Tag Archives: Quincy Jones

Music Monday: November 25, 2024

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Hi, everyone. Welcome to this week’s edition of Music Monday.

Blog image for 2024

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Just a quick reminder: With the festive season upon us, Music Mondays will be preempted for the next four weeks because starting December 1st, my annual Christmas music feature will begin. I hope you will stay for that & share some of your favorite holiday songs with me as well. And to all of you celebrating Thanksgiving this week, I wish you a happy & safe day.

The recent loss of Quincy Jones is a massive one to anyone who listened to music at any point in the last 70 years. He died on November 3 at the age of 91 leaving behind a seven decade career that began while he was in high school honing his skills as a trumpeter and arranger before he went on to play for Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie. Jones met Ray Charles while he was on the way up as well, and the two formed a lifelong friendship.

Jones’ talent led to work with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., jazz greats Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington and many other artists. Jones began working on movie scores in 1964 and continued in that genre for the rest of his career.

The 1970’s & 1980’s brought more fame and recognition including Jones’ work with Michael Jackson & on the USA For Africa charity single, “We Are The World”. In November 1989 Jones released, Back On The Block, a standout for me which reunited him with his old friend, Ray Charles, for a fantastic cover of a great song Jones produced back in 1976 for The Brothers Johnson. Rest in peace, Quincy Delight Jones Jr. Thank you for every note. 

Quincy

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Three other noteworthy releases from 1989 were released in the same month:

Patti Labelle: Her ninth solo album, Be Yourself, from June 1989 included a song that gave the singer the opportunity to add her tremendous voice to a James Bond movie soundtrack. The film, “Licence to Kill”, led by Timothy Dalton as the man who preferred his martini shaken, not stirred, featured fellow soul and R&B singer Gladys Knight on the title track. As fabulous as that song is, Labelle’s soaring ballad takes center stage for me. .

Patti

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Van Morrison: He released Avalon Sunset 35 years ago in June 1989. The two most notable songs include “These Are The Days” featured in the 1995 movie “Nine Months”. The other is an absolutely beautiful love song covered by Rod Stewart for his 1991 Vagabond Heart album. It became a #5 hit for him two years later after he delivered a very moving performance of it during his MTV Unplugged performance in 1993. I love it along with everything else Stewart does, but Morrison’s original is even more heartfelt as the words and emotions are all his own. He recorded it with The Chieftans for their version featured on their 1995 album, The Long Black Veil. It earned them a Grammy Award the following year for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals.

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(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Bad English: Five years after the massive success of his solo song, “Missing You“, John Waite teamed up with his old bandmate from The Babys-keyboardist Jonathan Cain-and his Journey bandmate-guitarist Neil Schon-to form the supergroup, Bad English. Rounding out the lineup was Styx bassist Ricky Phillips and drummer Deen Castronovo. Even with all that star power, the first single from the band’s self-titled debut album released in June 1989 was written by multi-award winning songwriter, Diane Warren. Bad English disbanded after their second album, 1991’s Backlash.

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(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds’ third studio album, For the Cool in You, hit the music scene in August 1993. It produced five singles with the last one being released in May 1994. It not only became the most successful song from the album-it peaked at #4 on the chart that September-but it also became the top selling single of his career to date. It is a simple yet elegant love song that showcases his voice beautifully and stands out as my favorite song from his extensive catalog. I fell in love with it all over again after his acoustic performance at the 1995 Grammy Awards where it won him the trophy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.

Babyface

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Quincy Jones (featuring Ray Charles and Chaka Khan): “I’ll Be Good To You” (1989, written by George Johnson, Louis Johnson and Sonora Sam).

Patti LaBelle “If You Asked Me To” (1989, written by Diane Warren).

Van Morrison: “Have I told You Lately” (1989, written by Van Morrison).

Bad English: “When I See You Smile” (1989, written by Diane Warren).

Babyface: “When Can I See You Again” (1993, written by Kenneth Edmonds).

Stay safe & well.

Let’s Take A Moment Day 363

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Hi everyone.  Hope you are all well and continue to stay that way during this global health crisis we are facing.  But in addition to protecting your physical wellness, what are you doing to stay mentally healthy today?

March 2021 Blog

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I know we are still facing a serious situation but a new year gives us hope for the new days, seasons, opportunities & moments ahead. Still, music is something that will never change for me. It is my refuge, the most comforting part of my life & the one thing I consistently count on. So until a more normal semblance of life returns, I am going to share a song I listen to that helps me escape the current state of things, if only for a few minutes each day. And if this helps anyone else, even better.

If you remember any part of the 1980’s, then you know Quincy Jones was a huge part of music in that decade. He was the producer behind Michael Jackson’s biggest albums (Off The Wall, Bad, Thriller) & USA For Africa’s 1985 charity song, “We Are The World”, to name just a few of his accomplishments. Jones began his musical journey as a trumpeter when he was about ten years old. When he was 14 he met Ray Charles and the two remained friends & collaborators until Ray’s death in 2004.

Jones left a scholarship at Boston’s Berklee School of Music in the early 1950’s to work for bandleader Lionel Hampton. Jones would eventually work with everyone from Sarah Vaughn, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington & so many others. And if all that was not cool enough, Jones married Peggy Lipton (Julie from “Mod Squad”) in 1974.

He turns 88 today, born on March 14, 1933 in Illinois. One of my favorite songs by him came out in 1989 and featured his buddy Ray Charles & Chaka Khan on vocals. Happy birthday, Quincy Jones.

“We’ve been together
For so very long
I’d hate to break up
Break up my happy home”.

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chaka quincy

Top (l-R): Quincy Jones and Ray Charles circa 1988. Bottom (L-R): Chaka Khan and Jones circa 2010. (Images found online.  Original sources unknown.)

Quincy Jones featuring Ray Charles & Chaka Khan: “I’ll Be Good To You” (1989, written by George Johnson, Louis Johnson and Sonora Sam).

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

Let’s Take A Moment Day 133

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Hi everyone.  Hope you are all well and continue to stay that way during this global health crisis we are facing.  But in addition to protecting your physical wellness, what are you doing to stay mentally healthy today?

Thoreau music quote

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

I know we are in a serious situation, but I need a break from the gloom, doom and bullying by way of hoarding. Music has always been my refuge and watching those beautiful Italians singing to each other from their balconies reaffirmed my belief that music is the answer. So until the old normal returns, I am going to share a song I listen to that helps me escape the current state of things, if only for a few minutes each day.  And if this helps anyone else, even better.

In 1962 trumpeter, songwriter, vocalist and bandleader Herb Alpert founded A&M Records with his business partner, Jerry Moss.  The name of the label came from the first letter of both men’s last names.  It took six years for the record company to have its first number one record when today’s song by Alpert hit the top spot in June 1968 for four straight weeks.  It was also his first number one song and the first for the songwriters, Burt Bacharach and Hal David.  After that the record company and all three men were off for a fabulous ride.  By 1972 the label was one of the most successful in the world.

It was sold in 1999, but during its 37 year run it was home to diverse artists such as Billy Preston, The Carpenters, Peter Frampton, Procol Harum, Cat Stevens (n/k/a Yusuf), Quincy Jones, Carole King, Barry White and a host of others.  But Alpert remains one of my top favorites thanks to his 1965 album, “Whipped Cream & Other Delights”, and today’s song thanks to his soft easy vocal and the absolutely lovely lyrics by Hal David.

“My hands are shakin’ don’t let my heart keep breaking ’cause
I need your love, I want your love
Say you’re in love, in love with this guy
If not I’ll just die“.

Herb Alpert circa 1965 (R) and that year’s album cover for “Whipped Cream & Other Delights.  (Images found online.  Original sources unknown.)

Herb Alpert:  “This Guy’s In Love With You” (1968, written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David).

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

Valentine’s Day Music Countdown: Song #6…..& A Happy Anniversary

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Before we get to the countdown, let’s take a moment to recognize a happy anniversary-and one of the most important events to occur in music history.

On February  9, 1964 the Beatles made their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show.  They performed “All My Loving”, “Till There Was You”, “She Loves You” “I Saw Her Standing There” & “I Want To Hold Your Hand”.

Sunday nights, not to mention music itself, was never ever the same again.

For those of you lucky enough to have witnessed the performance the night it took place, you were part of history in the making plus you had a front row seat to the start of the British Invasion.

BONUS:  Congratulations to George Harrison who was honored with a Lifetime Achievements Award for his work as a solo artist at the Grammy Awards last night.

My #6 pick in the countdown is “A Song For You” by Ray Charles written by Leon Russell.

I never thought I could choose from the genius that is Charles.  After all, this is the man who took “America The Beautiful;” and made it seem as if it were written for only him.

Perhaps what made it easy to narrow down was the beautiful marriage of Charles’ voice with simplistic beauty of Russell’s lyrics:

“You taught me precious secrets
Of a true love, withholding nothing
You came out in front and I was hiding
Now I’m so much better
And if my words don’t come together
Listen to the melody
Cause my love is in there hiding

I love you in a place where there’s no space or time
I love you for my life
You’ re a friend of mine
And when my life is over
Remember when we were together
We were alone and I was singing this song to you”

This song earned Charles the 12th Grammy Award of his illustrious career in the category for Best Male R & B Performance in 1994.  There is nothing I can write about Ray Charles that has not already been written except that the world became a sadder place when we lost his voice in 2004.  He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of fame in 1986 by one of his closest friends, Quincy Jones.  Here’s one of my favorite songs the two did together, with a little help from Chaka Khan.

Enjoy!!!

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