1 00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:06,160 Speaker 1: So far, Like Michael Bivens at the time of the 2 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:08,879 Speaker 1: filming of the Boys to Men Motown Philly video, I 3 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:12,639 Speaker 1: have heard zero music from Sudden Impact, not the original recipe, 4 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:15,440 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety one version, not the five guys in the video. 5 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:17,800 Speaker 1: I don't think I actually can hear the music of 6 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:20,600 Speaker 1: Sudden Impacts because it's locked in a vault at Capitol Records. 7 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:23,639 Speaker 1: I've heard White Guys quick Verse on the East Coast 8 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:25,960 Speaker 1: family song one Forour All four to one, and they 9 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:28,880 Speaker 1: sound good, but I haven't heard any full songs because 10 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:32,040 Speaker 1: whatever they recorded is locked in a vault, and Motown Records, 11 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:35,280 Speaker 1: which distributed music from Michael Bivens' biv ten label, which 12 00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 1: doesn't exist anymore. I haven't heard any music from the 13 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 1: Outsiders either, because whatever they recorded under that name is 14 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 1: the property of Sony Music, which distributed Boys to Men's 15 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:47,800 Speaker 1: Stone Creek label, which also doesn't exist anymore. I have 16 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:50,480 Speaker 1: heard some of the songs the guys recorded as Outsiders 17 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 1: for Life after Aaron and Noel Kane left the group 18 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:56,440 Speaker 1: and Jimmy Marble and Jason Dowdy joined. It's a little 19 00:00:56,440 --> 00:00:59,320 Speaker 1: harder than I was expecting, a little angrier, a little 20 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 1: more Timberland because it was the year two thousand and 21 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 1: everything was more tim Milandy back then it was the law. 22 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:07,720 Speaker 1: But from the original five I have still heard no music. 23 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:10,520 Speaker 1: But thanks to Jason and Tim Bird, I have made 24 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:14,480 Speaker 1: contact with Todd White and Alan Healy, and before we speak, 25 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:17,560 Speaker 1: I ask them whether they have the other major thing 26 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:20,480 Speaker 1: I'm missing, maybe the biggest piece of the puzzle so far, 27 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:24,039 Speaker 1: the thing that put this story into motion, the two 28 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:28,400 Speaker 1: special poster, the picture that got Michael Bivens to sign them. 29 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:31,880 Speaker 1: They have it, and before we speak they send it 30 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 1: to me. So now I have it, I'm going to 31 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 1: break it down for you pixel by pixel, pegged Jean 32 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 1: by peg Jane. I'll talk about it with Todd and 33 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:43,399 Speaker 1: Allen and I will get the sudden impact story from 34 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 1: their perspective. I'll do a little digging as to whether 35 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 1: one of their later songs who Are You was a 36 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 1: disc track, and if so, who was getting dissed and why? 37 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 1: Plus a conversation with a voice you could not escape 38 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:58,400 Speaker 1: in nineteen ninety one, I'm going to catch up with 39 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 1: Freedom Williams of Seeing Music Factory, who is as always 40 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 1: gonna make you sweat? This is waiting for impact a 41 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:29,119 Speaker 1: Dave Holmes Passion Project, Todd White, Alan Healey, Holy, how 42 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:31,480 Speaker 1: I cannot believe him talking to the both of you. 43 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:37,119 Speaker 2: This is nuts. First of all, how are you good man? 44 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:38,519 Speaker 3: Happy to be alive? 45 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 4: We're both good. 46 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 1: I'm speaking with Todd and Allen over Zoom. They're both 47 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:44,919 Speaker 1: in their individual homes. They live about thirty minutes away 48 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 1: from each other in Virginia, and as I talk to them, 49 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:48,680 Speaker 1: I'm reminded of something. 50 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:49,919 Speaker 2: They're outsiders for life. 51 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:53,440 Speaker 1: Bandmate Jason Dowdy told me about them, One that Todd 52 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:56,120 Speaker 1: is the hard charger of the group, the engine, and 53 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 1: two that Alan Heally was their street cred. Here's what 54 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:00,760 Speaker 1: he said about that, just. 55 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 5: You know, like from his the family he's from, and 56 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:05,880 Speaker 5: the people he knows in the area, like he's kind 57 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 5: of down with you know, some people from the streets 58 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:10,799 Speaker 5: it that way, you know what I mean. 59 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:13,920 Speaker 1: I don't actually know what Jason means, but of course 60 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:16,919 Speaker 1: now I'm expecting some kind of Virginia Beach sopranos character 61 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:19,600 Speaker 1: a tough guy, and maybe he is, but right now 62 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:22,079 Speaker 1: over Zoom, the two of them could not be nicer. 63 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:24,920 Speaker 1: Maybe they've mellowed with age, or maybe they're just happy 64 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:28,239 Speaker 1: to be talking about this stuff. Either way, you will 65 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 1: believe how Todd White. 66 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 2: Met Alan Heally. How did Todd White and Alan Healy meet. 67 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 4: Over a girl? Actually? 68 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:38,280 Speaker 6: I think I started dating one of Todd's a's girlfriends 69 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 6: and I got told that Todd White wanted to talk 70 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 6: to me, and so I was like really, So then 71 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 6: he told me I met him, and he was like, 72 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:48,000 Speaker 6: you know, treater good. 73 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 4: She's a good girl type deal. 74 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 6: And me and him actually became really good friends through this, 75 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 6: and then those girls disappeared in our friendship kept on. 76 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 4: So it's kind of really interesting girls. 77 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 1: Man, Todd, My understanding is that that is how you 78 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 1: met Aaron Kane. 79 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:11,120 Speaker 4: Yeah, it was yep, Todd. 80 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 2: How many girlfriends did you have? 81 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 3: I had a lot of girlfriends. 82 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:18,839 Speaker 4: Yeah, friends that were girls. 83 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:20,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, friends that were girls. 84 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:24,040 Speaker 7: I don't know, man, I had to get rid of 85 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:26,120 Speaker 7: a lot of that stuff, Dave, so I could make 86 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:27,200 Speaker 7: room for new memories. 87 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:30,440 Speaker 1: Have you noticed that everyone involved with Sudden Impact or 88 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:32,800 Speaker 1: Michael Bivens says my name back to me when they 89 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: answer a question, Hayden and Evett did it too. I 90 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:37,680 Speaker 1: can't help but wonder whether that was part of the 91 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:41,640 Speaker 1: training Michael Bivens put them through. Anyway, it works when 92 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:43,680 Speaker 1: these guys were teenagers. Though Todd was a bit of 93 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 1: a wild child, it was an energy alan really clicked with. 94 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:51,240 Speaker 6: Our parents were both majors in the army, so very 95 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 6: structured lifestyle. And then you have some people that go 96 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:56,839 Speaker 6: into that lifestyle, I'd say, and then you have guys 97 00:04:56,880 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 6: like us that completely fought against our dads and hated it. 98 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:02,279 Speaker 4: So many of us joined the military. We went. 99 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:06,560 Speaker 6: I asked my mom is Vietnamese Mom, I don't want 100 00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:08,279 Speaker 6: to do the Air Force and she was like, what 101 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 6: do you want to do? I said, I want to 102 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:11,320 Speaker 6: hang out with Todd, and you know, you know, she 103 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:13,360 Speaker 6: was like, follow your dreams, do whatever you want to do. 104 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:16,279 Speaker 6: So it was a it was a different you know, 105 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 6: but titled just that guy man. He was just somebody 106 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:20,960 Speaker 6: that always people are talking about him because he's either 107 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:21,600 Speaker 6: pissing them. 108 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:23,120 Speaker 4: Off or they liked him. Do you like Tid or 109 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:24,559 Speaker 4: you hated Todd? Todder? 110 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:25,719 Speaker 2: How does that feel to hear that? 111 00:05:26,440 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 3: It's cool? 112 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:27,280 Speaker 4: Man? 113 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:28,920 Speaker 3: You know, I'll tell you this, man. 114 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:33,359 Speaker 7: You know, we grow old, man, we grow apart man, 115 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:36,479 Speaker 7: and uh well, not really a part but like with 116 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:39,240 Speaker 7: me and Allen. Man, we can go like, you know, 117 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 7: a week, two, three, well a month without to talk 118 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:44,600 Speaker 7: to each other and call and pick right up where 119 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:45,719 Speaker 7: we left off, right where we. 120 00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 3: Left off, man, you know, and uh, it's cool man. 121 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:48,960 Speaker 7: You know. 122 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:50,960 Speaker 3: It was a real good bond. There still is. 123 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:53,600 Speaker 7: It's always been. It's always been really you know. But 124 00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:55,280 Speaker 7: you know, yet life happens. 125 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 2: You know, how are your parents with your decision to 126 00:05:57,800 --> 00:05:58,680 Speaker 2: pursue music. 127 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:03,320 Speaker 3: Oh they care whatever as long as he does something 128 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 3: with himself. 129 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 4: You know what I mean? 130 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:08,520 Speaker 2: What kind of kids were you? What kind of teenagers 131 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:08,719 Speaker 2: were you? 132 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:09,000 Speaker 6: Were? 133 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:09,719 Speaker 4: Kids? 134 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:10,919 Speaker 2: Bad kids, wild? 135 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 6: I would tell you I was good all the way 136 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:16,279 Speaker 6: till about when I started hanging out with Todd. I 137 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:19,280 Speaker 6: was started getting where he was not in school, ninth grade, 138 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:21,800 Speaker 6: he was out. I got a call and it'll be 139 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:23,640 Speaker 6: Todd telling me, Hey, calling sick. We're going to go 140 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:25,400 Speaker 6: to the beach. We're going to write to you know. 141 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:27,600 Speaker 6: Then he started. There was all the music and being 142 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:29,600 Speaker 6: around him. You never knew what to expected. This guy 143 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:31,280 Speaker 6: all right, with a lot of parties we weren't allowed 144 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:34,279 Speaker 6: to come to locally, And that all changed once we 145 00:06:34,279 --> 00:06:35,760 Speaker 6: got into boys and Men's video of course. 146 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 1: All right, let's back up here a little bit and 147 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:40,359 Speaker 1: talk about how Too Special the first version of Sudden 148 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:43,760 Speaker 1: Impact came together. We know Todd White met Aaron Kane 149 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:45,560 Speaker 1: at a party when they were about to get into 150 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:48,280 Speaker 1: a fist fight over a girl. We know that the 151 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:51,039 Speaker 1: original version of the group was Todd, Aaron, and another 152 00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 1: guy named Eric. What we don't know is how Alan 153 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:55,119 Speaker 1: entered the fold. 154 00:06:55,560 --> 00:06:57,520 Speaker 6: I'll kind of tell you kind of what happened for 155 00:06:57,720 --> 00:07:00,000 Speaker 6: me to get in this group. Todd and I were 156 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:03,280 Speaker 6: always kind of just friends that acted crazy. I mean, 157 00:07:03,279 --> 00:07:04,880 Speaker 6: if I want to do summer laugh, I go hang 158 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 6: out with Todd. Tide was always a damn nut, you know, 159 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 6: carried through all the way to when we're this age. 160 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:11,560 Speaker 4: Now. My son loves to go hang out with Todd 161 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 4: just because Todd's wild. All right. 162 00:07:14,080 --> 00:07:17,240 Speaker 6: So I was in Washington State and I got this 163 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:19,920 Speaker 6: phone call about and Todd played me a song over 164 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:22,000 Speaker 6: the over the thing, and it was in a group 165 00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:24,000 Speaker 6: called Two Special Tight, you know, and I was like 166 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:26,360 Speaker 6: and said, that sounds pretty damn good man. 167 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:29,640 Speaker 4: I actually enjoyed that. So he told me that the 168 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:30,360 Speaker 4: two guys were. 169 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:32,120 Speaker 6: Getting ready to move and he needed the guy in 170 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:33,440 Speaker 6: the group, and he was like, if you want to 171 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:37,040 Speaker 6: come back to Virginia, you know, I'll you know, I'll 172 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 6: put you in this group. 173 00:07:38,360 --> 00:07:39,600 Speaker 4: And so I was like, all right. 174 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:41,400 Speaker 1: I just want to chime in here and remind you 175 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 1: that this level of wheeling and dealing, these potential cross 176 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 1: country moves and personnel changes, these were all being negotiated 177 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:49,680 Speaker 1: among sixteen year old. 178 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 4: Boys and Aaron them didn't really know me too well. 179 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:54,680 Speaker 6: And I came in and it was kind of a 180 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:57,520 Speaker 6: little bit of a first like, oh, he's Todd's guy, 181 00:07:57,560 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 6: you know, and this helps tide, you know, decisions now, 182 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:02,760 Speaker 6: it's his best friend type thing. And so we got 183 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:05,560 Speaker 6: together and I told him when I got in the group, 184 00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:08,119 Speaker 6: I wanted to, you know, not just do local shows. 185 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 6: I wanted to start, Hey, let's make this big, Let's 186 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:13,560 Speaker 6: do something. And so me and him started. He had 187 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:15,880 Speaker 6: that I would say a lot of the talent. Todd 188 00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:17,880 Speaker 6: has always been really good at writing hooks. 189 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:20,960 Speaker 1: Todd, what was the name too Special? 190 00:08:21,160 --> 00:08:22,280 Speaker 2: All about? How did that? 191 00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:27,360 Speaker 7: I have no clue, as you, man, I mean, it's catchy. 192 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 7: I wish I could remember, man, I honestly have no clue, man, 193 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:34,200 Speaker 7: you know, even a song I look back at the 194 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:35,000 Speaker 7: song please be. 195 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:37,280 Speaker 4: Mine, be my girl, Please be mine. 196 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:39,440 Speaker 3: Dun dum dump my girl, like were begging. 197 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:42,880 Speaker 6: You know, it's but we were man, you're think you're 198 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:45,040 Speaker 6: sixteen years old. Man, you know what I'm saying. 199 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:47,440 Speaker 1: I do know exactly what he's saying. But what I'm 200 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:49,720 Speaker 1: dying to know about is how they made the decision 201 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:52,760 Speaker 1: as two sixteen year old boys to take their poster, 202 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:54,680 Speaker 1: which again we're going to talk about later in the show, 203 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:58,640 Speaker 1: and fly all the way across the country to try something. 204 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:01,240 Speaker 1: What I didn't know is that getting a record deal 205 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:04,160 Speaker 1: wasn't just a happy accident. It was the fulfillment of 206 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:07,000 Speaker 1: a promise. So let's talk about the trip to Los 207 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:11,520 Speaker 1: Angeles for Marvin Gaye's Walk of Fame ceremony. 208 00:09:13,679 --> 00:09:15,920 Speaker 2: Did you drive, did you fly? What did you did? 209 00:09:15,960 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 2: You tell your parents? 210 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:18,480 Speaker 4: Well, yeah, tell our parents. 211 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:21,360 Speaker 6: We asked everyone to go, So we asked Tid's mom. 212 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 4: I will tell you was like our manager. 213 00:09:23,080 --> 00:09:26,520 Speaker 6: She pretty much put up every bit of money anything 214 00:09:26,559 --> 00:09:29,320 Speaker 6: for Tide. She would put up whatever she just wanted 215 00:09:29,360 --> 00:09:32,040 Speaker 6: Tie not to going to jail. You know, be somebody, 216 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:34,319 Speaker 6: And I would tell you music probably saved his butt 217 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:36,880 Speaker 6: from going to jail straight up. Because me and Todd 218 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:38,520 Speaker 6: both looked at each other and you can't sing from 219 00:09:38,559 --> 00:09:40,640 Speaker 6: jail and make money. So we're like, you know, at 220 00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:42,600 Speaker 6: least nowadays you might be able to, but not back then. 221 00:09:43,080 --> 00:09:45,439 Speaker 6: So we were kind of like, hey, let's go do this. 222 00:09:45,559 --> 00:09:47,160 Speaker 6: I went and talked to my mom, and my mom 223 00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:50,040 Speaker 6: will take to this day. I asked her and I slammed. 224 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 6: My father had a you know, we lived in Germany, 225 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:55,080 Speaker 6: so yeah, and Mercedes Bens. 226 00:09:55,080 --> 00:09:56,920 Speaker 4: I asked her, let me go with Todd. She said no, 227 00:09:57,440 --> 00:09:59,600 Speaker 4: and I slammed the Mercedes Benz door so hard and 228 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:00,800 Speaker 4: slash at her door. 229 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:04,040 Speaker 6: Windows smashed, just went straight down, and she looked at 230 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:06,000 Speaker 6: me and she was like, you know, just pissed off. 231 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:08,120 Speaker 6: So I go to Todd and she comes back the 232 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:11,000 Speaker 6: next day and talked to Todd's mom and said, Alan, 233 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:13,200 Speaker 6: I work hard for my money. I'm gonna give you 234 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:16,080 Speaker 6: this money if you go to LA come back with something. 235 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:18,079 Speaker 6: And I was like, I promise you, I'm not going 236 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:19,200 Speaker 6: out there just to do nothing. 237 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:20,840 Speaker 4: I'm going out there to come back with something. 238 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:23,680 Speaker 1: They didn't get a recording contract off a poster because 239 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 1: they were lucky. They got it because Alan promised his 240 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:28,160 Speaker 1: mom he would, and these guys are men. 241 00:10:28,040 --> 00:10:29,960 Speaker 2: Of their word. Cecil Jenkins. 242 00:10:29,960 --> 00:10:32,640 Speaker 1: On the other hand, Marvin Gay's friend and local music promoter, 243 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:35,600 Speaker 1: might not have been as good a guy as I thought. 244 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:38,640 Speaker 6: And so Todd and I are out there. Supposedly he's 245 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:40,880 Speaker 6: gonna take care of us. Okay, We're gonna go out there. 246 00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:42,800 Speaker 6: I'm gonna take care of this guy disappeared on us 247 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:44,960 Speaker 6: for the first night. To me and Todd decided because 248 00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:47,440 Speaker 6: he left us there and just left us in hotel. 249 00:10:47,440 --> 00:10:49,720 Speaker 6: We were kind of just I think his paycheck to 250 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:52,400 Speaker 6: get to La. So we get out there and we 251 00:10:52,440 --> 00:10:54,080 Speaker 6: just get left and like we're supposed to be staying 252 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:54,440 Speaker 6: with him. 253 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:56,880 Speaker 4: But guess what, guys, I can't get you in the place. 254 00:10:56,960 --> 00:10:59,120 Speaker 4: Kada YadA. So we were like, you know, it's true, 255 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:00,520 Speaker 4: let's walk around LA. We're out here. 256 00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:02,360 Speaker 6: So you know, I'm a military brat, so I'm like, 257 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:04,200 Speaker 6: let's go. I've been in Germany, I've been in Paris. 258 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:04,800 Speaker 4: We can make this. 259 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:08,360 Speaker 1: Alan Heally and Todd White are sixteen years old, more 260 00:11:08,440 --> 00:11:10,560 Speaker 1: confident and resourceful than I will ever be. 261 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:12,680 Speaker 6: We go out there and this guy's up on the 262 00:11:12,679 --> 00:11:15,400 Speaker 6: stage of Marvin Gaye's you know, family. So we're up 263 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:17,160 Speaker 6: there at the start and I'm like, man, this dude 264 00:11:17,559 --> 00:11:19,480 Speaker 6: kind of just dissing the hell out of us, really, you. 265 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:20,040 Speaker 4: Know, honestly. 266 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:24,320 Speaker 6: So we're Mike Bivins comes up and runs next to 267 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:27,240 Speaker 6: us and stands like watching what's going on in Todd season. 268 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:30,040 Speaker 6: And I remember he Tide's like, yo, Alan, give him 269 00:11:30,040 --> 00:11:32,360 Speaker 6: the poster, and you know, he walks off. So I 270 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:34,480 Speaker 6: walked up to him, like, yo, man, this a poster 271 00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:35,839 Speaker 6: and he's like, I'm gonna keep that shit out of 272 00:11:35,880 --> 00:11:38,040 Speaker 6: my face. And I'm like, I was like, well, this 273 00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:40,120 Speaker 6: guy just told me to. I go back and tell Todd. 274 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:41,880 Speaker 6: I'm like, yo, this. He goes what he's saying. I'm like, 275 00:11:42,240 --> 00:11:44,040 Speaker 6: dude just told me to get that shit out of 276 00:11:44,080 --> 00:11:45,640 Speaker 6: his face, and Time looks at me. He goes give 277 00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:49,520 Speaker 6: me that and he runs back over there and Mike's like, hey, man, 278 00:11:49,880 --> 00:11:51,760 Speaker 6: I didn't know, man, I thought that was a new 279 00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:54,080 Speaker 6: Kid poster and asked me to sign it, you know, 280 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:56,040 Speaker 6: like it's like kind of a disc like because they 281 00:11:56,040 --> 00:11:58,559 Speaker 6: were supposed to be like new Kids from Areas Starshit. 282 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:01,120 Speaker 6: So he got kind of pissy and then he goes, no, okay, 283 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:04,319 Speaker 6: am I bad. So he points to Todd and tells Todd, hey, 284 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:07,600 Speaker 6: come over here, and so we you know, Tid points 285 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:09,640 Speaker 6: to me and we both go over there and he's like. 286 00:12:09,640 --> 00:12:11,640 Speaker 4: Man, I'm so sorry. I thought she was this group. 287 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:16,320 Speaker 6: So he brings us up to Motown Records and we 288 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:19,480 Speaker 6: go right into the president's office, Gerald Busby's office, like, 289 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:22,520 Speaker 6: walk up, like man, Me and him have a poster 290 00:12:22,600 --> 00:12:24,840 Speaker 6: in one song, please be on to it. Right into 291 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:26,960 Speaker 6: the office, and I'm sitting there like amazing, we're in 292 00:12:27,040 --> 00:12:29,280 Speaker 6: this guy's office. I'm oh, my god, you know. 293 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:32,200 Speaker 4: And so he starts telling Jerald how this. 294 00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:34,000 Speaker 6: Is going to be my new group, another group after 295 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:35,719 Speaker 6: another bad creation of boys to men, this is my 296 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:38,400 Speaker 6: new group, and so he starts askings, can you sing 297 00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:38,760 Speaker 6: like this? 298 00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:40,880 Speaker 4: And I didn't. Man, I mean like, if I'm at 299 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:42,240 Speaker 4: a job, you asked me if I can do something? 300 00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:44,120 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, I can do it. We can do whatever. 301 00:12:44,600 --> 00:12:45,960 Speaker 4: So I sell our group. 302 00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:47,560 Speaker 6: Me and Ty are sitting there and we just keep 303 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:49,840 Speaker 6: talking and he's like, hey, look, I don't know what 304 00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:50,360 Speaker 6: you came. 305 00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:52,240 Speaker 4: Out here to do, but you've accomplished it. Go back 306 00:12:52,280 --> 00:12:54,720 Speaker 4: to Virginia and go home. 307 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:55,440 Speaker 3: I'll call you. 308 00:12:55,840 --> 00:12:58,680 Speaker 1: What I love about everyone's version of this story is 309 00:12:58,679 --> 00:13:01,400 Speaker 1: that nobody has told me what happened between Michael Bibvens 310 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:04,360 Speaker 1: looking at the two special poster and Michael Bivins driving 311 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:07,319 Speaker 1: Todd and Allen to Motown Records. And I think nobody's 312 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:10,480 Speaker 1: told me what happened because nothing happened in between. He 313 00:13:10,559 --> 00:13:13,160 Speaker 1: really did just see the poster and make the decision, 314 00:13:13,559 --> 00:13:16,400 Speaker 1: and Motown was just as quick to jump. Jeral Buzzby 315 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:20,120 Speaker 1: asks if you can sing? Does he at any time 316 00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:21,040 Speaker 1: hear you sing? 317 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:25,040 Speaker 6: At that point, Mike says, don't worry about it. I 318 00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:27,280 Speaker 6: got these are my guys. They're gonna be able to 319 00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:28,880 Speaker 6: so be and Todd didn't have count to sing in 320 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:29,720 Speaker 6: the office. 321 00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:32,199 Speaker 1: At that point, they have a meeting with Motown Records. 322 00:13:32,280 --> 00:13:34,920 Speaker 1: They get Michael Bivens' number, and I promise that something 323 00:13:34,960 --> 00:13:37,959 Speaker 1: will happen, and they call that number right away. 324 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:39,080 Speaker 4: Before we left. 325 00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:41,320 Speaker 6: We called that dude in the morning like I've been 326 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:43,720 Speaker 6: even called Mike at seven in the morning and he's like, dude, 327 00:13:43,760 --> 00:13:46,000 Speaker 6: it's me, it's my number, go home, trust me. 328 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:49,080 Speaker 4: Then we go back to Virginia and we're. 329 00:13:48,920 --> 00:13:51,160 Speaker 6: Telling all Aaron and all them, Hey, guys, we got 330 00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:53,160 Speaker 6: some We gotta tell y'all we got something. 331 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:53,320 Speaker 4: Trust me. 332 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:56,559 Speaker 1: And before they head home, they have one last conversation 333 00:13:57,080 --> 00:13:58,439 Speaker 1: with Cecil Jenkins. 334 00:13:58,679 --> 00:13:58,840 Speaker 4: You know. 335 00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:01,480 Speaker 6: We go back to our accon lodge and that dude 336 00:14:01,480 --> 00:14:03,080 Speaker 6: calls it Udd and goes, hey, did y'all see me 337 00:14:03,160 --> 00:14:03,920 Speaker 6: on the stage. 338 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:06,600 Speaker 4: And I'm like, yeah, we saw you on the stage. 339 00:14:06,600 --> 00:14:09,800 Speaker 6: And here I said, Hey man, I said to go, 340 00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:12,240 Speaker 6: I got that question for you. Can you give me 341 00:14:12,240 --> 00:14:15,880 Speaker 6: a meet with Jerald buzby tomorrow? And the guy's like, oh, hey, nah, Man, 342 00:14:15,880 --> 00:14:17,679 Speaker 6: I ain't gonna be able to you know, swing that 343 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:18,400 Speaker 6: yeahda YadA. 344 00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:20,200 Speaker 4: And I was like, well, okay, we're going home tomorrow. 345 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:22,320 Speaker 4: We'll talk to you later. And so we got in 346 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:23,400 Speaker 4: our plane and we left. 347 00:14:23,640 --> 00:14:26,119 Speaker 1: The guys have a pending record deal with the legendary 348 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:29,680 Speaker 1: Motown Record but before anything else can happen, another quick 349 00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:30,720 Speaker 1: personnel change. 350 00:14:30,920 --> 00:14:32,960 Speaker 4: So we get home and we tell. 351 00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:35,560 Speaker 6: Aaron and Noel and everybody, and then we tell them, hey, 352 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:36,320 Speaker 6: we're bringing. 353 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:36,800 Speaker 4: Dave in the group. 354 00:14:36,960 --> 00:14:39,320 Speaker 6: We got another guy. We're bringing it because me and 355 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:41,400 Speaker 6: Todd decided we were decided we're gonna put Dave in 356 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:44,120 Speaker 6: the group. So we you know, this Yeah, they got 357 00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:46,160 Speaker 6: pissed it first, so we didn't care. It was, you know, 358 00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:48,560 Speaker 6: kind of Todd's dealing my deal. At this point, we 359 00:14:48,560 --> 00:14:50,080 Speaker 6: were wanting to do our vision. 360 00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:52,280 Speaker 2: What was the vision at the beginning. 361 00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:54,360 Speaker 6: The vision at the beginning was, I would tell you 362 00:14:54,440 --> 00:14:56,600 Speaker 6: we were inspired by us straight up saying, new kids 363 00:14:56,640 --> 00:14:59,080 Speaker 6: on the block. We saw some dudes singing and we 364 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:00,800 Speaker 6: were like, damn it, we can to do that. Man 365 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:03,280 Speaker 6: and Tied had been in like choir. 366 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:05,440 Speaker 4: And he was in beforeen. He was in school, he 367 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:07,160 Speaker 4: was in chorus and all that stuff. 368 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:10,280 Speaker 1: The next step was an appearance on b ET. Michael 369 00:15:10,280 --> 00:15:13,120 Speaker 1: Bivens was booked on Donnie Simpson's show Video Soul to 370 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:16,240 Speaker 1: announce his development deal with Motown and introduce the world 371 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:19,080 Speaker 1: to his groups Boys to Men. Another bad creation and 372 00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:22,280 Speaker 1: sudden impact. But b ET was in Washington, d C. 373 00:15:22,560 --> 00:15:25,440 Speaker 1: A couple hours drive from Virginia Beach. And you know 374 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:28,000 Speaker 1: how Aaron and Knowles's parents are about these excursions. 375 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:30,440 Speaker 4: So we had to force his now Aaron and Knowles's 376 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:31,680 Speaker 4: parents to let us take. 377 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:33,840 Speaker 6: Them because me and Tyd are like, we're going. Regardless 378 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:36,120 Speaker 6: whether you go or not, we'll replace you. Someone's going 379 00:15:36,120 --> 00:15:38,000 Speaker 6: with us. I mean, I don't care who it is. Yeah, 380 00:15:38,040 --> 00:15:40,800 Speaker 6: you know, And so Aaron really wanted to do it. 381 00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:43,280 Speaker 4: Aaron was, you know, he's still singing today. He really 382 00:15:43,280 --> 00:15:43,880 Speaker 4: wanted to do it. 383 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:46,240 Speaker 6: So he shot up there with us and Noel jumped 384 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:48,440 Speaker 6: in the car and we all jumped into Dave's five 385 00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:51,360 Speaker 6: point zero convertible, trying to fit in the back seat. 386 00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:53,119 Speaker 4: It was rough up three hours. 387 00:15:52,880 --> 00:15:56,200 Speaker 3: The DC back seat, small, back seat small. 388 00:15:56,800 --> 00:16:02,840 Speaker 6: We show up and uh, it's ABC, I guess releasing 389 00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:05,680 Speaker 6: the debut of Aisha. We are there and we see 390 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:08,160 Speaker 6: Boys and Men sing married, don't you week? And that's 391 00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:10,800 Speaker 6: when we were like, wow, that's the singing group, you 392 00:16:10,880 --> 00:16:13,120 Speaker 6: know what I'm saying. So we learned real quick. And 393 00:16:13,160 --> 00:16:15,520 Speaker 6: we weren't that yet. Man, we weren't, I would say, 394 00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:17,840 Speaker 6: you know, we we were still in the very beginnings 395 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:20,120 Speaker 6: of being a group. We're still writing our records, We're 396 00:16:20,120 --> 00:16:22,560 Speaker 6: still trying to figure out what was going on, who 397 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:23,360 Speaker 6: we were right. 398 00:16:23,280 --> 00:16:24,800 Speaker 4: We're still developing ourselves. 399 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:27,640 Speaker 6: The next thing we had come up was we were 400 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:30,360 Speaker 6: supposed to, you know, we find out, Okay, we're gonna 401 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:32,920 Speaker 6: shoot Motown Philly video because they I should just released 402 00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:36,120 Speaker 6: now Boys and Men's gonna shoot their debut video in Philly. 403 00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:39,320 Speaker 6: So we get a call and me and Tyd are like, 404 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:41,160 Speaker 6: all right, when do we need to be there? 405 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:44,320 Speaker 4: And they said early in the morning on this day. 406 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:47,680 Speaker 6: Okay, Me and Todd left that night because we wanted 407 00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:48,400 Speaker 6: to be there early. 408 00:16:48,760 --> 00:16:49,960 Speaker 2: What was shooting that video? 409 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:50,480 Speaker 4: Like? 410 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:51,320 Speaker 7: For you? 411 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:52,400 Speaker 2: Do you remember that day? 412 00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:55,360 Speaker 4: Yeah? I can remember it. This thing? How about you? 413 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:55,560 Speaker 7: Todd? 414 00:16:55,600 --> 00:16:57,360 Speaker 4: Do you remember it? Yoh? Man? 415 00:16:57,400 --> 00:17:01,040 Speaker 3: It was it was different? Yeah, I remember the neon sign. 416 00:17:01,320 --> 00:17:03,800 Speaker 3: I was like, yo, what can we put that sign? 417 00:17:04,119 --> 00:17:04,320 Speaker 4: Yeah? 418 00:17:04,320 --> 00:17:06,119 Speaker 2: We wanted that so it was an actual sign. 419 00:17:06,920 --> 00:17:08,719 Speaker 4: They couldn't do like effects back then. 420 00:17:08,800 --> 00:17:11,280 Speaker 3: They had a real, actually a neon sign. 421 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:15,760 Speaker 1: Man, there is an actual, practical sudden impact neon sign 422 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:18,560 Speaker 1: and it must still exist somewhere. Where is it a 423 00:17:18,680 --> 00:17:22,800 Speaker 1: museum a private collection? I have a goal now find it? 424 00:17:23,119 --> 00:17:24,800 Speaker 1: And Lara Croft tomb rate or that ship? 425 00:17:25,280 --> 00:17:27,480 Speaker 2: So were there were there other takes? Were there other 426 00:17:27,560 --> 00:17:29,280 Speaker 2: concepts besides the point? 427 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:33,000 Speaker 6: Do you just kind of get that trot and let 428 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:35,080 Speaker 6: me tell you man, we could we had not that 429 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:36,160 Speaker 6: took a while? 430 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:36,840 Speaker 4: Well no, yeah. 431 00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:39,680 Speaker 6: Another thing was they didn't have no you know, it 432 00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:41,480 Speaker 6: was like a last minute thing we're doing a video 433 00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:43,639 Speaker 6: and bibs like I'm gonna put my my next group 434 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:46,119 Speaker 6: in here. So they if you notice, Aaron's wearing a 435 00:17:46,119 --> 00:17:48,639 Speaker 6: bow tie and the rest of us are wearing ties. 436 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:51,159 Speaker 4: The reason why is because they only had four boys 437 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:54,120 Speaker 4: to men, so they had four ties. 438 00:17:54,440 --> 00:17:56,479 Speaker 6: So Aaron, because he was one of the leads at 439 00:17:56,480 --> 00:17:58,520 Speaker 6: the time, said I'll go ahead and wear the bow tie. 440 00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:00,560 Speaker 6: So all of the rest of us and They're like, 441 00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:02,320 Speaker 6: what are you all gonna do? And I was like, shit, 442 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:03,560 Speaker 6: I don't know what we're gonna do. 443 00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:03,800 Speaker 4: You know. 444 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:06,400 Speaker 6: It was like, all right, everybody point on the count 445 00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:08,440 Speaker 6: of so and so and so it was like, shit, 446 00:18:08,520 --> 00:18:09,359 Speaker 6: I can point, you know. 447 00:18:09,440 --> 00:18:10,880 Speaker 4: So then it's. 448 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:12,320 Speaker 6: Funny you say that because people would always ask me 449 00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:14,720 Speaker 6: all the pointers or shit like that, you know, and 450 00:18:14,880 --> 00:18:15,720 Speaker 6: different different things. 451 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:18,040 Speaker 4: And then yeah, it was fun man, it was. 452 00:18:18,080 --> 00:18:20,040 Speaker 6: It was I look back at does I still see 453 00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:22,479 Speaker 6: them things and crack up my kids, you know, they 454 00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:24,880 Speaker 6: trip out that, you know, like, Dad, you weren't that cool? 455 00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:26,760 Speaker 2: Like you were that cool? 456 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:28,360 Speaker 4: I thought so I thought we were. 457 00:18:29,520 --> 00:18:33,200 Speaker 1: It does appear to me, though, that Dave Dave does 458 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:35,120 Speaker 1: seem to be pointing at the director. 459 00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:37,960 Speaker 6: Yeah, Dave, Dave's always trying to be noticing a lot. 460 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:39,760 Speaker 6: He's always a little bit out on his own there. 461 00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:42,280 Speaker 4: Yeah. Yeah, he's always been out there a little bit. 462 00:18:42,320 --> 00:18:44,240 Speaker 6: So if we were all dressed and let's say urban 463 00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:46,840 Speaker 6: Dave's got on the skateboard stuff. He was a skater 464 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:49,000 Speaker 6: at heart from Virginia, you know, he lives in Virginia 465 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:52,280 Speaker 6: Beach now, so right there with Pharrell's from that whole area. 466 00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:54,800 Speaker 6: But that Pharrell vibe how he dressed, Dave was already 467 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:56,600 Speaker 6: doing that way back in the day. 468 00:18:56,680 --> 00:18:59,359 Speaker 4: That was always his thing, vans and you know, looking 469 00:18:59,440 --> 00:18:59,760 Speaker 4: like that. 470 00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:04,159 Speaker 1: So the video comes out, do you feel like the 471 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:07,639 Speaker 1: pressure is on now to start releasing music? 472 00:19:07,840 --> 00:19:08,159 Speaker 4: Yeah? 473 00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:11,040 Speaker 6: I thought we were going to be the next group out, okay, 474 00:19:11,240 --> 00:19:14,399 Speaker 6: And Ty would say you we thought, hey man, we're next, 475 00:19:14,520 --> 00:19:16,920 Speaker 6: you know, So we started putting stuff together. I would 476 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:22,719 Speaker 6: tell you vocally, probably we weren't where we should have been, okay, 477 00:19:22,760 --> 00:19:25,600 Speaker 6: And that's where me and Todd when the time comes, 478 00:19:25,600 --> 00:19:28,440 Speaker 6: we do some switching around and stuff. But I would 479 00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:30,720 Speaker 6: say it was a lot of pressure. We wanted to 480 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:32,840 Speaker 6: be that next group. We were trying to find a sound. 481 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:35,600 Speaker 1: You know what happens next, The guys signed with Capital, 482 00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:38,720 Speaker 1: They record some music. Then Bivins asked them to leave 483 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:41,400 Speaker 1: Capital and go with biv ten Records, which they do, 484 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:45,760 Speaker 1: and immediately bivins roster of artists starts to grow. Also, 485 00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:50,240 Speaker 1: his vision for sudden Impact takes a turn that is unbelievable. 486 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:52,240 Speaker 4: He just had a lot on his plate. Man, he threw. 487 00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:54,320 Speaker 6: We went from three guys and I'll see see one 488 00:19:54,320 --> 00:19:56,000 Speaker 6: for all for one there was twenty groups. 489 00:19:56,560 --> 00:19:58,200 Speaker 4: I'm like, yo, what the hell just happened? 490 00:19:58,240 --> 00:19:58,399 Speaker 7: You know? 491 00:19:58,440 --> 00:20:01,359 Speaker 4: And now who are we behind? So we decided we 492 00:20:01,359 --> 00:20:03,439 Speaker 4: were going to roll and not just that. 493 00:20:03,560 --> 00:20:03,760 Speaker 7: Alut. 494 00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:05,680 Speaker 3: Remember his whole vision of us changed. 495 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:05,880 Speaker 4: Man. 496 00:20:05,880 --> 00:20:08,800 Speaker 3: He wanted us to be like it was a EMF. 497 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:09,240 Speaker 2: You were going to be a rave band. 498 00:20:09,480 --> 00:20:10,800 Speaker 3: He was all some different stuff. 499 00:20:10,840 --> 00:20:11,000 Speaker 4: Man. 500 00:20:11,080 --> 00:20:13,120 Speaker 3: We were kind of like, yo, man, that that's not us. 501 00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:14,560 Speaker 2: Man, If you don't remember. 502 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:18,240 Speaker 1: In nineteen ninety one, the British group EMF, incidentally also 503 00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:20,679 Speaker 1: five trendy white guys, had a number one hit in 504 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:25,240 Speaker 1: America called Unbelievable. They were ravy, they wore baggy day 505 00:20:25,280 --> 00:20:28,720 Speaker 1: glow clothing, they had electronic beats. Their name stood for 506 00:20:28,880 --> 00:20:32,159 Speaker 1: ecstasy motherfuckers. It was very of the time, but not 507 00:20:32,400 --> 00:20:35,720 Speaker 1: at all what sudden impact was about. But on the 508 00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:39,040 Speaker 1: other hand, sudden impact was about to not be sudden impact. 509 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:42,080 Speaker 4: First we were sudden impact. Then it changed and I 510 00:20:42,119 --> 00:20:43,120 Speaker 4: looked and it said. 511 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:47,680 Speaker 6: Whyt g I Z And I'm like, wait, Gizzy, like 512 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:49,639 Speaker 6: no white guys. 513 00:20:49,680 --> 00:20:51,200 Speaker 8: And I'm like wait, Gussy, And I'm like, what the 514 00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:54,160 Speaker 8: hell are you doing? Guzy guys like white guys, white guys. 515 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:57,359 Speaker 8: That's not really man. I'm half Asian man. My mother's Vietnamese. 516 00:20:57,520 --> 00:20:59,320 Speaker 8: But at that point he said, it doesn't really matter. 517 00:20:59,600 --> 00:21:00,679 Speaker 8: That's what you all are gonna be. 518 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:03,600 Speaker 6: And I was like, oh, wow, that's what we're gonna be, okay, 519 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:06,679 Speaker 6: And so actually, you know, we, like I said, it 520 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:08,280 Speaker 6: was creative differences. 521 00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:10,679 Speaker 4: And I think also that we just weren't. We didn't know. 522 00:21:10,760 --> 00:21:11,920 Speaker 4: He didn't know really what we were. 523 00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:12,840 Speaker 2: We didn't know we were. 524 00:21:13,080 --> 00:21:15,440 Speaker 6: It wasn't a thing of you know, I don't think 525 00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:18,240 Speaker 6: BIV hated us. I mean, that's a strong word anytime 526 00:21:18,320 --> 00:21:19,800 Speaker 6: someone says about it. He just didn't know what to do. 527 00:21:19,840 --> 00:21:21,560 Speaker 6: He used to tell us all the time, we were 528 00:21:21,560 --> 00:21:24,400 Speaker 6: his mom's favorite group at all of She had our 529 00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:25,679 Speaker 6: poster in her house. 530 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:28,320 Speaker 2: That's a powerful poster, is what that is. And I 531 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:28,960 Speaker 2: have it now. 532 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:32,040 Speaker 1: We will analyze it later in the episode, but first 533 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:34,000 Speaker 1: I wanted to catch up with someone else who had 534 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:35,919 Speaker 1: a big moment in the pop music world of the 535 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:38,879 Speaker 1: early nineties. Someone who's time in the spotlight was also 536 00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:42,479 Speaker 1: just before the Internet. Someone who is yesterday, today and 537 00:21:42,520 --> 00:21:57,320 Speaker 1: always gonna make you sweat. Freedom Williams smoking a cigar, 538 00:21:58,400 --> 00:21:59,879 Speaker 1: enjoying a stoke. 539 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:02,040 Speaker 4: Where are you, I'm in Brooklyn. 540 00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:05,159 Speaker 1: No discussion of popular music in nineteen ninety one is 541 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:08,439 Speaker 1: complete without Freedom Williams. He was the featured rapper on 542 00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:11,040 Speaker 1: the C and C Music Factory songs Gonna make You Sweat, 543 00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:13,440 Speaker 1: Here We Go and Things that make You go hmm. 544 00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:17,200 Speaker 1: His voice was everywhere, and it still is. Try to 545 00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:19,040 Speaker 1: go a week without hearing Gonna make you sweat. 546 00:22:19,359 --> 00:22:22,760 Speaker 9: You can't say everybody over here, everybody, Oh, but there, 547 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:25,560 Speaker 9: the cloud is not but no, a fool is body 548 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:26,560 Speaker 9: people than the house? 549 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:29,320 Speaker 2: See there it is, you just heard it. 550 00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:32,119 Speaker 1: That song is a perfect example of the C and 551 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:36,600 Speaker 1: C Music Factory sound Freedom smooth Flow, alongside Martha WASH's 552 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:39,840 Speaker 1: powerhouse vocals. Of course, in the video for the song, 553 00:22:40,080 --> 00:22:43,240 Speaker 1: those vocals were lip syncd by a model named Zelma Davis. 554 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:45,600 Speaker 1: Lip Syncing by models was another big thing in the 555 00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:49,400 Speaker 1: early nineties. That's a subject for another podcast. Freedom left 556 00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:51,679 Speaker 1: the group in nineteen ninety three for a solo career, 557 00:22:51,920 --> 00:22:54,320 Speaker 1: and the Music Factory shut down not too long after that. 558 00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:56,720 Speaker 1: I caught up with him at his home in Brooklyn 559 00:22:56,760 --> 00:22:58,919 Speaker 1: where he's having a cigar and sitting in front of 560 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:02,680 Speaker 1: literally dozens of bodybuilding trophies. We're going to talk about 561 00:23:02,680 --> 00:23:04,879 Speaker 1: the whole C ANDC riot, what he's been doing since. 562 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:07,800 Speaker 1: And I swear I didn't do this on purpose, what 563 00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:09,440 Speaker 1: Freedom really means. 564 00:23:09,640 --> 00:23:12,520 Speaker 2: I would like to talk to you about your experience 565 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:12,880 Speaker 2: of you. 566 00:23:12,800 --> 00:23:15,600 Speaker 1: Know, nineteen ninety and ninety one. How did you come 567 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:18,119 Speaker 1: to be involved with C ANDC Music Factory. 568 00:23:18,800 --> 00:23:19,800 Speaker 4: I was an engineer. 569 00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:21,919 Speaker 9: I went to engineering school when I got out of 570 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:24,600 Speaker 9: college in eighty eight, eight nine, and I went to 571 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:29,440 Speaker 9: work in Quad Recording Studios, now infamous Quad Studios where 572 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:31,200 Speaker 9: everyone seems to get into a shootout. 573 00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:34,560 Speaker 1: All right, not everybody gets into a shootout at Quad Studios. 574 00:23:34,600 --> 00:23:36,040 Speaker 2: I haven't, but it was the. 575 00:23:35,960 --> 00:23:38,600 Speaker 1: Place where tupacsha Kork got shot five times in a 576 00:23:38,640 --> 00:23:41,679 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety four robbery. There's a theory that the Notorious 577 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:44,359 Speaker 1: BIG's nineteen ninety five song who Shot Ya is all 578 00:23:44,359 --> 00:23:47,920 Speaker 1: about that attack, but Freedom kept it peaceful. He learned 579 00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:50,600 Speaker 1: how to be useful as an engineer in recording studios, 580 00:23:50,640 --> 00:23:52,440 Speaker 1: but what he really wanted was to be an MC 581 00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:56,800 Speaker 1: while you were engineering for other mcs, where you like, 582 00:23:57,160 --> 00:24:00,879 Speaker 1: get me in there, God, I could kill this or 583 00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:05,000 Speaker 1: did you just say, like it's my momental come. 584 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:09,080 Speaker 9: Later, Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean I understand. You know 585 00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:11,240 Speaker 9: Buster rhymes when we left Leaders of the New School, 586 00:24:11,280 --> 00:24:13,560 Speaker 9: he would hang out at the studios with a blood 587 00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:16,280 Speaker 9: and try to get into the session, which is a technique. 588 00:24:16,760 --> 00:24:18,399 Speaker 4: You know. I used to get hide with Sladstone. 589 00:24:18,520 --> 00:24:20,960 Speaker 9: You know, Slatstone would come to the studio and look 590 00:24:21,040 --> 00:24:23,439 Speaker 9: for me as an engineer. I was twenty two. We 591 00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:25,480 Speaker 9: would go on the staircase and smoke a bone. 592 00:24:26,119 --> 00:24:29,840 Speaker 1: What were your goal's career wise? Where did you see 593 00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:32,120 Speaker 1: yourself in twenty thirty years time? 594 00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:35,560 Speaker 9: Well, to be to make money, to be to be independent. 595 00:24:36,119 --> 00:24:38,760 Speaker 9: You know, the goal of making music is Nobody who 596 00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:41,080 Speaker 9: really makes money tries to make money for the sake 597 00:24:41,119 --> 00:24:46,159 Speaker 9: of collecting rectangle pieces of paper. They make money for 598 00:24:46,200 --> 00:24:48,520 Speaker 9: the sake of being able to fly first class. And 599 00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:52,240 Speaker 9: pay for them to work and pay for their mom's 600 00:24:52,280 --> 00:24:55,520 Speaker 9: conrect surgery, or buy the card they wanted. Nobody really 601 00:24:56,280 --> 00:24:59,080 Speaker 9: money and of itself. So the goal of being famous 602 00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:02,199 Speaker 9: was to be free. You pay for freedom here. You 603 00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:05,159 Speaker 9: don't earn your freedom by being a humble man or 604 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:05,960 Speaker 9: a decent man. 605 00:25:06,040 --> 00:25:07,480 Speaker 4: It costs money to be free. 606 00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:09,639 Speaker 9: And so as a young kid in the streets of 607 00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:12,760 Speaker 9: New York, any rapper may be a public Enemy or 608 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:16,959 Speaker 9: christ One or Rock Kim or the boogiet Down Productions. 609 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:17,160 Speaker 4: Or MC light. 610 00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:19,199 Speaker 9: Their goal is to get out of the hood, to 611 00:25:19,280 --> 00:25:23,080 Speaker 9: be free. That's why we you know, it's our you know, 612 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:26,320 Speaker 9: But shit, I got to get out of here. 613 00:25:27,160 --> 00:25:27,359 Speaker 4: You know. 614 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:30,440 Speaker 2: So fame was freedom. 615 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:35,160 Speaker 4: Famous Freedom, absolutely Bowie. 616 00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:38,360 Speaker 1: We can't afford that, so we'll probably cut that out. 617 00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:42,439 Speaker 1: Freedom did some engineering for David Cole and Robert Clavillis, 618 00:25:42,720 --> 00:25:45,720 Speaker 1: the c's in CNC Music Factory. They had a dance 619 00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:47,919 Speaker 1: project they were trying to put together, but they needed 620 00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:51,760 Speaker 1: an MC. Freedom is an MC and they clicked and 621 00:25:51,800 --> 00:25:54,679 Speaker 1: the defining dance pop songs of nineteen ninety and ninety 622 00:25:54,680 --> 00:25:57,800 Speaker 1: one were born. But after a while Freedom wanted to 623 00:25:57,800 --> 00:25:59,959 Speaker 1: break out on his own. He fell out with one 624 00:26:00,119 --> 00:26:01,760 Speaker 1: of the seas and he embarked. 625 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:02,240 Speaker 2: On a solo career. 626 00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:04,879 Speaker 1: What kind of sound were you trying to capture for 627 00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:08,520 Speaker 1: your solo record post see and see similar? 628 00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:11,560 Speaker 9: A similar sound, A similar sound with just a little 629 00:26:11,600 --> 00:26:13,800 Speaker 9: bit more edge, you know. And then and then I 630 00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:16,960 Speaker 9: made a lot of records that were real street records 631 00:26:16,960 --> 00:26:20,240 Speaker 9: too that I shocked, but people wouldn't. I couldn't get 632 00:26:20,280 --> 00:26:21,960 Speaker 9: deals with them because they were like, Ah, that's not 633 00:26:22,040 --> 00:26:23,919 Speaker 9: what you're doing, that's not who you are. I was 634 00:26:23,920 --> 00:26:26,399 Speaker 9: always I always say, once you do a record like that, 635 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:30,280 Speaker 9: you can't really repeat that record. You have to venture 636 00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:36,120 Speaker 9: off into a different sound. But the fans don't want 637 00:26:36,160 --> 00:26:38,280 Speaker 9: you to venture off because they don't know you for that. 638 00:26:38,440 --> 00:26:42,119 Speaker 9: But sometimes with pop music you can get pigeonholes because 639 00:26:42,160 --> 00:26:43,320 Speaker 9: pop music changes me. 640 00:26:43,680 --> 00:26:46,919 Speaker 1: In nineteen ninety three, Freedom released his first solo single, 641 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:50,159 Speaker 1: Voice of Freedom, a slightly harder dance track with a 642 00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:53,720 Speaker 1: chorus that sampled George Michael's Freedom ninety. The video is 643 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:56,760 Speaker 1: up on YouTube and it is pure uncut nineteen ninety 644 00:26:56,760 --> 00:27:01,199 Speaker 1: three Intricate choreography in front of moodily lit Shanelink Fences 645 00:27:01,560 --> 00:27:03,960 Speaker 1: Very season three of nine oh two on a wardrobe 646 00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:06,840 Speaker 1: on everyone except Freedom, who of course is shirtless and 647 00:27:06,920 --> 00:27:09,639 Speaker 1: oiled up. The song has the line dance till you 648 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:11,240 Speaker 1: wet your pants, and that's hard. 649 00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:13,320 Speaker 2: It is wild. 650 00:27:14,119 --> 00:27:16,120 Speaker 1: But by nineteen ninety three, as you know, by now, 651 00:27:16,160 --> 00:27:19,240 Speaker 1: the charts had changed. There was conclusive proof that people 652 00:27:19,280 --> 00:27:22,960 Speaker 1: wanted a different sound. So your record comes out and 653 00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:26,880 Speaker 1: the Chronic comes out. Did you have a sense at 654 00:27:26,880 --> 00:27:29,560 Speaker 1: the time of what was happening in the culture or yeah, 655 00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:30,960 Speaker 1: just yeah. 656 00:27:30,760 --> 00:27:32,480 Speaker 9: You knew it was it was a problem. You could, 657 00:27:32,760 --> 00:27:35,399 Speaker 9: you could because I loved the Chronic record. I was like, 658 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:38,639 Speaker 9: oh shit, that's bananas. I remember I remember being in 659 00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:40,400 Speaker 9: the limo. We were going on somewhere on. 660 00:27:40,359 --> 00:27:41,240 Speaker 4: The road New York. 661 00:27:41,680 --> 00:27:44,800 Speaker 9: We were out of the country somewhere, and somebody in 662 00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:47,639 Speaker 9: my crews put the yo. I got that great record 663 00:27:47,680 --> 00:27:50,399 Speaker 9: crazy and with the whole hour and the Limo were rocking. 664 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:51,280 Speaker 9: I had a record out. 665 00:27:51,280 --> 00:27:53,399 Speaker 4: No, we wouln't even listen to my record. That fucking 666 00:27:53,480 --> 00:27:55,080 Speaker 4: chronic record was bananas. 667 00:27:55,400 --> 00:27:58,760 Speaker 9: Of course you understood, you know when when when when 668 00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:00,800 Speaker 9: Off the Wall came out, it was a game change. 669 00:28:00,840 --> 00:28:03,800 Speaker 4: You knew it. You know, you knew it. 670 00:28:04,480 --> 00:28:08,440 Speaker 1: So how did that feel when you're trying to promote 671 00:28:08,800 --> 00:28:09,680 Speaker 1: a record of your own. 672 00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:12,879 Speaker 9: The missig industry was becoming very opinionated at that point. 673 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:15,480 Speaker 9: You know, if you didn't smoke weed and bust guns, 674 00:28:15,480 --> 00:28:18,040 Speaker 9: you weren't credible. It was one point through the early 675 00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:20,640 Speaker 9: the mid nineties where I remember when the La Catch 676 00:28:20,760 --> 00:28:23,359 Speaker 9: was making records and all of these bluffs was making records, 677 00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:25,640 Speaker 9: and I would watch the videos and I would be like, yo, 678 00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:28,880 Speaker 9: who is going to a and R that fucking project. 679 00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:32,919 Speaker 9: It's like thirty dudes with guns? Like, yo, who is 680 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:36,439 Speaker 9: going to fucking do the project? The product management on 681 00:28:36,760 --> 00:28:40,120 Speaker 9: that record, Like, you got to deal with those motherfuckers, 682 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:43,880 Speaker 9: Good luck with that shit. 683 00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:44,280 Speaker 4: Hold me. 684 00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:47,400 Speaker 1: So, Freedom's record deal with Sony fell apart. A few 685 00:28:47,440 --> 00:28:50,880 Speaker 1: other things materialized and then faded away. By now you 686 00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:53,960 Speaker 1: know how that goes. Freedom is in Brooklyn now. He 687 00:28:54,040 --> 00:28:57,760 Speaker 1: still produces records, He still mentors young artists, He sells 688 00:28:57,800 --> 00:29:00,480 Speaker 1: real estate, does construction here and there. By the looks 689 00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:03,800 Speaker 1: of it, when's a lot of bodybuilding competitions. If fame 690 00:29:04,240 --> 00:29:08,120 Speaker 1: is freedom, do you feel that you got free? 691 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:10,520 Speaker 4: No? 692 00:29:10,520 --> 00:29:15,400 Speaker 9: No, no, because of me as a person, not generally speaking, 693 00:29:16,320 --> 00:29:17,640 Speaker 9: you know, I'm looking for the land now. 694 00:29:17,680 --> 00:29:19,840 Speaker 4: I live in Brooklyn, but I want horses and cows. 695 00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:23,280 Speaker 9: Now I want freedom, you know my own water. Freedom 696 00:29:23,320 --> 00:29:26,240 Speaker 9: is not money. Money allows you to get off the 697 00:29:26,280 --> 00:29:30,200 Speaker 9: grid to freedom. So money actually is a trap. The 698 00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:33,120 Speaker 9: more you get, the more you want. When you get 699 00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:35,800 Speaker 9: used to find things, you don't know how to well 700 00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:38,880 Speaker 9: your own water. You don't know how to pick chickens 701 00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:41,840 Speaker 9: from your own yard just you used to go into 702 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:44,640 Speaker 9: the store. So are you free? If the people who 703 00:29:44,680 --> 00:29:47,240 Speaker 9: live like that live to be one hundred, but you 704 00:29:47,360 --> 00:29:49,800 Speaker 9: got cancer at fifty, are you free? 705 00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:54,200 Speaker 4: So? Freedom is not having everything you want. 706 00:29:54,560 --> 00:29:57,280 Speaker 9: Freedom to me means giving up all the things you 707 00:29:57,320 --> 00:29:57,800 Speaker 9: don't need. 708 00:29:58,320 --> 00:30:00,400 Speaker 1: My recommendation is that if you have a chance to 709 00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:03,840 Speaker 1: talk to Freedom Williams, take it. He's friendly, he's fascinating. 710 00:30:04,040 --> 00:30:06,920 Speaker 1: He will make you go hmm. Freedom learned his craft 711 00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:08,880 Speaker 1: in the eighties so that he could meet people, make 712 00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:11,719 Speaker 1: himself useful, and really seize his moment. When it came 713 00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:15,560 Speaker 1: around in the nineties, Sudden Impact did something else. They 714 00:30:15,640 --> 00:30:18,280 Speaker 1: started with the marketing before they had a record out, 715 00:30:18,360 --> 00:30:21,000 Speaker 1: They made a poster. They built the buzz before there 716 00:30:21,080 --> 00:30:24,560 Speaker 1: was anything to buzz about, and it worked. It's that 717 00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:27,160 Speaker 1: poster They got Michael Bivens to sign them and change 718 00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:30,960 Speaker 1: the course of their lives forever. And now it is 719 00:30:31,080 --> 00:30:35,920 Speaker 1: in my inbox. So let's talk about that poster. Sudden 720 00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:39,880 Speaker 1: Impact had their uniform white shirts and neckties. White guys 721 00:30:39,880 --> 00:30:44,000 Speaker 1: had matching sport coats on a sweltering Houston afternoon. Outsiders 722 00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:46,480 Speaker 1: for Life were all do rags and soul patches in 723 00:30:46,520 --> 00:30:49,120 Speaker 1: the style of the year two thousand. I've seen these 724 00:30:49,120 --> 00:30:51,800 Speaker 1: guys and many of their various esthetics, but in all 725 00:30:51,840 --> 00:30:55,120 Speaker 1: of them, they were always styled by someone else. They 726 00:30:55,120 --> 00:30:58,320 Speaker 1: were inscrutable, unknowable. I never had a sense for who 727 00:30:58,320 --> 00:31:00,800 Speaker 1: these guys were until I saw this poster. 728 00:31:01,520 --> 00:31:02,840 Speaker 2: I look at two special. 729 00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:05,760 Speaker 1: All huddled up under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in nineteen ninety, 730 00:31:06,160 --> 00:31:08,640 Speaker 1: all fifteen or sixteen or seventeen years old, and I 731 00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:10,880 Speaker 1: finally feel like I know these guys. 732 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:12,920 Speaker 2: I grew up with these guys. 733 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:16,280 Speaker 1: Todd is all the way to the left, racing stripes 734 00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:19,960 Speaker 1: shaved into his temples like vanilla ice, acid washed jeans, 735 00:31:19,960 --> 00:31:23,080 Speaker 1: pegged at the ankle, dirty Nike shoes in the sand. 736 00:31:23,880 --> 00:31:26,600 Speaker 1: Alan is next to him, wearing a bold polka dot, 737 00:31:26,800 --> 00:31:29,160 Speaker 1: something David Silver would wear on a date with Donald 738 00:31:29,200 --> 00:31:31,840 Speaker 1: Martin on nine O two one zero. Noel Kine is 739 00:31:31,840 --> 00:31:34,400 Speaker 1: next to him, serving blue steel before we even had 740 00:31:34,400 --> 00:31:36,600 Speaker 1: a name for it, in a T shirt and shorts. 741 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:40,480 Speaker 1: And then there's Aaron smiling, the brash smile of the 742 00:31:40,560 --> 00:31:43,800 Speaker 1: high school jock under what might be a teenage attempt 743 00:31:43,840 --> 00:31:48,840 Speaker 1: at a mustache, a baggy guccy T shirt, barefoot, serving 744 00:31:48,880 --> 00:31:53,240 Speaker 1: you toes. These are kids. These are kids with big plans. 745 00:31:53,480 --> 00:31:55,600 Speaker 1: This is a high school dropout with something to prove. 746 00:31:56,080 --> 00:31:57,560 Speaker 1: This is the son of a major in the Air 747 00:31:57,600 --> 00:32:00,160 Speaker 1: Force trying to make his own way. This is a 748 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:02,600 Speaker 1: high school baseball star finding a new family with the 749 00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:04,920 Speaker 1: kids from the other side of the tracks. And this 750 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:07,000 Speaker 1: is the handsome little brother who's along for the ride. 751 00:32:07,680 --> 00:32:10,880 Speaker 1: I know these kids, so do you. Right now, under 752 00:32:10,920 --> 00:32:14,120 Speaker 1: some bridge somewhere, a few of them are posing, making 753 00:32:14,160 --> 00:32:17,640 Speaker 1: content for their Instagram or filming their video. There will 754 00:32:17,680 --> 00:32:21,080 Speaker 1: always be kids misunderstood by their parents, giggle that by 755 00:32:21,120 --> 00:32:24,280 Speaker 1: their peers, desperate to make their mark. I see what 756 00:32:24,360 --> 00:32:26,920 Speaker 1: Michael Bivens saw in this poster. I see why it's 757 00:32:26,920 --> 00:32:29,880 Speaker 1: his mom's favorite. I even see why it got them 758 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:33,640 Speaker 1: signed to a record label. It's timeless, just from that 759 00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:35,240 Speaker 1: damn too special poster. 760 00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:38,560 Speaker 6: Just from the poster. The poster got us there. That 761 00:32:38,600 --> 00:32:41,240 Speaker 6: point got us to Capitol. I would say, Yeah, we 762 00:32:41,320 --> 00:32:42,520 Speaker 6: pointed our way right to it. 763 00:32:42,760 --> 00:32:46,320 Speaker 1: You know what got you there is boldness like you 764 00:32:46,360 --> 00:32:48,080 Speaker 1: guys took a huge swim. 765 00:32:48,280 --> 00:32:49,840 Speaker 4: Yeah, we just didn't. 766 00:32:50,040 --> 00:32:52,200 Speaker 6: I don't think it was something where we didn't have 767 00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:54,280 Speaker 6: anything to lose at that point, Me and Tad felt 768 00:32:54,320 --> 00:32:54,760 Speaker 6: just was the. 769 00:32:54,720 --> 00:32:56,480 Speaker 4: Way, this is what we wanted to do. 770 00:32:57,040 --> 00:32:59,040 Speaker 6: And it kept us, I would say, from getting into 771 00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:03,080 Speaker 6: childhood mischief because we were so driven on what to do, 772 00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:05,000 Speaker 6: you know, and what do we have to do to 773 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:07,640 Speaker 6: get to the next point. And even when a lot 774 00:33:07,640 --> 00:33:09,440 Speaker 6: of this stuff happens, like I'm sure you're gonna get 775 00:33:09,440 --> 00:33:11,120 Speaker 6: into we still kept. 776 00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:13,680 Speaker 4: Pushing like we still hadn't, you know, just tried. 777 00:33:14,280 --> 00:33:17,080 Speaker 1: By now you know how this story unfolds, The boys 778 00:33:17,120 --> 00:33:20,760 Speaker 1: go from Motown to Capitol to bivten, then off biften 779 00:33:20,840 --> 00:33:23,360 Speaker 1: and onto Stone Creek, and then Stone Creek goes away 780 00:33:23,440 --> 00:33:25,520 Speaker 1: and then onto a Leah's label Blackground, and. 781 00:33:25,480 --> 00:33:28,360 Speaker 2: Off of that. What I suspected is that. 782 00:33:28,320 --> 00:33:30,320 Speaker 1: By this time and their story, the guys were pretty 783 00:33:30,320 --> 00:33:32,880 Speaker 1: fed up the part of the story I hadn't heard. 784 00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:37,120 Speaker 1: Was the night Todd finally vented that frustration. Blackground was 785 00:33:37,160 --> 00:33:40,040 Speaker 1: a record label started by a Leah's uncle, Barry Hankerson, 786 00:33:40,520 --> 00:33:43,120 Speaker 1: and one night after another endless wait to get an 787 00:33:43,160 --> 00:33:46,200 Speaker 1: album released, Todd had a few drinks and gave Barry 788 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:47,160 Speaker 1: a piece of his mind. 789 00:33:47,640 --> 00:33:50,280 Speaker 3: I remember having a conversation with Barry. You remember this, Allen. 790 00:33:50,680 --> 00:33:51,360 Speaker 3: I was drunk. 791 00:33:51,480 --> 00:33:55,600 Speaker 7: Well, I I got real drunk one night, man, and 792 00:33:55,600 --> 00:33:57,880 Speaker 7: I'm gonna tell you I had a conversation with Barry's 793 00:33:57,880 --> 00:34:00,880 Speaker 7: attorney dude flat said, look, this is some bs shit. 794 00:34:00,960 --> 00:34:01,080 Speaker 6: Man. 795 00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:03,280 Speaker 7: What y'all are doing? Man, this is this is you 796 00:34:03,320 --> 00:34:06,080 Speaker 7: know what I'm saying, It's it ain't right man, you're 797 00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:07,800 Speaker 7: playing god with me, you know. 798 00:34:07,800 --> 00:34:08,160 Speaker 6: What I mean? 799 00:34:08,360 --> 00:34:10,880 Speaker 3: Let me fucking go. If you don't plan on doing something, 800 00:34:10,960 --> 00:34:12,920 Speaker 3: let us fucking go. What do you hold on to 801 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:13,200 Speaker 3: us for? 802 00:34:13,360 --> 00:34:16,560 Speaker 7: Obviously, obviously there's something there that you don't want to 803 00:34:16,600 --> 00:34:18,040 Speaker 7: let go. You just don't know how to You just 804 00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:19,759 Speaker 7: don't know how to handle it. You know what I'm saying. 805 00:34:19,760 --> 00:34:21,520 Speaker 7: Were we the best group in the world vocally? 806 00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:23,080 Speaker 3: No, you know what I'm saying. 807 00:34:23,320 --> 00:34:25,080 Speaker 7: But there's a lot of other groups I can name, 808 00:34:25,120 --> 00:34:26,279 Speaker 7: But I'm not going to you know what I'm saying, 809 00:34:26,280 --> 00:34:27,799 Speaker 7: because I don't do that shit. 810 00:34:27,880 --> 00:34:30,440 Speaker 3: Man. But we had we had good music at that time. 811 00:34:30,520 --> 00:34:30,719 Speaker 7: Man. 812 00:34:30,960 --> 00:34:31,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, I know. 813 00:34:31,520 --> 00:34:34,640 Speaker 1: It feels cathartic for me too. This confrontation was a 814 00:34:34,680 --> 00:34:38,160 Speaker 1: significant moment in that it got them dropped from Blackground. 815 00:34:38,520 --> 00:34:42,719 Speaker 1: Their album once again didn't get released. Outsiders for Life 816 00:34:42,719 --> 00:34:45,160 Speaker 1: self released an album in two thousand and six with 817 00:34:45,239 --> 00:34:48,520 Speaker 1: the tracks ass Like That and Slipping Slide. It's up 818 00:34:48,520 --> 00:34:50,959 Speaker 1: on the streaming services if you want to listen. But 819 00:34:51,040 --> 00:34:53,239 Speaker 1: by the time the album was released, the guys were 820 00:34:53,239 --> 00:34:53,799 Speaker 1: burned out. 821 00:34:54,239 --> 00:34:56,640 Speaker 7: Then it was time to grow the fuck up. Let's 822 00:34:56,680 --> 00:34:58,279 Speaker 7: be real, man, we're getting old. 823 00:34:58,360 --> 00:34:58,560 Speaker 4: Man. 824 00:34:58,960 --> 00:35:01,440 Speaker 7: It's a about growing up man, you know what I'm saying. 825 00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:04,319 Speaker 7: Are we going to keep doing this? Or or am 826 00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:05,840 Speaker 7: I going to be thirty years old living? 827 00:35:06,080 --> 00:35:07,799 Speaker 4: You know, saying in a tent? 828 00:35:08,400 --> 00:35:09,840 Speaker 3: What am I going to do with my life? 829 00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:10,680 Speaker 4: You know what I mean? What am I? 830 00:35:10,760 --> 00:35:14,080 Speaker 3: What am I going to do now? So we had 831 00:35:14,080 --> 00:35:16,399 Speaker 3: a restructure. I wanted kids. I didn't want to run 832 00:35:16,400 --> 00:35:18,239 Speaker 3: around chasing a dream, you know what I mean? 833 00:35:18,680 --> 00:35:20,759 Speaker 7: And so you know we did that. We took a break. 834 00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:22,319 Speaker 7: I think I took a break I didn't do music 835 00:35:22,320 --> 00:35:23,880 Speaker 7: for how long? How like ten years? 836 00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:26,520 Speaker 4: Man? Yeah, it was it was like ten years. 837 00:35:26,719 --> 00:35:28,880 Speaker 7: It was like ten years. I didn't touch music. I 838 00:35:28,920 --> 00:35:29,680 Speaker 7: didn't do nothing. 839 00:35:29,880 --> 00:35:31,640 Speaker 6: I would tell you this though, Man, I would think 840 00:35:31,640 --> 00:35:34,319 Speaker 6: it's the time frame too. Man, we just we came 841 00:35:34,360 --> 00:35:36,279 Speaker 6: out what we were doing there doing now, I would 842 00:35:36,320 --> 00:35:39,880 Speaker 6: say time frame wise, if you look at it, we 843 00:35:39,880 --> 00:35:41,680 Speaker 6: were just in the wrong time period. 844 00:35:41,840 --> 00:35:42,880 Speaker 4: There was social media. 845 00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:45,120 Speaker 6: We could have pushed so much stuff and done our 846 00:35:45,160 --> 00:35:47,759 Speaker 6: own podcasts and done our own you know, follow the 847 00:35:47,840 --> 00:35:48,680 Speaker 6: band type things. 848 00:35:48,920 --> 00:35:51,560 Speaker 4: Back then, there wasn't nothing but AOL messenger, you know 849 00:35:51,640 --> 00:35:52,080 Speaker 4: what I'm saying. 850 00:35:52,120 --> 00:35:54,200 Speaker 3: We didn't have no internet back then. Man, we didn't 851 00:35:54,200 --> 00:35:55,279 Speaker 3: have MP three's back in. 852 00:35:55,640 --> 00:35:58,879 Speaker 1: The timing was just not right. The timing was never right. 853 00:35:59,320 --> 00:36:02,040 Speaker 1: But their attitude about it is good. They're not bitter 854 00:36:02,640 --> 00:36:05,280 Speaker 1: and there's something that I have to know. It sounds 855 00:36:05,280 --> 00:36:07,719 Speaker 1: like I already know the answer to this question. But 856 00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:10,160 Speaker 1: are you glad you took that trip out to. 857 00:36:10,239 --> 00:36:13,600 Speaker 4: La Yes, me and him. I would tell you could. 858 00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:16,960 Speaker 6: You can't pay for the experiences that we went through. 859 00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:18,719 Speaker 6: You can go to college and people can talk about 860 00:36:18,760 --> 00:36:23,520 Speaker 6: their college years. I watched some of the most Hall 861 00:36:23,600 --> 00:36:25,560 Speaker 6: of Fame type things in the music business. 862 00:36:25,560 --> 00:36:28,200 Speaker 4: Go. I met Aleah, I've hung out with her. She 863 00:36:28,239 --> 00:36:29,880 Speaker 4: told me, I'm want in a million. I got video 864 00:36:29,880 --> 00:36:30,160 Speaker 4: of it. 865 00:36:30,440 --> 00:36:32,840 Speaker 6: I got video with boys to men and things that 866 00:36:32,960 --> 00:36:36,680 Speaker 6: I probably you can't even experience, being an end of 867 00:36:36,719 --> 00:36:39,759 Speaker 6: the road video shoot, the all the video shoots we 868 00:36:39,800 --> 00:36:42,879 Speaker 6: went to, walking through these things and living. I would 869 00:36:42,880 --> 00:36:45,000 Speaker 6: say it was the closest thing to being famous without 870 00:36:45,080 --> 00:36:45,800 Speaker 6: being famous. 871 00:36:46,160 --> 00:36:50,040 Speaker 7: Yeah, man, I think, I think. Man, you know, it's 872 00:36:50,040 --> 00:36:51,960 Speaker 7: a journey. We're all on man, even you date. 873 00:36:52,120 --> 00:36:53,760 Speaker 3: You know what I'm saying. We're all on this journey. 874 00:36:53,800 --> 00:36:53,960 Speaker 4: Man. 875 00:36:54,680 --> 00:36:56,760 Speaker 3: You know, you get to you get. 876 00:36:56,640 --> 00:36:58,799 Speaker 7: To a place, you go left, you go right, there, 877 00:36:58,880 --> 00:37:00,440 Speaker 7: you go right and find out right it wasn't the 878 00:37:00,520 --> 00:37:00,839 Speaker 7: right way. 879 00:37:00,920 --> 00:37:02,560 Speaker 3: You go left again, you know what I mean. So 880 00:37:03,080 --> 00:37:06,640 Speaker 3: you know it's all life's journey, man, It's everything's meant 881 00:37:06,719 --> 00:37:06,880 Speaker 3: to be. 882 00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:09,600 Speaker 7: You know your story's gonna play out, you know, and 883 00:37:10,480 --> 00:37:11,839 Speaker 7: you know life's the song man. 884 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:14,480 Speaker 3: That's what I say. Life's the song man. Look around you, man. 885 00:37:14,800 --> 00:37:17,440 Speaker 2: So I have found three of the guys from Sudden Impact. 886 00:37:17,840 --> 00:37:20,160 Speaker 1: All that are left are Noel Kine, who I have 887 00:37:20,320 --> 00:37:22,440 Speaker 1: emailed a few times and he just hasn't gone back 888 00:37:22,480 --> 00:37:26,040 Speaker 1: to me and the elusive quiet Dave Smith, the guy 889 00:37:26,040 --> 00:37:28,520 Speaker 1: who they tell me turned his back on the whole thing. 890 00:37:29,320 --> 00:37:31,480 Speaker 1: After we get off the zoom call, I decided to 891 00:37:31,520 --> 00:37:33,319 Speaker 1: take a swing with Todd and see if maybe he 892 00:37:33,400 --> 00:37:35,719 Speaker 1: has any idea how I can get a hold of 893 00:37:35,800 --> 00:37:39,120 Speaker 1: Dave Smith. Any emails right back? Yeah, man, I talked 894 00:37:39,160 --> 00:37:41,360 Speaker 1: to him last week. Here's his email, and so I 895 00:37:41,400 --> 00:37:44,080 Speaker 1: emailed Dave Smith and he gets back in thirty minutes. Yeah. 896 00:37:44,120 --> 00:37:46,600 Speaker 2: Sure, I'd love to talk. This is so much easier 897 00:37:46,600 --> 00:37:47,560 Speaker 2: than I thought it was going to be. 898 00:37:48,040 --> 00:37:50,239 Speaker 1: I also ask Alan whether who Are You is a 899 00:37:50,280 --> 00:37:52,640 Speaker 1: dis track and he says yes, but we were in 900 00:37:52,680 --> 00:37:54,680 Speaker 1: a pissed off state of mind. We grew a lot 901 00:37:54,680 --> 00:37:57,800 Speaker 1: from that lol. As to who they were dissing, I 902 00:37:57,840 --> 00:38:01,080 Speaker 1: guess I'll have to get it from Dave Distrack Smith himself, 903 00:38:01,480 --> 00:38:04,319 Speaker 1: Michael Bibvens. Though, still nothing, But I want you to 904 00:38:04,320 --> 00:38:06,759 Speaker 1: hear something Todd said as the Zoom was wrapping up, 905 00:38:07,160 --> 00:38:09,520 Speaker 1: something that is made even more poignant by the fact 906 00:38:09,520 --> 00:38:11,040 Speaker 1: that his connection is a little dodgy. 907 00:38:11,440 --> 00:38:14,439 Speaker 3: It's definitely not is definitely not over. 908 00:38:14,920 --> 00:38:16,920 Speaker 1: It makes me think about what Scott Gimpel said in 909 00:38:16,960 --> 00:38:18,600 Speaker 1: the first episode of this show. 910 00:38:18,680 --> 00:38:23,040 Speaker 6: I don't like the idea of endings because I don't 911 00:38:23,120 --> 00:38:25,400 Speaker 6: like thinking that it's over for anybody. 912 00:38:25,719 --> 00:38:27,600 Speaker 2: This is a show about audacity. 913 00:38:27,760 --> 00:38:30,600 Speaker 1: This is a show about taking big swings, and I'm 914 00:38:30,600 --> 00:38:33,239 Speaker 1: beginning to wonder whether these guys might be about to 915 00:38:33,320 --> 00:38:37,200 Speaker 1: take another one. We'll find out on the finale of 916 00:38:37,239 --> 00:38:45,879 Speaker 1: Waiting for Impact, a Dave Holmes passion project. This has 917 00:38:45,920 --> 00:38:50,120 Speaker 1: been an Exactly Right production. Written by me Dave Holmes, 918 00:38:50,719 --> 00:38:55,360 Speaker 1: produced by Hannah Kyle Crichton, recorded, mixed and sound designed 919 00:38:55,440 --> 00:38:59,960 Speaker 1: by Andrew Eapen. Additional engineering and assembly by Annalise Nelson, 920 00:39:00,960 --> 00:39:06,440 Speaker 1: Music by Ben Wise, artwork by Garrett Ross. Executive produced 921 00:39:06,440 --> 00:39:09,960 Speaker 1: by Karen Kilgareff, Georgia hard Stark and Danielle Kramer. 922 00:39:10,840 --> 00:39:13,600 Speaker 2: Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook. 923 00:39:13,120 --> 00:39:17,400 Speaker 1: And Twitter at exactly where, and follow me at Dave Holmes. 924 00:39:17,960 --> 00:39:21,400 Speaker 2: For more information, go to exactly Rightmedia dot com. 925 00:39:21,560 --> 00:39:24,960 Speaker 1: Binge the show add free on stitch your premium for 926 00:39:25,040 --> 00:39:28,120 Speaker 1: a free month. Head to Stitcher Premium dot com, slash 927 00:39:28,160 --> 00:39:30,480 Speaker 1: Impact and enter promo code Impact. 928 00:39:30,840 --> 00:39:31,400 Speaker 2: You select a 929 00:39:31,400 --> 00:39:35,400 Speaker 1: Monthly plan, listen, subscribe, and leave us a review on 930 00:39:35,600 --> 00:39:45,520 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts