WEBVTT - QLS Classic: Charlie Wilson 0:00:00.400 --> 0:00:00.720 Of course. 0:00:00.800 --> 0:00:04.640 Love Supreme is a production of iHeartRadio. This classic episode 0:00:04.840 --> 0:00:07.640 was produced by the team at Pandora. 0:00:08.920 --> 0:00:10.000 Yo Yo Yo. What's up, y'all? 0:00:10.039 --> 0:00:15.080 This is Fonte Fontigelo here with this week's QLs classic. 0:00:15.400 --> 0:00:17.200 This week we talked to the. 0:00:17.000 --> 0:00:22.239 Man, Uncle Charlie, the Legend Charlie Wilson, singer, songwriter, lead 0:00:22.320 --> 0:00:25.720 vocalist for the Gap Band. Uncle Charlie Wilson talks about 0:00:25.760 --> 0:00:29.760 signing the snoop, showing Michael Jackson the moonwalk in other ways, 0:00:29.800 --> 0:00:31.760 his work has influenced. 0:00:31.360 --> 0:00:33.760 Music and pop culture with the shop do We Do 0:00:33.800 --> 0:00:34.599 We Let's Go. 0:00:34.920 --> 0:00:39.600 This one was originally released seven nineteen, This week July nineteenth, 0:00:39.840 --> 0:00:40.800 twenty seventeen. 0:00:41.040 --> 0:00:44.479 Long time ago, but still just as good. Charlie Wilson. Y'all, 0:00:44.600 --> 0:00:46.600 q LES Classic Fonte Loo Right. 0:00:46.680 --> 0:00:58.160 This Suprema Suh suh, Supremo roll called Suprema suck Suck 0:00:58.400 --> 0:00:59.440 Supremo role. 0:01:07.800 --> 0:01:12.520 What's the funkiest letter? Yeah a B yeah see her 0:01:12.680 --> 0:01:23.080 d Yeah, No, no, it's Supremo roll. 0:01:23.640 --> 0:01:27.399 My name is Fante. Yeah, it ain't no other. Yeah. 0:01:27.640 --> 0:01:30.640 I'm looking for my Wednesday lover. 0:01:34.120 --> 0:01:38.640 Supremo roll, Supremo. 0:01:39.560 --> 0:01:43.760 My name is Sugar. I don't take no crap. I 0:01:43.840 --> 0:01:46.479 listened to the Gap band and I shop at the. 0:01:46.440 --> 0:01:54.600 Gap Agreement Supremo. 0:01:55.520 --> 0:01:59.880 If you were wondering what was that sound, It's just 0:02:00.040 --> 0:02:06.760 Boss Bill Yeah, humping around so so disgusting. 0:02:06.880 --> 0:02:11.800 Oh, Suprema Son Son Supremo Rome. 0:02:12.919 --> 0:02:14.360 Yeah, and I'm coming out. 0:02:14.919 --> 0:02:15.320 Yeah. 0:02:15.720 --> 0:02:18.800 Uncle Charlie makes me. Why shout. 0:02:21.480 --> 0:02:26.559 So Supremo. Roll call Suprema Son Son Supremo. 0:02:26.720 --> 0:02:31.320 Roll My name is Charlie, Yeah, last name Wilson. Yeah, 0:02:31.720 --> 0:02:34.839 that's no other. Yeah, let's burn some anb. 0:02:37.000 --> 0:02:42.960 Son Son Supremo. Roll call Suprema Son Son Supremo. Roll 0:02:43.160 --> 0:02:45.160 Call Suprema. 0:02:44.880 --> 0:02:50.440 Son Son Supremo. Roll Call Suprema Son Son Supremo. 0:02:50.639 --> 0:02:55.440 Roll all right. I just want you'll know from the 0:02:55.480 --> 0:03:00.880 top that l threatened us if we use weed and 0:03:00.880 --> 0:03:04.280 in our roll call, Ladies and gentlemen, this is another 0:03:04.400 --> 0:03:09.320 special educational extravaganza episode of Quest Love Supreme. I am 0:03:09.360 --> 0:03:12.720 your host Quest Love Jenkins uh and today I got 0:03:12.720 --> 0:03:17.520 Team Supreme with me. We got a Fonte Cool Calculac Evans, 0:03:18.040 --> 0:03:20.200 a Fonticicelo in the house. 0:03:21.080 --> 0:03:24.359 We have the mic Master Steve Funk you up. Frasier 0:03:24.480 --> 0:03:29.200 aka Sugar Steve Hey sugar Steve. That's right, That's that's you. 0:03:29.320 --> 0:03:30.160 Now, I'll take it. 0:03:30.680 --> 0:03:33.320 We can't forget a boss man over here. He's a 0:03:34.160 --> 0:03:39.680 William Knuckles, Samwich Carter AKA, and last but not least, 0:03:39.680 --> 0:03:43.320 we got the very lovely like Margaret AKA Clyde. 0:03:45.680 --> 0:03:46.680 Rounding out the team. 0:03:47.920 --> 0:03:52.680 Are our guest today, I will say, is simply without peer, 0:03:53.320 --> 0:03:57.920 Ladies and gentlemen, Uh, no words will really ever describe uh, 0:03:58.680 --> 0:04:03.080 the magic that exhumes from this man's voice anytime he sings. 0:04:03.160 --> 0:04:03.640 He's Uh. 0:04:04.520 --> 0:04:08.960 He's basically the six star General of vocalization of his 0:04:09.040 --> 0:04:10.680 generation of A. 0:04:11.960 --> 0:04:12.680 Yeah, yeah he is. 0:04:13.880 --> 0:04:17.680 You know, he's literally inspired and you know he has 0:04:18.040 --> 0:04:20.040 R and B children all over the map, on and 0:04:20.120 --> 0:04:23.840 off the books. You name them from Aaron Hall, r Kelly, 0:04:24.200 --> 0:04:29.000 Wynie Marsh the Boys to men genu Wine uh h town, Yes, 0:04:29.560 --> 0:04:33.000 just name them literally, Uh, these are his children. He's 0:04:33.000 --> 0:04:35.479 the one time member of one of the baddest funk 0:04:35.560 --> 0:04:39.280 bands ever of the seventies and the eighties, the Gap Band. 0:04:39.520 --> 0:04:39.719 Uh. 0:04:39.839 --> 0:04:44.599 He's still criminally under praised. Uh, still operating now better 0:04:44.680 --> 0:04:49.240 than ever. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the greatest Charlie 0:04:49.440 --> 0:04:50.520 Uncle Charlie Wilson. 0:04:52.360 --> 0:04:56.040 Wow, man, I've. 0:04:55.920 --> 0:04:59.200 Been waiting for this moment. I don't know if it 0:04:59.200 --> 0:05:02.000 feels like every episode. Of course, he was gonna start with, 0:05:02.279 --> 0:05:04.720 I've been waiting for this moment, Yo, not for real, 0:05:04.839 --> 0:05:07.640 I mean, but thank thank you for coming on the show. 0:05:08.279 --> 0:05:10.480 I'm going to ask you the one question I'm certain 0:05:10.520 --> 0:05:15.160 that you've been tired of answering your whole career, which is, 0:05:15.760 --> 0:05:21.800 how in the world is Tulsa, Oklahoma home to one 0:05:21.800 --> 0:05:24.839 of the funkiest people of all time. 0:05:26.480 --> 0:05:29.279 I grew up That's where I was born, in Oklahoma City, 0:05:29.320 --> 0:05:31.599 and I think, oh, I thought it was Tulsa. It 0:05:31.640 --> 0:05:35.760 was Oklahoma City, which is eighty miles away. My mom. 0:05:35.760 --> 0:05:38.719 We were just over visiting my grandmother, her mom, and 0:05:38.760 --> 0:05:41.560 then I just she just actually just delivered right there 0:05:41.560 --> 0:05:43.560 in Oklahoma City and we ended up going back to 0:05:43.680 --> 0:05:46.080 the next day. You just cleaned it off, yeah, man, So, 0:05:46.240 --> 0:05:49.840 I mean I went to school and Tulsa, Oklahoma from 0:05:49.880 --> 0:05:53.919 from kindergarten all the way and to high school and 0:05:53.920 --> 0:05:56.120 then went from there to Linkston. But but Tulsa's where 0:05:56.120 --> 0:05:57.479 I grew up, and I went to school there, and 0:05:57.480 --> 0:05:57.960 it's great. 0:05:58.320 --> 0:06:02.600 How well the history that I know of Oklahoma, especially 0:06:02.680 --> 0:06:06.640 the history of black people in Oklahoma from the Black 0:06:06.680 --> 0:06:11.640 Wall Street period to even now, Like Oklahoma is one 0:06:11.680 --> 0:06:15.480 of the states that I don't necessarily think of black folk. 0:06:17.400 --> 0:06:17.680 Being in. 0:06:17.800 --> 0:06:20.560 I mean, maybe I'm ignorant of that fact, but I mean, 0:06:21.080 --> 0:06:25.719 was there a high black population even despite the clan 0:06:25.839 --> 0:06:30.760 presence of the Jim Crow area? And was there a 0:06:30.800 --> 0:06:33.640 high presence of that? Like how did you even manage to? 0:06:33.960 --> 0:06:38.599 Oh? We had? Was the N word was used quite 0:06:39.160 --> 0:06:43.680 easily there. I was growing up little boy. You couldn't 0:06:43.720 --> 0:06:52.239 go in I remember this, running into Woolworths. We pulled 0:06:52.320 --> 0:06:54.279 up on the side and I just opened up the 0:06:54.279 --> 0:06:58.040 door because the milksheck stand was like you know, the 0:06:58.080 --> 0:06:59.680 ice cream stand, which you could see it through the 0:06:59.800 --> 0:07:03.040 room the door. So I just jumped out and ran 0:07:03.080 --> 0:07:04.280 before we can get out, and they was like, don't 0:07:04.279 --> 0:07:05.880 go in that door because we had our own interest. 0:07:05.920 --> 0:07:09.680 He's supposed to go in the negro entrance. And so 0:07:10.760 --> 0:07:13.040 my dad pulls up so he didn't. We could just 0:07:13.080 --> 0:07:15.160 get out so we could go around there, but he couldn't. 0:07:15.200 --> 0:07:17.240 That's the one way street, so he couldn't turn to 0:07:17.280 --> 0:07:19.840 the right. So we got out and I just ran 0:07:19.880 --> 0:07:22.600 through that door, the first door I seen, because the 0:07:22.640 --> 0:07:26.880 ice cream stand is there, you know. So when I 0:07:26.920 --> 0:07:28.280 got out, I just ran the door and they were 0:07:28.320 --> 0:07:30.000 screaming out to me not to go in there, but 0:07:30.040 --> 0:07:33.480 I just ran and jumped up on the stool that 0:07:33.560 --> 0:07:36.160 spins around, and I was spinning around, and the white 0:07:36.160 --> 0:07:39.040 guy had his little white hat, white uniform. And by 0:07:39.080 --> 0:07:40.760 the time my mom and then got around to the 0:07:40.800 --> 0:07:42.880 other door and they was coming to new it was 0:07:42.920 --> 0:07:45.000 gonna be something because I went in the wrong door. 0:07:45.480 --> 0:07:50.200 So they was running and man, that that man, I 0:07:50.240 --> 0:07:53.080 think he had his hand back and my mama was screaming, 0:07:53.120 --> 0:07:55.080 don't you do it. And I remember when I looked back, 0:07:55.400 --> 0:07:58.800 they was running. She was dropping purse and everything. And 0:07:58.880 --> 0:08:01.160 my dad said, you'll draw back, nub and so he was. 0:08:01.200 --> 0:08:02.560 They was. He was getting ready to hit me, call 0:08:02.600 --> 0:08:05.560 me a little the inward little boy, and oh man, 0:08:05.600 --> 0:08:07.560 it was terrible. I was frightening the death. That was 0:08:07.600 --> 0:08:10.760 all I wanted to was, you know, a milkshake. I 0:08:10.800 --> 0:08:13.280 ain't no difference. And so that was the episode I 0:08:13.280 --> 0:08:14.160 will never forget. 0:08:14.920 --> 0:08:17.520 And that environment was was always chose you. 0:08:17.560 --> 0:08:19.880 That and oh yeah, you had your own interests and 0:08:19.880 --> 0:08:22.720 and and and you had your own uh you know, 0:08:23.000 --> 0:08:25.440 water fountains to drink out of the water would barely 0:08:25.480 --> 0:08:28.400 come out. And the white fountains, the water was like 0:08:28.400 --> 0:08:32.199 a crispin cleans clean, just like a waterfall. Jump it. 0:08:32.520 --> 0:08:34.720 So I would just I would. If this one didn't 0:08:34.760 --> 0:08:36.080 come out of go to that one. My mom would 0:08:36.120 --> 0:08:37.800 always grab my hand and snatch me away from it. 0:08:37.880 --> 0:08:40.600 But I didn't get read. I was little. I just 0:08:40.720 --> 0:08:42.200 was you know, this one didn't work, souse. I went 0:08:42.240 --> 0:08:46.040 to this one. It was not good, you know, somewhat, 0:08:46.080 --> 0:08:50.679 but uh. We had some uh, some pretty good friends 0:08:50.720 --> 0:08:53.520 that lived across the street, which was mister Reynolds, right, 0:08:53.800 --> 0:08:57.760 and you know the work than the name rentals and 0:08:57.800 --> 0:08:59.480 so they had the aluminum and all of that stuff 0:08:59.480 --> 0:09:01.480 that so we would go and play in his yard 0:09:01.520 --> 0:09:04.120 and it's his factory yard. And and when it was 0:09:04.520 --> 0:09:07.160 thunderstorms or tornadoes, we would go in. We could go 0:09:07.200 --> 0:09:10.960 in that basement, the underground. Now, when of course we 0:09:10.880 --> 0:09:13.199 were empires from Oklahoma. 0:09:13.760 --> 0:09:17.520 Huh the rentals wrapped the Yes, yeah, they we had 0:09:17.520 --> 0:09:18.400 a that's weird. 0:09:18.440 --> 0:09:21.520 So we're now learning that all masters of the Soul 0:09:21.559 --> 0:09:29.120 Empire had their corporation the last one. When growing up, 0:09:29.240 --> 0:09:31.360 my dad would be standing in water like three feet 0:09:31.400 --> 0:09:31.760 but we. 0:09:31.720 --> 0:09:34.960 Could use it to get away from it. My mom 0:09:35.000 --> 0:09:36.920 would not leave the house. Go ahead, I'm not going. 0:09:37.320 --> 0:09:38.960 I'm not going to stand in no water. She was 0:09:39.559 --> 0:09:42.160 pretty uh, very outspoken, but she wouldn't do it. 0:09:42.440 --> 0:09:44.920 Were you guys? Was it a musical household? 0:09:44.960 --> 0:09:48.560 Musical? Yeah? My mom played piano and she taught us 0:09:48.640 --> 0:09:51.520 all how to play everything. So you actually play, you 0:09:51.520 --> 0:09:53.800 play panels? Well, yeah, the first thing I learned was that, 0:09:54.360 --> 0:09:59.000 of course, you know drums in church, so. 0:09:58.920 --> 0:10:02.800 You're your mean weapon always was piano drums or okay. 0:10:03.240 --> 0:10:06.240 So as far as like it's it's just you and 0:10:06.240 --> 0:10:08.040 your three brothers in the household, did you have more. 0:10:07.920 --> 0:10:10.720 Siblings, have a sister? She was that too. It's four 0:10:10.720 --> 0:10:12.440 of us, okay all together? 0:10:14.360 --> 0:10:18.520 So what was the at least the band environment in 0:10:18.559 --> 0:10:21.319 your high school or your your your school period? 0:10:21.400 --> 0:10:26.280 What was what was that into man and band we were? 0:10:26.360 --> 0:10:28.040 You know? Of course, my oldest brother went first. He 0:10:28.080 --> 0:10:29.440 was through all of the schools first, and it was 0:10:29.480 --> 0:10:31.440 my sister to follow him through all of the schools. 0:10:31.440 --> 0:10:33.439 The brother ron Correct Ronnie was there, and then my 0:10:33.480 --> 0:10:36.320 sister Loretta was second, then I was third, you know, 0:10:36.440 --> 0:10:39.360 so that already set presence of you know, there was 0:10:39.360 --> 0:10:42.920 a musical family. So when I got there, it was you, Wilson, 0:10:43.160 --> 0:10:45.760 you can sing, it's just oh, here's a microphone. And 0:10:45.760 --> 0:10:48.160 it was just like I just it was just like 0:10:48.200 --> 0:10:50.520 that ended up being a pet, you know, you know, 0:10:50.640 --> 0:10:53.959 the class pet, the teacher's favorite or whatever, and let 0:10:54.040 --> 0:10:55.640 him sing. And you know, so it was like that 0:10:55.760 --> 0:11:00.400 all the way through school. And but when I got there, 0:11:01.480 --> 0:11:03.760 you know, I had some friends who were very gifted 0:11:03.800 --> 0:11:06.520 and talented as well. So we would form our own 0:11:06.800 --> 0:11:10.880 little group and and man, we was pretty pretty. It 0:11:10.920 --> 0:11:11.559 was ingenious. 0:11:11.679 --> 0:11:14.720 Was there was there a black radio presence in Oklahoma 0:11:14.880 --> 0:11:18.480 at that time? No, So how did you I mean, 0:11:18.600 --> 0:11:23.359 because your your voice is I mean, you just automatically 0:11:23.360 --> 0:11:28.000 assumed that you literally came out the womb being raised and. 0:11:27.960 --> 0:11:31.079 Braised and smothered in soul. 0:11:31.360 --> 0:11:37.760 But in Oklahoma, how did you receive your education and information? 0:11:37.840 --> 0:11:40.760 Well, first of all, my mom sang better than me 0:11:40.960 --> 0:11:44.200 at that time, you know, I was she had chops 0:11:44.240 --> 0:11:46.520 to wiggle her voice any kind of way. And so 0:11:46.559 --> 0:11:48.360 when I first heard little Stevie Wan, I thought it 0:11:48.400 --> 0:11:50.160 was a girl. And I said, hey, Mom, let me 0:11:50.200 --> 0:11:54.760 say I can beat her. I can beat her. Mom, 0:11:54.800 --> 0:11:56.640 I swear I can be He said, we'll go us 0:11:56.640 --> 0:11:58.360 sit down. You ain't be no girl, It ain't bet no. 0:11:58.640 --> 0:12:00.400 And then I find out it wasn't a girl. Was 0:12:00.440 --> 0:12:02.160 a little Stevie Wonder. But I was like, I can 0:12:02.240 --> 0:12:03.640 do that. I can do that. She was like, you're 0:12:03.679 --> 0:12:05.960 not singing the blues up in here, so you know, 0:12:06.080 --> 0:12:10.960 so it was it was. We went next door to 0:12:11.040 --> 0:12:15.000 hear the records of all of Sam Cook, Helberry Fonte, 0:12:15.040 --> 0:12:17.480 anything that was going on. Because at that time, you know, 0:12:17.480 --> 0:12:19.760 it was just one chart. There was one radio and 0:12:19.920 --> 0:12:22.240 James Bryn everybody was if you got on that chart, 0:12:22.280 --> 0:12:24.520 that means you was a superstar. It was like no 0:12:24.600 --> 0:12:28.520 black radio. No, it was just one radio and one chart, 0:12:28.880 --> 0:12:31.320 and all of the big artists was on coming on 0:12:31.360 --> 0:12:33.880 down that radio station, you know, white auburat. 0:12:33.679 --> 0:12:34.440 Pop radio station. 0:12:34.640 --> 0:12:36.080 It was like pop was it? 0:12:36.280 --> 0:12:39.320 So you're saying that your parents forbid you to sing 0:12:39.360 --> 0:12:43.440 secular music in my household and couldn't do that. We 0:12:43.480 --> 0:12:44.240 had to go next door. 0:12:44.320 --> 0:12:45.960 My dad is a preacher, my mom was the state 0:12:45.960 --> 0:12:48.160 Minister of music, and it's not you not doing that 0:12:48.200 --> 0:12:50.760 and then wow, so what could you listen to? What 0:12:50.760 --> 0:12:53.680 would they we really have any you know, wentn't too 0:12:53.760 --> 0:12:55.040 much to listen to. I mean we have had a 0:12:55.040 --> 0:12:56.960 record player. We hear some Heya Jackson, are you hear 0:12:57.000 --> 0:12:59.760 some Shirley Sees or something? You know, something like that, 0:12:59.800 --> 0:13:01.880 And of course I'll be next door and listening to 0:13:02.120 --> 0:13:05.280 what I want to listen to because they were the 0:13:06.040 --> 0:13:08.360 what they weren't in church over there, so I could 0:13:08.400 --> 0:13:10.600 go over there and uh and listen to whatever I 0:13:10.600 --> 0:13:14.080 wanted to them shiny records and and you know, so 0:13:14.160 --> 0:13:15.760 I had a great time, man, it was. It was 0:13:15.800 --> 0:13:20.679 good and upgreen with we were brought up really good, 0:13:20.760 --> 0:13:24.920 and the music scene was, like I say, next door 0:13:25.080 --> 0:13:27.360 was just great for me because I could hear anything 0:13:27.440 --> 0:13:28.480 that was on the radio. 0:13:28.720 --> 0:13:33.960 Okay, So besides, I know Leon Russell is from the area. 0:13:34.240 --> 0:13:39.920 But was there I know that you guys you were 0:13:39.960 --> 0:13:42.800 his band at one point? Correct, yes, So how did 0:13:42.840 --> 0:13:44.360 that partnership come about? 0:13:44.440 --> 0:13:46.839 Well, we were playing this club I think it was 0:13:46.840 --> 0:13:50.400 about fifty May hold about fifty people, and we was 0:13:50.440 --> 0:13:53.599 playing late nights. We started about eleven twelve o'clock and 0:13:53.679 --> 0:13:55.440 leave out at about five o'clock in the morning. So 0:13:55.480 --> 0:13:58.400 it was. And they came in the club one night 0:13:58.440 --> 0:14:00.679 and I was like, who's the white boys back there? 0:14:00.880 --> 0:14:04.719 Just cause you know? And they was back back to 0:14:04.720 --> 0:14:08.480 that party and and then nobody seemed to know who 0:14:08.480 --> 0:14:12.840 they were. And then the next weekend they came back 0:14:12.880 --> 0:14:17.840 all hair, all slick and sitting up straight. So they 0:14:17.960 --> 0:14:20.560 wasn't drunk this weekend. So I went to the table 0:14:20.560 --> 0:14:22.360 and said, you want to meet Leon Russell. I was like, yeah, 0:14:22.400 --> 0:14:23.920 where's he at? He's like right of here, and I 0:14:23.960 --> 0:14:27.960 was like, his hair combed it so right right, he's sober. 0:14:28.760 --> 0:14:33.040 So I asked him why was h why you you 0:14:33.120 --> 0:14:35.400 came last week? You guys were pretty drunk. I said, well, 0:14:35.400 --> 0:14:36.840 we was drunk. We just want to make sure we 0:14:36.880 --> 0:14:39.360 heard what we heard last week. I heard it that 0:14:39.400 --> 0:14:41.120 it wasn't a fluke. They wasn't a fluke, that we 0:14:41.120 --> 0:14:42.840 wasn't drunk. So when I said so, what do you think, 0:14:42.960 --> 0:14:44.800 said we heard exactly what we heard last week. This 0:14:44.960 --> 0:14:45.360 is great. 0:14:45.520 --> 0:14:47.640 So were you performing as the gap? And by that 0:14:47.760 --> 0:14:52.280 point okay, so he didn't too much like that name. No, 0:14:52.440 --> 0:14:53.840 he was trying to make us change it. 0:14:53.960 --> 0:14:56.400 What year was that? I was in the early seventies 0:14:56.440 --> 0:14:59.480 some time, I think seventy one seventy two. So where then. 0:14:59.600 --> 0:15:02.240 Okay, so this is like right when a song for 0:15:02.280 --> 0:15:04.600 you was just starting to Yeah, it's somewhere now. But 0:15:05.240 --> 0:15:07.480 so we was starting to make a name from so. 0:15:07.720 --> 0:15:12.400 We were and he just sort of like, we said, 0:15:12.400 --> 0:15:13.480 you want to go to the studio. So we went 0:15:13.480 --> 0:15:17.880 to the studio and and checked him out. We played 0:15:17.880 --> 0:15:20.080 a little bit. It was you know, quite late. We 0:15:20.080 --> 0:15:22.480 was just you know, recorded to about ten and eleven 0:15:22.600 --> 0:15:24.760 something like that, and when finally went home, went to sleep, 0:15:24.760 --> 0:15:27.600 but and uh he had a show coming up, and 0:15:27.640 --> 0:15:29.320 the invited us to the show. And I went to 0:15:29.320 --> 0:15:32.840 see his show, and and uh he after the show, 0:15:32.880 --> 0:15:34.920 he said, what did you think? I said, Man, your 0:15:35.000 --> 0:15:36.760 band weak, my band to kick your band? 0:15:41.640 --> 0:15:45.280 Yeah, so. 0:15:47.120 --> 0:15:50.440 Uh he said really I was like yeah. So he says, okay, 0:15:50.560 --> 0:15:52.600 he went to the studio and he says, well, following 0:15:52.600 --> 0:15:54.960 over the studio, he gave us about I don't know, 0:15:55.000 --> 0:15:57.760 five or six albums here we'll learned these albums. Learned this, 0:15:58.200 --> 0:15:59.840 I said, what songs? Every one of them on all 0:15:59.840 --> 0:16:02.360 of the albums. But see Py previously had told us, 0:16:02.360 --> 0:16:05.080 which was what was the greatest things is the beginnings. 0:16:05.520 --> 0:16:08.200 It's the beginnings and the endings of songs. What people remember, 0:16:08.280 --> 0:16:10.040 They won't know what's in the middle of whatever if 0:16:10.040 --> 0:16:12.200 you can get them in the front, and you got them. 0:16:12.240 --> 0:16:13.960 So what we did is we just learned all of 0:16:13.960 --> 0:16:15.440 the intros of all of the songs. 0:16:18.320 --> 0:16:19.720 You know what I'm saying. We just stopped playing to 0:16:19.800 --> 0:16:21.320 him where we went. 0:16:21.440 --> 0:16:23.880 You know, he was fast enough to follow him, and 0:16:24.000 --> 0:16:26.640 so he started off on one and then he went 0:16:26.680 --> 0:16:28.720 to a whole different album and we just like and 0:16:28.840 --> 0:16:31.480 had the keys that so and so when he when 0:16:31.520 --> 0:16:33.680 he started playing the different keys, we just followed, looked 0:16:33.760 --> 0:16:36.720 and followed the intros. And then then he just stopped 0:16:36.760 --> 0:16:38.600 and looked at the site. You gotta be kidding me. 0:16:39.160 --> 0:16:41.160 It's like, man, what else you want to do is nothing? 0:16:41.200 --> 0:16:42.600 I'm good, he said, So let me. Can I ask 0:16:42.600 --> 0:16:44.320 you a question? I said, yeah? He said, can I 0:16:44.400 --> 0:16:46.040 put a drummer with your band? And can I put 0:16:46.040 --> 0:16:48.240 another guitar with your band? I said, let's go, And 0:16:48.360 --> 0:16:50.000 so he fired his other band and then we was 0:16:50.080 --> 0:16:54.000 there and uh, just killing killing really and you on 0:16:54.160 --> 0:16:56.480 keys for that I was on keys and I was 0:16:56.600 --> 0:17:00.120 up dancing which he didn't like a lot. I was 0:17:00.120 --> 0:17:03.480 about that was dangerous. I was young, twenty one, fast 0:17:03.560 --> 0:17:08.359 feet and and and and jumping on his piano. I 0:17:08.400 --> 0:17:11.200 would break all his his head help and steal the 0:17:11.720 --> 0:17:14.639 the microphones and I would jump up on this piano 0:17:15.040 --> 0:17:16.879 and jump down doing the split and all kinds of 0:17:16.880 --> 0:17:20.320 crazy stuff. And he started taking the songs away from me. 0:17:20.440 --> 0:17:22.880 And because I was stealing this show. 0:17:22.840 --> 0:17:26.200 That's similar to uh, Jimmy Hendrick steal in the spot, 0:17:26.320 --> 0:17:28.880 like from Little Richard broh YEA yeah, yeah yeah Little 0:17:28.960 --> 0:17:32.960 Richards still gotta go, bro, I can't have that yeah steal. 0:17:34.000 --> 0:17:35.480 So how long was it until? 0:17:35.600 --> 0:17:37.960 Did you guys stay with him until you recorded your 0:17:38.440 --> 0:17:41.879 debut record in seventy seven, the one before when you 0:17:41.960 --> 0:17:42.560 went to uh. 0:17:43.080 --> 0:17:45.840 No, we was we was him. We did. We did 0:17:45.920 --> 0:17:48.240 one album on Gap and we did which sold about 0:17:48.320 --> 0:17:51.239 maybe sixteen records in the neighborhood. And then we then 0:17:51.320 --> 0:17:56.320 we did I stopped all that jazz album with him, 0:17:56.640 --> 0:18:01.840 and and then and he wanted to He wanted me 0:18:02.040 --> 0:18:05.280 to to They wanted me to leave the band and 0:18:05.560 --> 0:18:09.640 uh and so they was and Elton John was coming 0:18:09.680 --> 0:18:13.920 out and they wanted me to to to to take 0:18:14.040 --> 0:18:16.920 go after him and I was like, because my brother's coming. 0:18:16.960 --> 0:18:19.879 They was like, I just want you and I was like, no, 0:18:20.040 --> 0:18:20.480 that's okay. 0:18:22.000 --> 0:18:23.800 So even then, did you guys like have a pack 0:18:23.920 --> 0:18:25.960 like we're going to be a man and were did? I? 0:18:26.440 --> 0:18:29.080 I was the pack leader with that vibe. I don't 0:18:29.119 --> 0:18:31.000 know what everybody else's motivation. 0:18:30.840 --> 0:18:33.679 Was, motives were for me, I was like, let's stay together. 0:18:34.320 --> 0:18:36.200 And I was the only one that thought out that 0:18:36.320 --> 0:18:39.680 was me. And I'm the one saying less you see 0:18:39.680 --> 0:18:41.600 what I'm saying and uh, And I don't think they 0:18:41.800 --> 0:18:45.080 really really didn't get that for so many years time out. Yes, 0:18:45.200 --> 0:18:48.800 you guys played on stop all that jazz. Yes, if 0:18:48.840 --> 0:19:00.879 you look at the end. Wait a minute, I have 0:19:01.040 --> 0:19:03.680 that record, I think now I look again, I'm the 0:19:03.760 --> 0:19:05.199 one that the little skinny one over him. 0:19:05.240 --> 0:19:06.439 That's me closer to him. 0:19:07.119 --> 0:19:08.359 Wait, I'm about to tell Steve. 0:19:08.680 --> 0:19:10.359 You wouldn't know it, Steve, because there's a bunch of 0:19:10.400 --> 0:19:13.440 Africans on the front cover, or I did not know 0:19:13.560 --> 0:19:14.879 that was that's all of us. 0:19:15.000 --> 0:19:16.879 My brother's in the band, that we all all of 0:19:17.000 --> 0:19:19.840 us and the white girl and other ladies that that 0:19:20.000 --> 0:19:22.040 was the background singers, all of it was all of us. 0:19:22.200 --> 0:19:24.040 Now I gotta go to Philly to find that record. 0:19:24.119 --> 0:19:25.320 It's I have it. 0:19:25.720 --> 0:19:28.960 When when Leon Russell passed recently, I went out pretty 0:19:29.000 --> 0:19:31.680 much part the entire catalog on vinyl, and uh, that 0:19:31.840 --> 0:19:35.160 record stood out and not not because of the Africans 0:19:35.240 --> 0:19:39.800 on the the music tell the truth the music. 0:19:39.720 --> 0:19:42.560 That that's that's a superb. Yeah, it's a great record. 0:19:42.680 --> 0:19:47.040 Yeah yeah, wow. Okay, I did not know now which 0:19:47.080 --> 0:19:48.400 one of you I think. 0:19:49.119 --> 0:19:51.560 I think I'm the ones right behind him, the most 0:19:51.600 --> 0:19:53.080 skinny ones right closer to him. 0:19:56.840 --> 0:19:59.040 I was young, quite I think that's me. 0:19:59.240 --> 0:19:59.720 I think that's me. 0:19:59.840 --> 0:20:09.399 Right, Oh, look at the baby. Okay, all right, So 0:20:09.960 --> 0:20:13.040 I could assume that all this activity happened inside of Oklahoma. 0:20:13.200 --> 0:20:18.399 Mm hm, So where does the association with Lonnie Simmons 0:20:18.480 --> 0:20:22.840 come into play? Am I to assume? Form storry to 0:20:22.920 --> 0:20:26.320 hang on the most obvious question? I know the answer, 0:20:26.920 --> 0:20:32.280 but uh, Gap, of course is the abbreviation for Greenwood, Archer, 0:20:32.320 --> 0:20:36.800 and Pine. Yes, why were those particular three streets chosen 0:20:37.160 --> 0:20:39.679 as the name of the band that. 0:20:39.760 --> 0:20:41.680 Was black Wall Street? And all of the black owned 0:20:41.720 --> 0:20:47.080 businesses or were very rich black people entrepreneurs, bankers, hotel, owners. 0:20:47.600 --> 0:20:50.920 Everything was just black owned and very very rich. And 0:20:52.080 --> 0:20:54.879 they had their own bus lines, they owned caf service, 0:20:54.880 --> 0:20:59.800 they had their own everything. And on Greenwood Archer was 0:21:00.119 --> 0:21:02.000 in this way, Pine was running this way, which made 0:21:02.000 --> 0:21:04.359 an h so we was called a greenwod Arch and 0:21:04.400 --> 0:21:08.119 Pine Street everything and it was just super barber. Anything 0:21:08.160 --> 0:21:12.399 you can any business today was there in that particular area. 0:21:12.960 --> 0:21:16.320 And they didn't need anybody or anything. They ran their 0:21:16.359 --> 0:21:19.680 own thing and just just or Tulsa just didn't like 0:21:19.760 --> 0:21:22.520 that to have these black all these black rich people 0:21:22.960 --> 0:21:26.879 and didn't didn't use any other system, didn't use their system. 0:21:26.880 --> 0:21:28.399 They had their own system. So they burn them out. 0:21:28.960 --> 0:21:33.359 So after that initial burning, was there ever an attempt 0:21:33.440 --> 0:21:36.360 to resurge it throughout time in history. I think I've 0:21:36.400 --> 0:21:40.160 only been to Oklahoma maybe once or twice. They tried 0:21:40.200 --> 0:21:41.760 to rebuild and they burned them again. 0:21:42.000 --> 0:21:44.800 Whoa damn. Yes, when did the rebuild. It was in 0:21:45.200 --> 0:21:47.600 the twenties. After they burned it the ash, they tried 0:21:47.600 --> 0:21:50.240 to rebuild again a few years later and just burn 0:21:50.320 --> 0:21:52.720 them out again. As simple as that. It's like, no, 0:21:52.920 --> 0:21:57.760 you it was it was too. It was too they 0:21:57.760 --> 0:21:59.560 didn't need the outside world. It's like they didn't need 0:21:59.600 --> 0:22:02.600 the outside Tulsa for anything. They had their own community, 0:22:02.760 --> 0:22:06.840 own everything, and so that was like the help was 0:22:06.920 --> 0:22:10.120 being taken from the white world, is what I'm trying 0:22:10.119 --> 0:22:13.240 to say. But I you know, cutting myself up. Yeah. 0:22:13.359 --> 0:22:16.680 So they they had their own system. The cabs went everywhere, 0:22:16.800 --> 0:22:21.920 their buses went everywhere, you know, all of the grocery 0:22:21.920 --> 0:22:24.640 stores and banks. Everything they had didn't have to bank 0:22:24.720 --> 0:22:26.280 with Nope, they use their own banks. 0:22:26.440 --> 0:22:28.440 Can I assume that your parents and your grandparents and 0:22:29.560 --> 0:22:32.360 before then were they all in Oklahoma at the time. 0:22:32.480 --> 0:22:38.000 Grandmother my mother was a very very very very little child. 0:22:38.119 --> 0:22:39.960 She was born in twenty three stores around that time. 0:22:40.080 --> 0:22:46.160 So my grandmother knew about it really well and told everybody, 0:22:46.320 --> 0:22:49.359 but she they weren't allowed really to talk about it. 0:22:49.680 --> 0:22:53.280 It was like a hush hush really oh yeah, because 0:22:53.400 --> 0:22:56.880 you know, that was too much information because the way 0:22:56.880 --> 0:23:00.879 they the way they burned everybody out, and it just 0:23:01.040 --> 0:23:03.920 wasn't you're not supposed to talk about it. Wow, Yeah, 0:23:04.160 --> 0:23:06.720 you could end up somewhere cut up in a sack 0:23:06.880 --> 0:23:09.439 or somewhere missing because there was so many people missing 0:23:10.080 --> 0:23:13.399 and they never found those people that could see and 0:23:13.600 --> 0:23:16.800 actually say, you know, what was really going on because 0:23:16.840 --> 0:23:20.200 there was police coming to houses and you know, and 0:23:20.960 --> 0:23:24.440 and just get doing away with them families because getting 0:23:24.480 --> 0:23:26.440 away with it. Yeah, they're getting away with it. So 0:23:27.080 --> 0:23:27.760 it was pretty bad. 0:23:29.200 --> 0:23:35.960 Well, I knew that Singleton's uh Rosewood was semi based 0:23:36.000 --> 0:23:40.440 on it. I mean it's not, but he said that 0:23:40.600 --> 0:23:44.080 he borrowed, you know, bits of history from uh the 0:23:44.160 --> 0:23:49.159 blood from from the Black Wall Street experience. So, uh, 0:23:50.000 --> 0:23:53.760 how does Lonnie Simmons come into the picture and you 0:23:53.880 --> 0:23:58.359 guys move into la It was years later. We actually 0:23:59.160 --> 0:24:03.480 kind of was so heartbroken that we were trying to 0:24:03.480 --> 0:24:05.320 figure out what we're gonna do because I mean, you know, 0:24:05.880 --> 0:24:06.439 we've been on. 0:24:06.560 --> 0:24:08.440 Tour with the guy. We was the band, we cut 0:24:08.520 --> 0:24:10.800 the records, and we just thought everything was gonna blossom 0:24:10.840 --> 0:24:14.160 from that platform and it just didn't work out that way. 0:24:14.880 --> 0:24:17.639 And man, I was just so hot, so heartbroken, and 0:24:19.160 --> 0:24:21.520 the band was kind of like just nervous. I said, Okay, 0:24:21.920 --> 0:24:24.200 we went to California. We came out to Los Angeles 0:24:24.320 --> 0:24:27.960 and we was bumping around in there for a year 0:24:28.280 --> 0:24:31.600 just trying to figure out what. We ended up on 0:24:31.680 --> 0:24:34.760 Tattoo Records, which was a subsidiary of R. C A 0:24:34.920 --> 0:24:41.720 at that time. We tried m C A our over 0:24:41.760 --> 0:24:44.320 there with Quincy Jones at the A and M Yeah, 0:24:44.400 --> 0:24:49.240 which was we did a single a deal and I 0:24:49.320 --> 0:24:52.000 was trying to get with him, but of course he 0:24:52.119 --> 0:24:55.639 had you know, he had brother Johnson and all that stuff. 0:24:55.640 --> 0:24:57.800 Your hands was full, so we ended up we ended 0:24:57.840 --> 0:25:02.320 up with Tattoo Records, and it's just okay did okay 0:25:02.600 --> 0:25:03.680 was not that that much. 0:25:03.800 --> 0:25:06.400 So Tattoo Records was real label because I remember when 0:25:06.920 --> 0:25:12.719 Shaka Khan first signed her deal with Warner Brothers, at 0:25:12.800 --> 0:25:15.159 least for the first two records, Tattoo Records was on it. 0:25:15.400 --> 0:25:21.919 So who ran Tattoo I can't remember, but they had 0:25:21.960 --> 0:25:24.840 a deal through Warner or yeah, I think so, or 0:25:24.960 --> 0:25:28.400 just whatever label would was playing. Yeah, okay, I see, 0:25:29.920 --> 0:25:31.800 it's actually weird. It's like confession time. 0:25:32.119 --> 0:25:34.080 So even though. 0:25:36.160 --> 0:25:39.199 At least by the second album with the Oops up 0:25:39.640 --> 0:25:44.520 being a national single, when I first heard of you, 0:25:45.600 --> 0:25:51.400 I thought you were a chef because there's a feature 0:25:51.680 --> 0:25:55.600 one of your first features and Ride On magazine wasn't 0:25:57.000 --> 0:26:06.480 yes trying to cook eggs? Yo? So like this is 0:26:06.520 --> 0:26:09.720 the thing in I mean now, I mean, you know, 0:26:09.840 --> 0:26:13.800 millennials are very fortunate now to get you know, a 0:26:14.240 --> 0:26:17.720 plethora of information on their favorites via the Internet. But 0:26:18.440 --> 0:26:21.400 you know, in nineteen seventy nine, nineteen eighty, you really 0:26:21.480 --> 0:26:23.560 truly had three outlets if you're going to make it 0:26:23.680 --> 0:26:28.160 as a black person, Git Jet, Ebony and Ride magazine. 0:26:28.680 --> 0:26:30.919 I mean occasionally black stars they had a. 0:26:31.040 --> 0:26:32.760 What CPIA black beat. 0:26:36.160 --> 0:26:41.040 Was okay, but yeah, in right On magazine they did 0:26:41.200 --> 0:26:46.000 this this layout of of Charlie Wilson in the kitchen, 0:26:46.280 --> 0:26:50.560 like but like a very extensive, like twenty photo of 0:26:51.040 --> 0:26:52.960 you know, first, I take the cinnamon and. 0:26:54.880 --> 0:26:56.680 Yo, he made breakfast. 0:26:57.160 --> 0:26:57.280 Yo. 0:26:57.880 --> 0:27:01.800 I told my mom like yo, this and like wait, 0:27:02.000 --> 0:27:03.320 we had what was for breakfast? 0:27:03.800 --> 0:27:06.680 I mean he made a traditional breakfast. I forgot now, 0:27:06.920 --> 0:27:09.680 But like I was doing the cinnamon and my friends 0:27:09.680 --> 0:27:12.960 still like tell you what, Like in my head, I 0:27:13.160 --> 0:27:17.359 wasn't connecting the oops up side your head guy with 0:27:17.880 --> 0:27:19.080 this is Wilson. 0:27:19.400 --> 0:27:20.520 I mean he got a clean feather. 0:27:20.760 --> 0:27:25.879 He looked like Philip Ingram from Switch, Like he's feathered out, smooth, 0:27:26.240 --> 0:27:27.040 smooth go tea. 0:27:27.160 --> 0:27:29.760 I thought he was a chef. So you know, like 0:27:32.080 --> 0:27:35.200 do you remember I remember the shooting, I remember burning 0:27:35.240 --> 0:27:38.720 my hand. I was in the pancakes and my hand 0:27:38.800 --> 0:27:41.200 was too close to and I remember going up and 0:27:41.280 --> 0:27:43.520 I was and they caught the picture with my mouth 0:27:43.760 --> 0:27:45.000 because I was turned. 0:27:47.520 --> 0:27:50.200 I did that. Yeah, I gotta give myself a reggae sorry, 0:27:52.520 --> 0:27:53.280 real show. 0:27:53.640 --> 0:27:55.920 Really, I burnt my hand and I did that. 0:27:56.840 --> 0:27:59.320 See and yeah, you've probably been like, ain't nobody gonna 0:27:59.320 --> 0:28:01.080 read this? Why can I just talk about my new 0:28:01.119 --> 0:28:11.719 single see Cynthia Hornet's Yeah. So well, I was gonna say, uh, 0:28:14.640 --> 0:28:15.240 what was? 0:28:15.400 --> 0:28:19.200 Because I know that in Los Angeles that time period, 0:28:19.880 --> 0:28:25.159 I mean, you can either roll with Clarence Avont or uh, 0:28:25.640 --> 0:28:26.520 Dick Griffy, Right. 0:28:28.440 --> 0:28:30.399 You know, I don't know what Barry Gordy's vibe was. 0:28:30.440 --> 0:28:32.639 I mean I know that his sister Iris Gorya was 0:28:32.760 --> 0:28:35.640 sort of taking over the the reins of Finding Acts 0:28:35.680 --> 0:28:40.120 at Motown between like seventy five and eighty five and 0:28:40.320 --> 0:28:46.200 with Lonnie Simmons, So at least, what what was the 0:28:46.560 --> 0:28:49.120 initial like, how did you guys hook. 0:28:49.000 --> 0:28:51.760 Up with him? And it was me I hooked up 0:28:51.800 --> 0:28:55.760 with him, and I said everybody the band just kind 0:28:55.760 --> 0:28:58.920 of fell apart and they was everybody after nothing worked? 0:28:59.200 --> 0:29:01.760 You know, the Tattoo record, that thing didn't work, and 0:29:01.880 --> 0:29:04.960 so everybody was like, Okay, we was in Los Angeles 0:29:05.000 --> 0:29:07.720 a whole year, and you know, those guys took a 0:29:07.800 --> 0:29:10.080 leave of absence and I didn't know what a leave 0:29:10.120 --> 0:29:14.600 of absence was. I quit my job. I quit my job, 0:29:14.760 --> 0:29:18.320 and so did my oldest brother. He quit his job 0:29:18.400 --> 0:29:21.800 because we was basically trying to do this thing for real, 0:29:21.880 --> 0:29:22.680 and everybody just. 0:29:22.800 --> 0:29:24.320 You know, how do you Yeah, I was gonna say, 0:29:24.360 --> 0:29:25.240 how do you survive? 0:29:26.240 --> 0:29:30.640 It's it's a do die. It's it's like, you know, man, 0:29:30.720 --> 0:29:36.240 it's we I had cereal and water and uh, you know, 0:29:36.480 --> 0:29:41.560 whatever breakfast would be. And we stayed fifteen in a 0:29:41.680 --> 0:29:44.760 one two bedroom apartment with a lady who already had 0:29:44.840 --> 0:29:50.040 four kids. And we were all on the floor. Yeah, 0:29:50.080 --> 0:29:52.680 we was all on the one bathroom. We was all 0:29:52.760 --> 0:29:54.680 on the floor. We was in the jungle there. And 0:29:54.760 --> 0:29:57.120 it's like she must have believed in Harrison. Yeah, she 0:29:58.320 --> 0:30:00.440 was a connection. I went to school with her two 0:30:00.480 --> 0:30:04.640 of her kids, and we were very close and uh, 0:30:04.760 --> 0:30:06.840 and that was the connection we had in Los anges 0:30:06.840 --> 0:30:09.680 because they moved from Tulsa to Los Angeles. So when 0:30:09.680 --> 0:30:11.720 we was coming out, we told him we were coming 0:30:11.760 --> 0:30:13.880 and she said you come stay here. It was just 0:30:13.920 --> 0:30:15.280 too many of us. And now I think she got 0:30:15.320 --> 0:30:17.400 almost got kicked out her apartment because we was there. 0:30:18.760 --> 0:30:21.320 We all rehearsing in that apartment. Man. We played down 0:30:21.440 --> 0:30:24.360 by the food and blew out the circuit system trying 0:30:24.400 --> 0:30:25.640 to get a man who owned the building. 0:30:25.720 --> 0:30:29.640 That birthday party. He come back to. 0:30:30.560 --> 0:30:36.240 Jacket boom, he was like, get out, you don't get out. 0:30:37.400 --> 0:30:39.360 He was already mad at the woman. So that one 0:30:39.440 --> 0:30:39.920 just blew it. 0:30:40.640 --> 0:30:41.160 Get out. 0:30:42.320 --> 0:30:46.400 Wow. So that that initial band, h, I guess you 0:30:46.480 --> 0:30:49.080 got to get your first soul training appearance in seventy nine. 0:30:49.640 --> 0:30:52.760 That initial band migrated from Tulsa. 0:30:52.920 --> 0:30:55.600 To know that the band didn't make it. That meant 0:30:55.680 --> 0:30:57.800 that our that band did never make it to no 0:30:57.920 --> 0:31:00.160 TV shows, no other records, so none of that. So, 0:31:00.840 --> 0:31:05.760 like I said, I met Lannie and and his club 0:31:06.760 --> 0:31:09.480 and uh because d J Rogers was there doing those 0:31:09.560 --> 0:31:14.520 times and and and of course DJ used to pull 0:31:14.640 --> 0:31:17.880 me on stage and and let me sing and and 0:31:18.440 --> 0:31:21.320 like that. Yeah, the crowd club before it was was 0:31:21.360 --> 0:31:23.160 at the Total Experience Club and where a lot of 0:31:23.680 --> 0:31:26.840 Chaka Khan dramatics everybody used to play the Total Experience 0:31:26.960 --> 0:31:32.520 nightclub everybody that was anybody played his club. 0:31:33.640 --> 0:31:36.400 Yeah, I was gonna say because I think even priors, 0:31:36.520 --> 0:31:40.120 uh that Niggas Crazy album was was was. 0:31:41.800 --> 0:31:46.040 Yeah, it was. It was taped. There was a nightclub too. Yeah, 0:31:46.080 --> 0:31:47.720 it was his had a night his nightclub. That's the 0:31:47.720 --> 0:31:51.120 way he was. He was known for that and mm hm. 0:31:51.840 --> 0:31:53.920 Him and Dick Griffy were cool. You know. I also 0:31:54.040 --> 0:31:57.960 played that they were cool. 0:31:58.040 --> 0:32:01.600 But if you said him and take her for cool, 0:32:01.640 --> 0:32:02.000 then that. 0:32:05.200 --> 0:32:06.840 It was like it was. 0:32:07.080 --> 0:32:08.440 It wasn't cool to that part. 0:32:08.520 --> 0:32:10.200 I mean, was he a nurturing guy or was he 0:32:10.920 --> 0:32:17.600 shug Knightish Lonnie Lonnie Lonnie was Uh, it was I 0:32:17.960 --> 0:32:20.480 want to say in the category maybe of a shure. 0:32:20.520 --> 0:32:22.000 The night he was could have been the first one. 0:32:22.080 --> 0:32:25.840 But he was very a smooth one. He didn't get 0:32:25.920 --> 0:32:29.120 if you got it upset, he wouldn't come get you 0:32:29.200 --> 0:32:31.760 though he raised his voice. He just took action. Whether 0:32:31.920 --> 0:32:34.560 the guys around him would because you know, it was 0:32:34.680 --> 0:32:37.080 like and it would just be like that. But uh, 0:32:37.200 --> 0:32:39.520 we that's how we started. It was from me and him. 0:32:39.600 --> 0:32:43.760 It was our relationship that we did this whole thing about. 0:32:44.520 --> 0:32:46.200 He would give me a contract or not keep it 0:32:46.240 --> 0:32:47.480 a week and I give it back to him and 0:32:47.520 --> 0:32:50.040 he keep it. He opened it and would be signed. 0:32:50.400 --> 0:32:52.560 I don't know what that's saying. We did that for 0:32:52.640 --> 0:32:57.160 a month two months, and but he was like, man, 0:32:57.200 --> 0:32:59.800 whence you come? Because he heard me saying right and 0:32:59.880 --> 0:33:04.360 it was like dude, that voice right there. And I 0:33:04.440 --> 0:33:06.520 won't say what he said about the other artist that 0:33:06.640 --> 0:33:08.920 was that, but he was like, dude, me and you 0:33:09.520 --> 0:33:12.320 that we could make this happen. And I was just like, okay, 0:33:12.400 --> 0:33:13.960 whatever I said. I just got to get my brothers 0:33:14.000 --> 0:33:18.320 out here and so and he was like how many. 0:33:18.400 --> 0:33:21.880 I was like it's two. So he says, okay, go 0:33:22.000 --> 0:33:25.200 get them. So at the time, worre uh? 0:33:25.720 --> 0:33:29.880 I guess like Robert Goody Woodfield and Yarborough people's were they. 0:33:31.320 --> 0:33:33.680 Becoming part of the family. Oh you have them too. 0:33:34.160 --> 0:33:37.440 I brought them. I found found everybody that was on 0:33:37.560 --> 0:33:40.640 that label. I did. Wow, it was me who got 0:33:40.680 --> 0:33:44.840 brought everybody. He brought nobody. It was me brought everybody. 0:33:45.760 --> 0:33:47.240 That what you get for that? 0:33:47.600 --> 0:33:56.560 I was experienced, That's all you got. It was indeed 0:33:56.680 --> 0:33:59.120 a total experience. That's what that was. But they went 0:33:59.120 --> 0:34:00.840 in Texas and I I was on the road and 0:34:00.920 --> 0:34:03.320 I went to this club and I seen y'all brow 0:34:03.360 --> 0:34:07.600 on people's and up and I a friend of mine 0:34:07.640 --> 0:34:10.880 that was was connected on the total experience side and 0:34:10.920 --> 0:34:13.880 name was Rudy Taylor at that time, Rudy Taylor. And 0:34:14.000 --> 0:34:15.799 I asked Rudy to get on the phone and called 0:34:15.840 --> 0:34:18.440 line right away, and he called him. I said, I 0:34:18.520 --> 0:34:20.960 got a group just just incredible, and I think we 0:34:20.960 --> 0:34:23.799 should sign him like tomorrow, and he was like, well, 0:34:24.080 --> 0:34:26.320 I said, I gotta go. You do it or not, 0:34:26.920 --> 0:34:29.319 but they gonna end up with somebody else. And then 0:34:29.880 --> 0:34:32.239 and he asked Rudy, Rudy how good He said, man, 0:34:32.440 --> 0:34:34.279 you know, if Childie's Ears is good, and I'm telling 0:34:34.280 --> 0:34:36.040 you they're good and they sing and live at the 0:34:36.120 --> 0:34:37.960 night club. So he put me back on the phone. 0:34:38.239 --> 0:34:40.959 He said, okay, man, you know, I was just tired 0:34:40.960 --> 0:34:44.359 of just waking up. So if they're good, I signed them. 0:34:44.400 --> 0:34:45.759 I said, okay, you need to sign them. And then 0:34:46.080 --> 0:34:48.840 Goodie came right after it, you know, so it was 0:34:48.880 --> 0:34:50.960 all friends and so I just put them all in there. 0:34:51.080 --> 0:34:54.359 So you know what I mean is that at one 0:34:54.440 --> 0:34:58.920 point in time, if you had good ears and something 0:34:59.120 --> 0:35:04.040 sounded good, it was worthy of getting signed, Like, not 0:35:04.160 --> 0:35:05.839 once did he say, well, you know, does the girl 0:35:05.880 --> 0:35:07.000 look good like what she looked like? 0:35:07.200 --> 0:35:08.759 Our market? No signed him. 0:35:10.200 --> 0:35:13.760 Have you had someone that he passed on that eventually. 0:35:13.640 --> 0:35:16.520 Made it or he didn't have anybody? No know what 0:35:16.560 --> 0:35:18.959 I'm saying. Was there somebody that, oh that he didn't 0:35:19.040 --> 0:35:21.400 try to bring to the fold that he didn't want? Yeah? No, 0:35:21.560 --> 0:35:24.480 there was nobody that I brought that he didn't want. 0:35:24.560 --> 0:35:27.080 I mean, he just It's like I had a guy 0:35:27.160 --> 0:35:32.480 named Dorian Williams who who the actor? No, okay, yeah, 0:35:33.320 --> 0:35:35.640 his name is Paul Williams actually, but we called him 0:35:35.680 --> 0:35:39.520 Dorian and he was it was like Luther Vandros at 0:35:39.560 --> 0:35:41.560 that time. And it was like and I said, this kid, 0:35:42.000 --> 0:35:47.480 but everybody he didn't It was afraid of of knocking, 0:35:47.800 --> 0:35:49.719 Like if I was on the stand, something was gonna 0:35:49.760 --> 0:35:51.560 knock me off the stand. But I wasn't looking at 0:35:51.600 --> 0:35:53.560 it like that. I'm like, this guy can sane. You 0:35:53.640 --> 0:35:55.320 need to just get it done. So we did the 0:35:55.400 --> 0:35:58.560 album on him, and did an album on on some 0:35:58.760 --> 0:36:01.640 other actual that I had, and it just didn't put 0:36:01.680 --> 0:36:04.279 the effort. Okay, yeah, he just put the effort in. 0:36:04.440 --> 0:36:07.640 So at that time, he was like rolling in money 0:36:09.000 --> 0:36:12.480 above above ground, so you know, it was nothing under 0:36:12.480 --> 0:36:15.440 the table was all it was all up. So he 0:36:15.719 --> 0:36:17.680 was like, whatever, I don't want to do that. 0:36:18.320 --> 0:36:26.560 So I have to ask how influential was Funkadelics. Let's 0:36:26.840 --> 0:36:28.360 let's take it to the stage album to. 0:36:28.360 --> 0:36:34.160 You, because I feel like, you know, eighty seventy nine 0:36:34.200 --> 0:36:36.759 to eighty was a transitional period that was really hard 0:36:36.880 --> 0:36:39.160 for a lot of the seventy bands to cross over 0:36:40.160 --> 0:36:44.759 and to maintain, like, you know, Ohio players imploded. Uh, 0:36:45.280 --> 0:36:47.120 you know, at least a lot of the lead singers 0:36:47.160 --> 0:36:48.280 of particular acts. 0:36:48.120 --> 0:36:50.680 Have left for solo careers, and then the left the 0:36:50.760 --> 0:36:53.040 left behind group members imploded. 0:36:53.960 --> 0:36:54.080 Uh. 0:36:55.320 --> 0:36:58.640 But you kind of just took the the p funk 0:36:59.160 --> 0:37:04.920 absolutely uh uh, I'll say baton and kept it alive. 0:37:05.960 --> 0:37:11.560 And so what was was there any feelings on their 0:37:11.760 --> 0:37:14.400 end of you guys sort of. 0:37:15.880 --> 0:37:21.960 Taking their their modus operandi and and actually running good 0:37:22.000 --> 0:37:22.200 with it. 0:37:22.560 --> 0:37:24.320 It was a couple of guys and and and the 0:37:24.440 --> 0:37:26.920 band that you know, if say, if you come up, 0:37:27.520 --> 0:37:29.239 George will call you up on the stage and if 0:37:29.239 --> 0:37:31.719 they don't like it, they started doing the waltz, you know, 0:37:32.160 --> 0:37:34.040 and so George made him stop doing the wats one 0:37:34.080 --> 0:37:36.239 time I came on stage, but I already knew what 0:37:36.400 --> 0:37:38.000 the Walts was because I was going with one of 0:37:38.000 --> 0:37:40.320 the girls. It was from the from the Parliament Pocademics, 0:37:40.320 --> 0:37:42.279 so I used to go with doing silver now yet, so. 0:37:43.760 --> 0:37:46.000 I already knew what that whole thing was. 0:37:46.440 --> 0:37:48.640 But so when the wa what's the wall, just like 0:37:49.320 --> 0:37:51.640 he's washed up or whatever, and so George would just 0:37:51.680 --> 0:37:54.160 go right over there and just don't do that. Don't 0:37:54.160 --> 0:37:56.120 do that on him. So everybody stops and I'll just 0:37:56.200 --> 0:37:58.759 take the mic and just rip the place apart. And 0:37:58.960 --> 0:38:01.480 then I think after I I did that one time, 0:38:01.760 --> 0:38:03.600 they was like, oh, he's not He's not a whimp. 0:38:03.800 --> 0:38:06.239 But see, we was on the road with with with 0:38:06.360 --> 0:38:08.960 the Parliament Funkadelic for years before we really had the 0:38:09.080 --> 0:38:11.800 hit record, and then after we came off that's what 0:38:12.200 --> 0:38:14.080 side your head was sort of bomp boring, But the 0:38:14.239 --> 0:38:18.200 chant came from a crowd that was in Pittsburgh and ourselves, 0:38:18.280 --> 0:38:20.239 you know, but they was chanting something, but the rhythm 0:38:20.400 --> 0:38:22.560 was the same. So we came back and put the 0:38:22.680 --> 0:38:27.040 oops up side the head because they you know, yeah, yeah, 0:38:27.320 --> 0:38:29.440 I was going to say it was they was chanting 0:38:29.600 --> 0:38:32.440 something and it wasn't what We couldn't understand it, so 0:38:32.520 --> 0:38:36.920 we actually chant chant the the the oops up side 0:38:37.000 --> 0:38:39.879 your head say oops, because they were saying gap band. 0:38:39.920 --> 0:38:42.080 They was I think they were saying gap side to head, 0:38:42.239 --> 0:38:45.239 gap band something like that. It was weird, but it wasn't. 0:38:45.280 --> 0:38:47.719 It didn't have the real, the perfect rhythm. So we 0:38:47.800 --> 0:38:51.399 had to go back and get that rhythm and put 0:38:51.440 --> 0:38:53.719 it to that. But we were on a roll with 0:38:53.800 --> 0:38:56.720 them for a long time. Man. And and of course 0:38:56.880 --> 0:39:00.279 we was watching them every night, and George became very 0:39:00.440 --> 0:39:03.719 protective and Bootsy and them became very protective of us. 0:39:04.239 --> 0:39:06.680 And they made a push back and give us room 0:39:06.760 --> 0:39:08.200 because I didn't have no room. I said, I can't. 0:39:08.200 --> 0:39:10.279 I don't have any room to work. So Georye said, 0:39:10.320 --> 0:39:11.920 I haven't been seeing here what you mean. I said, Man, 0:39:11.920 --> 0:39:13.120 I ain't got no room. So they said, I'll make 0:39:13.200 --> 0:39:15.080 him push back. So they pushed the stage back for us, 0:39:15.680 --> 0:39:17.680 and uh and Bootsy saw us a couple of times 0:39:17.719 --> 0:39:19.320 and then he'd give us some pinners and stuff. So 0:39:19.960 --> 0:39:21.960 of course, quite naturally, man, that funk that they had 0:39:22.160 --> 0:39:24.239 was infectious and so it rubbed off. And I just 0:39:24.360 --> 0:39:27.040 loved them, and uh, of course I took some of 0:39:27.120 --> 0:39:29.719 it and ran with it. What were those audiences? Like, man, 0:39:30.239 --> 0:39:34.000 it was incredible? And see Bootsy was so strong that 0:39:35.120 --> 0:39:39.320 that he was kicking George's butt. Okay, so George sometimes 0:39:39.400 --> 0:39:42.520 had to let Boosie close really yeah, because man, he 0:39:42.520 --> 0:39:46.000 would Bootsy would stump all over Parliament. Funkadeltic and they 0:39:46.040 --> 0:39:48.880 had the same horn sections and everything. So but Bootsy 0:39:49.200 --> 0:39:50.720 it was Boots's band. 0:39:50.840 --> 0:39:54.160 So so speaking of which, and we kind of mentioned it, 0:39:55.080 --> 0:40:01.160 what were your feelings to Uptown Funk and how did 0:40:01.239 --> 0:40:03.919 you because you know, I mean there have been think 0:40:04.000 --> 0:40:07.399 pieces on these twelve artists could also get a piece 0:40:07.480 --> 0:40:10.360 of the right, but you guys. 0:40:10.200 --> 0:40:13.600 Did it, so technically they had to give it to me. 0:40:14.000 --> 0:40:17.040 Are you a Grammy winner because it was a Record 0:40:17.120 --> 0:40:19.080 of the Year or is that only for Song of 0:40:19.120 --> 0:40:21.239 the year If you're listened to his song, right, song 0:40:21.280 --> 0:40:21.560 of the year? 0:40:21.600 --> 0:40:23.560 Good song? Okay, So it wasn't song. It was record 0:40:23.560 --> 0:40:25.080 of the year. That's for the perform it was. It 0:40:25.200 --> 0:40:27.160 was my I remember my manager, he's in there now. 0:40:27.200 --> 0:40:29.960 He was. I mean, he he calls such a stink. 0:40:32.719 --> 0:40:35.160 That's what good managers do. He called a good manager. 0:40:35.239 --> 0:40:37.480 He calls such a stink man on everything, and so 0:40:37.680 --> 0:40:39.279 I think they was about tired of looking at him 0:40:39.320 --> 0:40:41.279 and saying that he was good. He went straight to 0:40:41.360 --> 0:40:44.960 the top with it, and and then it was like 0:40:45.360 --> 0:40:48.480 then they just like, uh, well, we can't well song 0:40:48.560 --> 0:40:52.120 of the year whatever it is, So they moved things around, 0:40:52.239 --> 0:40:55.080 and so he was just saying, it's not fair. It's 0:40:55.120 --> 0:40:57.080 not fair to the Gap band that they don't get 0:40:57.520 --> 0:41:00.080 the you know, recognition, the recognition of it, and so 0:41:00.160 --> 0:41:03.680 I remember that part then. So but anyway, man, it was, uh, 0:41:04.320 --> 0:41:06.719 it was I reckon simple and they. 0:41:06.760 --> 0:41:09.120 Was chatting it and so hey, so it came to 0:41:09.160 --> 0:41:11.840 a quicker conclusion than the Robin Marvin Gaye situation. 0:41:11.960 --> 0:41:26.320 We got paid for whatever. He's happy, you know. 0:41:27.120 --> 0:41:32.760 Nineteen eighty also brought another uh what I would assume 0:41:32.840 --> 0:41:36.480 for you a bucket list pairing, uh you singing background 0:41:36.600 --> 0:41:38.800 on I ain't going to stand for it with Stevie. 0:41:39.680 --> 0:41:45.120 So I mean, I'm just assuming that this guy's your hero. Yeah, 0:41:45.239 --> 0:41:48.160 assuming we can assume that. You don't have to assume 0:41:48.200 --> 0:41:49.640 no more. It's one of my heroes. 0:41:50.560 --> 0:41:54.560 So what was that experience like for you to work 0:41:54.640 --> 0:42:00.360 with Prime Stevie, especially when, like I know how some 0:42:00.600 --> 0:42:04.759 artists could have. I've seen artists ego trip and kind 0:42:04.800 --> 0:42:10.759 of shun out of anyone that's remotely capable of out 0:42:10.880 --> 0:42:14.680 seeing them or outshining them. And always wanted to know 0:42:14.840 --> 0:42:17.759 because there's two versions of I Ain't gonna stand for it. 0:42:18.600 --> 0:42:22.520 The version on forty five goes about maybe thirty seconds 0:42:22.600 --> 0:42:26.760 longer than the album version. And I was always impressed 0:42:26.800 --> 0:42:27.440 with the fact. 0:42:29.200 --> 0:42:29.560 That you. 0:42:31.120 --> 0:42:35.080 Saying so disciplined when you could have easily just started, 0:42:35.520 --> 0:42:38.399 you know, your vocal acrobatics. 0:42:39.680 --> 0:42:42.120 What was that whole experience like recording with them? Let 0:42:42.200 --> 0:42:44.000 me tell you that is not the version at all. 0:42:44.080 --> 0:42:46.680 That that's not the best version. There's another one, now, 0:42:46.760 --> 0:42:52.000 the version that we actually did in the beginning you 0:42:52.080 --> 0:42:54.440 knew what's coming. Yeah, that version that he did, he 0:42:54.440 --> 0:42:58.719 couldn't get that. We recorded that version in botic sound, 0:42:58.800 --> 0:43:02.480 which is Ike Turner study. Wow really and that version 0:43:03.280 --> 0:43:08.200 with the wo wo walk oh man, that one right there, 0:43:08.239 --> 0:43:09.960 he had the thing around his neck to make himself 0:43:10.000 --> 0:43:12.880 a microphone and we all singing around him. That was 0:43:12.960 --> 0:43:15.000 the version. And I used to answ him, where's that version? 0:43:15.320 --> 0:43:17.759 He said, I couldn't couldn't couldn't get the version of 0:43:17.880 --> 0:43:20.400 the tape back from from Ike. I think that the 0:43:22.040 --> 0:43:27.719 it was I was looking for my gun. 0:43:27.800 --> 0:43:31.360 Said, yeah, we couldn't get that. 0:43:31.560 --> 0:43:33.440 He couldn't get that, but anyway, it was something I 0:43:33.880 --> 0:43:35.799 never get got the real story from why we didn't 0:43:35.880 --> 0:43:37.879 use it. So he was trying to recreate it after, 0:43:38.040 --> 0:43:41.759 like years later, to try to recreate it. I said, where, Yeah, 0:43:41.800 --> 0:43:42.560 when was the first one? 0:43:43.320 --> 0:43:43.560 There? 0:43:43.840 --> 0:43:46.000 Man, I can't now, I can't remember the year now 0:43:46.120 --> 0:43:48.680 i'm a little It came out in eighty, No it was. 0:43:50.400 --> 0:43:53.680 I assume he wasn't doing nothing between seventy six and eighty. 0:43:54.440 --> 0:43:56.680 It was eighty. Then it came out. We did it. 0:43:56.840 --> 0:44:01.400 We did it in seventy nine, seventy nine in the version. 0:44:01.920 --> 0:44:08.840 I'm thinking something like that late night. How did you 0:44:08.960 --> 0:44:15.680 meet Stevie? Yeah? I met Stevie from the album from 0:44:15.719 --> 0:44:17.960 when I was with Shelter with Leon Russell. We went 0:44:18.000 --> 0:44:23.160 out to Los Angeles to mix the record Magician's Holiday 0:44:23.520 --> 0:44:25.760 and he was still in the record plant, just running 0:44:25.800 --> 0:44:28.279 over time like you always do, right in there and 0:44:28.400 --> 0:44:30.719 he was a begone and he was our and a 0:44:30.760 --> 0:44:33.759 half two hours. So they had the record and this 0:44:33.920 --> 0:44:39.160 guy Spike, who was one of inch Steve's engineers. He 0:44:39.200 --> 0:44:41.520 had heard the record, so they had told Stevie about 0:44:41.760 --> 0:44:46.360 this guy singing. So Steve heard the record and that 0:44:46.480 --> 0:44:48.600 was my first time meeting. It was in seventy something, 0:44:48.680 --> 0:44:51.600 seventy five someone like that. But anyway, I sit down. 0:44:51.600 --> 0:44:53.520 He sit me at the piano with him, and he 0:44:53.640 --> 0:44:56.600 started playing and he asked me sang this, and I 0:44:56.719 --> 0:44:58.840 sang that, and he sang the part another part, and 0:44:58.920 --> 0:45:00.520 we was going off each other like that, and then 0:45:00.560 --> 0:45:08.600 he was like, hey, man, you're bad man. I like you, man, 0:45:08.719 --> 0:45:11.240 what is that like? What was that like? For you? Believe? 0:45:11.280 --> 0:45:14.200 I couldn't even say the part, man, I couldn't even 0:45:14.239 --> 0:45:14.920 get my licks out. 0:45:14.960 --> 0:45:17.040 Man. I was shaken and like a nervous, like you know, 0:45:17.719 --> 0:45:19.799 that was my first time and we've been friends ever 0:45:19.920 --> 0:45:22.920 since then, That's what's up. Yeah, I just was just 0:45:23.080 --> 0:45:27.480 nervous and uh and uh you know, so that was 0:45:27.560 --> 0:45:29.879 my first time meeting them. And then, like I said, 0:45:29.880 --> 0:45:32.680 it happened again and he wanted to get being on 0:45:32.800 --> 0:45:35.319 that record and then and we couldn't do it at 0:45:35.360 --> 0:45:39.640 the time. We was on tour. He offered Center a plane, 0:45:39.840 --> 0:45:46.600 a jet and and Uh, of course everybody was nervous. 0:45:46.600 --> 0:45:48.880 I ain't get on no chet trying to get rid 0:45:48.920 --> 0:45:49.720 of Charlie Wilson. 0:45:52.719 --> 0:45:55.360 Try to get rid of the Charlie Wilson. Stupid people, 0:45:56.600 --> 0:45:57.560 what they think about it. 0:45:57.600 --> 0:45:59.759 I was young at the time, man, but these guys 0:45:59.800 --> 0:46:03.320 are they're probably getting hide confused. I'm like, dude, he 0:46:03.440 --> 0:46:05.000 just want us to sing on the record. Get out 0:46:05.000 --> 0:46:08.560 of here. So anyway, that next uh, that next two 0:46:08.640 --> 0:46:11.359 days later, I just popped on a jet and uh, 0:46:11.680 --> 0:46:13.920 and then everybody followed me, and I guess right after that, 0:46:14.040 --> 0:46:16.240 I'm gone, I see y'all going to stay with Steve 0:46:16.320 --> 0:46:20.880 and so I got back and did the vocals and uh, 0:46:20.920 --> 0:46:23.759 but I heard I said, where's the other version? And 0:46:23.880 --> 0:46:27.280 he was like, that's a long story. I was like, okay, 0:46:29.040 --> 0:46:29.720 I think anything. 0:46:32.520 --> 0:46:35.920 Wait, uh, you know what it's everything's coming to me 0:46:36.000 --> 0:46:38.839 now as you're talking. I gotta go back to p funk. 0:46:39.680 --> 0:46:44.440 Can you please tell me the origin of new Spaceship? 0:46:44.880 --> 0:46:45.040 Oh? 0:46:45.640 --> 0:46:48.799 What's that an old track that you sang on? Because 0:46:48.840 --> 0:46:51.360 there's no way in hell and we're referring to new 0:46:51.400 --> 0:46:52.279 Spaceship on the. 0:46:52.760 --> 0:46:56.040 On the George Clinton, George Clinton People All Stars awesome, 0:46:56.480 --> 0:46:58.160 power fully operational mothership. 0:46:59.320 --> 0:47:01.840 But they called it T A T A old P 0:47:02.200 --> 0:47:05.520 whatever the initials opp? Whatever the initials opp. 0:47:07.040 --> 0:47:11.239 Dude, when that record came out, you know we were 0:47:11.280 --> 0:47:15.200 skimming through it, and you know I do the occasional 0:47:15.280 --> 0:47:24.600 ten second audition, and dude, I'm saying like, I don't 0:47:24.600 --> 0:47:27.440 even know if you remember the Steve, but when we 0:47:27.520 --> 0:47:33.399 were recording uh Voodoo with D'Angelo, it's all he listened to. Man, 0:47:33.920 --> 0:47:37.759 it was like a where did like was it a 0:47:37.840 --> 0:47:40.319 track that George just gave you to sing over or just. 0:47:40.600 --> 0:47:41.960 Me I personally, I don't even remember. 0:47:43.840 --> 0:47:46.799 You don't remember New Spaceship. I don't remember it. Oh 0:47:46.920 --> 0:47:50.400 Jesus Christ, here let me see, ladies and gentlemen, this 0:47:50.600 --> 0:47:53.440 is new Spaceship. I have to hear it from the 0:47:54.760 --> 0:47:59.560 ABC threep George, George Clinton, the p Funk All Stars. 0:47:59.719 --> 0:48:03.040 Yes, uh on course of Supreme right here. This is 0:48:03.280 --> 0:48:14.800 one of my favorite songs ever. I remember. 0:48:14.880 --> 0:48:27.799 Now, okay listen, let me tell you the story. Are 0:48:27.800 --> 0:48:28.760 you ready to hear the story? 0:48:29.440 --> 0:48:31.320 Yes, okay, listen, he is ready. 0:48:33.360 --> 0:48:38.360 That was my version. We was talking about sly Stone. 0:48:40.920 --> 0:48:44.279 This is how so I'm going in. I'm like, I'm 0:48:44.360 --> 0:48:45.120 marking slide. 0:48:45.200 --> 0:48:47.800 We're talking about this, and so he said, man, Charlie 0:48:47.800 --> 0:48:50.000 Whistle does a great version of slid Stone. So I 0:48:50.120 --> 0:48:52.200 was I was like, when I'm around slide back of 0:48:52.239 --> 0:48:54.000 the day, this is how he would be. And that's 0:48:54.040 --> 0:48:55.960 where that vocal came. And I started doing that. So 0:48:56.520 --> 0:48:58.560 all of that and they kept it. They kept all 0:48:58.600 --> 0:49:01.279 of that. And then because that's how we was doing 0:49:01.280 --> 0:49:03.359 it in at the beginning, before he got anything, I'm 0:49:03.400 --> 0:49:05.799 marking sly and then I turned to do my own 0:49:05.840 --> 0:49:07.839 thing with the with the with the Charlie Wilson thing 0:49:08.000 --> 0:49:09.680 around it. So it was like, man, this is a 0:49:09.719 --> 0:49:11.799 great some great ship right here. I think I'm gonna 0:49:11.880 --> 0:49:15.080 keep this. And so he did, and I wasn't paying 0:49:15.120 --> 0:49:17.719 attention to it. I was, I'm gone, I do my 0:49:17.800 --> 0:49:20.440 thing and I'm born out. I'm done. What year was that? 0:49:20.920 --> 0:49:23.759 I can't remember the year? Well, I know that's when 0:49:23.800 --> 0:49:25.360 it came out, But was it the old song that 0:49:25.440 --> 0:49:28.520 they had? It had to be it had to be. 0:49:29.000 --> 0:49:32.680 Uh had to be a ninety four or ninety four 0:49:32.760 --> 0:49:36.000 because I got but that just sounded like sev. 0:49:37.480 --> 0:49:40.600 I'm like, it sounds like Jerome Big Brilly on drug 0:49:41.640 --> 0:49:42.160 backing track. 0:49:42.760 --> 0:49:46.560 Yeah, well, we was recording it for that particular we 0:49:46.719 --> 0:49:48.600 was trying to get something. He was trying to get 0:49:48.680 --> 0:49:51.480 this thing and y'all got it and we got and 0:49:51.600 --> 0:49:53.800 we just started I started acting like slide. We was 0:49:53.920 --> 0:49:58.440 laughing about that, and uh, he said, go Howard Sly singing, 0:49:58.480 --> 0:50:00.279 and I was just like, that's how I started swat 0:50:00.360 --> 0:50:02.680 that the voice that sounded like that I was marketing. 0:50:03.239 --> 0:50:06.960 So I've had the pleasure of wait wait that songs 0:50:06.960 --> 0:50:08.480 from the nineties. 0:50:10.920 --> 0:50:12.600 Steve Steve. 0:50:13.000 --> 0:50:16.040 Steve was one of the engineers on d'angelo's Voodoo. 0:50:16.160 --> 0:50:18.040 So like during the. 0:50:19.560 --> 0:50:22.120 First month of us recording out Electric Lady. 0:50:24.520 --> 0:50:26.080 D had the CD. 0:50:26.239 --> 0:50:28.279 George gave it to him before it came out, and 0:50:28.480 --> 0:50:32.000 that's all he played for me all the time, and 0:50:32.239 --> 0:50:39.200 like we were just wow, flabbergasted, like flabbergasted at you 0:50:39.320 --> 0:50:42.720 guys nailing classic p funk in the nineties. 0:50:42.800 --> 0:50:46.120 Twenty years after that, after that time period, I just 0:50:46.320 --> 0:50:52.279 I just I just was going, uh uh sometime I 0:50:52.320 --> 0:50:59.440 have a problem moderating of then. I was, you know, 0:50:59.520 --> 0:51:01.440 you put yourself, he puts us too much on your 0:51:02.040 --> 0:51:04.759 on yourself, put too much on yourself. And I just 0:51:05.000 --> 0:51:09.279 never never liked the fact that the ad lives. It's 0:51:09.360 --> 0:51:11.520 just they just want me to just just be just 0:51:11.960 --> 0:51:13.160 be Charlie Wilson whatnot. 0:51:13.920 --> 0:51:19.880 I mean, it was like and so it was like, okay, uh, 0:51:20.120 --> 0:51:22.840 what what is the what is the what's the title? 0:51:22.880 --> 0:51:23.040 And what? 0:51:23.360 --> 0:51:25.920 It was like, No, you just you just you just 0:51:26.000 --> 0:51:27.640 give me some little whatever. 0:51:28.120 --> 0:51:29.680 Yeah. So I was just like that. 0:51:29.760 --> 0:51:32.160 But then I noticed that everybody always liked that. So 0:51:32.360 --> 0:51:35.080 it's always either it's just always just go off the 0:51:35.160 --> 0:51:37.000 top of the head with feeling. But this is the 0:51:37.080 --> 0:51:38.759 thing though, it's real. 0:51:40.400 --> 0:51:43.120 I'll be one of the Okay, I'm all, I'm one 0:51:43.160 --> 0:51:47.320 of those people. That's okay, I took I took you 0:51:47.440 --> 0:51:50.719 for granted, because the thing is that, I mean, when 0:51:50.719 --> 0:51:52.640 you grow up in a time period and you just 0:51:52.719 --> 0:51:55.840 see all this greatness, you know you do it. 0:51:55.960 --> 0:51:58.160 It's just that's just what he do. He's great. 0:51:58.840 --> 0:52:03.759 So you you've sat you've done uh the Fallon Show 0:52:03.800 --> 0:52:05.919 with us like maybe three or four times. You sat 0:52:06.000 --> 0:52:10.040 him with us twice, and there's one point where you're 0:52:10.560 --> 0:52:14.400 we can clearly hear you through the vents doing your 0:52:14.480 --> 0:52:19.879 vocal warm ups, and we're all looking at each other 0:52:21.040 --> 0:52:24.239 like it it was the most It was like a 0:52:24.320 --> 0:52:28.080 monster movie, like we just we're at the vocal event 0:52:28.200 --> 0:52:37.320 like listening to him, and it was how do you 0:52:38.719 --> 0:52:43.320 how do you warm up your your your your instrument? 0:52:43.480 --> 0:52:44.200 How do you preserve? 0:52:44.920 --> 0:52:48.000 Because like you I saw I saw clips of recently 0:52:48.080 --> 0:52:50.160 to show you to hear, and like all these songs, 0:52:50.200 --> 0:52:51.520 you're singing in the same key. 0:52:51.880 --> 0:52:53.239 When I was, when I was, when I was, back 0:52:53.280 --> 0:52:55.680 when I was young, and that's still saying. I don't 0:52:55.800 --> 0:52:57.640 We didn't change the keys for me, and everybody used 0:52:57.680 --> 0:52:59.719 to say, man, my brother may need to change the key. 0:52:59.760 --> 0:53:01.680 I said, man, that ain't gonna sound right. He's your 0:53:01.760 --> 0:53:04.480 key and the ease my key. When from when I was, 0:53:04.560 --> 0:53:06.480 when we was younger, that was in my twenties, and 0:53:06.560 --> 0:53:08.520 that's we wrote all the stuff in those keys and 0:53:08.640 --> 0:53:10.479 that was it. So I still sang all the keys, 0:53:10.719 --> 0:53:12.359 the songs in the same keys, and we wrote all 0:53:12.400 --> 0:53:14.560 them in. And it's like I said, it won't sound right, 0:53:15.120 --> 0:53:16.839 might push out. I have to push to get it out. 0:53:16.880 --> 0:53:19.719 But why would I change the keys? But but I 0:53:19.840 --> 0:53:38.600 warm up, uh you know, nine nine nine, Then I 0:53:38.719 --> 0:53:41.000 do that till till it's clear what I did break 0:53:41.040 --> 0:53:43.960 in because clear, you have to this mucus and things 0:53:44.000 --> 0:53:46.160 this and there. You know you study with Seth Riggs 0:53:46.239 --> 0:53:54.440 or did Yeah, Michael Jackson, I didn't go there very long, 0:53:54.520 --> 0:53:56.279 but I did study with him, and he told me 0:53:56.320 --> 0:53:57.680 how the great Foster, he was the one that gave 0:53:57.680 --> 0:53:59.560 me those warm ups and I never stopped using those 0:53:59.600 --> 0:54:02.320 warm ups. And Stevie was going to him. And Stevie 0:54:02.440 --> 0:54:05.120 used to do a with a note at the same 0:54:05.200 --> 0:54:09.960 time minus behind. But he used to do that, but 0:54:10.080 --> 0:54:12.600 it was more he was dead on accurate, like if 0:54:12.640 --> 0:54:17.440 he was hitting warm up right, yeah wow, And so 0:54:17.719 --> 0:54:20.839 I would used to try that all day. And why 0:54:20.960 --> 0:54:23.920 why is seth riggsy go to guy? This guy had? 0:54:24.000 --> 0:54:26.279 This guy was phenomenal him and his daughter too. They 0:54:26.320 --> 0:54:29.640 were just, uh, he could warm you up and then 0:54:29.680 --> 0:54:31.279 he could have you doing things that you didn't ever 0:54:31.360 --> 0:54:33.440 think you could do. And I just didn't get a 0:54:33.480 --> 0:54:35.360 chance to go back. I was devious too back in 0:54:35.400 --> 0:54:37.680 those days, and so I started doing a lot of 0:54:37.680 --> 0:54:39.600 other things to have going to the vocal coach. And 0:54:40.040 --> 0:54:43.799 but he was he was just the most incrediblest guy 0:54:43.800 --> 0:54:46.880 I've ever been close to. While he was warming me 0:54:46.960 --> 0:54:49.120 up and he started doing things that I never thought 0:54:49.160 --> 0:54:51.640 I could do, and he said, so held warm me up, 0:54:51.680 --> 0:54:53.960 and then we got through warming warming me up. Then 0:54:53.960 --> 0:54:55.640 he would start doing these things and he was doing 0:54:56.680 --> 0:54:58.840 before I got warmed up, and then he told me 0:54:58.920 --> 0:55:00.520 to do it and I would hit it, and I 0:55:00.640 --> 0:55:05.680 was like wow. I said, see, it's just an instrument. 0:55:05.719 --> 0:55:06.920 It's going to get you to do everything. 0:55:07.080 --> 0:55:10.000 So from a non me being an obvious non singer 0:55:10.160 --> 0:55:17.640 barely talking, what is because I would think that if 0:55:17.680 --> 0:55:21.880 you activate your voice for thirty five to forty five minutes, 0:55:21.920 --> 0:55:27.319 you might wear it out. So you have to get 0:55:27.400 --> 0:55:29.759 it in motion and exercise it just to keep the. 0:55:30.120 --> 0:55:32.040 Yeah, you get it warmed up, and then after you 0:55:32.200 --> 0:55:37.279 do the correct exercise and for thirty minutes, then you 0:55:37.360 --> 0:55:38.920 can go and hit the notes that you want to hit. 0:55:40.960 --> 0:55:43.160 Do you sing from your diaphragm as all singers are 0:55:43.160 --> 0:55:43.600 supposed to. 0:55:43.560 --> 0:55:46.040 Be supposed to do? Yeah, it comes sometimes and sometimes 0:55:46.040 --> 0:55:48.720 are you initially singing from your throat? But at the beginning, 0:55:49.320 --> 0:55:51.160 until I met him and then he showed me how 0:55:51.200 --> 0:55:54.160 to well, actually they told me that taught me that 0:55:54.239 --> 0:55:58.320 in high school and in college. But again, you know, 0:55:58.640 --> 0:56:01.520 you're not listening to a lot of people. My mom 0:56:01.680 --> 0:56:04.359 used to tell me that, and but this guy Seth, 0:56:04.400 --> 0:56:06.719 he was telling me how how you're supposed to sing, 0:56:06.840 --> 0:56:09.360 and and I always wanted him to come to the 0:56:09.440 --> 0:56:12.799 studios with me and and work on my verses when 0:56:12.800 --> 0:56:17.560 I'm doing verses while I'm saying, you know, recording vocals, 0:56:17.600 --> 0:56:20.200 because he would do that with a lot of artists, superstars, 0:56:20.920 --> 0:56:22.919 make sure the breathing is right going into the next 0:56:22.960 --> 0:56:23.760 phrase and stuff. 0:56:24.000 --> 0:56:26.080 How do you preserve like so like after a show, 0:56:26.280 --> 0:56:29.799 what's your ritual like after after the show is done? 0:56:30.000 --> 0:56:35.600 I have no rituals about nothing. Okay, scarf on your 0:56:36.640 --> 0:56:40.080 I don't have rituals at all. And the only ritual 0:56:40.160 --> 0:56:42.680 I have is uh, if you want to use the rituals, 0:56:42.920 --> 0:56:44.719 it would be. My wife is the ritual. She is 0:56:44.840 --> 0:56:48.640 the ritual. That's she makes sure that I'm warm, and 0:56:48.760 --> 0:56:51.400 she makes sure that I'm drinking something warm. And then 0:56:51.480 --> 0:56:55.160 my guy at temporal, he's he keeps some warm stuff 0:56:55.200 --> 0:56:58.799 with me, hot water and honey, and and that's it. Man. 0:56:58.840 --> 0:57:01.800 And I when I get off the stage, I do 0:57:01.960 --> 0:57:04.120 the wrong thing. I'm talking loud and I'm hollering and 0:57:04.160 --> 0:57:07.960 I'm going crazy out. It's never I'm talking soft. You know, 0:57:08.440 --> 0:57:10.520 I come from one side of the family who talks 0:57:10.600 --> 0:57:13.200 loud and my father's side, my mom's side talks loud 0:57:13.239 --> 0:57:15.719 and my father's side talks off. And so I just 0:57:15.800 --> 0:57:17.840 stepped the mom's side. I'm just loud. 0:57:17.880 --> 0:57:18.960 I was just gonna say, this is not like a 0:57:19.040 --> 0:57:21.240 manual for all singers, because you're you're blessed. 0:57:23.320 --> 0:57:23.919 Nonethe less. 0:57:24.400 --> 0:57:28.080 Yes, so it's not an arefa the Luther thing where 0:57:28.120 --> 0:57:30.800 you have to turn off and well. 0:57:30.880 --> 0:57:33.240 Let me tell you something about about air conditions. It'll 0:57:33.320 --> 0:57:36.040 rip you up. And if you got to saying I 0:57:36.080 --> 0:57:38.200 wouldn't be serious. You're serious. 0:57:38.920 --> 0:57:41.120 This is the one thing that Tarik and I Tarik 0:57:41.880 --> 0:57:44.400 is the It could be the middle of summer and 0:57:44.480 --> 0:57:47.080 he'll make the driver turn off the air conditions and 0:57:47.160 --> 0:57:49.160 make us all suffer in the car. And he's like, 0:57:49.240 --> 0:57:51.480 I won't have a voice for a showtime. Absolutely not, 0:57:51.960 --> 0:58:00.440 that's a cycle whatever. Tarika hasn't smoked in about five 0:58:00.560 --> 0:58:04.080 years now. Really yeah, okay, listen, that is absolute truth 0:58:04.200 --> 0:58:07.400 right there. You do not you want to have the 0:58:07.480 --> 0:58:10.120 temperature in the car off just at. 0:58:10.080 --> 0:58:14.600 Least seventy five degrees wow, Okay, at all times if 0:58:14.640 --> 0:58:18.720 you want to sing if you want to have good voice. Now, 0:58:18.760 --> 0:58:20.560 if I had to sing the night, I wouldn't be 0:58:20.600 --> 0:58:23.880 in this room. Oh you wouldn't. Okay, Now it's too 0:58:23.920 --> 0:58:27.640 cold in here, I see, but it's you. It'll tear 0:58:27.640 --> 0:58:30.520 you out. You notice I'm kick clear in my throat 0:58:31.160 --> 0:58:33.320 because the cold air is get into it. But I'm 0:58:33.400 --> 0:58:35.800 just talking. So but it's not just. 0:58:35.960 --> 0:58:37.120 Because a recording studio. 0:58:37.320 --> 0:58:37.720 Yeah it's not. 0:58:38.040 --> 0:58:38.880 And it's always colding. 0:58:39.360 --> 0:58:42.919 You know. When I'm in recording, I ain't. We don't 0:58:42.920 --> 0:58:47.479 have that. You're gonna shut that down, so we won't 0:58:47.520 --> 0:58:50.120 be doing vocals in that studio, not Willson. 0:58:50.960 --> 0:58:54.960 So by the time that uh gap in three, four 0:58:55.040 --> 0:58:58.360 and five come out, when you guys are really fully operational, 0:58:59.080 --> 0:59:02.880 well I always wanted to know because when I when 0:59:02.880 --> 0:59:04.840 I spoke of the let's take it to the stage 0:59:04.920 --> 0:59:08.080 character with you're like provoking people like Dann suckling' you 0:59:08.120 --> 0:59:13.040 know whatever. Yea, What was your relationship like with your 0:59:13.440 --> 0:59:18.960 band contemporaries back then? Like were there rivalries with comfunction 0:59:19.480 --> 0:59:23.120 or or you know all these other bands like yeah, 0:59:23.120 --> 0:59:24.560 I'm gonna show y'all what's up and you. 0:59:24.600 --> 0:59:27.040 Know that sort of thing every single night. 0:59:27.960 --> 0:59:32.840 So in hindsight, what was the band that got under 0:59:32.880 --> 0:59:33.280 your skin? 0:59:33.440 --> 0:59:35.800 Like, yo, man, we're going to take it. What it's like, 0:59:35.920 --> 0:59:39.560 It's like this we were. It was comfunction basically because 0:59:39.560 --> 0:59:44.040 they would put from seriously I hympathetically just throwing a 0:59:44.120 --> 0:59:46.160 dark Kno, let me tell you why. It's because they 0:59:46.200 --> 0:59:50.200 went put fringes on their uniforms, and it was like, okay, 0:59:50.920 --> 0:59:53.040 you know we've been we do cowboys. We went fringes 0:59:53.440 --> 0:59:55.920 woking home. But they wouldn't put fringes on their uniform 0:59:56.320 --> 1:00:00.320 and so we were thinking, like, okay, they already you know, 1:00:01.080 --> 1:00:03.240 they got the big records from back in the day 1:00:03.360 --> 1:00:08.200 and all of that stuff. But it's it's we were 1:00:08.480 --> 1:00:12.400 still like this. Uh, but we were would it come 1:00:12.480 --> 1:00:14.480 down to stage? It was like do a die? But 1:00:14.600 --> 1:00:19.600 the worst, the worst rivalry was Charlie Wilson and Roger Troutman, 1:00:19.720 --> 1:00:29.360 Zapp and Gap because computer love No. Me and Roger 1:00:29.440 --> 1:00:31.880 were like this I'm talking about when I say tight, 1:00:32.560 --> 1:00:35.720 Me and him was like this like the brothers, his brothers, 1:00:37.040 --> 1:00:39.560 his brothers and my brothers. They did not like me 1:00:39.640 --> 1:00:42.200 and Roger to be tight. They did not want it. Period. 1:00:46.880 --> 1:00:51.640 He tell us about Larry because that's every of every artist, 1:00:51.920 --> 1:00:53.440 of all the artists we've had on the show, that 1:00:53.440 --> 1:00:56.360 could have told us Larry Troutman stories we've not asked, 1:00:57.360 --> 1:00:59.600 especially with like because I know that Zapp in the 1:00:59.680 --> 1:01:02.560 time had rivalries as well. 1:01:04.280 --> 1:01:08.120 What was it like with with the Troutman clan and 1:01:08.200 --> 1:01:10.280 working with them? And it was great? It was, I mean, 1:01:10.320 --> 1:01:12.000 you know, just like I said, Ma, and Roger was 1:01:12.040 --> 1:01:16.040 so tight. It was. But Roger had the edge because 1:01:16.080 --> 1:01:18.120 he was using a talk box and so and I 1:01:18.160 --> 1:01:23.360 shoud tell him, is you cheating? You ain't singing out 1:01:23.400 --> 1:01:27.920 every night? No, he was a talkbox, so, I mean, 1:01:28.560 --> 1:01:31.640 so he was saying, he just grabbed my throat like this. 1:01:34.880 --> 1:01:37.800 Tolls. Well. He would also do tricks like he wore 1:01:37.880 --> 1:01:42.240 the underwear that lit up and they did crazy tricks 1:01:42.280 --> 1:01:42.800 in concert. 1:01:43.480 --> 1:01:47.720 So why why is it that when I want to 1:01:47.760 --> 1:01:52.040 hear computer Love now it's I'm about to say, Gwyn Guthrie, 1:01:53.440 --> 1:01:55.560 Shirley Murdoch singing your parts. 1:01:56.240 --> 1:02:02.520 There's two versions of computer Love and for some reason, 1:02:02.640 --> 1:02:03.840 your your vocals are not. 1:02:04.040 --> 1:02:06.320 On the they come in at the end, they come 1:02:06.360 --> 1:02:09.800 into the ad libs even yeah, yeah, on the fade out. 1:02:10.160 --> 1:02:14.000 Why is that? Well, it's like this, Oh God. The 1:02:14.080 --> 1:02:19.040 beginning of the relationship with that record and the way 1:02:19.120 --> 1:02:25.360 they took basically they I went had a tape and 1:02:25.480 --> 1:02:27.800 I played it for the total experience Lonnie, and they 1:02:27.920 --> 1:02:30.360 was like, I ain't never hit and so wait a minute, 1:02:30.400 --> 1:02:33.640 So uh, I said, okay, And I think he was 1:02:33.720 --> 1:02:35.840 kind of a little upset going on clock. 1:02:40.240 --> 1:02:41.280 So they didn't. 1:02:42.680 --> 1:02:45.600 So who told you to go? Say yeah? But anyway, 1:02:45.880 --> 1:02:49.360 you didn't like it, I said, so you don't mind 1:02:49.440 --> 1:02:51.000 it coming out. It ain't gonna be no hit. I 1:02:51.040 --> 1:02:52.720 was like, okay, we didn't have a hit at the time. 1:02:53.200 --> 1:02:56.800 So the record came out about two about a year 1:02:56.800 --> 1:03:00.520 and a half later. Yes, it did, and from the 1:03:00.600 --> 1:03:02.960 time I had got to cassette it was a year 1:03:02.960 --> 1:03:04.600 and a half later. But I thought the record gonna 1:03:04.600 --> 1:03:05.960 come out faster than it did, but it didn't. And 1:03:06.040 --> 1:03:08.960 then when it did, it's just shooting up the charts. 1:03:09.600 --> 1:03:12.000 But they didn't want to say featuring Charlie Wilson because 1:03:12.040 --> 1:03:16.000 it hadn't gotten the no you know, it's no clearanton things, 1:03:16.040 --> 1:03:17.920 so it's just me and just so I'm on there. 1:03:18.360 --> 1:03:21.360 So it goes when it gets to like number four 1:03:21.520 --> 1:03:24.040 or three, somewhere they sued him and made them take 1:03:24.160 --> 1:03:24.920 my vocal off. 1:03:25.840 --> 1:03:26.040 Ah. 1:03:27.200 --> 1:03:30.360 Yeah, so and then of course they had to strap 1:03:30.480 --> 1:03:33.240 scram around to try to get another version. And by 1:03:33.320 --> 1:03:35.640 that time you in the top five. Man, I mean, 1:03:35.720 --> 1:03:38.320 the record is already it's out there, beasts. And so 1:03:38.920 --> 1:03:42.360 they put the Shirley Murdock version out and then and 1:03:42.480 --> 1:03:44.200 it stayed there for a minute, and I think it 1:03:44.280 --> 1:03:45.760 just started on the way because people used to the 1:03:45.800 --> 1:03:48.560 other version. You just can't just throw another version hello 1:03:48.880 --> 1:03:51.760 and having it, having it, having it doesn't doesn't matter 1:03:52.200 --> 1:03:55.000 who's singing it. And no disrespect to Shirley murder because 1:03:55.000 --> 1:03:57.600 she was killing the version she married you well that 1:03:57.880 --> 1:04:01.040 that was. But that version was already out, you know, 1:04:01.200 --> 1:04:04.760 and he was that version. So and it started taking 1:04:04.800 --> 1:04:08.720 a die. But everybody always knew that record. Doesn't matter 1:04:09.360 --> 1:04:12.320 when they stopped. But anyway, Uh, the record ended up 1:04:12.360 --> 1:04:18.760 being such a great record. And every time Roger would 1:04:18.760 --> 1:04:20.959 see me, if if if he looked on the side 1:04:21.000 --> 1:04:23.840 and saw me while he was doing the record, he 1:04:23.880 --> 1:04:29.280 would stopped the band. Boom. Okay, this record would not 1:04:29.400 --> 1:04:36.320 be possible without this guy. It would not be possible 1:04:36.640 --> 1:04:38.560 without this man. Right, he looking at me, and I'm like, 1:04:38.680 --> 1:04:41.680 don't do it, don't do it without this man. So 1:04:42.400 --> 1:04:44.560 would I further do on account three? I want you 1:04:44.560 --> 1:04:47.120 all to help me call his name, and so I 1:04:47.120 --> 1:04:50.200 would go up there and kick my own ass because 1:04:50.240 --> 1:04:51.480 we had to perform after that. 1:04:51.880 --> 1:05:01.760 So me and the man coffee together because it was 1:05:01.800 --> 1:05:02.120 a rap. 1:05:02.200 --> 1:05:05.440 After that, Me and Roger come on, Yeah, we just 1:05:05.560 --> 1:05:10.800 slaughtered the place. Yeah. When you talk about Shirley Murdoch, incredible. Yeah. 1:05:11.480 --> 1:05:13.760 The producer for s w V, Brian Allix and the 1:05:13.800 --> 1:05:17.840 Morgan It was a huge fan and he talks about 1:05:17.960 --> 1:05:21.840 how his whole idea for s w V was that 1:05:21.960 --> 1:05:23.960 he wanted to take your melody and he kind of 1:05:24.000 --> 1:05:27.320 saw Coco as like a Shirley Murdoch and like. 1:05:28.040 --> 1:05:33.040 Week he was weak for you. Yeah, it was for Charlie. Yeah, 1:05:34.680 --> 1:05:37.480 because we already had a song was that same melody, 1:05:37.840 --> 1:05:39.480 We had a record already that so he took that 1:05:39.640 --> 1:05:40.920 one and made it. 1:05:43.720 --> 1:05:48.200 Did you catch that the initial inception like this sounds familiar? 1:05:49.240 --> 1:05:51.040 Let me tell you in hindsight, you know, I wrote 1:05:51.080 --> 1:05:51.920 this as a tribute to you. 1:05:53.560 --> 1:05:58.680 You are my You're my style, your everything to me. 1:05:58.960 --> 1:06:02.280 You are my pride. So he did it so weak 1:06:03.000 --> 1:06:06.880 at the knees as a Capitol record, so I mean, 1:06:06.960 --> 1:06:08.800 I mean the last one of the glass Gap Band records, 1:06:08.840 --> 1:06:12.280 and so a total experience I think seven six or 1:06:12.320 --> 1:06:15.160 seven seven somewhere there. So he just straight took that 1:06:15.400 --> 1:06:18.280 same melody and just I mean it, I get so weak. 1:06:18.360 --> 1:06:20.840 But Brian wanted to write for me and we just 1:06:21.480 --> 1:06:23.120 never got a chance to get around to that. But 1:06:23.200 --> 1:06:27.680 he had great success with the SWV Man Good Luck. 1:06:27.600 --> 1:06:31.680 So with Gap Band four, with with Early in the Morning, 1:06:31.840 --> 1:06:35.840 and and and you dropped the bomb on me and 1:06:36.280 --> 1:06:40.360 very unlikely Outstanding because it's weird because I purchased. 1:06:41.600 --> 1:06:41.640 No. 1:06:44.880 --> 1:06:47.400 But I'm saying that, you know, at the time when 1:06:47.440 --> 1:06:51.880 I when I got Gap in four, I didn't realize that, 1:06:52.440 --> 1:06:57.160 you know, to me, Outstanding was just quality, quality filler, right. 1:06:58.520 --> 1:07:00.400 I didn't see it as, oh, this this might be 1:07:00.560 --> 1:07:02.600 the biggest single of his career, just like oh it's 1:07:02.640 --> 1:07:03.360 closing side to you? 1:07:03.960 --> 1:07:06.280 When did you drop the side too? Let's get to that. 1:07:07.200 --> 1:07:09.160 But I mean, how is that when you. 1:07:09.320 --> 1:07:13.240 Wrote outstanding in your head, did you realize that this 1:07:13.440 --> 1:07:17.080 was going to dominate every two step barbecue in the 1:07:17.240 --> 1:07:19.120 history of black gatherings. 1:07:19.040 --> 1:07:21.040 Of all time when that record was Yeah, I went 1:07:21.080 --> 1:07:23.280 I we was working on that record, me and the 1:07:23.360 --> 1:07:25.040 Drama cat Horn. When we was working on that record, 1:07:25.480 --> 1:07:31.440 it felt so so so good to me that it 1:07:31.680 --> 1:07:35.680 was like I couldn't believe that the vibe on it 1:07:36.040 --> 1:07:39.240 that was that man and had so much emptiness love 1:07:39.400 --> 1:07:41.680 that was there. It's just it was so you know, 1:07:42.640 --> 1:07:45.200 it was it's the spacing of it was just great. 1:07:45.240 --> 1:07:46.680 And I didn't know it was going to be around 1:07:46.720 --> 1:07:49.040 that long, but I know it felt so good to me, 1:07:49.480 --> 1:07:51.040 and it was sounded like the best record at that 1:07:51.280 --> 1:07:53.160 when that album to me was sound like that was 1:07:53.200 --> 1:07:56.200 the best record to me. But you know, and then 1:07:56.240 --> 1:07:58.320 it just everybody started sampling and using it. 1:07:58.560 --> 1:08:02.240 Did you did you guys work on both versions, like 1:08:02.320 --> 1:08:04.680 the remix and this album version at the same time. 1:08:06.440 --> 1:08:08.640 No, so you did the remix in. 1:08:08.680 --> 1:08:12.439 Hindsight after the album was done, And yes, okay, that's 1:08:12.560 --> 1:08:14.520 that's what I wanted to know. Yes, all right, I 1:08:14.600 --> 1:08:16.880 have a question about you dropped the bomb on me. Okay, 1:08:18.680 --> 1:08:20.600 So American. 1:08:20.200 --> 1:08:25.080 Music Awards nineteen eighty two, you guys are performing you 1:08:25.240 --> 1:08:29.320 dropped the Bomb on Me. Now I'm watching this on 1:08:29.800 --> 1:08:32.759 a small black and white television Quest Love Supreme listeners. 1:08:32.800 --> 1:08:37.960 At one time, everything wasn't in plaid. Wait, don't say wow, 1:08:38.080 --> 1:08:41.160 like you know, I'm just I remembering, all right, Oh 1:08:41.280 --> 1:08:43.559 thank you. I thought you're trying to disassociate yourself from 1:08:43.640 --> 1:08:44.080 my age. 1:08:44.920 --> 1:08:45.360 Anyway. 1:08:45.760 --> 1:08:53.840 Wow, At the last twenty seconds of that performance, something 1:08:54.000 --> 1:08:56.880 so miraculous happened, and I cannot believe. 1:08:56.640 --> 1:09:00.920 The world didn't rave over it. I thought it was you. 1:09:01.280 --> 1:09:03.040 I think he told me he was your trumpet player. 1:09:04.720 --> 1:09:11.040 Someone did the moonwalk, and I'm looking at my mom 1:09:11.080 --> 1:09:11.280 and my. 1:09:11.360 --> 1:09:12.840 Dad, like do you see us? 1:09:12.880 --> 1:09:15.080 He's walking like this is this is a year before 1:09:15.120 --> 1:09:18.680 Michael Jackson did at Motown twenty five. 1:09:19.200 --> 1:09:21.400 At the very end, either was it you? Was it? Now? 1:09:21.439 --> 1:09:23.040 I was this kid that I found. His name was 1:09:23.120 --> 1:09:26.920 Baby Gap, and I named him Baby Gap. Okay, yeah, 1:09:26.960 --> 1:09:29.560 because he's also dancing on Beeper Free. Okay, now it 1:09:29.680 --> 1:09:32.320 makes sense. Yeah, okay, maybe he had the same outfit 1:09:32.400 --> 1:09:32.600 on you. 1:09:32.720 --> 1:09:35.680 But literally he just grabs the mic stand and he 1:09:35.840 --> 1:09:39.480 does just the most exaggerated moonwalk, like even more exaggerated 1:09:39.520 --> 1:09:40.320 than Michael Jackson. 1:09:41.160 --> 1:09:42.840 And I was like, how's the world not seeing this 1:09:43.000 --> 1:09:43.360 right now? 1:09:43.479 --> 1:09:43.920 Like why? 1:09:44.200 --> 1:09:46.320 And the next day in school was like, did y'all 1:09:46.320 --> 1:09:48.560 see this? They're like it was like snuffle up. I guess, like, 1:09:48.720 --> 1:09:53.080 no one believe me. He was walking backwards, but from okay. 1:09:53.040 --> 1:09:56.720 Yeah, it's and the way it's like, I don't want 1:09:56.720 --> 1:09:59.120 to deflate Michaels, but he used to come to the 1:09:59.200 --> 1:10:03.240 shows and in the corner on the stage still and 1:10:03.439 --> 1:10:06.360 watched and watched and watched watch baby Gap do it 1:10:06.479 --> 1:10:08.880 and how he did it and everything, and but that 1:10:09.040 --> 1:10:12.040 told story was never never told. So it's all y'all 1:10:12.120 --> 1:10:12.639 did it first? 1:10:13.720 --> 1:10:16.000 That's a moonwalk battle. Then because dude from Shallamar he 1:10:16.080 --> 1:10:17.200 claims that he created it. 1:10:17.240 --> 1:10:20.840 Too, I mean he, yes, he did. Daniels went to 1:10:20.960 --> 1:10:21.240 this house. 1:10:21.320 --> 1:10:24.160 But I'm telling you, if they did it on the 1:10:24.200 --> 1:10:26.840 American Music World, then I'm like, then they must have 1:10:26.880 --> 1:10:29.439 been doing it a lot. Yeah, and the world must 1:10:29.479 --> 1:10:29.840 have seen it. 1:10:30.200 --> 1:10:33.720 But they That was the first time I saw a 1:10:33.760 --> 1:10:36.800 commercial artist, not like a dancer on soul Trae or whatever. 1:10:37.520 --> 1:10:41.639 It was the first time it was uh nationally and national. Yes, 1:10:42.080 --> 1:10:44.639 scene was by us, Yes, and we was the first 1:10:45.360 --> 1:10:48.080 on that particular show. Was the first black artist to 1:10:48.160 --> 1:10:51.280 ever have pyro as well, Yes, we had power and 1:10:51.320 --> 1:10:53.720 the other only Somebody's had power was Kissed and then 1:10:53.760 --> 1:10:55.599 they just were saying that we couldn't use the Pyro. 1:10:55.760 --> 1:10:57.960 And then that's when line said, well, well why does 1:10:58.040 --> 1:11:00.920 kiss use the Pyro? And the guy was like, m 1:11:01.960 --> 1:11:04.800 so we're using Pyro, you ain't get the band. So 1:11:05.000 --> 1:11:07.040 it was like one of those shook night moves and 1:11:07.120 --> 1:11:10.840 so we so we had Pyro. It was the first 1:11:10.880 --> 1:11:12.960 ones to have that on American musical black. 1:11:13.680 --> 1:11:16.160 I don't know if it's just contractual whatever, but for 1:11:16.280 --> 1:11:19.960 some reason, Gap Being five is nowhere to be found, 1:11:20.200 --> 1:11:25.400 like not on streaming, not on reissues. Is it was 1:11:25.479 --> 1:11:28.200 that just like a in your eyes like a still 1:11:28.280 --> 1:11:31.719 born child or it's party Trade was on that album 1:11:31.760 --> 1:11:34.880 and yeah, it's like the Big Records was there and. 1:11:35.439 --> 1:11:39.519 I'm ready, you're ready, Like yeah, that's it's so hard 1:11:39.560 --> 1:11:45.840 to find. Yeah, it's I don't quite no, it's just 1:11:46.280 --> 1:11:49.479 it's yeah, it's like control it with Gold. It was 1:11:49.600 --> 1:11:55.360 just like, is Loney Simmons still alive now or he 1:11:55.520 --> 1:11:58.519 is still alive from my us for my knowledge, yes. 1:11:58.760 --> 1:12:01.000 So does he still control the Masters and all that? 1:12:01.040 --> 1:12:01.160 And that? 1:12:01.479 --> 1:12:04.439 Like no, so he sold it out, Okay, it's probably 1:12:04.479 --> 1:12:07.439 through Universal. So now we gotta get to I'll Find 1:12:07.479 --> 1:12:13.920 My Baby? Yeah, so was I Found My Baby? 1:12:14.040 --> 1:12:14.720 Was that a song? 1:12:14.800 --> 1:12:18.160 Where was it like accidental where it's like you realize, like, 1:12:18.200 --> 1:12:20.519 oh man, I did the same song already or was 1:12:20.560 --> 1:12:23.240 it intentionally trying to follow up outstanding? 1:12:23.479 --> 1:12:26.640 Well, it wasn't my idea to do that, but it 1:12:26.840 --> 1:12:30.120 was somebody's idea. It's like, give me another of course. 1:12:30.200 --> 1:12:33.920 And uh, and I was telling him like, dude, listen, 1:12:34.640 --> 1:12:36.479 that record is already too big. You want to you 1:12:36.520 --> 1:12:38.680 don't want to fool or that shoe is big. Put 1:12:38.720 --> 1:12:41.479 your foot in that shoe. It's a sass twenty two now, 1:12:42.080 --> 1:12:44.360 whereas Sae ten is not gonna fit. He didn't understand 1:12:44.360 --> 1:12:46.320 what I was talking about, but he tried it, So 1:12:46.439 --> 1:12:49.080 I tried it with him. And and uh, I don't 1:12:49.080 --> 1:12:51.400 know if you remember the video. Do you remember the I. 1:12:51.439 --> 1:12:55.160 Remember where someone kid was missing? They were handing out flyers. 1:12:55.320 --> 1:12:59.240 Yeah? Yeah, But did you see the street version, I 1:12:59.320 --> 1:13:01.920 mean while we was in the street doing thehocography. Did 1:13:01.960 --> 1:13:04.000 you see the news clip when I got knocked out? 1:13:05.160 --> 1:13:08.320 You never seen that, boy? 1:13:08.800 --> 1:13:12.599 I see, I remember it long ago on video jukebox. 1:13:12.880 --> 1:13:14.320 Wait you got knocked out? 1:13:14.760 --> 1:13:21.120 Yeah? Man, so what so so listen, we're we're we're 1:13:21.120 --> 1:13:23.080 going down the street. All the whole group is going. 1:13:25.760 --> 1:13:28.080 So baby Gap is flipping. He's supposed to flip, right, 1:13:28.439 --> 1:13:31.240 so he's flipping and so when I back up, I 1:13:31.280 --> 1:13:33.479 don't like when he comes right down on the top 1:13:33.560 --> 1:13:38.479 of my head with his flip, and uh, man, I 1:13:38.640 --> 1:13:40.120 was just out. I was. 1:13:40.360 --> 1:13:41.520 I was more embarrassed. 1:13:41.720 --> 1:13:44.599 I was more embarrassed that I hit this concrete than anything. 1:13:44.920 --> 1:13:46.840 And I was still on the video. I don't know 1:13:46.960 --> 1:13:48.599 they they didn't care, but it was on the news. 1:13:53.040 --> 1:13:55.640 It was on the news because the news cameras there 1:13:55.680 --> 1:13:57.560 because we had shut the street down and so the 1:13:57.640 --> 1:14:01.880 news was there and they called it on it. And anyway, 1:14:02.240 --> 1:14:05.880 I remember laying there, uh and I was like, and 1:14:06.000 --> 1:14:08.960 I watched everybody feet come, but I was I was 1:14:09.040 --> 1:14:11.200 more embarrassed to get up than anything. So I just 1:14:11.360 --> 1:14:11.800 laid there. 1:14:13.200 --> 1:14:16.960 So, Okay, there's there's there's another song on the Gap 1:14:17.040 --> 1:14:20.000 Being six record that I've been dying to know about, 1:14:20.200 --> 1:14:23.400 probably Boss Bill too, not Be for Freak. I love 1:14:23.479 --> 1:14:25.719 be for Freak By the way you do that, dude, 1:14:25.760 --> 1:14:30.559 that was a soul trained staple. Wow, that's my song. However, 1:14:31.960 --> 1:14:34.960 a very interesting song and an even more interesting video. 1:14:35.920 --> 1:14:39.719 Now I had to do some purple investigation and purple 1:14:39.840 --> 1:14:46.160 investigation in oh, I know where you're going. Well, I 1:14:46.240 --> 1:14:49.519 forgot about this until just now. Yes, so there's a 1:14:49.640 --> 1:14:56.080 song called Disrespectful that has a very interesting video, yes, yes, 1:14:57.240 --> 1:15:03.840 depicting y'all killing the stage and this rather height challenged 1:15:04.840 --> 1:15:08.599 height challenged the rock star with the bouffont and these 1:15:08.600 --> 1:15:13.960 two big bodyguards acting disrespectful. Oh, I will never forget 1:15:14.000 --> 1:15:18.240 this video. The second I saw Alan Leeds, I was like, yo, 1:15:18.439 --> 1:15:21.240 did Prince and Charlie Wilson ever have beef for something? 1:15:21.280 --> 1:15:23.679 Because what's the Have you ever seen the Disrespectful video? 1:15:24.760 --> 1:15:28.519 It's like it's it's it's animated, it's not even lyric 1:15:28.600 --> 1:15:30.240 it's I don't even think there's lyrics to it. It's 1:15:30.280 --> 1:15:32.559 sort of like almost like they're there. 1:15:32.640 --> 1:15:35.120 Let's take it to the stage songwhere he's talking smack 1:15:36.240 --> 1:15:39.080 And so I asked Alan Leeds, Princess tour manager at 1:15:39.120 --> 1:15:40.720 the time. I was like, okay, So the song came 1:15:40.760 --> 1:15:45.479 out in eighty four, I said, did something happen between 1:15:45.560 --> 1:15:47.559 Prince and Charlie Wilson that made the song come up 1:15:47.640 --> 1:15:51.800 like disrespectful and Alan couldn't remember. He's like, I don't know, 1:15:51.920 --> 1:15:55.000 it's maybe Charlie wanted to sing on stage with Prince 1:15:55.040 --> 1:15:55.400 is something? 1:15:55.920 --> 1:15:58.480 What is what is the origin of disrespectful? 1:15:59.320 --> 1:16:02.599 And can I assume that it was directed? 1:16:03.600 --> 1:16:08.120 You had your chance chance to dance to disrespect you 1:16:08.200 --> 1:16:10.759 won't let me on? But what happened? 1:16:10.960 --> 1:16:14.720 Well, I love Prince man, we all love Prince and 1:16:15.120 --> 1:16:15.360 this is. 1:16:15.360 --> 1:16:17.920 The hindsight and this song, this song is thirty years ago, 1:16:18.000 --> 1:16:21.920 so yeah it's and so hey, man, see this beef 1:16:21.960 --> 1:16:22.639 we can talk about. 1:16:26.800 --> 1:16:30.760 I mean, we always talked about He's always like, man, 1:16:30.840 --> 1:16:33.519 it's my favorite band and all of that. And and 1:16:33.600 --> 1:16:37.240 then once I saw him, I treated some young kids 1:16:37.320 --> 1:16:39.760 and and it was just like, how is it. I 1:16:39.880 --> 1:16:42.840 was like, you're not gonna even You're not gonna even 1:16:42.880 --> 1:16:44.759 take the picture, or you're not going I was looking. 1:16:44.840 --> 1:16:47.160 I was like that's wrong. And then it was like 1:16:47.439 --> 1:16:52.080 I've seen things happen, and I've seen it was like 1:16:53.920 --> 1:16:55.880 you walk past me and don't say nothing, and you 1:16:56.040 --> 1:16:58.360 are just like and then we're supposed to do some 1:16:58.520 --> 1:17:01.400 stuff together and and you change your mind and it's 1:17:01.479 --> 1:17:03.599 like I had me all hyped, and it's like, okay, 1:17:03.720 --> 1:17:05.720 so it's like I gotta get at you. I got 1:17:05.960 --> 1:17:10.200 I gotta gone on cut you now. I'm about to 1:17:10.280 --> 1:17:12.840 cut you, naster because I know you. I know you 1:17:13.320 --> 1:17:15.960 am I to cut you now, see, And so you know. 1:17:16.640 --> 1:17:25.120 And then somebody from my clique, some crew members, he 1:17:25.360 --> 1:17:28.680 called and I think my room was something, and some 1:17:28.920 --> 1:17:31.840 crew members answered the phone. I had already left, and 1:17:32.200 --> 1:17:35.800 and they said something that was to him that was 1:17:35.920 --> 1:17:39.439 not right. And I fired those guys because when they 1:17:39.479 --> 1:17:43.000 said what they said, I fired him right on the spot. 1:17:43.120 --> 1:17:44.960 But they shouldn't have said that. And I think he 1:17:45.040 --> 1:17:50.400 might have took offense to that too, so and hey man, 1:17:51.400 --> 1:17:55.080 but anyway, but it's just we never not not not 1:17:55.240 --> 1:18:01.800 got along. And he was just like Steve, you got 1:18:01.800 --> 1:18:02.360 the big head. 1:18:03.760 --> 1:18:06.080 But anyway, y'all never had to come to Jesus moment 1:18:06.160 --> 1:18:07.120 either though, No. 1:18:07.439 --> 1:18:11.519 Not not really. I mean, we could have, we could have, 1:18:11.760 --> 1:18:14.360 but at the time I was I was in my 1:18:14.479 --> 1:18:21.519 disease of getting high and and it's like and he 1:18:21.760 --> 1:18:24.800 was waiting on me, and I said, I'm coming, I 1:18:24.920 --> 1:18:31.320 promise you. Wow, I beat up and you're coming from 1:18:31.840 --> 1:18:40.240 jump up, coming up on my way so five minutes 1:18:40.280 --> 1:18:41.920 turned into whatever. So when I did get there, he 1:18:42.040 --> 1:18:46.280 was already gone and and so got me back. So 1:18:46.360 --> 1:18:49.719 when we played the glam Slam Prince coming Down, I said, okay, 1:18:51.040 --> 1:18:53.120 I forgot about when I was getting high, but I 1:18:53.200 --> 1:18:55.640 was sober the ends all waiting and I think he 1:18:55.680 --> 1:18:57.160 probably thought I was doing it on purpose. That was 1:18:57.240 --> 1:19:00.720 not on purpose. It's like, hey, So I sit there, 1:19:01.080 --> 1:19:03.960 looked at the door, the bodygup, still there with his headphone. 1:19:04.200 --> 1:19:07.479 I says, coming, see hey, coming. He's notorious for that though. Yeah. 1:19:08.040 --> 1:19:10.599 So finally I looked at the hallway and gone. Everybody 1:19:10.720 --> 1:19:12.519 was going in the building. I was like, then, I 1:19:12.600 --> 1:19:15.280 thought back like two years ago. I was like, uh, 1:19:16.080 --> 1:19:20.040 you got okay. So I never got a chance to 1:19:20.040 --> 1:19:21.680 talk to him. I sent message to him about it 1:19:21.760 --> 1:19:23.960 after I was sober so many years. Hey, man, that 1:19:24.120 --> 1:19:25.000 wasn't done on purpose. 1:19:25.080 --> 1:19:29.000 Man, you know that's a part of the process, right yeah, yeah, 1:19:29.160 --> 1:19:29.679 so hey. 1:19:29.960 --> 1:19:33.680 And then but anyway, I would leave him alone right 1:19:33.720 --> 1:19:36.000 now because I got cut up talking about him one time. 1:19:36.320 --> 1:19:37.840 Fans told me up, So I don't want to go 1:19:37.960 --> 1:19:41.360 back through that. I'm alive. I testify and tell people 1:19:41.439 --> 1:19:44.960 that I'm always on drugs and that that that's why 1:19:45.000 --> 1:19:46.479 I'm alive. I remember you. 1:19:46.640 --> 1:19:48.400 Uh it was this was a couple of years ago 1:19:48.479 --> 1:19:52.160 when Casey and Jojo had their reality show and you 1:19:52.240 --> 1:19:55.400 were talking to them just about sobriety, and you told 1:19:55.439 --> 1:19:57.320 them straight up, just like, listen, this is You're gonna 1:19:57.320 --> 1:19:59.719 be out on tour and it's gonna be someone offering 1:19:59.760 --> 1:20:01.280 you a drink and you ain't gonna be. 1:20:01.280 --> 1:20:02.880 Able to say no, you able to turn it down? 1:20:03.439 --> 1:20:06.240 How have you Because at the time when when we met, 1:20:06.400 --> 1:20:08.400 this was years ago at the Grammys in twenty ten 1:20:08.720 --> 1:20:11.080 and you were performing at the Pretails and when this 1:20:11.160 --> 1:20:14.200 was when my bandformn Exchange No nominated and we met 1:20:14.280 --> 1:20:16.400 real briefly and then you performed at the Pretails and 1:20:16.520 --> 1:20:18.760 killed it. And I remember at the end you was like, 1:20:18.800 --> 1:20:21.120 you know, I beat prostate cancer. I got twenty years sober, 1:20:21.200 --> 1:20:24.519 like you was just going in. So how have you 1:20:24.960 --> 1:20:28.160 you know, enable to tour and everything? How what is 1:20:28.240 --> 1:20:30.040 that daily walk of sobriety. 1:20:29.760 --> 1:20:31.200 Like for you? I got my wife with me, so 1:20:31.360 --> 1:20:37.479 she's she's a rehab and so we Uh it's just 1:20:37.680 --> 1:20:41.519 like and for so many years she was, I guess 1:20:41.720 --> 1:20:44.479 known as the enemy and because she was just stopping 1:20:44.479 --> 1:20:46.960 the don't matter family, people don't matter. How long have 1:20:47.040 --> 1:20:50.120 you guys been married? Twenty two wow, every single day, 1:20:50.200 --> 1:20:52.840 twenty four hours a day we were together. But it's 1:20:52.960 --> 1:20:55.720 like it's like when she told me she would be 1:20:56.040 --> 1:21:01.080 with me, you know, and whatever, no matter what that that. 1:21:01.439 --> 1:21:04.519 I was young when I was heard those words, but 1:21:05.200 --> 1:21:09.280 you know, within young being like wanting to be in 1:21:09.360 --> 1:21:12.519 love with somebody, for real love you. So when I 1:21:12.600 --> 1:21:15.360 finally got it, I understood it, and so I just 1:21:15.439 --> 1:21:17.760 let her have the way of whatever it is. You know, hey, man, 1:21:19.160 --> 1:21:23.600 who is that? Now? There's no backstage. I don't care 1:21:23.640 --> 1:21:26.720 who it is. And so people used to come and 1:21:26.760 --> 1:21:29.040 sneak things and hide them in my hand. I'm like, man, 1:21:29.080 --> 1:21:31.000 I don't get high no more. I heard that, But 1:21:31.080 --> 1:21:32.400 why are you putting it in my head? If you 1:21:32.479 --> 1:21:32.800 heard that? 1:21:33.000 --> 1:21:33.160 You know? 1:21:33.320 --> 1:21:35.320 So after that, she heard me say that, so she 1:21:35.840 --> 1:21:39.759 she cut everybody, didn't matter who it was. Kids don't matter. 1:21:39.920 --> 1:21:40.000 No. 1:21:42.640 --> 1:21:43.200 Now, y'all right? 1:21:43.280 --> 1:21:45.840 Because a tribune or is she writing songs? You guys 1:21:45.880 --> 1:21:48.840 write songs together, and then she writes because the record 1:21:48.920 --> 1:21:50.000 she's like every. 1:21:49.920 --> 1:21:52.840 Song, Yeah, she's writing with me. Now she's like, because 1:21:52.880 --> 1:21:56.400 I sometimes I have problems, you know, trying to figure 1:21:56.439 --> 1:21:59.120 out what I want to say, and she's she has 1:21:59.600 --> 1:22:01.640 something used to say and she writes them from me. 1:22:01.680 --> 1:22:06.280 And like if I'm singing the vocals or something, and 1:22:07.160 --> 1:22:09.640 I'm coming and I'm I'm going down, I'm getting my 1:22:09.680 --> 1:22:12.240 things on. I'm really I'm getting going into it as 1:22:12.240 --> 1:22:14.719 far as I'm concerned. Then I look up and she's 1:22:14.760 --> 1:22:19.559 talking to the engineer and I'm looking. I'm like, dude, 1:22:19.880 --> 1:22:22.519 you're not shopping, so you push the button. Man, we 1:22:22.640 --> 1:22:25.160 got to start over. I'm like, start over, man, you're serious. 1:22:25.640 --> 1:22:29.040 She's like a man, Hey, talk to your wife. She said, 1:22:29.080 --> 1:22:34.280 you ain't put it down right enough. 1:22:34.320 --> 1:22:36.280 So I'm like, wow, that's the better half of you. 1:22:36.439 --> 1:22:37.200 Bet that's bet half. 1:22:37.280 --> 1:22:39.000 So that was the first time when I first heard that, 1:22:39.080 --> 1:22:41.800 I was like, wow, can I just get warmed up first, 1:22:41.840 --> 1:22:45.160 I'm just getting warmed up. She's like, no, you're gonna sing. 1:22:45.280 --> 1:22:46.000 You sang so. 1:22:50.760 --> 1:22:54.439 So obviously, as music fans and geeks that we are, 1:22:55.000 --> 1:22:58.679 you know, a lot of the stuff that we're talking 1:22:58.680 --> 1:23:01.000 about with you, you know, these are like the highlights 1:23:01.040 --> 1:23:03.599 of our lives. But I mean, for every person's highlight 1:23:04.040 --> 1:23:08.960 that could have been your personal hell. How you know 1:23:09.080 --> 1:23:12.840 I've read the the part of your life when you 1:23:13.439 --> 1:23:17.600 were homeless, and like how how does it get to 1:23:17.720 --> 1:23:21.800 that point where it's just like like what was that 1:23:21.880 --> 1:23:25.120 first night light, that first night like for you? 1:23:25.439 --> 1:23:28.120 When well, first of all, you don't probably you don't 1:23:28.120 --> 1:23:29.800 thank you that you're homeless, conseider, You might be at 1:23:29.800 --> 1:23:32.160 somebody how smoking all night. You might be somebody. You're 1:23:32.200 --> 1:23:34.600 just there and some some some spot. You know what 1:23:34.640 --> 1:23:38.040 I'm saying, You there, and then then the next day 1:23:38.800 --> 1:23:42.400 you ain't even like nowhere to I left that spot, 1:23:42.479 --> 1:23:43.880 so I ain't got well I'm gonna go. So you 1:23:44.040 --> 1:23:46.080 just there and because of who you are, you could 1:23:46.120 --> 1:23:49.280 be there, uh follow me or don't even register that 1:23:49.400 --> 1:23:53.080 your you don't register that way until you feel guilty. 1:23:53.439 --> 1:23:55.400 And you're gonna leave out of there right now. If 1:23:55.439 --> 1:23:57.439 you leave out of there, now where you're going? So 1:23:57.680 --> 1:23:59.519 now at nighttime you can probably get in any of 1:23:59.520 --> 1:24:03.920 those doings dope door dope pimps, who's ever doors because 1:24:03.960 --> 1:24:06.720 they know who I am and so and after you 1:24:07.160 --> 1:24:08.760 think you can wear your welcome at thin, then you 1:24:08.840 --> 1:24:13.920 go somewhere cton and pretty soon at the end of 1:24:13.960 --> 1:24:16.120 the day. Then where you're going to because I didn't 1:24:16.280 --> 1:24:18.880 move by day. It was at a nine night, you know, 1:24:20.080 --> 1:24:23.040 and so and so if you left there, then where 1:24:23.040 --> 1:24:26.840 you're going. So after you found the found some cool 1:24:26.920 --> 1:24:29.600 place to lay down and nobody's looking at you. So 1:24:29.760 --> 1:24:33.920 that's where you did it. Off. Somebody was homeless and 1:24:34.040 --> 1:24:40.160 they had some perfect spot in between some shopping carts 1:24:41.040 --> 1:24:44.000 and put that brick there and put a little piece 1:24:44.040 --> 1:24:46.720 of carpet and they said, go in there and put 1:24:46.760 --> 1:24:49.320 stuff around it so nobody could see. It was me 1:24:49.439 --> 1:24:51.200 in there. And that's that's where I slept. 1:24:51.880 --> 1:24:55.360 And how does it go from Because we spoke briefly 1:24:55.479 --> 1:24:57.960 off air when you were saying, how y'all weren't really 1:24:58.000 --> 1:25:00.320 making a lot of money off the total experience. 1:25:00.080 --> 1:25:01.960 Of money or none? 1:25:02.320 --> 1:25:06.439 I an't no money, but so was this was pretty 1:25:06.479 --> 1:25:08.839 much the only source of income just from touring and shows. 1:25:09.479 --> 1:25:10.320 I ain handle income. 1:25:10.840 --> 1:25:14.439 Wow, So not even the sampling of outstanding. 1:25:13.880 --> 1:25:16.679 Back in the day it was oncoming. 1:25:16.760 --> 1:25:24.160 So jesus, wow, man, I see wow. Well my questions 1:25:24.200 --> 1:25:25.679 I will read the fine print. 1:25:26.520 --> 1:25:26.640 Uh. 1:25:26.880 --> 1:25:29.160 One question I have for you was in regards to 1:25:29.280 --> 1:25:31.920 like covers of your songs when people cover your stuff. 1:25:33.000 --> 1:25:35.680 Two of some of my favorite gap band songs I've 1:25:35.720 --> 1:25:37.880 discovered through the cover and then I went back and 1:25:37.920 --> 1:25:41.120 heard the original and uh, Mary Mary Jay she covered 1:25:41.200 --> 1:25:44.160 I'm in Love and then Jacket Edge they covered Wednesday 1:25:44.200 --> 1:25:44.439 Love Her. 1:25:45.080 --> 1:25:46.680 What did you think of those covers? I thought they 1:25:46.720 --> 1:25:48.720 were great, But what do you as the songwriter? You think? 1:25:48.760 --> 1:25:52.720 It's like it's it made me feel proud. I mean, 1:25:52.760 --> 1:25:55.519 when there's another generation is recording your records. I was 1:25:55.600 --> 1:25:59.360 just really happy about the fact that that and then married. 1:25:59.439 --> 1:26:01.400 So I know, million or two read records off of 1:26:01.439 --> 1:26:03.800 that had albums and saw my brother he was the 1:26:03.880 --> 1:26:08.160 primary writer, so he was happy and because they actually 1:26:08.479 --> 1:26:11.320 he got paid. But at that time some kind of way, 1:26:11.360 --> 1:26:17.800 he was doing his thing. And but Jacket Edge, of course, 1:26:18.200 --> 1:26:21.160 that was another group that was had I hadn't, I 1:26:21.200 --> 1:26:26.400 guess inspired. So I was happy about that that somebody 1:26:26.520 --> 1:26:28.639 was recording now records. I mean I could re record 1:26:28.680 --> 1:26:31.000 those records. I mean I can say that you were 1:26:31.000 --> 1:26:33.559 already done. You don't go back and redo your own records. 1:26:33.640 --> 1:26:36.519 I just didn't feel that way unless you was doing 1:26:36.600 --> 1:26:43.120 it for published another The ownership of the songs you 1:26:43.200 --> 1:26:45.240 can record them and just there now they belong to you, 1:26:45.439 --> 1:26:49.479 you know, the re recorded version. Yeah, but I was, 1:26:49.600 --> 1:26:51.479 I was. I enjoyed, man, I was glad that people 1:26:51.520 --> 1:26:54.240 were doing it. You know, I wasn't angry at all. 1:26:54.360 --> 1:26:56.000 In two thousand and four, I think it was two 1:26:56.000 --> 1:26:58.080 thousand and four you covered less Chill. 1:26:58.600 --> 1:27:03.640 Yeah, fool people with that. I put it on and 1:27:03.680 --> 1:27:08.360 they're like, remember right right, Well, the reason I did 1:27:08.400 --> 1:27:10.080 it is because he had done Yearning that one time. 1:27:10.120 --> 1:27:12.880 They did like, this is one of my favorite record, 1:27:12.920 --> 1:27:15.880 So I'll do this one, and I just did it. 1:27:17.120 --> 1:27:18.680 Do you have like, because I know you've done a 1:27:18.720 --> 1:27:21.040 lot of features, do you have number one? Have you 1:27:21.160 --> 1:27:24.000 said no? And is there requirements in your mind to 1:27:24.120 --> 1:27:25.040 what you will not do? 1:27:26.720 --> 1:27:33.840 Uh? I've been pretty I've stayed uh in my lane 1:27:33.840 --> 1:27:40.200 pretty much, meaning uh you know R and B adult contemporary, 1:27:40.240 --> 1:27:42.960 and that lane is you know, I paved the way 1:27:43.040 --> 1:27:50.360 of somewhat nobody was really you know before that lane 1:27:50.520 --> 1:27:53.439 was just really like being used a lot. Now I 1:27:53.560 --> 1:27:55.640 think we came in there and just busted the place up, 1:27:55.720 --> 1:27:59.080 and uh so I've been very happy there. And uh, 1:27:59.680 --> 1:28:01.160 I don't think I would just be trying to do 1:28:01.320 --> 1:28:05.400 hip hop record. So although I've sang on a lot 1:28:05.400 --> 1:28:08.240 of hip hop records, but Charlie Wilson, I don't think 1:28:08.240 --> 1:28:09.920 I would be doing on hip hop record or something 1:28:09.960 --> 1:28:11.479 for some twelve year olds. I can't. What is that 1:28:11.600 --> 1:28:13.400 for me? Right? That's okay? And I won't do that. 1:28:14.200 --> 1:28:16.840 And like people, well. 1:28:18.360 --> 1:28:21.800 I was young, now young man, I was a kid. 1:28:22.000 --> 1:28:23.760 I'm basically, but it won't be. 1:28:23.880 --> 1:28:25.719 Young Charlie Wilson like, now we're. 1:28:25.600 --> 1:28:27.599 Not doing that. I wouldn't. I wouldn't. I wouldn't cross 1:28:27.800 --> 1:28:30.439 that line. And to try to do do it for what, 1:28:30.720 --> 1:28:34.639 you know, it's like to disappoint the fans that buy 1:28:34.680 --> 1:28:37.759 the physical sales all the time for me or download 1:28:37.800 --> 1:28:39.519 the streams for me. They I mean, why would I 1:28:39.600 --> 1:28:41.559 do that? Now? I would go and sing with an 1:28:41.560 --> 1:28:46.040 e mail or you know, you know, tied of the 1:28:46.120 --> 1:28:48.200 curator or just you know, because they asked me to 1:28:48.240 --> 1:28:50.680 come sing on some records, I'll do that and and 1:28:50.840 --> 1:28:55.080 and basically their fans are buying their not my fans 1:28:55.120 --> 1:28:58.439 ain't going to try to look for see what I'm saying. 1:28:58.760 --> 1:29:01.679 So in that moment, what I'm gonna be what Tyler 1:29:01.760 --> 1:29:04.559 want me to be at that moment. So whatever, whatever 1:29:04.560 --> 1:29:08.040 I'm saying, whatever it is, then that's what we're doing 1:29:08.120 --> 1:29:10.760 together at that moment. He's on the ground. Anyways, he 1:29:10.800 --> 1:29:12.920 got his own friend about to say, he's got his 1:29:13.000 --> 1:29:13.479 own following. 1:29:15.280 --> 1:29:18.920 So how surreal is it to I mean, you've done 1:29:19.000 --> 1:29:22.080 something that not many rappers have been able to do. 1:29:22.320 --> 1:29:29.280 You've actually transcended generations of hip hop artists, whereas you know, 1:29:30.120 --> 1:29:33.040 doing the stuff with Snoop and and and and Death 1:29:33.120 --> 1:29:37.640 Row Family then and now even twenty five years after that, 1:29:38.479 --> 1:29:41.400 still going strong with stuff on Kanye's record and. 1:29:41.880 --> 1:29:46.040 Working for Yeah, for Snoop, A girl, that girl that 1:29:47.280 --> 1:29:47.599 and Bush. 1:29:47.680 --> 1:29:50.479 Yeah. Yeah, So I mean, how how surreal is Are 1:29:50.520 --> 1:29:54.280 you ever surprised now when you get a call like from. 1:29:54.160 --> 1:29:57.640 A nineteen year old Yeah? Yeah, I mean I was. 1:29:57.840 --> 1:29:59.920 I've turned a few of them down. I was like, man, 1:30:00.000 --> 1:30:02.400 and I know it's like they said, but he's up 1:30:02.439 --> 1:30:04.679 and coming. I said, I'm up, still up and coming, 1:30:04.720 --> 1:30:06.880 but I'm not gonna be I'm not coming over there. 1:30:07.800 --> 1:30:09.560 So it's just like, just give me a minute to 1:30:09.680 --> 1:30:11.560 just take a moment to relax and breathe. Let me 1:30:11.600 --> 1:30:13.800 see what it is that this guy's doing, this kid's doing. 1:30:14.040 --> 1:30:15.400 You know what I'm saying. I just don't want to 1:30:15.439 --> 1:30:18.080 be the hook guy for every up and coming guy. 1:30:18.200 --> 1:30:21.280 So it's like, you know, I mean, I'll, I mean, 1:30:21.400 --> 1:30:25.240 I gotta understand what the worth is here and for people, man, 1:30:25.320 --> 1:30:27.000 you just would you do it for me? And now 1:30:27.040 --> 1:30:28.479 when they asked me what I do it for me? 1:30:28.560 --> 1:30:31.519 Then I think about, Okay, what I'm lending to them. 1:30:31.600 --> 1:30:33.200 I was like, this would be great for the kid, 1:30:33.280 --> 1:30:35.519 and he wants to It's something he gonna never forget. 1:30:35.880 --> 1:30:38.640 And that's the reason why I say yeah, Because if 1:30:38.680 --> 1:30:40.160 I go to a room where a nineteen year old 1:30:40.240 --> 1:30:43.040 kid and her mama or his mama always talked about me, 1:30:43.040 --> 1:30:44.680 and they listened to all the records that I've done 1:30:44.680 --> 1:30:47.519 with Kanye or for Real or Snoop or you know 1:30:47.880 --> 1:30:51.360 or whoever you know, Master p Ye back in those days, 1:30:51.560 --> 1:30:53.599 whoever it was, you know, so they get a chance 1:30:53.640 --> 1:30:57.000 to have that same thing. So then I start obliging 1:30:57.320 --> 1:30:59.519 because I would think about what I felt like when 1:30:59.520 --> 1:31:02.040 somebody was turned me down. And so that's the reason 1:31:02.040 --> 1:31:04.479 why I go this is also a good problem to have, though. 1:31:04.880 --> 1:31:06.519 It's a good problem because if they don't call you 1:31:06.600 --> 1:31:07.720 at all, and then where you be. 1:31:08.520 --> 1:31:11.439 Do you do you now feel as though you're in 1:31:12.560 --> 1:31:14.559 somewhat of endangered species territory? 1:31:14.880 --> 1:31:21.960 Because singing right now isn't really a factor in black 1:31:22.080 --> 1:31:25.000 music now, because I mean, if you thought the talk 1:31:25.080 --> 1:31:26.559 box was cheating an auto tune? 1:31:26.680 --> 1:31:27.559 Is you know what I mean? 1:31:27.920 --> 1:31:27.960 Like? 1:31:28.080 --> 1:31:30.880 What is that then? Talent? I mean words? 1:31:31.320 --> 1:31:36.960 I mean just basic things that melody structure. Yeah, it's 1:31:37.120 --> 1:31:41.400 it's it's almost as if it's kind of like the 1:31:41.439 --> 1:31:44.360 Things Fall Apart story with the Warrior, the very skilled 1:31:44.439 --> 1:31:45.559 warrior comes back. 1:31:45.439 --> 1:31:47.920 To its homeland and don't even recognize it. It sees 1:31:48.000 --> 1:31:51.720 that you know, it's it's changed. So I mean, do 1:31:51.840 --> 1:31:54.320 you now feel do you sen? Do you do you 1:31:54.400 --> 1:31:57.639 sing with a sense of purpose that like there's only 1:31:57.640 --> 1:32:01.240 a few of us left. There's you, There's Ronald Eisley. 1:32:01.000 --> 1:32:03.240 There's Stevie. Stevie. 1:32:03.560 --> 1:32:07.560 I mean, how do you how do you feel just 1:32:07.680 --> 1:32:16.000 in terms of your craft and where it stands now 1:32:16.240 --> 1:32:22.120 in twenty sixteen, Whereas personally you're fine, but just as 1:32:22.920 --> 1:32:25.759 an art and the craft itself and where we're singing 1:32:25.880 --> 1:32:31.800 and the traditional black singing is concerned might be an 1:32:31.920 --> 1:32:34.160 endangered species, Like do you have thoughts about that? 1:32:34.640 --> 1:32:36.560 I have never I haven't really really thought about it 1:32:36.640 --> 1:32:39.920 in that way, but I I do sing to protect 1:32:39.960 --> 1:32:42.760 the brand. I protect my brand and protect the R 1:32:42.800 --> 1:32:45.519 and B vibe of my life. That's what it is. 1:32:45.640 --> 1:32:48.880 And R and B I sing to protect that. And 1:32:49.080 --> 1:32:51.599 for those who are who can't get that done, then 1:32:51.600 --> 1:32:53.120 I'm the only one out here doing it, and so 1:32:53.240 --> 1:32:56.280 I have to protect it. And I go hard every 1:32:56.320 --> 1:32:57.760 time I go, and may try to make sure I'm 1:32:57.800 --> 1:33:00.479 correct with it and not to try to to let 1:33:00.560 --> 1:33:04.680 the the our community down of of of R and 1:33:04.800 --> 1:33:07.360 B and and what it is. And you haven't trust me, 1:33:07.439 --> 1:33:11.439 you haven't, you know. I just I'm just trying to 1:33:11.439 --> 1:33:13.920 protect the brand. Man, It's my brand first and then 1:33:14.360 --> 1:33:16.760 and then of course you know, I know how it 1:33:17.000 --> 1:33:20.840 is what it is now this day, even compared to 1:33:21.120 --> 1:33:23.320 like a couple of years ago, a few years ago, 1:33:23.920 --> 1:33:26.880 or ten years ago, it's totally different now. And if 1:33:26.920 --> 1:33:29.920 you're not smart enough to to grasp all what's going 1:33:29.960 --> 1:33:32.439 on now, man, you're gonna definitely be left behind. And 1:33:32.560 --> 1:33:36.360 so hey, man, streaming is in and and you know, 1:33:36.680 --> 1:33:39.360 come on, man, anybody oh forty years or fifty years 1:33:39.360 --> 1:33:43.080 old ain't streaming. Basically they are screaming, but they ain't streaming. 1:33:45.680 --> 1:33:49.320 What are they streaming? They're not even that They're giving 1:33:49.360 --> 1:33:53.640 it stuff to their granddaughter to come on, man, this 1:33:53.760 --> 1:33:56.240 is the technology is moving fast. And if you're not 1:33:56.400 --> 1:33:58.640 moving fast with the technology and things with things are 1:33:58.680 --> 1:34:00.839 being done. I mean I have an number one gospel 1:34:00.880 --> 1:34:04.400 record now because of the way things are done. I 1:34:04.960 --> 1:34:08.479 was number one, Timber, that's I'm blessed. There was number 1:34:08.600 --> 1:34:10.840 debuted number one, and you got these gospels. Some of 1:34:10.880 --> 1:34:12.960 these gospel always been on the Choice for twenty nine weeks, 1:34:13.080 --> 1:34:15.679 peaking at number four, and then I debut at number one. Hello. 1:34:16.040 --> 1:34:17.880 So is it safe to say, on the back of 1:34:17.960 --> 1:34:19.960 his question that if you when you are working with 1:34:20.040 --> 1:34:22.519 certain R and B or soul artists, that they must 1:34:22.600 --> 1:34:24.280 be the ship thing, because then you look at Laila 1:34:24.360 --> 1:34:26.320 half the way you picked Layla, you pick Robin Thick. 1:34:26.520 --> 1:34:28.280 So in your mind, these are people who to you 1:34:29.000 --> 1:34:30.960 might be on that line of longevity. 1:34:31.240 --> 1:34:31.280 No. 1:34:31.840 --> 1:34:33.840 I only picked those people because they always wanted to 1:34:33.840 --> 1:34:35.880 sing with me, and I just never gave. I never 1:34:35.960 --> 1:34:38.000 had the time to put them on. And so when 1:34:38.080 --> 1:34:40.559 I was making these records, I started naming the people 1:34:40.600 --> 1:34:42.640 that said, ask me what I sing with him, and 1:34:42.720 --> 1:34:43.439 so that's what I did. 1:34:43.920 --> 1:34:45.120 So you still got a little bit of a list 1:34:45.240 --> 1:34:46.080 left to them, I'm. 1:34:45.960 --> 1:34:48.800 Sure because a lot of people we ain't done the 1:34:49.479 --> 1:34:54.040 Charlie Wilson, I haven't. 1:34:54.000 --> 1:34:57.160 Haven't got you that for yet. It's like it's I 1:34:57.240 --> 1:34:58.880 have I have a lot a lot of people I 1:34:58.960 --> 1:35:01.439 still want to work with. It's like I asked, I 1:35:01.520 --> 1:35:02.120 asked quests. 1:35:02.560 --> 1:35:05.920 He just I don't know if you heard. He just said, yeah, 1:35:05.960 --> 1:35:06.759 last I asked. 1:35:06.560 --> 1:35:09.240 Him, last one that did. Oh, what's gonna happen? Yeah, 1:35:09.479 --> 1:35:11.600 I asked him when we did what the foul in 1:35:11.640 --> 1:35:13.599 the last time? I said, man, we got to get 1:35:13.640 --> 1:35:15.200 this record done and said, you got it. We're gonna 1:35:15.240 --> 1:35:15.720 get that done. 1:35:16.640 --> 1:35:19.000 Done that yet you got You gotta understand that the 1:35:19.080 --> 1:35:21.960 first time he came and sat in with us, there 1:35:22.080 --> 1:35:25.200 wasn't even introductions, like we were just versing the songs, 1:35:25.320 --> 1:35:31.799 like recapitulating his songs. Uh, and then he just stormed. 1:35:31.960 --> 1:35:33.880 He stormed in our room like the kool Aide man, 1:35:34.000 --> 1:35:49.479 like through the wall and just grabbed them. It was 1:35:49.560 --> 1:35:50.040 something like that. 1:35:50.240 --> 1:35:54.640 Yeah, you came in like theola. It wasn't even not 1:35:54.760 --> 1:35:57.519 Because you gotta understand you know the way they play, 1:35:57.840 --> 1:35:59.840 and this room is small. And when I walked in 1:36:00.120 --> 1:36:02.479 was no that you should you should hear how it sounds. 1:36:02.520 --> 1:36:05.320 And we've been in there everything is will sound like 1:36:05.360 --> 1:36:06.760 a freaking record up from there, you know. 1:36:06.800 --> 1:36:08.400 I'm like, hey, man, that we got got right on 1:36:08.520 --> 1:36:11.000 top of that. I was like, hey, he to be 1:36:11.240 --> 1:36:19.400 like sound that things sounded good? 1:36:19.439 --> 1:36:21.240 It ain't no lie he do. He hadn't sounded so 1:36:21.320 --> 1:36:22.320 good up and then I got to go on on 1:36:22.479 --> 1:36:25.880 give him some props on that, and and uh, you know, 1:36:26.240 --> 1:36:28.120 you know all those guys, you know, Chris got all 1:36:28.160 --> 1:36:29.760 those guys. Man, those guys is playing up and there 1:36:29.800 --> 1:36:32.880 they're not fooling around you. And and so to hear 1:36:32.960 --> 1:36:35.120 that back like that, and then they had a vocal 1:36:35.200 --> 1:36:38.200 on that. Yet I just went in, not even warming 1:36:38.280 --> 1:36:40.560 up a little bit, warming up downstairs and uh and 1:36:40.680 --> 1:36:42.080 down the hall, and I just went in on it 1:36:42.160 --> 1:36:45.400 and so and he's already recording and then uh he 1:36:45.400 --> 1:36:47.760 had and they said get that. So it was. 1:36:47.920 --> 1:36:50.880 It was the greatest entrance of all time. There was 1:36:50.920 --> 1:36:59.679 no first name, Charlie, last name. I always was curious about. 1:37:00.280 --> 1:37:03.439 I'm gonna get your sucker and the red Yeah, I'm 1:37:03.439 --> 1:37:05.559 Gonna Get your Tucker and you're so cute. 1:37:05.600 --> 1:37:09.680 I really like like ever like UV for us? How 1:37:09.720 --> 1:37:11.880 did that come about? How did you? We were in Uh, 1:37:11.960 --> 1:37:14.960 we was in the studio and I forgot about I'm 1:37:14.960 --> 1:37:17.559 Gonna Get Your Sucker. Movie was going and uh they 1:37:17.600 --> 1:37:20.680 asked us a duel. Could we do this soundtrack? But 1:37:20.800 --> 1:37:24.720 then they said you only have a few hours. Oh good? 1:37:25.560 --> 1:37:26.240 Oh yeah. Man. 1:37:26.280 --> 1:37:28.040 It was like it's like, okay, we want you to 1:37:28.120 --> 1:37:29.600 do it. But I said, they don't really want us 1:37:29.640 --> 1:37:31.760 to do that. Man, see you got like two hours 1:37:31.800 --> 1:37:35.040 to do it. You say no, said. They probably said, well, 1:37:35.360 --> 1:37:37.479 they can't do it right. When this one was about 1:37:37.600 --> 1:37:39.439 this is over on drugs, They're not gonna be able 1:37:39.439 --> 1:37:41.000 to do it, everybody said get the gap be in. 1:37:41.080 --> 1:37:44.200 It's like because you know, uh, the Wayne brothers, they 1:37:44.320 --> 1:37:46.800 you know, it's like get the gap bed, you know, 1:37:46.920 --> 1:37:49.599 to do it. They said, well, okay, but give them 1:37:49.600 --> 1:37:51.920 two hours to do it. I said, be back, and 1:37:52.000 --> 1:37:54.000 I was like we started on the vibe. I was like, 1:37:54.120 --> 1:37:59.120 be back, be back in two hours. And so I 1:38:08.080 --> 1:38:10.679 mean when they came back within an hour, the guy 1:38:10.880 --> 1:38:13.800 was like, are you kidding me? It's like, no, man, 1:38:13.840 --> 1:38:16.120 push play, and then it was like I didn't really mind. 1:38:16.160 --> 1:38:17.840 I just turned around walked off because I knew that 1:38:18.000 --> 1:38:20.519 you was You're trying to you know, you're trying to 1:38:20.600 --> 1:38:24.560 underestimate me man. So me and my brothers was like, 1:38:24.680 --> 1:38:27.240 let's got the thing done and then the next record? 1:38:28.280 --> 1:38:30.000 Can you give another one? You don't know, no timeframe 1:38:30.040 --> 1:38:31.639 on it. Can you give another record? I was like yeah. 1:38:32.200 --> 1:38:34.000 When I was at the house there and had the 1:38:34.040 --> 1:38:36.920 studio inside the front room, and then and I wanted 1:38:36.960 --> 1:38:41.439 to play move again so bad bed bed bend compete 1:38:43.760 --> 1:38:45.560 if you did you know that thing I wanted to 1:38:45.640 --> 1:38:54.439 play and you know, yes, yeah, never ever So I 1:38:55.120 --> 1:38:56.680 did that one and and hand that one in and 1:38:56.760 --> 1:38:59.599 they was like, we love them both, and so give 1:38:59.640 --> 1:39:00.479 me my day money. 1:39:01.880 --> 1:39:04.880 Wait a minute before we stopped, I totally forgot weada 1:39:04.960 --> 1:39:05.920 mentioned Mercedes Boy. 1:39:06.240 --> 1:39:08.720 Oh yeah yeah. 1:39:08.960 --> 1:39:12.679 What what was that experience like? Because I initially thought 1:39:13.520 --> 1:39:16.439 Ellien Face did it when? And I forgot that you 1:39:16.520 --> 1:39:19.320 were you wrote that? Was she your artist first? 1:39:19.520 --> 1:39:31.880 Or thank you so much? I got to figure it out. 1:39:33.000 --> 1:39:36.200 I did. I'm sorry. That was a great song. I 1:39:36.360 --> 1:39:38.120 was a great song. And that was your first pop 1:39:38.280 --> 1:39:40.960 I mean your first top ten. Yeah, and then and 1:39:41.040 --> 1:39:44.160 then you know, basketball was so cool. And then after 1:39:44.200 --> 1:39:48.280 she had went there, I caught pneumonia. Well I caught 1:39:48.320 --> 1:39:51.840 pneumonia and I went down and then she had met them, 1:39:51.960 --> 1:39:56.200 and then she was so she was initially your artist. 1:39:56.640 --> 1:40:00.360 Well we were, yeah, had the time, Okay, okay, So 1:40:01.080 --> 1:40:03.160 and then you intended on producing that whole. 1:40:03.439 --> 1:40:05.920 I produced the whole album. I did produce. The only 1:40:06.000 --> 1:40:09.360 thing they put was girl girlfriend and another record that 1:40:10.080 --> 1:40:11.000 had one that was it. 1:40:11.520 --> 1:40:13.360 No shade, but baby Face said it was another whole 1:40:13.400 --> 1:40:15.240 big dude, not that I'm just just it was a 1:40:15.280 --> 1:40:18.880 big she had another never mind she was popular. 1:40:19.920 --> 1:40:27.000 Yeah, yeah, yeahs yeah. 1:40:29.040 --> 1:40:32.400 The people because they heard the banker was you know. 1:40:32.680 --> 1:40:35.280 I rolling right now? Is everything right now? 1:40:35.880 --> 1:40:36.120 That was. 1:40:37.720 --> 1:40:39.800 Why he just killed any chances we had getting pebbles 1:40:39.800 --> 1:40:44.000 on the show. Thank you. Yeah, So you did that record? 1:40:44.040 --> 1:40:46.280 You did? I did the whole. I did the whole album. 1:40:46.560 --> 1:40:51.360 Have we uh everything? Any definite questions? Yeah? I was, 1:40:51.439 --> 1:40:54.720 yeah the dog father like how because you was all 1:40:54.880 --> 1:40:56.000 over that album. 1:40:56.080 --> 1:40:58.599 And to me, that was when I guess I won't 1:40:58.640 --> 1:41:00.400 say come back, but I mean because that wasn't a 1:41:00.479 --> 1:41:03.920 very successful record with Snoop, but that was it was great. Yeah, yeah, 1:41:04.360 --> 1:41:07.120 it was shot up his boss Bill for even bringing 1:41:07.200 --> 1:41:09.840 that back into my parameter because I think none of 1:41:09.960 --> 1:41:12.760 us gave the dog Fill a chance because of like 1:41:13.960 --> 1:41:15.479 doing this giving a chance. 1:41:15.560 --> 1:41:18.559 Yeah, Dre wasn't on it, and because New like consciously 1:41:18.600 --> 1:41:20.840 turned down the whole gangster element of the record, right. 1:41:20.760 --> 1:41:22.639 And it was and I went back to it. It's 1:41:22.680 --> 1:41:25.800 a great record. It's a really great record. And I 1:41:25.880 --> 1:41:27.439 was like, man, Charlie all over this, he's singing his 1:41:27.520 --> 1:41:29.960 ass off. How did you you guys hook up at 1:41:30.000 --> 1:41:32.760 that time? Well, me and Snoop was up, and of course, 1:41:32.880 --> 1:41:37.920 you know, we were close. And I met him in 1:41:38.040 --> 1:41:44.200 ninety five, ninety five, ninety six, and that time I 1:41:44.360 --> 1:41:47.080 was just getting clean, sober, and I was just been 1:41:47.160 --> 1:41:50.519 in his life since then. But while I was getting sober, 1:41:51.400 --> 1:41:54.280 I was sober and just you know, my new life. 1:41:54.840 --> 1:41:57.040 I'm living out this new life. In the beginning parts 1:41:57.080 --> 1:42:02.160 of it, I'm with him and my wife, Snoop. I'm 1:42:02.479 --> 1:42:05.280 a Snoop. I'm sorry, you guys can smoke that around. 1:42:10.880 --> 1:42:13.360 He was like, what it's like, you got to put 1:42:13.400 --> 1:42:16.400 that out everybody? It was park everybody. She made everybody 1:42:16.479 --> 1:42:18.280 put it out. He's not coming in there. You got 1:42:18.360 --> 1:42:21.320 to put it all out. So uh, just a beautiful thing. 1:42:21.439 --> 1:42:26.000 So we I was there and I just started singing 1:42:26.040 --> 1:42:29.559 with him, and of course I just took over where 1:42:31.080 --> 1:42:33.439 Nate Dogg you know, left off, and basically, you know, 1:42:34.240 --> 1:42:37.360 it was that whole thing was falling aparts, basically, and 1:42:38.960 --> 1:42:41.519 me and Nate was to do to do a record together. 1:42:41.680 --> 1:42:46.639 That never happened. That great. We never got a chance. 1:42:46.680 --> 1:42:49.320 And he asked me like a couple of few times, 1:42:49.360 --> 1:42:51.479 and I was like, okay, let's do it. I was, 1:42:51.520 --> 1:42:53.720 of course, you know, I'm beginning to start working now, 1:42:53.800 --> 1:42:56.320 and of and I didn't get a chance to get 1:42:56.360 --> 1:42:59.840 back over there fast enough. And uh we talked on 1:42:59.880 --> 1:43:01.640 the phone. I said we're gonna do it. Let's do 1:43:01.720 --> 1:43:05.960 it next week and he said okay. Then he had 1:43:05.960 --> 1:43:10.320 a struck. Damn wow. I missed that, man. I missed 1:43:10.360 --> 1:43:13.000 that dude. He was very and he had some great 1:43:13.040 --> 1:43:15.200 ideas of how we could do it too, and it 1:43:15.360 --> 1:43:18.040 would have been the bomb, his vocal sound and my 1:43:18.160 --> 1:43:21.479 little sound. It was just been like, are there any 1:43:21.520 --> 1:43:26.200 other collaborations that we could I did. I was real 1:43:26.320 --> 1:43:28.720 pocket that was there and when the day I was 1:43:29.160 --> 1:43:33.120 in the studio and I think he had just mentioned 1:43:33.160 --> 1:43:35.280 my name with like three seconds, and I opened the 1:43:35.360 --> 1:43:38.200 door and when they turned around, everybody was jumping up 1:43:38.200 --> 1:43:40.040 and down and I was like, what's going on. I'm 1:43:40.080 --> 1:43:42.080 looking around and he was like, I just called your 1:43:42.200 --> 1:43:45.120 name just now. If Charlie Wilson was here, we could 1:43:45.479 --> 1:43:48.240 fuck this place then and now. And I was like, 1:43:48.320 --> 1:43:49.960 he said, I got this idea, listened to it and 1:43:50.000 --> 1:43:52.080 I was like, wow, that's one of mine. He was like, yeah, yeah, 1:43:52.080 --> 1:43:54.240 we're flipping it. And he said can you do this? 1:43:54.360 --> 1:43:58.320 When I was like yeah, but I mean it was 1:43:58.880 --> 1:44:00.920 snoopy in three minutes, can't do it in three And 1:44:01.000 --> 1:44:03.720 I said I'll do it. And I went over there 1:44:03.840 --> 1:44:11.519 with snooping and again after that again then Park got 1:44:11.600 --> 1:44:14.400 killed and you know after that. 1:44:15.439 --> 1:44:21.519 Wow, So what's the future for Uncle Charlie Wilson. Do 1:44:21.600 --> 1:44:23.479 you like us when we call you Uncle Charlie Wilson? 1:44:23.560 --> 1:44:31.479 That's good? Well, yeah, it's okay, man, I listen quest man. 1:44:31.560 --> 1:44:35.280 I just I'm just so blessed to be here at 1:44:36.200 --> 1:44:38.640 now of what I'm doing now, it doesn't matter what 1:44:38.760 --> 1:44:44.439 it is. I'm the only guy that's ever come out 1:44:44.479 --> 1:44:47.280 of a group that late to try to do something 1:44:47.360 --> 1:44:50.719 solo because everybody turned me down. And it was like, dude, 1:44:50.760 --> 1:44:52.760 come on, are you serious. I'm like yeah, but I 1:44:52.840 --> 1:44:55.639 mean that was really where it's way past the actual 1:44:56.280 --> 1:44:58.160 you know, of trying to do something that I thought 1:44:58.160 --> 1:45:00.639 would happen, and it ended up having and in any way, 1:45:00.680 --> 1:45:03.439 and I've been having number one since then and since 1:45:03.520 --> 1:45:06.479 two thousand and seventeen already, so every year I was 1:45:06.520 --> 1:45:11.000 putting out a record, so almost you know. So, but 1:45:11.160 --> 1:45:15.280 but it's I don't know what's what's what's for me next? Man? 1:45:15.360 --> 1:45:17.240 I just I just thank god. I just go from 1:45:17.320 --> 1:45:20.800 day to day and and my management, P music group, 1:45:20.840 --> 1:45:26.080 my compare and led by him, and and you know, 1:45:26.240 --> 1:45:29.720 it's just you know, and Sonya Mickel and and and 1:45:29.880 --> 1:45:32.960 that whole staff and and Michael and everybody is just 1:45:33.600 --> 1:45:36.120 doing things for me and and I just get up 1:45:36.160 --> 1:45:37.519 when they put it together. I get up and go 1:45:37.600 --> 1:45:39.160 do it. And I would love to do this movie, 1:45:39.720 --> 1:45:41.960 you know, the movie and uh, and so I could 1:45:42.000 --> 1:45:43.479 tell all the other stuff that I didn't sell in 1:45:43.560 --> 1:45:45.960 the book and stuff that I didn't say today. It's 1:45:46.040 --> 1:45:48.479 just like it's so much, it's so much to this 1:45:48.800 --> 1:45:51.519 to me, and that I haven't got a chance to 1:45:51.800 --> 1:45:54.760 to to say and get out of my spirit and 1:45:55.640 --> 1:45:59.479 and not just just cut my own face off or whatever. 1:46:00.200 --> 1:46:02.320 But hey, the truth is the truth. And so if 1:46:02.320 --> 1:46:04.080 I'm gonna tell the truth on you, it can help 1:46:04.520 --> 1:46:07.280 tell the truth on me, you see. So, but I'm 1:46:07.360 --> 1:46:09.000 not like to point the finger. I'm just gonna tell 1:46:09.000 --> 1:46:11.559 the truth and just have And it's gonna something that's 1:46:11.560 --> 1:46:14.479 gonna make me look bad. Hey can't make me. I 1:46:14.520 --> 1:46:16.280 can't make me look bad because I'm looking too good 1:46:16.400 --> 1:46:20.600 right now. So you're looking good, looking good, So I 1:46:20.680 --> 1:46:24.200 can't make me look bad. You have children, You have kids, man, Man, 1:46:24.320 --> 1:46:25.200 kids have grown folks. 1:46:26.960 --> 1:46:27.560 They ask you for that? 1:46:29.640 --> 1:46:32.080 How many they asked me for cars as. 1:46:33.520 --> 1:46:34.040 He asked me. 1:46:34.479 --> 1:46:38.240 They want houses and cars? And I was like, hey, god, damn, 1:46:38.520 --> 1:46:42.280 give my brother break. How older that held up? Man? 1:46:42.360 --> 1:46:42.800 They old? 1:46:43.600 --> 1:46:44.120 It's so old. 1:46:47.280 --> 1:46:52.320 I'm just saying, wow, it might be young, man, young, 1:46:52.439 --> 1:46:56.040 but but you know, I'm looking look at them. I 1:46:56.080 --> 1:46:58.400 look at their kids, like what you want? Come on now, 1:46:58.439 --> 1:47:01.400 I give you what you want? Can they sing to? Uh? 1:47:02.200 --> 1:47:04.000 One of my daughters could sing, and she just never 1:47:04.120 --> 1:47:07.560 did yeh And the other one just tone deaf, and 1:47:07.600 --> 1:47:12.400 they act like she can sing. I can't I toned that. 1:47:13.120 --> 1:47:15.880 I'm sorry, that's like it's like a it's like a 1:47:15.960 --> 1:47:16.840 dark skin in the balls. 1:47:21.720 --> 1:47:27.760 She swept down and I'm like, oh daddy, I'm like, okay, Ship, 1:47:28.439 --> 1:47:29.080 that's just worse. 1:47:29.640 --> 1:47:30.200 Yeah, I'm sorry. 1:47:30.240 --> 1:47:33.240 You just kill me right there with the dark all right, Well, 1:47:33.400 --> 1:47:35.559 thank you uncle Charlie for doing my show. 1:47:35.600 --> 1:47:40.320 Hold on, shut up, it's been a dream man. Thank 1:47:40.360 --> 1:47:44.560 you man. Should we even do reflections? I mean, I 1:47:44.640 --> 1:47:47.880 think just an episode, that's it. You know what I'm saying. 1:47:47.880 --> 1:47:49.680 I can't look bad because I'm looking too good. That's 1:47:49.720 --> 1:47:50.760 a life quote right there. 1:47:50.840 --> 1:47:53.920 That is well on behalf of Frantic a little uh 1:47:54.280 --> 1:47:57.240 like your boss Bill, Unpaid Bill. 1:47:57.280 --> 1:47:59.920 And Sugar Steve and the great Charlie Bullson. This is 1:48:00.080 --> 1:48:03.000 Quest Love of Quest Love Supreme, side and off. We'll 1:48:03.040 --> 1:48:04.080 see you on the next caround. 1:48:04.280 --> 1:48:06.759 Thank you. Yeah, and when we do this goddamn Boots 1:48:06.760 --> 1:48:09.000 and CHILDI Wisdom Project, we ain't gonna see y'all next 1:48:09.040 --> 1:48:10.639 time until we do this fucking rock now. 1:48:12.720 --> 1:48:24.920 Cool. Quest Love Supreme is a production of iHeartRadio. This 1:48:25.080 --> 1:48:32.400 classic episode was produced by the team APT Pandora. For 1:48:32.560 --> 1:48:35.599 more podcasts from iHeart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, 1:48:35.880 --> 1:48:38.880 Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.