October 4, 2023 • 37 mins
In Part 2, Funky George Brown of Kool & The Gang explains the group's transition and super success at the turn of the 1980s. He discusses the songwriting process, personnel changes, and the challenges of touring with Van Halen.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
We are back with part two of our conversation with
Funky George Brown of Cool in the Gang. I love
this conversation for several reasons. Get down on It is
my absolute favorite song of all time and Celebration was
played by a bar Metz Focus. If you haven't yet,
please listen to part one with George, where he speaks
about growing up in Jersey City and how that toughened him,
(00:21):
the band's early success, and his skills as a drummer.
George just penned a memoir, Cool and the Gang and Me,
which is available right now. George Cool and the rest
of the band also just released a new album, People
Just Want to Have Fun.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Make sure you check that out.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
But first Part two of QLs with Funky George Brown.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
I'm assuming during this period that you guys don't have
day jobs as well, Like we did an episode with
Milly Jackson only to find out as he was basically
Millie Jackson on the weekends and then Monday she go
back to her day job.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Where she was working in Manhattan.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Well, yeah, she was working in the garment district of
Manhattan while she was you know, doing live and bitching,
like at the peak of it is one able to
make a comfortable living, especially in an eight man group,
which I assume is different than the setup with Earth
Wind and Fire and which you know, which is basically
(01:29):
the Marie White group. And he's paying them as yeah,
you know, work for hire, you know, our contracted work
for higher but like in okay, so say it's seventy six,
like right before you guys do after Jungle Boogem, right
before open Sesame comes into play.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
We were very lucky there were no Jay jobs in
the initial period. You say nineteen sixty nine, then I
think at that point Kladas Smith had a job delivering.
But after we signed a contract with Delight, we worked.
(02:16):
We've always worked. We've always had a gig.
Speaker 5 (02:18):
You never had a regular job on George the regular.
Speaker 4 (02:21):
Jobs or when we were doing and still doing the nightclubs.
But still no one was hitting the punching the time
clock like that. It wasn't like that. It just changed
because the first record cooling the game by cooling the Gang,
number thirty eight with a bullet on top one hundred,
(02:44):
that's the record changed the whole atmosphere. Most black artists
got to go over the black charts or this chart,
that record went pop with a bullet, So.
Speaker 5 (02:56):
You guys had a fair deal.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
Then, yeah, got a fair deal. Then h and we
got a blessing because not many black acts just popped
up number thirty with a bullet or the top of hundred.
So we were working. So there was work. It might
have been slow here and there, but we we did work.
Speaker 6 (03:16):
So if I want to ask you about publishing, because
I'm curious where you got your publishing education, because we
talk about hip hop. But if your publishing wasn't right
from the start, it wouldn't even matter because you wouldn't
have been receiving, you know, the propers of it.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
The b A maas gaps, she said, and all of
us from Warner Chapel and Bmgene or that well early on,
like with Jean Read again, this guy he told us
all about that, you know, and so therefore we were receiving.
I mean I signed with being Mine when I was nineteen, right,
(03:53):
and that's because of Gene Read. All of all of
us had, you know, and earning from first delight. But
then when PolyGram brought the light, then the royalties for
writing and publishing came from PolyGram and won a Chapel
(04:16):
and BMI. Sorry, and the artist royalties also came out
of PolyGram.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
So we knew one of the most pivotal crucial moves
that you guys did was adding JT.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Taylor.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
But there's actually a second factor that not many people
talk about. You guys went with a very unorthodox direction
associating with the legendary Brazilian producer Emir Diadata.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
Right before we started, he called me twice right before
we started. It really, look, it's a deal, because you
know when you talk to do you we got to
bring a lunch?
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Okay, yeah, I want to know what was the meeting
or the decision process. One to bring in a lead singer,
and two to work with not only an outside producer,
but a Brazilian producer, which I mean I would imagine
(05:22):
in nineteen seventy nine, one would figure that, you know,
I got to go to the top of the pile,
like either get with Gamble and Huff or you know
Norman of Noran Harris. I knew he was a normal Yeah, yeah,
So what made you guys go with a mere Dia
Dado of all things, not really known for a pop
(05:47):
sence or I mean, you know he dabbled in disco,
but not enough for me to be like, Okay, this
is our do or die moment.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Let's get with him.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
Well, the deal at seventeen years old is like the
number one on arranger and producer in all of Brazil. Uh.
And he had written strings for Collins Joe Bean. You
know most of our heads were in that. You know
that thing he wrote for Colin Joe Bean. Wooh, so
(06:17):
our heads were still in that jazz Irene Conrad over
the House of Music. She introduced, I think I got
this story right. There might be some loose ends, Calice
to James J. T. Taylor. I think Ron Sweeney had
said it it's time to bring in a lead singer.
(06:40):
You guys can do it. We looked at Stevie because
we did a lot of work with Steven Well. Stevie
helped us out so many times when the bus would
break down, really called Stevie and he'd help us. Really Yeah,
So Steve would help us out numerous times, and we
wanted him to come in and produce. He said, sorry
(07:01):
for I got to get my own album happening at
that time. So we had a manager at Val Hackett.
Val shopped and I called it shopping, but he got
your mere Diadelo, which was a great blessing. It missed
just like dovetail, like man, the beauty is just connected.
(07:26):
He was the right guy for cooling the gang because
all the music the guys knew, you know, you know,
we were all musician musicians, guys who knew all the
chord changes and you know what have you all all
the scales and sit down and actually write it out
(07:48):
with him. It was easy if we if we wush
up it, he would write that down. And weeks later
when the horns would come in, he said, but which
a simple lot, right? And uh, but guys would write
those parts down as well. You know, e Clifford Adams,
(08:09):
who played trombone with a trump moont case full of music.
Deal was the right choice. Uh, and not only the
right choice for the music, but the right choice and
really organizing the band and how we did things. He
brought it to a whole other level, making sure that
(08:33):
everything was notated, everything was written down.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
As a drummer, I always wanted to know how hard
was it to sort of adjust your sound for the times,
because even I noticed me as a drummer, I've pretty
much stayed kind of consistent for my thirty years of
drumming in the roots and on record, like I'm not
(08:58):
I mean, I if I change my sounds for experimental purposes,
but not like, hey, let me, let me adjust to
the sound and the climate of where it is today.
But like the groove that you're planning on, let the
music take your mind, is not the same tone or
the same sound as Jones versus Jones or a celebration
(09:20):
or whatnot.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
So at the.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
Time, how aware you as the heartbeat of the band
that like the most radical sound change of the band
has to be with the drums.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
It might sound stories because you hear all this. For me,
it didn't bother me. It was like, let's go with
the flow. This is what it is. This is going
to help us move forward. Oh, this is what's going
to bring a wide wide range of audience. So I
was totally totally amenable to it and and actually didn't
(09:57):
think about it too much. But quest you're right because
later on, because I played piano as well, and I
got to a point where okay, enough of this and
I just switched over the keyboards.
Speaker 6 (10:11):
Yeah, that's what I was going to ask you about too.
That's like a major move that I don't hear.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
From drumps to keyboards. Yes, oh well I always played piano. Okay, okay, yeah,
it goes back to we talk about church. It goes
back I've always.
Speaker 6 (10:26):
Played, but in your group, you always played drums until
you decide I'm going.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
And in writing, we had our writing session.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
I you know, how does the songwriting process start? Do
you guys just say, hey, you got an idea? Guys,
what do y'all think about this? Or do you bring it?
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Like?
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Do you bring it to DT? Do you bring it
to Ronald first?
Speaker 4 (10:46):
Like?
Speaker 2 (10:47):
How does the songwriting process start?
Speaker 4 (10:49):
It was us. We just bring it to us, you know,
guys say whether they like it or not, and if
they like it, then we got down on it.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
That's the truth.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
You know. With Theodado a little more different because every
morning he would pick me up. I lived in Manhattan
than in Gramercy Park, and he said, oh, senor let
me see your homework. So you popping the cassette, you
get your illegal pad and start singing, and he'll he'll
either bust your ego then by saying that's not happening,
(11:25):
and or it'd actually if he feels like he said,
that's very cute, but it's not written. Oh he'll say,
signor you've done it again. Love the lines, and so
we would apply. You know, people have different lines to
put it in the song and they would work you perfectly,
(11:46):
you know.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
So we we shared the story of how Celebration got written,
at least Ronald's version of how Celebration got written? But
are there any other universe like unusual stories of that?
For listeners who didn't hear that particular episode, Ronald Bell
(12:08):
said that he was backstage at a Rick James and
Prince show and Prince had just did I Want to
Be Your Lover? And in between the set changeover for
Prince to Rick James, Ronald runs backstage and finds a
piano and figures out the courts that I want to
be a lover, and he writes it and notates it
(12:29):
down and then he plays it backwards, and that rhythm
of winds up being da da And But I mean
for the songwriting process, especially in the period in which
you guys are having unstoppable you know, pop classics one
(12:51):
after the other. Are there any other unusual stories of
how songs got written?
Speaker 4 (12:58):
No? Not really. You know, sometimes guys would pass on
a song. I would take it and write a first
verse of lyric and give it the JT. He said,
this is happening. And the next thing you know, we
have a complete song because you got two members working
(13:18):
on it. We've got the chord structure figured out, and
h writing the melody and lyric, and bingo say you
got something. And it's the funny thing about it. They
weren't the number five pop, you know, but the band
(13:40):
itself didn't like it. That was Take my Heart. You know,
it's very, very poppy all that.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
But you didn't like that song.
Speaker 4 (13:51):
I helped write it.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
I said, that was my aunt's song. Man, that was
the one I took.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
I took it because the band didn't like it. Clayton
Smith wrote it the guitar player right, But the band
didn't like that twelve eight. So I said, no, give
it to me. Took it home. Write no time for wishing, baby.
We've gone all through those moves. I'm all and satisfied.
So the next day, of course, get to the studio. Jay,
(14:17):
were you like j T? What do you think? He said, Man,
I like this.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
I've been going through a Luther phase in the last
month and a half reading his book and listening to
his music, and I realized that the world is going
through a drought of a good shuffle song. Oh my God,
like and take My Heart is like kind of I
(14:41):
remember shuffle, Yeah, exactly. Do you talk about the phenomenon
that is celebration, Like, what were the band's general reaction to,
Like celebration winds up being way past an anthem, it's
(15:06):
it's it's pretty much music DNA like, it's it's with celebration.
Speaker 4 (15:11):
We're on the two of us and leaving l A.
The night before we won two American Music Awards, So
the song was germanying then, but that's what you got
from Earl Smith, you know. So so let's let's put
that in there because that's very celebrated, celebratory, you know,
(15:36):
So just just to put that in the soul and
gives it that boost, you know. But in regards to
it becoming.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
Only to the point where it's like stadiums and weddings and.
Speaker 4 (15:48):
Anderson miss miss back ship, backyard, Bobby Cue, it's it's
it's an amazing, it's a blessing and it is, uh,
one of those songs that I'm gonna say you can't
deny and you must play it every evening.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
Did it ever become burdensome? Because I know a lot
of acts when they get a mammoth hit of that caliber,
then it's like selling becomes a it becomes a burden.
Speaker 4 (16:19):
No, you know what happens. And you know when you're
playing sometimes you're playing the piece and you played it
a thousand times, but it becomes organic, like and guys
are playing the right chords. But it just got this
just tonight. I mean, well, you're playing quest or the
(16:39):
piano he's playing it has another little liltal, another little
thing to it. You're playing it, but it has another
feel that night, not you know, it's not the record feel.
The people feel it. So that's what happens. It turns
into this piece of music that each that you play it,
it has a different feeling. And when you're singing it
(17:01):
as well, it's coming out different. But it's to say
that there's a party going on right here, but it's
coming out different for some reason, and you feel different
about it. And when you get off, everybody great nice show, man,
great show. Nobody feels that man is burning a hole
in all shoes.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
Right, Well, no one's complaining.
Speaker 5 (17:24):
Can I ask about another anthem? Real quick?
Speaker 6 (17:26):
I just I'm curious to how so many fellas come
up with another anthem, but this one about the ladies.
Speaker 5 (17:32):
I although we asked around that question.
Speaker 6 (17:33):
But I was like, how did you know to embody
what a lady's night was?
Speaker 4 (17:39):
How does well, I'll tell you. I get to who
likes to go out and have fun?
Speaker 5 (17:45):
Okay?
Speaker 4 (17:46):
So he said, you know the new thing in clubs
now on a Friday, Saturday whatever, it's the lady's night,
you know. And me walking from fifty seventh Street back
down to Gramarcy, I'm watching how people the gape of
people's walk, just how people walk. And I said, yeah,
(18:11):
I said, man, people are walking like a jazz working
Baseline had that game. So I went home side at
the piano and started harmonizing it and the different key
changes as you know, showed it the diadalo. Hey, this
(18:31):
is what we need. So we got together the right
road on it. We had we had the track already,
you know, you know, the horns are we're playing with
the girls were singing, and JT and myself and Calice
got on the lyrics and done done?
Speaker 3 (18:49):
What was it about JT that appealed to the band
as far as his voice? I once heard somebody describe
that if Nat King Cole had them born thirty years later,
like basically, it would have been the voice of JT.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Taylor.
Speaker 3 (19:03):
Like that's how smooth JT's voice was. Basically he was
like nacking cold like But for you, like, what was
the appeal to that sort of voice? And were there
other acts that or other singers that you guys auditioned
before you decided on James j T.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Taylor.
Speaker 4 (19:21):
I don't want to mention people's names like that, but
there was a cut that are well known, but JT
did have it, still does that golden tone in his
voice great lyricists by the way too. And what we
did in the studio is go in and roll a
little bit of that on to his voice. Who enhanced
(19:44):
his voice even Also you know in your studio say
what sounds a little weak? They're all little mid rangey,
let's work on that. So we did some work on
his voice as well, you know, like everybody does. But
he started off with it, you had it, okay. We
felt that his voice was pop, pure pop and it
(20:05):
worked at that time. You know, I had a certain
innocence in it, non intimidating all of that, and uh,
just just a pop artist. I mean, you know, we
could have went for the Teddy Pendergrad, the Luther and Andros.
We could have went for it to be part of it,
but we felt that it wouldn't it wouldn't work.
Speaker 3 (20:27):
And the other singers that you were considering for that
spot was it? Was there anyone notable that we would
have known that almost had a chance to be in
the group.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
Yeah, and you can't name who they are?
Speaker 4 (20:42):
No, No, I don't want any letters coming to my mailbox.
Speaker 5 (20:48):
I mean we can pontificate though. If we pontificate, can you.
Speaker 6 (20:52):
Just not like, you know, how are you not just
joking the one out?
Speaker 2 (20:56):
Damn?
Speaker 4 (20:58):
Just like when you mentioned the big garritos and you
know you leave that alone.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
Yeah, okay, I got you.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
How easy was it for him to adjust to being
in the group.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
It was the same age as you guys. Was he
younger a few years younger?
Speaker 4 (21:17):
Just a few so we're all in the same genre
basically age wise? Uh, not too far, I think he.
I think I'm four years older than James okay, you know,
but no, we were the guys who would go to
respeech in Brooklyn and throw the frisbee around, have the girlfriends,
(21:38):
that that type of stuff. We were We were the
guy we hang out, you know, like where the song
comes from that. Uh so we were always together in
some capacity, even going to the movies.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
How are you guys able to maintain any level of
not like a domestic lifestyle, but like, how are you
able to balance that, especially like during that time period
and which you guys are working class musicians.
Speaker 4 (22:09):
That was very hard during that time period because when
we go out, we go out for two months at
a time. You know, we were out with Van Hale
in US four months. But the thing is that there's
a big tour break. You know, same thing with kids,
all you have a tour break. But with us, we
go out for two months and you're out there. You're
(22:32):
not coming back.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
Okay, Especially in the first half of the eighties and
which you know, those unstoppable hits.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
Are coming in.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
How are you balancing out the shows in terms of
which audience to please? Like in your eighties show does
does open Sesame?
Speaker 2 (22:53):
Still have a Home?
Speaker 3 (22:55):
Is Jungle boogieing and funky stuff still getting the same
response is JT singing funky stuff and that in jungle boogie.
Also like with the band, Like.
Speaker 4 (23:05):
With jungle boogie. Uh, it was almost like we would
all take a spot going, oh okay, alls, we kept
that going. You know, somebody you know, get down with
the boogie that type of stuff. The same thing with
funky stuff, you know. So that was singalong so the
(23:26):
whole band. So everybody saying, you know, with funky stuff
jungle boogie, just just drop in. You know, it's very
easy that way as well. You know, it didn't make
it like hard for anyone, you know, you just sang it.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
I know that there was a JT's exit in eighty eight.
He was just going without really like without any warning whatsoever.
Speaker 4 (23:57):
I still don't understand that all these years.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
So what happened in nineteen eighty eight, because you guys
had this unbelievable streak and then that's it.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
So what was the story of his exit?
Speaker 4 (24:11):
And how I believe me quest I was speaking about
that last week, okay with I think it was my engineer, Wolfgang,
no rhyme, no reason. It was just that he got
a bunch of money from I think it was A
and M or MCA. And he went on to do
(24:33):
his went on to do his thing. And because when
he first came out, I mean he and I we
were roommates, you know those hotels at the beginning, and
not only roommates would go out and hang out in
the clubs together, come back and all the good stuff.
So to this very day, I don't know, I really
(24:57):
really don't know that searched. There was a I'm where
I was saying, Uh, so let's call Ron Sweeney. Ron,
we'll call JT's manager and talk over things, and let's
let's get JT back out on the road.
Speaker 6 (25:12):
You know.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
Uh, it would never move forward for some odd reason.
Speaker 5 (25:18):
When do you remember the last time you had the conversation.
Speaker 4 (25:22):
Or the last time we worked at Jay.
Speaker 3 (25:23):
Well, he came back in the mid nineties.
Speaker 4 (25:25):
I believe he came back in the mid nineties, and
then he left again. Okay, whatever that was about. But
when we got the Songwriters Hall of Fame, he came out.
We straightened out the course as the band had the
rown changes. Uh right, what he did he said it
was this and uh, but he came out and sang
(25:47):
and it sounded like we never separated.
Speaker 3 (25:52):
How did you guys come across or how did you
guys wind up enlisting the services of Skip Martin of
the Dazz Band. Yeah, the Dass Band to be JT's
replacement in eighty eight.
Speaker 4 (26:10):
Well a del band, piece of busses be upon him.
Yeah he passed away.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (26:18):
Well, Adele, our manager, was in a tragic car accident.
But he brings Skip over to my home. You know. Uh,
Skip is a good singer. Uh, so it worked. What
also worked was that he's a monsters h trumpet player,
(26:43):
you know, yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
He is, well Skip, Yeah, I didn't know.
Speaker 4 (26:49):
Skip is a monster. Okay, you can put up with
Terrence Blanchard and you know he's sad. He's that guy
uh mouths, you know. And we pushed that mute on
his great shoe. He added greatly to the horn front vocally.
I know that different members of the band, Uh didn't.
(27:13):
I know Clee didn't like his vocals, that's for sure.
Uh And yeah, you know because it's too vagacy right right,
But we made it work. By the time we got Sean,
who was close to JT vocally, Skip was just singing
background and playing trumpet, but the horn section was extremely tight.
(27:38):
You know when Clice come up. Police loves Skips on
his trumper plan as well. Loved it and I do
as well. You know, every time we have a session,
even alf I work for something we call Skip, you know,
Robbie Beth Skip those guys. So Skip's tenure was rather
(27:58):
rather short. Then we brought an Odean Mays, oh, who
is a bass baritone, great pianist. Uh, so we had
both skipping uh, Odean Mays doing the leads. The audiences
loved it because she had the guy with that like
(28:19):
like Blue Lovett, with that that voice, right yeah uh.
And then they got the uh that that that tenor
that Irish tenant that Skip pass you know. Uh. And
then uh, I don't know who it was, but Sean
mcquiller when he came in. Sean has been with the
(28:41):
band God now I know, thirty forty years maybe a
little more. And his voice is very close to JT,
but he has more of a rasp on it. So yeah,
good good singer and also a great guitar. Fabulous guitarist.
(29:02):
You know these days he can't pick up the guitar
like he he wants to. But as playing. He's great.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
You know.
Speaker 4 (29:10):
We have Rick Morsel out there as well, also guitarist Basis.
Rick has played with Prince and Stephanie Mills. Everybody's fabulous,
you know, and a mirror A mirror plays every instrument
as well. It's crazy. Reas he good.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
You mentioned something earlier and it did hit me that,
I think in twenty fourteen. In twenty fifteen, my my
guitar player, Kurt came up to me. He's like, man,
you'll never guess where I was last night. And I
was like, what he's like. I was at a Van
Hillon show and cool in the Gang open. You guys
were touring with what was that show?
Speaker 2 (29:55):
Like?
Speaker 3 (29:56):
Poling the Gang and Van Halen loud?
Speaker 4 (30:00):
We played loud, they were. I mean it was so
loud that especially during sound check, I'd go outside. You
couldn't take it. You know, they loud. But that Van
Halen great band, Uh tight, great band, good guys. But
the guys you know.
Speaker 3 (30:22):
And here's David is a major Soul fan that much,
I do know.
Speaker 4 (30:26):
And the you know the forum here, yeah, well it
was kept on the QT but uh those are that's
where all the rehearsals were for the tour at the forum,
you know, so we said we were in ourselves like, wow,
what what what? Probably you rent off the forum for rehearsal, you.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Know that's a flex.
Speaker 4 (30:51):
Yeah, it's crazy.
Speaker 5 (30:53):
Don't forget to get George's book too hot?
Speaker 3 (30:55):
And yes, can you talk about your memoir? Like how
long did it take you to write that?
Speaker 4 (31:00):
Because I'm slow. It took about ten years. And there's
a lot of stuff that was taken out for political reasons,
for whatever. Uh, some of the stuff would be quite shocky.
So he took I took to Dave Smith and when
I was in d C. So we just plucked stuff
out that, you know, some of the stuff that we
(31:23):
alladed to about those guys. Yeah, and once again, I
never mentioned people's names. The story was started and things.
But if I mentioned their names and what I was
involved with, and it was just I was involved with
one of their daughters.
Speaker 5 (31:43):
Oh this is a movie.
Speaker 4 (31:46):
It's just a movie.
Speaker 5 (31:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (31:48):
Yeah. It was like he was, you know, he was
up here at the total pulling up down here. I
told him, Oh yeah, so that was great. Yeah that
was quite dangerous because she even said this is a
little dangerous. They were a lot of dangerous they were
(32:09):
on the other side if my dad knew.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
Yeah, could you tell me what your three favorite cool
and gang songs are? But can you also just tell
me what was your favorite song to create?
Speaker 4 (32:27):
Wow?
Speaker 3 (32:29):
Wait, are you one of those? They are all my
kids and I can't separate them.
Speaker 4 (32:32):
No, no, no, I'm not one of those guys. I
waldon Peace from the Weld and Peaceful album. Okay, that's
the title song. I remember John Coltrane, I love that.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
W yeah.
Speaker 4 (32:46):
That, and it's just really none of the hits, none of.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
The big for us, those other hits. You know, me
Little Children is one of my favorites.
Speaker 3 (32:56):
Yeah, you know that never don't change.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
And the third would be fruit Man.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
No, it's we've got some rhythm songs in the Caribbean Festival. Okay, yeah,
I'll take that. It had all that listeners in it.
That should fine and some of that and so when
you hear it, you go, man, about Bubba Buba, about
the horns, you know, just you know it's that group
(33:35):
and you got that, you know, so it was great.
Speaker 3 (33:39):
Okay, So making making those three like your your your
favorite yeah, you know, as I said the top of
the show Man, it's it's really kind of our missioneer
on the show, just you know, to give flowers to
legendary people that otherwise might not get there. They're just
too as far as you know, a legacy that they
(34:00):
set forth. And definitely, you know for all of us here,
you know, Cool and Gang represents. I mean, it's an
institution of of of just brilliant and you know, it
sustained all music, all times, you know, all spaces, and
still strong to this day. I mean even my band
you know, goes through a Cool in a Gang moment
(34:22):
in our current show and you know the songs are are.
Speaker 4 (34:26):
But plus you have a Jermaine Jermaine Bryce.
Speaker 3 (34:32):
Yeah, yeah, yes, I know that he plays with you guys. Yeah, yeah,
he plays He plays with them now.
Speaker 2 (34:39):
Yeah yeah, man.
Speaker 3 (34:40):
But we just thank you for coming on the show,
and we appreciate your you know, your legacy and and
and everything that you've done and all your break beats
and everything.
Speaker 2 (34:50):
We love that. We love it to death.
Speaker 4 (34:53):
Thank you. You know, I'm not going to say it's
been a long hard road. It's been a long beautiful
road being as a creator, you know, because Ronald and
I sit and come up with materials. He and I
especially back in the late seventies and early eighties. That's
what we did. We just sat in the studio and
(35:17):
reverse things, put together live albums, you know, from all
the tapes. You know the deal, and it just had
a ball. And being the old night at six o'clock
in the morning, he said, I'll see in a few
hours come back again into that whole set. That that
that's worth everything, you know, as far as creative people
(35:38):
is concerned. That's that's worth it all, you know. And
and and it becoming successful too. And if it doesn't
become successful, you go back in your tweet, what did
we do? What's going on?
Speaker 6 (35:52):
So?
Speaker 4 (35:53):
And I appreciate you having me on as well.
Speaker 7 (36:00):
Thank you for thank you, but it makes it's just
like all of us, It makes it a little harder,
you know, when you go, I love your music, and
you gotta you know that whole thing they're doing, loving fans,
but truly truly heartfelt.
Speaker 2 (36:18):
Thank you well, thank you.
Speaker 3 (36:21):
Yeah on behalf of Sugar, Steve Fontigles on pay Pilly myself,
this quest love Supreme. Shout out to Jake and Brittany,
thank you for holding it down our family at iHeart
and we'll see next week on the next round a quest,
Love Supreme.
Speaker 6 (36:37):
Don't forget brand new Cooler Gang album in store store stores.
Speaker 3 (36:42):
Why he's the minister of information in this band.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
I'll take that all right, next week. Yeah, thank you,
thank you, bussy.
Speaker 4 (36:56):
Much.
Speaker 3 (36:56):
Love Supreme is a production of iHeart Radio. For more
podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
We are back with part two of our conversation with
Funky George Brown of Cool in the Gang. I love
this conversation for several reasons. Get down on It is
my absolute favorite song of all time and Celebration was
played by a bar Metz Focus. If you haven't yet,
please listen to part one with George, where he speaks
about growing up in Jersey City and how that toughened him,
(00:21):
the band's early success, and his skills as a drummer.
George just penned a memoir, Cool and the Gang and Me,
which is available right now. George Cool and the rest
of the band also just released a new album, People
Just Want to Have Fun.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Make sure you check that out.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
But first Part two of QLs with Funky George Brown.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
I'm assuming during this period that you guys don't have
day jobs as well, Like we did an episode with
Milly Jackson only to find out as he was basically
Millie Jackson on the weekends and then Monday she go
back to her day job.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Where she was working in Manhattan.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Well, yeah, she was working in the garment district of
Manhattan while she was you know, doing live and bitching,
like at the peak of it is one able to
make a comfortable living, especially in an eight man group,
which I assume is different than the setup with Earth
Wind and Fire and which you know, which is basically
(01:29):
the Marie White group. And he's paying them as yeah,
you know, work for hire, you know, our contracted work
for higher but like in okay, so say it's seventy six,
like right before you guys do after Jungle Boogem, right
before open Sesame comes into play.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
We were very lucky there were no Jay jobs in
the initial period. You say nineteen sixty nine, then I
think at that point Kladas Smith had a job delivering.
But after we signed a contract with Delight, we worked.
(02:16):
We've always worked. We've always had a gig.
Speaker 5 (02:18):
You never had a regular job on George the regular.
Speaker 4 (02:21):
Jobs or when we were doing and still doing the nightclubs.
But still no one was hitting the punching the time
clock like that. It wasn't like that. It just changed
because the first record cooling the game by cooling the Gang,
number thirty eight with a bullet on top one hundred,
(02:44):
that's the record changed the whole atmosphere. Most black artists
got to go over the black charts or this chart,
that record went pop with a bullet, So.
Speaker 5 (02:56):
You guys had a fair deal.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
Then, yeah, got a fair deal. Then h and we
got a blessing because not many black acts just popped
up number thirty with a bullet or the top of hundred.
So we were working. So there was work. It might
have been slow here and there, but we we did work.
Speaker 6 (03:16):
So if I want to ask you about publishing, because
I'm curious where you got your publishing education, because we
talk about hip hop. But if your publishing wasn't right
from the start, it wouldn't even matter because you wouldn't
have been receiving, you know, the propers of it.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
The b A maas gaps, she said, and all of
us from Warner Chapel and Bmgene or that well early on,
like with Jean Read again, this guy he told us
all about that, you know, and so therefore we were receiving.
I mean I signed with being Mine when I was nineteen, right,
(03:53):
and that's because of Gene Read. All of all of
us had, you know, and earning from first delight. But
then when PolyGram brought the light, then the royalties for
writing and publishing came from PolyGram and won a Chapel
(04:16):
and BMI. Sorry, and the artist royalties also came out
of PolyGram.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
So we knew one of the most pivotal crucial moves
that you guys did was adding JT.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Taylor.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
But there's actually a second factor that not many people
talk about. You guys went with a very unorthodox direction
associating with the legendary Brazilian producer Emir Diadata.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
Right before we started, he called me twice right before
we started. It really, look, it's a deal, because you
know when you talk to do you we got to
bring a lunch?
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Okay, yeah, I want to know what was the meeting
or the decision process. One to bring in a lead singer,
and two to work with not only an outside producer,
but a Brazilian producer, which I mean I would imagine
(05:22):
in nineteen seventy nine, one would figure that, you know,
I got to go to the top of the pile,
like either get with Gamble and Huff or you know
Norman of Noran Harris. I knew he was a normal Yeah, yeah,
So what made you guys go with a mere Dia
Dado of all things, not really known for a pop
(05:47):
sence or I mean, you know he dabbled in disco,
but not enough for me to be like, Okay, this
is our do or die moment.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Let's get with him.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
Well, the deal at seventeen years old is like the
number one on arranger and producer in all of Brazil. Uh.
And he had written strings for Collins Joe Bean. You
know most of our heads were in that. You know
that thing he wrote for Colin Joe Bean. Wooh, so
(06:17):
our heads were still in that jazz Irene Conrad over
the House of Music. She introduced, I think I got
this story right. There might be some loose ends, Calice
to James J. T. Taylor. I think Ron Sweeney had
said it it's time to bring in a lead singer.
(06:40):
You guys can do it. We looked at Stevie because
we did a lot of work with Steven Well. Stevie
helped us out so many times when the bus would
break down, really called Stevie and he'd help us. Really Yeah,
So Steve would help us out numerous times, and we
wanted him to come in and produce. He said, sorry
(07:01):
for I got to get my own album happening at
that time. So we had a manager at Val Hackett.
Val shopped and I called it shopping, but he got
your mere Diadelo, which was a great blessing. It missed
just like dovetail, like man, the beauty is just connected.
(07:26):
He was the right guy for cooling the gang because
all the music the guys knew, you know, you know,
we were all musician musicians, guys who knew all the
chord changes and you know what have you all all
the scales and sit down and actually write it out
(07:48):
with him. It was easy if we if we wush
up it, he would write that down. And weeks later
when the horns would come in, he said, but which
a simple lot, right? And uh, but guys would write
those parts down as well. You know, e Clifford Adams,
(08:09):
who played trombone with a trump moont case full of music.
Deal was the right choice. Uh, and not only the
right choice for the music, but the right choice and
really organizing the band and how we did things. He
brought it to a whole other level, making sure that
(08:33):
everything was notated, everything was written down.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
As a drummer, I always wanted to know how hard
was it to sort of adjust your sound for the times,
because even I noticed me as a drummer, I've pretty
much stayed kind of consistent for my thirty years of
drumming in the roots and on record, like I'm not
(08:58):
I mean, I if I change my sounds for experimental purposes,
but not like, hey, let me, let me adjust to
the sound and the climate of where it is today.
But like the groove that you're planning on, let the
music take your mind, is not the same tone or
the same sound as Jones versus Jones or a celebration
(09:20):
or whatnot.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
So at the.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
Time, how aware you as the heartbeat of the band
that like the most radical sound change of the band
has to be with the drums.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
It might sound stories because you hear all this. For me,
it didn't bother me. It was like, let's go with
the flow. This is what it is. This is going
to help us move forward. Oh, this is what's going
to bring a wide wide range of audience. So I
was totally totally amenable to it and and actually didn't
(09:57):
think about it too much. But quest you're right because
later on, because I played piano as well, and I
got to a point where okay, enough of this and
I just switched over the keyboards.
Speaker 6 (10:11):
Yeah, that's what I was going to ask you about too.
That's like a major move that I don't hear.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
From drumps to keyboards. Yes, oh well I always played piano. Okay, okay, yeah,
it goes back to we talk about church. It goes
back I've always.
Speaker 6 (10:26):
Played, but in your group, you always played drums until
you decide I'm going.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
And in writing, we had our writing session.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
I you know, how does the songwriting process start? Do
you guys just say, hey, you got an idea? Guys,
what do y'all think about this? Or do you bring it?
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Like?
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Do you bring it to DT? Do you bring it
to Ronald first?
Speaker 4 (10:46):
Like?
Speaker 2 (10:47):
How does the songwriting process start?
Speaker 4 (10:49):
It was us. We just bring it to us, you know,
guys say whether they like it or not, and if
they like it, then we got down on it.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
That's the truth.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
You know. With Theodado a little more different because every
morning he would pick me up. I lived in Manhattan
than in Gramercy Park, and he said, oh, senor let
me see your homework. So you popping the cassette, you
get your illegal pad and start singing, and he'll he'll
either bust your ego then by saying that's not happening,
(11:25):
and or it'd actually if he feels like he said,
that's very cute, but it's not written. Oh he'll say,
signor you've done it again. Love the lines, and so
we would apply. You know, people have different lines to
put it in the song and they would work you perfectly,
(11:46):
you know.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
So we we shared the story of how Celebration got written,
at least Ronald's version of how Celebration got written? But
are there any other universe like unusual stories of that?
For listeners who didn't hear that particular episode, Ronald Bell
(12:08):
said that he was backstage at a Rick James and
Prince show and Prince had just did I Want to
Be Your Lover? And in between the set changeover for
Prince to Rick James, Ronald runs backstage and finds a
piano and figures out the courts that I want to
be a lover, and he writes it and notates it
(12:29):
down and then he plays it backwards, and that rhythm
of winds up being da da And But I mean
for the songwriting process, especially in the period in which
you guys are having unstoppable you know, pop classics one
(12:51):
after the other. Are there any other unusual stories of
how songs got written?
Speaker 4 (12:58):
No? Not really. You know, sometimes guys would pass on
a song. I would take it and write a first
verse of lyric and give it the JT. He said,
this is happening. And the next thing you know, we
have a complete song because you got two members working
(13:18):
on it. We've got the chord structure figured out, and
h writing the melody and lyric, and bingo say you
got something. And it's the funny thing about it. They
weren't the number five pop, you know, but the band
(13:40):
itself didn't like it. That was Take my Heart. You know,
it's very, very poppy all that.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
But you didn't like that song.
Speaker 4 (13:51):
I helped write it.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
I said, that was my aunt's song. Man, that was
the one I took.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
I took it because the band didn't like it. Clayton
Smith wrote it the guitar player right, But the band
didn't like that twelve eight. So I said, no, give
it to me. Took it home. Write no time for wishing, baby.
We've gone all through those moves. I'm all and satisfied.
So the next day, of course, get to the studio. Jay,
(14:17):
were you like j T? What do you think? He said, Man,
I like this.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
I've been going through a Luther phase in the last
month and a half reading his book and listening to
his music, and I realized that the world is going
through a drought of a good shuffle song. Oh my God,
like and take My Heart is like kind of I
(14:41):
remember shuffle, Yeah, exactly. Do you talk about the phenomenon
that is celebration, Like, what were the band's general reaction to,
Like celebration winds up being way past an anthem, it's
(15:06):
it's it's pretty much music DNA like, it's it's with celebration.
Speaker 4 (15:11):
We're on the two of us and leaving l A.
The night before we won two American Music Awards, So
the song was germanying then, but that's what you got
from Earl Smith, you know. So so let's let's put
that in there because that's very celebrated, celebratory, you know,
(15:36):
So just just to put that in the soul and
gives it that boost, you know. But in regards to
it becoming.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
Only to the point where it's like stadiums and weddings and.
Speaker 4 (15:48):
Anderson miss miss back ship, backyard, Bobby Cue, it's it's
it's an amazing, it's a blessing and it is, uh,
one of those songs that I'm gonna say you can't
deny and you must play it every evening.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
Did it ever become burdensome? Because I know a lot
of acts when they get a mammoth hit of that caliber,
then it's like selling becomes a it becomes a burden.
Speaker 4 (16:19):
No, you know what happens. And you know when you're
playing sometimes you're playing the piece and you played it
a thousand times, but it becomes organic, like and guys
are playing the right chords. But it just got this
just tonight. I mean, well, you're playing quest or the
(16:39):
piano he's playing it has another little liltal, another little
thing to it. You're playing it, but it has another
feel that night, not you know, it's not the record feel.
The people feel it. So that's what happens. It turns
into this piece of music that each that you play it,
it has a different feeling. And when you're singing it
(17:01):
as well, it's coming out different. But it's to say
that there's a party going on right here, but it's
coming out different for some reason, and you feel different
about it. And when you get off, everybody great nice show, man,
great show. Nobody feels that man is burning a hole
in all shoes.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
Right, Well, no one's complaining.
Speaker 5 (17:24):
Can I ask about another anthem? Real quick?
Speaker 6 (17:26):
I just I'm curious to how so many fellas come
up with another anthem, but this one about the ladies.
Speaker 5 (17:32):
I although we asked around that question.
Speaker 6 (17:33):
But I was like, how did you know to embody
what a lady's night was?
Speaker 4 (17:39):
How does well, I'll tell you. I get to who
likes to go out and have fun?
Speaker 5 (17:45):
Okay?
Speaker 4 (17:46):
So he said, you know the new thing in clubs
now on a Friday, Saturday whatever, it's the lady's night,
you know. And me walking from fifty seventh Street back
down to Gramarcy, I'm watching how people the gape of
people's walk, just how people walk. And I said, yeah,
(18:11):
I said, man, people are walking like a jazz working
Baseline had that game. So I went home side at
the piano and started harmonizing it and the different key
changes as you know, showed it the diadalo. Hey, this
(18:31):
is what we need. So we got together the right
road on it. We had we had the track already,
you know, you know, the horns are we're playing with
the girls were singing, and JT and myself and Calice
got on the lyrics and done done?
Speaker 3 (18:49):
What was it about JT that appealed to the band
as far as his voice? I once heard somebody describe
that if Nat King Cole had them born thirty years later,
like basically, it would have been the voice of JT.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Taylor.
Speaker 3 (19:03):
Like that's how smooth JT's voice was. Basically he was
like nacking cold like But for you, like, what was
the appeal to that sort of voice? And were there
other acts that or other singers that you guys auditioned
before you decided on James j T.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Taylor.
Speaker 4 (19:21):
I don't want to mention people's names like that, but
there was a cut that are well known, but JT
did have it, still does that golden tone in his
voice great lyricists by the way too. And what we
did in the studio is go in and roll a
little bit of that on to his voice. Who enhanced
(19:44):
his voice even Also you know in your studio say
what sounds a little weak? They're all little mid rangey,
let's work on that. So we did some work on
his voice as well, you know, like everybody does. But
he started off with it, you had it, okay. We
felt that his voice was pop, pure pop and it
(20:05):
worked at that time. You know, I had a certain
innocence in it, non intimidating all of that, and uh,
just just a pop artist. I mean, you know, we
could have went for the Teddy Pendergrad, the Luther and Andros.
We could have went for it to be part of it,
but we felt that it wouldn't it wouldn't work.
Speaker 3 (20:27):
And the other singers that you were considering for that
spot was it? Was there anyone notable that we would
have known that almost had a chance to be in
the group.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
Yeah, and you can't name who they are?
Speaker 4 (20:42):
No, No, I don't want any letters coming to my mailbox.
Speaker 5 (20:48):
I mean we can pontificate though. If we pontificate, can you.
Speaker 6 (20:52):
Just not like, you know, how are you not just
joking the one out?
Speaker 2 (20:56):
Damn?
Speaker 4 (20:58):
Just like when you mentioned the big garritos and you
know you leave that alone.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
Yeah, okay, I got you.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
How easy was it for him to adjust to being
in the group.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
It was the same age as you guys. Was he
younger a few years younger?
Speaker 4 (21:17):
Just a few so we're all in the same genre
basically age wise? Uh, not too far, I think he.
I think I'm four years older than James okay, you know,
but no, we were the guys who would go to
respeech in Brooklyn and throw the frisbee around, have the girlfriends,
(21:38):
that that type of stuff. We were We were the
guy we hang out, you know, like where the song
comes from that. Uh so we were always together in
some capacity, even going to the movies.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
How are you guys able to maintain any level of
not like a domestic lifestyle, but like, how are you
able to balance that, especially like during that time period
and which you guys are working class musicians.
Speaker 4 (22:09):
That was very hard during that time period because when
we go out, we go out for two months at
a time. You know, we were out with Van Hale
in US four months. But the thing is that there's
a big tour break. You know, same thing with kids,
all you have a tour break. But with us, we
go out for two months and you're out there. You're
(22:32):
not coming back.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
Okay, Especially in the first half of the eighties and
which you know, those unstoppable hits.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
Are coming in.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
How are you balancing out the shows in terms of
which audience to please? Like in your eighties show does
does open Sesame?
Speaker 2 (22:53):
Still have a Home?
Speaker 3 (22:55):
Is Jungle boogieing and funky stuff still getting the same
response is JT singing funky stuff and that in jungle boogie.
Also like with the band, Like.
Speaker 4 (23:05):
With jungle boogie. Uh, it was almost like we would
all take a spot going, oh okay, alls, we kept
that going. You know, somebody you know, get down with
the boogie that type of stuff. The same thing with
funky stuff, you know. So that was singalong so the
(23:26):
whole band. So everybody saying, you know, with funky stuff
jungle boogie, just just drop in. You know, it's very
easy that way as well. You know, it didn't make
it like hard for anyone, you know, you just sang it.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
I know that there was a JT's exit in eighty eight.
He was just going without really like without any warning whatsoever.
Speaker 4 (23:57):
I still don't understand that all these years.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
So what happened in nineteen eighty eight, because you guys
had this unbelievable streak and then that's it.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
So what was the story of his exit?
Speaker 4 (24:11):
And how I believe me quest I was speaking about
that last week, okay with I think it was my engineer, Wolfgang,
no rhyme, no reason. It was just that he got
a bunch of money from I think it was A
and M or MCA. And he went on to do
(24:33):
his went on to do his thing. And because when
he first came out, I mean he and I we
were roommates, you know those hotels at the beginning, and
not only roommates would go out and hang out in
the clubs together, come back and all the good stuff.
So to this very day, I don't know, I really
(24:57):
really don't know that searched. There was a I'm where
I was saying, Uh, so let's call Ron Sweeney. Ron,
we'll call JT's manager and talk over things, and let's
let's get JT back out on the road.
Speaker 6 (25:12):
You know.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
Uh, it would never move forward for some odd reason.
Speaker 5 (25:18):
When do you remember the last time you had the conversation.
Speaker 4 (25:22):
Or the last time we worked at Jay.
Speaker 3 (25:23):
Well, he came back in the mid nineties.
Speaker 4 (25:25):
I believe he came back in the mid nineties, and
then he left again. Okay, whatever that was about. But
when we got the Songwriters Hall of Fame, he came out.
We straightened out the course as the band had the
rown changes. Uh right, what he did he said it
was this and uh, but he came out and sang
(25:47):
and it sounded like we never separated.
Speaker 3 (25:52):
How did you guys come across or how did you
guys wind up enlisting the services of Skip Martin of
the Dazz Band. Yeah, the Dass Band to be JT's
replacement in eighty eight.
Speaker 4 (26:10):
Well a del band, piece of busses be upon him.
Yeah he passed away.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (26:18):
Well, Adele, our manager, was in a tragic car accident.
But he brings Skip over to my home. You know. Uh,
Skip is a good singer. Uh, so it worked. What
also worked was that he's a monsters h trumpet player,
(26:43):
you know, yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
He is, well Skip, Yeah, I didn't know.
Speaker 4 (26:49):
Skip is a monster. Okay, you can put up with
Terrence Blanchard and you know he's sad. He's that guy
uh mouths, you know. And we pushed that mute on
his great shoe. He added greatly to the horn front vocally.
I know that different members of the band, Uh didn't.
(27:13):
I know Clee didn't like his vocals, that's for sure.
Uh And yeah, you know because it's too vagacy right right,
But we made it work. By the time we got Sean,
who was close to JT vocally, Skip was just singing
background and playing trumpet, but the horn section was extremely tight.
(27:38):
You know when Clice come up. Police loves Skips on
his trumper plan as well. Loved it and I do
as well. You know, every time we have a session,
even alf I work for something we call Skip, you know,
Robbie Beth Skip those guys. So Skip's tenure was rather
(27:58):
rather short. Then we brought an Odean Mays, oh, who
is a bass baritone, great pianist. Uh, so we had
both skipping uh, Odean Mays doing the leads. The audiences
loved it because she had the guy with that like
(28:19):
like Blue Lovett, with that that voice, right yeah uh.
And then they got the uh that that that tenor
that Irish tenant that Skip pass you know. Uh. And
then uh, I don't know who it was, but Sean
mcquiller when he came in. Sean has been with the
(28:41):
band God now I know, thirty forty years maybe a
little more. And his voice is very close to JT,
but he has more of a rasp on it. So yeah,
good good singer and also a great guitar. Fabulous guitarist.
(29:02):
You know these days he can't pick up the guitar
like he he wants to. But as playing. He's great.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
You know.
Speaker 4 (29:10):
We have Rick Morsel out there as well, also guitarist Basis.
Rick has played with Prince and Stephanie Mills. Everybody's fabulous,
you know, and a mirror A mirror plays every instrument
as well. It's crazy. Reas he good.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
You mentioned something earlier and it did hit me that,
I think in twenty fourteen. In twenty fifteen, my my
guitar player, Kurt came up to me. He's like, man,
you'll never guess where I was last night. And I
was like, what he's like. I was at a Van
Hillon show and cool in the Gang open. You guys
were touring with what was that show?
Speaker 2 (29:55):
Like?
Speaker 3 (29:56):
Poling the Gang and Van Halen loud?
Speaker 4 (30:00):
We played loud, they were. I mean it was so
loud that especially during sound check, I'd go outside. You
couldn't take it. You know, they loud. But that Van
Halen great band, Uh tight, great band, good guys. But
the guys you know.
Speaker 3 (30:22):
And here's David is a major Soul fan that much,
I do know.
Speaker 4 (30:26):
And the you know the forum here, yeah, well it
was kept on the QT but uh those are that's
where all the rehearsals were for the tour at the forum,
you know, so we said we were in ourselves like, wow,
what what what? Probably you rent off the forum for rehearsal, you.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Know that's a flex.
Speaker 4 (30:51):
Yeah, it's crazy.
Speaker 5 (30:53):
Don't forget to get George's book too hot?
Speaker 3 (30:55):
And yes, can you talk about your memoir? Like how
long did it take you to write that?
Speaker 4 (31:00):
Because I'm slow. It took about ten years. And there's
a lot of stuff that was taken out for political reasons,
for whatever. Uh, some of the stuff would be quite shocky.
So he took I took to Dave Smith and when
I was in d C. So we just plucked stuff
out that, you know, some of the stuff that we
(31:23):
alladed to about those guys. Yeah, and once again, I
never mentioned people's names. The story was started and things.
But if I mentioned their names and what I was
involved with, and it was just I was involved with
one of their daughters.
Speaker 5 (31:43):
Oh this is a movie.
Speaker 4 (31:46):
It's just a movie.
Speaker 5 (31:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (31:48):
Yeah. It was like he was, you know, he was
up here at the total pulling up down here. I
told him, Oh yeah, so that was great. Yeah that
was quite dangerous because she even said this is a
little dangerous. They were a lot of dangerous they were
(32:09):
on the other side if my dad knew.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
Yeah, could you tell me what your three favorite cool
and gang songs are? But can you also just tell
me what was your favorite song to create?
Speaker 4 (32:27):
Wow?
Speaker 3 (32:29):
Wait, are you one of those? They are all my
kids and I can't separate them.
Speaker 4 (32:32):
No, no, no, I'm not one of those guys. I
waldon Peace from the Weld and Peaceful album. Okay, that's
the title song. I remember John Coltrane, I love that.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
W yeah.
Speaker 4 (32:46):
That, and it's just really none of the hits, none of.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
The big for us, those other hits. You know, me
Little Children is one of my favorites.
Speaker 3 (32:56):
Yeah, you know that never don't change.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
And the third would be fruit Man.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
No, it's we've got some rhythm songs in the Caribbean Festival. Okay, yeah,
I'll take that. It had all that listeners in it.
That should fine and some of that and so when
you hear it, you go, man, about Bubba Buba, about
the horns, you know, just you know it's that group
(33:35):
and you got that, you know, so it was great.
Speaker 3 (33:39):
Okay, So making making those three like your your your
favorite yeah, you know, as I said the top of
the show Man, it's it's really kind of our missioneer
on the show, just you know, to give flowers to
legendary people that otherwise might not get there. They're just
too as far as you know, a legacy that they
(34:00):
set forth. And definitely, you know for all of us here,
you know, Cool and Gang represents. I mean, it's an
institution of of of just brilliant and you know, it
sustained all music, all times, you know, all spaces, and
still strong to this day. I mean even my band
you know, goes through a Cool in a Gang moment
(34:22):
in our current show and you know the songs are are.
Speaker 4 (34:26):
But plus you have a Jermaine Jermaine Bryce.
Speaker 3 (34:32):
Yeah, yeah, yes, I know that he plays with you guys. Yeah, yeah,
he plays He plays with them now.
Speaker 2 (34:39):
Yeah yeah, man.
Speaker 3 (34:40):
But we just thank you for coming on the show,
and we appreciate your you know, your legacy and and
and everything that you've done and all your break beats
and everything.
Speaker 2 (34:50):
We love that. We love it to death.
Speaker 4 (34:53):
Thank you. You know, I'm not going to say it's
been a long hard road. It's been a long beautiful
road being as a creator, you know, because Ronald and
I sit and come up with materials. He and I
especially back in the late seventies and early eighties. That's
what we did. We just sat in the studio and
(35:17):
reverse things, put together live albums, you know, from all
the tapes. You know the deal, and it just had
a ball. And being the old night at six o'clock
in the morning, he said, I'll see in a few
hours come back again into that whole set. That that
that's worth everything, you know, as far as creative people
(35:38):
is concerned. That's that's worth it all, you know. And
and and it becoming successful too. And if it doesn't
become successful, you go back in your tweet, what did
we do? What's going on?
Speaker 6 (35:52):
So?
Speaker 4 (35:53):
And I appreciate you having me on as well.
Speaker 7 (36:00):
Thank you for thank you, but it makes it's just
like all of us, It makes it a little harder,
you know, when you go, I love your music, and
you gotta you know that whole thing they're doing, loving fans,
but truly truly heartfelt.
Speaker 2 (36:18):
Thank you well, thank you.
Speaker 3 (36:21):
Yeah on behalf of Sugar, Steve Fontigles on pay Pilly myself,
this quest love Supreme. Shout out to Jake and Brittany,
thank you for holding it down our family at iHeart
and we'll see next week on the next round a quest,
Love Supreme.
Speaker 6 (36:37):
Don't forget brand new Cooler Gang album in store store stores.
Speaker 3 (36:42):
Why he's the minister of information in this band.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
I'll take that all right, next week. Yeah, thank you,
thank you, bussy.
Speaker 4 (36:56):
Much.
Speaker 3 (36:56):
Love Supreme is a production of iHeart Radio. For more
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