WEBVTT - Shirley Jones 0:00:00.120 --> 0:00:08.760 Question Love Supreme is a production of I Heart Radio. Hello, 0:00:09.240 --> 0:00:12.680 how you doing? Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to Course Love Supreme. 0:00:12.840 --> 0:00:16.040 I have to think for one second exactly where worried? 0:00:16.480 --> 0:00:18.760 I'm your host, Quest Love. Thank you for joining us 0:00:18.800 --> 0:00:24.920 yet again here with my squid? What's up a pay bill? How? 0:00:25.040 --> 0:00:27.600 How are you? Man? It's a good day. I can't 0:00:27.600 --> 0:00:31.880 come play? Summer Summer is good so far, can't complays 0:00:31.920 --> 0:00:35.200 are happy? Campus in session? Life is good, Camps in session, 0:00:35.760 --> 0:00:40.160 Campus in session, Summer camp is summer camp, but summer 0:00:40.200 --> 0:00:43.120 camp in the crib. Right. No, they go away, not 0:00:43.200 --> 0:00:45.519 like you sent them away, but no, no, no, no, 0:00:45.640 --> 0:00:47.600 like a way, a way way, just like during the 0:00:47.720 --> 0:00:50.720 day away. I would call that summer school. But amon 0:00:52.120 --> 0:00:55.320 and when they come home them like a prison movie. 0:00:56.000 --> 0:01:00.960 That's right, I see that. Uh, how's it going on, 0:01:01.080 --> 0:01:07.040 Sugar Steve Freshmen Yer season five? That's right? Yeah, everything's cool. 0:01:07.080 --> 0:01:10.240 I mean boss called me into work today, so there's that. 0:01:10.440 --> 0:01:13.959 And uh but other than that, doing good horrible boss 0:01:13.959 --> 0:01:19.120 you have there? Sorry? Anyways, all right, well everything's fine? 0:01:19.319 --> 0:01:22.959 Oh yeah, I'm good. Yes, I can hear you loud 0:01:22.959 --> 0:01:28.920 and clear, like you press the mute, right, right, how's 0:01:28.959 --> 0:01:30.880 it going like you? Oh, it's going good? You mean 0:01:31.160 --> 0:01:35.160 I muted? No, you know we can hear you now, alright, No, 0:01:35.520 --> 0:01:37.520 just going good. I mean I'm excited to talk to 0:01:37.800 --> 0:01:41.720 some good Philly music and whatnot. Exactly all right, Well, 0:01:41.840 --> 0:01:45.319 speaking of which, ladies and gentlemen, Um, speaking of Philly music, 0:01:45.400 --> 0:01:47.760 our guest today is the pride of the City of Detroit, 0:01:48.000 --> 0:01:57.120 Misia via Philadelphia. Um. Yeah, along with her sisters, uh, 0:01:57.200 --> 0:02:00.920 with great Brenda Valerie Jones. I will say that our 0:02:00.960 --> 0:02:04.760 guest today, um, along with her two sisters were probably 0:02:05.720 --> 0:02:11.440 uh V go to background combo trio in the mid seventies. Uh. 0:02:11.480 --> 0:02:14.000 They kind of dominated that platform, sort of similar to 0:02:14.880 --> 0:02:18.120 how Since Houston and the Sweden Inspirations once did in 0:02:18.120 --> 0:02:21.760 the mid mid to late sixties for many luminaries from 0:02:21.800 --> 0:02:27.359 Aretha Franklin, uh, Lou Rawls, Teddy Pendergrass, and the Clifford Power. 0:02:28.120 --> 0:02:32.280 Of course, Diana Ross where I first heard her group's 0:02:32.320 --> 0:02:35.840 name mentioned. Well, okay, Diana called him the Jones sisters 0:02:36.440 --> 0:02:40.320 that live record Um. But anyway, they signed. They came 0:02:40.320 --> 0:02:45.960 to my hometown of Philadelphia around seventy nine, worked under 0:02:46.040 --> 0:02:51.600 the Mighty Philadelphia International Records Empire UM releasing hit after 0:02:51.800 --> 0:02:55.880 icon of hit UH from the the Hove sample UH 0:02:55.960 --> 0:02:58.960 You're Gonna make Me Love somebody Else, UH to Like Dance, 0:02:59.000 --> 0:03:02.280 Turn the romance to my all time favorite Nights Over 0:03:02.360 --> 0:03:06.919 Egypt Too, who run to so many to name. Also, 0:03:07.040 --> 0:03:10.480 I'll say that our guest today enjoyed her first UH 0:03:10.600 --> 0:03:14.280 number one hit single uh D get Enough Love six 0:03:14.800 --> 0:03:18.040 two years after she left for a solo career and 0:03:18.160 --> 0:03:20.160 UH with the six LPs under her belt with her 0:03:20.160 --> 0:03:24.519 family two solo records, our guests is still holding the 0:03:24.960 --> 0:03:28.959 mantel and and kind of the legacy of the Jones 0:03:29.000 --> 0:03:31.440 Girls in her hands. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to 0:03:31.600 --> 0:03:35.800 Quest Clip Supreme the one and only Shirley Jones. Thank you, well, 0:03:35.840 --> 0:03:40.640 thank you, thank you. Hey. How are you? I'm fine. 0:03:40.800 --> 0:03:44.080 I'm doing really good, staying in the house, which is 0:03:44.120 --> 0:03:48.560 the safest place right now. Exactly. That's that's that's we're 0:03:48.600 --> 0:03:51.120 doing to stay in the house, you know. UM. Now, 0:03:51.200 --> 0:03:53.680 I thank you for doing this. I will say that, UM, 0:03:54.360 --> 0:03:58.080 after a lot of stalking on Instagram and social media, 0:03:58.440 --> 0:04:01.120 I was happy that I was I was fortunate enough 0:04:01.120 --> 0:04:03.960 to get your attention to come and join us on 0:04:04.040 --> 0:04:08.120 the show because I'm so happy. Yeah, I'm so happy 0:04:08.120 --> 0:04:11.160 because i mean, I'm just I'm a fan. So I'm 0:04:11.240 --> 0:04:15.440 fanning out right now. Absolutely, you and the roots and 0:04:15.720 --> 0:04:18.479 i mean the Tonight Show. We used to just sit 0:04:18.520 --> 0:04:20.240 there and watch the nice We're gonna one day We're 0:04:20.279 --> 0:04:22.080 gonna be on the Tonight Show. This is back when 0:04:22.200 --> 0:04:27.320 Johnny Carson was So I'm a huge fan. Well, I 0:04:27.400 --> 0:04:29.400 mean I'm a fan of yours as well. Of course, 0:04:29.560 --> 0:04:34.279 like I've known you, know as in Philadelphia, and I've known, Um, 0:04:34.320 --> 0:04:36.840 I've learned of your history after you came to Philadelphia 0:04:36.920 --> 0:04:40.360 to sign to the label. But um, I'm really curious 0:04:40.400 --> 0:04:45.599 about that. The first part of your career. Um in Detroit, Michigan. Um, 0:04:45.680 --> 0:04:47.600 what part of what part of Detroit did you guys 0:04:47.640 --> 0:04:50.040 grow up in? We grew up on the west Side, 0:04:50.160 --> 0:04:53.200 you know, it's the east Side and west side, west Side. 0:04:53.240 --> 0:04:55.600 We went to Central High School. That's a nice part 0:04:55.640 --> 0:05:01.600 of Detroit. No, absolutely not. Okay, See I'm told by 0:05:01.720 --> 0:05:04.640 a lot of I'm told by Detroit luminaries that if 0:05:04.640 --> 0:05:07.520 someone's on the east Side, I should watch my wallet. 0:05:07.680 --> 0:05:11.280 But someone's from the west side, then you know, they 0:05:11.360 --> 0:05:16.200 might have finished it right, No, I mean it's a okay, 0:05:16.279 --> 0:05:21.920 it's okay, yeah, alright, so um can you well? Okay? 0:05:21.920 --> 0:05:25.320 I always start with what was your first musical memory? 0:05:25.680 --> 0:05:29.880 My first musical memory was me and my mom singing 0:05:30.480 --> 0:05:32.719 just the two of us, once she found out that 0:05:32.760 --> 0:05:36.240 I could sing it, like six years old. She was 0:05:36.320 --> 0:05:42.000 a very popular gospel singer back in the Detroit area, 0:05:42.080 --> 0:05:45.400 Mary Fraser Jones. In fact, she was the first black 0:05:45.440 --> 0:05:47.919 gospel singer that r c A Records. They signed my 0:05:48.000 --> 0:05:51.680 mother to Gospel to the Gospel label the same day 0:05:51.720 --> 0:05:56.960 they signed Little Richard. So yeah, and once she discovered 0:05:57.000 --> 0:05:59.920 that I could sing, I remember going around at these 0:06:00.080 --> 0:06:02.240 different churches singing just the two of us when it 0:06:02.360 --> 0:06:04.719 was just she and I. Okay, when you say just 0:06:04.760 --> 0:06:09.719 the two of us, I'm instantly yeah, another just the 0:06:09.720 --> 0:06:13.320 two of us, right, it's a gospel song, just the 0:06:13.320 --> 0:06:16.479 two of us. Okay. I see in your in the 0:06:16.640 --> 0:06:18.720 lineup of your sisters, where do you fall are you? 0:06:19.000 --> 0:06:23.360 I'm the oldest. Okay, you're the oldest sister. Yes, So 0:06:24.040 --> 0:06:26.480 was it just you three in the household or did 0:06:26.480 --> 0:06:29.440 you have other siblings? No? Through my mother and father's union. 0:06:29.480 --> 0:06:32.320 It's just the three of us, but they're like five 0:06:32.400 --> 0:06:37.600 other kids by three other different women, you know, wives 0:06:37.640 --> 0:06:40.960 and you know that wives. Yeah, he was, he was 0:06:41.000 --> 0:06:54.400 a minister to like that. Yes, yes, yes, my mother 0:06:54.880 --> 0:06:58.240 my mother was the second wife or second maybe third? Okay, 0:06:58.360 --> 0:07:03.880 there were five? Yeah, I feel you. Um, So basically, 0:07:03.960 --> 0:07:08.960 what was what was the your your childhood like? Um? 0:07:09.000 --> 0:07:13.000 Because I'm always curious to ask you how, especially when 0:07:13.400 --> 0:07:17.600 groups that I admire sort of unfolding the seventies, they 0:07:17.600 --> 0:07:20.560 all seem to have the same kind of narrative, which 0:07:20.600 --> 0:07:23.480 is that they start in gospel music, and I'm always 0:07:23.480 --> 0:07:29.360 curious to see how they are kind of able to 0:07:29.440 --> 0:07:32.400 unwrap themselves out of gospel, like some answers are like, 0:07:33.640 --> 0:07:35.360 you know, it was it was a controversial thing to 0:07:35.360 --> 0:07:38.280 start seeing secular and some you know, they were embraced 0:07:38.320 --> 0:07:41.360 by their their church and their family whatnot. But what 0:07:41.520 --> 0:07:43.600 was your relationship with music when you were growing up? 0:07:43.640 --> 0:07:45.520 Like were you allowed to listen to both or just 0:07:45.680 --> 0:07:48.240 gospel in the house? Oh? No, she she did, and 0:07:48.440 --> 0:07:51.880 she allowed us to listen to both. It was very 0:07:52.000 --> 0:07:57.400 difficult after being with her because we were traveling around Detroit. 0:07:57.440 --> 0:08:00.840 You know, Detroit's the music city, Old town but as 0:08:00.880 --> 0:08:05.200 well as gospel. But Detroit's choirs were known all over 0:08:05.240 --> 0:08:08.880 the world. Aretha Franklin's father his church, so we were 0:08:08.920 --> 0:08:15.640 traveling that circuit around Detroit, Chicago and singing behind my mother. 0:08:15.720 --> 0:08:19.160 My mother was also the music director at Russell Street 0:08:19.160 --> 0:08:23.280 Baptist Church, so she knew voices, and I credit our 0:08:23.400 --> 0:08:31.520 harmonies and our vocalizing to my mother. My mother rehearsed us, 0:08:31.520 --> 0:08:34.079 oh my goodness, from the time I was about seven 0:08:34.240 --> 0:08:38.280 or eight and Brendan Valerie were stairsteps, so once she 0:08:38.400 --> 0:08:44.120 realized what she had, she rehearsed us at least maybe 0:08:44.120 --> 0:08:47.240 four or five times a week. Other kids be out 0:08:47.240 --> 0:08:50.240 there playing and we'd be put out there trying to play. 0:08:50.280 --> 0:08:52.800 But my godmother, who lived across the street, was the 0:08:52.880 --> 0:08:56.640 piano player. We always had a piano in our home 0:08:56.720 --> 0:09:00.240 because we studied piano where we all played piano, and 0:09:01.040 --> 0:09:03.880 my mother was like, okay, you guys, come in, we're 0:09:03.880 --> 0:09:07.400 going to rehearse. She practiced our voices. She taught us 0:09:07.400 --> 0:09:12.440 how to lay back if the if the notice too overpowering. 0:09:12.640 --> 0:09:16.880 She taught us diction um. So I credit everything to 0:09:17.080 --> 0:09:22.120 her from teaching us early on and then being on 0:09:22.160 --> 0:09:24.560 the same circuit as like the Clark's Sisters. The wine 0:09:24.600 --> 0:09:28.320 is back then. Man, when Holland jo Joan Holland reached 0:09:28.320 --> 0:09:30.920 out and wanted us to start to try to come 0:09:30.960 --> 0:09:35.000 to their label, to first to say she yes, she 0:09:35.440 --> 0:09:39.280 a music merchant too. The yeah, my mother was just 0:09:39.480 --> 0:09:43.400 so it took a lot of persuading, but she finally 0:09:43.520 --> 0:09:48.320 let us do it. I'm curious as to okays, as 0:09:48.320 --> 0:09:52.000 to the training, because the thing is is that um 0:09:52.040 --> 0:09:56.840 and listening to your records, I noticed that you guys 0:09:56.880 --> 0:10:02.320 spend an equal amount of time singing in unison in 0:10:02.360 --> 0:10:06.640 addition to your harmonies, and always wanted to know what 0:10:06.760 --> 0:10:10.120 was the because that was an unusual trademark. And I 0:10:10.160 --> 0:10:12.920 guess as a non singer, like I'm a producer who's 0:10:12.920 --> 0:10:16.360 a non singer, so I would automatically think, well, coming 0:10:16.360 --> 0:10:19.079 out the gate, everyone sings in harmony, but you guys 0:10:19.080 --> 0:10:23.200 had a really unusual process where you all sing together, 0:10:23.800 --> 0:10:26.640 so it was always like one voice to me exactly, 0:10:26.679 --> 0:10:28.800 and that when my mother was training us, that's what 0:10:28.960 --> 0:10:32.880 she was. She would always grill us and she'd be like, 0:10:33.480 --> 0:10:36.800 I want you surely to pull back, or Brenda, I 0:10:36.840 --> 0:10:40.080 need you to come up more, even when we're doing unison, 0:10:40.559 --> 0:10:44.480 she would say, because the ultimate goal is for your 0:10:44.600 --> 0:10:49.280 harmonies and your unisons to sound like a lead, to 0:10:49.559 --> 0:10:52.920 sound like a lead. And she drilled that that in us. 0:10:53.000 --> 0:10:56.040 And and one of the best memories that I have 0:10:56.160 --> 0:10:58.320 with my sisters is when it was just the three 0:10:58.360 --> 0:11:02.280 of us, after we started doing background for different people, 0:11:02.320 --> 0:11:06.000 when it was just the three of us together, no boyfriends, 0:11:06.080 --> 0:11:09.679 no you know, nobody girl for girlfriends, hanging around with us, 0:11:10.600 --> 0:11:14.600 we would practice that because my mother had drilled it 0:11:14.600 --> 0:11:16.880 in us. We would practice that whether we were doing 0:11:16.920 --> 0:11:21.360 background for somebody or working on our own project, it 0:11:21.520 --> 0:11:24.079 had to be right. And then Valerie, the younger sister, 0:11:24.559 --> 0:11:27.800 she has she was blessed with near perfect pitch, so 0:11:27.880 --> 0:11:32.439 of course she would always be like, that doesn't sound right. 0:11:32.520 --> 0:11:36.040 You're too sharp. Purely get that, you know. So we 0:11:36.120 --> 0:11:39.760 had so much fun practicing because we always strove to 0:11:39.880 --> 0:11:43.000 be for our sound to be perfect, whether we were 0:11:43.040 --> 0:11:46.839 singing unison harmony, singing behind a Wretha Franklin, or doing 0:11:46.880 --> 0:11:50.040 a Jones Girls project. Well, I know that you were 0:11:50.240 --> 0:11:53.560 always in the gospel choir, but you know, I know 0:11:53.679 --> 0:11:58.440 that you're in Detroit, which even after they long you know, 0:11:58.559 --> 0:12:02.440 migrated to Los Angeles. I'm certain that you know still 0:12:02.520 --> 0:12:06.000 with Luminary is still there like funk Adelic and whatnot? 0:12:06.080 --> 0:12:09.280 Like what were your what was the the the social 0:12:09.320 --> 0:12:13.960 interaction with other notable members of the Detroit musical community 0:12:14.000 --> 0:12:17.080 for you, Like who was there a group of people 0:12:17.120 --> 0:12:19.840 that you hung with or notable people that we would know? 0:12:20.360 --> 0:12:25.280 Um not really we um Well, when we went to 0:12:25.400 --> 0:12:28.920 music Merchant to Holland Jorjan Holland's label, we were doing 0:12:28.960 --> 0:12:32.240 background for like Chairman of the Board, uh free to 0:12:32.320 --> 0:12:37.120 pain Honey Koane um. And at that time we were 0:12:37.640 --> 0:12:40.480 I guess maybe fourteen. In fact, when I was watching 0:12:40.559 --> 0:12:43.720 Um Summer of Soul, it took me way back and 0:12:43.720 --> 0:12:46.960 I was like, oh my god. Half of those people 0:12:47.320 --> 0:12:49.880 that were involved in that we either met we either 0:12:50.000 --> 0:12:52.680 worked with. And that said, wow, what a blessing because 0:12:52.720 --> 0:12:56.200 at that time in sixty nine, we were like twelve 0:12:56.240 --> 0:13:00.240 thirteen years old and we had just started doing had 0:13:00.240 --> 0:13:03.320 ground at that age for Holland Doljo Holland because they 0:13:03.360 --> 0:13:06.800 saw us on a gospel TV show in Detroit and 0:13:06.880 --> 0:13:09.839 that was when we begged my mother, oh, this is 0:13:09.880 --> 0:13:13.000 Holland Dolja Holland Motown. Please let us do background. They 0:13:13.080 --> 0:13:17.280 just it's just background, just background, no, you know, and 0:13:17.520 --> 0:13:20.760 it's not gospel background. But please, Mom, please, So she 0:13:20.920 --> 0:13:24.160 finally lets let us do it. But the stipulation was 0:13:24.240 --> 0:13:26.480 she had to be there. She was at every session 0:13:26.840 --> 0:13:29.480 from the time I was thirteen and we started doing 0:13:29.480 --> 0:13:33.120 it until I was eighteen. Grown. I know, I know 0:13:33.240 --> 0:13:38.760 that since you know Ray Charles introducing quote unquote secular 0:13:39.440 --> 0:13:43.199 non gospel lyrics to gospel music, that that's always been 0:13:43.240 --> 0:13:46.920 an issue with the church and whatnot. Um, But obviously 0:13:47.120 --> 0:13:52.480 you're coming from a younger generation, UM that isn't so 0:13:52.760 --> 0:13:57.640 married to what your parents and grandparents would have subscribed to. So, 0:13:58.920 --> 0:14:02.240 you know, how who who was your your north star 0:14:02.360 --> 0:14:04.480 as far as like who did you grow up idolizing? 0:14:04.880 --> 0:14:08.800 Like Who's who's the voice that you long to be? 0:14:09.000 --> 0:14:11.000 Sort of not in a non gospel way, like who 0:14:11.000 --> 0:14:13.920 are you listening to the radio? On the radio? All 0:14:13.960 --> 0:14:19.080 of Motown? Yeah, the Temptations, the Four Tops, but the 0:14:19.200 --> 0:14:22.280 but the group that we idolized and used to have 0:14:22.400 --> 0:14:25.160 my mom make outfits for, of course, was the Supremes. 0:14:25.680 --> 0:14:30.440 We absolutely idolized the Supremes. We wanted to be like 0:14:30.600 --> 0:14:35.600 the Supremes. And yes, yes, we wanted to be like 0:14:35.640 --> 0:14:40.080 the Supremes. Okay, so we we've asked another person that's 0:14:40.080 --> 0:14:43.600 once worked with Diana Ross what that experience was like. 0:14:44.280 --> 0:14:49.120 The story was humorous. Uh no, they're talking about Chila 0:14:49.160 --> 0:14:53.400 E's uh rather tense time under a camp. What was it? 0:14:53.480 --> 0:14:56.280 What was it like? And of course I'm skipping, I 0:14:56.280 --> 0:14:59.120 want to know about all your background stuff. But what 0:14:59.480 --> 0:15:03.000 was it like to finally land that job? It was? 0:15:03.240 --> 0:15:09.040 It was amazing. Uh we actually, uh, we were perfectly happy. 0:15:09.080 --> 0:15:12.200 We had just moved to Detroit to l A with 0:15:12.320 --> 0:15:16.080 McKinley Jackson. He was managing us at the time, and 0:15:16.160 --> 0:15:19.800 we were perfectly happy doing background sessions because because we 0:15:19.800 --> 0:15:21.760 were doing like three and four a day, it was 0:15:21.800 --> 0:15:24.440 either us or the waters that people wanted to do 0:15:24.800 --> 0:15:28.400 their waterground back then. Oh yeah, well those are my buddies. Yeah, 0:15:28.440 --> 0:15:30.920 it was either us or them that That's who we were, 0:15:30.960 --> 0:15:36.360 those premier groups for background singing back then. And McKinley said, well, 0:15:36.400 --> 0:15:41.280 you know, Diana's um auditioning for some singers and she's 0:15:41.280 --> 0:15:44.560 been turning everybody down and you know, and I and 0:15:44.600 --> 0:15:46.840 he said, you guys want to try. We like Diana, Yeah, 0:15:46.880 --> 0:15:48.880 I mean, you know, we're from Detroit. Hey, let's give 0:15:48.920 --> 0:15:51.240 it a shot. And so we went up there actually 0:15:51.280 --> 0:15:55.080 thinking we were singing for gil Aski, her music director 0:15:55.280 --> 0:15:59.320 and her road manager Don Peak up lower canyon somewhere, 0:15:59.480 --> 0:16:03.920 and we went up there and McKinley started playing. We 0:16:03.960 --> 0:16:07.080 had rehearsed, ain't a mountain high enough and reach out 0:16:07.080 --> 0:16:10.200 and touch somebody's hand for our audition, and right in 0:16:10.240 --> 0:16:12.680 the middle of singing, who comes down the hall but 0:16:12.800 --> 0:16:18.000 Diana Ross and yeah, and the only the only words 0:16:18.000 --> 0:16:21.440 out of her mouth was you guys are terrific. Can 0:16:21.480 --> 0:16:26.880 you get passports? We're going to London? And we, of course, 0:16:27.960 --> 0:16:30.920 you know, we were like, yeah, we can go to London. 0:16:30.960 --> 0:16:33.080 And but we had to work out some things on 0:16:33.120 --> 0:16:36.360 our contract because of our background singing. When she did 0:16:36.400 --> 0:16:38.960 allow we traveled seven months of the year with her, 0:16:39.440 --> 0:16:42.200 and then when she was on hiatus, she did allow 0:16:42.320 --> 0:16:45.600 us to keep our background singing career for other artists 0:16:46.320 --> 0:16:52.680 uml retainer, but we were allowed to sing right, but 0:16:52.680 --> 0:16:54.840 we were still getting you know, we were getting half 0:16:54.840 --> 0:16:58.160 of our paycheck when she was when she wasn't working, 0:16:58.480 --> 0:17:01.080 but she still allowed us to to do our singing, 0:17:01.120 --> 0:17:05.240 our background singing. UM. And over the years I have 0:17:06.600 --> 0:17:09.920 defended and and said said so many people have said, 0:17:10.280 --> 0:17:12.240 what was she like? I hear you know, she's this, 0:17:12.359 --> 0:17:13.800 she's that, and the other. I said, let me just 0:17:13.840 --> 0:17:19.760 tell you one thing. She was the hottest entertainer in 0:17:19.960 --> 0:17:23.960 the world back in the seventies. Absolutely nobody was bigger 0:17:24.000 --> 0:17:28.720 than Diana Ross except maybe Frank Sinatra. And she was 0:17:28.760 --> 0:17:34.040 a perfectionist. She was a female and she was demanding. 0:17:34.160 --> 0:17:38.440 She demanded that her from her band to her singers 0:17:39.480 --> 0:17:43.560 to be as into the show and rehearse and be 0:17:43.680 --> 0:17:48.080 on top of your gig as she was. And because 0:17:48.119 --> 0:17:50.080 that was it drilled in us and that's what we 0:17:50.200 --> 0:17:55.200 did anyway. UM. She was absolutely one of the best 0:17:55.200 --> 0:17:59.040 people to work for. And she was so concerned for 0:17:59.040 --> 0:18:03.520 for us because up until we went to London with her, 0:18:03.720 --> 0:18:08.680 the only places we had been was Detroit, Uh surrounding 0:18:08.760 --> 0:18:13.119 areas and then California. UM. And she really loved and 0:18:13.200 --> 0:18:16.520 respected our sounds so much that after the European tour 0:18:17.280 --> 0:18:19.000 is when she came to us, she was getting ready 0:18:19.040 --> 0:18:22.440 to do her yearly twice a year residency at Caesar's 0:18:22.440 --> 0:18:25.000 palace and she came to us and said, you know, 0:18:25.080 --> 0:18:28.880 you girls are too good to be singing background behind 0:18:28.960 --> 0:18:33.280 me or anybody else whatever. So you know, I changed 0:18:33.320 --> 0:18:35.720 clothes at least five times in my show. I want 0:18:35.720 --> 0:18:38.560 you to get a song together and I want you 0:18:38.720 --> 0:18:41.240 to sing it. I'm gonna bring you out the Jones 0:18:41.359 --> 0:18:44.000 sisters and I'm going to introduce you to the world. 0:18:44.080 --> 0:18:47.159 And that's actually she did that. We chose if I 0:18:47.200 --> 0:18:49.919 ever lose this Heaven from Quincy Jones album that was 0:18:50.000 --> 0:18:53.800 got back then, and uh, that's how we got with 0:18:53.920 --> 0:19:00.560 Gamble on Huff. Yeah, yeah, Shuber in her and she 0:19:00.680 --> 0:19:03.600 called us and Cynthia Biggs and Dexter one Zel they 0:19:03.600 --> 0:19:06.240 win the audience and they said, oh they could think 0:19:06.240 --> 0:19:09.000 about and look at during the whole show was us. 0:19:09.040 --> 0:19:11.399 They kept saying, you hear those girls, you hear her 0:19:11.520 --> 0:19:15.840 background singers. They're tearing it up. And Gamble and Huff 0:19:15.880 --> 0:19:19.680 came backstage and they said, you guys are terrific. Um 0:19:19.720 --> 0:19:21.880 Are you signed with anybody? And We're like no, I'm 0:19:21.880 --> 0:19:24.320 We're like, oh my god, Gamble, I'm asking us if 0:19:24.359 --> 0:19:27.400 we were signed with anybody. And uh so we went 0:19:27.400 --> 0:19:30.480 back to l A and within a month, we UH 0:19:30.800 --> 0:19:33.080 had our attorneys worked and we worked out the deal, 0:19:33.200 --> 0:19:36.119 and within two months we were flown to Philadelphia to 0:19:36.160 --> 0:19:40.200 work on that first Jones Girls album. Yes, that's amazing, 0:19:40.720 --> 0:19:48.040 that's amazing. Wait a minute. Always wanted to know was 0:19:48.080 --> 0:19:52.760 this was this the tour where she would um it 0:19:52.800 --> 0:19:56.360 would start with the video thing with the guys carrying 0:19:56.400 --> 0:20:00.480 her over. No, No, this was before then, because I 0:20:00.480 --> 0:20:04.800 always wanted to know how she did that illusion. No, okay, 0:20:05.119 --> 0:20:06.240 I was a kid, want to see it like a 0:20:06.320 --> 0:20:09.879 long time ago. But yeah, can you also talk about 0:20:09.920 --> 0:20:12.520 like the gig with her and how it was different 0:20:12.560 --> 0:20:14.920 than other background years As far as like she said 0:20:14.960 --> 0:20:17.520 she changed her clothes five times, did you guys get 0:20:17.520 --> 0:20:19.520 to change your clothes? Did you have the same outfit 0:20:19.560 --> 0:20:21.119 you had to wear every night? Or because it was 0:20:21.160 --> 0:20:23.800 Diana Ross, y'all had like a nice rotation. And what 0:20:23.880 --> 0:20:26.680 did she require before every show? As far as rehearsal 0:20:26.760 --> 0:20:30.000 and stuff like that, it's the comparison to everybody else 0:20:30.000 --> 0:20:33.720 you work for. UH, with her being a perfectionist, we 0:20:33.800 --> 0:20:38.119 rehearsed a lot before we would go out on tour 0:20:38.920 --> 0:20:41.560 with her. I mean we rehearsed a lot and yes, 0:20:41.680 --> 0:20:44.880 she did curse. She would come in there and if 0:20:44.920 --> 0:20:46.960 you if the bed. And she never had to curse 0:20:47.000 --> 0:20:48.439 to us because we were gonna be on top of 0:20:48.480 --> 0:20:51.080 our game. But if she would, she would curse them out. 0:20:51.119 --> 0:20:53.000 And I and you know, and I often tell people, 0:20:53.000 --> 0:20:55.560 I said that, Now, if she were a man like 0:20:55.600 --> 0:20:59.680 Frank Sinatra coming out cursing because somebody wasn't doing their 0:20:59.760 --> 0:21:02.160 at a little best and she felt that they should be, 0:21:02.600 --> 0:21:05.880 he'd be applauded. He would be applauded and said, oh, 0:21:05.920 --> 0:21:09.280 he's just such a strong individual. He's he'd make sure that, 0:21:09.320 --> 0:21:12.040 you know. But because she's a woman, and she was 0:21:12.119 --> 0:21:15.919 that demanding at that time, you know, women weren't supposed to, 0:21:16.400 --> 0:21:18.360 you know, come if you don't weren't doing your job. 0:21:18.400 --> 0:21:20.320 You you were supposed to be demure and said well 0:21:20.359 --> 0:21:23.120 would you please? You know, she would come in there 0:21:23.119 --> 0:21:25.800 a person like us saying oh yeah or beyond it 0:21:25.840 --> 0:21:28.359 makes me think of Beyonce is allowed to be today? 0:21:28.680 --> 0:21:32.840 Yeah exactly, So I give I give, I give her 0:21:32.920 --> 0:21:36.960 kudos because she was demanding, yes she was, but she 0:21:37.160 --> 0:21:39.920 was also she would she would also make sure that 0:21:39.960 --> 0:21:43.119 she was doing But you know, as far as rehearsing too. 0:21:43.240 --> 0:21:49.280 She was always always immaculate and impeccable. Two people that 0:21:49.320 --> 0:21:52.160 I learned the most from as far as entertaining myself. 0:21:52.440 --> 0:21:55.199 I always say is Diana Ross and Eddie Lebert from 0:21:55.200 --> 0:21:59.600 the o J's because they are show people, absolutely show pepe, 0:21:59.800 --> 0:22:02.480 wait it here? What can Yeah? I want to? I 0:22:02.480 --> 0:22:06.160 want to know for you? Or is it a thing 0:22:06.160 --> 0:22:08.800 where the grass is greener on the other side, do 0:22:08.920 --> 0:22:16.440 you prefer studio sessions or do you prefer uh traveling? 0:22:16.800 --> 0:22:20.040 This I'm talking in strictly in terms of of your 0:22:20.119 --> 0:22:24.000 days as a background singer. As a background singer, I 0:22:24.160 --> 0:22:27.320 prefer being in the studio. Yeah, I prefer being in 0:22:27.359 --> 0:22:30.760 the studio because I'm more of a like. Well, when 0:22:30.800 --> 0:22:33.200 we were traveling doing background for her, that was exciting 0:22:33.240 --> 0:22:35.760 because that was the first time we you know, we're 0:22:35.840 --> 0:22:39.439 traveling doing background and making money. Um, But now, I 0:22:39.480 --> 0:22:45.199 mean I prefer doing studio work versus traveling singing background 0:22:45.520 --> 0:22:48.159 for someone. Isn't it a bigger pressure though in the 0:22:48.200 --> 0:22:51.960 studio because I'm almost certain that there's you know, there's 0:22:51.960 --> 0:22:56.359 really not enough time for you to you borderline, have 0:22:56.440 --> 0:22:59.119 to catch it and perfect it in you know, in 0:22:59.119 --> 0:23:04.359 a short amount of time, I would assume correct, Yeah, yeah, 0:23:04.440 --> 0:23:07.399 in real time. That's one of the reasons why uh 0:23:07.920 --> 0:23:10.199 so many people wanted us to do background because they 0:23:10.280 --> 0:23:13.280 knew that we were going to rehearse so much so 0:23:13.359 --> 0:23:15.280 that when we got in the studio, you know, time 0:23:15.359 --> 0:23:17.600 is money. We we would knock that stuff out just 0:23:17.760 --> 0:23:21.119 like that. That's why some some sometimes we would have 0:23:21.200 --> 0:23:24.480 two and three sessions a day because we were able to. 0:23:24.640 --> 0:23:28.400 We would rehearse and practice our parts for whoever, and 0:23:28.480 --> 0:23:30.440 to make sure that when we went in the studio 0:23:30.880 --> 0:23:32.639 bam bam bam, we could do it. And you know, 0:23:32.680 --> 0:23:34.919 back in the day, you're talking about eight tracks and 0:23:34.960 --> 0:23:37.440 you're talking about not being able to sing one little 0:23:37.480 --> 0:23:40.040 part and they fly it through the song. You had 0:23:40.080 --> 0:23:44.040 to sing that exact same way four and five, you know, 0:23:44.200 --> 0:23:47.400 three to double it and and uh so, And I 0:23:47.440 --> 0:23:50.560 think that's one of the reasons why the artists today, 0:23:50.680 --> 0:23:56.480 the today don't as far as live performances, they cannot 0:23:56.560 --> 0:23:59.600 do it like us that were trained to have to 0:23:59.640 --> 0:24:02.680 sing a song all the way through three and four 0:24:02.720 --> 0:24:05.800 different times to stack that harmony and sound the exact 0:24:05.920 --> 0:24:10.840 same way each time. Right, I agree, I agree with you. 0:24:11.040 --> 0:24:14.440 Curious who were your peers or I don't want the competitives, 0:24:14.480 --> 0:24:17.480 but who were the peers who if you can't get 0:24:17.520 --> 0:24:19.760 the Jones sisters, you know, we should call so and 0:24:19.800 --> 0:24:24.359 so the waters. That was it was and it was 0:24:24.480 --> 0:24:30.280 us in California for the longest. Yeah, that was it. Yep. Yeah, 0:24:30.359 --> 0:24:35.199 So what um I know you mentioned working under how 0:24:35.320 --> 0:24:38.879 those are Holland when you came to Los Angeles? What 0:24:39.080 --> 0:24:42.920 year was that we went to Los Angeles in nineteen 0:24:43.200 --> 0:24:49.360 seventy five? Yeah, by seventy five seventy six, that's when 0:24:49.400 --> 0:24:52.439