Working with QJ

[Bob Yordan]

Hello Mr Swedien

I am very big fan of Quincey Jones and I guess you have had a major impact
on creating the supreme sound on the cd's.

I have two cd's that I especially like 'the Dude' and the later album 'Back to the block', both great sounding.

The are some years in between these productions. What would you say was the most major differences working with them in a gear technical aspect and recording wise. Have you been using totally different gear, like eg comps, reverbs mics etc or has the technical advances make you change the set up in so many way that you might have lost track of it?

Thanx for any answer.

[Larrchild]

Good! The Viking loves to talk about "Back on the Block" cause it's an amazing album that did'nt get the attention it should have. Low end valhalla, i tell you!

[RaGe]

And let's not forget the marvelous "Q's Jook Joint"!

[Bruce Swedien]

Originally Posted by Larrchild

Good! The Viking loves to talk about "Back on the Block" cause it's an amazing album that did'nt get the attention it should have. Low end valhalla, i tell you!

OK kiddies... Pull up a nice chair... Get comfortable..... I may get a little windy here...

Quincy Jones shows up at Universal Recording Studios...

I first met Quincy Jones in 1959 at Universal Recording Studios In Chicago. Quincy was about 23, I had just turned 22. Quincy was a vice-president of Mercury records. He was the youngest executive with a major label in the industry, and Quincy was the only black executive with a major label in the entire industry.

When we met at Universal Studios in Chicago we were recording a Dinah Washington album for Mercury records. Quincy wrote the arrangements and a guy by the name of Jack Tracy produced the album. So we spent a lot of time together. Probably for the next 2-3 years doing Mercury projects. We did something for Norman Granz and a bunch of different labels.

We think alike and our tastes are alike in a lot of things. In simple terms, we like to work together. So we did a lot of wonderful projects in Chicago.... Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughn and several other things too. One of the things that's really important to me is the way Quincy and I work in the studio. We have a lot of fun while we're doing a project - and I think it shows in the music. Also, we both love good food.

Then Quincy went to France, Sweden and a lot of other countries in Europe. After that he moved to New York, so we lost track of each other for quite a few years. In 1975 we hooked up again in Los Angeles. We did a couple of Brothers Johnson album for A & M, and an album with Lesley Gore and George Benson. Also of course, we did a few Quincy Jones albums.

We also did the music for the Hit Televisioin series “Roots”. In 1976 while we were in New York working together on the “Wiz, The Movie” we met Michael Jackson.

A lot of people comment when they see Quincy and I working in the studio together, that we don't talk much, and I guess we really don't. When you really think about it, we've been together so long that a lot of it is just like a sixth sense. We know how each other's minds work.

Quincy Jones fixes lunch....

Sometimes when we work on a project, if we are really fortunate, Quincy will take it upon himself to personally fix our lunch!!! It doesn’t happen very often but when it does, what a great experience! It takes Quincy 45 minutes to make a chicken sandwich - he'll get the chicken - have it sent over from Greenblatts Deli or somewhere, and get the butter and the mayo. Then he'll take a piece of bread, and spread the butter and mayo, very, very carefully on every little square inch of the bread. He goes about that just the way he does with his music. Every square millimeter is perfectly covered with butter and mayo! Then the chicken has to be all torn apart in exactly the same sized little pieces, and fitted just right on the bread. So, it's great fun! .. Somehow it’s always made great sense to me, if you’ve had the privilege to watch Quincy Jones make you a chicken sandwich. When you do you will know why his musical integrity is total! It’s all about the details! It's just fantastic!

Want some more???? Let me know....

Bruce Swedien

[goldphinga]

Hi Bruce!

Just wondering if you and Quincy and MJ might consider working together again perhaps a reunion for his next album?

Just a thought,

keep well

Dan

[allstar]

Originally Posted by Bruce Swedien

Want some more???? Let me know....

Bruce Swedien

Please go on.

Your work with Quincey had a profound effect on me.

It was the combination of recording quality and musicianship in those tunes that got me hooked on engineering and producing in the first place. . .

I love to hear about the situations. characters and personalities behind all those great records because as a kid I certainly imagined my own while listening.

(Back then, I always had Rod Temperton figured out as a cool young black fella too ! )

[orange]

Originally Posted by Larrchild

Good! The Viking loves to talk about "Back on the Block" cause it's an amazing album that did'nt get the attention it should have. Low end valhalla, i tell you!

That's an amazing sounding record. I first heard that being played over the PA between acts on the Jazz stage at the Glastonbury Festival many years ago. I couldn't wait for the acts to finish so I could hear a bit more.

I'd love to hear any technical details on how that album was put together.

si

[stevep]

Want some more???? Let me know....

Bruce Swedien

Nice ..... now i am hungry and its to late to go get a chicken sandwich


It is great and a Blessing when we find someone we can relate and work with .



Please tell more ,


Bruce i do Love your stories, and i want to say thank you for sharing your time with us here at GS.





steve

[Billster]

Originally Posted by Bruce Swedien

Want some more???? Let me know....

Bruce Swedien

YES PLEASE give us some more ! Very interesting read - you don´t get that kind of insight very often, even here on GS Great to have you here, Bruce !!!

Btw Thriller is one of my favourite albums of all time and I don´t know how often I listened to Off The Wall and Bad.

At first I had Thriller on tape and a vinyl copy of Bad, but both didn´t stand the test of time so eventually I bought them on CD. I don´t mean to hijack this thread, but this question just comes to my mind : what are your feelings on how soundquality of these albums differs with the medium they are delivered on (cd or vinyl) ? What do you like better ?

Thanks for your time and kind regards,
Bill

[jjdpro]

More Please.........Please....

[RaGe]

Come on Bruce, stop teasing us!

[Bruce Swedien]

Originally Posted by goldphinga

Hi Bruce!

Just wondering if you and Quincy and MJ might consider working together again perhaps a reunion for his next album?

Just a thought,

keep well

Dan

Dan and Everyone.....

Not a Prayer!!! Absolutely not!!!

Bruce Swedien

[Bruce Swedien]

More About Quincy Jones....

Here's some more. Are you getting bored yet? I have more, that comes to mind now, if you want...

Pull up that nice chair again... Get comfortable..... I may get even a little more windy here...

I am an only child. I never had a sister or a brother. If I could have anyone that I could think of, for a brother, that brother would be Quincy Jones. I don't mean "brother", in the rhetorical manner. I mean brother in the familial way. That doesn't mean that Q and I have always agreed with each other.

We have had heated arguments resulting from differences of opinion between us. I don't think that brothers always agree either. What has made our relationship last is the fact that true friendship, such as ours, is based on mutual respect. I have the ultimate respect for Quincy, on a musical and a personal level.

And I think he feels the same about me. Quincy Jones is the kind of friend that you could call in the middle of the night, with your most personal problem, either real or imagined, and he would come to your rescue, and your life would be on the right track again. I guess what I am trying to say is that I truly love Quincy. In addition, almost everything that I treasure, that I know about recording good music, I have learned from my pal Quincy Jones.

Quincy Jones once said about music and how it works on the emotions...

"To get out of whatever was distasteful, unpleasant, uncomfortable or painful - music could always sooth that. You just crawl in that world and reach in that black hole and grab something beautiful, and it would take you away from all of that."

Quincy is great fun to be with. In the studio or anywhere. For instance, he loves good food. He loves fine wine. Therefore Jones and I have a lot in common without going further. Quincy is an authority on the culinary arts. He can also make the most incredible lemon meringue pie you have ever tasted! I think if Q wouldn't have been a giant in the world of music, he would have been one of the world's foremost chefs.

When you are with Q, there is a constant parade of notables passing through the studio. We might be doing an overdub session and I look up and there is Ray Charles sitting in the corner of the control room digging the proceedings, or Jesse Jackson, or Miles Davis or Dizzy Gillespie or someone equally famous.

Quincy and I are almost the same age. Actually, Quincy is 13 months older than I am. I have been very careful to point out the fact that I am younger than Q, not only to Quincy, but to anyone else, whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Quincy’s approach to his music is Kaleidoscopic...

Like Duke Ellington, Quincy's instrument for musical expression is the orchestra. If I were asked to use one unique label for describing Quincy’s approach to his music, I would have to use the term “Kaleidoscopic”. I would say that the terms “Fluid” and “Buoyant”, also come to my mind when I think of the music that we have recorded together. Quincy’s way of taking a single piece of music, and making it appear to the ear a certain way on the first listen, and then having a different element in the music to bewitch one’s ear on the next listen through, is probably ‘Q’s most unique production technique.

Both Quincy and I love the extraordinary personalities that individual musicians exhibit. The musicians that we have had the good fortune to work with over the years are known mainly for their fantastic quality as performers. They are not necessarily known for being timely in their arrival at the studio. For a few years Quincy and I kept a big yellow legal pad with us in the studio, with all the excuses written down, that our musician friends came up with for being late to the session, or not able to get to the studio at all. We were absolutely amazed by the originality and depth of thought that went into these lame excuses.

We were also amazed by the sheer amount of them. We developed an excuse list. We assigned numbers to them. After a couple of years of sessions we were up to one hundred or more. Of course, there could be several variations on a single theme. For those we gave them a number and then a letter. Here’s a couple of outstanding examples:

Excuse number 55A was: The bus was being robbed in front of my house and I couldn't get out of my driveway."

Excuse number 55B was "There was a parade going by in front of my house and I couldn't get out of my driveway."

Excuse number 55C was: "They were fixing the street in front of my house and I couldn't get out of my driveway."

Excuse number 11 was: "I can't make the session on Tuesday, because Tuesday is the day I get my jewelry cleaned."

Q and I were in New York a few years ago, recording an incredible rhythm section for one of our album projects. We had the studio and the guys booked to start at noon. I was all set up and ready to go by 11:30 a.m. Quincy got to the studio at 11:45 a.m. We sat around and talked about music, the project, what we were going to eat for lunch, what we were going to eat for supper, all the important things.

2:00 p.m. in the afternoon, no musicians. 5:00 p.m. in the afternoon, still no musicians. At 7:00 p.m. the control room 'phone rang. Quincy answered. It was the drummer, he said "Yo, Q...I'm going to be a little late,(pause for effect)... weirdest thing happened to me, I had an epileptic seizure, but I'll take a cold shower, and I'll be right over."

Quincy Jones Learns to Drive A Car...

It has always amazed me that Quincy Jones never learned to drive a car. He definitely has tried to learn. Here’s the straight story. When Quincy moved to California from New York he said to all his pals, "I live in sunny California now, where everyone drives. I simply must learn to drive a car!" So Q went out one day and enrolled in a well-known Los Angleles driving school and took driving lessons.

At the end of the 13 week course, Quincy passed the written test with flying colors. In fact, he got a 100% perfect score! Quincy thought to himself, “Wow, piece of cake! I thought this would be tough!” Then came the time for his driving test... He failed the drivers license road test, and nearly gave the man testing him a heart attack. In fact, right after Q’s road test, the gentleman who ran the driving school, took Quincy in the back room and gave him all his money back! He said to Quincy “Mr. Jones, I don’t want you out on the streets trying to drive a car!” , (All the students went through the 13 week course, passed and got their drivers license, except Quincy.) When we all asked Q how he did at the Driving Academy, Quincy said "I can't get it together because the stop lights don't fall on down beats". ha! ha! So that's that! Quincy doesn't drive - so I end up driving him home a lot. He hied somebody to drive his car. So he's safe!

For someone who doesn't drive, I think Q really, genuinely enjoys owning a car. As long as I've known him he has always taken great pride in owning an automobile. He always buys his cars himself. He spends alot of time looking at the automobile brochures. He brings the brochures to the studio and we all pour over them and try to give him advice on which car will be best for him. He is very fussy about the color, the interior, the stereo, and all the things that make owning a car fun.

When we were in Westlake's beautiful new studio recording the Michael Jackson 'Bad' album, Quincy decided to buy a new car. He had been through his four-wheel drive phase, and told me it was time for him to have a nice big sedan again. This time he wanted diginity in an automobile.

He had been to look at various models of sedans, we had looked at all the brochures together, and he finally decided on an absolutely gorgeous big, black, four-door Jaguar.

One Monday morning, at Westlake Studios in Hollywood, just before the session was to start, Quincy came charging into the control room, and announced to everyone that his new 'ride' had just been delivered He said: "Come on guys, I got my new short(Car). I’m going to take you for a ride!".

Everyone in the control room looked at each other in horror. As I remember it was Rod Temperton (another no-driver), Jerry Hey, I can't remember who else, maybe Herbie Hancock, Craig Johnson and myself.

Of course we were all well acquainted with 'Q's driving history. We followed him out to the studio parking lot and there was his elegant and gleaming new car, sparkling in the sun.

Quincy was jingling the keys in one hand and motioned for us to get in with the other. Everyone got in the car and securely fastened his seat-belt. Quincy started the motor, revved it up, turned on the stereo, cranked up the volume, ran the electric windows up and down, revved up the motor again, opened the electric sun-roof, bounced up and down in the front seat a little, revved up the motor again a couple of times, and then turned off the key. Everything got very quiet. You could have heard a pin drop! Q turned to us and said "Happenin' ain't it!". We never left the parking lot!

Hangin’ With Q

When you’re hangin’ with Q, you will always have a good time. Quincy is one of those guys that when he comes in the room everything changes. His presence is felt without saying a word.

Partyin’ With Q

Going anywhere with Quincy is a real party. Of course Quincy loves good Food and great French wine, I mean what's not to love... I've traveled quite a bit with Quincy, we'd be in New York or wherever, working on a picture, or a record or something, and he's been out to dinner and found some bottle of French wine that he absolutely loves. He holds it in his arms like a cherished baby... I've been with him getting on an airplane and he’s carrying this god damn half-full bottle of wine on the plane with him! It’s embarrassing! You're not supposed to do that, you’re not supposed to bring your own wine with you on an airplane! But of course being Quincy Jones, the stewardesses smile warmly, and pour the wine for him! Soon lunch comes, Quincy smacks his lips in anticipation, and finishes up his treasured wine.

Driving Q and Roddy Home

Rod Temperton,(there's another one that never learned to drive a car.) You should see Quincy and Rod when we're done with a session, it’s maybe two or three in the morning, and they both put on this sad little face. I call their ‘Waif’ look. These two guys are masters at this... Making you feel sorry for them, so you absolutely have to drive them home. Of course, I'm always happy to drive them home....

Add a little garlic salt to the sound...

I think the way Quincy and I work in the studio is a bit unique - Alot of people comment when they see Quincy and I working in the studio, is that that we don't talk much. I guess we really don't. When you really think about it, we've been working together so long, that a lot of it is just like a sixth sense. We know how each other's minds work. One of the things that's really important to me is that we have a lot of fun while we're doing a project - and I think it shows in the music. The fact that we both dearly love good food is important to the way we relate to each other. Quincy says that all the good food that we have in the studio goes in the music.

A lot of our conversation, a lot of the way Quincy describes musical values, is to use culinary terms... For instance Quincy will say: "ok that sounds great... but add a little spice to that sound or add a little garlic salt or something", and instinctively I'll know what he's talking about.

When Quincy asks me to make the sound a little spicy, it means add a little bit of high end, or you might want to add a harmonizer to the sound source, or add a little special effect to it or something. Q has told me that the music will tell you when it need a bit of garlic salt.

Everything good that I’ve learned about recording music, or about the ethics of music, came from my experiences with Quincy Jones. Especially about the esthetics of musical quality.

I’m a very fortunate guy, I went to the University of Quincy Jones! If you think about it - who is there else like Quincy? I mean he's totally one of a kind. There's no one else!

Bruce Swedien

[blaugruen7]

Originally Posted by Bruce Swedien

More About Quincy Jones....

Here's some more. Are you getting bored yet? I have more, that comes to mind now, if you want...

dear bruce,

i think i do not only speak for myself when i say, that WE ARE VERY VERY INTERESTED INTO WHAT YOU WANT TO SHARE WITH US!!!!

all the best,
gunnar

[HiRaX]

Originally Posted by Bruce Swedien

"I can't get it together because the stop lights don't fall on down beats".

AWESOME!

[David R.]

Originally Posted by Bruce Swedien

More About Quincy Jones....


Excuse number 55A was: The bus was being robbed in front of my house and I couldn't get out of my driveway."

Wait, I think I was on that bus!

Classic.

[Bruce Swedien]

Remember the movie "THE WIZ"?

Here's a little story about Quincy from that time... Quincy Jones composes and arranges the score for the Movie “The Wiz”, at our dining room table!!!!

When Quincy and I were in New York working on the Movie “The Wiz” we lived together at the Drake Hotel on Park Avenue for almost a year and a half. We occupied a lovely two-bedroom suite together for that period of time. Our rooms consisted of two bedrooms, a living room and a dining room with a big glass-topped dining room table.

We attempted to divide up our domestic duties the best way that we could. Of course Quincy Jones is an absolutely incredible culinary expert, so he ordered our food when we ate in. My household abilities are far more limited so I was awarded the laundry and clean clothes duty.

There is one event from that period of time that stands out in my mind. It was when we were recording the score for the film. The first day for recording the large orchestra sessions of the score was on a Monday. In typical Quincy fashion, he put off composing and orchestrating the music for those sessions until Sunday night. I have seen many world-class film composers do the same thing. I have a feeling that the pressure of the deadline demands, or coerces maximum creativity.

On Sunday evening Quincy and I had dinner sent up to our rooms. As we ate I reminded Quincy that we had a huge session at 9 the next mornng in A and R Studio A1 with an 80 piece orchestra, to record not only the opening and closing titles, but some of the more dramatic music for the film score.

I also reminded him that he hadn’t put a note on manuscript paper yet. He looked at me, smiled and said, “No problem”.

Of course this had happened before so I wasn’t extremely concerned. I went to bed. Quincy said to me, “See you in the morning”. The music for the orchesta session that was only hours away still existed only in Quincy’s imagination.

About four in the morning I woke up, and peeked out of my bedroom door. All the lights were on in our apartment! There was Quincy, seated at our dining room table. By this time the dining room table was absolutely covered with music manuscript paper! Each large sheet of paper had so many notes of music on it that it looked like flies had been pooping on it all night long! Quincy would look at each sheet of music paper and then stare off into space for a bit!

To this day, the single most amazing thing that I see in my mind, as I visualize that night, is that there is not a musical instrument anywhere in sight! No piano, nothing! The only music instrument in our apartment was between Quincys ears!

The next morning we left the hotel for the studio at about 9:00 am. We walked in and Quincy handed a huge batch of completed orchestral scores to the small army of music copyists that were set up in huge Studio A1 at A and R Studios on 57th Street.

When the parts were copied and handed out to the orchestra, the conductor raised his baton, gave the downbeat, and the most glorious dream-like sound filled the studio that we had ever heard!

In addition to the fact that this incredible music came from our dining room table, what amazed me was that there was not a note out of place anywhere in that entire score!

Not one wrong note! Of course Quincy made some minor changes in the orchestration for the recording but he always does that.

I think that some of Quincy’s musical depth comes, in a small part from the fact that in 1957, he settled in Paris where he studied composition with Nadia Boulanger, who taught such notables as Maurice Ravel and Aaron Copland. I have also heard that at that tiime Quincy was Nadia's Number One student!!!

Bruce Swedien

[picksail]

Beautiful!!!

That was a great way of starting my day.

Thanks so much for the profoundly inspiring story.

[stevep]

WoW ! Truly Amazing

Thank you so much for the story,




steve

[zvenx]

thanks for sharing. does he have perfect pitch?
richard sven patterson