1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,040 Speaker 1: Quest Love Supreme is a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:13,480 Speaker 2: Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to another episode of Quest Love Supreme. 3 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:15,040 Speaker 1: I'm your host Quest Love Supreme. 4 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 2: With me, we have the strongest, the strongest team in 5 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:22,560 Speaker 2: the land, of course, Team Supreme. 6 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:25,440 Speaker 3: Are you walking on the moon right now, Sugar Steve? 7 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:29,200 Speaker 4: That's correct, Yes, the moon. 8 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 1: That's where you're at. Okay, you're walking on the moon. 9 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: We also gotta lie you with us. 10 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:36,080 Speaker 5: What up, Quest Love Supreme? How are you doing? I said, 11 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:37,319 Speaker 5: is this the name now? 12 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:39,280 Speaker 1: Oh? 13 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 5: Because she was like, welcome to Quest Love Supreme. I 14 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 5: am Quest Love Supreme. 15 00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 3: Yes you are, and you. 16 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 2: Are I I embodied theing tired. 17 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:51,120 Speaker 3: Sorry that's what it is. 18 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:57,400 Speaker 2: Sorry, Uh, I know he is working extremely hard. Future episodes. 19 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 2: We're getting ready for another round of in person episodes 20 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:03,400 Speaker 2: for the for course of Supreme. 21 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:07,119 Speaker 1: So you know, oh yeah, l a edition. Yes, it's 22 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:10,640 Speaker 1: going to be exciting. Fon tikeolo, what's going on? 23 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:10,920 Speaker 5: Man? 24 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:12,720 Speaker 1: New bombs on this? 25 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:13,080 Speaker 3: Man? 26 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:15,560 Speaker 6: I gotta say, yeah, man, thank you? 27 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:17,920 Speaker 1: Where did this come from? What you know? You gotta 28 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:18,760 Speaker 1: you gotta like me? 29 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:19,040 Speaker 6: Where? 30 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 3: Where where did this? 31 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:20,400 Speaker 6: Uh? 32 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:22,399 Speaker 1: The spark of an idea come from? 33 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 6: Who? 34 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:24,479 Speaker 7: And I you know, we've just been for the last 35 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:27,640 Speaker 7: couple of years, been working really hard, like on the documentary. 36 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:28,120 Speaker 6: Uh. 37 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:30,479 Speaker 7: And then also you know, playing a block party made 38 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:34,720 Speaker 7: in Durham, uh October seventh. But uh but nah man, 39 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:37,240 Speaker 7: we just I missed the chair, bro, I missed being 40 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 7: in the chair, I missed recording and so were just like, yo, 41 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:42,480 Speaker 7: let's just go cook up, like we just wanted to 42 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:44,200 Speaker 7: have some fun and just you know, let them go. 43 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 7: Those records they're out now. Wish me well, Glory Glory 44 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 7: is out on all platforms. But those records ain't even 45 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:52,120 Speaker 7: they ain't even three weeks o. Maybe a little over 46 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:54,200 Speaker 7: two weeks though, like they fresh fresh, we just. 47 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:57,360 Speaker 3: Finish Wow fresh fresh otter other all right, that's. 48 00:01:57,280 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 1: Just exciting to me. 49 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 7: That's more exciting and recording something and where for like 50 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 7: you know, however long making the year cycle to get it. 51 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 1: Nah, bro, cook it up, let it go. 52 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 2: That's what's up, yo. Today is going to be an 53 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 2: awesome episode. I will say that for the Wow six, 54 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:20,680 Speaker 2: for the last six decades, our Guests has literally been 55 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 2: the heartbeat of Jersey City's finest musical unit. Jersey City 56 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 2: is probably the most diverse unit they pretty much changed 57 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:38,600 Speaker 2: music numerous numerous times. Kind of going through a metamorphosis 58 00:02:38,639 --> 00:02:44,360 Speaker 2: period really not afforded to any artist, maybe close to 59 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 2: Miles Davis in terms of going through different phases. Of course, 60 00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:52,320 Speaker 2: you know their late sixties early seventies soul phase. 61 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:54,840 Speaker 1: And then we got the. 62 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:58,480 Speaker 2: Mid seventies funk phase and then exploding into the disco scene, 63 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 2: adjusting to it well enough to guard them a Grammy 64 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 2: Album of the Year, not for their participation in the 65 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:10,760 Speaker 2: inescapable Mammoth soundtrack for Saturday Night Fever and then riding 66 00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:14,680 Speaker 2: off successfully into the eighties with just an unprecedented streak 67 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 2: of really perfect dance pop classics. In my opinion, this 68 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:26,280 Speaker 2: unit known as Cool and the Gang is the dream 69 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:30,679 Speaker 2: as far as legacies can turn like, dabbling in many genres, 70 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:34,040 Speaker 2: and of course, with this being the hip hop's fiftieth 71 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 2: anniversary and our brother Lovlily known as Funky George being 72 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:45,120 Speaker 2: part of the unit that's probably the most sampled I 73 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 2: didn't realize that Coolnan Gang is the most sampled band 74 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 2: in hip hop. That's an honor, so that means that 75 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:54,760 Speaker 2: they also changed hip hop. What we have him here today. 76 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 2: We hope to go. 77 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 1: Through his history and his legacy. 78 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 2: The One and only Funky George, Funky George Brown of 79 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 2: Cool the Gang. 80 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to course, loves degree, How you doing. 81 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:07,400 Speaker 6: Nice to be here, quess. 82 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: Great to have you. 83 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:09,600 Speaker 3: Where are you talking to us right now? 84 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:10,520 Speaker 1: From where are you? 85 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:19,120 Speaker 6: Woodland Hills, California? The valley? Okay, you know Calabasa's Tasannah 86 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:21,120 Speaker 6: that area Woodland. 87 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:23,560 Speaker 2: Hills, so literally Hollywood Swing. And how how long have 88 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:24,640 Speaker 2: you been out there? 89 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:28,880 Speaker 6: I've been here thirty seven years? You know. My band 90 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 6: members would actually say when you're coming back home, when 91 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:33,400 Speaker 6: you're going back to Jersey, you know, So it was 92 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:37,640 Speaker 6: used to be a running joke. But love it out here. 93 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:42,560 Speaker 2: Right before the pandemic, we were privy to a series 94 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:50,840 Speaker 2: of animated shorts that basically told the story of the 95 00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:53,600 Speaker 2: band's origins and their very beginning before they got a 96 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:59,479 Speaker 2: record deal, these little animated minustitials, and to me that 97 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 2: was one of the most at least as as a 98 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 2: as a music head, that was one of the most 99 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 2: incredible things I've ever seen, because, you know, a lot 100 00:05:07,680 --> 00:05:10,440 Speaker 2: of the favorites that we grow up with really aren't 101 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:14,360 Speaker 2: afforded much information, especially for like groups in the seventies 102 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 2: and eighties, like you guys are given the fair level 103 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:20,520 Speaker 2: playing field of your you know, your your peers that 104 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:25,479 Speaker 2: get access to mainstream press. So I knew nothing about 105 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:27,960 Speaker 2: the history of the band. You guys were like rigorously 106 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:29,400 Speaker 2: honest about your beginnings. 107 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:30,760 Speaker 1: I didn't know that. 108 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:33,640 Speaker 2: You know, when we're talking about Cool in the gang, 109 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:36,640 Speaker 2: that Cool was like a leader of a gang. You know, 110 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:39,320 Speaker 2: most most most bands I know, starting church and all 111 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 2: that stuff. So well, first of all, where where were 112 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:44,160 Speaker 2: you born? I assume that is Jersey City. I don't know, 113 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 2: I could be wrong. Okay, that's where you were born, Yes, sir, 114 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:54,160 Speaker 2: so you were first generation Northeast family. Most most soul 115 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 2: acts I know come from the South and then they 116 00:05:57,279 --> 00:05:59,559 Speaker 2: migrate up north. But you were born in Jersey City, 117 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:02,919 Speaker 2: Jersey City, okay, So could you just give me a 118 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 2: description of what Jersey City was like for you in 119 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:10,919 Speaker 2: your childhood, at least for those formative years before you 120 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:13,400 Speaker 2: started discovering your talent. 121 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:16,159 Speaker 6: You know, we're going back one hundred and fifty years, 122 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:19,600 Speaker 6: you know, so it's kind of hard for me to remember. 123 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:25,359 Speaker 8: You know what you can't remember the blacksmith shorting Norse 124 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:29,800 Speaker 8: the shoes, right, right right, you know, and the guy's 125 00:06:29,839 --> 00:06:33,599 Speaker 8: pumping the water when it was a fire so long ago. 126 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 6: But Sugar, he's in jerseys He's in Steve Right. Hoboken. 127 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:45,840 Speaker 6: Jersey City and Hoboken were very alike at that time, 128 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 6: Jersey City being the second largest city in New Jersey, 129 00:06:50,279 --> 00:06:56,880 Speaker 6: it was a basically a working class town, quiet working 130 00:06:56,920 --> 00:06:58,600 Speaker 6: class town. I got. 131 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 2: I got to put more respect on it because I think, 132 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:03,800 Speaker 2: you know, I mean, I'm not a New Yorker, even 133 00:07:03,839 --> 00:07:07,560 Speaker 2: though I've been here long enough to kind of claim it. 134 00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:09,120 Speaker 2: I think I should be here for twenty years before 135 00:07:09,120 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 2: I say I'm a New Yorker. But you know, a 136 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:14,800 Speaker 2: lot of times, even as a Philadelphia, Jersey's just like 137 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 2: over there, you know, from New York, Jersey, Jersey's over there. 138 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:21,880 Speaker 6: The amount of talent that came out of Jersey City 139 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:25,920 Speaker 6: and New Jersey is a mind boggling. I mean, you 140 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:31,560 Speaker 6: got count Basie. It's just for one like Sonata, you know, 141 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:32,280 Speaker 6: so on. 142 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:37,200 Speaker 5: This is Jersey City, Jersey, This is just Jersey. 143 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:40,600 Speaker 6: But out of Jersey City too, you got people like 144 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:46,760 Speaker 6: Nick Adams, Brenda Ver, Carol Coolerni, Gang, Roy Hamilton. It 145 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 6: just goes on and on. 146 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:51,120 Speaker 3: Roy Hamilton, Roy Hamilton's don't let go Roy Hamilton. 147 00:07:51,200 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 1: Okay. 148 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:54,680 Speaker 6: Yeah. So there's a pluffer of talents that came out 149 00:07:54,680 --> 00:08:02,080 Speaker 6: of Jersey City, proper, the Duprees, the spell Buy okay, yeah, 150 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:06,800 Speaker 6: because you know I know those names and those you know, 151 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:10,160 Speaker 6: like if you if you count Duke by himself, I mean, 152 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:14,160 Speaker 6: we wouldn't be playing anything if it was not for 153 00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:18,760 Speaker 6: a Duke Ellington, you know. So it's it's amazing, no 154 00:08:18,960 --> 00:08:22,200 Speaker 6: fronk snosa. You know they came with it. 155 00:08:23,120 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 1: How old were you when you discovered your talent for 156 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:27,679 Speaker 1: the drums? 157 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:33,560 Speaker 6: I think it discovered me. It discovered me because you 158 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:37,559 Speaker 6: know I stop on the table with spoons and forks. 159 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:40,920 Speaker 6: You know, I just took it to the next level, 160 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:44,800 Speaker 6: just intuitively. I just took it and said, hey, you know, 161 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 6: let me go take some lessons. But mind you, we 162 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:53,800 Speaker 6: were so poor that we can only afford a couple 163 00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:57,440 Speaker 6: of lessons. That's three dollars a lesson. So there was 164 00:08:57,480 --> 00:09:02,720 Speaker 6: a gentleman named Joe to play behind the sirolls. I 165 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:06,920 Speaker 6: went to him up on Newark Avenue in Jersey City, 166 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:10,360 Speaker 6: and he like, sit down here, it's a practice pad. 167 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:15,520 Speaker 6: I take these sticks, show me something, and it wasn't 168 00:09:15,559 --> 00:09:18,960 Speaker 6: a massester standing grip, wasn't a match grip. And he said, hey, 169 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:24,000 Speaker 6: you're you're pretty much a natural. And second lesson three 170 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:28,600 Speaker 6: bucks and I got the Buddy Rich sixteen Sensor Rudiment 171 00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:32,120 Speaker 6: Book and took it from there and from that point 172 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:34,560 Speaker 6: on it you know, it was like by the time 173 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:38,480 Speaker 6: I reached to thirteen fourteen, I met Ronald Bell and 174 00:09:38,720 --> 00:09:42,080 Speaker 6: Robert Mickens and Ricky Westfield and we started the Jazz 175 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:46,439 Speaker 6: Birds because we're all deep into jazz at the time, 176 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:51,680 Speaker 6: which is a main foundation of cooling a gang. So 177 00:09:52,520 --> 00:09:57,440 Speaker 6: John Coltrane and Charlie Parker, Lee Morgan, a Buddy Rich, 178 00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:02,080 Speaker 6: you know, all the grace at that time. You know, 179 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 6: we were into and we'd sit and listen to all 180 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:08,120 Speaker 6: those jazz albums. 181 00:10:08,679 --> 00:10:11,520 Speaker 2: So at the time, though, and assuming that this is 182 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:16,880 Speaker 2: the early sixties or mid sixties, you know, were you 183 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:20,800 Speaker 2: aware of the pop landscape or the soul landscape? 184 00:10:21,160 --> 00:10:25,240 Speaker 6: We were totally aware of, you know, what was happening 185 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:31,320 Speaker 6: pop wise and what was happening jazz wise. Because we 186 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:35,320 Speaker 6: would do little shrawets and we'd have to play the 187 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:38,440 Speaker 6: music of the day. You know, nobody wanted to hear 188 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:43,440 Speaker 6: a bag's groove, who do lead? You know, blah blah dah. 189 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:45,760 Speaker 6: They didn't want to hear that. The kids. They wanted 190 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:50,720 Speaker 6: to hear the hunter gets captured by the games. Boom boom, boom, 191 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:54,960 Speaker 6: body bone, a lot of stuff. So we knew that too. 192 00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:57,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, I was going to say that, you know, for 193 00:10:57,320 --> 00:11:01,040 Speaker 2: our listeners that don't know that, you know, in the 194 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:05,800 Speaker 2: early period of jazz, which was more danceable, then this 195 00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:08,839 Speaker 2: virtuoso face starts where the music gets faster and it's 196 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:12,040 Speaker 2: more about the solos and kind of more about sit 197 00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:14,559 Speaker 2: down and watch us play as opposed to like us 198 00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:17,240 Speaker 2: being a wedding band or a jukebox per se. But 199 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:20,200 Speaker 2: you know, every one of my heroes and idols in 200 00:11:20,280 --> 00:11:24,280 Speaker 2: funk music that tells me about their beginnings in jazz. 201 00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:27,960 Speaker 2: Most of them sort of had a condescending attitude towards 202 00:11:28,640 --> 00:11:30,559 Speaker 2: soul and pop music. But I know that you guys 203 00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:34,640 Speaker 2: were younger, so you weren't like looking down on it 204 00:11:34,640 --> 00:11:37,720 Speaker 2: because you guys were teenagers. But I mean, how common 205 00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:41,599 Speaker 2: was it for and having heard like especially like the 206 00:11:41,679 --> 00:11:43,760 Speaker 2: jazz chops on the first two records, you guys were 207 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:47,720 Speaker 2: still teenagers. How common was it for teenagers to be 208 00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:53,440 Speaker 2: that to have that virtuoso level of musicianship during that 209 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:54,480 Speaker 2: time period. 210 00:11:54,559 --> 00:11:57,600 Speaker 6: The con words are being virtual. Also, it wasn't common 211 00:11:57,640 --> 00:12:04,080 Speaker 6: at all, you know. How. Also was that we played 212 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:09,840 Speaker 6: almost nightly, and Newark would play at the Blue Note 213 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:16,240 Speaker 6: and NewYork would play Tuesday through Sunday nine pm to 214 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:18,920 Speaker 6: two am. And what we were playing was all the 215 00:12:18,960 --> 00:12:24,160 Speaker 6: popular music at that time and behind different artists and 216 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:27,319 Speaker 6: Bay owned New Jersey pretty much the same. At the 217 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 6: Kenya Club, there are five six acts that we played 218 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:35,280 Speaker 6: behind each evening, so we would be getting our pop 219 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:40,120 Speaker 6: chart shopping and honing our skills and loving jazz and 220 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:44,080 Speaker 6: learning you know, the all the bebop scales and just 221 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:47,600 Speaker 6: hanging out that way. So that's how we grew working 222 00:12:47,679 --> 00:12:51,320 Speaker 6: the clubs nightly and go to school. 223 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:55,240 Speaker 2: What's the rehearsal process like, because again, you guys were 224 00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:59,720 Speaker 2: a tight unit and really intricate, which so I assume 225 00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:02,200 Speaker 2: that lot of rehearsal went behind that, Like, what's the 226 00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:03,280 Speaker 2: rehearsal schedules like? 227 00:13:03,800 --> 00:13:07,360 Speaker 6: Well, a rehearsal for the the the pop groups was 228 00:13:07,559 --> 00:13:10,040 Speaker 6: just you know, they come up, they don't want their 229 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:14,440 Speaker 6: music done a certain way. Uh, and basically really close 230 00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:18,320 Speaker 6: to the the record itself. So we pulled that off 231 00:13:18,720 --> 00:13:22,160 Speaker 6: and keep the arrangements exactly like they were from Motown 232 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:26,959 Speaker 6: or you know, or the Atlantic sound. Uh. For what 233 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:31,360 Speaker 6: we did as far as jazz was concerned, if we 234 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:34,440 Speaker 6: were going to play take five, we sit down and 235 00:13:34,920 --> 00:13:39,800 Speaker 6: go through it or Milt Jackson's bag's crew. The rehearsal 236 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:44,480 Speaker 6: process was easy flow. You know, Clease would take out 237 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 6: us on It's pretty ba bas be uh, you know, 238 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:53,080 Speaker 6: and in that process also we came up with our 239 00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:57,760 Speaker 6: own music. Okay, you know, but we would listen to 240 00:13:57,920 --> 00:14:03,880 Speaker 6: everyone on the scene, pop, jazz, funk, country, and uh. 241 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:07,679 Speaker 6: Rehearsals were easy. It's just we come in and say 242 00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:10,200 Speaker 6: let's do this, and we get at it and it's 243 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:10,640 Speaker 6: come out. 244 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:16,120 Speaker 2: You were such a large, sizeable unit. How are you 245 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:19,960 Speaker 2: guys managing like getting to gigs? Like we live in 246 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:22,840 Speaker 2: the era now where you know there's a thing called 247 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:26,480 Speaker 2: a rider and you know there there are companies that 248 00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:28,120 Speaker 2: you rent your equipment from. 249 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:30,320 Speaker 6: But them stock them on, pock them and stock them. 250 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:38,360 Speaker 6: Yeah yeah, I don't mean uh no, we are brought 251 00:14:38,400 --> 00:14:43,480 Speaker 6: in our own equipment, right, We've set it up, We've 252 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:47,920 Speaker 6: had our little rehearsal, you see, if everything was on 253 00:14:48,040 --> 00:14:53,400 Speaker 6: par as far as it working, and we have no 254 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:58,120 Speaker 6: no crew whatsoever. Uh. And even in the early days, 255 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:03,280 Speaker 6: the beginning, I think we had two guys, Donald Boyce 256 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:06,200 Speaker 6: who became the voice, the voice of Jungle Boogie. 257 00:15:06,560 --> 00:15:08,720 Speaker 3: Yeah, I was going to say, and. 258 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:12,400 Speaker 6: Bobby Simms and those two guys who were Riot, you know, 259 00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:17,800 Speaker 6: So that was it. I mean, you know, now it's 260 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:19,320 Speaker 6: a whole different bowl game. 261 00:15:20,600 --> 00:15:22,520 Speaker 5: He said, you were still in school during this time. 262 00:15:22,760 --> 00:15:25,640 Speaker 3: We were going to school, as in they were like 263 00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:26,480 Speaker 3: fifteen sixteen. 264 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:28,400 Speaker 6: We were going to school and working in the club. 265 00:15:28,440 --> 00:15:31,800 Speaker 5: Wow, that was what's your parents saying during this time? 266 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:33,720 Speaker 5: Were they just supported from the jumper? 267 00:15:33,800 --> 00:15:34,400 Speaker 3: How did that look? 268 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:37,160 Speaker 6: We had our parents, all of our parents were very 269 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:44,040 Speaker 6: close to each other, and it's just like a gut feeling. 270 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:46,840 Speaker 6: Like they had the gut feeling so did we. It 271 00:15:46,920 --> 00:15:50,560 Speaker 6: was just these all children are going to make it. 272 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:56,160 Speaker 6: And sure enough, I mean, of course, but we put 273 00:15:56,200 --> 00:16:00,520 Speaker 6: that time in and they allowed us to do that time. 274 00:16:00,640 --> 00:16:04,000 Speaker 6: I was also I was playing with other people up 275 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:08,560 Speaker 6: in the Catskills and you know, playing blues, you know, 276 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:11,680 Speaker 6: with other artists, and so I just learned I used 277 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:14,400 Speaker 6: to play with a guy named a gentleman named Duke 278 00:16:14,520 --> 00:16:19,160 Speaker 6: Washington all over New York City played tennisax He electrified 279 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:25,440 Speaker 6: tennis saxophone player, you know, and electrified elect saxophone. So 280 00:16:25,480 --> 00:16:31,800 Speaker 6: he would say listen, Papa when I played. But that 281 00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:34,600 Speaker 6: means all the band members come to the stage, you know, 282 00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:36,640 Speaker 6: because it's something that he's some of that era that 283 00:16:36,680 --> 00:16:39,480 Speaker 6: we just got fitished talking about, you know, the twelve 284 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:42,560 Speaker 6: years of big band and all that. You know, so 285 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:46,680 Speaker 6: you hear that, and me being young, I had to 286 00:16:46,720 --> 00:16:50,160 Speaker 6: stayed a dressing room or outside, and those cold New 287 00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:52,920 Speaker 6: York nights, I was sitting in the car. Yeah, it 288 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:57,920 Speaker 6: was tough, but I think that's how, you know, people 289 00:16:58,080 --> 00:17:06,480 Speaker 6: horn their skills and you really show the intense, the 290 00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:09,280 Speaker 6: intensity of the love that you have for the music. 291 00:17:10,080 --> 00:17:12,440 Speaker 6: Even today we speak of the music. 292 00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:21,320 Speaker 2: You know, how did you avoid the kind of gang 293 00:17:21,359 --> 00:17:25,399 Speaker 2: mentality that pretty much what it seems like according to 294 00:17:25,440 --> 00:17:30,880 Speaker 2: those uh those shorts that everyone but your band somehow 295 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:31,639 Speaker 2: didn't avoid. 296 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:38,359 Speaker 6: In the early stages, we were always rehearsing. The gangs 297 00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:43,400 Speaker 6: in the area. We avoided, we avoided, we were practicing, 298 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:49,960 Speaker 6: and myself, I've even had physical fights with some of 299 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:54,000 Speaker 6: the gang members who came out of Jamesburg in uh 300 00:17:54,359 --> 00:17:57,560 Speaker 6: the like you know, like they've called it the King 301 00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:01,119 Speaker 6: of Jamesburg and he's back in the school yard taking 302 00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:04,520 Speaker 6: over the schoolyard. You know, these like major gangs. But 303 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:09,040 Speaker 6: you see, in my life, I didn't care about anybody 304 00:18:09,119 --> 00:18:12,639 Speaker 6: being a gang member and if they stepped to me, 305 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:16,120 Speaker 6: I'm going to try to knock you out. And what 306 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:20,400 Speaker 6: happened was I got I can go in schoolyard and 307 00:18:20,440 --> 00:18:22,000 Speaker 6: nobody that touching me. 308 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:26,080 Speaker 5: This is before the martial arts entered your life. That's crazy. 309 00:18:26,119 --> 00:18:28,240 Speaker 6: Well, I'm a second degree black belt mortal. 310 00:18:28,119 --> 00:18:32,159 Speaker 5: Art second black belt. Yes, sir, retrospect. 311 00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:35,879 Speaker 6: Cools gang is uh the leader of the gang, I 312 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:40,439 Speaker 6: forgot his name, Eagle, and I came downtown and uh 313 00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:43,200 Speaker 6: we got into an altercation the same deal because I'm 314 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:48,240 Speaker 6: from the midtown, uh from bergen Lafield, Leftian. What I 315 00:18:48,359 --> 00:18:50,800 Speaker 6: what I did and cool tell the story. I took 316 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:53,480 Speaker 6: a bicycle and beat him with a bicycle. 317 00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:59,320 Speaker 1: That was it, Jesus Christ, the survival tactics done. 318 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:07,359 Speaker 6: That's you got it on you. No more bathering George Brown. 319 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:14,000 Speaker 2: Wow, that's a okay, I got the answer to that question. 320 00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:17,320 Speaker 2: I was expecting that one. 321 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:20,439 Speaker 5: I don't even know what a double black belt is, 322 00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:21,720 Speaker 5: but I'm I'm impressed. 323 00:19:22,119 --> 00:19:24,399 Speaker 7: At the same time, I don't find out either, So 324 00:19:24,640 --> 00:19:26,719 Speaker 7: you know, somebody with the bike, I don't think you're 325 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:27,640 Speaker 7: gonna have no problems. 326 00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:34,639 Speaker 2: How long was it before you guys solidified your deal 327 00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:37,040 Speaker 2: with Delight Records? 328 00:19:37,119 --> 00:19:40,480 Speaker 3: And if you can, I mean I've heard. 329 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:44,960 Speaker 2: A lot about uh, what's his name, Fred fred vicer Rodo, 330 00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:47,000 Speaker 2: the the president. 331 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:51,119 Speaker 6: Fred Faro game Figaro. 332 00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:57,040 Speaker 1: So once once overall, can you can you verifire? 333 00:19:57,240 --> 00:20:01,600 Speaker 6: Not if if they were the people you did not 334 00:20:01,720 --> 00:20:03,440 Speaker 6: play with if. 335 00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:05,399 Speaker 2: I want to know with names like that, and I 336 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:08,160 Speaker 2: don't want to play you know, Monolith or Stereotype. 337 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:12,320 Speaker 3: But were they you know? 338 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:17,000 Speaker 6: Actually they were very very sweet, good people because if 339 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:20,320 Speaker 6: they liked what you were doing, they gave some type 340 00:20:20,359 --> 00:20:24,960 Speaker 6: of reward for it. Uh, they made sure that things 341 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:28,919 Speaker 6: were safe. You can spend time in the studio developing, 342 00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:32,600 Speaker 6: and they heard it and saw it and knew the 343 00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:35,359 Speaker 6: degree of talent of the band. But it's just like 344 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:40,320 Speaker 6: the bicycle. They they were the bicycle, if you know 345 00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:44,120 Speaker 6: what I mean. Once we signed with them, they were 346 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:44,840 Speaker 6: the bicycle. 347 00:20:47,840 --> 00:20:51,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm gonna ask later about the the the origins 348 00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:53,800 Speaker 2: of jungle boogey they sort of figure out they will. 349 00:20:54,760 --> 00:20:57,320 Speaker 5: Oh no, I just wondered if they were the bicycle 350 00:20:57,400 --> 00:20:59,880 Speaker 5: in business too? Were they fair to you guys and. 351 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:01,600 Speaker 6: They were a bicycle in business as well? 352 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:07,159 Speaker 2: Okay, I'm only asking that because. 353 00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:11,760 Speaker 1: Robert tells this. 354 00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:15,880 Speaker 2: This crazy story of how how he puts it about 355 00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:21,560 Speaker 2: how you guys were quote unquote forced to come up 356 00:21:21,600 --> 00:21:23,720 Speaker 2: with jungle boogie sort of against your will. 357 00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:26,359 Speaker 6: Oh yeah, it was. It was like force. It was 358 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:32,000 Speaker 6: mental block time, mental block time for creative music. 359 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:36,680 Speaker 3: So are you telling me that your version of the story. 360 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:41,320 Speaker 6: Yeah, it's gonna it's gonna mess with his Okay. We 361 00:21:41,359 --> 00:21:47,680 Speaker 6: went up to the office of the attorney at the time. 362 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:52,920 Speaker 6: Today he's like the number one attorney for the entertainment 363 00:21:53,000 --> 00:22:00,840 Speaker 6: business in the world. I'm not going to mention his name, right, okay, So, uh, myself, 364 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:04,680 Speaker 6: Calise and Coole went up to see him, and I 365 00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:08,600 Speaker 6: can say what he said though. He said, listen, guys, 366 00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:12,800 Speaker 6: we need some effing hits. He said, I don't care 367 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:17,040 Speaker 6: how much genius you are and how many instruments you play, 368 00:22:17,480 --> 00:22:19,560 Speaker 6: And he looked at his watch was probably a Patack 369 00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:23,760 Speaker 6: Philip and said, my wife's waiting for me at the airport. Goodbye, 370 00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:29,560 Speaker 6: and he walked out. So Dennis went one way. Ronald 371 00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:32,840 Speaker 6: Cool and myself were walking together and said, we got 372 00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:36,560 Speaker 6: to come up with something. And sure enough, going to 373 00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:40,240 Speaker 6: Baggies is not that. I'm quite sure it's not that. 374 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:45,040 Speaker 6: Baggies a rehearsal steel in New York or it's like 375 00:22:45,080 --> 00:22:49,920 Speaker 6: the thirties on the West Side. And we started coming 376 00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:55,560 Speaker 6: up with this music. Hollywood Swinging was one where Ricky 377 00:22:55,560 --> 00:22:57,639 Speaker 6: Westfield came and he's had the idea. Then we were 378 00:22:57,640 --> 00:23:02,159 Speaker 6: over at Holloquin, which is our forty another hearsal studio 379 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:07,240 Speaker 6: like forty fifth Street upstairs over Howard Johnson's right, really 380 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:09,800 Speaker 6: cheap studio in Manhattan. 381 00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:12,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, where SR used to be. Okay, I said, I 382 00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:13,200 Speaker 3: know that. 383 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:18,640 Speaker 6: Is yeah, and we came up with jungle Boogie. We 384 00:23:18,640 --> 00:23:24,600 Speaker 6: were playing it police it was we had jungle something, 385 00:23:25,119 --> 00:23:27,760 Speaker 6: but it was Dennis Thomas that came in and when 386 00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:29,800 Speaker 6: you heard the track, we said we're calling it jungle 387 00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:33,160 Speaker 6: gym blah blah blah blah blah, and he said, no, man, 388 00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:38,160 Speaker 6: people are boogie in. Let's call it jungle boogie bingo, done, 389 00:23:39,119 --> 00:23:41,080 Speaker 6: wrapped up. That's the story. 390 00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:43,520 Speaker 3: Can you verify that? 391 00:23:43,960 --> 00:23:44,160 Speaker 6: Well? 392 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:48,360 Speaker 2: Kind of what Ronald told me was basically that that 393 00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:53,040 Speaker 2: the Heads of Delight were sort of like mesmerized by 394 00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:56,560 Speaker 2: you know what was slowly morphing into to New York 395 00:23:56,640 --> 00:24:03,000 Speaker 2: dance night culture. Yeah, and they heard soul Makosa, of 396 00:24:03,040 --> 00:24:05,480 Speaker 2: which you know, I guess either they acquired a copy 397 00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:08,520 Speaker 2: and was basically like, we won our version of this song, 398 00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:11,680 Speaker 2: and you guys were like, no, we were serious musicians. 399 00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:13,520 Speaker 1: We're not playing this mumbo jumble. 400 00:24:14,040 --> 00:24:19,439 Speaker 6: Absolutely no, we love so too. But okay, then we're 401 00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:22,720 Speaker 6: going to bring in other producers and Kalisa and I said, no, 402 00:24:22,800 --> 00:24:26,479 Speaker 6: they're not, and we went and did. We got funky 403 00:24:26,520 --> 00:24:28,520 Speaker 6: stuff out of it and all that day, so we 404 00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:31,919 Speaker 6: got Hollywood's Figle Juger book and funky stuff all in 405 00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:34,480 Speaker 6: one package. So you can't beat that. 406 00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:37,320 Speaker 5: Khalif Gamble was just telling me because he follows you 407 00:24:37,359 --> 00:24:41,119 Speaker 5: guys but video. He's a videographer, and he was saying 408 00:24:41,119 --> 00:24:43,879 Speaker 5: that the rooms that he's seen you guys change with 409 00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:48,080 Speaker 5: jungle boogie. I'm talking about the whitest, most southern like 410 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:51,439 Speaker 5: it just breaks. It's that's the one song that just 411 00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:52,320 Speaker 5: changes everything. 412 00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:58,680 Speaker 6: Yeah, it changes a lot. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 413 00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:00,520 Speaker 5: That's especially because it's called jungle boogie. I I think 414 00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:01,560 Speaker 5: the irony is. 415 00:25:02,359 --> 00:25:04,320 Speaker 3: Well, you know, it's primitive anxiety. 416 00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:08,399 Speaker 6: It's got jazz, it's got the ground rhythms that I 417 00:25:08,600 --> 00:25:11,439 Speaker 6: was playing and Cool was playing, and you know, and 418 00:25:11,480 --> 00:25:17,680 Speaker 6: you got that the horns playing contrary motion and you 419 00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:19,800 Speaker 6: gotta have to go to going down the other way. 420 00:25:20,720 --> 00:25:23,879 Speaker 6: You know, that's that's uh in jazz. But you had 421 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:26,200 Speaker 6: had a lot of classical music when the strings are 422 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:28,800 Speaker 6: going one way and then you hear the troubles going 423 00:25:28,840 --> 00:25:32,480 Speaker 6: down the whole different. It just opens it up, you know. 424 00:25:32,520 --> 00:25:38,200 Speaker 6: And then you got a guy going you know, which 425 00:25:38,320 --> 00:25:42,720 Speaker 6: was novel that also made the record what it was, 426 00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:45,919 Speaker 6: you know what it is still today. 427 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:50,320 Speaker 2: So can you also settle a question and dying to 428 00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:53,760 Speaker 2: ask you guys or someone from the organization? I mean, yeah, 429 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:57,240 Speaker 2: one could say that because all the albums were made 430 00:25:57,240 --> 00:26:00,879 Speaker 2: at the same studio. Of course they sound similar, but 431 00:26:02,359 --> 00:26:06,240 Speaker 2: were at least with that first album, the Keep on 432 00:26:06,359 --> 00:26:13,240 Speaker 2: Bumping album, Were you guys really the Cage's No, So 433 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:16,200 Speaker 2: the CAGs were their own self contained unit and. 434 00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:19,679 Speaker 6: Their own self contained unit. What happened was Calice was 435 00:26:19,720 --> 00:26:22,359 Speaker 6: producing them. So you're gonna get you're gonna get a 436 00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:25,440 Speaker 6: little that cool in the gang's sold. Uh with us. 437 00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:30,720 Speaker 6: We we've changed studios. We're at the House of Music 438 00:26:30,760 --> 00:26:35,320 Speaker 6: in Jersey. Uh. The first records were done across the 439 00:26:35,320 --> 00:26:38,560 Speaker 6: street from the studio fifty four. The Beatles recorded there, 440 00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:43,560 Speaker 6: Dion Warwick, burke back, everybody recorded there. Okay, so you 441 00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:47,840 Speaker 6: know we did mix studios. But keep on bumping. You 442 00:26:47,920 --> 00:26:51,320 Speaker 6: got to keep on bumping. Yeah, yeah, right, that was 443 00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:58,720 Speaker 6: all done by with a mere, a mere beyond a mere. Yeah. 444 00:26:59,200 --> 00:27:00,360 Speaker 1: Is he a bell as well? 445 00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:01,560 Speaker 3: Is he related to the bells? 446 00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:03,000 Speaker 6: They're brothers. 447 00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:07,359 Speaker 3: Yeah, we're all of you Muslim, are just the just 448 00:27:07,359 --> 00:27:10,680 Speaker 3: between Ronald and Ronald Cool. 449 00:27:11,160 --> 00:27:16,640 Speaker 6: A mirror Klader Smith? Well, we'll Muslim. 450 00:27:17,119 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 5: Uh. 451 00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:19,840 Speaker 6: But that that didn't get in the way when we 452 00:27:19,840 --> 00:27:23,680 Speaker 6: did our prayer circle at night, I mean before the concert. 453 00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:28,000 Speaker 6: Didn't matter if you were saying, you know, humdu Allah 454 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:31,480 Speaker 6: or prays God. It didn't matter, you know, because we 455 00:27:31,520 --> 00:27:35,240 Speaker 6: were going out to do the thing and make people happy, 456 00:27:36,040 --> 00:27:38,080 Speaker 6: and we all understand that God is God. 457 00:27:38,680 --> 00:27:41,040 Speaker 5: We should probably mention when we're talking about Ronald and 458 00:27:41,080 --> 00:27:49,760 Speaker 5: you call him Calice. The people who are watching and listening, well. 459 00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:53,480 Speaker 6: Back in the I call him both Colise, Ronald Ronald Bell, 460 00:27:54,240 --> 00:27:58,879 Speaker 6: you know Ronnie, you know. But all that faded away 461 00:27:58,880 --> 00:28:01,920 Speaker 6: when we got ready to pray and go ready, get 462 00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:05,960 Speaker 6: ready to get on stage. It didn't affect it didn't 463 00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:11,120 Speaker 6: affect who and what we were, because you know, Calice 464 00:28:11,119 --> 00:28:17,520 Speaker 6: and Cool and chall would develop psychologically enough to understand that, 465 00:28:18,320 --> 00:28:20,680 Speaker 6: you know, there's only one God, and God is God. 466 00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:24,480 Speaker 6: What we call them right water. 467 00:28:25,240 --> 00:28:29,119 Speaker 2: Marius White shares a story about three last days in 468 00:28:29,200 --> 00:28:31,840 Speaker 2: time earth wind Fire maybe pre head to the sky 469 00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:37,280 Speaker 2: earth wind Fire. You know, occasionally they would meet, like 470 00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:41,920 Speaker 2: in different audiences that weren't familiar with them and either 471 00:28:41,920 --> 00:28:46,160 Speaker 2: get a cold reception or you know, just get outright 472 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:49,680 Speaker 2: boot or whatnot. Marius White tells these stories of like 473 00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:54,560 Speaker 2: coming to Philadelphia and you know, literally getting the worst 474 00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:58,080 Speaker 2: treatment from the audiences. But are you guys meeting at 475 00:28:58,160 --> 00:29:02,040 Speaker 2: all like any sort of indifference or like, how are 476 00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:05,920 Speaker 2: you guys handling different territories that's outside of your tri 477 00:29:06,040 --> 00:29:08,360 Speaker 2: state area comfort zone. 478 00:29:08,640 --> 00:29:12,600 Speaker 6: Well, you know, at that point we were we would 479 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:20,280 Speaker 6: play what the music of that time, so it was 480 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:24,160 Speaker 6: accepted because we were playing what the people wanted to 481 00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:27,880 Speaker 6: hear in the VFW lodge that we're playing, you know, 482 00:29:28,480 --> 00:29:36,080 Speaker 6: or some high school homecoming. So we we we uh, 483 00:29:36,560 --> 00:29:38,560 Speaker 6: just like the old days, people say, look out, see 484 00:29:38,560 --> 00:29:40,960 Speaker 6: what the audience looks at, you know, and you know 485 00:29:41,080 --> 00:29:44,719 Speaker 6: exactly where to go. So we so that's what we uh, 486 00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:48,120 Speaker 6: that's what we did. You know, we played what they 487 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:53,000 Speaker 6: wanted to hear. We would enforce anything on the people. Uh, 488 00:29:53,240 --> 00:29:57,680 Speaker 6: you know, if it's God, if it's Temptations, or if 489 00:29:57,720 --> 00:30:01,520 Speaker 6: it was the the old they're gonna that's what they're 490 00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:06,280 Speaker 6: gonna get. Because we know, we know how to work 491 00:30:06,280 --> 00:30:09,360 Speaker 6: an audience. And that don't mean that in a derogative way. 492 00:30:09,920 --> 00:30:11,840 Speaker 6: And still today we know how to work an audience 493 00:30:12,320 --> 00:30:15,480 Speaker 6: because we go out. We look, you say, in a 494 00:30:15,560 --> 00:30:18,440 Speaker 6: robotic hey, take that out of there, take this song out. 495 00:30:18,520 --> 00:30:21,120 Speaker 6: Take this song the song because they will give a 496 00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:28,120 Speaker 6: lull right or working with an orchestra, then we'll say, 497 00:30:28,160 --> 00:30:33,080 Speaker 6: well let's put this in because it'll keep it it. 498 00:30:33,080 --> 00:30:41,000 Speaker 6: It gives it that feel, it gives it the tone, 499 00:30:41,720 --> 00:30:44,640 Speaker 6: it gives it the tone of where where we're coming from. 500 00:30:45,120 --> 00:30:50,080 Speaker 6: So we'll add something that's jazzy jazz er. Yeah, so 501 00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:54,000 Speaker 6: it's always been like that. The only time we got 502 00:30:54,040 --> 00:30:58,240 Speaker 6: like who these guys is we were in East Germany 503 00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:02,880 Speaker 6: and that the album, But it was all these dance 504 00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:07,160 Speaker 6: remixes and that's what they were hearing on radio. That's 505 00:31:07,200 --> 00:31:12,160 Speaker 6: what we got up to play. They were like, huh. 506 00:31:12,240 --> 00:31:13,959 Speaker 6: Then we used to the right the whole the dancers. 507 00:31:14,160 --> 00:31:17,400 Speaker 6: That was it, And so that's all awkward and bad. 508 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:22,000 Speaker 6: But I presume today the same people they've caught up. 509 00:31:22,240 --> 00:31:25,120 Speaker 6: But that was it. That was the only time full disclosure. 510 00:31:25,120 --> 00:31:27,240 Speaker 5: I'm gonna just speak for all the folks. Depending on 511 00:31:27,320 --> 00:31:30,080 Speaker 5: how old you are, you all you have a dummy 512 00:31:30,120 --> 00:31:32,760 Speaker 5: moment with cooling the game. I feel like people who 513 00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:36,720 Speaker 5: were maybe my generations, like eighties, eighties, nineties babies, it's 514 00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:40,680 Speaker 5: a moment when you heard somemmer madness and you were like, oh, so, 515 00:31:41,520 --> 00:31:42,800 Speaker 5: I mean, yeah, can. 516 00:31:42,760 --> 00:31:46,280 Speaker 6: I can I relate a story about someone? We had 517 00:31:46,320 --> 00:31:50,600 Speaker 6: a jungle boogie and of course I went up charts 518 00:31:50,640 --> 00:31:55,680 Speaker 6: and so we put our spirit of the boogie and 519 00:31:55,840 --> 00:32:01,000 Speaker 6: in summer, and I think we're in Illinois. So this 520 00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:03,880 Speaker 6: jockey turned it over because it was a B side. 521 00:32:04,280 --> 00:32:06,000 Speaker 6: There's the bat side of the spirit of the Boogie. 522 00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:10,680 Speaker 6: He turned it over and the rest is history. I mean, 523 00:32:10,840 --> 00:32:14,840 Speaker 6: we had two songs going up the charts together. That's unusual, 524 00:32:15,280 --> 00:32:17,480 Speaker 6: you know, go especially then, was. 525 00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:21,560 Speaker 1: This shocking that something that mellow kind of caught on? 526 00:32:22,080 --> 00:32:27,280 Speaker 6: Absolutely, we were like okay with the two chords, right, 527 00:32:27,360 --> 00:32:30,560 Speaker 6: it was shocking, the two chords and the wonderful Calisa's 528 00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:31,400 Speaker 6: wonderful solo. 529 00:32:31,920 --> 00:32:35,560 Speaker 2: I have another question about Summer Madness. Did you guys 530 00:32:35,800 --> 00:32:40,560 Speaker 2: feel any sort of way about Bill Conti's score of 531 00:32:40,640 --> 00:32:45,160 Speaker 2: Rocky because there is there's a song on that soundtrack 532 00:32:45,200 --> 00:32:51,120 Speaker 2: called Reflections, which is is damn near a summer madness. Well, 533 00:32:51,280 --> 00:32:55,120 Speaker 2: I believe in the movie he runs and works out 534 00:32:55,200 --> 00:32:59,240 Speaker 2: the summer madness, but when you buy the soundtrack he does, right, 535 00:32:59,280 --> 00:33:03,280 Speaker 2: But when you buy the soundtrack, there's a song called Reflections, 536 00:33:03,280 --> 00:33:06,680 Speaker 2: which is basically summer madness just half a chord off. 537 00:33:06,800 --> 00:33:09,520 Speaker 2: Like the way the way that we write songs that 538 00:33:09,560 --> 00:33:13,240 Speaker 2: It's Tonight Show, or the way that I believe that 539 00:33:13,280 --> 00:33:16,080 Speaker 2: the Barcads wrote their songs was basically, put a song 540 00:33:16,120 --> 00:33:19,160 Speaker 2: on and get it derivative, just like that song, and 541 00:33:19,400 --> 00:33:21,880 Speaker 2: change one little part so that you don't get sued 542 00:33:21,960 --> 00:33:25,280 Speaker 2: or whatever but it's it's so do. 543 00:33:25,760 --> 00:33:28,240 Speaker 6: The balcas are like that, but you're talking about what 544 00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:31,880 Speaker 6: goes to his room he puts on that little single, right, 545 00:33:32,280 --> 00:33:36,080 Speaker 6: this is you know, somemmer madness. You know, But but. 546 00:33:36,120 --> 00:33:38,520 Speaker 2: Did you guys feel so a way like we're even 547 00:33:38,520 --> 00:33:41,920 Speaker 2: aware that Bill Conti had made his version of summer 548 00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:43,800 Speaker 2: madness on that rocky soundcheck at all? 549 00:33:44,320 --> 00:33:46,560 Speaker 6: You know, I don't think we were aware of. But 550 00:33:47,400 --> 00:33:50,800 Speaker 6: we cool on a gang. There's always been this real 551 00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:55,760 Speaker 6: high spiritual group and we really are. And if somebody 552 00:33:55,840 --> 00:33:59,840 Speaker 6: does something, we don't say, we don't get lit just 553 00:34:00,240 --> 00:34:03,160 Speaker 6: and say, okay, we're going to sue this person. As 554 00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:08,160 Speaker 6: the years I've gone by, we've been rewarded and awarded 555 00:34:09,040 --> 00:34:13,719 Speaker 6: with so many different we haven't gotten Oscar yet, but 556 00:34:14,040 --> 00:34:15,960 Speaker 6: I know that that that's coming, and the Hall of 557 00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:19,200 Speaker 6: Fame is coming, and so will the Kennedy Awards and 558 00:34:19,719 --> 00:34:25,160 Speaker 6: the what is it Rogers and Hammerstein or one of those. 559 00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:30,239 Speaker 6: It's coming. It is, so we don't we've We've never 560 00:34:30,280 --> 00:34:34,040 Speaker 6: been the type to excuse my friends the bitch that 561 00:34:34,080 --> 00:34:36,360 Speaker 6: we didn't have this and this one got that. We 562 00:34:36,520 --> 00:34:39,879 Speaker 6: just move on, let's write some music, and it's it's 563 00:34:39,880 --> 00:34:41,160 Speaker 6: still it's still like that. 564 00:34:46,360 --> 00:34:47,480 Speaker 3: I always wanted to know. 565 00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:51,560 Speaker 2: At least the first three records were produced by Gene 566 00:34:51,680 --> 00:34:56,080 Speaker 2: rad I assume that Gene was a house producer of Motown, 567 00:34:57,040 --> 00:35:00,120 Speaker 2: Okay of Motown, and he came over to the the 568 00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:04,000 Speaker 2: light later. What was what was Gene like as a producer, 569 00:35:04,080 --> 00:35:07,239 Speaker 2: because later you guys started producing yourselves, But what were 570 00:35:07,320 --> 00:35:08,799 Speaker 2: those first initial years like. 571 00:35:10,440 --> 00:35:15,799 Speaker 6: Gene was a bona fide genius. Down down to the 572 00:35:15,840 --> 00:35:21,080 Speaker 6: sound of the band and bell sound. That's where we recorded. 573 00:35:21,640 --> 00:35:25,880 Speaker 6: That was the studio. That's where everybody recorded the Beatles 574 00:35:26,440 --> 00:35:28,840 Speaker 6: at that time. And back then the studios were so 575 00:35:29,040 --> 00:35:32,640 Speaker 6: stark looking. Today's studios are groovy with the light. But 576 00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:36,160 Speaker 6: we the board then had the big pan pots, you know. 577 00:35:37,560 --> 00:35:43,319 Speaker 6: But Jeene played piano. His father played for Coody Williams, 578 00:35:43,520 --> 00:35:47,279 Speaker 6: so he did a big great musical background. Gene was 579 00:35:47,360 --> 00:35:52,680 Speaker 6: the producer on Cool Jerk really Oh yeah, he produced 580 00:35:53,160 --> 00:35:56,600 Speaker 6: and had written a number of things. Him and George Clinton. 581 00:35:57,160 --> 00:36:00,480 Speaker 6: George Clinton came out of Motown as well. There were 582 00:36:00,480 --> 00:36:01,480 Speaker 6: more tone writers. 583 00:36:02,080 --> 00:36:05,640 Speaker 2: I'm just finding out that he's also father of Penny 584 00:36:05,640 --> 00:36:11,560 Speaker 2: Ford of Snap and Sharon Red. Yeah, yeah, yeah, well 585 00:36:11,600 --> 00:36:13,640 Speaker 2: I know that Sharon Red and Penny Ford are our 586 00:36:14,239 --> 00:36:16,480 Speaker 2: sisters are half sisters or that sort of thing. 587 00:36:16,560 --> 00:36:19,400 Speaker 6: So, and Sharon was an actress big time. She was 588 00:36:19,400 --> 00:36:23,160 Speaker 6: in here back in the day, you know, Regina was. 589 00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:30,320 Speaker 6: He wanted a new sound and we had that jazzy sound. Uh, 590 00:36:30,360 --> 00:36:34,520 Speaker 6: and we'd go at rehearsal. He'd go and manipulate the amps, 591 00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:38,360 Speaker 6: you know, you know, the right the tones and things 592 00:36:38,600 --> 00:36:42,000 Speaker 6: how it should sound. And uh, even with me, even 593 00:36:42,040 --> 00:36:45,520 Speaker 6: some of the breaks, he would saying, Now, George, it 594 00:36:45,640 --> 00:36:48,839 Speaker 6: is simple. You could He went, prop, w do that's 595 00:36:48,880 --> 00:36:51,319 Speaker 6: all I want there, and leve it alone. Get the 596 00:36:51,360 --> 00:36:55,319 Speaker 6: floor top prop you get the floor Tom resonating. And 597 00:36:56,160 --> 00:37:00,399 Speaker 6: he came up with the idea before the Jackson's when 598 00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:05,200 Speaker 6: it was a program was Alison. It was Soul Okay, 599 00:37:05,600 --> 00:37:09,160 Speaker 6: one of the early black programs, and he had us, 600 00:37:10,200 --> 00:37:13,480 Speaker 6: he had the filters. I guess you can call it 601 00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:19,600 Speaker 6: of calling a Gangs Sunday cartoon show back then. Really 602 00:37:20,280 --> 00:37:24,680 Speaker 6: really it's a b Yeah. Back then I think this 603 00:37:24,800 --> 00:37:27,640 Speaker 6: show was called soul Okay. Yeah. 604 00:37:27,680 --> 00:37:28,759 Speaker 1: Wow, I never knew that. 605 00:37:28,960 --> 00:37:32,040 Speaker 6: In black and white and all that all that good stuff, right. 606 00:37:32,280 --> 00:37:34,600 Speaker 6: It was. The stage was so small they had to 607 00:37:34,600 --> 00:37:35,560 Speaker 6: put me on the side. 608 00:37:38,160 --> 00:37:39,720 Speaker 2: You know, as I said at the top of the show, 609 00:37:40,520 --> 00:37:43,800 Speaker 2: what's really notable about you guys is the metamorphosis of 610 00:37:43,840 --> 00:37:47,799 Speaker 2: the group, you know, starting off jazz, adding more soul 611 00:37:47,920 --> 00:37:51,560 Speaker 2: to it, and then you know, and to this day, 612 00:37:51,760 --> 00:37:55,200 Speaker 2: like as as a soul trained historian, I credit uh, 613 00:37:56,280 --> 00:38:01,240 Speaker 2: you Guys's second appearance on Soul Train as a pivotal 614 00:38:01,239 --> 00:38:05,719 Speaker 2: moment of that show. It's the moment where even Don 615 00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:09,800 Speaker 2: Cornelius admits to you guys that he never heard Jungle Bookie. 616 00:38:09,840 --> 00:38:12,360 Speaker 2: Like he basically said that, you know, he got the 617 00:38:12,400 --> 00:38:16,240 Speaker 2: forty five the day before and he heard funky stuff 618 00:38:16,280 --> 00:38:18,640 Speaker 2: and thought that nothing ever is going to top funky stuff. 619 00:38:18,640 --> 00:38:20,360 Speaker 2: So I don't need to listen to the B side, 620 00:38:21,239 --> 00:38:25,399 Speaker 2: and you guys do Jungle Bookie. And I noticed, as 621 00:38:25,400 --> 00:38:28,440 Speaker 2: someone who's studied every episode of that show, you know, 622 00:38:28,520 --> 00:38:31,440 Speaker 2: the first three and a half years of that show 623 00:38:31,719 --> 00:38:35,560 Speaker 2: was really sort of riding off the cotails of Don's 624 00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:38,360 Speaker 2: connects in Chicago and you know, the middle of America. 625 00:38:38,440 --> 00:38:42,080 Speaker 2: So like a lot of Curtis, a lot of you know, 626 00:38:42,239 --> 00:38:47,080 Speaker 2: like Chicago era groups, some of them like older And 627 00:38:47,719 --> 00:38:49,759 Speaker 2: what makes it notable when you guys come on the 628 00:38:49,760 --> 00:38:54,399 Speaker 2: show the second time and you do funky stuff and 629 00:38:54,480 --> 00:38:55,720 Speaker 2: you do jungle Bookie. 630 00:38:57,080 --> 00:38:59,000 Speaker 1: It's as if the kids. 631 00:39:00,120 --> 00:39:03,360 Speaker 2: Only see themselves because there's a group that's their age 632 00:39:03,440 --> 00:39:07,000 Speaker 2: or younger than them playing a different type of music 633 00:39:07,040 --> 00:39:10,719 Speaker 2: that's not really based on motown or based on James Brown. 634 00:39:10,800 --> 00:39:13,960 Speaker 2: It's like it's it's clearly like a marking of new 635 00:39:14,080 --> 00:39:16,879 Speaker 2: territory and then introduction of funk and the way they're 636 00:39:16,960 --> 00:39:20,560 Speaker 2: dancing is like their life depends on it. Like I 637 00:39:20,640 --> 00:39:22,840 Speaker 2: wish I had a song to compare it to now, 638 00:39:22,920 --> 00:39:24,719 Speaker 2: Like if you put the song on the moment now 639 00:39:24,760 --> 00:39:29,040 Speaker 2: and the audience just goes crazy. But what is it 640 00:39:29,200 --> 00:39:33,680 Speaker 2: like or how jarring is it to adjust to different genres, 641 00:39:33,719 --> 00:39:38,640 Speaker 2: because you know, jumping from funk to disco was such 642 00:39:38,640 --> 00:39:41,880 Speaker 2: a hard adjustment, and you guys caught a lot of flack, 643 00:39:42,680 --> 00:39:45,239 Speaker 2: Like I was raised by uncles that was like, well 644 00:39:45,280 --> 00:39:47,520 Speaker 2: I remember my Ara Cool mccan, you know whatever, So 645 00:39:48,120 --> 00:39:51,400 Speaker 2: can you can you talk about what it's like to 646 00:39:52,520 --> 00:39:56,080 Speaker 2: either sink or swim in a time period in which 647 00:39:56,080 --> 00:39:59,880 Speaker 2: a lot of your contemporaries are not trying to swim 648 00:40:00,120 --> 00:40:02,560 Speaker 2: and they're sinking and you guys are like, nope, we 649 00:40:02,640 --> 00:40:04,680 Speaker 2: got to go on and move. So can you talk 650 00:40:04,719 --> 00:40:09,200 Speaker 2: about the period at least that everybody's dancing right before 651 00:40:09,280 --> 00:40:11,799 Speaker 2: celebration at disco period you guys have to go through. 652 00:40:12,840 --> 00:40:17,880 Speaker 6: Well, we've always been eclectic. You listen to the music 653 00:40:18,520 --> 00:40:23,719 Speaker 6: and it's thread over the years. You say, well, they're 654 00:40:23,760 --> 00:40:27,520 Speaker 6: not following the scheme of what most artists do. This 655 00:40:27,719 --> 00:40:30,439 Speaker 6: is the albums all sound the same. Everything sounds the same. 656 00:40:32,040 --> 00:40:35,000 Speaker 6: We were in London, Coalise and I and we had 657 00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:38,799 Speaker 6: an interview and he said, you guys got Cajon's and 658 00:40:38,840 --> 00:40:41,040 Speaker 6: we said, what are you talking about? He said, you 659 00:40:41,120 --> 00:40:44,440 Speaker 6: don't stay in one niche. You're like, you do this, 660 00:40:44,600 --> 00:40:48,399 Speaker 6: you do that, and he said most artists they want 661 00:40:48,400 --> 00:40:51,120 Speaker 6: to save their careers and they're staying at one niche. 662 00:40:51,640 --> 00:40:56,640 Speaker 6: We've always played what we felt like playing. We wrote 663 00:40:56,719 --> 00:41:02,880 Speaker 6: what we felt like writing. So in those trends transitional periods, 664 00:41:02,480 --> 00:41:06,680 Speaker 6: it didn't affect us. It maybe affected the Light records 665 00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:10,399 Speaker 6: because the sales weren't there, but it didn't affect us 666 00:41:10,440 --> 00:41:13,880 Speaker 6: and regards to because we weren't making that much money anyway. 667 00:41:14,080 --> 00:41:18,400 Speaker 6: But so we just were on the down in the 668 00:41:18,440 --> 00:41:21,840 Speaker 6: trenches trying to make it work and putting things together. 669 00:41:21,880 --> 00:41:27,000 Speaker 6: But we've always written different styles of music, so coming 670 00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:32,359 Speaker 6: from that stole R and b Era. It didn't affect us. 671 00:41:34,280 --> 00:41:38,640 Speaker 6: You know. We got JT, pulled him along and just 672 00:41:39,040 --> 00:41:44,160 Speaker 6: started writing songs for a vocalist and bingo, it worked. 673 00:41:46,160 --> 00:41:49,120 Speaker 4: Hey, Quest Love Supreme listeners, this is Sugar Steve. We 674 00:41:49,160 --> 00:41:51,520 Speaker 4: don't like to do this, but we're stopping the episode 675 00:41:51,640 --> 00:41:54,200 Speaker 4: right there. Please come back next week. We'll look in 676 00:41:54,280 --> 00:41:56,920 Speaker 4: your podcast for you. From part two of our interview 677 00:41:57,000 --> 00:42:00,840 Speaker 4: with Funky George Brown of Clearly. In part two, he 678 00:42:00,920 --> 00:42:03,000 Speaker 4: talks about some of the band's hits in the eighties, 679 00:42:03,239 --> 00:42:05,960 Speaker 4: his new memoir Cooling the Gang in Me, and much 680 00:42:06,080 --> 00:42:08,839 Speaker 4: much more. Oh and make sure you check out Cool 681 00:42:08,880 --> 00:42:11,160 Speaker 4: the Gang You album People Just want to have Fun. 682 00:42:11,360 --> 00:42:15,040 Speaker 4: It's made by George and another QLs guest, Ronald cool Bell, 683 00:42:15,320 --> 00:42:17,680 Speaker 4: with the rest of the gang. See you next time. 684 00:42:21,760 --> 00:42:29,560 Speaker 1: Quest Loove Supreme is a production of iHeartRadio. For more 685 00:42:29,600 --> 00:42:34,120 Speaker 1: podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 686 00:42:34,120 --> 00:42:36,120 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.