1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,080 Speaker 1: West Love Supreme is a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:12,799 Speaker 2: Hey what's up y'all? This is uh West Love Supreme. 3 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:16,760 Speaker 2: It's kind of awesome. I've been knocking out bucket list 4 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:21,480 Speaker 2: after bucket list of all the drummers that have influenced 5 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 2: my life. 6 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:22,920 Speaker 1: Time out. 7 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 2: Let me say what's up to the team Supreme? Startists, Sugar. 8 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 2: See where you at right now? Brouh, he's in the elevator. Wait, 9 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:30,800 Speaker 2: you're at your apartment already? 10 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:33,279 Speaker 3: Yes, sir, A little walking down? 11 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 2: You ran you ran home? No, I briskly. I think 12 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:43,800 Speaker 2: you lived to New York City, locks away from where 13 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:47,080 Speaker 2: we work, So you're you're a speed walker then? 14 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:50,280 Speaker 1: Anyway, Uh fan tickelo, what's going on? 15 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:50,440 Speaker 3: Bro? 16 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 4: I'm good man, I'm cool man, Uh Fran send him 17 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 4: on up for likeya, man. I hope she gets better. 18 00:00:55,920 --> 00:01:01,279 Speaker 4: She hurt her leg today, so that's right, but yeah, hope, 19 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 4: hope you get well. 20 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:02,760 Speaker 3: Work wife. 21 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:05,119 Speaker 2: We're praying for you, Yeah we are. 22 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 1: We're playing for you. 23 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:07,200 Speaker 2: You know. 24 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:11,640 Speaker 1: I'll say that our guest today is well. 25 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 2: I feel like all of our guests on Quest Love 26 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 2: suprem a legendary, but our guest is definitely a legendary. 27 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:21,240 Speaker 1: Trendsetter U in both music and fashion. 28 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:23,679 Speaker 4: Yes, the rid cod piece. 29 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 1: We cannot state that enough. 30 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 2: I'll say that, you know, once behind the driver's seat 31 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 2: of I think at its most maybe fourteen piece Funcatorium 32 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 2: called Cameo. And you know, I'm dying to know how 33 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 2: per Diem was handled back in the day. But you know, 34 00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:48,360 Speaker 2: haven't been of age to witness this band and their 35 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 2: first incarnation as a fourteen piece. 36 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 3: I got. 37 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 2: I got to say that these brothers definitely took entertainment 38 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 2: like to the next level. Their their live show had 39 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 2: to be seen to be believed it. If you can, 40 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:04,720 Speaker 2: there's there's a clip of them, or there's a show 41 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:06,840 Speaker 2: he used to watch as a kid called Don Kirshner's 42 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:11,119 Speaker 2: Rock Concert. And you know, the first incarnation. For those 43 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:15,639 Speaker 2: of you that remember when Cameo just wasn't a quartet 44 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 2: or or a you know, or a trio, that's that's 45 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:20,680 Speaker 2: one for the history books. 46 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 1: But I would like to note. 47 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 2: That while many of the bands that were you know, 48 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:33,240 Speaker 2: from the sixties and the seventies, they kind of found 49 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:36,120 Speaker 2: the transition to the eighties a little difficult to make. 50 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 2: And our guest today and his band of brothers not 51 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:44,720 Speaker 2: only found kind of a way to coexist with a 52 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:48,119 Speaker 2: new art form that was really much going to eclipse 53 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 2: Black culture in general, and of course I'm talking about 54 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 2: hip hop. 55 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:54,920 Speaker 1: I will say that our guest today probably. 56 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 2: Pioneered what we know is New Jack Swing basically by 57 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 2: by embracing a hip hop attitude. You know, clearly like 58 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:07,959 Speaker 2: a year or two before Shakas I Feel for You, 59 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:11,640 Speaker 2: three years before Teddy Riley sort of figured out the 60 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:15,440 Speaker 2: magic combination net connect with Jimmy and Terry. Shout out 61 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:17,720 Speaker 2: to Jimmy and Terry. Of course, you know, we discussed 62 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:21,280 Speaker 2: what's control of the first New Jack Swing album, like 63 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:26,360 Speaker 2: the idea of hard drums and soul music. But I'll 64 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 2: say for many you know, of those albums in the 65 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:34,880 Speaker 2: eighties like She's Strange, Single Life, and especially the Timeless 66 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:39,840 Speaker 2: and Still you know gets much play today, like songs 67 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:42,960 Speaker 2: like you know, word Up and Candy, I will say 68 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 2: that this band has gotten to go places that allow 69 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:50,520 Speaker 2: their contemporaries like the Commodorees, the Ohio Players, the OJ's, 70 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 2: the Barks Mandrell named them, really wasn't able to make 71 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 2: that transition, and we're just honored. I again, thank God 72 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:04,440 Speaker 2: for DMS shot my shot, and it happened, And ladies 73 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 2: and gentlemen, welcome to Quest of Supreme, the One and 74 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 2: only Larry Oh Black men down there a cameo. 75 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 3: That's pretty good question. I appreciate you having me on, man, 76 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 3: it's a pleasure. 77 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 2: I appreciate you, you know, making making this happen. Where 78 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 2: are you residing right now? Where are you talking to 79 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:26,480 Speaker 2: me from. 80 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:29,560 Speaker 3: At the moment, I'm talking to you in a place 81 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:30,880 Speaker 3: called Atlanta, Georgia? 82 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:33,799 Speaker 1: Hey, so you still reside in the A? 83 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:34,160 Speaker 2: All right? 84 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:40,600 Speaker 3: No, no, no, I reside in Henderson, Nevada. Okay, Vegas, 85 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:46,640 Speaker 3: but for for other family reasons. And I've been here 86 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 3: off and on for for a minute. And uh, as 87 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:56,160 Speaker 3: you know, New York is my home. No matter where. 88 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:58,360 Speaker 2: I am, I feel. 89 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:01,479 Speaker 3: I'm zipping a across here and there. Man, you know 90 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:03,800 Speaker 3: how we do it, you know. And I happened to 91 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:08,800 Speaker 3: really enjoy that June teen celebration. It was singing them, man, 92 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:11,960 Speaker 3: I saw you, and you know you're one with a 93 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 3: few drummers that respect the pocket, because without that, it's nothing. 94 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:22,599 Speaker 1: You taught me well, man, Yeah, that's. 95 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:26,679 Speaker 3: Funny man that you're from Philly, because that's when I 96 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:34,240 Speaker 3: really started. I went to Edison. There I heard yeah, yeah, yeah, 97 00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:36,440 Speaker 3: So I guess you know a little bit more about 98 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 3: me than I know about myself. 99 00:05:37,839 --> 00:05:42,760 Speaker 2: But I'm not just I'm not just a you know. 100 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 2: I knew Candy and I knew you were a red 101 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:50,159 Speaker 2: Jack Strap, I knew Cameo. Man, I've read interviews and 102 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:53,320 Speaker 2: not you know, for me as a professional, this is 103 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:56,000 Speaker 2: thirty years in the making. Like the fact that we 104 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:59,480 Speaker 2: haven't crossed paths yet to me is crazy, but it is. 105 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:02,719 Speaker 2: I know a lot about you because you have so 106 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 2: much history, man, I might as well. I got immediately 107 00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:08,160 Speaker 2: dive in. Can you tell me in your life? What 108 00:06:08,360 --> 00:06:10,280 Speaker 2: was your first musical memory? 109 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:15,520 Speaker 3: My first musical memory, Yes, in your life. I was 110 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:22,280 Speaker 3: about five years old and my aunt was staying with 111 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:27,120 Speaker 3: us in New York. She was from Augusta, Georgia, mother's sister, 112 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:32,320 Speaker 3: and she always talked about the Apollo and she took 113 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:36,520 Speaker 3: me to my first show there. So my first musical 114 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 3: memory was I guess being about two rolls back from 115 00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:49,320 Speaker 3: the stage and observing Sam Cook. That was first musical memories. 116 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:54,520 Speaker 3: And then she tells me the story about after leaving there, 117 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 3: I broke away from her running down the street and 118 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:02,920 Speaker 3: almost ran across Seventh Avenue and came close to being 119 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:09,039 Speaker 3: met by a greyhound bus. And she didn't think it 120 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:13,680 Speaker 3: was that funny, but she said I would laugh and 121 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:15,960 Speaker 3: let her catch up with me and then break away 122 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:18,240 Speaker 3: and run that much more. And that had nothing to 123 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:21,880 Speaker 3: do with music. But being that my first musical experience 124 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:26,560 Speaker 3: was there, I was like, and then after becoming old 125 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:29,680 Speaker 3: enough to make it there myself, I used to play 126 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:33,080 Speaker 3: He'll keep from church and catch the Maynes on Sunday 127 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 3: four years. 128 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 2: Okay, so do me a favor because this is like 129 00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:42,160 Speaker 2: a rabbit hole show where we nerd out on information 130 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:48,280 Speaker 2: like that, could you please walk me through like a 131 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:52,320 Speaker 2: typical day where you go to the Apollo? Like how 132 00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:55,040 Speaker 2: much did it cost? Like where would you sit? The 133 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:58,960 Speaker 2: acts that played? Like can you walk us through a 134 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 2: typical hollow? What year are you talking around? Is this 135 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 2: the sixties? Seventies? 136 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:08,800 Speaker 3: Oh my god, this had to be the sixties. Okay, 137 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 3: A typical day was you know, parents would give us 138 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:19,720 Speaker 3: these envelopes. We were members of the Union Baptist Church 139 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:23,840 Speaker 3: on one hundred and forty fifth between seventh and eighth. Okay, 140 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:26,600 Speaker 3: we would go to church. I would take my sister, 141 00:08:26,760 --> 00:08:29,880 Speaker 3: she was about five years younger than me, and we'd 142 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:34,439 Speaker 3: go and we'd wait until the offering time, which we 143 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:38,080 Speaker 3: would take the envelopes and put it in plate. And 144 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:41,000 Speaker 3: after the plate went around and everything, there was something 145 00:08:41,040 --> 00:08:43,200 Speaker 3: else that happened. They would play music and do something. 146 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:46,120 Speaker 3: But I would give her the signal and then we'd 147 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:49,600 Speaker 3: meet in the back of the church if she wasn't 148 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:52,320 Speaker 3: sitting with me, and then I would take her across 149 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:55,400 Speaker 3: the street to my cousin's house, leave her and take 150 00:08:55,440 --> 00:08:57,760 Speaker 3: the eighth Avenue bus to one hundred and twenty fifth 151 00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:01,600 Speaker 3: Street and go up to the Apollo. But anyway, they 152 00:09:01,640 --> 00:09:04,400 Speaker 3: had mad names. On Sunday, there were two shows on Sunday, 153 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:09,320 Speaker 3: and I would catch the earlier show, and my seat 154 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:13,120 Speaker 3: was if you're on the stage, you look to the 155 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:18,120 Speaker 3: left and the first balcony right there, that was my seat. Okay, 156 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:22,480 Speaker 3: it didn't have my name on it, and strangely enough, 157 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 3: I was never challenged about where I sat, and that 158 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:32,000 Speaker 3: went on for years. I've seen every lake great performer 159 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:38,480 Speaker 3: of color, I mean, everyone from Okay, Sam Cook, Jackie Wilson, 160 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:45,360 Speaker 3: Flip Wilson, of course, James Brown, I mean, and the 161 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:48,440 Speaker 3: lines went around the corner in both directions all the 162 00:09:48,440 --> 00:09:55,640 Speaker 3: way to the rear of the theater. Became acquainted with 163 00:09:56,280 --> 00:10:01,880 Speaker 3: acquainted with a couple of the massive ceremonies. Goodness names, 164 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:04,559 Speaker 3: I can't think of some of the names right away, 165 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:09,120 Speaker 3: but I don't think and I've seen everybody, Ray, Charles, 166 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:16,320 Speaker 3: b B. King, Benny King, Joe Text. 167 00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:20,160 Speaker 2: For you, who was the act that really grabbed you 168 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:22,880 Speaker 2: the most, like when you saw them? Like for you, 169 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:24,959 Speaker 2: is it just like on board, let me go see 170 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:28,439 Speaker 2: what's at the Apollo? Or you know, was the music 171 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:30,440 Speaker 2: calling to you or was it just something to do 172 00:10:30,679 --> 00:10:31,400 Speaker 2: on a Sunday? 173 00:10:32,080 --> 00:10:35,280 Speaker 3: I did that. I was, I was. I was totally 174 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:40,079 Speaker 3: captivated by everything that happened. And I don't know if 175 00:10:40,280 --> 00:10:42,920 Speaker 3: you have any memories of the Apollo, but they used 176 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:49,360 Speaker 3: to show a movie before the live acts. It just 177 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:54,160 Speaker 3: it just grabbed me. I mean every Sunday that's something 178 00:10:54,320 --> 00:11:00,360 Speaker 3: I did. Like Clockwork wasn't discussed. Didn't feel if I 179 00:11:00,440 --> 00:11:04,160 Speaker 3: had to. I just had to see whoever was there. 180 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:07,120 Speaker 3: The one show I did not see was the jewel 181 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:10,640 Speaker 3: Box review. Didn't even know what it was until some 182 00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 3: years later. You know, I never questioned that, but man 183 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:20,400 Speaker 3: I was there, and you know, turned into friendships with 184 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:28,960 Speaker 3: five stair steps with Kenny and Clarence and family, and man, 185 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:31,640 Speaker 3: I mean I remember times when the Jackson five were there, 186 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:35,040 Speaker 3: when Michael was running around back stage, up and down 187 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:39,280 Speaker 3: the stairs and Jermaine you know, you know, if you 188 00:11:39,280 --> 00:11:45,440 Speaker 3: know Jermaine, you know he was the protector and you know, 189 00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:47,480 Speaker 3: just to get to know those guys on a one 190 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:51,760 Speaker 3: on one basis was was. I enjoyed that in a 191 00:11:51,800 --> 00:11:52,280 Speaker 3: great deal. 192 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 2: So you would you were just allowed lee way like 193 00:11:55,640 --> 00:11:57,680 Speaker 2: throughout the theater or just the. 194 00:11:57,520 --> 00:12:02,800 Speaker 3: More the more people noticed me. I was allowed to 195 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:07,960 Speaker 3: enjoy what I enjoyed doing, and that was you know, 196 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:12,600 Speaker 3: it was a weird thing. I cannot even remember how 197 00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:18,240 Speaker 3: certain things turned into friendships, but I did that. That 198 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:19,240 Speaker 3: happened a lot. 199 00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:22,360 Speaker 2: At the Apollo. How many of these shows would occur 200 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:25,960 Speaker 2: a day? Is it just one long concurrent show from 201 00:12:26,040 --> 00:12:28,720 Speaker 2: like what a typical show just be like a two 202 00:12:28,760 --> 00:12:30,680 Speaker 2: hour experience and then they get rid of people and 203 00:12:30,679 --> 00:12:33,200 Speaker 2: then you come back, or yes. 204 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:36,720 Speaker 3: It was like that, I believe at one time. I 205 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:40,960 Speaker 3: understand there were several shows a day, Okay, prior to 206 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:45,679 Speaker 3: my attending, but I would remember at least two shows, 207 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:50,760 Speaker 3: and they would add a show according to whatever was 208 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:56,680 Speaker 3: going on. I watched the documentary on HBO, and a 209 00:12:56,720 --> 00:13:02,840 Speaker 3: lot of it. I remembered some of the acts that 210 00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:07,920 Speaker 3: were there prior to my going. I heard a lot 211 00:13:07,960 --> 00:13:10,080 Speaker 3: of things. And then Amateur Night I believe it was 212 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:14,680 Speaker 3: on Wednesday, and that was a guest within itself. It 213 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:20,360 Speaker 3: was apollo to me, was a finishing school, if you 214 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:24,680 Speaker 3: want to call it that. But that's where I really 215 00:13:24,679 --> 00:13:28,960 Speaker 3: cut my teeth. I remember George Clinton Parliament before it 216 00:13:29,040 --> 00:13:33,320 Speaker 3: became Funker Delicment. I remember the first show when it 217 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:38,439 Speaker 3: became that, And of course George was wild, as it 218 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:41,880 Speaker 3: would always to be over the years. But there was 219 00:13:41,920 --> 00:13:46,760 Speaker 3: a group called Flamingos that had a song called Funky Broadway, 220 00:13:48,920 --> 00:13:54,720 Speaker 3: and that was the group that, as far as drumas 221 00:13:54,760 --> 00:14:00,319 Speaker 3: were concerned, that turned me out. That solo end of 222 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:04,360 Speaker 3: Funky Broadway was the solo you had to play if 223 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:08,079 Speaker 3: you were wait not dyk in the Blazers, Dyke in 224 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:14,000 Speaker 3: the Blazers, And there was was an called Dyking. The 225 00:14:14,040 --> 00:14:17,760 Speaker 3: Blazers was one thing, but the Flamingos it was called 226 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:24,960 Speaker 3: the Battle of the Bands. Groups from the Manhattan's Parliament's 227 00:14:25,400 --> 00:14:27,680 Speaker 3: Parliament and a lot of other acts. 228 00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:32,560 Speaker 2: Can I something the incarnation of the parliaments that you saw? 229 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:37,720 Speaker 2: Have you has Funkadelic the sort of the rock version 230 00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:41,760 Speaker 2: of the p funk organization. Have they ever played the Apollo? 231 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:43,720 Speaker 3: Oh? Yes? Indeed? 232 00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:46,480 Speaker 2: Were they well received or were they a little bit 233 00:14:46,520 --> 00:14:48,960 Speaker 2: too wild for that audience? 234 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:54,080 Speaker 3: Strangely enough, they were well received. Uh. And they were 235 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:58,200 Speaker 3: using I believe the amplifiers were called. I forgot what 236 00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:02,000 Speaker 3: they called their They the dan amplifies lit up. 237 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:03,520 Speaker 2: Okay. 238 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:09,000 Speaker 3: It was Eddie Hazel, Yes, oh man, okay. He was 239 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:13,000 Speaker 3: louder than I've heard anything on that stage at the 240 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:18,560 Speaker 3: at the Apollo, and strangely enough, audience enjoyed it. I 241 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:22,160 Speaker 3: never understood that. And on that particular show was on 242 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:26,720 Speaker 3: the second balcony at the top right. I think it 243 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:31,720 Speaker 3: was about fourteen years old at the time, and it 244 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:36,960 Speaker 3: was it was for me, It was apropos for the time. 245 00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:42,080 Speaker 3: It was well received because it was unlike anything we'd 246 00:15:42,080 --> 00:15:46,920 Speaker 3: ever heard before or seen before. We were all aware 247 00:15:47,520 --> 00:15:51,760 Speaker 3: of the new music coming because he still was nashing 248 00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:58,920 Speaker 3: young sly you know, and his members Larry Grant and 249 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:01,360 Speaker 3: you know. It went from there to I forget what 250 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:02,400 Speaker 3: it was called. 251 00:16:02,120 --> 00:16:04,320 Speaker 2: Like Graham's Graham Central six. 252 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:11,000 Speaker 3: Yes, and man, that whole transition was then it was 253 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:15,200 Speaker 3: quite enjoyable. And the Chambers brothers you know about them. 254 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:19,040 Speaker 2: So psychedelic, psychedelic black rock that played well with the 255 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:20,000 Speaker 2: Apollo audience. 256 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:23,320 Speaker 3: Yes, indeed it did. Wow. 257 00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:27,720 Speaker 2: You know for me, Well, tell me, like did you 258 00:16:27,760 --> 00:16:32,440 Speaker 2: come from a musical family or like how how did 259 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:35,840 Speaker 2: music enter your life as far as like this is 260 00:16:35,880 --> 00:16:36,440 Speaker 2: your calling. 261 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:43,040 Speaker 3: No musical family members at all. It started with the 262 00:16:43,120 --> 00:16:48,520 Speaker 3: drum and bugle car. There was a military organization called 263 00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:53,320 Speaker 3: the Junior Guard and it was it was located at 264 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:57,320 Speaker 3: the three hundred and sixty ninth Armory on one hundred 265 00:16:57,360 --> 00:17:00,600 Speaker 3: and forty second Street, right down the block from where 266 00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:04,840 Speaker 3: the world famous Cotton Club was located. Okay, but at 267 00:17:04,840 --> 00:17:09,120 Speaker 3: that time Conton Club had been torn down and they 268 00:17:09,160 --> 00:17:14,840 Speaker 3: had some other was it minis minicent organization who had 269 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:19,440 Speaker 3: been known for that, you know, a fierce German bugle corps. 270 00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:22,560 Speaker 3: I mean they were about the best uh in Haarlem 271 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:28,760 Speaker 3: at that time. And three hundred and ninth Armory was 272 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:33,680 Speaker 3: where this organization that was modeled after the army. If 273 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:42,000 Speaker 3: you remember, Hitler had a youth organization. Oh and I 274 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:48,240 Speaker 3: you know, didn't have a historic record about how this happened. 275 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:53,439 Speaker 3: But they had a junior called a junior Guard. And 276 00:17:54,320 --> 00:18:01,359 Speaker 3: I just noticed in America a lot of the Gestapo 277 00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:07,520 Speaker 3: habit habits were used by our FBI. The head of 278 00:18:07,560 --> 00:18:13,840 Speaker 3: the FBI, Jaker Goohog, So I noticed, you know, and 279 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:17,640 Speaker 3: they dressed it differently and brought it in a different way. 280 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:19,640 Speaker 3: But they used a lot of what they saw work 281 00:18:20,640 --> 00:18:30,159 Speaker 3: in Germany, okay, with with Hitler's business, and I figured 282 00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:33,639 Speaker 3: that had something to do with this, uh, how this 283 00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:38,040 Speaker 3: organization came together. They saw what worked, and they tried 284 00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:45,800 Speaker 3: different things, and the government paid for this organization, and 285 00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:51,320 Speaker 3: so joined it at an early age, around twelve, and uh, 286 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:56,400 Speaker 3: you know, went up and ranked to uh master sergeant. 287 00:18:56,720 --> 00:19:00,119 Speaker 3: But what I loved about it was the organization, the 288 00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:03,520 Speaker 3: things you learned. You couldn't learn these things in anyplace else, 289 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:09,280 Speaker 3: the typical of our armed services. And then at one 290 00:19:09,320 --> 00:19:12,440 Speaker 3: point they started a drum and bugle corps. All right, 291 00:19:12,800 --> 00:19:18,080 Speaker 3: And at this point I'm approaching junior high school and 292 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:23,560 Speaker 3: from there and then going to junior high school, I 293 00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:29,160 Speaker 3: immediately applied for the orchestra and I played drums first year, 294 00:19:30,040 --> 00:19:33,280 Speaker 3: baritone baseball after the second year, third year, went back 295 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:40,280 Speaker 3: to drums, and that's where my musical career started. Dagona 296 00:19:40,359 --> 00:19:45,720 Speaker 3: Blazers came out with Funky Broadway the Flamingos did. It 297 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:48,359 Speaker 3: was something that they did, they apolloed I never seemed 298 00:19:48,359 --> 00:19:52,440 Speaker 3: done before. But the beat that the guy used was 299 00:19:52,760 --> 00:19:59,400 Speaker 3: similar to that of Funky Broadway, okay, and they had 300 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:01,960 Speaker 3: a move that and with it, but it was it 301 00:20:02,119 --> 00:20:06,600 Speaker 3: just it just totally took me someplace I hadn't been previously. 302 00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:11,040 Speaker 3: As soon as they got home, I started doing that, okay. 303 00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:19,320 Speaker 3: And then we started an all acoustic band in school drums, trombone, baritone, 304 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:25,639 Speaker 3: tennis sacks and there was another person who floated in 305 00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:30,679 Speaker 3: and out. But we played for the assembly and it 306 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:34,320 Speaker 3: came off and people wanted to hear us play. So 307 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:40,400 Speaker 3: occasionally we would play at the one hundred and sixty 308 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:49,359 Speaker 3: audobone audubonn Ballroom where, yeah, it was across the street 309 00:20:49,359 --> 00:20:53,000 Speaker 3: from a hospital I had attended with a thick file, 310 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:59,760 Speaker 3: Presbyterian Medical Center, and so I remember those times well. 311 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:06,920 Speaker 3: But from there it went to an electric band, and 312 00:21:06,960 --> 00:21:11,240 Speaker 3: that band wound up being cameos. Some years later quite 313 00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:11,560 Speaker 3: a few. 314 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:19,600 Speaker 2: Actually, how did you wind up in Philadelphia? Because when 315 00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:20,520 Speaker 2: did you go to Edison? 316 00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:24,399 Speaker 3: Oh? Man, God, I went to Edison for one year. 317 00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:32,560 Speaker 3: I I was My grandmother lived in Philadelphia. The family 318 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:39,400 Speaker 3: was from Georgia, Thompson, Georgia and then Augusta, Georgia, and 319 00:21:39,440 --> 00:21:44,160 Speaker 3: then they spread out from there. And mother had seven sisters. 320 00:21:44,720 --> 00:21:49,520 Speaker 3: She was the oldest, and most of them moved to 321 00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:57,840 Speaker 3: Philadelphia with Grandma so and she was an avid church gooer. 322 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:04,960 Speaker 3: So it's just like the net there in Philly, which 323 00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:07,920 Speaker 3: was yet to be done. And I understand, and it's 324 00:22:07,960 --> 00:22:11,560 Speaker 3: supposed to be phenomenal inside. I haven't seen it since. 325 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:15,359 Speaker 3: But that was the place that we would go at 326 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:22,639 Speaker 3: least four nights a week. Church was mandatory. You didn't 327 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:26,280 Speaker 3: get to avoid it. And uh so that's how the 328 00:22:26,359 --> 00:22:31,280 Speaker 3: whole Philly thing happened. And we we were in an 329 00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:40,680 Speaker 3: area between Norris and Diamond. Yeah, North Philly, you know 330 00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:41,320 Speaker 3: r F. 331 00:22:42,800 --> 00:22:46,040 Speaker 1: That's how Jill Scott says, n O r F North Philly. 332 00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:51,800 Speaker 3: Okay, you were from West Yes, yes, I have a 333 00:22:51,840 --> 00:22:55,240 Speaker 3: lot of relatives there too. I didn't even know what 334 00:22:55,400 --> 00:22:58,720 Speaker 3: West Philly was. I knew where the Greyhound bus station. 335 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:03,280 Speaker 2: Was did you like it too much as a kid? 336 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:08,000 Speaker 2: Or was New York more like? Was New York too hip? 337 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:10,880 Speaker 2: Was Philly like a downgrade for you when you came or. 338 00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:14,879 Speaker 3: No, I wouldn't call it a downgrade. I'd say that 339 00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:21,040 Speaker 3: there was a large gap between culture and you know, 340 00:23:21,119 --> 00:23:25,560 Speaker 3: it was just very different. You know, as I remember, 341 00:23:26,280 --> 00:23:29,359 Speaker 3: there was a lot of a lot of violence going 342 00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 3: on in Philly, and the older you got, the more 343 00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:38,880 Speaker 3: you understood what was going on, but never did really 344 00:23:38,960 --> 00:23:39,920 Speaker 3: understand why. 345 00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:43,040 Speaker 2: So how did you because because of the gang culture, 346 00:23:43,400 --> 00:23:47,240 Speaker 2: especially back then, how did you avoid that? Or is 347 00:23:47,280 --> 00:23:50,600 Speaker 2: it just the unspoken thing of like if gang leaders 348 00:23:50,640 --> 00:23:52,919 Speaker 2: knew that you had some sort of talent or you 349 00:23:52,920 --> 00:23:55,440 Speaker 2: could get out, they just left you alone. 350 00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:59,160 Speaker 3: I really don't think it mattered to them. I don't 351 00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:02,159 Speaker 3: know if they knew or not. But I know we 352 00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:07,280 Speaker 3: lived in between to Norris Street and Diamond Street, and 353 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:11,159 Speaker 3: you would probably know more about that than I know. 354 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:15,760 Speaker 3: That's where we were and they were talking about I mean, 355 00:24:15,760 --> 00:24:20,719 Speaker 3: I couldn't believe they were actually talking about drafting people 356 00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:26,879 Speaker 3: into certain gangs. We were the guys that did not 357 00:24:27,359 --> 00:24:33,280 Speaker 3: go for that. We avoided that. I like the plague, 358 00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:37,399 Speaker 3: I see, and that's how we avoided it period. You know, 359 00:24:38,040 --> 00:24:40,400 Speaker 3: they had I'm sure they had their things to do, 360 00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:45,560 Speaker 3: whatever that was. But as I said, you know, my 361 00:24:45,560 --> 00:24:50,680 Speaker 3: grandmother was an avid church bower, and that wasn't part 362 00:24:50,680 --> 00:24:52,960 Speaker 3: of the agenda, I feel you. 363 00:24:53,640 --> 00:24:54,879 Speaker 1: So here's the question I have. 364 00:24:55,840 --> 00:25:01,359 Speaker 2: You know, for most of the Funk legacy, most of 365 00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:04,840 Speaker 2: them get their start in the Midwest. And probably one 366 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:07,919 Speaker 2: of the key components of starting in the Midwest is 367 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:11,240 Speaker 2: that families move out there. There's industry. You know, they 368 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:13,960 Speaker 2: get factory jobs, good paying factory jobs, and they live 369 00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:17,600 Speaker 2: in these houses that either have wreck rooms or dens 370 00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:23,200 Speaker 2: or garages, of which you know, with that extra curriculum money, 371 00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:29,000 Speaker 2: you buy instruments. But how are bands able to form 372 00:25:29,359 --> 00:25:33,320 Speaker 2: and living in a cosmopolitan city in which you know, 373 00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:38,199 Speaker 2: the average black family lives in an apartment or you know, 374 00:25:38,240 --> 00:25:41,280 Speaker 2: Philadelphia is kind of known for its small house structure. 375 00:25:42,320 --> 00:25:44,360 Speaker 2: So I know when I was, you know, coming up, 376 00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:47,200 Speaker 2: I mean, my neighbors kind of liked me, so they 377 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:49,320 Speaker 2: were willing to put up with the noise. It was 378 00:25:49,359 --> 00:25:51,960 Speaker 2: like it was like I was I was Calvin for McDonald's, 379 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:54,159 Speaker 2: Like I'll leave a mirror alone because he's going to 380 00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:56,920 Speaker 2: be something one day. So but you know, the walls 381 00:25:56,960 --> 00:25:58,679 Speaker 2: were really thin and Philly, I didn't live in a 382 00:25:58,680 --> 00:26:01,480 Speaker 2: place where you had unless you lived in Queens or 383 00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:05,479 Speaker 2: something like that. But like, how when you start a band, 384 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:09,760 Speaker 2: how would you where would you guys rehearse or be 385 00:26:09,840 --> 00:26:12,800 Speaker 2: allowed to make noise to even see if you have it? 386 00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:19,520 Speaker 3: Everything sort of developed from school, okay. And in that 387 00:26:19,800 --> 00:26:26,200 Speaker 3: area there was an apartment or complex called the Bridge Apartments. 388 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:30,240 Speaker 3: It was on the other side of the Washington Bridge, 389 00:26:30,760 --> 00:26:35,960 Speaker 3: and they had these rooms when you went into the 390 00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:39,720 Speaker 3: building to the right or left that were just rooms 391 00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:45,240 Speaker 3: with space. And as you said, people like you. They 392 00:26:45,280 --> 00:26:48,880 Speaker 3: see that you're trying to do something different, and somehow 393 00:26:49,119 --> 00:26:54,520 Speaker 3: they let us use these rooms and we were rehearse there. 394 00:26:55,440 --> 00:26:58,560 Speaker 3: It was difficult. I grew up in the projects and 395 00:26:59,080 --> 00:27:02,840 Speaker 3: everyone knew who was playing drums when it you know, 396 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:07,040 Speaker 3: reverbed off the walls on that on that block, we 397 00:27:07,119 --> 00:27:09,600 Speaker 3: didn't have a lot of different musicians, but the ones 398 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:12,160 Speaker 3: that I mean, you knew of them because you could 399 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:17,680 Speaker 3: hear them. So uh yeah, I'm sure I annoyed quite 400 00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:22,240 Speaker 3: a few people right in a couple of buildings. But 401 00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:25,000 Speaker 3: for some reason, one ever came to the apartment to say, 402 00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:29,000 Speaker 3: could you bring it down a little bit? I'm sure 403 00:27:29,040 --> 00:27:32,760 Speaker 3: a lot of a lot wanted to. They felt get 404 00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:37,240 Speaker 3: guilty about someone who was trying to play music. I 405 00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:41,600 Speaker 3: would play with the stereo, of course, and James Brown 406 00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:47,360 Speaker 3: was our pocket master, and you just had to have 407 00:27:47,400 --> 00:27:51,200 Speaker 3: that that swing, you know. I learned early on if 408 00:27:51,560 --> 00:27:55,680 Speaker 3: a person could not dance to what you were playing, 409 00:27:56,040 --> 00:28:00,080 Speaker 3: it didn't make sense. And then when you started recording, 410 00:28:00,119 --> 00:28:05,359 Speaker 3: that was a whole different, a whole different experience. I 411 00:28:05,400 --> 00:28:10,320 Speaker 3: would use the click track as a guide because not 412 00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:15,639 Speaker 3: listening to the beat as much as it allowed me 413 00:28:15,840 --> 00:28:21,200 Speaker 3: to relax inside the pocket, that was what was happening. 414 00:28:21,880 --> 00:28:26,680 Speaker 3: I was talking to D'Angelo once and he was telling 415 00:28:26,680 --> 00:28:29,600 Speaker 3: me about you, you know, you playing with him and 416 00:28:29,800 --> 00:28:34,440 Speaker 3: uh and I said, man, I mean he he's happening. 417 00:28:36,280 --> 00:28:39,480 Speaker 3: And he went into a whole thing about how well 418 00:28:39,520 --> 00:28:42,480 Speaker 3: Prince was saying about this that or the other. You know, 419 00:28:42,560 --> 00:28:46,800 Speaker 3: Prince was a great guy, man. I I as aloof 420 00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:51,920 Speaker 3: as he might have been. You know, we had good conversations. 421 00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:53,160 Speaker 3: They were never long. 422 00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:56,200 Speaker 1: I feely, Yeah, yeah, I forgot you. 423 00:28:56,200 --> 00:29:00,440 Speaker 2: You brought John Blackwell to him yeah, yeah, agreed, the 424 00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:02,480 Speaker 2: great great John Blackwell. 425 00:29:02,760 --> 00:29:05,840 Speaker 3: A couple of people before him. The Cameo was the 426 00:29:05,880 --> 00:29:07,440 Speaker 3: farm team for Prince. 427 00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:10,000 Speaker 2: Yes, yes, yes, indeed. 428 00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:15,719 Speaker 4: Vocal Larry was regarding your early days and Drummond you 429 00:29:15,760 --> 00:29:18,000 Speaker 4: were playing on. You had a chance to work with 430 00:29:18,040 --> 00:29:22,160 Speaker 4: Black Ivory, and I want to know what if you 431 00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:24,520 Speaker 4: remember what songs you played on and if you remember 432 00:29:24,560 --> 00:29:26,240 Speaker 4: anything about working with Leroy Burgess. 433 00:29:26,280 --> 00:29:29,160 Speaker 3: He's another kind of hero of ours. Yeah. I like 434 00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:33,120 Speaker 3: Lee Roight Leo. Leroy lived in the same project that 435 00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:40,320 Speaker 3: I lived then there and Lero was cool. I worked 436 00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:44,080 Speaker 3: with Patrick Adams mainly. Patrick was the. 437 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:45,120 Speaker 1: Late Patrick Adams. 438 00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:47,320 Speaker 4: He just he just passed, Yeah, just passed. 439 00:29:47,360 --> 00:29:50,440 Speaker 3: And I played you and I have an understanding. I 440 00:29:50,520 --> 00:29:59,040 Speaker 3: believe that's you and you and I. Yes, that's the 441 00:29:59,080 --> 00:30:00,840 Speaker 3: one yo. 442 00:30:02,680 --> 00:30:04,400 Speaker 2: Wait, how did you know that, fante, because I didn't 443 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:04,920 Speaker 2: even know that. 444 00:30:05,640 --> 00:30:11,480 Speaker 4: Yeah, it was you know, I have informants, but but no, man, Wow, 445 00:30:11,480 --> 00:30:13,160 Speaker 4: he's only Okay, that's dope. 446 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:18,880 Speaker 3: That's dope. Yes, uh huh it was. Patrick was a 447 00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:23,360 Speaker 3: phenomenal guy. Man. He played like six or seven instruments 448 00:30:23,840 --> 00:30:27,760 Speaker 3: and we would start off on the keyboard and the drums. 449 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:32,440 Speaker 3: As I started and I played goodness, I must have 450 00:30:32,480 --> 00:30:38,160 Speaker 3: recorded for four different tracks, two of which you know 451 00:30:38,240 --> 00:30:41,040 Speaker 3: don't turn around and that You and I. 452 00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:44,920 Speaker 2: Mm hmmm, whoa, that's crazy. I know you played on 453 00:30:44,960 --> 00:30:49,160 Speaker 2: You and I. Damn okay, that's a classic. 454 00:30:49,400 --> 00:30:53,760 Speaker 4: Your first band, East Coast with Gwyn Guthrie. Yeah, talking 455 00:30:53,760 --> 00:30:54,920 Speaker 4: about how did that come together? 456 00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:59,360 Speaker 3: Well, we played at the Cheetah of great Dale. She 457 00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:02,760 Speaker 3: was with a group called the Matchmakers. I believe they 458 00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:07,960 Speaker 3: were from East Orange and we would see each other 459 00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:13,320 Speaker 3: a lot. So when I was about to form the 460 00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:17,840 Speaker 3: first unit that turned in the cameo, I asked her 461 00:31:17,920 --> 00:31:23,040 Speaker 3: she was interested in joining a band playing all originals 462 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:27,960 Speaker 3: and of course that was a dream back then and 463 00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:31,640 Speaker 3: East Coase we played in Long Island a great deal 464 00:31:33,320 --> 00:31:37,520 Speaker 3: and whenever we could get we could get work. We 465 00:31:37,560 --> 00:31:42,840 Speaker 3: played in Quebec, a place called tour Vieir, which was 466 00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:48,080 Speaker 3: about our Montreal. We were up there for a while. 467 00:31:48,120 --> 00:31:51,280 Speaker 3: That was That was the closest thing to a residency 468 00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:55,320 Speaker 3: that I can remember. But Gwyn was a very talented 469 00:31:55,720 --> 00:31:59,760 Speaker 3: you know how talented she is. She was phenomenal. Man. 470 00:32:00,320 --> 00:32:05,959 Speaker 3: I loved working with Gwen and her and and Uh 471 00:32:06,120 --> 00:32:10,840 Speaker 3: a trombone player connected uh. And they wrote. As a 472 00:32:10,840 --> 00:32:17,440 Speaker 3: matter of fact, then that Benny Ashburn, the Commodore's manager. Yes, 473 00:32:17,520 --> 00:32:21,000 Speaker 3: he was living in Lenox Terrace at the time. We 474 00:32:21,080 --> 00:32:29,680 Speaker 3: had a residency at Smalls Paradise. Yes, yes, I believe. 475 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:32,800 Speaker 2: I believe that Robert de Niro now owns that club 476 00:32:32,840 --> 00:32:34,040 Speaker 2: and has kept it running. 477 00:32:34,920 --> 00:32:38,040 Speaker 3: Oh really yeah yeah, m hm. 478 00:32:38,840 --> 00:32:41,800 Speaker 2: He he hooked it up and kind of refurbished it. 479 00:32:42,920 --> 00:32:46,640 Speaker 3: Oh okay, I know of a patient in Philadelphia that 480 00:32:46,720 --> 00:32:49,600 Speaker 3: he did the same same thing, but I believe that 481 00:32:49,800 --> 00:33:00,800 Speaker 3: was more of an after our place hood spots. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, 482 00:33:00,880 --> 00:33:06,080 Speaker 3: he's uh yeah, you know, we we'd story about Robert 483 00:33:06,080 --> 00:33:11,520 Speaker 3: and I are staying at at that that hotel in 484 00:33:12,040 --> 00:33:18,320 Speaker 3: Hollywood where where Blushi was found. 485 00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:23,920 Speaker 2: Damn, I used to stay there, yeah of course yeah, 486 00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:27,920 Speaker 2: uh and uh, Rick and I was staying there. 487 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:30,960 Speaker 3: Well, we were there for other reasons, but that's how 488 00:33:30,960 --> 00:33:33,920 Speaker 3: I met Eddie. As a matter of fact, Rick introduced 489 00:33:33,920 --> 00:33:37,000 Speaker 3: me to him, and then I, uh, I produced his 490 00:33:37,480 --> 00:33:39,080 Speaker 3: second album. I believe. 491 00:33:41,440 --> 00:33:45,320 Speaker 2: The one after how could it be? The one after 492 00:33:45,960 --> 00:33:48,560 Speaker 2: would put Your Mouth on Me? Yeah, the one with 493 00:33:48,600 --> 00:33:49,240 Speaker 2: that song on it? 494 00:33:49,680 --> 00:33:54,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, Tom was the was the hotel. 495 00:33:54,240 --> 00:33:58,760 Speaker 3: Mama that's right. Yeah, and you know Rick had to 496 00:33:58,800 --> 00:34:01,320 Speaker 3: get the room that they found John Belucian. 497 00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:07,640 Speaker 2: You know what, everyone is obsessed with that Bungalow number. 498 00:34:07,760 --> 00:34:08,799 Speaker 2: Everyone's obsessed with it. 499 00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:12,560 Speaker 3: That's where Dan, Aaron and I met. We would always 500 00:34:12,600 --> 00:34:16,759 Speaker 3: meet in the garage coming to go here Hunter at 501 00:34:16,760 --> 00:34:21,440 Speaker 3: the time and who I recognizing. But that wasn't it 502 00:34:21,480 --> 00:34:24,640 Speaker 3: wasn't that kind of thing. We were talking about typical things. 503 00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:28,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, I know, he honorary brother man. 504 00:34:28,840 --> 00:34:35,240 Speaker 3: He's he's a real guy already. 505 00:34:38,239 --> 00:34:45,960 Speaker 5: Already already, so even before the crafting of the group, 506 00:34:46,760 --> 00:34:49,080 Speaker 5: like who else was just around the scene in that 507 00:34:49,120 --> 00:34:53,440 Speaker 5: period in the early seventies, mid seventies, before Cameo started. 508 00:34:53,120 --> 00:34:56,279 Speaker 3: There was a person that's no longer with us. He's 509 00:34:56,320 --> 00:35:00,080 Speaker 3: a co writer on that You and I I have 510 00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:04,239 Speaker 3: an understanding By the Moments, which was a big song. 511 00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:11,000 Speaker 3: His name was Tyrone Johnson, saxophone player. He was absolutely genius. 512 00:35:11,880 --> 00:35:15,400 Speaker 3: I've learned. I learned so much from those cats and 513 00:35:15,640 --> 00:35:20,319 Speaker 3: here I am, you know, goodness gracious about nineteen at 514 00:35:20,320 --> 00:35:23,719 Speaker 3: the time. As a matter of fact, the group I 515 00:35:23,800 --> 00:35:26,799 Speaker 3: was working with was being managed by Jeans Red at 516 00:35:26,840 --> 00:35:30,839 Speaker 3: the time, who was the producer for cooling the game, right. 517 00:35:31,560 --> 00:35:33,759 Speaker 3: So George and I have known each other a long 518 00:35:33,840 --> 00:35:41,440 Speaker 3: time and he's always been the same guy, punky George. Yes, man, Okay, 519 00:35:42,320 --> 00:35:47,400 Speaker 3: he's a good brother. It'sday that could go past, or 520 00:35:47,480 --> 00:35:51,840 Speaker 3: birthday that he wouldn't send, you know, a happy birthday. 521 00:35:51,960 --> 00:35:54,759 Speaker 3: And they were playing at the Apollo, so as you 522 00:35:54,800 --> 00:35:59,600 Speaker 3: can see, you know, being affiliated with those guys, those 523 00:35:59,640 --> 00:36:05,040 Speaker 3: related ships lasted the longest. The real musicians too. It 524 00:36:05,160 --> 00:36:09,920 Speaker 3: mattered to us back then, you know, about every everything 525 00:36:09,960 --> 00:36:14,520 Speaker 3: we were doing. And Tarry Rone taught Ronald had the 526 00:36:14,560 --> 00:36:20,520 Speaker 3: circular breathe and we just played with with cool And 527 00:36:20,600 --> 00:36:25,760 Speaker 3: then how long ago was that son before? Yeah, before 528 00:36:25,760 --> 00:36:30,759 Speaker 3: the pandemic? Okay, okay, yeah, at the Mohegan Son, I 529 00:36:30,760 --> 00:36:36,000 Speaker 3: believe it was, yeah, and sore before I got out 530 00:36:36,040 --> 00:36:39,400 Speaker 3: of the dressing room, Ronald ran in and uh a 531 00:36:39,440 --> 00:36:44,480 Speaker 3: couple of the guys, I mean, we reminisced about those times. 532 00:36:44,520 --> 00:36:47,720 Speaker 3: It was. It was very special. Let me say that you're. 533 00:36:47,560 --> 00:36:52,920 Speaker 2: Speaking of brother byan uh there saxophone player who passed 534 00:36:52,920 --> 00:36:55,439 Speaker 2: away through the pandemic. One of one of my main 535 00:36:55,440 --> 00:36:57,040 Speaker 2: regrets is not interviewing him. 536 00:36:57,080 --> 00:36:57,239 Speaker 3: Man. 537 00:36:57,280 --> 00:37:01,960 Speaker 2: He you know, he had so much knowledge and his 538 00:37:01,960 --> 00:37:05,600 Speaker 2: story in his work. Yeah, he was, So can you 539 00:37:05,600 --> 00:37:08,719 Speaker 2: tell me the story that well, not only that leads 540 00:37:08,760 --> 00:37:12,480 Speaker 2: up to you forming cameo, but how you caught the 541 00:37:12,520 --> 00:37:18,240 Speaker 2: attention of Cecil Holmes and and Neil Bougart on Castle 542 00:37:18,239 --> 00:37:19,280 Speaker 2: Blink of Chocolate City. 543 00:37:20,400 --> 00:37:23,239 Speaker 3: Okay, Well, at the time it was New York City 544 00:37:23,280 --> 00:37:26,080 Speaker 3: Players as we call we call ourselves, and we played 545 00:37:27,200 --> 00:37:33,320 Speaker 3: East Coast, the Chilling Circuit behind people like the Ohio Players, 546 00:37:33,600 --> 00:37:43,759 Speaker 3: George Benton and and others, you know, Rochester, Buffalo, Toronto, Michigan. 547 00:37:44,560 --> 00:37:48,600 Speaker 3: Uh you know. Anyway, there was a club in New York. 548 00:37:48,800 --> 00:37:51,160 Speaker 3: I had passed this place millions of times, didn't know 549 00:37:51,160 --> 00:37:55,440 Speaker 3: what it was. It was called Better Days. And the 550 00:37:55,440 --> 00:37:59,640 Speaker 3: guy that handled our administration at the time, this is 551 00:37:59,680 --> 00:38:03,399 Speaker 3: one of his haunts. And we wound up playing there 552 00:38:03,400 --> 00:38:06,680 Speaker 3: on Mondays. We would play you know, the upstate New 553 00:38:06,760 --> 00:38:11,239 Speaker 3: York region and circle back to New York. We would 554 00:38:11,280 --> 00:38:13,760 Speaker 3: get back I think Sunday, and we played Mondays there 555 00:38:13,920 --> 00:38:17,160 Speaker 3: at that place. And there was a guy who was 556 00:38:17,160 --> 00:38:21,200 Speaker 3: a songwriter and they wanted me to produce this song 557 00:38:21,680 --> 00:38:25,520 Speaker 3: he wrote called find My Way. It was during the 558 00:38:25,640 --> 00:38:30,279 Speaker 3: end of the disco era, so we recorded it and 559 00:38:31,200 --> 00:38:34,239 Speaker 3: do one of our songs. On the other side, Neil 560 00:38:34,280 --> 00:38:39,960 Speaker 3: Bogart was crazy about the song. We did a single 561 00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:43,319 Speaker 3: deal with Casa Blanca. You know, that was after the 562 00:38:43,360 --> 00:38:49,280 Speaker 3: Booter thing with Neil. Neil didn't even know we were black, 563 00:38:51,880 --> 00:38:57,680 Speaker 3: and yeah, it was a single deal and Neil promoted 564 00:38:57,680 --> 00:39:00,600 Speaker 3: this song and did as much as he could for 565 00:39:01,160 --> 00:39:06,160 Speaker 3: you know, any song, but he was just crazy about it. 566 00:39:06,640 --> 00:39:09,360 Speaker 3: When I guess they found out we were black. Then 567 00:39:09,640 --> 00:39:15,600 Speaker 3: it became a part of Cecil Homes Chocolate City label. Anyway, 568 00:39:17,880 --> 00:39:22,960 Speaker 3: so after I mean after, I mean he couldn't do 569 00:39:22,960 --> 00:39:25,560 Speaker 3: any more for that song, but I mean we put 570 00:39:25,600 --> 00:39:29,120 Speaker 3: our hearts into it and did the work. But I 571 00:39:29,160 --> 00:39:32,719 Speaker 3: asked he sort of come listen to our original material. 572 00:39:34,080 --> 00:39:37,600 Speaker 3: And then we rented si R over there in fifty 573 00:39:37,640 --> 00:39:43,560 Speaker 3: second Street, and Shecill came to hear and we played 574 00:39:43,800 --> 00:39:50,080 Speaker 3: Rigamortis Funk Funk, the songs we were working with at 575 00:39:50,120 --> 00:39:55,120 Speaker 3: the time. So after rehearsal was over, the presentation pretty 576 00:39:55,160 --> 00:39:58,640 Speaker 3: much was over. I asked him if if he thought 577 00:39:58,719 --> 00:40:01,360 Speaker 3: we could do something, and he said, I think so. 578 00:40:02,640 --> 00:40:05,560 Speaker 3: Then then an offer was made for an album deal, 579 00:40:07,400 --> 00:40:12,239 Speaker 3: and so every album we recorded after that was gold. 580 00:40:12,640 --> 00:40:15,920 Speaker 3: Riga Mortis was the first single. I happened to be 581 00:40:15,960 --> 00:40:24,960 Speaker 3: working on Wall Street at this haberdasherie, and I don't 582 00:40:25,000 --> 00:40:28,160 Speaker 3: know if you guys remember, but Frankie on BLS had 583 00:40:28,280 --> 00:40:32,200 Speaker 3: the slots called the World Premiere, and I forget what 584 00:40:32,320 --> 00:40:35,840 Speaker 3: the other ones were, but I noticed whenever it was 585 00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:41,920 Speaker 3: a world premiere song debuted, it became a hit. Maybe 586 00:40:41,960 --> 00:40:45,480 Speaker 3: it was because it was played twelve times a day, 587 00:40:46,200 --> 00:40:51,200 Speaker 3: but anyway, I was fitting a customer and heard the 588 00:40:51,200 --> 00:40:53,319 Speaker 3: World Premiere and then our song came on. 589 00:40:53,840 --> 00:40:57,440 Speaker 1: I have the Frankie Crocker World Premiere dropped a word. 590 00:40:59,320 --> 00:41:03,240 Speaker 2: I collect, you know as as a so called a story, 591 00:41:03,239 --> 00:41:06,560 Speaker 2: and I often beg and buck people for like old 592 00:41:06,560 --> 00:41:08,279 Speaker 2: school radio drops from back in the day. 593 00:41:08,360 --> 00:41:13,920 Speaker 3: So yeah, yeah, Well, when that came on, I knew 594 00:41:14,239 --> 00:41:16,319 Speaker 3: that what Riga Mortis was going to be a hit. 595 00:41:16,960 --> 00:41:21,640 Speaker 3: I had never heard, I mean, everybody else Barry White. Oh, 596 00:41:21,680 --> 00:41:23,880 Speaker 3: I can't remember all of this, all of the world 597 00:41:23,920 --> 00:41:28,959 Speaker 3: premiers at all, but man, I dare you to find 598 00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:32,880 Speaker 3: one that did not become ahead whatever. For whatever reason, 599 00:41:33,120 --> 00:41:37,080 Speaker 3: Rigam Martins did forty thousand copies in two weeks. And 600 00:41:37,120 --> 00:41:38,000 Speaker 3: we were off. 601 00:41:42,880 --> 00:41:46,279 Speaker 2: At the time when you wrote Riga Mortis was you know, 602 00:41:47,600 --> 00:41:51,040 Speaker 2: a monster groove. You know the environment at the time 603 00:41:51,080 --> 00:41:54,480 Speaker 2: in nineteen seventy seven, you know p funk hatt finally 604 00:41:54,560 --> 00:41:56,279 Speaker 2: planted its flag of course. 605 00:41:56,800 --> 00:42:00,399 Speaker 1: Earth Wind and Fire. You know, they were pretty much 606 00:42:00,400 --> 00:42:02,600 Speaker 1: the monuments. 607 00:42:03,360 --> 00:42:08,600 Speaker 2: How where are you of what the environment was as 608 00:42:08,640 --> 00:42:11,840 Speaker 2: far as funk bands were concerned, and was it a 609 00:42:11,840 --> 00:42:13,680 Speaker 2: thing where it's like, Okay, what can we do to 610 00:42:13,719 --> 00:42:18,040 Speaker 2: stand out from the rest or make our own mark? 611 00:42:18,120 --> 00:42:20,560 Speaker 2: Because the one thing that I will say about you 612 00:42:20,640 --> 00:42:24,640 Speaker 2: guys that maybe maybe and I don't count heat Wave 613 00:42:24,760 --> 00:42:28,719 Speaker 2: because there even though they're from two brothers in Ohio, 614 00:42:29,520 --> 00:42:35,920 Speaker 2: I've just never seen a band like literally do everything 615 00:42:36,040 --> 00:42:41,520 Speaker 2: but the kitchen sink on stage as far as the presentation, 616 00:42:42,120 --> 00:42:48,160 Speaker 2: the dancing, the it's it's beyond just performing your song, 617 00:42:48,360 --> 00:42:51,720 Speaker 2: Like what what was it? What was in the drive 618 00:42:51,800 --> 00:42:54,880 Speaker 2: that drove you guys to eat and to dance that 619 00:42:55,040 --> 00:42:57,680 Speaker 2: hard and not be out of breath? Like can you 620 00:42:57,840 --> 00:43:01,239 Speaker 2: just walk us through the rehard sole aspects of what 621 00:43:01,360 --> 00:43:05,000 Speaker 2: you guys were trying to go for when you're doing this, of. 622 00:43:04,960 --> 00:43:08,440 Speaker 3: Course you know this, that's how bad we wanted it. 623 00:43:10,000 --> 00:43:15,960 Speaker 3: We wanted to do what we felt would work. I 624 00:43:16,000 --> 00:43:21,719 Speaker 3: think Earthwuney Fire played played a a large had a 625 00:43:21,800 --> 00:43:26,040 Speaker 3: large influence on us at the time, and and surely thereafter. 626 00:43:26,239 --> 00:43:31,879 Speaker 3: Maurice was like a mentor. He would play or they 627 00:43:31,880 --> 00:43:35,680 Speaker 3: would playing at the Omni Omni in Atlanta and he'd 628 00:43:35,680 --> 00:43:37,839 Speaker 3: call and ask and you know, let me know where 629 00:43:37,880 --> 00:43:41,480 Speaker 3: he was. And just recently Larry Dunne was telling me, Man, 630 00:43:41,480 --> 00:43:44,239 Speaker 3: I remember seeing you even Maurice's room at three am 631 00:43:44,360 --> 00:43:53,160 Speaker 3: in the morning. Maurice was was very, very generous and 632 00:43:53,200 --> 00:43:57,680 Speaker 3: sharing things that I could not have known at that time. 633 00:43:57,760 --> 00:44:03,799 Speaker 3: And the political going on and enact that large and 634 00:44:03,880 --> 00:44:07,799 Speaker 3: regardless if you saw five, four or six people, you know, 635 00:44:07,840 --> 00:44:12,839 Speaker 3: there were always ten to twelve month stage. And that's 636 00:44:12,880 --> 00:44:17,239 Speaker 3: why I cut down on the photos on how many 637 00:44:17,280 --> 00:44:21,839 Speaker 3: people took photos, because I found in marketing that it's 638 00:44:21,920 --> 00:44:26,360 Speaker 3: easier for a fan to remember, you know, four or 639 00:44:26,360 --> 00:44:30,360 Speaker 3: five people, but if you turn the album you'll see 640 00:44:30,520 --> 00:44:34,160 Speaker 3: everyone then had something to do with you know, what 641 00:44:34,200 --> 00:44:39,600 Speaker 3: we were doing. It was a collaborative affair. It was 642 00:44:39,840 --> 00:44:49,319 Speaker 3: a democratic dictatorship. Okay, with the experience that I had 643 00:44:49,360 --> 00:44:55,120 Speaker 3: at the time, it was just coincidental that I couldn't 644 00:44:55,120 --> 00:45:00,800 Speaker 3: think of anyone else that possessed as much and everyone 645 00:45:00,880 --> 00:45:04,759 Speaker 3: was open to I had an open door policy, you know, 646 00:45:04,800 --> 00:45:08,160 Speaker 3: if you had something to share, something to give, something to, 647 00:45:09,280 --> 00:45:13,799 Speaker 3: you know, suggest I was open because I felt that, 648 00:45:14,920 --> 00:45:20,120 Speaker 3: you know, for a group, especially like Cameo, it took 649 00:45:20,320 --> 00:45:26,560 Speaker 3: everyone's sincere involvement. And you know, we didn't have room 650 00:45:27,600 --> 00:45:34,000 Speaker 3: for games. We had to be radio friendly. No matter 651 00:45:34,120 --> 00:45:36,879 Speaker 3: what we did, they would tell us that, well, they're 652 00:45:36,880 --> 00:45:39,279 Speaker 3: playing balance now. You know, you guys need to come 653 00:45:39,280 --> 00:45:42,040 Speaker 3: with a ballot. We come with it up tempo because 654 00:45:42,080 --> 00:45:46,920 Speaker 3: we thought that worked at New York radio and it did. 655 00:45:47,080 --> 00:45:49,880 Speaker 3: You know, the choices we made was great. 656 00:45:50,880 --> 00:45:54,440 Speaker 2: I got one question though, yes, because this is typical 657 00:45:54,480 --> 00:45:57,960 Speaker 2: what you'll see when bands from the seventies sort of 658 00:45:57,960 --> 00:46:01,680 Speaker 2: transition to the eighties. You see that they will scale down. 659 00:46:02,360 --> 00:46:09,560 Speaker 2: My guess is for financial reasons. But how as bandleader, 660 00:46:11,320 --> 00:46:15,480 Speaker 2: how are you able? Like why would you have fourteen 661 00:46:15,800 --> 00:46:20,560 Speaker 2: people inside your organization? 662 00:46:21,080 --> 00:46:21,160 Speaker 3: Like? 663 00:46:21,480 --> 00:46:22,640 Speaker 1: And what is pay? 664 00:46:22,840 --> 00:46:22,960 Speaker 3: Like? 665 00:46:23,000 --> 00:46:24,880 Speaker 1: What is what is per diem? 666 00:46:24,960 --> 00:46:25,080 Speaker 3: Like? 667 00:46:25,120 --> 00:46:28,000 Speaker 1: What's per diem a thing? How would you guys get 668 00:46:28,040 --> 00:46:28,600 Speaker 1: to gigs? 669 00:46:29,160 --> 00:46:29,239 Speaker 3: Like? 670 00:46:29,280 --> 00:46:30,360 Speaker 1: Are you driving yourselves? 671 00:46:30,480 --> 00:46:33,919 Speaker 2: Was there a tour bus back in seventy seven seventy eight? 672 00:46:34,120 --> 00:46:35,080 Speaker 1: Did you have roadies. 673 00:46:35,120 --> 00:46:39,120 Speaker 6: Back then you said, like one question, it's like fucking 674 00:46:39,160 --> 00:46:40,000 Speaker 6: twenty questions. 675 00:46:42,680 --> 00:46:45,600 Speaker 3: You might have seen fourteen, but trust me, fourteen was 676 00:46:45,680 --> 00:46:50,280 Speaker 3: not you know, the decisions were made by the gentleman 677 00:46:50,320 --> 00:46:55,239 Speaker 3: you're speaking to right now. I had a responsibility and 678 00:46:55,280 --> 00:47:01,439 Speaker 3: if it didn't work, if someone else had better way 679 00:47:01,480 --> 00:47:05,760 Speaker 3: of approaching it, I was open to that. It wasn't 680 00:47:05,800 --> 00:47:08,800 Speaker 3: you know, as long as it was working, it was working. 681 00:47:10,280 --> 00:47:15,720 Speaker 2: But isn't it also like managing personalities and Jedi mind trix, 682 00:47:15,760 --> 00:47:18,719 Speaker 2: who's late to the bus, who has an attitude? 683 00:47:18,760 --> 00:47:19,719 Speaker 1: Who's talking to this girl? 684 00:47:20,160 --> 00:47:24,600 Speaker 3: We didn't have that. We were serious, We were deadly serious. 685 00:47:24,880 --> 00:47:28,560 Speaker 3: It wasn't you know, we didn't have that problem. I 686 00:47:28,600 --> 00:47:33,800 Speaker 3: think everyone appreciated the fact that we had built something 687 00:47:34,400 --> 00:47:36,759 Speaker 3: that was hard to keep together, and we tried to 688 00:47:36,800 --> 00:47:41,000 Speaker 3: avoid that nonsense as much as we could. Yeah, and 689 00:47:41,040 --> 00:47:45,000 Speaker 3: then when we talk about the seventies, our thing happened 690 00:47:45,600 --> 00:47:50,680 Speaker 3: closer to the end of the seventies. We did have 691 00:47:50,760 --> 00:47:53,960 Speaker 3: a bus. We bought a used Greyhound bus at first, 692 00:47:55,600 --> 00:47:58,880 Speaker 3: and then we bought a bus to Muhammad Ali sold 693 00:47:59,320 --> 00:48:05,200 Speaker 3: to us or his representatives, and it worked for several years. 694 00:48:05,239 --> 00:48:07,640 Speaker 3: I was in Jet magazine how about that? And in 695 00:48:07,719 --> 00:48:10,960 Speaker 3: Life magazine to the center page, we took a photo 696 00:48:11,400 --> 00:48:16,480 Speaker 3: for publicity reasons. But you know, I enjoyed working with 697 00:48:17,480 --> 00:48:22,680 Speaker 3: you know, talented cats and it was fun as well 698 00:48:22,840 --> 00:48:26,120 Speaker 3: because I couldn't think of anything else that I would 699 00:48:26,160 --> 00:48:31,720 Speaker 3: want to do. I did attend july On for almost 700 00:48:31,760 --> 00:48:36,680 Speaker 3: two years started happening, and I just didn't see any 701 00:48:36,800 --> 00:48:41,040 Speaker 3: reason whatsoever that I should stay at that school. When 702 00:48:41,840 --> 00:48:46,080 Speaker 3: hearing things like, you know, no one contributed anything to 703 00:48:46,200 --> 00:48:52,000 Speaker 3: contemporary music worthwhile since the Beatles, I said, Okay, I 704 00:48:52,040 --> 00:48:56,080 Speaker 3: got you. Well, let me let me get ready for 705 00:48:56,160 --> 00:48:58,879 Speaker 3: us to put our gigs together. You know what I mean. 706 00:49:00,480 --> 00:49:04,760 Speaker 2: So when working on like the Cardiac Dress record, which 707 00:49:05,080 --> 00:49:10,279 Speaker 2: you know is the first album you produced, it were 708 00:49:10,320 --> 00:49:12,239 Speaker 2: you nervous as a producer? Did you? 709 00:49:12,840 --> 00:49:15,360 Speaker 1: Or was it just like a learning curve? 710 00:49:16,040 --> 00:49:19,760 Speaker 3: No I produced before Cameo was the group? 711 00:49:20,440 --> 00:49:20,760 Speaker 2: Okay? 712 00:49:21,640 --> 00:49:26,880 Speaker 3: I worked a great deal and producing and taught self 713 00:49:26,920 --> 00:49:34,960 Speaker 3: taught engineer. Okay. You know I had relationships. I played 714 00:49:34,960 --> 00:49:39,080 Speaker 3: with the group Top Shelf. As a matter of fact, 715 00:49:39,080 --> 00:49:42,920 Speaker 3: that's how I met Patrick. Okay, the group Top Shelf, 716 00:49:43,000 --> 00:49:45,440 Speaker 3: I believe they had a regional head called give it Up. 717 00:49:47,360 --> 00:49:49,719 Speaker 3: Just remember that or not, but I haven't, you know, 718 00:49:49,880 --> 00:49:50,200 Speaker 3: I had. 719 00:49:52,000 --> 00:49:55,400 Speaker 2: I knew people like Brendan and Tablations right on the 720 00:49:55,440 --> 00:49:57,080 Speaker 2: tip of my tongue, yeah, right. 721 00:49:57,040 --> 00:50:01,000 Speaker 3: Right, right right, cool people and running to them in 722 00:50:01,040 --> 00:50:07,520 Speaker 3: Hollywood and other places. Okay, you know, I was truly 723 00:50:07,840 --> 00:50:14,640 Speaker 3: aside from a student of music, and and you know, 724 00:50:14,719 --> 00:50:18,960 Speaker 3: I've had some some moments, man, that were just unforgettable. 725 00:50:20,640 --> 00:50:23,600 Speaker 3: And what you were always wanted was to be a 726 00:50:23,680 --> 00:50:28,560 Speaker 3: part of black culture. You wanted to be remembered as 727 00:50:28,600 --> 00:50:31,719 Speaker 3: being a part of that. And I think we achieved that. 728 00:50:34,600 --> 00:50:39,160 Speaker 3: And it takes a while before you realize what you 729 00:50:39,239 --> 00:50:44,160 Speaker 3: have done, and you know that brings about, you know, 730 00:50:44,320 --> 00:50:50,480 Speaker 3: other challenges and other things to do. But you find 731 00:50:50,520 --> 00:50:56,800 Speaker 3: that you understand your music in a different way. And 732 00:50:56,800 --> 00:51:02,440 Speaker 3: and it wasn't about going in a curt okay, it 733 00:51:02,600 --> 00:51:07,359 Speaker 3: was about you know, achieving goals and and you you're 734 00:51:07,440 --> 00:51:10,760 Speaker 3: serious about it. And when I discovered the Mitchell Beachi 735 00:51:11,520 --> 00:51:16,319 Speaker 3: X eight fifty, my whole world changed. Then. As far 736 00:51:16,320 --> 00:51:20,319 Speaker 3: as production is concerned, that was a hell of machine. 737 00:51:20,520 --> 00:51:24,680 Speaker 3: I can tell you that that thing made silence sound good. 738 00:51:25,600 --> 00:51:29,919 Speaker 3: So you were a tech head, well somewhat, I won't 739 00:51:29,920 --> 00:51:33,680 Speaker 3: say a total tech head, but what I did know 740 00:51:34,040 --> 00:51:38,680 Speaker 3: and understand, you know, and then I was happy to 741 00:51:38,719 --> 00:51:43,319 Speaker 3: be a part of old school ending and then the 742 00:51:43,400 --> 00:51:48,600 Speaker 3: new technology emerging. Uh. I really enjoyed that because the 743 00:51:48,840 --> 00:51:52,880 Speaker 3: things that that I know how to do with music, 744 00:51:53,040 --> 00:51:55,520 Speaker 3: and believe it or not, it doesn't even matter anymore 745 00:51:55,560 --> 00:51:59,160 Speaker 3: today it doesn't seem to matter as much. But I 746 00:51:59,200 --> 00:52:03,040 Speaker 3: always wanted music to sound good, and if you listen 747 00:52:03,120 --> 00:52:07,920 Speaker 3: to UH, it matters, really really it does matter. 748 00:52:08,360 --> 00:52:12,719 Speaker 2: Okay, here's the thing. I know, I know a lot 749 00:52:12,760 --> 00:52:17,840 Speaker 2: of us have our thoughts on like this person seems 750 00:52:17,840 --> 00:52:20,799 Speaker 2: to just be phoned in from home or the thing. 751 00:52:20,960 --> 00:52:23,759 Speaker 2: The thing is though, that there are artists out there 752 00:52:23,800 --> 00:52:27,520 Speaker 2: that are doing it. I just think now that because 753 00:52:27,560 --> 00:52:30,720 Speaker 2: the gate is why it left, you know, wide open. 754 00:52:32,960 --> 00:52:36,200 Speaker 2: It's it's it's almost like way too much. It's saturated. 755 00:52:36,360 --> 00:52:39,560 Speaker 2: And but I'm I'm a person that likes to search 756 00:52:39,640 --> 00:52:43,640 Speaker 2: for you know, there there are some diamonds and the 757 00:52:43,680 --> 00:52:47,200 Speaker 2: roughs out there that kind of give me hope that 758 00:52:47,239 --> 00:52:50,640 Speaker 2: there's still a good future in music. It's just oftentimes, 759 00:52:51,160 --> 00:52:54,200 Speaker 2: and it's like that in history, it's like sometimes the 760 00:52:54,239 --> 00:52:58,280 Speaker 2: best of the crop don't necessarily. 761 00:52:59,160 --> 00:53:02,719 Speaker 1: Get the massive exposure that someone that. 762 00:53:04,160 --> 00:53:06,480 Speaker 2: Who is not as talented gets you know. 763 00:53:07,200 --> 00:53:09,960 Speaker 1: Yes, that's that's always been the history of music. 764 00:53:10,000 --> 00:53:13,880 Speaker 2: You know, like a group like the Meters, uh, you know, 765 00:53:13,960 --> 00:53:18,320 Speaker 2: unfortunately didn't get the push that they should have gotten, 766 00:53:18,520 --> 00:53:19,200 Speaker 2: you know what I'm saying. 767 00:53:19,280 --> 00:53:22,879 Speaker 3: So yeah, it's and that was a man. 768 00:53:23,239 --> 00:53:28,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, Speaking of D'Angelo, I've never met a cat now. 769 00:53:29,000 --> 00:53:32,400 Speaker 2: I mean again, cameos all things to all people. And 770 00:53:32,440 --> 00:53:36,480 Speaker 2: you guys have had your your different phases and your metamorphosis. 771 00:53:36,480 --> 00:53:40,560 Speaker 2: But I for some reason, he told me, like when 772 00:53:40,880 --> 00:53:45,600 Speaker 2: he was a kid, like the cameo ballot meant more 773 00:53:45,680 --> 00:53:49,319 Speaker 2: to him than even Earth Wind and Fire like people 774 00:53:49,320 --> 00:53:53,400 Speaker 2: would like with with established hits whatever for him, like 775 00:53:54,560 --> 00:53:57,480 Speaker 2: why have I lost you? Or even Sparkle. A matter 776 00:53:57,520 --> 00:54:00,000 Speaker 2: of fact, he produced Sparkle for I forget the name 777 00:54:00,080 --> 00:54:04,960 Speaker 2: of that group. Uh, it's like four Brothers from It's 778 00:54:05,000 --> 00:54:09,240 Speaker 2: like right after Brown Circuit came out, D'Angelo produced a. 779 00:54:09,120 --> 00:54:13,640 Speaker 1: Cover of Sparkle. Oh Wow, four oh. A group called 780 00:54:13,640 --> 00:54:18,920 Speaker 1: Twice Oh no Wow. It came out in like ninety 781 00:54:19,000 --> 00:54:19,640 Speaker 1: five and. 782 00:54:21,239 --> 00:54:24,120 Speaker 2: Angie Stone and like the first time I heard Sparkle 783 00:54:24,160 --> 00:54:27,640 Speaker 2: because the thing was like even on Brown Sugar, like 784 00:54:27,680 --> 00:54:31,080 Speaker 2: those patches that he had, like you instantly knew it 785 00:54:31,120 --> 00:54:36,360 Speaker 2: was him, but for him, like your ballads meant everything. 786 00:54:36,480 --> 00:54:38,600 Speaker 4: Yeah, I was gonna ask you about Two of Us 787 00:54:38,680 --> 00:54:41,200 Speaker 4: because that's been sample. You know what I mean by 788 00:54:41,400 --> 00:54:45,040 Speaker 4: I already sampled it to pop, you know? But yeah, 789 00:54:45,040 --> 00:54:46,040 Speaker 4: I love that song, man. 790 00:54:47,080 --> 00:54:50,319 Speaker 3: Yes, Two of Us was a nice song, wasn't. I 791 00:54:50,400 --> 00:54:53,799 Speaker 3: knew that you had to have. If you didn't have 792 00:54:53,840 --> 00:55:00,160 Speaker 3: a banging ballad along with the tempo banger, then you 793 00:55:00,200 --> 00:55:03,760 Speaker 3: didn't have a record. We wanted to be a part 794 00:55:04,320 --> 00:55:07,719 Speaker 3: of our culture. In order to achieve that, we had 795 00:55:07,719 --> 00:55:12,080 Speaker 3: to achieve those those goals you had to and I 796 00:55:12,120 --> 00:55:20,920 Speaker 3: had to have a first tenor a soothing baritone, okay, 797 00:55:21,600 --> 00:55:27,680 Speaker 3: and then we you know, I consider myself a song stylist, 798 00:55:28,520 --> 00:55:33,480 Speaker 3: you know, unlike Luther Vandross, who we know when he 799 00:55:33,600 --> 00:55:38,600 Speaker 3: was born, he came out singing those that are fortunate 800 00:55:38,760 --> 00:55:42,480 Speaker 3: enough others who had to play the top ten to 801 00:55:42,640 --> 00:55:47,440 Speaker 3: work being a drummer or being a band trying to 802 00:55:48,040 --> 00:55:52,000 Speaker 3: have consistency. It was important for you to learn those 803 00:55:52,040 --> 00:55:55,680 Speaker 3: things and as a result we have, Oh and we 804 00:55:55,760 --> 00:56:00,240 Speaker 3: have other things that we learned that you make your 805 00:56:00,800 --> 00:56:06,920 Speaker 3: style okay, but I appreciate every Ohio. I mean, I 806 00:56:07,040 --> 00:56:11,000 Speaker 3: was with Sugarfoot not long before he left us, and man, 807 00:56:12,760 --> 00:56:15,560 Speaker 3: I mean, what could that guy do that I wouldn't like. 808 00:56:15,960 --> 00:56:18,640 Speaker 3: I don't know. You listen to some of those records, man, 809 00:56:19,200 --> 00:56:22,200 Speaker 3: and come on, you know that that shit is real? Yes, 810 00:56:22,680 --> 00:56:25,640 Speaker 3: I mean, can I tell you? Can I say anything else. 811 00:56:27,200 --> 00:56:29,280 Speaker 1: The great lead word Browner Sugarfoot? 812 00:56:29,360 --> 00:56:30,120 Speaker 2: Yes? Absolutely? 813 00:56:30,200 --> 00:56:30,480 Speaker 3: Man. 814 00:56:31,120 --> 00:56:34,040 Speaker 2: You know you know something now as you mentioned it. 815 00:56:35,400 --> 00:56:41,799 Speaker 2: What I truly admire about your approach to music in 816 00:56:41,840 --> 00:56:44,080 Speaker 2: a way that I actually think and I don't know 817 00:56:44,120 --> 00:56:46,279 Speaker 2: if this blasphemous to say, because you know, for a 818 00:56:46,280 --> 00:56:49,320 Speaker 2: lot of people they're the mount rushmore. 819 00:56:50,160 --> 00:56:55,600 Speaker 1: But what I always loved about your. 820 00:56:55,520 --> 00:56:59,040 Speaker 2: Version of songs is how you handled what I dub 821 00:56:59,800 --> 00:57:06,239 Speaker 2: the Greek course in terms of like take a song 822 00:57:06,320 --> 00:57:08,440 Speaker 2: like attack me with you love or back and forth 823 00:57:09,400 --> 00:57:11,520 Speaker 2: where you all sing. 824 00:57:12,560 --> 00:57:14,120 Speaker 1: So I forgot where I heard it. 825 00:57:14,120 --> 00:57:16,560 Speaker 2: I don't know if George told me, but he's like, 826 00:57:16,600 --> 00:57:18,800 Speaker 2: if you do it as a Greek course where all 827 00:57:18,840 --> 00:57:22,840 Speaker 2: the voices are singing in the same unison, then that's 828 00:57:23,000 --> 00:57:25,800 Speaker 2: a more inclusive thing for the audience that want to 829 00:57:25,840 --> 00:57:28,520 Speaker 2: learn the lyrics and sing along with you like a 830 00:57:28,560 --> 00:57:33,880 Speaker 2: shower singer or a bathroom singer. And I always wanted 831 00:57:33,920 --> 00:57:35,440 Speaker 2: to know, was that by design? 832 00:57:35,640 --> 00:57:39,760 Speaker 3: I call it a choral lead. Okay, that type of 833 00:57:40,640 --> 00:57:46,920 Speaker 3: vocal approach. Okay, it feels good. I don't know if 834 00:57:47,800 --> 00:57:52,280 Speaker 3: George's theory is correct. I wouldn't challenge it. I think 835 00:57:52,320 --> 00:57:57,040 Speaker 3: there's more truth to that than not. But when I 836 00:57:57,160 --> 00:58:02,880 Speaker 3: approach producing and production, I try to make it what 837 00:58:03,080 --> 00:58:07,960 Speaker 3: someone would like. I tried to put myself in an 838 00:58:08,000 --> 00:58:14,280 Speaker 3: audience's position and listening to this and a choral lead 839 00:58:15,040 --> 00:58:19,000 Speaker 3: or really there really is an effective technique because then 840 00:58:19,040 --> 00:58:27,560 Speaker 3: you can have individuals accent that approach, and you have 841 00:58:27,640 --> 00:58:32,400 Speaker 3: a chance to do things with that, with that material 842 00:58:33,880 --> 00:58:36,160 Speaker 3: that you wouldn't any other way. I try to imagine 843 00:58:36,200 --> 00:58:41,640 Speaker 3: it as a lead, and it doesn't have the same umph, okay, 844 00:58:42,160 --> 00:58:46,040 Speaker 3: and I would take that and play with that. With songs, 845 00:58:47,960 --> 00:58:50,080 Speaker 3: there would be no guarantee that the way you hear 846 00:58:50,960 --> 00:58:54,640 Speaker 3: a song originally would turn out to be as as 847 00:58:54,640 --> 00:58:58,280 Speaker 3: you might have imagined it to be. And I think 848 00:58:58,560 --> 00:59:01,800 Speaker 3: having that control, which is why we have the variety 849 00:59:01,880 --> 00:59:07,440 Speaker 3: we have in cameo, it couldn't be a one dimensional issue. 850 00:59:07,720 --> 00:59:10,320 Speaker 3: It could not be there's too much to do, too 851 00:59:10,400 --> 00:59:16,280 Speaker 3: much you can do. So when we talk about songs 852 00:59:16,320 --> 00:59:19,840 Speaker 3: and okay, what your approach to this song? How do 853 00:59:19,920 --> 00:59:23,680 Speaker 3: you think this should be? You know, what about this chorus? 854 00:59:24,400 --> 00:59:27,560 Speaker 3: How do you want that to happen? Okay? And who's 855 00:59:27,600 --> 00:59:29,840 Speaker 3: going to make the transition? Who's going to set up 856 00:59:30,600 --> 00:59:34,360 Speaker 3: the bridge? Okay? What are we going to do there? Man? 857 00:59:35,600 --> 00:59:38,360 Speaker 3: To me, I love my work. I could do that 858 00:59:39,520 --> 00:59:43,240 Speaker 3: and a couple of couple of lifetimes. You know a 859 00:59:43,280 --> 00:59:49,160 Speaker 3: lot to do if you truly enjoy music, and I 860 00:59:49,400 --> 00:59:52,440 Speaker 3: enjoy all types of music, and you can relate to this. 861 00:59:52,520 --> 00:59:55,160 Speaker 3: I'm going to mention what was the name of that 862 00:59:55,320 --> 01:00:00,680 Speaker 3: song Grove and Washington? That album? Come on, mister magic, 863 01:00:01,400 --> 01:00:07,200 Speaker 3: mister yeah, good on. George Benson. Yes, but h man, 864 01:00:07,360 --> 01:00:11,040 Speaker 3: I used to walk around with that playing that that 865 01:00:11,280 --> 01:00:18,440 Speaker 3: mister magic and uh and and and uh George Benson's material. 866 01:00:18,600 --> 01:00:22,880 Speaker 3: In New York I used to live, uh when when 867 01:00:22,920 --> 01:00:26,200 Speaker 3: I moved from my parents' home, I lived across the 868 01:00:26,200 --> 01:00:28,840 Speaker 3: street from I guess a city center on fifty fifth 869 01:00:28,920 --> 01:00:33,440 Speaker 3: Street between six and seven. And man, you'd be surprised 870 01:00:33,520 --> 01:00:36,480 Speaker 3: who you run into just walking down the street. Fred 871 01:00:36,560 --> 01:00:43,720 Speaker 3: is there? I mean Gene Kelly. When New York New 872 01:00:43,760 --> 01:00:46,880 Speaker 3: York debuted at that theater right around the corner for me, 873 01:00:48,360 --> 01:00:52,640 Speaker 3: New York, New York. Yeah, and where the studio was 874 01:00:53,080 --> 01:00:57,320 Speaker 3: quadrasnic and became known for a lot of things you 875 01:00:57,360 --> 01:00:59,080 Speaker 3: wouldn't want a studio. 876 01:01:00,320 --> 01:01:03,480 Speaker 2: Oh we know, I know about Quiet Studios, trust me. 877 01:01:04,000 --> 01:01:09,160 Speaker 3: But uh and Occentral Yeah, straight up. I almost signed 878 01:01:09,280 --> 01:01:15,880 Speaker 3: up my man Teddy Riley. Yeah we met there. What Yeah, 879 01:01:16,040 --> 01:01:19,120 Speaker 3: but Teddy said, Larry, if I signed with your man, 880 01:01:19,280 --> 01:01:22,680 Speaker 3: Jean tried to kill me. Wow. 881 01:01:24,600 --> 01:01:32,600 Speaker 7: Wow, that's that's a true story. Ask all right, Yo, 882 01:01:33,120 --> 01:01:35,040 Speaker 7: I gotta know what was it. 883 01:01:36,640 --> 01:01:39,360 Speaker 2: For me? Like as a fan of your your your 884 01:01:39,520 --> 01:01:46,960 Speaker 2: entire canon. For me, starting with Secret Omen, something different happened. 885 01:01:48,040 --> 01:01:52,160 Speaker 2: And you know, a song like I Just want to Be. 886 01:01:52,480 --> 01:01:56,240 Speaker 2: And I know, like every cameo fan has their cameo 887 01:01:56,280 --> 01:01:59,360 Speaker 2: song that they stick to where they say, okay, like 888 01:01:59,440 --> 01:02:01,800 Speaker 2: Ricka Morton is the funkiest, or She Strange is the 889 01:02:01,840 --> 01:02:06,800 Speaker 2: punkiest or whatever. Can't But for me, I Just Want 890 01:02:06,840 --> 01:02:11,800 Speaker 2: to Be was so damn futuristic because the thing is, 891 01:02:11,920 --> 01:02:15,080 Speaker 2: I know that record came out in seventy nine, but 892 01:02:15,200 --> 01:02:19,920 Speaker 2: in my mind it sounded like for me that was 893 01:02:20,240 --> 01:02:24,800 Speaker 2: Prince's blueprint and this is way before we're talking about 894 01:02:25,080 --> 01:02:28,920 Speaker 2: new wave or the Minneapolis sound or whatever. But just 895 01:02:29,000 --> 01:02:33,959 Speaker 2: like the stacking of handclaps, the absolute gup bucket funk 896 01:02:33,960 --> 01:02:37,600 Speaker 2: of it all. How how did that song even the 897 01:02:37,640 --> 01:02:41,360 Speaker 2: fact that you guys you know, have miniature courses inside 898 01:02:41,720 --> 01:02:44,640 Speaker 2: of even the structure of that song is so weird 899 01:02:44,760 --> 01:02:47,200 Speaker 2: like it. 900 01:02:47,360 --> 01:02:50,040 Speaker 3: I Just Want to Be was our first gold single, 901 01:02:51,040 --> 01:02:56,720 Speaker 3: and I probably brought them all it was it was. 902 01:02:56,800 --> 01:02:59,840 Speaker 3: It was real strange, and it was different, and that 903 01:03:00,240 --> 01:03:02,600 Speaker 3: it was meant to be. It was meant to go 904 01:03:02,680 --> 01:03:06,680 Speaker 3: against the grain of what everyone thought a head record was, 905 01:03:07,560 --> 01:03:14,320 Speaker 3: and it was about the melodic structure being accented based 906 01:03:14,360 --> 01:03:20,080 Speaker 3: on a melody that was in that you know, base range, okay, 907 01:03:20,600 --> 01:03:24,480 Speaker 3: based the lower baritone range, and you made the music 908 01:03:25,040 --> 01:03:28,960 Speaker 3: exactly as the melody was going. And the other things 909 01:03:29,000 --> 01:03:32,680 Speaker 3: we did with that developed on its own while being 910 01:03:32,720 --> 01:03:37,680 Speaker 3: created and while being recorded. I'd say having had the 911 01:03:38,640 --> 01:03:45,000 Speaker 3: good fortune to work with engineers that were frustrated about 912 01:03:45,040 --> 01:03:48,280 Speaker 3: how they were recording the same old shit, you know 913 01:03:48,320 --> 01:03:51,400 Speaker 3: what I mean, and we just had to do it differently. 914 01:03:52,200 --> 01:03:55,000 Speaker 3: Engineers like Dave Oh, I don't know if you're familiar 915 01:03:55,000 --> 01:04:00,120 Speaker 3: with him, York Man and I had no idea Jay 916 01:04:00,120 --> 01:04:05,320 Speaker 3: played bass man. He was. We were two controlled freaks. 917 01:04:05,760 --> 01:04:08,040 Speaker 3: They learned how to work and learned how to work 918 01:04:08,080 --> 01:04:10,560 Speaker 3: with each other, you know, and we did and it 919 01:04:10,640 --> 01:04:13,040 Speaker 3: turned out to be dynamite. I mean from single life, 920 01:04:14,120 --> 01:04:17,400 Speaker 3: word Up and the and the mixes thereof it was. 921 01:04:17,960 --> 01:04:22,280 Speaker 3: It was just phenomenal. Man, every oveloape to be pushed. 922 01:04:22,520 --> 01:04:26,080 Speaker 3: It was as I'm certainly a guy that was not 923 01:04:26,240 --> 01:04:29,080 Speaker 3: afraid to take that fade a where it was going 924 01:04:29,120 --> 01:04:33,400 Speaker 3: to go. I said, you know, I don't judge music 925 01:04:33,920 --> 01:04:37,200 Speaker 3: by what that needle was telling me and what that 926 01:04:37,280 --> 01:04:41,480 Speaker 3: graph is telling me. When I from then, I know 927 01:04:41,560 --> 01:04:44,880 Speaker 3: I've I've done, I've raised it too hot. You know. 928 01:04:45,000 --> 01:04:49,520 Speaker 3: That's digit feedback there that I understand. But you know 929 01:04:49,720 --> 01:04:53,040 Speaker 3: I used to get into arguments with engineers about you know, 930 01:04:54,000 --> 01:05:00,000 Speaker 3: you're at plus five I could I don't plus five plus. 931 01:05:00,160 --> 01:05:02,880 Speaker 3: It doesn't matter to me. I just want that thing. 932 01:05:03,200 --> 01:05:05,840 Speaker 3: I want I know it can sound. I want to 933 01:05:05,880 --> 01:05:09,520 Speaker 3: see where I have to back off. You know, there's 934 01:05:09,560 --> 01:05:11,840 Speaker 3: no way to know unless you go there. 935 01:05:13,560 --> 01:05:16,800 Speaker 2: I gotta ask you, And for for a lot of 936 01:05:16,840 --> 01:05:21,600 Speaker 2: fans of of of hip hop, you'll be interested to 937 01:05:21,680 --> 01:05:27,800 Speaker 2: know I gotta ask you about brother Aaron Mills. Aaron 938 01:05:27,880 --> 01:05:34,680 Speaker 2: Mills to hip hop fans, I guess starting with stank 939 01:05:34,720 --> 01:05:39,680 Speaker 2: Odia album, basically like Aaron Mills' base became the sound 940 01:05:39,720 --> 01:05:43,800 Speaker 2: of like a lot of the Outcast's funkiest songs, starting 941 01:05:43,800 --> 01:05:47,200 Speaker 2: with like his bass work on Miss Jackson, uh and 942 01:05:47,280 --> 01:05:51,560 Speaker 2: beyond like uh, he's all over speaker box and whatnot. 943 01:05:51,640 --> 01:05:54,200 Speaker 2: But he's the base of I just want to. 944 01:05:54,200 --> 01:05:59,120 Speaker 3: Be finding Aaron was. You know, we we were booked 945 01:05:59,160 --> 01:06:02,680 Speaker 3: out on a date. N CCU was booked on that. 946 01:06:02,720 --> 01:06:06,000 Speaker 4: Date, North Carolina Central n CCU. 947 01:06:06,360 --> 01:06:08,720 Speaker 2: Yes, he's from North Carolina. Yeah, yeah, I mean I 948 01:06:08,760 --> 01:06:10,480 Speaker 2: went to Central. That's mine, that's my alma mater. 949 01:06:11,040 --> 01:06:16,000 Speaker 3: Right, and Professor Bird was working with some of the Cats, 950 01:06:16,080 --> 01:06:22,919 Speaker 3: actually both groups, the Birds, yes, Blackbirds and n CCU. 951 01:06:24,040 --> 01:06:27,240 Speaker 3: So you know, we needed a bass player who could 952 01:06:27,840 --> 01:06:31,480 Speaker 3: do vocals as well and could move. So when I 953 01:06:31,480 --> 01:06:33,480 Speaker 3: saw her, and I knew that that was the that 954 01:06:33,960 --> 01:06:36,160 Speaker 3: I knew we had to try them out, and so 955 01:06:36,640 --> 01:06:40,720 Speaker 3: we contracted them and offered them to come up to 956 01:06:40,760 --> 01:06:45,160 Speaker 3: New York to to try out. We used to use 957 01:06:45,200 --> 01:06:49,160 Speaker 3: the Daily Planet there on thirty whatever street that was 958 01:06:49,200 --> 01:06:55,920 Speaker 3: on right and and we had some people that just 959 01:06:55,960 --> 01:06:59,360 Speaker 3: didn't want it, man. They were they wanted to be 960 01:06:59,440 --> 01:07:03,760 Speaker 3: in an act where it was totally different and we 961 01:07:03,800 --> 01:07:09,800 Speaker 3: could make it happen. And our approach vocally, our approach 962 01:07:10,760 --> 01:07:16,040 Speaker 3: about anything, was about being tired of the same old stuff, 963 01:07:16,480 --> 01:07:19,040 Speaker 3: you know what I mean, and we wanted to do 964 01:07:19,120 --> 01:07:22,520 Speaker 3: something different. That's what we did. And and we've used 965 01:07:22,560 --> 01:07:27,680 Speaker 3: some musicians from London. It didn't matter where they were from, man, 966 01:07:28,280 --> 01:07:31,760 Speaker 3: if they had that thing, and especially when it came 967 01:07:31,800 --> 01:07:38,240 Speaker 3: to recording and ideas that were different, it was exciting. 968 01:07:38,520 --> 01:07:40,520 Speaker 3: It was beyond beyond that. 969 01:07:41,120 --> 01:07:45,200 Speaker 4: And also to want to mention Bernard Wright, who you 970 01:07:45,200 --> 01:07:48,320 Speaker 4: know recently passed, like, what was it like working with him? 971 01:07:49,360 --> 01:07:54,520 Speaker 3: Man? We were talking about that that hours ago. I 972 01:07:54,680 --> 01:08:00,520 Speaker 3: still that that was hard for me too, and you know, 973 01:08:00,880 --> 01:08:05,400 Speaker 3: and I didn't know what of course, as as demids 974 01:08:05,480 --> 01:08:09,000 Speaker 3: that and someone told me he was hit by a car. 975 01:08:09,560 --> 01:08:10,560 Speaker 2: H oh wow. 976 01:08:11,160 --> 01:08:17,479 Speaker 3: But Bernard is one of those geniuses and his later 977 01:08:17,600 --> 01:08:21,679 Speaker 3: teenage years, everybody he listened to was dead, I mean, 978 01:08:21,760 --> 01:08:25,280 Speaker 3: and that fucking for Jamaica. Come on, we know what that. 979 01:08:25,360 --> 01:08:29,680 Speaker 2: Is, yes, I mean the Masterpiece. 980 01:08:30,400 --> 01:08:35,479 Speaker 3: I was just contacted recently about some tribute that they're 981 01:08:35,520 --> 01:08:38,720 Speaker 3: doing to Bernard, And I'm trying to think about that 982 01:08:38,840 --> 01:08:44,519 Speaker 3: thing Bernard was. You know, there are guys you you 983 01:08:45,040 --> 01:08:48,280 Speaker 3: you've had relationships with to remind you of people like 984 01:08:48,360 --> 01:08:53,200 Speaker 3: Jimi Hendricks and and and others. They just have their 985 01:08:53,240 --> 01:08:59,280 Speaker 3: on that different on that different trajectory that like you 986 01:08:59,320 --> 01:09:05,000 Speaker 3: can't think of other people mhm, thanks with the same flavor. 987 01:09:05,920 --> 01:09:09,120 Speaker 3: Bernard is one of those guys. And I've worked with 988 01:09:10,080 --> 01:09:14,000 Speaker 3: I don't know how many keyboard players. He his spirit 989 01:09:14,280 --> 01:09:18,320 Speaker 3: was something very different. Had you ever worked with the request. 990 01:09:19,040 --> 01:09:23,320 Speaker 2: I met Nard a few times at like you know, 991 01:09:23,400 --> 01:09:25,960 Speaker 2: occasional jam sessions and whatnot, but it never got to 992 01:09:26,040 --> 01:09:29,439 Speaker 2: work with him. Oh and really really didn't get to 993 01:09:29,600 --> 01:09:32,040 Speaker 2: nerd out on him like I wanted to, you know. 994 01:09:32,120 --> 01:09:34,519 Speaker 2: And I'm such a fan of like just that era 995 01:09:34,560 --> 01:09:36,719 Speaker 2: of Marcus Miller and the you know, the Jamaica Boys 996 01:09:36,720 --> 01:09:39,000 Speaker 2: and all that stuff. And I'm such a fan of 997 01:09:39,120 --> 01:09:42,439 Speaker 2: such a fan of that era. But We're probably gonna 998 01:09:42,439 --> 01:09:44,679 Speaker 2: have Marcus Miller on soon, so I'll get to learn 999 01:09:44,720 --> 01:09:48,200 Speaker 2: more about him. But no, definitely that he you know, 1000 01:09:48,479 --> 01:09:51,519 Speaker 2: especially you could tell to me, you could tell like 1001 01:09:52,040 --> 01:09:55,840 Speaker 2: the true artist three of someone I'm a hits guy. 1002 01:09:55,960 --> 01:09:57,760 Speaker 2: I mean, I'm I don't. I think I'm more of 1003 01:09:57,800 --> 01:09:59,600 Speaker 2: a filler guy than I'm a hits guy. Like I 1004 01:09:59,600 --> 01:10:02,639 Speaker 2: feel like the true definition of an artist is based 1005 01:10:02,680 --> 01:10:05,000 Speaker 2: on the album cuts and how. 1006 01:10:04,840 --> 01:10:05,559 Speaker 1: They treat that. 1007 01:10:06,520 --> 01:10:12,760 Speaker 2: And for him, especially like he's just his ideas were 1008 01:10:12,760 --> 01:10:16,880 Speaker 2: like way way, way beyond, way beyond his time period. 1009 01:10:18,520 --> 01:10:22,479 Speaker 2: I want to skip I want to skip ahead to 1010 01:10:23,200 --> 01:10:28,760 Speaker 2: the Alligated Woman album. You know, Alligated Woman is probably 1011 01:10:29,040 --> 01:10:36,559 Speaker 2: one of the most curious songs of your catalog, and 1012 01:10:36,680 --> 01:10:38,519 Speaker 2: at the time, like I think Blacks were trying to 1013 01:10:38,560 --> 01:10:42,200 Speaker 2: figure out, like what their position was in just a 1014 01:10:42,360 --> 01:10:46,960 Speaker 2: non dance music structure for that album, Like, could you 1015 01:10:47,240 --> 01:10:52,479 Speaker 2: just discuss what the creative angle was, especially with that 1016 01:10:52,960 --> 01:10:54,439 Speaker 2: very unusual song in your. 1017 01:10:54,280 --> 01:11:02,759 Speaker 3: Catalog, Freedom, that was the precipitated factor. After a while, 1018 01:11:03,479 --> 01:11:07,479 Speaker 3: you start to hear, well, you've heard it all your life, 1019 01:11:07,920 --> 01:11:10,880 Speaker 3: but you didn't really pay attention to it until it 1020 01:11:10,920 --> 01:11:14,559 Speaker 3: pertained to you or involved you. And we were at 1021 01:11:14,840 --> 01:11:19,360 Speaker 3: a place where, you know, yeah, we recorded a lot 1022 01:11:19,400 --> 01:11:24,080 Speaker 3: of things and they were very good to us, but 1023 01:11:25,560 --> 01:11:28,400 Speaker 3: Alligated Woman, you just wanted to Freedom to be able 1024 01:11:28,400 --> 01:11:31,599 Speaker 3: to do, and surprisingly enough, it surprised the heck out 1025 01:11:31,600 --> 01:11:34,080 Speaker 3: of me. It did quite well, it didn't. I mean, 1026 01:11:35,080 --> 01:11:38,439 Speaker 3: I was really surprised about that. I think at the 1027 01:11:38,479 --> 01:11:44,320 Speaker 3: time maybe number four or five or maybe even higher 1028 01:11:44,360 --> 01:11:48,000 Speaker 3: on the R and B arts at the time. But 1029 01:11:48,160 --> 01:11:49,599 Speaker 3: songs like Secrets of. 1030 01:11:49,600 --> 01:11:54,320 Speaker 1: Time and Flirt especially, Yes. 1031 01:11:54,360 --> 01:11:56,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, I mean that was that was That was 1032 01:11:57,840 --> 01:12:02,280 Speaker 3: That was some funky stuff. Indeed, we didn't try to 1033 01:12:02,320 --> 01:12:08,960 Speaker 3: be different as much as we challenged ourselves more or less. 1034 01:12:09,680 --> 01:12:12,080 Speaker 2: You know, I would also like to know, I know 1035 01:12:12,160 --> 01:12:15,400 Speaker 2: that in eighty two, maybe it was eighty one, you 1036 01:12:15,520 --> 01:12:20,920 Speaker 2: made the transition from singing vocals behind the drum set 1037 01:12:21,720 --> 01:12:26,880 Speaker 2: and getting in front of the microphone. For you, how 1038 01:12:26,960 --> 01:12:29,640 Speaker 2: fearg was that to you? Or you know, were you 1039 01:12:29,840 --> 01:12:30,880 Speaker 2: reluctant leader? 1040 01:12:32,080 --> 01:12:33,240 Speaker 3: It was very foreign. 1041 01:12:35,200 --> 01:12:37,719 Speaker 1: How did you find a drummer that you trusted live? 1042 01:12:38,120 --> 01:12:41,280 Speaker 3: And we still we're still looking for that drummer We've had, 1043 01:12:42,760 --> 01:12:47,320 Speaker 3: we've had, we've had them at times. It was a 1044 01:12:47,360 --> 01:12:52,839 Speaker 3: real strange thing, you know, we didn't with the changes 1045 01:12:52,880 --> 01:12:57,040 Speaker 3: that went on, We didn't have that person up front 1046 01:12:57,360 --> 01:13:00,519 Speaker 3: that had the relationship with the audience that we wanted 1047 01:13:01,439 --> 01:13:03,960 Speaker 3: for it to have. And as much as I didn't 1048 01:13:04,040 --> 01:13:08,280 Speaker 3: want to, it was discussed a couple of times, and 1049 01:13:08,320 --> 01:13:11,360 Speaker 3: then and then hit things like you know you gotta 1050 01:13:12,080 --> 01:13:15,679 Speaker 3: you gotta come out front because you're singing these songs. 1051 01:13:16,040 --> 01:13:21,479 Speaker 3: Also that we're performing and you're doing this, and the 1052 01:13:21,560 --> 01:13:26,559 Speaker 3: third and man, have we had drummers, God knows, we 1053 01:13:26,680 --> 01:13:29,439 Speaker 3: have tried. We had everybody with you guy. 1054 01:13:30,840 --> 01:13:34,040 Speaker 1: Hey, you never know, man, I would put that on 1055 01:13:34,080 --> 01:13:34,519 Speaker 1: my bucket. 1056 01:13:34,560 --> 01:13:38,240 Speaker 3: Listen you, man, you're one of the only drummers I 1057 01:13:38,280 --> 01:13:43,200 Speaker 3: know that has a steady pocket. That's for real. There 1058 01:13:43,200 --> 01:13:46,360 Speaker 3: are a couple of other people we've heard. But it's 1059 01:13:46,520 --> 01:13:49,960 Speaker 3: not as easy as you might think it should be. 1060 01:13:50,800 --> 01:13:54,360 Speaker 3: I don't know. I haven't figured that one out yet. 1061 01:13:54,439 --> 01:13:58,200 Speaker 3: I can't even put it into words, but I know 1062 01:13:58,280 --> 01:14:06,559 Speaker 3: it's hard working. I am very close. I'm sitting back 1063 01:14:06,600 --> 01:14:08,679 Speaker 3: down on those drums, I'll tell you that much. 1064 01:14:10,479 --> 01:14:13,280 Speaker 4: I was curious to know about your work with Miles Davis. 1065 01:14:13,800 --> 01:14:15,880 Speaker 4: What was it like working with him kind of man 1066 01:14:16,360 --> 01:14:17,360 Speaker 4: on that album. 1067 01:14:17,080 --> 01:14:22,639 Speaker 2: And specifically, why was he just randomly in these videos 1068 01:14:22,680 --> 01:14:24,400 Speaker 2: without any context whatsoever. 1069 01:14:26,320 --> 01:14:30,559 Speaker 3: I met Miles when I was eight years old. At first, 1070 01:14:31,600 --> 01:14:36,920 Speaker 3: Miles used to train with boxers to stay in shape, 1071 01:14:37,320 --> 01:14:42,040 Speaker 3: and and my dad was in the boxing game, and 1072 01:14:42,120 --> 01:14:48,160 Speaker 3: so it turns out Miles had an attorney that when 1073 01:14:48,160 --> 01:14:52,880 Speaker 3: he passed the bar, he represented me for us in 1074 01:14:52,920 --> 01:14:57,080 Speaker 3: a situation where the manager we had and some years 1075 01:14:57,160 --> 01:15:03,439 Speaker 3: later lo and be old Peter's representing Miles Yoko, Oh no, 1076 01:15:04,600 --> 01:15:09,840 Speaker 3: several different people. So and knowing that I had a 1077 01:15:09,880 --> 01:15:15,360 Speaker 3: song that I had somebody played the you know, the 1078 01:15:15,439 --> 01:15:19,680 Speaker 3: demo of that, I wanted Miles to hear. And he 1079 01:15:20,120 --> 01:15:24,320 Speaker 3: called back that afternoon about two hours later, and uh, 1080 01:15:27,880 --> 01:15:31,360 Speaker 3: I like this to this and he was writing as 1081 01:15:31,360 --> 01:15:34,480 Speaker 3: an autobiography at the time with the Gentleman. 1082 01:15:34,439 --> 01:15:35,360 Speaker 2: With Quincy Troop. 1083 01:15:35,840 --> 01:15:39,880 Speaker 3: Yes, yeah, yeah, yes, And man, we had a good 1084 01:15:39,880 --> 01:15:43,000 Speaker 3: time with Miles. You know, everything he had to say 1085 01:15:43,280 --> 01:15:49,040 Speaker 3: meant something, And uh, man, do I missed that guy, Miles. 1086 01:15:49,400 --> 01:15:54,479 Speaker 3: I enjoyed Miles a lot, very useful energy, which I 1087 01:15:54,840 --> 01:16:01,960 Speaker 3: guess amounts for the musicians here playing with him. His 1088 01:16:02,120 --> 01:16:07,320 Speaker 3: nephew played for us for a while too, but being 1089 01:16:07,360 --> 01:16:10,200 Speaker 3: in the videos, we just invited him down. And uh, 1090 01:16:11,280 --> 01:16:14,559 Speaker 3: you know, Miles was always colorful. He was the heck 1091 01:16:14,640 --> 01:16:18,040 Speaker 3: of a guy, and he seemed to enjoy the female 1092 01:16:18,120 --> 01:16:19,760 Speaker 3: company of the ladies. 1093 01:16:20,200 --> 01:16:23,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, just without any context, you would look and then 1094 01:16:23,200 --> 01:16:26,040 Speaker 2: it would be like Miles Davis for like two seconds, 1095 01:16:26,640 --> 01:16:32,080 Speaker 2: and without the internet and without like a VCR to rewind, 1096 01:16:32,080 --> 01:16:34,519 Speaker 2: it was like, wait that now that was a Miles Davis. 1097 01:16:34,520 --> 01:16:37,360 Speaker 2: What would he be doing that? Like when they first 1098 01:16:37,400 --> 01:16:39,800 Speaker 2: came out, I never knew that was I was like, 1099 01:16:39,840 --> 01:16:42,439 Speaker 2: that's a guy that looks like Miles Davis or you know, 1100 01:16:42,520 --> 01:16:45,080 Speaker 2: maybe Charlie Singleton had a cousin or something that was 1101 01:16:45,120 --> 01:16:48,880 Speaker 2: Solder or something like that. Like that's what I was thinking. Oh, 1102 01:16:49,080 --> 01:16:52,360 Speaker 2: I know what I want to know. At any point, 1103 01:16:52,680 --> 01:16:55,559 Speaker 2: did any of you guys sort of get make the 1104 01:16:55,600 --> 01:17:02,840 Speaker 2: correlation that the young lady that's saying nasty girl was 1105 01:17:03,000 --> 01:17:05,479 Speaker 2: actually on the front cover of Alligator Woman. 1106 01:17:06,160 --> 01:17:08,839 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, we of course we knew that. 1107 01:17:09,200 --> 01:17:12,719 Speaker 2: Yeah, so you instantly that that was that was Vanity 1108 01:17:12,840 --> 01:17:16,280 Speaker 2: on the cover of Wow. Okay indeed, because I know 1109 01:17:16,400 --> 01:17:18,960 Speaker 2: she was doing before Vanity six got established, but. 1110 01:17:19,320 --> 01:17:23,320 Speaker 3: Right, but she was. She was just perfect for what 1111 01:17:24,120 --> 01:17:30,080 Speaker 3: I say, we uh the photographer and and uh Peanut Gallery. 1112 01:17:30,240 --> 01:17:33,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, say no more, I got you. 1113 01:17:33,920 --> 01:17:37,160 Speaker 3: But uh, I get it. But it worked. And I 1114 01:17:37,160 --> 01:17:39,240 Speaker 3: think Prince must have called her about four or five 1115 01:17:39,280 --> 01:17:42,479 Speaker 3: times while we were working shooting that day. 1116 01:17:43,439 --> 01:17:46,120 Speaker 2: That's right. They weren't dating by then. Okay, I see. 1117 01:17:46,280 --> 01:17:49,280 Speaker 3: Who this was on the phone, uh, until it became 1118 01:17:49,560 --> 01:17:53,559 Speaker 3: and someone said something about I think it was a 1119 01:17:53,600 --> 01:17:56,880 Speaker 3: photographer at the time, and I forget his name, but 1120 01:17:57,040 --> 01:18:00,800 Speaker 3: he was. He was colorful too, and I thought the 1121 01:18:00,840 --> 01:18:03,240 Speaker 3: idea was great and it worked. 1122 01:18:08,320 --> 01:18:13,880 Speaker 2: Keep talking about establishing your own label, because I think, yeah, 1123 01:18:14,000 --> 01:18:17,040 Speaker 2: slightly before she's strange. Maybe it was alligated woman or style. 1124 01:18:17,200 --> 01:18:20,720 Speaker 2: You started Atlanta Artists label. 1125 01:18:21,040 --> 01:18:23,880 Speaker 3: It was a logo label more than a separate label 1126 01:18:23,960 --> 01:18:28,200 Speaker 3: within itself. It didn't have its own distribution structure. That 1127 01:18:28,400 --> 01:18:30,160 Speaker 3: was stuff. I didn't want to get into it that 1128 01:18:30,600 --> 01:18:32,439 Speaker 3: particular time, and it didn't make a difference to me 1129 01:18:32,520 --> 01:18:36,400 Speaker 3: at that moment, but we did well for it. It 1130 01:18:36,439 --> 01:18:44,240 Speaker 3: gave us positive identity in Atlanta, and we were fortunate 1131 01:18:44,360 --> 01:18:52,439 Speaker 3: enough to have some people working with us that helped 1132 01:18:52,439 --> 01:18:56,760 Speaker 3: a great deal, and we were able to, you know, 1133 01:18:57,360 --> 01:19:02,960 Speaker 3: get some different things done. It was all real, quite positive. Okay, 1134 01:19:04,080 --> 01:19:08,840 Speaker 3: we don't want to start talking about Regulabel in the 1135 01:19:08,880 --> 01:19:12,920 Speaker 3: games thereof that's that's a whole nothing. Maybe it's just 1136 01:19:12,960 --> 01:19:14,040 Speaker 3: started another series. 1137 01:19:14,600 --> 01:19:16,280 Speaker 4: I feel hey, man, let's talk about it. 1138 01:19:17,760 --> 01:19:22,960 Speaker 8: Some times I feel you this is also the period 1139 01:19:23,160 --> 01:19:26,839 Speaker 8: where And this is sort of across the board where 1140 01:19:27,640 --> 01:19:28,560 Speaker 8: you know, the word. 1141 01:19:28,320 --> 01:19:32,320 Speaker 1: Crossover kind of becomes part. 1142 01:19:32,080 --> 01:19:35,760 Speaker 2: Of the black music vernacular as far as well, I 1143 01:19:35,800 --> 01:19:37,880 Speaker 2: know that was a four letter word, but you know, 1144 01:19:38,000 --> 01:19:42,639 Speaker 2: not only that, but just transitioning. You're seeing a lot 1145 01:19:42,760 --> 01:19:47,040 Speaker 2: of lead singers leave their groups. In eighty two. You're 1146 01:19:47,080 --> 01:19:51,040 Speaker 2: seeing a lot of groups that were once fourteen, thirteen, 1147 01:19:51,120 --> 01:19:56,439 Speaker 2: twelve members whittled down to trios and whatnot. How hard 1148 01:19:56,600 --> 01:20:01,040 Speaker 2: was it for you to come to the decision that, Yo, man, 1149 01:20:01,200 --> 01:20:04,240 Speaker 2: we just gotta we got to pair it down a 1150 01:20:04,240 --> 01:20:04,639 Speaker 2: little bit. 1151 01:20:05,280 --> 01:20:07,599 Speaker 3: I don't think. I don't think anybody in our act 1152 01:20:07,920 --> 01:20:10,920 Speaker 3: saw it that way, yet, I have to be totally honest. 1153 01:20:11,000 --> 01:20:15,000 Speaker 3: I never asked. I know that Jean Paul Goutier had 1154 01:20:15,080 --> 01:20:21,240 Speaker 3: a summer line that had just been delivered to Bluingdale's, 1155 01:20:21,800 --> 01:20:28,280 Speaker 3: and our wardrobe guy made us aware of it, and 1156 01:20:28,320 --> 01:20:31,439 Speaker 3: he checked the sizes and found that it would work 1157 01:20:32,400 --> 01:20:37,040 Speaker 3: for that concept. And as I said earlier, for identity purposes, 1158 01:20:37,320 --> 01:20:40,360 Speaker 3: I think it was easier for our fans to focus 1159 01:20:40,400 --> 01:20:42,880 Speaker 3: on a few people instead of a lot of people, 1160 01:20:43,439 --> 01:20:47,000 Speaker 3: and I think that worked for us. I turned around, 1161 01:20:47,160 --> 01:20:49,439 Speaker 3: and every other band is doing the same thing. 1162 01:20:51,120 --> 01:20:55,439 Speaker 2: So what made you keep Tony and Nathan and Charlie 1163 01:20:55,479 --> 01:20:57,680 Speaker 2: like kind of as the core members. 1164 01:20:58,040 --> 01:21:03,400 Speaker 3: I don't think Charles he was there on that particular 1165 01:21:04,720 --> 01:21:05,919 Speaker 3: on the on the word. 1166 01:21:05,720 --> 01:21:08,160 Speaker 1: Up cover, but well not word up, but he was 1167 01:21:08,439 --> 01:21:09,200 Speaker 1: at least. 1168 01:21:09,680 --> 01:21:12,519 Speaker 3: Yeah when we paid, when we paired it down starting 1169 01:21:12,600 --> 01:21:18,360 Speaker 3: with strange Alligator Woman and in style and those things. Yeah, 1170 01:21:18,560 --> 01:21:23,040 Speaker 3: we we tried to keep it a little closer uh 1171 01:21:23,120 --> 01:21:27,160 Speaker 3: to where we you know, we just wanted the identity 1172 01:21:28,000 --> 01:21:34,599 Speaker 3: to work. And at that time you think you're making 1173 01:21:34,840 --> 01:21:38,280 Speaker 3: a good decision about what works for the act. And 1174 01:21:38,320 --> 01:21:39,400 Speaker 3: it did at the time. 1175 01:21:40,280 --> 01:21:40,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, it worked. 1176 01:21:41,160 --> 01:21:45,320 Speaker 3: This is a strange business. You know, when something is working, 1177 01:21:45,960 --> 01:21:50,360 Speaker 3: it's working, and and I think people appreciate that until 1178 01:21:50,400 --> 01:21:59,679 Speaker 3: it gets into selfish reasons, you know, and that just happens. 1179 01:21:59,680 --> 01:22:04,000 Speaker 3: It's something that happens, you know, as all things. You know, 1180 01:22:04,120 --> 01:22:09,080 Speaker 3: there were challenges before that we had to get over 1181 01:22:09,720 --> 01:22:12,760 Speaker 3: when it was the East East Coast and and other 1182 01:22:13,960 --> 01:22:19,799 Speaker 3: uh con configurations. So I you know, what happened happened. 1183 01:22:20,200 --> 01:22:23,800 Speaker 3: You just had to work with it. And you know, 1184 01:22:24,000 --> 01:22:27,840 Speaker 3: as easy as it was for me to be so 1185 01:22:28,040 --> 01:22:32,000 Speaker 3: busy knowing what you have to do next, that I 1186 01:22:32,160 --> 01:22:34,920 Speaker 3: didn't worry so much about what was going on at 1187 01:22:34,920 --> 01:22:41,600 Speaker 3: the time, just being prepared for something else was you know, 1188 01:22:42,000 --> 01:22:46,240 Speaker 3: maybe maybe that was an escape mechanism for me. I 1189 01:22:46,280 --> 01:22:50,120 Speaker 3: don't know. I only say that because I think about 1190 01:22:50,120 --> 01:22:53,920 Speaker 3: that now, But at the time I wasn't concerned about that. 1191 01:22:54,680 --> 01:22:55,040 Speaker 2: Okay. 1192 01:22:55,960 --> 01:22:58,439 Speaker 3: We just wanted to be good at what we did, 1193 01:22:59,280 --> 01:23:06,400 Speaker 3: offer something fresh. The high definition. Advent of high definition 1194 01:23:06,960 --> 01:23:10,439 Speaker 3: was the greatest thing that could have ever happened, not 1195 01:23:10,520 --> 01:23:13,519 Speaker 3: only with us but every everyone else because it was 1196 01:23:13,560 --> 01:23:21,800 Speaker 3: said that technique would be and everyone's home and it was, 1197 01:23:21,040 --> 01:23:26,559 Speaker 3: which was which was fun. But when we did the 1198 01:23:26,600 --> 01:23:32,400 Speaker 3: Candy video, that was that was phenomenal. Man, that that 1199 01:23:32,400 --> 01:23:35,120 Speaker 3: that piece of work there, that that's historic. 1200 01:23:36,640 --> 01:23:41,320 Speaker 2: Can I ask you about that video? Okay, So for 1201 01:23:41,400 --> 01:23:43,680 Speaker 2: our listeners out there, I mentioned a few times, but 1202 01:23:43,800 --> 01:23:48,639 Speaker 2: like you know, for fans of black music, you really 1203 01:23:48,680 --> 01:23:52,000 Speaker 2: didn't have much to go on when finding out the 1204 01:23:52,000 --> 01:23:55,640 Speaker 2: information of your favorite acts, like you either stuck in 1205 01:23:55,840 --> 01:23:59,960 Speaker 2: the sort of tweendom of right or magazine or the 1206 01:24:00,000 --> 01:24:01,960 Speaker 2: whole or opposite of it, which was like either epiting 1207 01:24:02,080 --> 01:24:04,719 Speaker 2: or jet So for a lot of like music heads 1208 01:24:04,760 --> 01:24:08,519 Speaker 2: like myself, there was a sort of a radio show 1209 01:24:08,600 --> 01:24:11,520 Speaker 2: called Lee Bailey's Radioscope Rascope. 1210 01:24:12,240 --> 01:24:15,040 Speaker 1: And you already know where I'm going with this. I 1211 01:24:15,160 --> 01:24:15,599 Speaker 1: got it. 1212 01:24:15,760 --> 01:24:19,840 Speaker 2: So here's the thing. Everyone's laughing at this, and I 1213 01:24:19,920 --> 01:24:22,800 Speaker 2: know you know where I'm going with this now, mind you. 1214 01:24:23,000 --> 01:24:24,479 Speaker 1: I was fifteen at the time. 1215 01:24:25,800 --> 01:24:30,280 Speaker 2: Now, Radioscope on weekdays was only like a three minute 1216 01:24:31,000 --> 01:24:36,400 Speaker 2: kind of like a quickie news update on Serio, you know, 1217 01:24:36,479 --> 01:24:39,599 Speaker 2: at least a serious journalism if you want to call 1218 01:24:39,640 --> 01:24:41,960 Speaker 2: it that of your favorite groups. 1219 01:24:42,160 --> 01:24:43,320 Speaker 1: But I'd never. 1220 01:24:43,160 --> 01:24:48,559 Speaker 2: Heard a more controversial hot take like Radioscope was almost 1221 01:24:48,640 --> 01:24:52,080 Speaker 2: like Black Twitter before Black Twitter thirty thirty. 1222 01:24:52,880 --> 01:24:54,960 Speaker 1: And you know, for me. 1223 01:24:56,479 --> 01:25:00,120 Speaker 2: As a fourteen fifteen year older watching you know of 1224 01:25:00,240 --> 01:25:04,040 Speaker 2: our burden and like the word of video and the 1225 01:25:04,080 --> 01:25:07,120 Speaker 2: candy video and all that stuff and even like attack 1226 01:25:07,200 --> 01:25:10,639 Speaker 2: me with your love with Debbie and what's his name from? 1227 01:25:10,840 --> 01:25:11,680 Speaker 3: Uh? 1228 01:25:11,840 --> 01:25:16,439 Speaker 2: Whether were in general hospital or whatever? Were you? How 1229 01:25:16,560 --> 01:25:20,920 Speaker 2: upset were you when fans were complaining about, you know, 1230 01:25:21,160 --> 01:25:25,400 Speaker 2: sort of accusing you guys of not focusing like you 1231 01:25:25,400 --> 01:25:30,320 Speaker 2: you would have a wide array of women in your videos. 1232 01:25:30,760 --> 01:25:32,800 Speaker 2: It was black women, it was white women, it was 1233 01:25:32,840 --> 01:25:37,679 Speaker 2: brown women, Asian women, Like, were you aware of how 1234 01:25:38,000 --> 01:25:43,400 Speaker 2: like discussed or discussed your videos were at the time, 1235 01:25:44,360 --> 01:25:46,559 Speaker 2: like there was just a thing where it's like only 1236 01:25:46,680 --> 01:25:49,479 Speaker 2: black women are allowed to be in cameo videos, and 1237 01:25:49,520 --> 01:25:52,760 Speaker 2: why there's all these why all these white women and 1238 01:25:53,160 --> 01:25:57,120 Speaker 2: Asian women, Like, yes, we now it's like nothing, but 1239 01:25:57,200 --> 01:26:00,760 Speaker 2: it was so pioneering back then and controversial. Were you 1240 01:26:00,920 --> 01:26:04,839 Speaker 2: even aware of Lee Bailey's radioscope and how like fans 1241 01:26:04,840 --> 01:26:05,880 Speaker 2: were sort of just like. 1242 01:26:07,360 --> 01:26:08,920 Speaker 1: Hot behind the collar over this. 1243 01:26:09,680 --> 01:26:12,439 Speaker 3: More than I more than I wanted to be. 1244 01:26:13,600 --> 01:26:17,840 Speaker 1: But that's why you laugh when I said Lee Bailey, he. 1245 01:26:17,920 --> 01:26:23,519 Speaker 3: Didn't get any complaints from the fans. We complain, no, no, listen, 1246 01:26:23,720 --> 01:26:26,799 Speaker 3: there might have been others that had things to say, 1247 01:26:27,280 --> 01:26:30,760 Speaker 3: but Lee Bailey. I liked Lee Bailey. He was a good, 1248 01:26:30,960 --> 01:26:37,120 Speaker 3: good buddy. He found something that gave him clicks, yeah, 1249 01:26:37,200 --> 01:26:42,640 Speaker 3: the attention, and he went on with that. And it 1250 01:26:42,760 --> 01:26:46,640 Speaker 3: was okay up to a point. But as I explained it, 1251 01:26:48,160 --> 01:26:52,800 Speaker 3: you know, I was above board, fully transparent about the process. 1252 01:26:53,280 --> 01:27:00,160 Speaker 3: These were the same six women. You know, the process 1253 01:27:00,320 --> 01:27:03,880 Speaker 3: of high definition at the time, it's like air ring 1254 01:27:05,000 --> 01:27:10,439 Speaker 3: each time. So whereas you thought that was you know, 1255 01:27:10,800 --> 01:27:15,800 Speaker 3: different people, it was the same people dressed different. Yeah, 1256 01:27:16,960 --> 01:27:18,320 Speaker 3: if we had. 1257 01:27:18,479 --> 01:27:20,600 Speaker 2: It looked like there was forty two billion women. This 1258 01:27:20,760 --> 01:27:23,960 Speaker 2: I was like pre CGI days of you guys in Times. 1259 01:27:23,680 --> 01:27:29,240 Speaker 3: Square exactly in that process. But you know, there were 1260 01:27:29,280 --> 01:27:33,880 Speaker 3: three and and and when I say three, I'm saying 1261 01:27:33,960 --> 01:27:37,920 Speaker 3: three as it appeared to be. Uh. I would say 1262 01:27:37,960 --> 01:27:41,360 Speaker 3: Caucasian for lack of a better description. But they were 1263 01:27:41,360 --> 01:27:45,880 Speaker 3: not all like all Anglo Saxon Caucasian, you know, No, 1264 01:27:46,080 --> 01:27:46,320 Speaker 3: it was. 1265 01:27:46,400 --> 01:27:48,240 Speaker 2: It was a vast array of women. But that was 1266 01:27:48,280 --> 01:27:51,720 Speaker 2: definitely the first time that we just saw, at least 1267 01:27:51,760 --> 01:27:56,160 Speaker 2: in black videos variety, breaking out of the mold. I mean, 1268 01:27:56,200 --> 01:27:58,639 Speaker 2: you guys broke speaking of breaking out the mold. Oh god, 1269 01:27:58,640 --> 01:28:00,960 Speaker 2: I'm about to forget. Can you you please give me 1270 01:28:01,000 --> 01:28:05,400 Speaker 2: the genesis of what we effectually referred to as the 1271 01:28:05,560 --> 01:28:07,320 Speaker 2: cameo haircut. 1272 01:28:08,040 --> 01:28:11,280 Speaker 4: The cameo haircut and it red the red cor and 1273 01:28:11,520 --> 01:28:15,639 Speaker 4: John Paul was was is that John Paul the design 1274 01:28:15,720 --> 01:28:16,880 Speaker 4: that Do. 1275 01:28:16,840 --> 01:28:17,800 Speaker 2: You still have that cup? 1276 01:28:19,080 --> 01:28:25,120 Speaker 3: Uh? Yes, yes, so let me wash that show life. 1277 01:28:25,720 --> 01:28:27,600 Speaker 3: But imagine when it was to me the day of 1278 01:28:27,680 --> 01:28:30,800 Speaker 3: the shooting, word up and and uh, I was you 1279 01:28:30,960 --> 01:28:33,320 Speaker 3: guy had this box he just put up on the counter. 1280 01:28:33,400 --> 01:28:35,719 Speaker 3: I was in line with everyone else to get whatever 1281 01:28:35,760 --> 01:28:38,200 Speaker 3: I was supposed to wear, and I took it in 1282 01:28:38,200 --> 01:28:39,840 Speaker 3: a dressure and I said, man, look over what Toys 1283 01:28:39,880 --> 01:28:42,360 Speaker 3: wants me to wear? Man? And then they were like, 1284 01:28:42,439 --> 01:28:45,960 Speaker 3: oh man, that's great, black room balls out, let's go 1285 01:28:46,040 --> 01:28:50,680 Speaker 3: for it. It wasn't day. It wasn't the day for 1286 01:28:50,800 --> 01:28:54,160 Speaker 3: me to say I'm not wearing that thing, you know 1287 01:28:54,200 --> 01:28:57,120 Speaker 3: what I mean. It wasn't the day we were shooting. 1288 01:28:57,320 --> 01:29:00,439 Speaker 3: It was our first day of shooting. We had we 1289 01:29:00,560 --> 01:29:03,840 Speaker 3: had work to do. But there was a time when 1290 01:29:03,920 --> 01:29:08,760 Speaker 3: all of our outfits had cups on them. Call them 1291 01:29:08,960 --> 01:29:12,479 Speaker 3: cod pieces is what we call them. And Bernard Johnson, 1292 01:29:12,920 --> 01:29:16,479 Speaker 3: God bless him. You know, he was the wardrobe guy 1293 01:29:16,520 --> 01:29:18,760 Speaker 3: in New York. I mean at the time, you know, 1294 01:29:18,800 --> 01:29:21,760 Speaker 3: you always dreamed and said, man, when we make it, 1295 01:29:21,840 --> 01:29:25,040 Speaker 3: we're definitely going to go to Bernard. And that's what happened. 1296 01:29:25,240 --> 01:29:27,840 Speaker 3: Occasionally aware it if I feel like it, If I don't, 1297 01:29:27,840 --> 01:29:33,800 Speaker 3: I won't and and and it's okay. You know the haircut. 1298 01:29:34,120 --> 01:29:40,280 Speaker 3: I had a friend girl, uh named Tracy Johns. She 1299 01:29:40,520 --> 01:29:43,960 Speaker 3: did She's got to have it with Spike Lee the 1300 01:29:44,160 --> 01:29:44,880 Speaker 3: very first hit. 1301 01:29:45,040 --> 01:29:47,200 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, Tracy Camilla John's. 1302 01:29:47,240 --> 01:29:50,360 Speaker 3: Yes, Yes, that's right. That was a very close friend 1303 01:29:50,360 --> 01:29:53,200 Speaker 3: of mine, and she told me about this, uh these 1304 01:29:53,240 --> 01:29:59,160 Speaker 3: barbers that immigrated here from Italy on south of Houston, 1305 01:30:00,040 --> 01:30:02,599 Speaker 3: and I told her to take me down and she did. 1306 01:30:02,840 --> 01:30:08,799 Speaker 3: And and you know, I created this, this thing that 1307 01:30:10,240 --> 01:30:14,400 Speaker 3: genesis I guess would have been Grace Jones and a 1308 01:30:14,439 --> 01:30:17,360 Speaker 3: couple of other things I saw. I made it work. 1309 01:30:18,360 --> 01:30:21,719 Speaker 3: And next thing I know, people from Africa is calling 1310 01:30:21,800 --> 01:30:24,360 Speaker 3: and telling me that they have the haircut and others. 1311 01:30:24,720 --> 01:30:27,640 Speaker 3: And I've heard people actually lie about it, you know, 1312 01:30:27,800 --> 01:30:31,920 Speaker 3: some some people that you've always considered close. But I 1313 01:30:31,960 --> 01:30:37,240 Speaker 3: figured if it was that important to to to say that, 1314 01:30:37,800 --> 01:30:40,679 Speaker 3: be it far from me to dispute that. I wouldn't 1315 01:30:40,680 --> 01:30:45,080 Speaker 3: want attention that way. You know what I mean, Guys. 1316 01:30:46,000 --> 01:30:48,880 Speaker 6: This is weird because I am actually the guy who 1317 01:30:48,960 --> 01:30:55,639 Speaker 6: invented that haircut. So say what you want, but I'm 1318 01:30:55,640 --> 01:30:56,360 Speaker 6: claiming it. 1319 01:30:56,760 --> 01:31:01,760 Speaker 2: That's how long was it before? Like you got a 1320 01:31:01,840 --> 01:31:05,280 Speaker 2: rocket with confidence? But I mean that was definitely a 1321 01:31:05,320 --> 01:31:08,760 Speaker 2: statement haircut that that was an instant street hit. But 1322 01:31:09,439 --> 01:31:11,120 Speaker 2: I mean at the time, did you feel like, wait 1323 01:31:11,160 --> 01:31:14,280 Speaker 2: a minute, what's you know? This is the anti Afro 1324 01:31:14,439 --> 01:31:16,439 Speaker 2: Did you did you have any idea that you were 1325 01:31:16,479 --> 01:31:26,040 Speaker 2: actually establishing like the black barbera good shot. 1326 01:31:23,880 --> 01:31:25,920 Speaker 3: You know what? It was cute, it was I had 1327 01:31:26,240 --> 01:31:29,040 Speaker 3: I was tired of dreads, and I thought it would 1328 01:31:29,040 --> 01:31:32,840 Speaker 3: have been less labor intensive, and actually it was more. Yeah, 1329 01:31:33,320 --> 01:31:36,320 Speaker 3: it's more yes, you know for you, you know you're 1330 01:31:36,360 --> 01:31:39,240 Speaker 3: you're twisting and twisting every time. You know you're twisting 1331 01:31:39,400 --> 01:31:43,160 Speaker 3: without even realizing that's what you're doing. And so I 1332 01:31:43,160 --> 01:31:46,480 Speaker 3: wanted to create a haircut that was less labor intensive, 1333 01:31:46,840 --> 01:31:50,519 Speaker 3: and I haven't found it yet. Regardless of what style 1334 01:31:50,600 --> 01:31:55,479 Speaker 3: it is, it's going to require attention and and that's 1335 01:31:55,560 --> 01:31:57,920 Speaker 3: just the way it is. You're not going to escape 1336 01:31:58,760 --> 01:32:04,720 Speaker 3: the black hair Curt. 1337 01:32:05,400 --> 01:32:08,200 Speaker 2: What I want to ask you is, for a lot 1338 01:32:08,280 --> 01:32:13,280 Speaker 2: of your contemporaries, embracing hip hop was a hard transition 1339 01:32:13,360 --> 01:32:16,200 Speaker 2: to do, and it would have been very easy for 1340 01:32:16,240 --> 01:32:18,880 Speaker 2: you to judge it or look down on it or 1341 01:32:18,920 --> 01:32:22,720 Speaker 2: be condescending. But from the gate, not only did you 1342 01:32:24,000 --> 01:32:27,200 Speaker 2: embrace hip hop, but you did in a way that 1343 01:32:27,400 --> 01:32:32,080 Speaker 2: didn't seem corny or condescending or like trying to jump 1344 01:32:32,120 --> 01:32:37,000 Speaker 2: on a bandwagon, like you know you rhyming on She's strange? 1345 01:32:37,560 --> 01:32:40,000 Speaker 1: Is any rhyming on word up? 1346 01:32:40,000 --> 01:32:42,400 Speaker 2: I mean, yeah, I mean word up is a new 1347 01:32:42,479 --> 01:32:45,040 Speaker 2: Jack swing song. So can you just talk about like 1348 01:32:45,280 --> 01:32:49,360 Speaker 2: your feelings of hip hop and how you know you 1349 01:32:49,479 --> 01:32:53,519 Speaker 2: embraced it without like because most it's very unusual for 1350 01:32:53,640 --> 01:33:00,200 Speaker 2: people to just be open to something and and and 1351 01:33:00,240 --> 01:33:01,960 Speaker 2: not run away from it, like a lot of your 1352 01:33:02,040 --> 01:33:03,120 Speaker 2: contemporaries were. 1353 01:33:03,760 --> 01:33:06,120 Speaker 3: Well, you know, I don't know what it was for them, 1354 01:33:06,400 --> 01:33:10,920 Speaker 3: but I don't think we consciously made it an issue 1355 01:33:11,960 --> 01:33:16,720 Speaker 3: when it came to music. What I enjoyed about the 1356 01:33:16,800 --> 01:33:24,040 Speaker 3: movement called hip hop was the simplicity of the drum 1357 01:33:24,080 --> 01:33:29,160 Speaker 3: beat and the simplicity of what was going on with 1358 01:33:29,240 --> 01:33:33,360 Speaker 3: the bass for the most part. And I felt that 1359 01:33:33,520 --> 01:33:39,520 Speaker 3: was that was a signature that could not be denied 1360 01:33:40,560 --> 01:33:47,280 Speaker 3: or could not get old, because that beat was what 1361 01:33:47,560 --> 01:33:52,040 Speaker 3: made it what it was, and whatever happened within that 1362 01:33:52,200 --> 01:33:59,880 Speaker 3: structure was always interesting. You know, Funk is what it is. 1363 01:34:00,680 --> 01:34:04,040 Speaker 3: You can have a funky ballad as much as you 1364 01:34:04,120 --> 01:34:09,200 Speaker 3: can have a funky, up tempo thing, but there's no mistake. 1365 01:34:09,600 --> 01:34:12,400 Speaker 3: You're gonna bob your head if it's happening, you're gonna 1366 01:34:12,439 --> 01:34:14,840 Speaker 3: be in it. And once you're in it, you're in it. 1367 01:34:15,439 --> 01:34:17,160 Speaker 3: You know what it is from that point forward. 1368 01:34:17,720 --> 01:34:20,800 Speaker 2: So it didn't make you feel weird when like a 1369 01:34:20,840 --> 01:34:24,200 Speaker 2: guy like Blue Sala says, you know, Bobby Brown's leaving 1370 01:34:24,240 --> 01:34:29,800 Speaker 2: new edition. You know he produces record because like, you know, 1371 01:34:29,840 --> 01:34:33,120 Speaker 2: the songs you were doing on that record, although not 1372 01:34:34,040 --> 01:34:35,559 Speaker 2: it's definitely pretty new jack swing. 1373 01:34:36,120 --> 01:34:36,960 Speaker 1: Like one of them joints. 1374 01:34:36,960 --> 01:34:39,719 Speaker 2: He does a beatbox breakdown and a wrap break which 1375 01:34:39,760 --> 01:34:43,320 Speaker 2: again was very unusual for nineteen eighty six. Right, it 1376 01:34:43,360 --> 01:34:46,559 Speaker 2: was ahead of its time. So right, like, even working 1377 01:34:46,600 --> 01:34:48,200 Speaker 2: with Bobby Brown, what was that experience? 1378 01:34:48,280 --> 01:34:50,840 Speaker 3: Like, it was cool? You know, Bobby and I we 1379 01:34:51,360 --> 01:34:55,760 Speaker 3: talked about that not long ago. You know, Bobby was 1380 01:34:55,800 --> 01:34:58,679 Speaker 3: going through a lot of changes. And that's how when 1381 01:34:58,720 --> 01:35:03,200 Speaker 3: I introduced Teddy to m c A over there where 1382 01:35:03,320 --> 01:35:09,120 Speaker 3: Jered Busby was, you know, and Jered Busby and little Silas, 1383 01:35:09,200 --> 01:35:14,439 Speaker 3: I believe, uh huh and uh. And I felt that 1384 01:35:15,360 --> 01:35:18,360 Speaker 3: Teddy had some things that would work well for for 1385 01:35:18,360 --> 01:35:20,960 Speaker 3: for Bobby and the rest is history. 1386 01:35:21,600 --> 01:35:22,679 Speaker 2: So you made that connection. 1387 01:35:22,840 --> 01:35:23,080 Speaker 1: Wow. 1388 01:35:23,479 --> 01:35:26,000 Speaker 3: And then that studio, I'll put that studio on the map. 1389 01:35:26,680 --> 01:35:29,240 Speaker 3: When I first walked out there, they had one room 1390 01:35:29,280 --> 01:35:32,320 Speaker 3: on the eighth floor and the Harrison sixteen. 1391 01:35:31,960 --> 01:35:35,920 Speaker 1: Track board, the one in Atlanta, No, the one in 1392 01:35:36,000 --> 01:35:36,479 Speaker 1: New York. 1393 01:35:36,800 --> 01:35:44,160 Speaker 3: Oh quai, Yeah, Loune Salas, who on the place. They 1394 01:35:44,280 --> 01:35:47,800 Speaker 3: heard that Larry was going to this place alone if 1395 01:35:47,800 --> 01:35:52,560 Speaker 3: you didn't get out SSL board in that room. And 1396 01:35:52,560 --> 01:35:55,160 Speaker 3: the next thing, next thing, I know, two weeks later 1397 01:35:55,240 --> 01:35:59,840 Speaker 3: there's an SSL board in there and uh lou Lou 1398 01:36:00,240 --> 01:36:05,240 Speaker 3: wanted to keep us there. It was it was crazy. Yeah, 1399 01:36:05,400 --> 01:36:11,360 Speaker 3: Bobbie Brown project, Ryan Carrey, yeah, all that stuff. Yeah, 1400 01:36:11,479 --> 01:36:14,559 Speaker 3: we we it was a home and the next thing, 1401 01:36:14,840 --> 01:36:19,320 Speaker 3: I know, there's another They added another four floors of 1402 01:36:19,400 --> 01:36:23,200 Speaker 3: other studios and that's when Biggie was up there, and 1403 01:36:24,040 --> 01:36:26,720 Speaker 3: you know the thing happened at that time. You don't 1404 01:36:26,720 --> 01:36:27,759 Speaker 3: have to go through everything. 1405 01:36:27,880 --> 01:36:31,120 Speaker 2: But now we've talked about this story a lot. Yes, 1406 01:36:31,160 --> 01:36:32,519 Speaker 2: oh we know, we know. 1407 01:36:33,840 --> 01:36:36,760 Speaker 3: That was the most famous corner. I know. 1408 01:36:37,920 --> 01:36:39,840 Speaker 2: Even when I go there now because there's there's a 1409 01:36:39,920 --> 01:36:43,640 Speaker 2: drum dealer on like the it's fifth four where I 1410 01:36:43,640 --> 01:36:46,880 Speaker 2: get a lot of my vintage drums from. Oh really Yeah, 1411 01:36:46,960 --> 01:36:48,960 Speaker 2: there's there's a cat up there that has like a 1412 01:36:49,040 --> 01:36:51,400 Speaker 2: drum shop up there, So I still go there occasionally. 1413 01:36:51,760 --> 01:36:54,640 Speaker 2: There is one question I do want to know, you know, 1414 01:36:55,240 --> 01:36:57,559 Speaker 2: to have such a crowded space or at least in 1415 01:36:57,600 --> 01:36:58,719 Speaker 2: the time that you were there. 1416 01:36:59,400 --> 01:37:02,360 Speaker 1: I mean, now, now you know, my band is kind 1417 01:37:02,360 --> 01:37:02,720 Speaker 1: of like. 1418 01:37:04,520 --> 01:37:06,680 Speaker 2: One of the one of the last black bands with 1419 01:37:06,840 --> 01:37:12,680 Speaker 2: a major record deal Steel, But just in general, what 1420 01:37:12,880 --> 01:37:18,839 Speaker 2: bands did you respect? Like when they were on stage 1421 01:37:18,880 --> 01:37:24,080 Speaker 2: you're like, oh man, they're kicking ass, or like yeah, earth. 1422 01:37:23,960 --> 01:37:29,720 Speaker 3: Wing a fire okay, confunction I love even today? 1423 01:37:30,720 --> 01:37:35,000 Speaker 2: Or who didn't you like I'm gonna ask them full 1424 01:37:35,040 --> 01:37:35,759 Speaker 2: force questions. 1425 01:37:35,760 --> 01:37:38,680 Speaker 3: Either We're gonna tell you my pet peeve. You know 1426 01:37:38,720 --> 01:37:42,519 Speaker 3: some of these guys, you know, they would run out 1427 01:37:42,960 --> 01:37:50,880 Speaker 3: and under shaky circumstances, go someplace and get the own 1428 01:37:51,000 --> 01:37:53,000 Speaker 3: the name of the group they've been working with for 1429 01:37:53,040 --> 01:37:54,640 Speaker 3: a long time, and all of a sudden they own 1430 01:37:54,720 --> 01:37:57,640 Speaker 3: this name. And because they own this name now I 1431 01:37:57,960 --> 01:38:00,000 Speaker 3: tell them that in the Diamond by a couple of cars. 1432 01:38:00,720 --> 01:38:05,120 Speaker 3: But how about the relationship you had and and what 1433 01:38:05,200 --> 01:38:10,120 Speaker 3: you all did together to make hit music? That should 1434 01:38:10,240 --> 01:38:16,040 Speaker 3: be the focus. Okay, not this I own the name now, Larry, 1435 01:38:16,120 --> 01:38:20,280 Speaker 3: So what okay? Uh? That doesn't seem to be doing 1436 01:38:20,320 --> 01:38:25,519 Speaker 3: a lot for you. And what made it work was 1437 01:38:26,360 --> 01:38:31,680 Speaker 3: the apparatus, chemistry, the setup that you had before. You 1438 01:38:31,720 --> 01:38:36,559 Speaker 3: should be running to preserve that and working along that 1439 01:38:36,760 --> 01:38:39,280 Speaker 3: context because that's what worked for you. 1440 01:38:39,800 --> 01:38:42,600 Speaker 4: M Oh yeah, I want to ask about before we 1441 01:38:42,680 --> 01:38:45,440 Speaker 4: go our senior hall doing shunky. 1442 01:38:47,280 --> 01:38:50,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, that was that was real. That was fun. That 1443 01:38:50,320 --> 01:38:54,360 Speaker 3: was the first video I shot that uh that had 1444 01:38:55,000 --> 01:38:58,440 Speaker 3: you know, did you sound? Actually real sound and dialogue 1445 01:38:58,600 --> 01:39:01,920 Speaker 3: and you know, was in Japan and he called and 1446 01:39:01,960 --> 01:39:05,120 Speaker 3: asked if I would do his chunky A and it 1447 01:39:05,200 --> 01:39:10,599 Speaker 3: was it was strange. The guy that shot Michael Jackson's thriller, 1448 01:39:14,439 --> 01:39:20,280 Speaker 3: was it, John Landers? Yes, but he had an A 1449 01:39:20,439 --> 01:39:24,400 Speaker 3: D two. Anyway, A lot of the crew came from 1450 01:39:24,520 --> 01:39:31,040 Speaker 3: that body of work. They were not necessarily the most 1451 01:39:31,360 --> 01:39:35,559 Speaker 3: cooperative guys in the world. You know, there were things 1452 01:39:35,600 --> 01:39:39,080 Speaker 3: being done that, you know, like somebody would have a 1453 01:39:39,120 --> 01:39:43,479 Speaker 3: real thick cord coming across a walkway and you trip 1454 01:39:43,560 --> 01:39:46,160 Speaker 3: over it and then you look back and it's not 1455 01:39:46,320 --> 01:39:48,840 Speaker 3: there anymore. Then that's for you to know that that 1456 01:39:48,960 --> 01:39:52,879 Speaker 3: was done for you U. So I avoided the stuff 1457 01:39:52,920 --> 01:39:56,120 Speaker 3: like that. But it was a great shoot and I 1458 01:39:56,240 --> 01:39:59,320 Speaker 3: enjoyed every moment of it. The whole chunky A thing 1459 01:39:59,479 --> 01:40:04,240 Speaker 3: was ISOs thing I loved because he was just a 1460 01:40:04,280 --> 01:40:08,719 Speaker 3: funny guy man, that's and he was a sincere guy, 1461 01:40:08,840 --> 01:40:11,719 Speaker 3: you know, he used to invite us on the set. 1462 01:40:12,240 --> 01:40:15,599 Speaker 3: He'd have a nice drum set in his office and 1463 01:40:15,680 --> 01:40:18,679 Speaker 3: he had, Uh, it's got Chucky in his band, wasn't it. 1464 01:40:19,840 --> 01:40:24,680 Speaker 1: Yeah? 1465 01:40:24,760 --> 01:40:28,559 Speaker 3: Yeah, played with us also, Man, I don't know how 1466 01:40:28,600 --> 01:40:29,840 Speaker 3: many drummers we've been through. 1467 01:40:30,040 --> 01:40:32,639 Speaker 2: Jesus Christ. I want to know what the firing process 1468 01:40:32,760 --> 01:40:38,760 Speaker 2: was like. Uh, that wasn't too hard. You know, well, 1469 01:40:38,760 --> 01:40:40,920 Speaker 2: you don't mince words. I guess no. 1470 01:40:41,120 --> 01:40:44,240 Speaker 3: I mean, you know, you're trying to get something done 1471 01:40:44,439 --> 01:40:47,920 Speaker 3: and and it's and it's fairly simple. It's it's the 1472 01:40:48,040 --> 01:40:50,760 Speaker 3: frustrating part for me is when a guy can't hear 1473 01:40:50,840 --> 01:40:53,760 Speaker 3: that he's losing in the pocket, or he can't hear 1474 01:40:53,760 --> 01:40:58,200 Speaker 3: it himself, that is frustrating for me. But I have 1475 01:40:58,360 --> 01:41:02,400 Speaker 3: done everything. I think I've done everything I could do 1476 01:41:02,600 --> 01:41:05,000 Speaker 3: to help. But if they don't have it, they don't 1477 01:41:05,000 --> 01:41:08,240 Speaker 3: have it. Some guys just don't have it. And rocks 1478 01:41:08,320 --> 01:41:11,040 Speaker 3: rolling down a hill won't make people dance at all. 1479 01:41:12,080 --> 01:41:15,280 Speaker 3: They said. The simplicity of some of the hip hop 1480 01:41:15,320 --> 01:41:19,519 Speaker 3: feels with that's all you're doing, then that works. That 1481 01:41:19,560 --> 01:41:22,280 Speaker 3: wouldn't make people want to dance because they're familiar with 1482 01:41:22,320 --> 01:41:28,000 Speaker 3: that already. And and it's in time. If it's not 1483 01:41:28,120 --> 01:41:29,479 Speaker 3: in time, is it music? 1484 01:41:32,120 --> 01:41:35,120 Speaker 2: I don't know, it might not be. I don't know. 1485 01:41:35,160 --> 01:41:37,040 Speaker 1: You might have to James Brown and find him. 1486 01:41:37,160 --> 01:41:39,639 Speaker 3: But yeah, and I don't know how James did that, 1487 01:41:39,720 --> 01:41:41,080 Speaker 3: but they sure had it going on. 1488 01:41:41,360 --> 01:41:46,120 Speaker 2: God knows absolutely. I think I have a I think 1489 01:41:46,160 --> 01:41:49,960 Speaker 2: I have an answer for finding the perfect drummer. Okay, 1490 01:41:50,040 --> 01:41:52,120 Speaker 2: this is what and this is what Peter Gabriel used 1491 01:41:52,160 --> 01:41:55,640 Speaker 2: to do. He used to have a drummer, or for 1492 01:41:55,800 --> 01:41:58,519 Speaker 2: studio drummers, at least he would have a drummer come in, 1493 01:41:58,640 --> 01:42:01,320 Speaker 2: sit behind the drum kit and just tell him to 1494 01:42:01,320 --> 01:42:04,040 Speaker 2: play a song for like five minutes, and then one 1495 01:42:04,080 --> 01:42:08,720 Speaker 2: by one he would take a piece away, and to 1496 01:42:08,800 --> 01:42:11,000 Speaker 2: the point where he even took the high hats away. 1497 01:42:11,000 --> 01:42:14,120 Speaker 2: Like Peter Gabriel hated the sound of high hats and 1498 01:42:14,200 --> 01:42:17,960 Speaker 2: it forced when you're stuck with just the bare minimums, 1499 01:42:18,479 --> 01:42:21,759 Speaker 2: then you're forced to just concentrate on the pocket because 1500 01:42:21,760 --> 01:42:25,559 Speaker 2: you have nothing else to deal with. Which I know, 1501 01:42:25,720 --> 01:42:27,600 Speaker 2: you know the Knights that I saw you guys, and 1502 01:42:27,680 --> 01:42:30,800 Speaker 2: I saw you guys doing the John Blackwell era. I 1503 01:42:31,080 --> 01:42:34,760 Speaker 2: almost feel like because cats always ask like, yo, man, 1504 01:42:34,800 --> 01:42:36,559 Speaker 2: how can I get cats to stay in the pocket. 1505 01:42:36,720 --> 01:42:39,599 Speaker 2: My first answer is you gotta take all their drums away, 1506 01:42:40,120 --> 01:42:43,679 Speaker 2: the snare, high hat kick start there, the basic minimum, 1507 01:42:44,840 --> 01:42:50,799 Speaker 2: and that's I feel like that's the answer. Cats gotta 1508 01:42:50,920 --> 01:42:55,920 Speaker 2: get back and uh, you gotta it forces them to 1509 01:42:55,920 --> 01:42:58,559 Speaker 2: stay in the pocket. You gotta take the toys away. 1510 01:43:00,080 --> 01:43:04,040 Speaker 2: They do good rewarding with a high hat, you know 1511 01:43:04,040 --> 01:43:04,479 Speaker 2: what I'm saying. 1512 01:43:05,360 --> 01:43:09,120 Speaker 3: Hat? Yeah, how about that? But man, well, how did 1513 01:43:09,160 --> 01:43:13,400 Speaker 3: you develop your pocket? When? When did that happen? When 1514 01:43:13,400 --> 01:43:16,840 Speaker 3: did you notice that you had a pocket? Had to 1515 01:43:16,880 --> 01:43:18,200 Speaker 3: have that pocket to play. 1516 01:43:18,600 --> 01:43:24,800 Speaker 2: The thing is is that you know, growing up right, 1517 01:43:25,040 --> 01:43:29,720 Speaker 2: you know, hip hop and I were of sort of 1518 01:43:29,760 --> 01:43:36,679 Speaker 2: the synergy together where not only am I studying drum 1519 01:43:36,680 --> 01:43:39,160 Speaker 2: breaks that hip hop ers is sampling, but like I 1520 01:43:39,200 --> 01:43:42,479 Speaker 2: grew up with those records and my father's record collection. 1521 01:43:42,600 --> 01:43:44,600 Speaker 2: You know, you had like three four thousand records in 1522 01:43:44,640 --> 01:43:48,559 Speaker 2: his collection. So I would notice that when cats wanted 1523 01:43:48,600 --> 01:43:53,200 Speaker 2: to freestyle at my high school, if I were recreate 1524 01:43:53,479 --> 01:43:57,639 Speaker 2: those same breaks that they heard in rap songs, that's 1525 01:43:57,640 --> 01:44:00,639 Speaker 2: when they would start to dance. And you know, and 1526 01:44:00,760 --> 01:44:05,080 Speaker 2: to me, it wasn't about drum feels. It's finding the 1527 01:44:05,160 --> 01:44:11,200 Speaker 2: perfect four bars. And people don't trust the process of 1528 01:44:12,240 --> 01:44:12,760 Speaker 2: less is. 1529 01:44:12,760 --> 01:44:16,880 Speaker 1: More, and you know, I felt like my thing was 1530 01:44:17,760 --> 01:44:18,520 Speaker 1: the less. 1531 01:44:18,280 --> 01:44:23,599 Speaker 3: You do, the better it is. Yeah, and you know, but. 1532 01:44:23,520 --> 01:44:25,519 Speaker 1: It also it also comes with time. 1533 01:44:25,680 --> 01:44:28,519 Speaker 2: And that's the thing. Like a lot of times, especially 1534 01:44:28,560 --> 01:44:31,880 Speaker 2: with black bands, when I was asking you earlier about 1535 01:44:31,880 --> 01:44:36,439 Speaker 2: where did you practice? Oftentimes like church is the only 1536 01:44:36,560 --> 01:44:39,760 Speaker 2: environment that they get to play, and sometimes you got 1537 01:44:39,760 --> 01:44:42,760 Speaker 2: to do everything but the kitchen sink to keep your 1538 01:44:42,800 --> 01:44:45,960 Speaker 2: position because there's fourteen drummers in church waiting to replace you. 1539 01:44:47,439 --> 01:44:50,920 Speaker 2: And more than that, I just I grew up with 1540 01:44:50,960 --> 01:44:53,439 Speaker 2: a band leader father that would look back at you 1541 01:44:53,479 --> 01:44:56,280 Speaker 2: and find you fifty. 1542 01:44:56,080 --> 01:44:57,200 Speaker 1: Dollars if you messed up. 1543 01:44:57,280 --> 01:45:02,160 Speaker 2: So nah, I kept the pocket, Brother black Man, thank 1544 01:45:02,200 --> 01:45:04,559 Speaker 2: you so much, Thank you man, I appreciate this. 1545 01:45:05,360 --> 01:45:05,559 Speaker 3: Yeah. 1546 01:45:05,680 --> 01:45:09,120 Speaker 1: On behalf of Layah please get well and Sugar Steve. 1547 01:45:09,320 --> 01:45:12,120 Speaker 6: That that was a great interview. Thank you mister Blackman 1548 01:45:12,160 --> 01:45:14,799 Speaker 6: for your time and all that information that was amazing, 1549 01:45:14,840 --> 01:45:18,160 Speaker 6: And thank you for mentioning all the engineers also that 1550 01:45:18,200 --> 01:45:19,240 Speaker 6: you worked with the time. 1551 01:45:22,120 --> 01:45:26,720 Speaker 2: Yo, thank you very much. On behalf of Fontigelow and 1552 01:45:26,880 --> 01:45:31,400 Speaker 2: Layah and Unpaid Bill and Sugar Steve and myself quest 1553 01:45:31,479 --> 01:45:34,920 Speaker 2: Love and the great Immortal Larry Blackman and all the 1554 01:45:34,960 --> 01:45:38,080 Speaker 2: members of Cameo and their forty two thousand drummers. 1555 01:45:38,400 --> 01:45:40,320 Speaker 1: This is a quest love sir. 1556 01:45:41,280 --> 01:45:42,799 Speaker 2: All right, We'll see you in the next around. 1557 01:45:42,840 --> 01:45:47,680 Speaker 3: Thank you all right, Bye bye. 1558 01:45:55,880 --> 01:45:56,080 Speaker 2: West. 1559 01:45:56,120 --> 01:45:58,759 Speaker 1: Love Supreme is a production iHeart Radio. 1560 01:46:02,720 --> 01:46:07,480 Speaker 2: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 1561 01:46:07,560 --> 01:46:09,280 Speaker 2: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.