 00:31:58,120 Speaker 2: see the writing on the wall, okay, because Tommy would 602 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:01,160 Speaker 2: have still had to have support from somebody artists to 603 00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:04,800 Speaker 2: get the Japanese to part ways with Yetnikov, because that 604 00:32:04,880 --> 00:32:10,000 Speaker 2: was Yetnikov's strongest suit, his relationships with the artists. So basically, 605 00:32:10,240 --> 00:32:13,160 Speaker 2: you know, once he had secured a certain group of 606 00:32:13,280 --> 00:32:18,080 Speaker 2: artists support, he didn't. I was expendable. I was expendable 607 00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:23,680 Speaker 2: to cause, as they would say. But so in all 608 00:32:23,720 --> 00:32:25,800 Speaker 2: fairness to him, we never really hit it off. But 609 00:32:26,440 --> 00:32:28,560 Speaker 2: at the same time, when I saw what he did 610 00:32:28,600 --> 00:32:31,800 Speaker 2: to Walter, I just thought, Nah, this guy gives me 611 00:32:31,840 --> 00:32:34,400 Speaker 2: the he used to say in German, gives me the agel. 612 00:32:35,960 --> 00:32:39,240 Speaker 2: I didn't feel comfortable with him, and of course he 613 00:32:39,320 --> 00:32:41,680 Speaker 2: fell out with Michael later as well. All that, but 614 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:46,000 Speaker 2: my take on it was this, that regime that featured 615 00:32:46,040 --> 00:32:50,360 Speaker 2: Donnie Einer, Michelle Anthony, those three, they were the three 616 00:32:50,360 --> 00:32:54,000 Speaker 2: big hanchos. I was struck by how they had bigger 617 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:57,560 Speaker 2: egos than the artists, that they wanted to be the 618 00:32:57,640 --> 00:33:00,440 Speaker 2: rock stars, and in fact that was the journal With 619 00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:02,320 Speaker 2: all due respect to him because he's worked his ass 620 00:33:02,360 --> 00:33:04,440 Speaker 2: off and I know he's a great musician, but Randy 621 00:33:04,520 --> 00:33:07,040 Speaker 2: Jackson belonged to that whole regime as well, and then 622 00:33:07,120 --> 00:33:10,760 Speaker 2: Randy wound up being bigger as a celebrity, you know. 623 00:33:11,000 --> 00:33:13,080 Speaker 2: So the point is, but that was the ethos that 624 00:33:13,120 --> 00:33:15,560 Speaker 2: I was dealing with, that I had never had a 625 00:33:15,560 --> 00:33:18,640 Speaker 2: meeting with Donnie Einer. Well, this motherfucker wasn't talking more 626 00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:21,800 Speaker 2: about himself and what he had done, then why we 627 00:33:21,800 --> 00:33:23,520 Speaker 2: were there to have the meeting in the first place. 628 00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:27,320 Speaker 2: And Michelle used to take me for limo rides when 629 00:33:27,320 --> 00:33:29,840 Speaker 2: I would come to New York from London and just 630 00:33:29,880 --> 00:33:33,360 Speaker 2: impress upon me how important a jewel I was in 631 00:33:33,400 --> 00:33:36,200 Speaker 2: the crown. The sony crown, right, So one point I 632 00:33:36,200 --> 00:33:39,720 Speaker 2: get annoyed. Will hear her saying this? And I said, well, Michelle, 633 00:33:40,360 --> 00:33:42,520 Speaker 2: which one of the diamonds am I? And by one 634 00:33:42,520 --> 00:33:44,640 Speaker 2: of them like pave diamonds on the back, you know 635 00:33:44,680 --> 00:33:47,280 Speaker 2: that gets caught underneath the neck like you can't see 636 00:33:47,320 --> 00:33:49,440 Speaker 2: them because the neck hairs, the nappy hairs get all 637 00:33:49,480 --> 00:33:52,680 Speaker 2: like you mean, I'm that part of the crown, you know? 638 00:33:53,040 --> 00:33:54,800 Speaker 2: Or am I one of these jewels at the middle 639 00:33:54,840 --> 00:33:56,760 Speaker 2: where no matter what your hair looks like, you can 640 00:33:56,840 --> 00:33:59,960 Speaker 2: see that's this motherfucker right here, you know. And it's 641 00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:03,080 Speaker 2: point she got embarrassed and stopped dropping Atlanta because I 642 00:34:03,080 --> 00:34:05,800 Speaker 2: didn't want to hear that. Right, They didn't know what 643 00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:08,480 Speaker 2: to do with me, and no matter in which Walch did, 644 00:34:08,960 --> 00:34:12,640 Speaker 2: but what they did that different than Walter was Walters. 645 00:34:13,040 --> 00:34:17,879 Speaker 2: I trust this guy's Benji. He just proved something out 646 00:34:17,880 --> 00:34:20,560 Speaker 2: of nowhere to left field. I had Doug Morris, who 647 00:34:20,640 --> 00:34:24,480 Speaker 2: used to run Atlantic, who up until that point when 648 00:34:24,520 --> 00:34:25,880 Speaker 2: he was trying to talk me to come in with 649 00:34:25,960 --> 00:34:28,080 Speaker 2: his company, he said, I had been in the business 650 00:34:28,120 --> 00:34:31,480 Speaker 2: for forty years. I've never seen anybody, even Elvis, Nobody 651 00:34:31,520 --> 00:34:34,120 Speaker 2: came through the way you did. He said, yeah, well 652 00:34:34,120 --> 00:34:36,000 Speaker 2: I pay for that because it freaked people out, and 653 00:34:36,040 --> 00:34:38,400 Speaker 2: so I had to answer for all of that. And then, 654 00:34:38,480 --> 00:34:40,040 Speaker 2: like I said, when they find out that you're not 655 00:34:40,120 --> 00:34:45,359 Speaker 2: interested in just representing a bunch of bullshit, they're not 656 00:34:45,400 --> 00:34:47,399 Speaker 2: going to be comfortable sharing their power with you because 657 00:34:47,440 --> 00:34:50,279 Speaker 2: they can see who you are and nobody's trying to 658 00:34:50,360 --> 00:34:54,120 Speaker 2: upset the status quo. That's not their job. So it's 659 00:34:54,120 --> 00:34:56,400 Speaker 2: not like I don't understand. It's not like I can't 660 00:34:57,480 --> 00:34:59,120 Speaker 2: come to terms with the fact that I was an 661 00:34:59,120 --> 00:35:02,319 Speaker 2: inconvenient man for the time and the place. But I 662 00:35:02,360 --> 00:35:04,239 Speaker 2: did what spirit asked me to do. I laid the 663 00:35:04,280 --> 00:35:07,440 Speaker 2: seeds in the ground, and I'm still reaping the whorldwind 664 00:35:07,520 --> 00:35:10,520 Speaker 2: and the benefits of them close to forty years later. 665 00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:14,239 Speaker 2: And it's what allows me to talk to you and 666 00:35:14,280 --> 00:35:17,799 Speaker 2: have this conversation without having had to sell more than 667 00:35:17,800 --> 00:35:20,440 Speaker 2: I was capable of remanifesting, if you will. 668 00:35:20,600 --> 00:35:23,960 Speaker 1: What's your relationship with the material? Though, like, because there's 669 00:35:24,000 --> 00:35:27,080 Speaker 1: two sides of you and is a Burnham sum of 670 00:35:27,160 --> 00:35:28,799 Speaker 1: a fan is yelling out like. 671 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:32,720 Speaker 2: No, no c or seven more. You know, at this point, 672 00:35:32,920 --> 00:35:35,719 Speaker 2: at this point, about five or six, seven years ago, 673 00:35:35,800 --> 00:35:38,520 Speaker 2: I opened the whole thing back up. It was imperative 674 00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:43,160 Speaker 2: upon me to lock out that part and focus on 675 00:35:43,239 --> 00:35:46,600 Speaker 2: growing the garden of post millium Rock. The other guarden 676 00:35:46,600 --> 00:35:50,360 Speaker 2: didn't need my help. They already had a major corporation 677 00:35:51,239 --> 00:35:55,399 Speaker 2: who co sponsors those first four records with me. They 678 00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:57,359 Speaker 2: were taking care of that. I didn't have to do 679 00:35:57,400 --> 00:35:59,160 Speaker 2: that work. I just had to work the fields that 680 00:35:59,200 --> 00:36:02,480 Speaker 2: I was preparing for where I am now. So for 681 00:36:02,520 --> 00:36:05,719 Speaker 2: a long time I made every sacrifice necessary to not 682 00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:09,200 Speaker 2: burden people with that reality that you're coming to see 683 00:36:09,239 --> 00:36:12,160 Speaker 2: me under a false impression. I made it clear even 684 00:36:12,239 --> 00:36:16,240 Speaker 2: the venues that I chose to play were deliberately intended 685 00:36:16,280 --> 00:36:18,360 Speaker 2: that I didn't have to feel extra burden of pressure 686 00:36:18,680 --> 00:36:21,080 Speaker 2: to sell out a place ten thousand people or whatever. 687 00:36:21,560 --> 00:36:24,759 Speaker 2: If you know, I can only realistically get, you know, 688 00:36:24,880 --> 00:36:28,640 Speaker 2: five hundred people in this place based on what this 689 00:36:28,680 --> 00:36:30,880 Speaker 2: town is based on this blah blah blah blah blah. 690 00:36:31,080 --> 00:36:33,800 Speaker 2: I'm more than willing to do that while taking advantage 691 00:36:33,840 --> 00:36:35,359 Speaker 2: of the fact that the first time around, I didn't 692 00:36:35,360 --> 00:36:38,440 Speaker 2: spend enough time in these places anyway. So it was 693 00:36:38,520 --> 00:36:39,839 Speaker 2: kind of a way for me to kill two birds 694 00:36:39,840 --> 00:36:42,160 Speaker 2: at one stone. But then of course the time when 695 00:36:42,480 --> 00:36:45,360 Speaker 2: even Sony came back and said, we already if you 696 00:36:45,400 --> 00:36:47,799 Speaker 2: were willing to work with us and collaborate with us 697 00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:50,759 Speaker 2: on your first four projects that we co own with you, 698 00:36:51,760 --> 00:36:53,600 Speaker 2: we are willing to do whatever it is that you 699 00:36:54,080 --> 00:36:58,080 Speaker 2: deem necessary. And I said, well, the message has been consistent. 700 00:36:58,520 --> 00:37:01,799 Speaker 2: You change everything to annda my fare, or I have 701 00:37:01,840 --> 00:37:06,080 Speaker 2: no interest in working against my own interest. You know 702 00:37:06,400 --> 00:37:09,879 Speaker 2: that's already been established. So we came to those conclusions. 703 00:37:10,040 --> 00:37:12,239 Speaker 2: The bottom line of changing it was simple. At some 704 00:37:12,320 --> 00:37:15,320 Speaker 2: point you realize that the name you created, the identity 705 00:37:15,320 --> 00:37:19,399 Speaker 2: that you've created, you don't want anymore. And when you're 706 00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:21,759 Speaker 2: going through these struggles with them, they were never an 707 00:37:21,800 --> 00:37:26,040 Speaker 2: artist friendly company, the ones that I had these tumultuous 708 00:37:26,120 --> 00:37:28,600 Speaker 2: dealings with. So they let you know, hey, you're just 709 00:37:28,719 --> 00:37:32,920 Speaker 2: that's our property, and we're not the vision you have 710 00:37:33,600 --> 00:37:38,120 Speaker 2: of postmanin and rock. That's not black artists music that 711 00:37:38,160 --> 00:37:40,040 Speaker 2: we the way we see and we want to support you. 712 00:37:40,360 --> 00:37:45,239 Speaker 2: And the other thing is any industry, whether it's a 713 00:37:45,280 --> 00:37:48,040 Speaker 2: film industry or music industry, is going to be hard 714 00:37:48,040 --> 00:37:50,279 Speaker 2: pressed to promote and continue to promote what they don't 715 00:37:50,280 --> 00:37:54,279 Speaker 2: think they can easily replace. So if you're if you're 716 00:37:54,360 --> 00:37:57,600 Speaker 2: seen as a paradigm shifter. Fine, that's all well and 717 00:37:57,640 --> 00:37:59,400 Speaker 2: good from the artistic side of it. But from the 718 00:37:59,480 --> 00:38:02,040 Speaker 2: industry out of it. Can we duplicate this monk and 719 00:38:02,120 --> 00:38:05,080 Speaker 2: we now mint and print this bitch? If you can't, 720 00:38:05,560 --> 00:38:08,719 Speaker 2: it's not in their best interest, you know, for them 721 00:38:08,760 --> 00:38:12,879 Speaker 2: to promote Citizen King as a film when they've got 722 00:38:13,080 --> 00:38:15,920 Speaker 2: nothing else the next two years in their catalog, in 723 00:38:15,960 --> 00:38:20,239 Speaker 2: the pipeline that looks anything like Citizen King. So you 724 00:38:20,400 --> 00:38:23,920 Speaker 2: learn all these lessons, and you learn that if you 725 00:38:23,960 --> 00:38:27,400 Speaker 2: want to go forward after two years of meditation, where 726 00:38:27,440 --> 00:38:30,720 Speaker 2: I was in a state of dissociation in order to survive, 727 00:38:31,560 --> 00:38:33,320 Speaker 2: where to the point where if you called me that 728 00:38:33,400 --> 00:38:35,200 Speaker 2: old name, it might take a few seconds for me 729 00:38:35,239 --> 00:38:38,400 Speaker 2: to register that you were actually talking to me. In 730 00:38:38,520 --> 00:38:41,719 Speaker 2: meditations and prayers, I asked the way forward, and I 731 00:38:41,760 --> 00:38:44,239 Speaker 2: was given in a series of dreams. I'm a pis 732 00:38:44,239 --> 00:38:46,840 Speaker 2: sing and I've always placed a lot of stocking dreams 733 00:38:47,520 --> 00:38:49,520 Speaker 2: in a series of dreams. Three to be exact, I 734 00:38:49,600 --> 00:38:52,160 Speaker 2: kept hearing the name Sananda called out by a group 735 00:38:52,200 --> 00:38:55,920 Speaker 2: of angels that I were always traveling behind, walking behind. 736 00:38:56,360 --> 00:38:59,120 Speaker 2: By the third time, this name, which was in every 737 00:38:59,200 --> 00:39:02,160 Speaker 2: dream to me like this is Solanda. I would always 738 00:39:02,160 --> 00:39:04,279 Speaker 2: look around like, hey, who's Sonanda. Who's going to answer 739 00:39:04,320 --> 00:39:06,880 Speaker 2: to this? The third time was the time where I realized, 740 00:39:06,920 --> 00:39:12,560 Speaker 2: oh shit, I'm Sonanda. I'm Sonanda. That's me. And literally 741 00:39:12,960 --> 00:39:16,440 Speaker 2: the angels who would never who never faced me in 742 00:39:16,560 --> 00:39:19,280 Speaker 2: any of the three dreams, literally turned around and faced 743 00:39:19,280 --> 00:39:23,160 Speaker 2: me and started applauding life. Ah, there you gets it. 744 00:39:24,360 --> 00:39:25,920 Speaker 2: And that was the beginning of that. That was and 745 00:39:25,960 --> 00:39:28,160 Speaker 2: I was given, you know, to understand, if you have 746 00:39:28,280 --> 00:39:30,480 Speaker 2: the courage of heart to take this, this is the 747 00:39:30,560 --> 00:39:34,120 Speaker 2: answer you've been waiting for, looking for, and it will 748 00:39:34,200 --> 00:39:37,920 Speaker 2: even resurrect the other name that they're now suppressing to 749 00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:41,160 Speaker 2: keep control of you. So that was the path I 750 00:39:41,200 --> 00:39:43,520 Speaker 2: had to take. I was ridiculed, of course, as you 751 00:39:43,600 --> 00:39:46,799 Speaker 2: as you would expect. I was. So that was absolutely nuts. 752 00:39:46,840 --> 00:39:49,000 Speaker 2: And it's like, well, just because I'm nuts doesn't mean 753 00:39:49,000 --> 00:39:51,799 Speaker 2: it's not a great idea. 754 00:39:55,160 --> 00:40:00,000 Speaker 1: How hard was that transition professionally speaking? Because I didn't 755 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:04,160 Speaker 1: I didn't know you existed until two thousand and eleven, 756 00:40:05,160 --> 00:40:07,520 Speaker 1: you know, So I was wondering, like, wait, what happened 757 00:40:07,520 --> 00:40:09,000 Speaker 1: between ninety four? Like where's he? 758 00:40:09,520 --> 00:40:11,319 Speaker 2: I had to give you time to do your other shit, 759 00:40:11,920 --> 00:40:15,000 Speaker 2: because you were playing your foundation for a culture that 760 00:40:15,239 --> 00:40:18,839 Speaker 2: you're just a very, very huge part of. Okay, but look, 761 00:40:18,920 --> 00:40:21,960 Speaker 2: the bottom line was, for a long time, I had 762 00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:25,319 Speaker 2: to dissociate myself with that life, that world. So I 763 00:40:25,400 --> 00:40:28,600 Speaker 2: wasn't going to be performing those songs anyway, got it. 764 00:40:29,080 --> 00:40:31,800 Speaker 2: Creating a new catalog gave me something to do. For 765 00:40:32,239 --> 00:40:35,680 Speaker 2: eight years, I was in a trio. I've still played 766 00:40:35,680 --> 00:40:38,040 Speaker 2: everything myself on the record, but I went for a trio, 767 00:40:38,560 --> 00:40:41,240 Speaker 2: which means that I arranged everything with a view towards 768 00:40:41,239 --> 00:40:43,840 Speaker 2: when you play this live, you're just gonna have three instruments. 769 00:40:43,960 --> 00:40:46,239 Speaker 2: As an arranger, that was a great, great challenge. I 770 00:40:46,280 --> 00:40:50,000 Speaker 2: loved it. Arrangers loved Now you got right for twelve pieces, 771 00:40:50,160 --> 00:40:53,120 Speaker 2: Now you got right for four pieces. You know, we 772 00:40:53,200 --> 00:40:53,560 Speaker 2: love that. 773 00:40:53,800 --> 00:40:59,040 Speaker 1: At one point, weren't you Were you considering being the 774 00:40:59,080 --> 00:41:00,840 Speaker 1: new front man of n X or was that just 775 00:41:00,880 --> 00:41:02,640 Speaker 1: a one off thing or that it. 776 00:41:02,680 --> 00:41:05,920 Speaker 2: Was another very interesting story that came about because I 777 00:41:05,960 --> 00:41:07,839 Speaker 2: had heard a rumor from a couple of people, Hey, 778 00:41:07,920 --> 00:41:11,960 Speaker 2: what's this about you joining Excess? I had absolutely no 779 00:41:12,080 --> 00:41:15,759 Speaker 2: idea whether this even started. Okay, it was in addressing 780 00:41:15,800 --> 00:41:20,920 Speaker 2: the rumor through the media that they heard that I 781 00:41:21,040 --> 00:41:23,439 Speaker 2: was saying or that they got the idea to ask 782 00:41:23,520 --> 00:41:26,840 Speaker 2: if I would do it. So it was actually me 783 00:41:26,960 --> 00:41:31,719 Speaker 2: the It was while I was debunking rumor that in 784 00:41:31,760 --> 00:41:33,800 Speaker 2: the process of debunking the room, and they heard the 785 00:41:33,880 --> 00:41:36,120 Speaker 2: rumor and then said, here, let's take a gamble and 786 00:41:36,160 --> 00:41:39,120 Speaker 2: ask if you'll do it. I was very good, good 787 00:41:39,160 --> 00:41:44,520 Speaker 2: friends with Mike Hutchins, Michael Hutchins, and so yeah, that's 788 00:41:44,520 --> 00:41:47,880 Speaker 2: how that happened. It was strange. And then of course 789 00:41:47,960 --> 00:41:50,840 Speaker 2: we did the opening of the Olympic Stadium in Sydney 790 00:41:50,840 --> 00:41:54,120 Speaker 2: in the year two thousand and that's what led them 791 00:41:54,160 --> 00:41:57,200 Speaker 2: to invite me the next year to be Jesus and 792 00:41:57,320 --> 00:42:00,840 Speaker 2: god Spell. And I was really excited about that because 793 00:42:00,880 --> 00:42:02,800 Speaker 2: it was like, you know, I grew up doing gospel 794 00:42:02,800 --> 00:42:06,400 Speaker 2: in junior high school, so I knew that like the 795 00:42:06,440 --> 00:42:09,600 Speaker 2: back of my hand, and they asked me to play 796 00:42:09,680 --> 00:42:13,719 Speaker 2: the Jesus character. I was like, dude, that's like, yeah, man, 797 00:42:13,760 --> 00:42:17,200 Speaker 2: the Australians loved these bitches. Yeah, man, it's about time, 798 00:42:17,480 --> 00:42:19,680 Speaker 2: because you know, I always felt like he probably looked closer 799 00:42:19,719 --> 00:42:22,800 Speaker 2: to me than he did to Chris Sarandon or whoever 800 00:42:22,800 --> 00:42:25,000 Speaker 2: plays motherfucking the movies anyway, when I was a kid, 801 00:42:25,239 --> 00:42:28,560 Speaker 2: you know. But the irony is the very day I 802 00:42:28,640 --> 00:42:31,680 Speaker 2: was meant to get on the plane, the producer and 803 00:42:31,719 --> 00:42:36,360 Speaker 2: the director got into a huge fight because the director 804 00:42:36,400 --> 00:42:39,120 Speaker 2: had prompted, in order to get me on board, promised 805 00:42:39,120 --> 00:42:43,759 Speaker 2: I could contribute a song to the situation, to give 806 00:42:43,760 --> 00:42:47,720 Speaker 2: me another song to sing, and they were already problems 807 00:42:48,040 --> 00:42:49,759 Speaker 2: doing But I guess that was the straw that broke 808 00:42:49,800 --> 00:42:52,439 Speaker 2: the camels back. And literally got a call an hour 809 00:42:52,520 --> 00:42:55,279 Speaker 2: before I was going to leave for the airport that 810 00:42:55,520 --> 00:42:58,400 Speaker 2: they had postponed it until they sorted out all this 811 00:42:58,480 --> 00:43:00,840 Speaker 2: other stuff, which by which when I had moved on. 812 00:43:01,000 --> 00:43:05,839 Speaker 2: But yeah, that rumor was true, and that rumor led 813 00:43:05,880 --> 00:43:07,880 Speaker 2: to some other stuff, and then eventually they asked if 814 00:43:07,920 --> 00:43:10,120 Speaker 2: I want to be a permanent member. But that was 815 00:43:10,160 --> 00:43:12,600 Speaker 2: in the very beginning of me going into the transition 816 00:43:13,560 --> 00:43:16,640 Speaker 2: full time in earnest and realized it wouldn't have been 817 00:43:16,680 --> 00:43:19,880 Speaker 2: in my best interest to have lent my energy to that. 818 00:43:21,480 --> 00:43:24,160 Speaker 1: So the way you create now is it when the 819 00:43:24,200 --> 00:43:29,399 Speaker 1: spirit moves you, or like, are you your your final say? 820 00:43:29,440 --> 00:43:33,040 Speaker 1: Are you your boss? Are you like okay? Are you 821 00:43:33,080 --> 00:43:34,920 Speaker 1: in an ideal place now creatively. 822 00:43:35,960 --> 00:43:39,319 Speaker 2: I've been in an ideal place creatively since the very 823 00:43:39,440 --> 00:43:44,480 Speaker 2: very beginning, because I was spoiled that I've always had 824 00:43:44,480 --> 00:43:48,520 Speaker 2: creative control and the first record was the only time 825 00:43:48,560 --> 00:43:54,880 Speaker 2: I've ever even made demos. But my answers is like this, 826 00:43:55,200 --> 00:43:58,080 Speaker 2: I'm sixty two years old. I've been doing this my 827 00:43:58,280 --> 00:44:02,520 Speaker 2: entire life. Else should I be listening to? But but me, 828 00:44:02,640 --> 00:44:06,880 Speaker 2: I I've always believed in my taste as an artist, 829 00:44:07,040 --> 00:44:09,919 Speaker 2: meaning that you know, if I can tell someone else 830 00:44:09,960 --> 00:44:11,719 Speaker 2: has made great music. I don't see why all of 831 00:44:11,760 --> 00:44:14,239 Speaker 2: a sudden it's impossible for me to know that I've 832 00:44:14,280 --> 00:44:20,080 Speaker 2: done something tasteful or or captured something. It is just. 833 00:44:20,480 --> 00:44:24,200 Speaker 2: It is just and the energy that I inherited back 834 00:44:24,200 --> 00:44:26,239 Speaker 2: into the process of creating when I no longer have 835 00:44:26,320 --> 00:44:29,040 Speaker 2: to defend myself and answer questions, why are you starting 836 00:44:29,080 --> 00:44:32,560 Speaker 2: the wild card with this? This kind of banjo? We 837 00:44:32,680 --> 00:44:35,440 Speaker 2: kind of why why are you doing why? I just 838 00:44:35,440 --> 00:44:38,040 Speaker 2: got time all that. Look. 839 00:44:38,239 --> 00:44:41,120 Speaker 1: I love when you go dirty, like the dirtier shit 840 00:44:41,239 --> 00:44:46,520 Speaker 1: dound the most, the SETTI just drums untuned. I love 841 00:44:46,600 --> 00:44:49,640 Speaker 1: that shit like, yeah, I love it soone look, brother, 842 00:44:50,120 --> 00:44:56,800 Speaker 1: I cannot emphasize enough how much of a profound I 843 00:44:56,840 --> 00:44:59,880 Speaker 1: didn't even get into you did a show the CA 844 00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:03,680 Speaker 1: had me in music one night in Philadelphia and I'm 845 00:45:03,719 --> 00:45:08,359 Speaker 1: walking home from school and only because I know the baseline, 846 00:45:09,080 --> 00:45:12,640 Speaker 1: like the back of my hand, your band is soundchecking 847 00:45:13,840 --> 00:45:18,399 Speaker 1: Wiki Wacky by Fat Back Band. Yeah, because I heard 848 00:45:18,400 --> 00:45:20,759 Speaker 1: that booby doo boom boooo, boom boom boom boom boom 849 00:45:20,760 --> 00:45:25,600 Speaker 1: b And there was half a second where like one 850 00:45:25,640 --> 00:45:27,520 Speaker 1: of the side doors was open at the Academy of 851 00:45:27,600 --> 00:45:31,480 Speaker 1: Music and me like, I'm walking home from school and 852 00:45:32,520 --> 00:45:35,640 Speaker 1: you guys are sound checking at the Academy of Music. 853 00:45:35,760 --> 00:45:38,319 Speaker 1: I went to perform an art school like across the 854 00:45:38,320 --> 00:45:42,279 Speaker 1: street from that school and would often walk by it. 855 00:45:42,600 --> 00:45:46,480 Speaker 1: And I didn't even know the Fat Back version that well, 856 00:45:46,520 --> 00:45:50,440 Speaker 1: but I knew that baseline and watching you guys for 857 00:45:50,600 --> 00:45:55,400 Speaker 1: like three minutes, like and then security kick this out, 858 00:45:55,600 --> 00:45:58,799 Speaker 1: but we snuck in the sound check. But yeah, it 859 00:45:58,880 --> 00:46:07,000 Speaker 1: was such a profound effect on my life and of 860 00:46:07,800 --> 00:46:09,600 Speaker 1: And I know I sound like a broken record on 861 00:46:09,640 --> 00:46:13,399 Speaker 1: this podcast. I've been doing this for seven years. I've 862 00:46:13,600 --> 00:46:16,640 Speaker 1: I've I didn't know this is the interview I always 863 00:46:16,640 --> 00:46:20,239 Speaker 1: wanted in this ideal situation, and I thank you so 864 00:46:20,400 --> 00:46:24,719 Speaker 1: much for granting me the one man audience to just 865 00:46:24,920 --> 00:46:27,240 Speaker 1: nerd out and give you your flowers. 866 00:46:27,280 --> 00:46:31,280 Speaker 2: Man, I really appreciate the opportunity. When you your people 867 00:46:31,320 --> 00:46:34,160 Speaker 2: contacted us a few weeks ago, I was really like 868 00:46:34,920 --> 00:46:37,360 Speaker 2: it was a kind of feeling like finally, you know 869 00:46:37,400 --> 00:46:39,319 Speaker 2: what I mean, Like, you know, I see you, I 870 00:46:39,360 --> 00:46:40,279 Speaker 2: see you. I swear it. 871 00:46:40,520 --> 00:46:42,719 Speaker 1: I just didn't think you knew, Like, come on, man, 872 00:46:42,760 --> 00:46:45,480 Speaker 1: you all over the place, but I don't know that. 873 00:46:45,560 --> 00:46:47,279 Speaker 1: I think when you're in it, you're not like. 874 00:46:47,920 --> 00:46:51,359 Speaker 2: No, I'm into the culture. I mean basically I should 875 00:46:51,400 --> 00:46:54,040 Speaker 2: own shares on YouTube this moment at this point. So 876 00:46:54,280 --> 00:46:56,960 Speaker 2: you know, whatever you're doing, you know, I'm catching it. 877 00:46:57,040 --> 00:46:59,239 Speaker 2: I'm seeing it, you know. And the fact that you 878 00:46:59,280 --> 00:47:02,799 Speaker 2: got the gig with Falling and all of that, man, 879 00:47:02,880 --> 00:47:06,720 Speaker 2: it's just like, you know, your your imprint has been huge. 880 00:47:06,719 --> 00:47:09,760 Speaker 2: Your footprint has been huge, and we've really really needed 881 00:47:09,760 --> 00:47:12,960 Speaker 2: it because that thing you established, which was kind of 882 00:47:12,960 --> 00:47:16,200 Speaker 2: in its own way, you taking over from who are 883 00:47:16,200 --> 00:47:22,560 Speaker 2: we referencing before that whole whoever we were we were 884 00:47:22,680 --> 00:47:25,759 Speaker 2: referencing before that, they basically had a whole thing. You 885 00:47:25,800 --> 00:47:28,319 Speaker 2: also put out an umbrella and brought in a lot 886 00:47:28,320 --> 00:47:30,560 Speaker 2: of stuff that you nurtured and was really really important 887 00:47:30,560 --> 00:47:33,080 Speaker 2: for the culture. And I just I just thank you, 888 00:47:33,120 --> 00:47:36,399 Speaker 2: I just really do because you've made excellent, excellent music 889 00:47:36,440 --> 00:47:39,399 Speaker 2: and work. The productions are an excellent you know, and 890 00:47:39,920 --> 00:47:41,480 Speaker 2: I want you to pass on my love to a 891 00:47:41,520 --> 00:47:45,080 Speaker 2: young brother D'Angelo and to Erica as well. 892 00:47:46,360 --> 00:47:49,200 Speaker 1: The's gonna be my first phone call like right after now, 893 00:47:49,320 --> 00:47:52,560 Speaker 1: Like I'm just bursting as. 894 00:47:53,040 --> 00:47:55,000 Speaker 2: I'm particularly I'm proud of him, and you know that 895 00:47:55,120 --> 00:47:59,440 Speaker 2: he's He's everything you kind of suspected he had in 896 00:47:59,520 --> 00:48:02,640 Speaker 2: him when you first heard Brown Sugar. He's definitely going 897 00:48:02,719 --> 00:48:05,000 Speaker 2: beyond that. And like I said, he's even got Scandinavian 898 00:48:05,000 --> 00:48:09,160 Speaker 2: bitches and in Sweden talking about how probably are of him. 899 00:48:09,200 --> 00:48:13,040 Speaker 2: So you know, just past okay, and I want us 900 00:48:13,040 --> 00:48:14,560 Speaker 2: to stay in contact. We know we might do this. 901 00:48:14,760 --> 00:48:16,359 Speaker 1: We will. I'll slide in your d MS and give 902 00:48:16,360 --> 00:48:20,879 Speaker 1: you my information. Brother. Thank you for listening to Quest 903 00:48:20,880 --> 00:48:25,480 Speaker 1: Love Supreme Coast by Amir quest Love Thompson. Why You 904 00:48:25,600 --> 00:48:32,080 Speaker 1: Saint Clair Fonte, Coleman, Sugar, Steve Mande, An unpaid Bill Sherman, 905 00:48:33,160 --> 00:48:37,680 Speaker 1: executive producers are a mere Quest Love Thompson, Sean che 906 00:48:39,000 --> 00:48:45,960 Speaker 1: Brian Calhoun produced by Britney Benjamin Cousin, Jake Payne. Why 907 00:48:46,120 --> 00:48:51,680 Speaker 1: is Saint Clair? Edited by Alex Conroy. Produced by iHeart 908 00:48:51,760 --> 00:49:08,040 Speaker 1: by Noel Brown. Much Love Supreme is a production of iHeartRadio. 909 00:49:12,560 --> 00:49:15,840 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 910 00:49:16,040 --> 00:49:19,080 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.