"The Dude"
November 4, 2024 9:13 AM Subscribe
Such an incredible career!
posted by obfuscation at 9:30 AM on November 4 [1 favorite]
posted by obfuscation at 9:30 AM on November 4 [1 favorite]
He was a big deal here in Seattle. At one of the High Schools one of my kids attended, he built them/got his name on the Quincy Jones Performing Arts Center at Garfield HS, where he attended.
I have never understood what the "producer" of a recording exactly does, but man did he have a lot of success at that. "Thriller" and "The Color Purple" are pretty good feathers in one's cap.
Also just seems like a good dude we need more of, not less
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posted by Windopaene at 9:33 AM on November 4 [7 favorites]
I have never understood what the "producer" of a recording exactly does, but man did he have a lot of success at that. "Thriller" and "The Color Purple" are pretty good feathers in one's cap.
Also just seems like a good dude we need more of, not less
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posted by Windopaene at 9:33 AM on November 4 [7 favorites]
The bass line to Billie Jean off thriller, that's 100% the genius of Quincy Jones. A pop music titan with real Jazz bonafides
posted by dis_integration at 9:35 AM on November 4 [5 favorites]
posted by dis_integration at 9:35 AM on November 4 [5 favorites]
This classic from BlueSky:
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posted by The Bellman at 9:54 AM on November 4 [12 favorites]
Interviewer: Maybe not the cha-cha.Legend.
Quincy Jones: [Marlon] Brando used to go cha-cha dancing with us. He could dance his ass off. He was the most charming motherfucker you ever met. He'd fuck anything. Anything! He'd fuck a mailbox. James Baldwin. Richard Pryor. Marvin Gaye.
Interviewer: He slept with them? How do you know that?
Quincy Jones: [Frowns.] Come on, man. He did not give a fuck! You like Brazilian music?
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posted by The Bellman at 9:54 AM on November 4 [12 favorites]
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I follow the groove, and money always follows.
posted by fairmettle at 9:58 AM on November 4 [2 favorites]
I follow the groove, and money always follows.
posted by fairmettle at 9:58 AM on November 4 [2 favorites]
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Considering how long he was rich and famous, and some of the people he hung out with, it’s remarkable that his Wikipedia page doesn’t have a Controversies section.
posted by Kattullus at 10:00 AM on November 4 [8 favorites]
Considering how long he was rich and famous, and some of the people he hung out with, it’s remarkable that his Wikipedia page doesn’t have a Controversies section.
posted by Kattullus at 10:00 AM on November 4 [8 favorites]
The bass line to Billie Jean off thriller, that's 100% the genius of Quincy Jones.
that's one of those yes and no's, I think.
According to Jones, Jackson "stole" notes from the Jon and Vangelis song "State of Independence";[24] Jones had produced Donna Summer's cover of the song, and Jackson had sung backing vocals.[25] According to Jon Anderson, "They took the riff and made it funky for 'Billie Jean' ... So that's kinda cool, that cross-pollination in music."[24] According to Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates, Jackson told him he had taken the "Billie Jean" groove from their 1981 track "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)".[26] Hall told him "Oh Michael, what do I care? You did it very differently."[26]
Or as some other genius put it. Good artist borrow. Great artists steal. In Quincy and Michael's case, they brought the funk.
posted by philip-random at 10:03 AM on November 4 [3 favorites]
that's one of those yes and no's, I think.
According to Jones, Jackson "stole" notes from the Jon and Vangelis song "State of Independence";[24] Jones had produced Donna Summer's cover of the song, and Jackson had sung backing vocals.[25] According to Jon Anderson, "They took the riff and made it funky for 'Billie Jean' ... So that's kinda cool, that cross-pollination in music."[24] According to Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates, Jackson told him he had taken the "Billie Jean" groove from their 1981 track "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)".[26] Hall told him "Oh Michael, what do I care? You did it very differently."[26]
Or as some other genius put it. Good artist borrow. Great artists steal. In Quincy and Michael's case, they brought the funk.
posted by philip-random at 10:03 AM on November 4 [3 favorites]
About 12 hours ago I was in a YouTube rabbit hole and spent a few minutes watching Quincy Jones and Herbie Hancock sip some white wine and get funky on Herbie's new Fairlight CMI synthesizer. The headline this morning freaked me out a little.
And thanks to Quincy my wife and I have a little inside joke whenever we look out our back window at the growing pile of junk in our neighbor's back yard. I can hum the first two bars of The Streetbeater melody and she instantly knows what I'm talking about.
Gonna go put Sinatra at the Sands on repeat this afternoon.
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posted by JoeZydeco at 10:04 AM on November 4 [6 favorites]
And thanks to Quincy my wife and I have a little inside joke whenever we look out our back window at the growing pile of junk in our neighbor's back yard. I can hum the first two bars of The Streetbeater melody and she instantly knows what I'm talking about.
Gonna go put Sinatra at the Sands on repeat this afternoon.
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posted by JoeZydeco at 10:04 AM on November 4 [6 favorites]
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posted by Samuel Farrow at 10:09 AM on November 4
posted by Samuel Farrow at 10:09 AM on November 4
I was fortunate enough to work on a great documentary about him—Quincy on Netflix.
Wonderful man and he signed a couple of albums for me.
posted by Ideefixe at 10:35 AM on November 4 [11 favorites]
Wonderful man and he signed a couple of albums for me.
posted by Ideefixe at 10:35 AM on November 4 [11 favorites]
I just dig that groovy sound on It's My Party on my crappy car speakers.
Michael Jackson was a genius, but I think QJ was much responsible for his massive success.
I also dug his interview with French music critics on 'Jazz Perspectives'.
posted by ovvl at 10:38 AM on November 4 [2 favorites]
Michael Jackson was a genius, but I think QJ was much responsible for his massive success.
I also dug his interview with French music critics on 'Jazz Perspectives'.
posted by ovvl at 10:38 AM on November 4 [2 favorites]
So, I knew he was Quincy Jones, but I honestly didn't realize how far back he went, and what an absolutely astounding roster of world class artists he'd collaborated with over his whole life.
I mean: Trumpeter for 21-year-old Elvis. Musical director for Dizzy Gillespie. Sidney Lumet, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Shirley Horn, Dinah Washington, Michael Jackson, my God just go to Wikipedia and look at the list. Monster talent after monster talent after monster talent, for decades.
Between him and Steve Albini we've lost two of the people who absolutely defined the music of the last fifty years just this year, and I hope somebody is checking in on Rick Rubin right now.
posted by mhoye at 10:46 AM on November 4 [16 favorites]
I mean: Trumpeter for 21-year-old Elvis. Musical director for Dizzy Gillespie. Sidney Lumet, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Shirley Horn, Dinah Washington, Michael Jackson, my God just go to Wikipedia and look at the list. Monster talent after monster talent after monster talent, for decades.
Between him and Steve Albini we've lost two of the people who absolutely defined the music of the last fifty years just this year, and I hope somebody is checking in on Rick Rubin right now.
posted by mhoye at 10:46 AM on November 4 [16 favorites]
"Thriller" and "The Color Purple" are pretty good feathers in one's cap.
"We Are the World," on the other hand...
posted by y2karl at 10:54 AM on November 4 [5 favorites]
"We Are the World," on the other hand...
posted by y2karl at 10:54 AM on November 4 [5 favorites]
Sinatra's "It Might as Well Be Swing" album with Count Basie and his Orchestra is the first of Sinatra's albums that Quincy Jones arranged. The 1-2-3 of "Fly Me to the Moon," "I Wish You Love," and "I Believe in You" is so good.
posted by fedward at 10:56 AM on November 4 [4 favorites]
posted by fedward at 10:56 AM on November 4 [4 favorites]
The Slate podcast Hit Parade recently did an episode (two-parter if you are not a Slate plus member) on him: I wanna Rock with Q, which is where I found out how far back he went.
posted by PussKillian at 10:56 AM on November 4 [4 favorites]
posted by PussKillian at 10:56 AM on November 4 [4 favorites]
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posted by gentlyepigrams at 11:04 AM on November 4
posted by gentlyepigrams at 11:04 AM on November 4
So, I knew he was Quincy Jones, but I honestly didn't realize how far back he went, and
the Quincy Jones LP that has gotten the most play in my life is this dollar bin gem I picked up a few decades back. A 1977 compilation, it's four sides of all manner of stuff that was first recorded/released in the 1960s. A few options:
Taste of Honey
Cast your fate to the wind
Black Orpheus
posted by philip-random at 11:08 AM on November 4 [1 favorite]
the Quincy Jones LP that has gotten the most play in my life is this dollar bin gem I picked up a few decades back. A 1977 compilation, it's four sides of all manner of stuff that was first recorded/released in the 1960s. A few options:
Taste of Honey
Cast your fate to the wind
Black Orpheus
posted by philip-random at 11:08 AM on November 4 [1 favorite]
The length and breadth of that career! He was Da Vinci. Only cooler.
Godspeed, Q.
posted by Capt. Renault at 11:22 AM on November 4 [4 favorites]
Godspeed, Q.
posted by Capt. Renault at 11:22 AM on November 4 [4 favorites]
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posted by hap_hazard at 11:26 AM on November 4
posted by hap_hazard at 11:26 AM on November 4
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posted by kensington314 at 11:32 AM on November 4
posted by kensington314 at 11:32 AM on November 4
I was expecting a few more entries for him in the excellent History of Rock and Roll in 500 songs podcast. I'm sure more will come as it's only up to 1969.
posted by ursus_comiter at 11:36 AM on November 4 [1 favorite]
posted by ursus_comiter at 11:36 AM on November 4 [1 favorite]
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There's a lot to love in his discography; today I am listening to the Color Purple soundtrack for the first time in, say, 30 years. He was a musical force.
posted by gauche at 11:42 AM on November 4 [1 favorite]
There's a lot to love in his discography; today I am listening to the Color Purple soundtrack for the first time in, say, 30 years. He was a musical force.
posted by gauche at 11:42 AM on November 4 [1 favorite]
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posted by misteraitch at 12:12 PM on November 4
posted by misteraitch at 12:12 PM on November 4
Quincy Jones was a genius. His creative wand was astounding. From Count Basie to Sinatra to Michael Jackson, movie soundtracks... He was humble and a true gentleman. One of the most talented people to ever walk on the planet. RIP
posted by DJZouke at 12:14 PM on November 4 [1 favorite]
posted by DJZouke at 12:14 PM on November 4 [1 favorite]
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posted by Rustic Etruscan at 1:23 PM on November 4
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 1:23 PM on November 4
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posted by Token Meme at 2:14 PM on November 4
posted by Token Meme at 2:14 PM on November 4
♪
posted by Smart Dalek at 3:21 PM on November 4
posted by Smart Dalek at 3:21 PM on November 4
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posted by UhOhChongo! at 3:38 PM on November 4
posted by UhOhChongo! at 3:38 PM on November 4
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posted by mixedmetaphors at 3:49 PM on November 4
posted by mixedmetaphors at 3:49 PM on November 4
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posted by dogstoevski at 4:08 PM on November 4
posted by dogstoevski at 4:08 PM on November 4
Check out PussKillian's link above. That Hit Parade episode grappled beautifully with Quincy Jones' complicated legacy.
posted by yellowcandy at 4:45 PM on November 4 [1 favorite]
posted by yellowcandy at 4:45 PM on November 4 [1 favorite]
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posted by skye.dancer at 4:53 PM on November 4
posted by skye.dancer at 4:53 PM on November 4
As I mentioned very recently in a previous comment, Quincy was a jazzman and he had a particular sound in his own music that seemed pretty clearly Quincy. His 60's and early 70's material reminds me so much of a time and place that probably didn't exist but that I identify as free-wheeling, fun, wild, shag and lampshades. What a remarkable career and an enduring legacy!
Here's some of my favourites:
Hummin' Doing it's thing with the blat blat of the trombones and the otherworldly ladies and the brass and the guitar and then, uh...hummin'. Chef's kiss
Killer Joe the way he riffs on the "dat da daaaa, dat da daaa" all through the song, the bass line, the ladies...love it!
Ironside. If you have foobar or some other player with an equalizer, check out the beginning, it's quite a trip.
Summer in the City The vocal tease at the 2 minute mark, then the actual singing at the 2:30 mark. He made his city into a moody and atmospheric place, totally different from the original
Peter Gunn The original will always be the best but making it trippy was so much fun
It Sure is Groovy Makes me smile and see what I mean about a time and place?
posted by ashbury at 8:41 PM on November 4 [6 favorites]
Here's some of my favourites:
Hummin' Doing it's thing with the blat blat of the trombones and the otherworldly ladies and the brass and the guitar and then, uh...hummin'. Chef's kiss
Killer Joe the way he riffs on the "dat da daaaa, dat da daaa" all through the song, the bass line, the ladies...love it!
Ironside. If you have foobar or some other player with an equalizer, check out the beginning, it's quite a trip.
Summer in the City The vocal tease at the 2 minute mark, then the actual singing at the 2:30 mark. He made his city into a moody and atmospheric place, totally different from the original
Peter Gunn The original will always be the best but making it trippy was so much fun
It Sure is Groovy Makes me smile and see what I mean about a time and place?
posted by ashbury at 8:41 PM on November 4 [6 favorites]
🎶
posted by socialjusticeworrier at 10:34 PM on November 4
posted by socialjusticeworrier at 10:34 PM on November 4
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And this is how I found out Steve Albini died, another belated dot: .
posted by Pendragon at 1:08 AM on November 5
And this is how I found out Steve Albini died, another belated dot: .
posted by Pendragon at 1:08 AM on November 5
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posted by of strange foe at 7:12 AM on November 5
posted by of strange foe at 7:12 AM on November 5
"We Are the World," on the other hand...
Well, here's the thing. Yeah, it's not a great song; even Sir Bob Geldof has said that he takes personal responsibility for two of the worst songs ever made, that and "Do They Know It's Christmas?". It sounds like a middling commercial jingle. And, yeah, there's all sorts of weirdness around who got to be on the record vs. who didn't, between it becoming part of the Prince/Michael Jackson rivalry and lots of Ken Kragen's artists being prioritized over, say, Madonna. But... there's also the thing of the perfect being the enemy of the good, and the stark fact of how people were dying while details were being hashed out. Giving a shit excuses a lot of things, including putting out a record that's basically "We Give A Shit, Too."
And for his amazing career in general,
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posted by Halloween Jack at 7:20 AM on November 5 [1 favorite]
Well, here's the thing. Yeah, it's not a great song; even Sir Bob Geldof has said that he takes personal responsibility for two of the worst songs ever made, that and "Do They Know It's Christmas?". It sounds like a middling commercial jingle. And, yeah, there's all sorts of weirdness around who got to be on the record vs. who didn't, between it becoming part of the Prince/Michael Jackson rivalry and lots of Ken Kragen's artists being prioritized over, say, Madonna. But... there's also the thing of the perfect being the enemy of the good, and the stark fact of how people were dying while details were being hashed out. Giving a shit excuses a lot of things, including putting out a record that's basically "We Give A Shit, Too."
And for his amazing career in general,
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posted by Halloween Jack at 7:20 AM on November 5 [1 favorite]
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I didn't know about his movie music career in the 60's till I was watching The Italian Job. The opening scene is so good.
posted by indianbadger1 at 8:20 AM on November 5
I didn't know about his movie music career in the 60's till I was watching The Italian Job. The opening scene is so good.
posted by indianbadger1 at 8:20 AM on November 5
I've been listening to his stellar "Smackwater JacK" album since 1971.
posted by Chitownfats at 9:49 AM on November 5
posted by Chitownfats at 9:49 AM on November 5
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