QLS Classic: Greg Phillinganes Pt. 2

In part 2 of 2, Greg Phillinganes talks more about his time with Michael Jackson, and some of the other artists he's worked with including George Harrison, Lionel Ritchie and Quincy Jones.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Of Course Love Supreme is a production of I Heart Radio.
This classic episode was produced by the team at Pandora.
What's Up, y'all? Last week on Quest Love Supreme, Greg
filling Gains took us on a journey through his career
for auditioning for Stevie Wonders Band fresh out of high
school to work with the Jackson's during the Destiny the

(00:20):
Triumph years, and he left. Greg he was telling us
how he got Jack for his riotous credit for tim
per cent of the publishing royalties for Michael Jacksons Don't
Stop Team getting Enough and uh. He also said there
was a Quincy Jones version of that story too, So
there's part two of the special Gregg Feeling Gains edition
of Course Love Supreme. Here we go. So you know

(00:49):
it's well no oh no, no, no no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
not that. There's something a lot more subtle. Op. Huh no,

(01:09):
no no, no no no. You're never gonna get it.
You're not gonna get it. I'm going to set it
up for you because you're never gonna get it. The
set up business, it's good in it. You want to
do another one? Okay, So here's the thing. The thing
is this. So it's me and it's Neil stupid House

(01:33):
and oh, I want to say, Paul Jackson's you and
your guitar wife. I'm not sure, but I think so.
And I'm pretty sure it's j R. And drums. We're
in the studio and we're just vibing, you know, we're
just right about here. We're vibing, you know, and it's

(01:57):
a nice little thing going on. We're just finding you know.
Quincy's like, hey, you know, you know, I'm We're just
vibing and this vibe is being recorded, you know, right
about here. And Okay, some time passes, and I don't

(02:21):
mean hours, I don't mean days, I mean some time,
and now Quincy is working on I think I figured
it out. I believe so, I believe so wait wait wait, wait,
wait before you all say anything about so and it says, yeah,
you know, um, we're doing this thing, and I wanna
I wanna recreate that groove thing, you know, I want

(02:44):
to recreate that thing that's right about this temper right here.
And so if you think, you know what what is
the song secret? Oh damn, I had the wrong one.
What's out? Then go you Okay, and that's okay. Yeah, damn. Oh,

(03:15):
there's a story for everything. There's a story for everything.
So it's like, I love Quincy's dirty draws. But he
never he would never admit that because, you know what,
I asked him about it one day, He's like, what
are you talking about a long time ago? Asked him,
and he reared up at me, like what are you
talking about? Okay, I get it a heart, So after

(03:40):
that it's pretty stupid. Oh well, I mean it's the
here's here's the king. The thing is this. I I
was too busy being hurt. I was too busy being
emotionally affected, as opposed to saying, oh hell with this,
I'm fighting this. But really, are you really prepared to

(04:00):
fight Michael Jackson for a piece of a song with
Michael and his his his team of lawyers. Are you
really gonna you really think you're gonna like succeed in that.
I have a freaking prayer. So what am I gonna do?
You know? And so um, I had to suck it up.

(04:22):
But what I lost and looked ten percent? Please, I'd
be living next to Quincy with of that. But you
know what I lost in revenue, I'd like to think
I gained in a relationship because it went from that.

(04:42):
And by the way, it ain't just that. What else
you got? Oh? How about did did the did the
end of Heartbreak Hotel play itself? A beautiful thank you?
Which was orchestrated doubled with strength because Michael said, um,

(05:07):
we need some dramatic here at the end. So I
came up with that and then they added new orchestra
to that too. Did you start after this? Do you
start looking around when you're just jamming making sure the
button a push? Because I'm too busy being inspired because
it happened so quick for me. Literally, when Michael said,
and we need some dramatic here at the end before

(05:29):
you can finish the Jeopardy theme song, I just go, okay.
Oh but then in there what else you got? So
now it's the dangerous Is it dangerous? It's dangerous? I
think it's the dangerous album. I think it's a dangerous album.

(05:51):
It's a dangerous album. And we're working on this one
song and Michael says, beautiful song, by the way, beautiful
and he says, um, um, what gonna do here is
I'm gonna I'm gonna talk kind of like a monologue thinking,
and I just want something. I want some music underneath,
because in the closet, in the closet world, and I

(06:12):
just need um. So I need some music because it's
gonna be dramatic and I'm gonna talk talk talk through
this thing at the end of it, you know, And
so I just need some music. So I said, Okay,
no problem, any takers. Well he talks dangerous for your mama?
Is it U? Is it? The is it? We didn't?

(06:43):
Is it? Um? What was the it's not here? The world?
Is it? That will be there? What will you be there?
Thank yeah? Oh at the end, at the end of
which was double with orchestra and choir. Thank you. That

(07:03):
is about another three minutes, if I'm not mistaken, somewhere
to three on the Free Willy Money. Yeah. So can
I ask a questions? So, UM, can you explain to
the listener who may not know that intricacies of of
of what your what your jobs were at these at
these sessions. So can you just explain the difference when

(07:26):
when um arranging becomes writing and when when associate producing
becomes composed? To see if I love to explain that,
except there's such a fine line. It's such a slippery slope.
It's kind of hard to define because basically this is
the equivalent of beauties in the eye of the of
the beholder. Will arranging is then to be in the

(07:47):
eye of the who deems you uh an arranger as
opposed to a songwriter, as opposed to just an arranger,
as opposed to just a little keyboard player that we're
gonna give a check one time to and send him
on his way because I want all the credit, right.
So ultimately, those things come down to whether you are
going to stand up for it comes down to either

(08:07):
whether you're gonna stand up and fight it or if
it's mutually agreed mutually agreed in writing, have you ever
seen someone been like hey, by the way, and then
they didn't get a call back? Like have you ever
seen someone get blackballed or not used again? Or I
don't even mess with that guy, he's a trouble maker. Yeah,

(08:28):
nothing specific, But is there a way to be ex
nat and black balled from because you're in a sweet spot.
You keep getting work, and you keep getting work, and
you keep like you're on I mean between you're on
every I know, but I mean whenever I would try
to to raise a little dust, I always got pushed back.

(08:51):
I mean there was the time when um, what was it? Uh?
It was Triumph h and and I was uh I
was I was classified as an associate producer. Well I
think wait, wait, wait things things things went on and
on and on and on and on, and things were
fine until one day I showed up to the studio

(09:15):
and Bill Bray standing outside the door. He says, don't
need you today, bubba. What I'm like, what are you
talking about? I gotta go and just don't need you today,
bubble h. They just decided that I was done. Wow
did you say something? Because no, no, no, no I did.

(09:35):
I did nothing I did the day before I went
into work. Everything was fine. The next day I go
and I'm barred. Yeah, sometimes people barred because no, no, no, no.
They just decided they could take it over from there
and they did not need Yeah, they didn't need my
assistance anymore. So they just said, okay, you're done by

(09:56):
Can I ask? All right? So my question about Trumph
Engineering one I do have. I do have a positive
punchline story to the end to finish, I said, but
you know you want to ask, well, just the in
the engineering of the Tramp album, it sounds very flat

(10:16):
to me as opposed to how wide open Destiny was.
And I don't know why I really needs you to
tell me a really good, uh engineering story of of
Bruce wardin what Bruce Vadine brought to Off the Wall,
it's like it almost it's like it's like three D
almost who did the same with the with the same

(10:39):
Do you remember who mixed them? I don't, but the
same people were not involved, And I I kind of
understand what you're saying sonically, but I just can't tell
you why I'm not because I don't remember who was involved,
So you weren't there for the overseeing of the mixing
and none of that stuff. Side question. Um, those sessions

(11:04):
sounded really fun because they absolutely were. It's almost to
the point where I could tell almost what order was
recorded because some of them songs you did the majority
of the count off one too four and then some
of them songs you guys sound like you were on
your beer. I mean not that, but just sound like

(11:26):
so what were the just the the sessions like, I mean,
the best way I could describe it is fun. Everybody
there was so much and how do you how do
you learn this stuff? Like how does it come from?
Here's the cassette demo and dada da da, like do
you get the cassette first? And do you work out
these full flushed arrangements? And how long we would while

(11:47):
we would hear the demo in some form, and then
after I came up with the arrangement, I would just
we we had charts. I have a chart. It's actually
my wife insisted that I frame uh that chart to
blame it on the bookie and so it's over. It's
over at the piano in the house. So we had charts, um,
and I would just do a lout the parts. But

(12:07):
it was it was heck of fun. It was just
so much fun, fun fun. I remember, and I think
it was during the Destiny album. I remember being in
the studio part and uh, we were you know, there
wasn't anything going on officially, just kind of different things
happening at the same time, just stuff going on. But

(12:28):
I remember um hearing somebody playing drums and it was
really funky. It was just like this thing and I
remember peering around and it was Michael. He could play drums.
He could play drums. Most people do not know this,
but if you think about it made perfect sense because
like Sammy, yeah, yeah, you know what I mean. And

(12:51):
so he could definitely play and he was fun and
it was I only saw it one time, and I
was like, wow, as a matter of fact, I maybe
there's a picture of an even younger Michael playing drums
and I have it. I said, you have seen that, Okay,
but no, I saw him for myself and it was like, wow,
this is I didn't I didn't see this coming. Oh
my god. We didn't even get to like Thriller and
Off the Wall fire and let me let me give you,

(13:16):
let me give you the positive punchline to all this
negativity because li is as I was saying, what I
lost in Revenue, I gained a relationship to the point where, um,
you know, there was this one faithful evening where we
were all together in this room, backstage, in this arena,

(13:39):
and ah, we were all together outside of Michael. I
went to his room separately, but um, I'm standing there
with the brothers in a circle, and I remember saying
to them, you know what, Never in my wildest dreams
did I ever think after you know, listening to your

(14:02):
records junior high school and watching your shows. I never
ever imagined in my life that I'd be standing in
a room with all of you as your music director,
getting ready to tell you to have a great show.
And it was backstage in Madison Square Garden and we
were about to do the thirties. Mh wow. And to

(14:26):
go from that point early in my life as a
fan and having just fantasies about them and what it
must be like to hang with them, to to actually
be arm and arm with them in a huddle before
we start the thirty anniversary shows and I get to
tell them and have a great one. I can't begin

(14:47):
to tell you what that's like. That sense of balance
in your system is amazing because at the same time,
it's like, here you are in that moment, but these
are still the same guys that may do a couple
of shap any things to you. So you have to
continue to be the bigger person and really just appreciate
the moment and the bigger things that are yet to come. Well, um,

(15:09):
thank you. All I can say is that you know,
the the thing that that one over everything else was love,
And we all realized that we really do love each other. Hm. Wait,
I'm not done the technical nerd questions over here, like well, microphone,

(15:39):
let me ruin this for a second. So we want
to be starting something. Um, are you playing the synth
bass the line now? Was sequencing out then? Or did
you have to do that seven minutes in a row? No?
I did it. There was tape looping, you know, sticking sequence.
Come on, but look, dude, y'all y'all were playing with

(16:01):
a lyn drum. So you're telling me for seven minutes,
but seven it's a rope. But because I was, yes,
young and crazy like that, how many punchings did you
have to do? Not many? Don't, No, dude, because I
I graduated wonder you. Oh it's like Jimmy jam when

(16:28):
he said when he would play all the stuff in
straight through and they went to the school the Princess.
So yeah, I get it. Okay, it makes sense. No,
I just just now, I'm just thinking of all it,
like even you didn't veer off into one at Libert
shake your body down to the ground like the last minute. No,

(16:48):
that's not true. That's not true. You gotta I well, okay,
there I had I Yeah, okay, but but I paste
it to that to your point, yes, I definitely paste it. Okay,
you're right then, you know. And another thing is another
example of that is, uh, don't stop. I paced those
legs too. I mean I I kept basically. Oh. An

(17:11):
even better example as thriller. That's what I want to
get to. Yeah, oh, you already answered. You're not sequencing,
so you're playing the stuff absolutely. How are you finding
these patches because now that okay, now that the remixes
are coming out, Thriller is almost borderline a pre pre
precursor to the E. D M at least with the

(17:32):
patches that you're using. Like how long do you That's
what I'm saying, like, and well, you know, we we
had lots of help as far as programming. We had
guys like that were we had Michael Bodocker, he was
like on call. That was that was our our our
go to guy, and there were others but or because

(17:54):
he was playing on the jack he played, but he programmed.
But he Yeah, that the the the strength I would say,
was the program But was it a time is money atmosphere?
So okay, so we're in the studio right now. It
was whatever it takes to get the right down. Okay,
but what's the patient's factor because it's like even okay,

(18:18):
so even the little like right before Vincent Price's rap thing,
how long do you have to like, let me try this,
let me try this even with keyboards the day, like
it takes me twenty minutes to decide and this stuff
is already pre set. What's the what's the time? Like,

(18:39):
what time do you have to think of something cool?
You have mere minutes? No, there was no time. There
was no when it was right then, there was no
consideration time. It's just like, Lily, I need this patch, go,
I need I need this sound rather go and then
however long it took, was however long it took. M

(19:01):
are you playing on beat it? Yeah? What is that? Intro? Gang?
What is that noise? What is this? Could not tell
you if you have a gun point it's oh god,
it's I saw a YouTube video. It's an old, obviously
old synthesizer and they were going through the presepts on it,
and that was one of them, not not Sinclavi. I

(19:22):
can't remember. I can't remember. It's been a while since
I saw that video. But no, I I've have no
idea bro, what was that human nature? Is that the
patron all those kids? Yeah, that's deep Caroa. They didn't
need me for that. It's my man's deep. You know
the story about that song, right, yeah, d listening too,

(19:46):
because that's at nauseam and then they're like falling asleep
and stuff and it's it's the auto reverse and then
you know, and they're like in a semi sleep state,
and I was like, what is that? Rest is history?
It wasn't Clapper, by the way, um that I kind
of remember that Claer two okay, one ways is one

(20:08):
of our favorite You guys, you're not gonna understand it,
but in hip hop terms, that's all I can say. Yes,
it's it's been shopped lovely to the point where like
almost every line of that thing is so yeah, it

(20:31):
means the world to us. It was done in ironic
I think it was done in a very ironic way.
But but it's just play it. I mean, it's you know,
it's yeah. I mean the song has been out for forever. Wait,
what's the title of it? Time Like, um, yeah, this
is Jesus Christ. Y'all can't stand right, here's worst night

(20:59):
man enough to bust strike its on close trains. The
game was not only day to Ris. What is the
most strange? So ROMs like Tom the like is you
just happened to see me? Trick, classical snapstick, wraps, chap Stick,
a lot of town so so a little something to
remember like the Alamo tallow a joke like space game

(21:21):
kime back for five year lanes. I mean, what are
you saying? This is my this is never heard, was
like one years old. But see that's the thing, it's
not that's not the first time you're in this one
hundred ways means something totally different to us. Like initially
it was like, yeah, that's mom and Dad's song. We're
like yeah, easy, no, but he too with that. Yeah

(21:44):
he turned And even when I heard it, I was like, yo,
I had never ever thought this could be shocked. It's
a crazy person. Who did that? Yes, a whole lot
of time on there, Yes he did? Who actually produced that?
M F Doom? You're a crazy guy. You're crazy? Bro

(22:06):
is so well did Quincy tell you the story that solo?
He told you, like he woke you up out of
your sleep. Yeah. It was during the time of of
assembly Line uh sessions and you when you went to
work for Quincy, you knew two things. Um, no, you
knew you knew three things. Hey, it was gonna be fun,

(22:28):
be you were gonna eat well. And see you never
knew how long you're gonna be here. So I mean,
it's no o'clock in the morning, man, and I had
done some other stuff and and at this point I'm
asleep under a piano. Somebody came in and woke me
in and said, all right, you're up again. Okay, I
in my stupor you know, I stumble up to the

(22:53):
thing and it's a minimog and and Quincy's right, so
this is one hundred ways and we need a solo.
Go that's who was? Does he play you the full?
Does he play you the full song? At least before
they played Yeah, they played the song, and I'm like, okay,
so what you hear in that solo? Like of it

(23:15):
was the first take and I only did um so,
you know bad, And then I only did like a
couple of takes to finish it. But up until that point,
that's the first take. And and and Quincy to this

(23:36):
day says it's his favorite solo mind because it was
done in the what he calls the alpha state. What's no,
what's known as the alpha state because you know, only
he can be scientific with it. I was asleep, but
you know he said, non, dude, it's the alpha state.
Alpha state, because you weren't thinking, dude, do you don't

(23:58):
know about this? There's there's this that there's a scientist
that did a research owner students owner students in which
she would do pop quizzes on her seven a m
class versus prepared test advanced notice to her smarter class

(24:18):
at twelve in the afternoon, and we did better because
it's almost like there's there's a middle ground of not
preparing and over preparing and overthinking, and the genius zone
is always in the middle where it's just like, no,
that's for that supreme he thrive. His goal is to

(24:46):
be in that state constantly. Wow. And so that's what
I that's where I was. And again it only took
like three takes or so for me to finish, for
me to finish it, but that that's just the first
thing that came out. I have a question about the

(25:10):
Bad album, um, and I guess I shared this theory
in the documentary. It's what I call the brace yourself moment,
which you're a big part of. Like all these songs
have to start with this stab from hell, this chord,

(25:37):
well not even that, I mean that's whybably easy pass.
But like you know, like Dirty Diana's and that, Like
by this point, are they telling you, Okay, Greg, every
song on this album we need, well, no, because that
really wasn't me. Um, that wasn't no. Um those apples

(26:00):
he said it like with um, First of all, I'm
not on Dirty Diana. I'm not on that at all.
Another part of me. And actually I'm not on that either.
Speed Deemon way you make me feel, I'm on the
way you make me feel. I'm not on Speed Demon. Unfortunately,
that's Jerry Hey. That's crazy, Jerry Hey. With those horns. Um,

(26:22):
those horns, and that's what made this song, you know that,
that's that's that's Jerry had to get tightened up for
that because you know, Michael was a little uh, you know,
slow on that, and it's like Equich, It's like oh no,
no, no no, no, no no no. There would be no Speed
Demon without that the horn horn arrangement. So you're gonna

(26:44):
tighten up, Jerry, you know, But um, I am on
the way you made me feel. And my favorite memory
of that is, you know, because I played the string
partitude right, So what I remember is doing that and
having Michael standing next to me going vibing with me
because I'm like, he's like moving, dude, How big is

(27:08):
this snaps? Dude? He had the big I know, he
had these big hands, and his snaps sound like clouds.
Don't think yes because you think it's cloud is on
the bridge of Rock with You, Yeah, but it's not.
And when that's his fingers, I thought that his fingers. Wait,

(27:30):
can I ask for Rock with You? Who? Well, I
guess I should have asked Quincy instead. That horn intro, oh,
the one that got removed? Why did they take that away?
It doesn't make sense to me. It's just there's there's
a horn intro to Rock with You that got Here's

(27:52):
the thing that I love about Off the Wall. I
certainly don't remember that. I'll play it for you off
the record because Yeah. Thing that I discover about with
with thrilling off the Wall is that a lot of
this stuff is I can tell that at least what
I assume the relationship between Michael and Quincy is let's
try every idea out and then you're gonna trust me

(28:16):
to pull this away in this way and edit this
and edit that. So there are a lot of elements
on those albums that had they been there, Oh god,
it would have been like the worst dated disco album
of all time. Or you know, it's one slight mis step.
So I applaud Quincy for knowing what the pool away.

(28:37):
But there that's just ah, there's this moments of Okay,
So I'm thinking that you were there on the ground
floor of the horn intro instead of just the naked
because what I remember about that was Quincy saying to um,
they are I want to have a drum like that's
gonna live in infamy. I want to have a drum

(28:59):
like that that that kids are gonna remember, you know,
a hundred years from now. And so he came over.
That was that bad question. Please tell me that by
this time you went on the tour and you and
Ricky were back together. Oh yeah, absolutely, Yeah, Now Ricky
get that gig and not Jonathan Momfatt because you were

(29:20):
the m d uh, because I thought like Jonathan would
have been for life. Yeah you think that. So how
did Ricky get it? Well, Ricky also had the victory tour, right, No, no,
that was Jonathan on a victory Okay, Ricky did bad
and and dangerous, but you did yeah with Ryl Crowe?
Oh my what and what were you three? You just

(29:45):
made this woman's life. You could have been more than five. Okay,
So still um, I still have UM. And so I
don't remember, to be honest, because even though you know,

(30:06):
he made me the MD and that whole process was
so weird he he, there were other people hiring people,
so I didn't really hire everybody. So I I didn't
hire the whole band. I mean there are certain people
that were chosen before I was even asked, how did
you present that show without the out of the age

(30:28):
of pro tools, you know, because oh, oh well that's easy.
We just had We just had like it to at
least two full blown synclavites, damn. And back then that
was I he was like whatever by any means necessary.
I mean, the money was no object, and so we

(30:50):
had like to full blown Well yeah, I mean because
that was handled back to vocals and the and the
the you know, the the extra tracks. Oh yeah, absolutely damn.
What was it like when Cheryl Crow came into the
picture for that tour, like what was what did she
bring to the table whiteness because she wasn't the one

(31:13):
with the lights in her hair. No, No, that was
Jennifer Addams. She she was the guitarist. You know, you
asked a very loaded question. My okay, because she was
after that was exidd it dangerous? Cheryl did bad um.

(31:37):
I would say that the thing that Cheryl brought the
most was the silence. The silence here is this a
hot topic? That something I said Steve the white person

(31:59):
about can single know what she brought? Was a secret
love affair? Oh? Here you am? I guard it? Oh
well between two people and I was the other one.
Oh oh yes, Greg can like you can sniff? That

(32:30):
was Fante's question. Yeah you would. You got to say
the perfect question me. Hey, listen you talking. I guess
you didn't say that coming Hell. Wow, he's probably in
the control room right now. Wow. Yeah, that's what happened. Man. No,

(32:54):
I wasn't good because I was married, Leah, he said,
secrete okay, how can you how? Okay? So not just
the tour. Darling explained that it wasn't just the name
of a tour. How how can how can one can

(33:18):
one be a working musician, uh and have domestic normalcy.
I mean, if you're doing the Michael Jackson Bad Tour,
are you know what about the kids at home for it?
Not just you just like the bass player or the
lighting coordinator like you guys were going from from seven

(33:41):
to the top of January nine. No, understand we ruined
the world. Understand that, Yes, but um, we're girls flinging
themselves over all of us, not over all of us.
And I was in that group. I wasn't getting girls
flung at me, you know, because a lot of people
just assume, oh my god, you must say, had it
shipping out of your ears? And I no, no, it

(34:04):
did not happen to me. I didn't need it from
that perspective. But I just meant, like, if you have
a relationship at home, like if you're your college professor white,
it's very, very difficult and you better bring him out
at some point. We're like Michael allowed like when he
charted jet for families succumbed and visited. No, no, he
didn't do that, but he did welcome families. He was

(34:24):
into that, and you know, um, several of us, including me,
brought our families out at different points. I mean, and
you know Michael, you know, um one of the singers,
Dorian Holly brought his little nanna and she spent a
lot of time on the road with us. And you know,
uh Ricky brought his kids, uh and his wife, I

(34:47):
brought mine out. Um. It was great in that way. Uh,
well not in my case, um and uh yeah, no,
I mean I remember when we when we um, we
were in Tokyo and uh, he arranged for us to

(35:08):
all go to Disneyland. We shut down the park, right
and it was us And you haven't lived until you've
been to Disneyland with the head Mickey. A matter of fact,
I used to call him Mickey and he would answer
to that too. But you know he it was great
and so yes, he loved uh you know, the families

(35:31):
hanging and all that. But to answer the question, yeah,
you needed to have You couldn't sustain a tour like
that and never see your spouse and your family at
any point. You had to have him join you if
you FaceTime and all that stuff. But it's like going
like it's a rap. But it's like you're going, Yeah,

(35:54):
you're going like you're doing it. You're in the military.
It's like you're you're gone. I would have been valid.
Wait a minute, we did not even ask, but up
behind the mask, yeah, behind the mask. Yeah. So um
I was working on my second solo album while working
on the Pulse. Yeah, while we were also doing um

(36:19):
oh my god, wait, we're just all over the place.
Remind me to remind you. Monald did right by youth
oh for canceling then never mind? No, no, well he
he did basically, Yeah, he did well. He did better
to me than Michael did, that's for sure. Or did
you do all night long? And no, no, no, no,

(36:43):
no here, let me give you a level of find No, no,
he actually did all night long by himself. But I
did level of fine level find a way and level
conquer all and I thank you very much a crazy
video and I did get you know, credit and checks

(37:03):
for that female. Oh oh crap, I can't remember her
name right now. I see her face and I can't
remember her name. I always thought that was his take
on the Al Green song like that was lovel Can girl. No,
that's what it sounds sounds like that. Well I didn't

(37:25):
because will I tell you what I wasn't, well really
because I wasn't. I wasn't thinking of that. That wasn't
my own here that that's interesting to you, because I
wasn't thinking that at all. Okay, mar mar mar Marva,
thank you, Princess Marvit king well well later, yeah, because

(37:50):
I keep getting hurd Marvin Hicks confused, James round right.
It's a lot of marvels and I see to join
as Steve things missed it was you missed it. It
was a good news. It wasn't bad. You'll hear the play. Yeah, yeah,
it's good. Um yeah, so uh so Lionel did do

(38:15):
right right to err by me okay on his first
solo album, right yeah, and that was where I first
saw your name, yeah when I was four. Yeah, that's crazy.
And then left during the line of Richie portion and
the first one the first line of Richie you are

(38:36):
you're on that question the intro you are sound right now?
First of all, I'm not on that, but what what
you said, it was like it was like, okay, if

(38:56):
you don't come back, but you sound like that. Some
kind of movie was like the guy goes no. I
was like an SNL you know that that was cool.
That was when we first started the show. Okay, thank you,

(39:19):
but that was mr. Oh yeah, And I wrote that
with very mysterious John mcclin. Yesh, so, oh my god.
There's some more John McClean credits that, uh, I've seen
and I didn't think that was him. He was a songwriter. First.
Well we wait, I go, oh, I got a story

(39:43):
about me and John hit me? Well, John, who I
love dearly? Let me just start out pressing. Let me
just say that right now. I do love him dealing.
I really do. He's the kind of guy that you
will never get to love because he just doesn't a
lot um but I love him. And we spent a

(40:05):
lot of time together. Um in seventy nine, in the
early eighties, we spent a lot of time together. And
I had this dream. We had this dream of forming
a band that would call that would be called PM

(40:27):
and never yeah, and never happened, no from here, but um,
we we hooked up somehow, and and he was the
first guy that sounded like Prince before Prince. That's how
he played guitar that John McLean man, Ye gotta farm

(40:51):
this motherfucker. Well, if you do, you will win the
ultimate prize. We've got him for him. It's just we
can't fly. And you know what, I'm sorry to say,
but you probably won't really. Yeah, he's that mysterious. You
know what. You can google anybody on the planet. Yea, say,
I can't. Even if he walked in right now, I
would know. I've never seen what I imagine that he

(41:14):
was like Stoney Jackson. Noah, okay, he's a black guy.
Um damn. But don't you can't find him? Wow? Damn.
So he Medina eyed his way into the industry as
an executive the same way that Bennie Medina was musician. Right, Yeah,

(41:37):
he's Bennie Medina. Lord. Yeah, but no, actually actually John
was a little more legitimate. But anyway, we need a
feed for you, um or maybe I'll just come up

(42:02):
with my own, just do a couple of spots for you.
But anyway, don't write to check get but you might
be surprised anyway. So you all had a group called
p M. No, we had a we had the idea

(42:22):
of a group, but it never came to fruition. What
projects what? Okay, but you know what we did work
on together A TV series. Oh the name of the
producer escapes me right now. But the show is called
The Righteous Apples. Oh my god, the Rogers. Yeah, they

(42:45):
did a cover of Let It Go, but uh, let
the Love out of y'all. Huh. It was a Page's
joint originally Richard Page joint, and then they did a
cover of it The Righteous Apples. It was like they
were like a high school yes from I'm trying to
think of the name of the creator and the writer

(43:06):
and I can't for the life of me right now.
Black guy wore he wore ud glasses. He was with
the PBS thing and we we wrote and produced songs
for that show, like Rollarello. Yeah. As a matter of fact,
I'm looking at the MDB page right yeah, and we'll
just continue. That's what is there another song called feels

(43:26):
like the First Time? It doesn't listen just this one, okay,
but yeah, but yeah, we we did that. And that
was the Crow. Yeah, yes he was, but John doesn't
look like stony and Ernest Thomas, Wow, isn't that crazy?
Ernest one thought I was Common's bodyguard. That's a ster

(43:49):
that broke my heart. Man, that's funny. Top, Thank you,
Tom carew on to do Mark Martin. Yeah, thank you. Wow. Yes,
that was my introduction to the topper. That was the
first thing that you scored or like for television. I

(44:10):
think it was the only thing. Okay, So Michael Henderson
was on the Sorry really he was on an episode?
Yeah he was. I guess Rember just as a member
of the band as like I wouldn't call well, I
guess you can call it a drama store. I guess
Michael Henderson and what ye was? When the show was

(44:30):
on co came Mike Henderson ship down. Can you please
breaking down? Have you ever heard of Michael Henderson's rant?
Drunken rant in Japan? No? Oh my god, the best best.

(44:52):
I'm not breaking it down for nobody. I'm not backing
it up. Curtis Mayfield, they're trying to they're trying to
kill like. He's just drunk and he's playing in front
of it feels like he's performed for Artist of fourteen.

(45:14):
And you can hear people like because he's responding to
be oh you're gonna leave baby, Oh that's okay, that's
all right. People walking down and they's just like regular.
It has to be wasting any time. It has to
be eighty four and like Norman. I think Norman Connors
is drumming, but he takes it's a seven minute build

(45:36):
up to sing going places. And when he very specials
like I didn't, I was like, damn. It's like he
gets into the verse before you realize it's going places, like, oh,
that's what he's saying. His son, his son lives in Philly.

(45:59):
And keep taking it off of YouTube because I can't.
I can't find it. Right, I got it, I got
three that ain't going nowhere? Have you ever seen the
version where they made a video to it? Stones throw
stones throw there like a animated It's the best thing

(46:19):
on earth. Take me on, motherfucking yours right, motherfucker not.
He goes into the next song. So this sounds better
than Ray Charles. It sounds better than Buddy Riches. It
sounds better than Freddy That one pass those passed, those
three they're cursing people out, But this is just like her.

(46:42):
Which one is the Ray? Where is he custing people?
By that? Someone interrupts. There's a scuffle between him and
and the drummer. At the time, I think was not Bernard,
but I al thought it was fat Head. Fathead was
the sex yeah, fat it was the sex player. But
but it was a scuffle between him and the drummer,

(47:03):
and the drummer walked off and that's all right, No
I know no where it's all right. It went it
was okay, there's he's doing busted. Never I haven't version
of him doing busted. And then someone gets on the stage.
It's like you were dog. You were dog and raised
his like, bless your heart, bless your heart. You were
nothing but a dirty dog. She know a guy basically

(47:26):
like Ray must have did something wrong to a woman,
either had slept with his wife himself. You ain't nothing
but a dog. Bless your heart, because someone, because someone,
please get this gentleman off the stage. League, but dog,
you were a dog. And then they take him off
and then like you hear him walking like cross cuts

(47:47):
out back and then all right, listen like like nothing happened,
but yes it's up there. But no, Michael, so listen,

(48:10):
uh what I know you have a billion of these?
What three songs did you say no to that you
could have been on? Like did you only stay in
the winter circle? Michael Lionel. The only example I have

(48:30):
of that is a song that I was originally asked
to uh over deb bon piano, and I was very
full of myself and I oh, I went into the session,

(48:51):
but I mean I was feeling myself musically and I
thought like whatever I played would be great, and it
wasn't because they just wanted something. They just wanted the
changes in the in the rhythm that that that it
was in, and I was I was overplaying. I overplayed
and over I overplayed my way out of the session,

(49:12):
and I regret that because I really love this song
and it's one of my favorites from George Benson. This
turn your Love all Round? How do you? They just
wanted you to play the piano line, and they just
wanted Dune due. But I was playing. I was playing
Dune Man maund Bank Bound. I was just playing, you know,

(49:34):
and I ask you to just play simple. I guess
they just said, well it's not okay, thanks, and then
the next thing, I know, somebody else was honest. But
so yeah, but I remember being asked to play on it,
but I just I didn't. I didn't play it right,
you know, And I could have. And I even at
that point, I was definitely more trained because of all

(49:57):
the other years of of doing sessions, and I just
should have known better, but I overplayed. Were you formally
trained how to play me? We didn't talk about that.
Were you formally like you know, how to read? Or
just I know I started playing by your at well.
My mom says, the legend has it too. Um. I
started playing by her around two. But then I started

(50:18):
taking lessons at around six. And so I did have
formal training. Um. And and my I had three teachers
and the third one was the most influential and the
most effective. And he was the pianist with the Detroit
Symphony Orchestra. And his name was Misha Cutler. And he
was a badass. He didn't take any mess. And and
and you know, I needed discipline because I was running

(50:38):
over my last teacher because I thought I was hot,
snot knew everything. And he I left his his house
crying many times because he just he was this Russian,
you know, late Polish, and he was, you know, very
strict and took no mess, you know. But it's the
discipline I needed. Did Luca third produce that Quincy round?

(51:01):
He actually I think he might have been one of
the producers. Um, I think I'm not sure, but but
it wasn't Quincy though, right. No, okay, okay, okay, okay, um,
what what have you played one that we might not know?
Like j Graydon did turn your liver room? Thank you? Yeah?

(51:23):
So weird? Yeah? What have I played on it? This
is a hard question for you because you know everything.
I mean, like, you know, did you stuff for you? Know?
You on? The Heat is one by Glenn fry Or.
I can't tell you why I wish, I wish. Let's
really me playing on Yeah? Yeah, no, I can't even

(51:45):
think of anything. They did everything for a float or
is Disgug's lying to me right now? I did a floaty?
I don't know. I didn't. They can give you credit
really Okay, wait a minute. Oh I'm so glad this
came to me. It's gonna kill me. I gotta go

(52:06):
back to Triumph. Explain you said this to me once
and I didn't know. Okay, so help me out here, guys,
Della light works Okay on your ways on Triumph. I
was going to ask about that actually oh yeah, yeah, yeah,

(52:27):
yeah yeah, you said was that the exact what's going on?
Like the I don't know about that, but I know
that the instrument used was, Um, I'm electron, Uh but
the same one. Did you tell me that that was
the same exact one that Marmie used on What's going on? Oh?

(52:48):
I don't think so. I couldn't possibly know that, Okay, No,
but I know someone told me. Someone said like that
either Randy something like Marvin had or that Barry had
especially made. Well, yeah, Barry had do you know the
story of Motown that Raymond Scott had built? Had convinced
Barry Gordy to purchase two of his his version of

(53:12):
tontouh and and he ordered two of them, and then
I think mid second one, they just discontinued the production.
He was like, no, never mind, what was this? Because
I'm wondering if these instruments that you're talking about, if
they were used in these uh incredible ways for songs

(53:41):
like Reflections m because I defy anybody to tell me
what the hell that sound is in the opening, whatever
that is. And then they then they used something else
later on, like what you know in these random places

(54:02):
in the song, which is brilliant, but I have no
idea what it is here it is, okay, So yeah,
nineteen nine, Barry Gordy tipped off about a Matt musical
scientists engage the mysterious works, visited Scott at his Long
Island lab to witness the electroni um that's what he
called it, electron umow, yeah, and all of its infinous possibilities,

(54:23):
and Gory hired Scott and seventy one to serve as
director of Motown's Electronic Music and Research Department. And oh
position Scott held until uh no Motown recordings using Scott's
electronic inventions have been publicly identified. That is that. But yeah,

(54:44):
he originally someone says, uh that he originally started working
on the electronium out of Barry's house. Uh. They set
up a room over the garages and he worked there
putting stuff together so Barry could get involved and see
the progress, and at one point worked out of the studio.
The you didn't never got finalized and Ray had a
real problem letting go. Uh. It was always being developed

(55:06):
and that was a Barry You know what, what do
you think it probably sounded like crap, it's a waste
of seven What do you think it probably just wasn't good? Yeah? Uh,
do you have a weird of the world question, Steve Um? Yeah,
I mean I didn't even put it together in my
head that that that was you on that just you know,

(55:26):
is your name on the cover of that forty five? Like, no,
not the cat, No, that's just the artist. But I
did play piano in it. The artist one of the artists.
Then what happened there? No I wasn't. No, it's not
on the cover. No no, no, no, no no, no, Hey, Greg,

(55:59):
what was the artist? And maybe it's the same person,
But who was the artist that that you really ran
to the studio outside of of course Stevie Jackson's lanel
that you ran to the studio to work with because
you were so excited. And who was the artist that
you ran on tour to be with? Nobody so excited? Well,
as far as touring, you know, there was the time
when I toured with a Beatley, which one Paul Nope,

(56:24):
uh this this this this other guy that I was
touring with. I was in his band, and uh we
already had a said thing going. And then uh, that
artist managed to convince George m to tour with us,
and he he said, you can use my band, and
so it was the Eric Clapton and George Harrison tour

(56:46):
of Japan and you haven't lived until you've toured with
a Beatle. Jesus, it didn't suck. And we go to
here's a crazy thing. We go to Tokyo and of
course George was absolutely lovely, beautiful human being. Um. We
go to Tokyo and we're all we're all terribly excited,
and we were in the h hotel is called the

(57:10):
Capital Tokyo Hotel. We're in Georgia's room. TV's on and
they're playing footage. I mean they're they're announcing obviously the
George is in town, but they're playing footage of when
the Beatles pulled up to the exact same hotel we're
staying in. So now I'm in a room, I'm in
a suite with a Beatle watching footage of when his

(57:32):
band pulled up to the same hotel we're in, Like, okay,
just kind of take this in. And so we toured around.
It was great and then um and then another uh
George story, which I always love to tell. Um. It
was the second time I went to visit him at
his home and uh, he opened the door and he's

(57:56):
he's in corn Rows George has Yeah, Okay, he opened
it and I go, well, I didn't see this coming, George.
I was like, what do you think? I said, First

(58:16):
of all, who, how did you even get your hair
in corn Rose? The black girl hiding? Okay, how did
that work? But he was in Cornable. I wish I
took a picture of him. But so we're hanging out
and then he goes, do you want to hear the
new song? Then I go, okay. We go up to
the bedroom, plays the thing, and I got my private

(58:37):
world premiere of Free as a Bird. And I'm sitting
there and I'm absolutely transfixed and mesmerized. I can't believe
that I'm, first of all, sitting in the bedroom of
a Beatle listening to the last song all the Beatles did.

(58:58):
And I'm sitting there and chill, those are running up
and down my spot. For first of all, I'm getting
hills even talking about this right now. But I'm sitting
there and I'm just trying to take all this and
I'm going around with George Harrison to the last Beetles.
Oh my god, I can't believe this is happening right now.
But sham okay, on the heels of that question, you

(59:21):
also you also emptied a lot of specials and awards shows.
What was your what was one of your favorite experiences
with that? Ps? I really enjoyed watching because you're always
so in thank you. Well, what was your first one
that you did, like your first awards that you Oh
my goodness, I don't know the first Awards show that
I am deed? Wow, I I don't know. I'd have

(59:45):
to research that. I don't damn. So Ricky Minor wasn't
born with that. He just okay, here you go, thank you.
But no, uh no, I don't remember, but I tell
you what the pretty much the best one was. It

(01:00:05):
was based off of How I got started the Jackson
third the special did um no, he said, how you
got started started? I was thinking of the Detroit Symphony thing.
Uh Stevie in the Key of Life. It was a

(01:00:26):
Grammy tribute. I am dated. Yeah, So that's why that's
the best one. So you're an Yeah. So the second
best one is probably the Jackson's thirty Anniversary in the
Garden because I mean, this is the Jackson's thirty Anniversary
in the Gardens. I think they all right, question yea.

(01:00:49):
Since that night was so vivid. That day after it
was so memorable. And by the way, this was based
off of because we did two shows. I know, I'm
gonna ask you about that second show, how did you
get out of New York City? Right? Well, it wasn't
by plane. Um. First of all, nothing was happening the

(01:01:11):
day at, the day of or the day after. We
might want to tell everybody what that day was. It
was September eleven two, and that was after the second show,
which was September and the first show, which was the
eight because it was a break in between I think
because of the circus. But the first show was September eight,

(01:01:32):
the second show was September, and I remember after that
show just you know, having more of a private celebration,
you know, dinner with a buddy of mine at the time,
and had like, you know, just kind of a celebratory
dinner and everything was great. Then uh my wife at

(01:01:53):
the time. Um, the next morning, you know, we we
we slept in eight um because you know, we had
such a great night, so we slept in late. And
I had this plan. I had two plans that I
wanted to do. I wanted to go to Central Park

(01:02:14):
and take my wife on a canoe ride. Um, and
I also wanted to go to my favorite place, my
favorite restaurant for lunch, which is a restaurant called Bill Bouquet.
And so I called the restaurant after I woke up
because I wanted to make reservations. I call it and yeah,
what's going on? And go. I said, I'd like to,

(01:02:34):
you know, come to the to the spot today and
the person said, today is not a good day. He said,
why said, it's not a good days? People are crying,
it's terrible, It's it's not a good day. I go,
what are you talking about? The person went, have you
seen the news? Go? No, I said, you might want

(01:02:58):
to turn the TV on right now. That's how we
found out um. And then after the initial shock, which
took a long time to get over, and we started
smelling smoke. And by the way I was staying, I
was staying at the Plaza Antennay way way uptown, and
you could smell the smoke there. The producer of the show, UM,

(01:03:23):
David Guest, was very good to me though, because he
let me stay at the Plaza a tonay until the
end of the week or until I could get away out.
And so what happened was we kept trying by flights
and it was very, very very difficult free to paint.
I remember was one of the lucky ones. She got
out on the plane. Uh. Came to find out. I
came to find out later on that Michael Uh that

(01:03:46):
car right with Elizabeth. Yeah, he went that, he did that.
But I didn't know the cross country today, Yeah, with
Elizabeth Taylor and I watch his name Marlon. Yeah, I
don't know, Yeah, because I didn't. I didn't know that
at the time, and I didn't know how the rest
of the brothers made out. I didn't know how anybody

(01:04:07):
else got out, but me and my wife at that time,
we we couldn't get a plane out. So we just
decided at the end of that week, that's Saturday, that
we'd run a car. So we drove over to Um
we got we went over to Jersey and got a
herd spren a car and we drove cross country and
it was part of like a mini mini cavalcade because

(01:04:30):
Cheryl Lynn was with us. Yeah and strange Yeah, she
and her cousin or her manager. Actually, UM we drove.
We didn't drove, we didn't drive all together, but we
drove like you know in in separate cars, and we
drove cross country all the way back, and we stopped
in St. Louis where um, her manager's mom lived. UM,

(01:04:55):
and I was in St. Louis, I'm pretty sure was St. Louis.
We stopped there and we made a couple of the
stops and we drove all the way And that was
a first and only time I ever drove a cross
country and I never imagined it would be for that reason.
Ship crazy huh, no traffic, no track, it was. It
was eerily calm and still there's no traffic. And I

(01:05:15):
remember hearing them play this particular song a lot during
our cross country. Right, it was a song by Enya
sell Away. No, that is not the right change like that.
For two weeks, No, they only played like imagine, there

(01:05:37):
was a whole no no songs or the no playlist,
which is why, which is why I O on the blueprint. Yeah,
because yeah, man, can you do you remember you remember?
Can you take us through where you were when you
got the dudes about Mike. Yes, I was in Beverly

(01:06:01):
Hills and I was I just dropped off a watch
to get repaired. And my wife at that time called
me and said, did you hear about Michael. My god,
what are you talking about? I heard the news and
I just I wasn't shock, you know, I I it

(01:06:28):
was just you know, and yet I wasn't you know.
And what I really remember, ah after that is is
going through the preparations with Brandy because Randy brought me

(01:06:48):
in and he wanted me to help out um with
the with the memorial. And then we we we had
a meeting at Kennerle's house, Randy, kenn and I and
we started talking things, you know, talking things through and
um you know, artists and so forth. And I remember thinking, well,

(01:07:12):
it would be really nice if Steve saying I never
dream you'd leave in summer, uh, which was which was
deeply poetic because he did leave us in summer. Um.
And I remember going to remember having private meetings, you

(01:07:33):
know with Randy, and I remember going down to l
A Live and it was the only time that I
was in the l A Live executive building, you know,
where all the offices were. And I remember having we
were we had this meeting with Randy and Ken and
uh uh uh. Simon was Sen's first name. Um who

(01:08:02):
knows Sidman, Um, he's Sideman. He's he's the He's the
he basically runs He basically runs l A Live, Staples
Center and Microsoft Center, uh Lee Lee Siman Um and Uhlwick.
He wasn't there at that time, I don't think, but

(01:08:24):
there were other executives and we we you know, they
were we were discussing everything, like, you know, how many
tickets for family, how many tickets for VP's, all this
kind of stuff, everything, you know, And then I remember
meeting at Staples with the brothers in a backstage room

(01:08:46):
and it was me and the brothers, Kenner like Valdes
Flag legendary stage manager, and maybe one other person and
we were just all sitting there and at different points,
you know, one of the brothers would cry. It was
really really heavy. And I remember also UM taking the

(01:09:06):
walk through the underground tunnel from Staples to what is
now Microsoft Center because there's this underground tunnel that connects
to UM because they was built that way for you know,
just as a cool thing for any artists and wanted
to do double duty or whatever, easy access, you know,
And so we walked this underground tunnel from Staples to UM.

(01:09:29):
It was a different thing then, but whatever, but so
we go there and that was um designed for the
family to leave Staples to go to UM Microsoft Center,
UH for the overflow of people who couldn't get in
the Staples, And it was designed for the So the
family was going to go. Uh the original idea was

(01:09:50):
that the family was going to go and thank them.
But they didn't do it. They didn't do it. We
we we did a practice walk, but after it actually happened,
they didn't do it. They just they didn't do it
because it was it was like enough of it, you know,
It's like you know, with everything that went on and
and uh so, yeah, it was very heavy. And I remember, UM,

(01:10:15):
I remember having a very very private moment with Marlon
uh at haven Hurst and him you know, we talked
and you know, he cried on my shoulder. You know, UM,
very very difficult. But you know, but I also remember,

(01:10:36):
you know, at Staples when we were there going through
things that Barry came over UM and we we we
all took pictures together, Barry and the brothers and me
and just all kinds of memories. You know, how could
one how could one be creative in a time like that,
because you know, you have to go arrangements and came

(01:10:56):
all right, what key do you want to sing in?
And da dada da da, and you know call up
musicians and background and sound check and you know what,
you just do, You just do man. I mean, you
know one thing Earli is really good at it is
just forging through no matter what, because he's had to
in all kinds he's had, He's been hit with all
kinds of last man of things like you know, Uh,

(01:11:19):
they were rehearsing the grades, like the day of the Grammy,
the Grammy thing where thank God, I I think I
was I know I was there. I was there. You
talk about you talk about having to change on the
flying and what what was it? What the back story

(01:11:41):
was that the Chris Brown Rihanna thing just happened and
that was the year they decided to let artists double
up on things. So timber Lake had like two or
three songs, and Chris Brown had two or three songs,
and Rihanna had two or three songs, and it was
gonna be like the first mash up thing of duets
and multiple songs. But without Chris Brown Rihanna, they there
was like space for five songs. And I'd never two

(01:12:04):
things happened that day, which is the most real ship
I've ever seen in my life. One earlier in his
whole crew literally now it's about let's say it in
our fifteen minutes until they realized that Brown and Rihanna
are no shelf. So they're just scouring up. They can
you sing, Let's say again, hal Green. They're just grabbing

(01:12:26):
people from the audience like this, we need a four
minute song. That So that whole thing of like boysterman
singing Let's stay together, none of that ship was playing. No,
the superstitionous thing with Stevie Wonder, with the Jonas brothers,
none of that. But wait, here's the other funny thing. So,

(01:12:50):
uh the the the cold Play controversy with Joe Satriani.
Oh yeah, when they hit Jack the So they've been
running away from getting their summons from saty honest people
for like two months. So he had a plan. He
had a plan. He's like, Yo, I'm gonna get the
motherfucker's at the Grammys. When I tell you you remember

(01:13:12):
them old Keystone Caper things were like you watch the
Ye like that's exactly what happened. So you had the
people were running this way to serve the papers and
then Coldplay running this way and then it was like
you could have put flat of the bumblebee to the

(01:13:33):
ship just just in the topic. Oh god, I don't
know if I should no, just no, I said, all
my stuff. It's just the end of the night. Um.
You know, like artists are like very think like a cat,

(01:13:55):
like Oasis, you know, those guys like I don't care
about like that sort of thing. But um, uh, Tom
New York took losing to cold Play very very hard,
and how hard a very emotional way. So just that

(01:14:16):
was the most surreal. But to see yeah, literally between
early just scrambling for people to same ship and cold
Play and Satriani's Uh, I had no idea that it
was going. It was the funniest day of my life.
It was funny. I'm glad somebody who had something to
laugh about that day. Well, it didn't. The thing was

(01:14:38):
we didn't no, no, I know, you didn't know what
was happening, right, Yeah, it's sort of like being in
the New York doing the blackout, right like in Detroit.
I saw you, I knew you are in the black out,
but I don't think y'all really knew because there was
no TV to turn on to see could say write
you could be already in a blackout. But it was
just like, oh we heard like Rihanna, it's not coming
like we didn't until I got home. Then we saw

(01:15:00):
ship that happened. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah that was the
sort of the thing. Wow. So, uh did we cover
everything in your life? No? Not even close the whole
part two? Yeah. Signs and movies and ship you did

(01:15:24):
you sport were signs. I didn't score it. I did. Actually,
I just did one thing, okay for a female artists
who the girl who did Private Joy Shane Shane. Yeah yeah,
and I sang the demo produced by Jimmy Irvine. Wow.

(01:15:50):
Oh that's right asked me to do. Uh, somebody asked
me to do that, you know, produced that thing for
that girl. So I did. I did Private Joy in
the Street to fire. Were you in the band? No? No,
I was in another movie, darying movie, the only my
only this is it my only movie day? But I

(01:16:11):
didn't do this is it? Yeah? Because Michael, you're right,
You're right. Sorry, Okay, I was young, said but you
haven't lived until you've been directed by Steven Spielberg. Thank you?
What movie you would to be. We got two. I

(01:16:39):
was the extra in the color purple as well. I
was six your baby. Yeah, I was on the gig.
I was one of the get the scene where the
scene where she's hanging up close, she's saying, no, you
gotta fight, you gotta what Celie're talking and so then
like a kid comes and runs through the sheet and
she's like, y'all get on the way from me. I was, yeah,

(01:17:00):
you got outstreating ptuals. But gosh, you're not gonna believe this.
But also yeah, yeah, exactly, you were the kids. You
were you were the kid. You were one of the
kids of the owner of the general story right some girl. Yeah,

(01:17:28):
but guess what. Guess what, that's not even my voice
do a time I want? Oh wait wait, I couldn't.
But I did say it. Yeah, I did say it.
But in the I guess it wasn't loud enough, so
they had they had somebody else go well go, but
I did. That's me playing Wow, that hysterical. So it's

(01:17:49):
so love. If you want a really good laugh, whip
that out one night. You'll crack up. Yeah, you'll laugh
yourself silly. Wait Greg, But that's how I met Oprah
what and that's how I met uh Danny, right, And
that's how I met the cast of wacky characters. And yeah,

(01:18:14):
wait oh there's another thing that I did that I'm
very proud of that you probably didn't know how I
did thanks to Kenner. Like Oprah's final two shows, thank
you mana, what were her final two shows? An extra
organza with every star you've ever heard of in your
entire life, in the entire galaxy that did you ever interviewed?

(01:18:36):
They came out to say goodbye? And yeah, so what
musical moment? Who? Who was the last you? Indeed, whatever
the musical moment was, I indeed the whole thing. So
who was the last person to sing? I don't know
who the last person was? But but um, probably my
favorite segment was when we when we surprised it with

(01:18:58):
Steve because what happened was the setup was um uh
Jamie mm hm um you know went to her and started,
you know, talking on his smack and everything, and he
he would he started, isn't she lovely? Right? So he
started it. So we did a slow version and that's

(01:19:21):
me playing with him and everything, and then we we
I do some um, some chord changes, you know, some
different course to set up into the original key of
Isn't She Lovely? For Steve to rise out of the
floor on a panel that set up and she turns
around because um wait, I gotta ask, do you have

(01:19:41):
you ever had as an empty uh a Murphy's law
momentum for you? Everything can go wrong? Um? Has a
sequencer ever not worked on? You know? When jam is
on at the intro? You know, did you miss if

(01:20:02):
you can't feed your baby Q or that freeze or
want to be starting something or oh, I we probably did.
We probably had some you mean doing the Bad tour? Well, yeah,
I mean just in general and general not not yeah, probably,
but not not anything that just stands out to break.
Oh you won't believe this, so I'm sure they haven't.

(01:20:23):
But they were mercifully far and few between. Okay, okay,
well I'm sorry. I really do want to know what
you played on we Other World, Like what instruments piano played? Piano?
And right? Yeah, but well and to your point, yes,
and he co wrote the song, but no he he
doesn't need to play it. He's one of the featured artists,

(01:20:44):
so he doesn't need So they had they had other
sense and stuff that. Yeah, so Quincy had a few
of us. It was me, David Page, and I think
and there was one other one I can't remember who.
They're gonna kill you though, but but I played piano.
Page played um, you know, electric piano, I thing or
other instruments. And there was a third keyboardist as well.

(01:21:04):
So there were a bunch of us. No, well just
other sense, not strings. But yeah, so there were I'm
pretty sure three keyboard players. And I did the piano.
Thank you, thank you well, brother Greg. You you gave us,
You brought it, you brought the stories, you brought the dramas,

(01:21:26):
you brought the misty. Well you know what. But it
takes someone as um nerdy and as knowledgeable as you
are and your fine team. Let me just say right now,
you guys are really wonderful. And I don't know. Okay,

(01:21:49):
I get function, that's all I know. I get it,
and I have to pee right now. But I must
say I had no idea that I would be here
for over three hours, but I have enjoyed every second
of Its felt like three minutes. And blessings to you all,
and I just thank you for you, just for all
your contributions, all your music, just for raising all of us.

(01:22:11):
Thank you, Thank you on behalf of Sugar Steve and
I'm Paid, well he's not here on Behalf of Sugar
Steve and Boss Bill in Fantigolo and la uh yeah,
I'd like to say thank you, h Greg again. This
is course Love of Course, Love Supreme and we will

(01:22:33):
see you on the Mexico Round only on Pandora Cours
Love Supreme. It's a production of my Heart Radio. This
classic episode was produced by the team at Pandora. For
more podcasts from my Heart Radio, visit the I Heart
Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your

(01:22:53):
favorite shows.