WEBVTT - Clive Davis 0:00:01.240 --> 0:00:04.880 Hello everyone, and welcome to inside the studio on iHeart Radio. 0:00:05.280 --> 0:00:07.640 My name is Jordan Runt Tug. But enough about me. 0:00:08.160 --> 0:00:10.639 My guest today needs no introduction, but we're gonna give 0:00:10.680 --> 0:00:13.520 him one anyway, because good lord, he deserves it. He's 0:00:13.520 --> 0:00:17.959 a music industry icon. To borrow the phrase of his documentary, 0:00:18.200 --> 0:00:21.000 he's crafted the soundtrack of our lives. In a career 0:00:21.040 --> 0:00:23.800 spanning more than half a century. The list of artists 0:00:23.800 --> 0:00:26.680 he's nurtured, mentored, and guided is like a history course 0:00:26.680 --> 0:00:30.920 in popular music. Everyone from divas like Janice Joplin, Whitney Houston, 0:00:31.040 --> 0:00:35.040 Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, and Alicia Keys to rock legends 0:00:35.040 --> 0:00:39.800 like Bruce Springsteen, Pattie smith, Santana Aerosmith and Maroon five. 0:00:40.000 --> 0:00:42.400 They're hip hop acts like Busta Rhymes and the Bad 0:00:42.440 --> 0:00:45.800 Boys Records, Roster and R and B superstars like tlc 0:00:46.320 --> 0:00:49.000 Usher and Tony Braxton. I could keep going, but we'd 0:00:49.000 --> 0:00:51.520 be here all day. Suffice it to say, every music 0:00:51.560 --> 0:00:54.160 fan owes this man at debt of gratitude each year. 0:00:54.240 --> 0:00:57.400 His famous pre Grammy's Party is a joyous celebration of 0:00:57.480 --> 0:01:00.720 song in invitation to the gallows. Almost as sought after 0:01:00.880 --> 0:01:04.120 was actually winning the Golden Grammophone. This year, the party 0:01:04.200 --> 0:01:06.560 was obviously a little different due to COVID. It was 0:01:06.560 --> 0:01:09.560 a virtual affair held in two parts. In addition to 0:01:09.600 --> 0:01:12.520 showcasing some of his favorite concert performance as ever, the 0:01:12.560 --> 0:01:16.280 event featured intimate interviews with the whole galaxy of music stars, 0:01:16.440 --> 0:01:20.000 from favorites like Elton John, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, and 0:01:20.000 --> 0:01:23.000 Barry Gordy to fresh faces like Her and the Baby. 0:01:23.360 --> 0:01:26.080 It was an unforgettable night, and all for a good cause. 0:01:26.400 --> 0:01:29.000 The party served to raise funds for the Grammy Museum, 0:01:29.120 --> 0:01:32.640 a vital institution dedicated to preserving the history of hits. 0:01:32.880 --> 0:01:36.000 It's an honor and a privilege to welcome Mr Clive Davis. 0:01:36.000 --> 0:01:39.039 My pleasure to really agree with you. I had the 0:01:39.080 --> 0:01:42.360 great privilege and pleasure to to virtually attend part two 0:01:42.440 --> 0:01:45.120 of your your pre Grammy's Party on Saturday. It was 0:01:45.200 --> 0:01:47.480 such a special night. How did the idea come about 0:01:47.520 --> 0:01:50.600 to hold the event digitally? Well, we really had no choice. 0:01:50.880 --> 0:01:54.600 I mean, there was no way of being held live, 0:01:55.160 --> 0:01:59.880 and so when the concept came up of doing it digital, 0:02:00.400 --> 0:02:03.320 I came up with the idea of doing what we did. 0:02:03.520 --> 0:02:07.600 I had once before in the hosting a weekend and 0:02:07.960 --> 0:02:11.280 I had a group of about twenty five people, and 0:02:11.480 --> 0:02:15.600 for entertainment after dinner, I had put together about ten 0:02:15.720 --> 0:02:20.560 performances that I had considered among the greatest of all time. 0:02:21.000 --> 0:02:23.800 And where I am today, I do have the theater 0:02:24.160 --> 0:02:28.280 and I showed it, and wow, the reaction was so 0:02:28.400 --> 0:02:31.160 strong that the first thing I thought of when I 0:02:31.240 --> 0:02:33.480 knew that we had to come up with an idea 0:02:33.600 --> 0:02:38.320 digitally was just doing that and coming up with fifteen 0:02:38.480 --> 0:02:42.560 twenty of the greatest performances. And then I said, well, 0:02:43.040 --> 0:02:45.800 if I did that, and I know the performances have 0:02:45.919 --> 0:02:48.880 been seen, but never really back to back, buck, I 0:02:48.919 --> 0:02:52.440 did have to have and I wouldn't invite those living 0:02:52.760 --> 0:02:56.639 to come chat with me. So hot woman, so gratifying 0:02:56.880 --> 0:02:59.600 that when I asked Barry Gibb, when I asked on 0:03:00.600 --> 0:03:05.560 Bruce Brinstein, Alicia, they all came on Puffy. And the 0:03:05.560 --> 0:03:09.040 one thing I had to with stand was some of 0:03:09.120 --> 0:03:13.160 the younger folks saying, oh, you gotta let everybody chat, 0:03:13.280 --> 0:03:16.080 you know, and there's the attention, then this is gonna 0:03:16.280 --> 0:03:19.639 run four or five hours, and they you know, and 0:03:19.800 --> 0:03:23.200 every one of these type zoons you gotta let them 0:03:23.400 --> 0:03:25.720 speak to I said, there's no way. I said, you 0:03:25.840 --> 0:03:29.000 either have respect that this is unique to either have 0:03:29.160 --> 0:03:32.440 respects years ago when I would go to the Vanity 0:03:32.560 --> 0:03:37.400 Fair Oscar party and I'm riveted to the screen and 0:03:37.840 --> 0:03:42.360 everyone else is talking. I don't like talking during awards, Jones. 0:03:42.560 --> 0:03:45.560 I want to concentrate. Not that my heart is in 0:03:45.640 --> 0:03:48.480 the hands as to who's gonna win, but you want 0:03:48.480 --> 0:03:53.840 to concentrate. And at the risk of not being quote contemporary, 0:03:54.000 --> 0:03:57.240 I held my ground. I'm so glad I did, because 0:03:57.640 --> 0:04:00.440 you don't want people chatting with each other or with 0:04:00.600 --> 0:04:03.840 Vanity seeing their names all over the screen, and whether 0:04:04.040 --> 0:04:10.440 Joni Mitchell or Elton John or Paul Simon or is speaking, 0:04:10.560 --> 0:04:13.560 that's no way. You've got to concentrate. Yeah, I just 0:04:13.560 --> 0:04:16.240 want to let them tell the story. Your pre Grammy's 0:04:16.279 --> 0:04:19.320 Gala is probably the most famous party on the planet. 0:04:19.400 --> 0:04:21.720 You've been doing it for I believe over forty years now. 0:04:21.760 --> 0:04:23.960 It's such a great tradition. How did this all begin? 0:04:24.080 --> 0:04:26.960 How did you you you first start throwing this party? Well, 0:04:27.000 --> 0:04:30.200 you know it began. I had previously been had of 0:04:30.240 --> 0:04:33.159 Columbia records, and of course the night of the Grammys, 0:04:33.279 --> 0:04:37.720 every label, certainly the major labels Colombia included. We had 0:04:37.720 --> 0:04:40.280 a big bash with the orders that some way to 0:04:40.360 --> 0:04:44.719 go and celebrate or not celebrate together. So when I 0:04:44.800 --> 0:04:48.600 became the head of Arrisdon, when I founded our restaurant, 0:04:48.680 --> 0:04:51.520 should say it was the first year of Opper Region 0:04:51.960 --> 0:04:54.240 all of you know, we might have had twenty five 0:04:54.360 --> 0:04:58.960 or thirty people on that first year doing marketing and promotion, 0:04:59.120 --> 0:05:04.400 sales and day and arm and Parry Manilow was up 0:05:04.520 --> 0:05:08.760 for two Grammys commanding and so he came to me 0:05:08.839 --> 0:05:11.200 and he said, what are we going to do? You know, 0:05:11.240 --> 0:05:13.560 I'm coming out to the coast. What what are we 0:05:13.600 --> 0:05:15.920 going to do? I said, look, if you do it 0:05:16.040 --> 0:05:19.280 tonight of the Grammys, it will take a table. There 0:05:19.360 --> 0:05:23.640 was a famous restaurant in named Jason's, and I said, 0:05:23.720 --> 0:05:28.400 you know that doesn't seem right, it's small. And then 0:05:28.520 --> 0:05:32.000 we won two tables, two tables of us there. So 0:05:32.040 --> 0:05:35.080 I came up with the idea of doing something the 0:05:35.160 --> 0:05:40.200 day before and we did it, and Elton John showed up, 0:05:40.240 --> 0:05:43.560 and John Denver showed up, and Stevie Wonders showed us 0:05:43.600 --> 0:05:49.120 as Wow, I'm onto something here and it's a night 0:05:49.200 --> 0:05:53.719 before there were no awards. It's just to celebrate music. 0:05:53.880 --> 0:05:58.040 So beginning to believe in all those years ago, this 0:05:58.320 --> 0:06:04.200 tradition began having the quote programming Galla and that we 0:06:04.400 --> 0:06:07.320 kept to it all through the years, and the heads 0:06:07.320 --> 0:06:11.479 of every other company comes. So it was not just 0:06:12.080 --> 0:06:15.960 for let's say our stuff. It was that every other 0:06:16.080 --> 0:06:19.159 label came because I put on a show and I 0:06:19.520 --> 0:06:22.520 It wasn't that they just smoothed as they say, No, 0:06:22.720 --> 0:06:26.400 I've put on after an hour of cocktails and for 0:06:26.520 --> 0:06:30.560 an hour dinner. At nine thirty of the show began, 0:06:30.960 --> 0:06:35.599 and over the years it's become just the most amazing show. 0:06:36.000 --> 0:06:39.320 Every artist they've masked me because they know that I 0:06:39.480 --> 0:06:43.720 heart radio there. They know that MTV and BT is there, 0:06:43.720 --> 0:06:47.680 and they know that motion picture directors have cares from 0:06:47.720 --> 0:06:52.120 that party. They know how many special nights, you know, 0:06:52.240 --> 0:06:55.680 I put artists and never appeared together together. I know 0:06:55.800 --> 0:06:58.560 one year we had run Steward with lou Reed and 0:06:58.720 --> 0:07:05.720 Slash playing together and singing together. So everybody's memory, you know, 0:07:06.000 --> 0:07:08.400 it's filled. It's like my part of the of the 0:07:08.560 --> 0:07:12.360 night when Dave girls and he started calling it Clive 0:07:12.480 --> 0:07:17.360 as he said, listen, I see artists that I would 0:07:17.400 --> 0:07:20.600 never otherwise see here this day Growl the great rock 0:07:20.680 --> 0:07:22.760 and rolland the same that when he heard him Badley 0:07:22.840 --> 0:07:27.000 at twelve Barron bdalone hits, he literally cried. He knew 0:07:27.000 --> 0:07:31.080 every word, and he thought of his family and they 0:07:31.240 --> 0:07:34.760 loved over so many incredible pairings of artists. I mean, 0:07:35.040 --> 0:07:37.280 you know you you mentioned Rod Stewart and Slash and 0:07:37.320 --> 0:07:40.720 Lou Reed, Alicia Keys and Aretha Franklin are there. I'm 0:07:40.720 --> 0:07:42.640 sure it's hard to pick, but are there any moments 0:07:42.720 --> 0:07:45.720 that really stand out as favorites from from your your 0:07:45.760 --> 0:07:49.520 gatherings over the years. Yes, I would say that there 0:07:49.680 --> 0:07:52.920 was the year that I was leaving Hour and got 0:07:52.960 --> 0:07:57.280 a lot of prints over the years, but BMG, Burtlesman 0:07:57.360 --> 0:08:01.119 didn't won't lose me, and they were trying to find 0:08:01.120 --> 0:08:04.080 a way, frankly, not to pay me all the money 0:08:04.160 --> 0:08:07.800 that my Phantom equity with all the profits we were making, 0:08:08.000 --> 0:08:11.440 and so they gave me a hundred fifty million dollars 0:08:11.520 --> 0:08:15.440 to start Jay Records and I could bring any executive 0:08:15.760 --> 0:08:20.960 all eighteen v from president. I was chairman executive BPS 0:08:21.320 --> 0:08:26.600 eighteen out of the team. Aristill became Jay overnight and 0:08:27.200 --> 0:08:30.120 I took Alicia. She was not out with an album. 0:08:30.200 --> 0:08:35.480 I took five platinum artists with me, and yet obviously 0:08:35.800 --> 0:08:40.120 I could not bring Whitney Houston. And we turned to 0:08:40.160 --> 0:08:44.600 the Grammar Party of that year, and she that knew 0:08:44.720 --> 0:08:48.760 that she and I were being separated. And so that 0:08:48.920 --> 0:08:52.720 year I only had two orders. Okay, it was the year. 0:08:53.040 --> 0:08:57.800 I think it was two thousand, and I had only 0:08:57.920 --> 0:09:02.040 called Santana and would be instant and Collins did the 0:09:02.160 --> 0:09:04.880 first half because we had, you know, just a year 0:09:05.000 --> 0:09:09.720 or two before I had his spectacular new career with Supernatural, 0:09:09.960 --> 0:09:13.160 and we broke it out of the Grammar Party spreading 0:09:13.200 --> 0:09:16.959 the word to every tastemaker that yes he was over fifty, 0:09:17.240 --> 0:09:22.760 yes he doesn't sing but smooth. And Maria Maria became anthems, 0:09:23.120 --> 0:09:31.080 debuting at that party with every radio media cable representative there. 0:09:31.520 --> 0:09:35.880 And so Santana performed, and then Whitney came on, and 0:09:35.960 --> 0:09:39.839 so I vividly remember when she stepped to the front 0:09:39.880 --> 0:09:43.240 of the stage and it wasn't a dry eye in 0:09:43.400 --> 0:09:46.240 my house when she sang, I believe in you and 0:09:46.400 --> 0:09:50.839 me right looking in my eye, I could baible to 0:09:50.960 --> 0:09:54.520 keep my emotion in chat. And then she ended it 0:09:54.559 --> 0:09:58.400 by singing I love His Love You, and that is 0:09:58.440 --> 0:10:02.000 an incredible moment. I would say the breaking of Santana 0:10:02.120 --> 0:10:04.720 from that party, how do you spread the word that 0:10:04.840 --> 0:10:07.080 someone who has not had a hit in twenty five 0:10:07.160 --> 0:10:11.480 years is coming back? And it was only demonstrating. So 0:10:11.520 --> 0:10:15.640 we had Rob Thomas and and Santana to Smooth, and 0:10:15.720 --> 0:10:18.959 we had Santana with White Cleft and product gam b 0:10:19.280 --> 0:10:22.280 to Maria Maria, and no one had ever heard it, 0:10:22.559 --> 0:10:25.800 So how do you spread the word. Yes, I'm serious, 0:10:25.960 --> 0:10:32.080 this is not David's folly because I had signed Santana 0:10:32.440 --> 0:10:36.600 originally and had had only come about Blood, Magic Women, 0:10:36.720 --> 0:10:39.520 Evil Ways with him at the beginning of both of 0:10:39.600 --> 0:10:43.680 our careers. So everybody said, oh, Clid is full of sentiment. 0:10:43.840 --> 0:10:49.200 Who would signed Santana Novities? And well, obviously words spread 0:10:49.480 --> 0:10:53.960 that there were two magic kids at least in Supernatural 0:10:54.400 --> 0:10:58.360 and that's a major memory, and then I think there's 0:10:58.440 --> 0:11:02.079 so many. But if I had a conferred after Alicia 0:11:02.280 --> 0:11:06.040 had broken and played the party as the first new 0:11:06.160 --> 0:11:12.040 artists category began, and she sang Fallen actually right after 0:11:12.120 --> 0:11:16.079 Gladys Night, sang Midnight Train to Georgia, that's a great memory. 0:11:16.240 --> 0:11:19.560 One of the great old time artors Steady show Basin 0:11:19.920 --> 0:11:23.000 and Alicia at the come on after it as this 0:11:23.600 --> 0:11:27.760 new orders, after this old timer, but after at least 0:11:27.960 --> 0:11:32.560 won all those Grammys and bull Time bull Time multiplat amount. 0:11:32.800 --> 0:11:37.000 I said to Alicia, what's your next dream? What would 0:11:37.000 --> 0:11:40.160 you dream that we happened to achieve from the tag? 0:11:40.480 --> 0:11:44.400 She said, you know, my childhood dream and it exists 0:11:44.440 --> 0:11:47.720 to this day, is to perform on the same stage 0:11:48.240 --> 0:11:51.960 with the wreath, and I did just that. I paid 0:11:52.000 --> 0:11:54.720 the two of them at the Grammy party. They said, 0:11:54.760 --> 0:11:58.360 at least she was really just my weekend house. Okay, 0:11:58.440 --> 0:12:01.120 but in the pandemic compan we figure an hour from 0:12:01.120 --> 0:12:03.559 the city, and at least she came up just two 0:12:03.640 --> 0:12:06.000 days ago with her two kids, if she will, and 0:12:06.040 --> 0:12:10.600 her sister, and we've done the whole thing together. Very special, Okay, 0:12:10.720 --> 0:12:15.040 you've got three reminist those are all incredible, Oh my gosh. 0:12:15.040 --> 0:12:17.360 And of course you know your your most recent party. 0:12:17.400 --> 0:12:19.400 But it was full of so many special moments for me. 0:12:19.440 --> 0:12:22.000 It was so wonderful too to see Joni Mitchell. I 0:12:22.320 --> 0:12:24.640 hadn't seen her interviewed live. I think I read that 0:12:24.679 --> 0:12:27.240 it was it's been six years or so. Tell me 0:12:27.240 --> 0:12:30.280 more about your your friendship with her. You know, it 0:12:30.440 --> 0:12:35.559 really grew right before her aneurism. It was not during 0:12:35.640 --> 0:12:40.760 the years when she was recording Brilliant Beard she did, 0:12:41.080 --> 0:12:45.680 but post her aneurism, she came to my Grammy Party 0:12:45.880 --> 0:12:49.760 every year and it was so special that the one 0:12:49.920 --> 0:12:53.440 to have it there. I always careful who I put 0:12:53.840 --> 0:12:58.160 at her table. I was always reverential to her. So 0:12:58.360 --> 0:13:02.040 she met over the year is well. She was friendly 0:13:02.080 --> 0:13:05.200 with Robbie Roberts and you know, and Robbie's overs been 0:13:05.559 --> 0:13:08.920 at her table. But one year I put David Hockney, 0:13:09.240 --> 0:13:12.720 the great artists, at the table right next to her. Well, 0:13:13.120 --> 0:13:16.319 the next day they were holding hands going to Aunt 0:13:16.360 --> 0:13:22.080 Gallery debuting David's new works, and they become great friends. 0:13:22.320 --> 0:13:27.640 And I introduced Brandy Carlos to Johnny Jorey is no 0:13:27.840 --> 0:13:32.760 question number one heroin of Brandy and Brandy and I 0:13:32.840 --> 0:13:35.920 had done a press day for my Grammy Party. That's 0:13:35.920 --> 0:13:39.119 how she and I met, when we did sixteen interviews 0:13:39.240 --> 0:13:44.520 together and got friendly and close, and so I said, 0:13:44.800 --> 0:13:47.880 I'm gonna put you at the same table with Joni 0:13:48.000 --> 0:13:51.480 Mitchard where she was paradised with fright. But they have 0:13:51.640 --> 0:13:55.320 become great friends. So Johnny and I talked throughout the 0:13:55.440 --> 0:14:00.760 year every year, and we talked music. And she knows 0:14:01.760 --> 0:14:06.000 how unique and special our how our friend Ture was 0:14:06.080 --> 0:14:18.000 from so special and emotional seeing the performance of her 0:14:18.080 --> 0:14:20.840 singing both sides now and in the year two thousand 0:14:20.920 --> 0:14:23.520 backed with on the orchestra, and when you were both speaking, 0:14:23.640 --> 0:14:25.840 she touched on the fact that the meaning of the 0:14:25.880 --> 0:14:28.080 song that she'd written when she was in her you know, 0:14:28.120 --> 0:14:31.200 twenties changed when she she came at it again later 0:14:31.240 --> 0:14:33.240 in life. And I think that's what's something that's so 0:14:33.280 --> 0:14:36.640 special about music is that different songs resonate with you 0:14:36.680 --> 0:14:39.520 for different reasons, depending on where you're at in your life. 0:14:39.640 --> 0:14:41.320 And I was wondering if that was the case for you, 0:14:41.520 --> 0:14:44.120 there are songs from from earlier in your life, earlier 0:14:44.120 --> 0:14:46.640 in your career that that means something more to you now, 0:14:46.760 --> 0:14:49.160 or resonate with you in a different way. You know. 0:14:49.840 --> 0:14:54.600 My memory is so with the ether songs that I've 0:14:54.640 --> 0:15:00.200 found for all or or or obviously songs that they 0:15:00.280 --> 0:15:03.960 wrote that it's not that I'd find new meaning, but 0:15:04.520 --> 0:15:07.240 when over the years I heard when they sing the 0:15:07.240 --> 0:15:10.640 greatest Love of Ball, I would just immediately they go 0:15:10.760 --> 0:15:14.040 back to the first time we met, when she auditioned 0:15:14.120 --> 0:15:17.880 for me. That was the song she was singing at 0:15:17.920 --> 0:15:21.280 the audition, and it was a song I had commissioned 0:15:21.320 --> 0:15:24.280 to be written for the life of Muhammad Aldle and 0:15:24.440 --> 0:15:29.840 it was eight years early. Bentson record it and I 0:15:29.920 --> 0:15:34.560 had the soundtrack, so he I was tremendously familiar with 0:15:34.600 --> 0:15:38.360 the greatest love of all and here is eighteen year old, 0:15:38.480 --> 0:15:43.040 stunningly beautiful girl. If you will, it's finding new meaning 0:15:43.480 --> 0:15:46.800 in the song the Greatest Love of ball that I 0:15:46.920 --> 0:15:50.680 knew that Michael Master and Linda Creed, who wrote it, 0:15:50.960 --> 0:15:56.560 couldn't have even conceived of when they wrote it. Whitney 0:15:56.640 --> 0:16:01.040 was a vocal genius. But when I heard Smith saying 0:16:01.160 --> 0:16:05.320 because the night okay, I mean I remember as great 0:16:05.560 --> 0:16:08.480 and as much of a renaissance woman. When as Patty is, 0:16:08.760 --> 0:16:15.240 every artist wont success commercially apart from autistically never to bassardized. 0:16:15.360 --> 0:16:21.240 There are nobody is more artistically revered Thander, Jonny Mitchell 0:16:21.360 --> 0:16:25.000 or Patty Smith. But Patty, she says, I don't know 0:16:25.040 --> 0:16:27.720 if I could ever write a hit single. And I 0:16:27.760 --> 0:16:31.920 remember those years who were doing an album with Chimney Ivy, 0:16:32.160 --> 0:16:39.200 who was protrucing Bruce Springsteen and Bruce had written Because 0:16:39.600 --> 0:16:43.440 the Night, Jimmy knew that I in reporting at the 0:16:43.480 --> 0:16:47.360 same time separately Bruce and Patty. Somehow we got to 0:16:47.440 --> 0:16:52.440 find a potential hits on from Patty Smith and without 0:16:52.480 --> 0:16:56.120 compromising her. And sure enough it came out of that 0:16:56.480 --> 0:16:59.480 with Bruce decided for his album he was not going 0:16:59.520 --> 0:17:02.880 to use Because the Night, and he played it for 0:17:03.040 --> 0:17:06.439 Patty played it for me and we loved it. And 0:17:06.480 --> 0:17:11.960 he went a little repidigiously to Bruce and said, can 0:17:12.040 --> 0:17:17.720 I show this Patty Smith? Would you allow me? And 0:17:17.720 --> 0:17:21.600 Bruce said yes, And then Patty got into it and 0:17:21.680 --> 0:17:26.040 did some lyric writing, and they said that and of 0:17:26.080 --> 0:17:28.960 course it became a big hit for Patty, and all 0:17:29.000 --> 0:17:32.720 of a sudden said of one or two hundred thousands 0:17:32.800 --> 0:17:37.960 and great rock fans purchases Patty Smith was selling, you 0:17:38.040 --> 0:17:40.760 know all over the world that's putty hit single does 0:17:40.800 --> 0:17:43.359 for you so many amazing songs. I mean, during the 0:17:43.359 --> 0:17:47.800 Pregrammy party, you you revealed your two of your favorite songs. 0:17:47.800 --> 0:17:50.199 My favorite songs to Bridge Over Troubled Water in the 0:17:50.240 --> 0:17:53.240 Box are both by Paul Simon for Simon and Garfuncle. 0:17:53.480 --> 0:17:56.240 What is it about those songs that that makes them 0:17:56.280 --> 0:17:59.600 so special for you? You know, I don't have the 0:18:00.359 --> 0:18:03.639 obviously not knowing you, I don't have the lyric, but 0:18:04.240 --> 0:18:08.399 both songs. A lyric is so brilliant and so meaningful 0:18:08.480 --> 0:18:12.159 and so emotionally affecting. And the melody, and what do 0:18:12.200 --> 0:18:14.719 you have when you have a classic melody? If you 0:18:14.760 --> 0:18:17.480 saw in my party, so I'm in the Gulf Uncle 0:18:17.800 --> 0:18:21.840 sing the boxer, Oh my God, before I have a 0:18:21.920 --> 0:18:25.320 million people, you know when they go into La La La, 0:18:25.640 --> 0:18:29.639 you know, and it's a combination of an affecting lyric 0:18:29.920 --> 0:18:34.880 and an unforgettable melody. Gruble Trouble Water Salon, Silver Girl. 0:18:34.960 --> 0:18:37.840 I mean the first time I heard it, as Paul said, 0:18:38.200 --> 0:18:41.720 you know, five minutes a ballad. And if we come 0:18:41.800 --> 0:18:45.760 to the meeting in Polis Things, I'm sure Cloud is 0:18:45.760 --> 0:18:49.360 gonna pick ce Celia. And there were Columbia. Others had 0:18:49.400 --> 0:18:52.400 a Columbia. I looked at him and I said, it's 0:18:52.440 --> 0:18:56.359 got to be over Trouble Water. They'll never forget it. 0:18:56.760 --> 0:19:00.400 I find Peop will never forget. And to this day, 0:19:00.480 --> 0:19:04.280 if I see they asked me why how, and I 0:19:04.359 --> 0:19:08.840 do say, there are times in life as an executive 0:19:09.520 --> 0:19:14.240 where you just can't give a formula lay it response. 0:19:14.440 --> 0:19:18.080 You know you're going to get a formula lay it responds. 0:19:18.640 --> 0:19:22.000 And there are times if you hear a classet, if 0:19:22.000 --> 0:19:26.439 you hear something that's an old timer, you gotta know 0:19:26.520 --> 0:19:29.560 when to go for it. And there's just too much 0:19:29.600 --> 0:19:32.880 a stake and to come with me. Not that Sicilia 0:19:32.960 --> 0:19:36.440 is not a great hit song. It is, but this 0:19:36.520 --> 0:19:43.080 would signal an unusual artist and American beatles and quality 0:19:43.240 --> 0:19:48.359 songs was there, and I was willing to go for it. 0:19:48.720 --> 0:19:50.960 So there are times you've got to live and forget 0:19:51.000 --> 0:19:55.359 what boubl always love you. And my radio promotion people said, 0:19:55.400 --> 0:19:58.520 you know, radios they hear, they know we're going with it. 0:19:58.720 --> 0:20:02.000 They want to take ow you know, the intro where 0:20:02.000 --> 0:20:06.560 there's no music behind it. What I said, that makes 0:20:06.600 --> 0:20:11.560 it so special. I said, I can't do that. He said, 0:20:11.600 --> 0:20:14.679 well they will. I said, you know, go for the 0:20:14.720 --> 0:20:18.760 home Brown, always go for the home wrong. And we 0:20:18.840 --> 0:20:22.320 did it. Of course in both cases they became you know, 0:20:22.600 --> 0:20:26.080 yes it was an acapella. It is a word I'm 0:20:26.119 --> 0:20:30.080 searching for, but that is in you know, and wow, 0:20:30.520 --> 0:20:33.760 that's a classic. And of quick for trump water, whether 0:20:33.880 --> 0:20:37.480 it's done by someone in golf uncle, somebody with the Franklin. 0:20:37.680 --> 0:20:41.600 I mean, it's an incredible soul listening to you talking about, 0:20:41.680 --> 0:20:46.359 you know, advising, Paul Simon, Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Miles Davis. 0:20:46.359 --> 0:20:49.960 I think Kenny g referred to once as a friendly provocateur. 0:20:50.080 --> 0:20:52.080 I think was the phrase he used. Have there been 0:20:52.119 --> 0:20:54.840 any musicians who have returned the favor and and and 0:20:54.840 --> 0:20:57.560 taught you something as that? Whover your your biggest teacher 0:20:57.600 --> 0:21:01.920 has been over the years. My teaching come purely from 0:21:02.040 --> 0:21:07.480 spunt to nearly. I mean I knew all right when 0:21:07.520 --> 0:21:12.600 I started oristoff, I've been fired from Columbia and they 0:21:12.680 --> 0:21:17.159 did not want to risk their broadcast license. Someone was 0:21:17.280 --> 0:21:21.120 claiming that there was payover and so in the company. 0:21:21.280 --> 0:21:24.199 I had never even heard of pay I'll tell you, 0:21:24.560 --> 0:21:29.400 and yet I had to withstand the industry investigation. I'm 0:21:29.440 --> 0:21:33.080 proud in my documentary which is on Netflix right now, 0:21:33.320 --> 0:21:35.800 let me say in a big, big, big hit for 0:21:35.920 --> 0:21:40.119 them on Netfloox Cole Climb David was the soundtrack of 0:21:40.119 --> 0:21:44.280 Our Lives. And you'll see in that documentary the check 0:21:44.400 --> 0:21:48.280 the Columbia CBS gave me for a million dollars a 0:21:48.320 --> 0:21:53.440 lot of money. Many is help and because they didn't 0:21:53.480 --> 0:21:55.640 take the risk, and I had to go through the 0:21:55.680 --> 0:22:01.959 pain and the trauma until vindication came. And you know 0:22:02.280 --> 0:22:06.919 so that when I called Ariston at the heading Columbia, 0:22:07.280 --> 0:22:10.159 I wanted it to be an instant major. I was 0:22:10.240 --> 0:22:13.400 not about to be a brand new company. So that 0:22:13.800 --> 0:22:16.919 if I only kept signing rock orders, that's the artist 0:22:17.000 --> 0:22:20.760 I signed the Columbia, that's what's gotta be an all 0:22:20.800 --> 0:22:25.240 of fame. It was Arrowsmith, and it was Springsteen and 0:22:25.359 --> 0:22:31.160 Billie Joel and it was earth Wind and Fire like that, okay, 0:22:31.440 --> 0:22:35.600 And but by that time rock can changed. And although 0:22:35.720 --> 0:22:40.000 I signed rock orders, when I called Harriston, I sawn 0:22:40.080 --> 0:22:44.440 the out closed, green Grass and High Tides. I signed 0:22:44.480 --> 0:22:47.879 Patty Smith, I signed Lou Reed, I signed Graham Parker, 0:22:48.040 --> 0:22:51.960 I signed and Stiff records with the injury. And then 0:22:52.000 --> 0:22:55.880 I attracted the King's and the Grateful Dead. But those 0:22:56.119 --> 0:23:01.359 artists would not sell the millions of our boats. Punk 0:23:01.359 --> 0:23:04.920 new way or that you were doing real well. If 0:23:04.960 --> 0:23:07.960 you win gold, I had to go. My ordists had 0:23:08.000 --> 0:23:11.960 to go double triple platinum or more. And the way 0:23:12.000 --> 0:23:15.520 to do that is through singles, which you don't give 0:23:15.880 --> 0:23:20.439 songs to self contain rock orders, that's for sure. So 0:23:20.640 --> 0:23:24.520 that I did look at Mowtown. I did look, and 0:23:24.600 --> 0:23:28.280 that's for my conversation the other night was very gordy, 0:23:28.400 --> 0:23:31.639 where we said we looked at compared notes over the 0:23:31.720 --> 0:23:35.080 years with each other, and I knew I had a home. 0:23:35.240 --> 0:23:40.560 My year fits ONNG So whether ultimately bringing to the 0:23:40.640 --> 0:23:44.560 label Dion both poet and a refurn leading up to Whitney. 0:23:44.640 --> 0:23:48.840 After what I had done with Darren Manilone where he 0:23:48.920 --> 0:23:52.760 wrote and I gave him two songs on every album, 0:23:53.200 --> 0:23:57.200 I knew that A and are artists and repertoire. Yes, 0:23:57.280 --> 0:24:02.440 you look for the special rock distinct of self contained artists, 0:24:02.440 --> 0:24:06.040 but to really go multi platinum for the most part, 0:24:06.480 --> 0:24:10.320 I hold my ear for the hit song and I 0:24:10.400 --> 0:24:14.080 did look, you know at what Motown had done over 0:24:14.560 --> 0:24:17.399 years to come up with material you know, which, of 0:24:17.480 --> 0:24:30.000 course look to be in this most perfect rom Speaking 0:24:30.000 --> 0:24:32.399 of Whitney, I know you've been working on a film 0:24:32.520 --> 0:24:34.600 version of her life. I wanted to know what the 0:24:34.680 --> 0:24:36.960 updates were on that and how that experience has been 0:24:37.000 --> 0:24:41.560 for you. That is the beginning we're talked about the biopic. Yes, yes, 0:24:41.960 --> 0:24:44.639 I well, I shouldn't say it's that beginning. I have 0:24:44.840 --> 0:24:48.720 worked with the author of Bohemian Rhapsody, the film, the 0:24:48.840 --> 0:24:52.400 Queen film, Anthony McCartin, for about a year, and now 0:24:52.880 --> 0:24:55.840 on the script. I mean, I'll be saying Anthony wrote it, 0:24:55.880 --> 0:24:59.240 but I can judge what's real and what's not real 0:24:59.480 --> 0:25:05.720 and what I made sure. Notwithstanding his success with Beamian Rhapsody, 0:25:05.840 --> 0:25:08.639 which is now the biggest posting I've been felt the 0:25:08.720 --> 0:25:15.400 bois at a billion dollars, that he meets with her family, 0:25:15.640 --> 0:25:19.560 with her hair dress, with her custom, with the writers, 0:25:19.760 --> 0:25:24.560 with her agent, even without psychiatrists, if you will, So 0:25:24.600 --> 0:25:29.320 that he understood apart from my relationship and the family, 0:25:29.840 --> 0:25:33.280 everything up with me. So it was never the whitewashing. 0:25:33.520 --> 0:25:38.120 We're not whitewashing this important message that drugs are lethal. 0:25:38.400 --> 0:25:42.040 We're not whitewashing that will come through. Drugs are lethal. 0:25:42.320 --> 0:25:48.520 She fought four four solving gamely and vainly to overcome 0:25:48.600 --> 0:25:52.240 it and didn't. But the two documentaries out of Whitney 0:25:52.359 --> 0:25:56.040 have been poor, they've been wonderment. And there was another 0:25:56.160 --> 0:25:59.680 side up Withney. There was that side that you saw 0:26:00.160 --> 0:26:02.320 she joined the on what work. At the end of 0:26:02.400 --> 0:26:06.119 ETL Friends for there was Whitney. What you might have 0:26:06.240 --> 0:26:09.480