QLS Classic: Sheila E.

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Of course, Love Supreme is a production of I Heart Radio.
This classic episode was produced by the team at Pandora.
What's up, y'all? This is QLs classic. My name is
Quest Love. Uh. One of my favorite people ever Sheila Escobido.
This is from two thousand seventeen December. Um, yeah, man,

(00:21):
Sheila is you know, has killed the game for the
last well, you know, four or five decades. Was one
of the greatest drummers. And uh, this is modern music,
and she's really really made a name for herself from
her humble beginnings playing with her family, of course, her
time with Prince, and her time after Prince as a

(00:44):
percussionist and session musician and a solo artist in her
own right. Um, it's definitely a fun time. She's a
great storyteller. Let's get into it. This is Sheila e
Quest Love Supreme LS Classic from two thousand seventeen. All right, okay,
here you go, you're already. Yeah, what to suprema road

(01:12):
called suprema subprema road, called suprema subprema role, Call suprema
subprema role. Some call me eyeball with nineteen jobs. Everybody
stop on the one. Yeah, I knew I was going

(01:36):
to find docs. How you doing a Sheila good? God
see you still I didn't know, but that's what we
would do. Damn it. God call some good Call my

(02:07):
name is Sugar, yeah with Sheila eye. If we got married,
I'd be sugary Boss Buller wanted to be a percussionist. Yeah,
went at the age of six. Are Sheila bounced some sticks?

(02:40):
Yea with Queen Sheila. Yeah. This ain't gonna be quick
because I want to talk about dookie stick role called
sma role call. My name is Sheila, Yeah, I am
the queener. Yeah, percussion Yeah, no discussing Wow. I actually

(03:23):
I wanted to say that I don't think there's any
word in the English language that rhymes with Sheila. I
thought you're gonna say dookie, okay, vestable peeler, No, there's
there's there's no word that Sheila might be the most

(03:44):
unique name Matamela. No, I'm serious, like, I literally for
at least two hours last night. Yeah, there's nothing, ad
it took you two hours. Then I just said I'm
real gentle Fela. Okay, so the next episode I'll rhyme

(04:08):
it with Fila. Anyway, Ladies and gentlemen, um I will
say that. Yeah, I'm gonna keep my composion. Um, if
you were probably to compile and gather uh probably the
modern rock top three list for drummers or percussionists, I

(04:30):
guarantee you that our next guest, uh well, no doubt
always be placed on that list. Um. Her name and
her legacy, I believe is synonymous with uh, drumming excellent,
band leader excellent and truth be told as many times
as I've ever name dropped as influences either Tony Williams

(04:54):
or Clyde Stubblefield or John Stark's or whoever truth be told.
Probably you know, Sheila E is my drumming hero like
I've I've done many hours practicing and studying and practicing
and practicing, and you know she never ever gets her props.
I mean as a as a session uh, as a

(05:16):
session musician. The rosters endless, from from George Duke to
Marvin Gay, the lioneld Richie Dina Ross to Kenny Loggins
to Phil Collins to Jennifer Love Hewitt, Quincy Jones, Boon

(05:41):
Um homework. Yeah, the list is endless, and um, you know,
even in the arts as an artist in her own right,
I mean. She has an amazing uh diverse discography lasting
of the last four decades, from albums with her father
Pio Scavito of course, to the Grace of All Time

(06:01):
with Prince and again it's it's absolutely endless. Uh. Your
new project, which I believe is iconic, formerly called Boy
versus Girl or that was I thought it was initially
called No No No, that was that. That was another
record that was after Prince pass. So girl means boy.

(06:23):
I'm sorry, um, but your new howm iconic is in
stories now and everyone from Freddy Stone to to Collins
and everybody's on this record, Um, even Ringo Starr, Ladies
and gentlemen, please welcome Sheila the Quest left Supreme. Thank you.

(06:44):
Shout out to Fonte, who's kicking himself right now. He's
like me when the shock episode that has Sorry everyone
has to and yes, I'm paid Bill, He's always kicking himself.
Both of you guys, How are you today show? I
appreciate you doing this for me on know that you've
been up since zero o'clock in the morning. That's true,
two hours. Hey, anything for you, you know, But I

(07:06):
also I was telling them that, you know, I'm not
saying that the sleepless streak has to But you're you're
the queen of this. You've done many me. I learned
it from y'all. Like you know, who needs sleep? Yeah,
I know, I'm just saying, but I appreciate you for
thank you for having me. I appreciate it. That's awesome. Okay,

(07:29):
I'm looking at the clock and realizing that my intro
took seven minutes. It's only right though, like what you talking,
It's right. Okay, Well, let's let's start right into it. Um.
For those that don't know about your history, could you
tell our audience where you were born? Oakland, California, Oaktown, California,
Bay Area born and raised. Uh, my dad Pete Escovedo,

(07:55):
still playing, still alive. My mom Janita Marie gard dear
Escovie though still crazy. Uh. They had their sixty one
anniversary yesterday, sixty one years being married. That's a miracle
right there. Sixty one years. Yeah, and Pops are still
playing percussion and playing with his band, and so it's

(08:18):
a it's awesome. I have two brothers, one of Peter Michael,
and his sister Zena, and and about five billion family members.
And I'm not exaggerating cousins and nephew for cousins forever.
Every week you meet, somebody's like, yeah, I'm your cousin.
That is true, and you just got to believe him. No,
it's mostly true. We five. I'm not even joking. It's

(08:42):
most right, bread, It's mostly true every time. I mean, seriously,
I go somewhere. Okay, you gotta prove it. Okay, Well,
my mom da da da da, So I'm your third cousin.
I'm like, wow, you do look like that is okay,
You're right. It's both sides been so lucky. All my
cousin situations have not you know. Well, plus you have

(09:03):
all kinds of funky mixes in your family, which is yeah,
we have everything and everybody. Yeah. Um Mexican, Creole, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Filipino, Japanese, German, French.
Literally are the world. We are the So okay, you

(09:23):
said that you're Oakland born and raised, so I gotta
ask you, um, you know, because I go out to
Oakland a lot. Well, I guess we ever missed if
I didn't say that Pandora or our parent company is
located in Oakland, which which is why I'm out there often,
um And I'm often told by people that, you know,

(09:48):
the Oakland of two thousand seventeen is definitely not what
Oakland was or the Bay Area in general. So what
are you what are your feelings of the current metamorphosis
of what Oakland and has become from what it was
to what it is now? Well, I mean, right now,
it's pretty pretty challenging because all of the tech, uh

(10:10):
you know, in companies like Pandora and different things like that,
and Apple and everything else. A lot of the people
who are building all of these things have moved the people,
some of the people out of the way in places
where they used to live that they can't afford it anymore. So,
I mean there's some places in the hood I can't

(10:31):
believe that are a million dollars and they're not even
worth thirty five thousand dollars. So that the money has
gone up as far as pricing housing. UM. So, a
lot of people are having to move out of the Bay,
you know, further out into like Valeo, UM or even
pass Richman, but Valeo, Sacramento, UM, different places like that

(10:53):
Fremont Mill, Petis because they can't afford it. And then
at the same time, like my foundation, we're partnering. We've
partnered with five in Oakland. We started Elevate Oakland with
Elevate Hope. So there's like three of us together just
trying to keep music and arts in the schools in
the Bay because the we just don't have enough help,

(11:14):
especially in the hood in the community where they really
need us, UM, and they're ending up dividing the schools.
Instead of it being one school, they're dividing it to
two and sometimes three schools because there's too many kids
and not enough teachers. So a lot of the teachers, UM,

(11:34):
they're really good teachers, don't want to go in the
community and we get small pickings from choosing a great
teacher who would like to come and help our students.
So UM, i've been you know, it's changed a lot
even for us, like what we've been doing to help
UM some of the schools and stuff and try to

(11:54):
keep the kids and and get them involved in music
and arts because the music and arts have been take
and a lot of schools. We hire a lot of
the Bay Area musicians, you know, and if they're in town,
we hire them to do artists and residents so they
come you know, to the four to six times in
a month for like a couple of months if they're available,
and we pay them to help assist the teacher and

(12:17):
teaching classes and and Afro Cuban hip hop whatever it
may be. Um, so that change we we were we
didn't do that early on. Um there was music in
school when I was growing up, you know, and now
there's there's that need. There are a few, um charter
schools and stuff, but a lot of the kids there

(12:37):
there's nowhere for them to go. So we need to
fix what's happened. So to me, that's changed tremendously. So
you're saying that during your time period in school, it
was typical for music appreciation class and lessons like you
didn't go to a performing arn't schools now or we
couldn't afford it either. No, Now we just we we

(13:00):
learned in school. We have music in arts in school,
but I mean most of my learning music was in
the house watching pop play. So yeah, so I mean
describe that because you know, there's rarely artis that are
here that come from that environment. What is it at least?
Why is it important for music in the school systems?

(13:21):
Like how m when did they remove that pro like
like the idea of taking the arts away? Was it
like the mid eighties the lead. Wow, I don't even
really know, because it if it seemed like it was
about the eighties, I don't I don't know for sure.
I just noticed that, Um, there was a whole generation

(13:43):
of kids that wanted to learn, and we found out
that they weren't learning, and they were asking where could
they go get classes or be taught? Can I get
a trumpet? And we that's when we started raising money,
like in the nineties, or let's just raise some money
so we can get the kids the instruments. Well, then
we got the instruments, well, who's going to teach them?

(14:04):
You know, well there weren't there not enough teachers to teach.
So then again going back to well let's get some
of the local musicians, maybe we can have classes with them.
We we went beyond not We didn't go to the
superintendent of schools and things like that or the the district.
We ended up at that point, Um, even in two thousand,
we ended up uh going to the schools personally and

(14:27):
talking to the principles. Hey, we just want to help.
Can we help you if you guys say, yes, we'll
just come in. You know, I don't we were gonna
go to Sacramento and deal with the whole Supreme Court
thing and all. It's like, well, no, if if you
just allow us to come in, will help. So I
think it was around eighties or so, and then we
started helping in the nineties. And and again growing up

(14:49):
with my parents, Pops always had percussion around the house,
and you know, and we'd go to facilities since I
was young and play the foster cure facilities, the juviy facilities,
anything where there were kids where they didn't have a
lot of help, or they would live somewhere, you know,
periodic periodically after at these facilities and then go home

(15:10):
on the weekends or whatever. Uh, some of the kids
have been abused. So, you know, Pops, even though we
didn't have much, we would go there when I was young,
like eight nine years old, and we were doing that
most of our last That's how we grew up giving
back to the community back then. It sounds like the
organization that you have is a great model for a
lot of other major cities, because I was thinking when

(15:30):
you were speaking, the nineties was a period when it's
happened in most major cities, like music was let out
of schools. That's why the Grammys started their their organization
and whatnot. But do you ever think about like expanding
that because there are a lot of I just thought it.
But that's a great idea to have people who I've
already succeeded from the area start an organization for you know,
music for children. Yeah, we're trying to build a curriculum

(15:52):
now so that it works wherever we go. And instead
of saying we're gonna elevate Oakland, we want to elevate
San Francisco, elevate l A, Eleve B, Comped, and elevate
whatever is. Just elevate whatever city. But we have to
raise the money. So we took a break and trying
to raise the money so that we can start all
over again and and get a good board of people

(16:14):
and and begin at the beginning. So this is the beginning.
So and it's funny because Philly, I'm ready. I'm ready.
I wasn't in the thank you you didn't know that.
In a way, there's always more us, Philly, It's always
more you can do, right, There's always more. Yeah, because
I'm coming out of a pocket with that, so it's
kind of hard to do it without. It's kind of

(16:35):
hard to deal without a sponsor. I'm just pulling the board.
I'm just adding to the idea. She listening. You know
a board, Yeah, a board? Yeah, absolutely, we started board
and I will. You need to do more. I will.
I just don't have the fund, but I definitely have
the energy. You got the energy and didn't mean to
cut you off. You did what? Uh? What's your What

(17:03):
was your first musical memory? H five years old? Playing
with my dad. Um. Actually I don't remember playing with
him as much as I remember getting dressed to go play.
I was five years old at my grandmother's house and
my cousins were mad because they couldn't go to the club.

(17:24):
They're like, well, she was five, how come she gets
to go. My mom was explaining, well, she's gonna play,
So I'm getting dressed. I had on this white dress
with the little white uh socks and then the black
pantent leather patent leather shoes, and um, I remember my
mom combing my hair. We got in the car. We
went to the gig, which is still there at the places.
It was called Sund's ballroom right on gig gig for real,

(17:52):
Like my first gig was five and I remember it
like it was yesterday. But anyway, yeah, Sam's ball Room.
So we go there. My mom would get out of
the car and and I could hear my dad playing there.
There were these windows up at the tops. You can
hear the music coming from the place, and as she
was walking me up the stairs, I can hear the
music getting louder and louder and louder. And then they

(18:13):
opened the door. We stood at the door and my
dad saw us, and uh, they ended the song, and
then he said, lady and Jenny, I want to bring
up my daughter, Sheila Escovedo. She's gonna come and play
with us. And then I just remember all the people parting,
like the Red Sea was so weird. It's like wow,
and I'm just looking at everyone. Wow, this is amazing.
And I remember him picking me up and I was

(18:36):
gonna play congo, so congas were pretty big, and so
he stood me on a stool and then I don't
remember anything else, and he said I was killing it,
but I don't remember. You'll got five year old hairds
on congas Like I'm just making a loud sound. Remember
my father was a drumming too, and I remember trying
and but it didn't come out loud as I wanted

(18:56):
it to because my hands were too small. That's crazy. Yeah,
I was going to say as a drummer, I mean
I started off from bongos, but really it's well, yeah,
I mean, it wasn't like there was a drum set
in the house, but there was like one bongo in
the house. And I mean I played it a lot.
But the wear and tear in your hands especially, no,

(19:20):
bongos are horrible to play. Why did you choose that?
I chose Conga's not bongles. They're different. The difference bongos,
I don't know, shut up, no, but okay, so why

(19:45):
I didn't know that there is a wear and tear
difference on your hands between my god, yes, okay, so
explain the difference. Then. The difference of the bongles are
really small, um, and because of the drumheads, I'm gonna
put this down, the drumheads, they're smaller playing bongos. You're
gonna play with half of your finger where your finger, uh,

(20:06):
your knuckle, you know, so that first part of that finger,
that's how you get that really high snapping sound on
the bongles, so you're playing everything just you're just playing
this and it hurts after a while. Your finger is swollen.
I mean my brother's hands used to be so swollen
from plane, so I would play him too, but they hurt.
And Conga's you end up using more of your hands.

(20:27):
I mean you can do that on the bongles, but
the sound of what you want to get from bongles
is really the tips of your fingers, and that hurts.
You have beautiful hands with somebody who does that? Look
at your palms, like, look at that, no marks, no scars,
that's let me is tech nooks, just tech nook. You
get treatments on your hands, like to keep them softer,

(20:50):
anything along those lines. No, I do use lotion, but
in hood and every house now, uh no. You know
when I was playing every single day, like with George
Duke and with my dad playing Congress, just mainly playing
that as my instrument, my hands were bleeding. I have

(21:12):
to use ragor blade to cut the callouses and it
was painful. Yeah. I remember, like this wall right here,
this is like a concrete wall, and before this shows
with my dad and with George Duke because we would
play every night. I'd have to bang on the wall
before we went on stage until my hands got numb
so I could get through the first like two songs,

(21:32):
and then he'd do a ballad and I have to
start all over again. It's like so painful, but I
loved it, not the pain but the you know, the
satisfaction of being able to play percussion is just when
when did you hear of the existence of these things
called sticks in your hands? It's not any better see

(21:53):
everything without without going to see the unspoken situation with
the roots right now. Yeah, but what I'm saying is that, um,
you know, is it is it? Is it taboo or

(22:14):
unspoken or cheating? I think it's taboo and cheating. Those
things are meant to be played with your hands. Why
are you answering the question the no? No, No, I'm
asking because I want to know do you play We've

(22:36):
all used bongos. No, she doesn't know your background, like
you're a superstar engineers, that's what she's asking. But I mean,
I know the answer is no. But um, I've seen
and recorded. I've seen him recorded both types. People use
sticks and don't use sticks, and it's just my I
guess my opinion that bongos and congress are supposed to
be playing with the hands and sticks are for other

(22:59):
percussive things like drums. But but well, what my question was.
I always wanted sticks because this is a certain loud
dynamic that I like when sticks hit bongles, just for it,
for it. And I think it's mostly because of whenever
Prince programmed the rim shot to be that conga sound,

(23:24):
that's the sound always was going for in my head.
So thus I was like, well, I can't get that
with the hand, but you get that with the stick.
So that's always been my default move. Of course, to
the dismay of every percussionist watching us, or why you're cheating,
why your man's cheating, not not, you know that sort
of thing. So is it really? Is it? Truly? Because

(23:44):
even when you're you're you're at your you're set up
with with some bodies and whatnot, and your and your
your cow thows, it's not like you're gonna put them down.
And then yes I would. So you're saying it's absolutely cheating, Yes,
but I agree with him as well. But let me
tell you why, because in traditional music, like traditional meaning

(24:06):
Latin jazz, SA also things like you're gonna play bongles
with your hands. They would kill you if you soda plays. Yeah,
there's no sensitivity to the instrument. Is just going to
be one tone. You can't get the different tones and
the field with sticks. Now, However, when disco music came
out and more pop music, you would end up using sticks,

(24:29):
you know, for a different sound. I've done it on recordings,
but it depends on but I've done it too, but
it depends on you know what music you're gonna play
with it. But definitely they were made to play with
your hands and not sticks. Final answer, final answer. That
is my final answer, the real answer to your question,
which was why did I chime in? It's because on

(25:00):
this day right there talking the most talking Steve I want,
I already said I was right, as it turns out,
thank you. I'm a purist. You know you can sticks
on on those things. But you're more famous actually in

(25:21):
my head for using sticks. You just do me. You've
been my engineer and you're just telling me this now.
But you're I mean, you're more of a drummer, you know,
than a percussion than a conga bungo player like I
was about to do you play the lad over thirty? Um,
you know what I have the ability to, but until

(25:43):
I master the sound of I cannot claim that, and
I do not know how to. What is that? It's
like when you rub your finger. When you rub, this
a vibration thing. I've never been able to do anything.
It's like learning the whistle, or like when you wolf whistle.
When the actually on the drum, you can g it's

(26:04):
a vibration with your fingers. That what was what was
the song? Doo doo dunk dunk DoD scorpio. Don't you practice?
Of course? Of course? Okay, so how long did you?
Because we're big on just the one thing I want
to convey to my listeners is the amount of practice, yeah,

(26:25):
that you have to put it into to master your craft.
So in general, were you just always jamming in the
house or like how much time would you personally practice,
just isolated and that sort of thing, or was it
like you had to go and practice Oh no, no no. Um. Actually,
like when I played that beat, it was if you know,

(26:47):
my dad's congos were there. The song came out, we
got the forty five and I was like, oh, that's dope,
let me try that. You know, we would just do it,
or we'd play it, you know, jamming, jamming with bands
or out in the park, you know, um when out
of the street drummers, we'd all get together and just
play outside. Um. I hate to say that I've never
practiced to day in my life, and I'm sorry for

(27:09):
those who I believe. I believe that you've jammed a
lot of hours, like and that was your practice, yeah
kind of yeah, just like The Roots before Fallon. The
Roots never practiced as a band like we just you
do three hours shows for six five days out the year.
Then it's right. So you just jam with your family

(27:29):
and now yeah, just jamming and stuff. Yeah. But to
sit down and say I'm going to learn a rhythm
and apart so i can get better, I'm sorry. No,
my parents made me practice to keep me from going
out on the streets and they did the right thing, right.
But I'm saying, like, but you grew up in the
household with other musicians, so I'm certain that it was
more like a jamming thing. It was. Well, yes, that

(27:50):
weird though, I mean is it also? I I'm not
not that I'm big on jamming, but there's something very
vulnerable about a jam session that makes it very hard
for me to do in front of people I know. Okay,
so the first the first day of of taking the

(28:14):
Tonight Show gig, and it's just the eight of us
facing each other. So like the circle we're in now,
it was the hardest thing in the world to do. Like,
I stopped the session after five minutes and called my
manager like, I don't know what to do, Like what
do you just just start playing a song? Like, because
I think it's it's a it's a vulnerable, intimate thing

(28:36):
almost I hate to be creepy with the metaphorical thing,
but I mean it's like intimacy, and you know, the
thing is that you have to be on I mean,
we're or in good terms with each other as a band,
but it's it's sort of like I think that you
also socially have to be in tune with the person

(28:56):
that you are playing with in order to get that
the desired results. And so it's I think that's it's hard.
So it means that you were able to jam or
borderline envious that you're able to play with your family,
Like yeah, and we grew up like that, so I mean,
anytime the opportunity, if they were sitting out, let's go play.

(29:18):
All right, We started getting into this whole thing and
then taking solos and going into different rhythms and like
just jamming in the backyard outside absolutely in the house,
in the backyard at the parks down at Berkeley College
and on telegraph all the time. We were at out
on the streets, just jamming in the mission in San Francisco. Yeah, yeah,

(29:42):
for real? Where are you in the scheme of your brother,
your brothers and sister like oldest young yars? How does Yeah?
So I'm the oldest, My brother Lauan, my brother Peter Michael,
my sister Zina. Because I was wondering why you got
I was like, how does she get picked out of
everybody to go jam with dad? And do the rest
play too? They played, But it seems like you guys
had a special relationship or your dad. Yeah, I was first.

(30:07):
So how unusual in your childhood was it? For um?
I know that drums are normally associated as a more
masculine music, uh instrument to play, So how unusual was it? Like?
Did you get any ribbing whatsoever? T's like you played
with drums, or like why don't you play piano? Or

(30:28):
why don't you play guitar? Like from or people. Well,
I'm just saying, was there anyone who discourage you, like, well,
that's not a young ladies shouldn't be playing? Like do
you have a grandmother that said like she shouldn't be
playing the drum, can't wear a dress and played drums?
Oh no, And my family, no one in the family
ever said anything. So it's a supernatural to supernatural. No
one ever said my parents, my uncle's cousins, they all play.

(30:51):
No one ever said you can't play because you're a girl,
because everyone would pick up something and just play. My
mom plays guido, she plays a little bit of conga's,
she tap dances, she's things. You know, it's just an
entertaining family. And every time we go to a party,
even with the family, we put on Jackson five, Tempted, whatever,
James Brown, and we just start imitating people. So um,

(31:12):
we grew up like let's let's who's going first, and
the and the way to get to the party. Well,
in the party, as soon as my mom would start
saying that that that that that that, everyone start running
to the living rooms like time for that's the intro,
so time, oh yeah, oh yeah, and then my mom

(31:34):
would break right into tap dance and then we'll see
who's gonna play what record and start dances. So I
was never told. Never ever, until I left the house
and started performing with other artists did people say things.
But even in school, no one really said, oh, you know,
you can't play because you're a girl. I don't. I mean,
it was always cool. It's like, you know, everyone was

(31:55):
in school was like stope. Well, I mean on the
other side of the coin, like did they make a
big deal of it because you were dope or you know,
it was like every time you play, like go like
it's a novelty thing that we're watching or whatever. Because
I think with the exception with the exception of what's

(32:15):
her name, I think her name was Cookie. There was
there was a Jersey based group in the seventies called Ecstasy,
Passion and Pain, Uh, the Mob, Deep Sample, the Realist
Do doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo. I'll

(32:35):
play it later, but yeah, there's they were I mean,
they had a they had a run from like seventy
three to seventy six, but they did like three appearances
on Soul Train. So that's the first time I saw
like a woman playing drums, but he was actually playing drums. Yeah,
oh yeah, I gotta check it out. So yeah, I
was gonna say, did you have anyone that you looked

(32:57):
up to that was in the car? Cook? Yeah? Did
you have anyone that you looked up to that was
a woman that was playing drums when you were coming
up at all? Um? The only woman that I saw
play ever, especially drums, was Karen Carpenter when her and
her brother had their variety show. Yeah, and she was

(33:18):
killing it, you know. Um. And as soon as I
saw her on television, I turned to Pops and said,
how come I don't have a TV show like nine
or something? What do you mean? As I said, I
played drums. I played just like her. What how come
can't we just get a TV show and goes, sure
you can. I mean, it was never like, no, you
can't play because you're a girl that no one else

(33:38):
Nothing that was never said. But in your formative years,
did anyone think like, yo, there's no one that we
know of that can feel in the slot and you'll
be the first to at that time would have been revolutionary,
something like anyone thinking like dollar signs, like no, we didn't. Actually,
as a matter of fact, when I first started playing

(33:58):
and sitting in with other bands and they wanted to
pay me, I thought it was disrespectful to pay me
because I know it's kind of weird. Yeah, I thought
it was disrespectful because I loved it so much. It's like,
don't pay me for something I really love. I'm just
I just want to do it, like this is my passion.

(34:19):
I don't And then Pop was like, come here. He
took me in the kitchen. Yeah, he took me in
the kitchen, open the kitchen refrigerators, like we need some food.
You gotta. It's okay to get paid, it's okay. And
I'm like, okay, alright, cool were you at that moment?

(34:40):
So I was gonna ask at what age were you
when you were like a total Jedi master, as in
like I could close my eyes and know I haven't
got you, I haven't gotten there yet. Good answer, Good answer?
Now manna ask you again? This time just dropped. No,

(35:03):
I'm so serious, I'm being honest. At what age were
you when other musicians took you totally serious, as in,
I want her for at what age were you when
you started? You know? They still sometimes don't take music. Sister,
can't get a call for a gig nowhere me, I'm

(35:24):
telling because you're me on. They're like, I can't afford that.
Whatever you think. I was like, oh, I could have
called you. See that's what happened. That's not nothing to
do with that's that's because we're afraid of you. You're
on a mountain top and now it's about a climate.
It's like, yeah, no, I mean, I know you're not

(35:48):
owning the superhero thing, and I know that artists hate
the fan worship thing, but your your existence is kind
of a big deal. So no, thank you. I mean,
I understand it now. But seriously, when when growing up,
I mean, I didn't get it, and I don't think
we realized it even Pops until later on. It's like, okay,

(36:11):
wait a minute. You know, Um, that wasn't ignoring you.
That was more like we're not worthy. There was one
time I think I was going to call you for
a thing, and it's only because I saw that you did.
Um was it loving you? Loving you? Right? And I
saw your credit. And then I was like, oh, oh,

(36:31):
she would, she would come down the earth. And at
what point in your life were you thinking like this?
Because you said, you know now you understand now why
people weren't calling, But like, at what point? Because until
I started speaking with people, it's like, you know, how
how you doing? Oh? You know? Like and then I
was like, wait a minute, you know I'll come and

(36:52):
do a session. You would Yeah? Why I mean, Steve,
you wanted to play the piano and yourself. No, listen,
this guy, this dude, this producer called me. I could
have slapped him through the phone. He called me and
he said, hey, Sheila, I just want to know something,
all right, okay, yeah what you need? Um I'm doing.
I'm producing this record on this girl. I want to

(37:13):
know how to get the Sheila. So, do you know
anybody but cheap? You're on the phone with it right now.
I did. I said, wait a minute, how can you
my sound? You want to you want me to refer
you to somebody else? Dude, Okay, here's another thing we're skipping.

(37:34):
We're skipping the line here. But I believe that the
the number one weapon of the Purple Cloud period, or
just that period with Prince, the number one weapon was
mystery and anybody associated any at least in my eyes,

(37:59):
Like you know, when I was ten, eleven twelve, like
seeing you guys, it was like it was some untouchable.
We're too I don't mean arrogant, like we're too good
for that, but you know, a different world even yea,
even like that, we are the world perception like, oh
we never do that, like in our minds, we're just
like you guys, would only do your music and you're

(38:21):
laughing at us mere mortals like kind like that, But
we weren't going to say no, no, no, no no,
we you know what the it's weird, like it's like
being in this room, all of us sitting here, we
just start playing and jaming and next you know, four

(38:41):
days later you might have cut another record. I mean,
it was just like we love being in the studio,
and after being with everyone, you know all the time,
you kind of forget that there's a world happening, there's
something's going something that's going on. At one point, Prince
and I just we felt like we're in a bubble
and and until we woke up at in the Purple Rain,
It's like wait, what just happened? We didn't even we

(39:04):
didn't understand it at all. Okay, so now I know
that you're available for session war, which is the important thing. Yes,
I am. So what was your very first gig as
a professional for customers? Pops playing his percussion player, got sick.

(39:30):
He had a band called as tech Has signed to
Clive Davis. They were out touring out with Temptations, Steven Wonder,
Earth winning fire. Pops as percussion other percussion player got
sick and I said, I'm fifteen, Pops, I knew all
the music, you know. Let me play this show. And
I was like yeah. He was like, no, you can't
do it. And I was like, Pops, come on. He said,

(39:50):
you're only fifteen. You can't. You know they're out on
tour with all these bands. Now, you can't do it.
You're only fifteen years old. And I said, Moms, Pops
won't let me play in the band, thank you. So
I got my way, and um, so I played that
show in San Francisco um for I think it was
then Mayor Masconi, I'm I think, and it was for

(40:11):
three thousand people and the band was killing, you know,
fifteen years old like I've been playing with these a
couple of other bands and they were like knockoffs of
Santana music, So we knew all that stuff. Um, and
my dad was in Santana right before having the band
as Teca, and that band as Teca was formed with
when Santana's band broke up, Carlos broke up his band

(40:33):
half the band with my dad Neil Sean, Lenny White
on drums. All those people were huh yea. So they
were playing with my dad in Azteca, and so you
got this caliber of musicians in in these people playing
with the eighteen piece, you know, five six horns, three singers,
three percussion players, to keyboard players, two guitar players. I mean,

(40:56):
it was insane and all this music and it's like
I wanted to play in that band. So I got
to play in the band. And it just brings you
if you're set in a place where it's going to
force you to go somewhere you've never been before. You know,
I wanted to make sure that I was there representing,
and I mean I went for it. Well, you know,
my dad turned to me at one point and he said,

(41:18):
you know, I want you to take a solo, you know,
like he's gesturing to me, you know, play from your heart.
I'm like, I'm so scared. I closed my eyes and
I started playing a solo and I black. I felt
like I blacked out. I just left the planet. And
next thing I know, I remember looking up in the sky.
I was up in the sky, like floating, looking at myself,

(41:41):
playing with in the looking at the entire room with
my dad looking at me. I'm looking at him, and
the crowd is just starting to roar it and I
saw it like from above. It was so weird, and
I when I finally all my eyes did, I realized,
like all of a sudden, you know, like in a
movie and you hear the music like coming back in

(42:02):
out of nowhere. That's how I felt. And then I
started shaking because I got scared, like wait, did I
just what happened? You know? And I felt like it
was an out of body experience, and my hands were shaking,
and in the at the end of my soul, I
looked at Pops and I was I just started crying
while I'm still playing, And then I heard the roar
of the crowd and just like and it just got

(42:25):
loud and it was a standing ovation and I was like,
I don't even know what that. I was just looking.
I was just crying like crazy. And we ended the song,
the show stopped, went backstage, and I was like, Pops, Daddy, daddy,
I'm going out on tour with you. This is what
I want to do. What I want to do. I
know what, I know what I know this is. It
was that the first and the last time you had
that that feeling, like that moment, No, that was the

(42:47):
beginning of my purpose. That was the beginning. And Pops
looked at me and then we hugged and we just
started crying. He's like, I don't even know. How do
you know all this? I was like, I don't know.
I think I was watching you. I'm like a sponge.
I don't know. We we had no idea, like all
of a sudden, just kind of jamming with a local
band for six months, and then I went from that

(43:10):
local band to professionalism. I don't know. So, okay, this
is definitely the I gotta get a nastecha record, bro man,
there's two of them. You have to hear it. It's amazing.
Seventy six five or something like that is only five four. Okay,

(43:35):
so you as a drummer and as a musician. I
was gonna say that the the one thing that I
think that you won't ever able to be, that you'll
never be able to avoid is the solo. Now, that's

(43:57):
the dividing line between you and I because think I've
made a life in a career on the most minimalist
kind of approach to drumming. That's a huge gift to have.
It's a it's a dangerous and a big responsibility. It's
a dangerous gift. But the thing is is that in

(44:18):
my age and as I get older, like okay, so
when I was in my twenties and my thirties or whatever,
especially uh, the way that my arms are now with
um uh your carpal tunnel on everything. Yeah, it's so
painful now to take solos. So it's like I'm taking
them less and less. How are you, especially when most

(44:43):
of your solos have to have this you know this,
this climatic uh, climatic applause from the audience. How are
you able? Like do you not? Do you have a
fear of soloing or just but it's always expected of you? Yeah,
I see in the music stops go ahead you and

(45:04):
yours has to be extra acrobatic, like it's always, yeah,
you have to be you're not even zero to ten.
You have to go through zero the auto bond zero
autobond in like five minutes. And I'm just saying not
not even physicality or with with with with age, whatever,
but maybe there's just some nights you don't feel like
turning it on and like, but that's pressure because you

(45:29):
have to go from zero to a gazillion. It's expected
of you two minutes. Yeah, it's interesting because I don't
I don't think of it as an I've got to
be on on and off or I don't feel like it.
I've never put myself in that position to feel like that.
So I'm I love doing what I do and if
people ask me, I would love to do it. But

(45:51):
I wouldn't walk into a room to say I'm not
gonna walk in there because I don't feel like it.
Then I should have not showed up. I never want
to put myself in that positions say okay, I gotta
turn it on. No, I'm excited. If someone asked me
to play, I would love to. So there's no on
and off switch you asked me, it's always on. Can
I just I'm not fast forwarding, But I just have

(46:12):
a quick question on that note, because I just watched
you do the view and in my mind I said,
she wouldn't not do this performance unless you have full,
like comfortable they would say yes and you could do
everything that you wanted to do. Is that like an
example of that moment, because it was kind of amazing
and groundbreaking some of the things that you did within it.
Thank you. Um, it was it was a It's interesting.

(46:33):
It was a fight. It was a fight to get
what we had. It was a fight I and I'm
grateful it ended up turning out good. But um, I
always tell everyone you know, no doesn't mean you can't
do it. No, it doesn't mean you shouldn't a lot
of time, no one means opportunity. And I was like,
this has just been insane, the things that we had

(46:54):
to do and change, and I mean it was, you know,
from one thing to another, and I just kept saying,
but no, this is the message. We have to send
a message. I have to stand for. This is what
we're trying to send, this message, and we need the
flag and it needs to be upside down, you know.
And I need to put the images in the backs
where people can see what we're talking about. I need

(47:16):
Dr King's speech, I need Kennedy's speech, you know, I
need Obama speech. You know. So it was a definite fight.
But you know again how things turned around. We were
only supposed to just play the music, and then it
turned into uh, two questions and then there's something. Then
once they understood what we were trying to do, they

(47:37):
were then they were behind us, understand, and we're glad
that they they understood what we wanted to do. And
then it turned into let's move you to segment five
and six, and it's like, oh, now I get to
explain what happened. But never give up, you know, never
give up, and know means the opportunity. Man, I wasn't
coming through that front door, but I came through that
side door, you know, and I wasn't gonna give up.

(47:59):
And I still got there and it was better than
it was going to be initially. Sorry for those of
us who don't watch the view, you have to move
your neck like that when you say the word okay,
I just I don't I don't watch most of the time. Um,
so what can you just tell us what the performance was. Yeah,

(48:20):
and you could go shela YouTube channel to watch it
too on my Facebook. Yeah, she lea jum or she
lea um No. Uh. The beginning of it is I
did the funky national anthem I colleague, so the national
anthem with um some things, and I had speeches in

(48:42):
in the song as well. She kneeled while she played.
Were the speeches samples of the actual speeches or was
somebody else? Okay, No, it was the actual Like I
got the okay from Dr King's estate and family to
use his images and his speeches on my record. That
was huge because they just don't do that for anybody,

(49:03):
for anybody. It was super political. It was funky national anthem.
I got it. You gotta have me a funky. When
I reposted it, I was like, it was nice that
they allowed you to show your love and your frustration
for this country. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely, Okay. So in in performing, um,
I know that today, especially with it being the call

(49:24):
to personality and based on celebrity that gets people approval.
I know that. Uh, in the seventies, you actually had
to be good and great and you had to entertain
not just perform, but you had to entertain. So what
was this the level of preparation, especially with Azteca and

(49:45):
then eventually went to George Duke and stuff. What was
the level of preparation that you guys put into doing shows?
Like were you guys looking at other acts that were
on the bill and like, yeah, we gotta blow them
off the stage or you know, we're their headline acts?
That were like okay, can you guys not you know,
I just you know, do something normal And right now,

(50:09):
I don't know that. I don't remember. Um with once
I I said I was going to become a professional musician,
did was there a competition? Um? I think that there
was competition early on with the other bands, the local bands,
We're gonna be better than them kind of thing. But once, um,
once I became a professional musician and wasn't about we

(50:31):
have to be better. The preparation was like, as Pops
told me all the time, in order for you to
feel good about what you're doing and what you're playing
and walk out there with confidence, the only way to
do that is know what you're supposed to do, and
if you prepare and listen to the music, learn you
know all the breaks, and you walk in, you play,
uh the show. Um, you're gonna enjoy yourself and you're

(50:53):
gonna play and not have to worry or be afraid.
So I was always prepared. I always listened to the
music whatever I needed to listen too, to make sure,
especially if I had it ahead of time, I would
learn the music so I'd walk in. And that was
part of the issues with some of the other male
drummers was I'd walk in prepared and they wouldn't know anything,
and they're just like, piste off of me. Really because

(51:17):
you're because she did the job. I did the job
with a smile. I'm so glad we didn't come up
and see I would have been like, okay, actual proof.
We're we're the cuts in the Hope song. So how
I know that, Um, because George Duke came from the
school of uh Frank Zappa. UM. But I also know

(51:39):
that in the mid seventies he was trying to get
more into his funk thing. I mean, we're his shows.
I've never seen like any of the tapes of his
seventies shows on YouTube. I mean, there will be like
a clipper too, but it'll just be you know again
like Dukie stick or you know, just like one of
his his groove based songs. But how much of his

(52:00):
fusion stuff that he uh incorporate in in his seventies
shows by the time that he joined his band, Oh
a lot of it. Um. The dupe thing about George
was he played so many different genres of music because
he played the fusion a lot. He did play jazz,
We played a lot of Brazilian music, we played the
funk music. Um. I mean he played everything in the show.

(52:23):
So he allowed me to He never told me what
I needed to play or what even what he wanted
me to play. He's just always said, Okay, you got
your house full of stuff, whatever you feel like fits
in that song, just play it. So he allowed me
to grow as a musician. That doesn't really happen with people.
You know, everyone's a lot of times you need to
play this and you need to play that, and be

(52:44):
specific on what you're playing. But he just allowed me
to express myself freely like always and that was huge
for these early gigs where you also your own tech
and your own rody. Like I know that times have
changed down it's like I have a writer and those things,
but those uh. Um, I had a tech later, but no,

(53:07):
I was when I was playing the clubs in the
Bay Area with the different bands. I put my drum set,
Timbali's and Conga's in a vovo myself, load and unload
and set everything up and then do the same thing
every night. So you transport in in a car. In
a car, those are hills where you live? Like, how

(53:29):
did you get those? Like? How did you transport? Yeah?
They were here, they were hills, but no, we I
I had a vogel and so I put all my
gear in a vovo, not unless I use At one point,
Mom's got a van, but that was I never hardly
used a van. So I was my own tech. Absolutely,
sometimes I get help. And then later on with George,

(53:51):
he did have a tech. Uh so he did do
a lot of the works as well. Yeah. Um, after
George Schuke, it was did you do a stand up?
I don't know if you did a stand with Algero
or not, or I don't know if he was just
opening or we well we played on the same bill. Yeah,
so we all jumped together. Yeah, we did shows together.
I wasn't officially in this band when we played together, damn. Okay,

(54:14):
because I thought that you would have been on that
the Live in Europe Looks at the Rainbow. It's one
of my favorite albums of and I had someone else
asked me that, And I'm not sure. I have to
listen to it because it could be me. We were
in Europe doing those shows a lot together on the
same bill, so I don't know. It's it's it's all

(54:35):
a blur. I'd have to listen to see. Oh, it
could be No, I don't know. I was gonna say
it could be Pauline though, Okay, I don't know. Were
you on a lot of George Duke albums or just
part of his how you were? Yeah? And uh the
game Master of the Game follow the Rainbow and about

(54:56):
fourth after that. I just don't remember the names of Yeah. Yeah,
I'm on the verge of going headlong into him. I've
been pretty He's amazing, incredible. Yeah, oh you love it
because yeah, I'm coming in through the jazz way actually,
like no, have a dealer's stuff is based on like
George stuff, so you you you love it instantly? So, uh,

(55:20):
I know that you did stints with You're Diana Ross period?
Was that in the seventies or yes, it was in
the seven early seventies. Do you know if that are
you part of the I know that she had two
live albums out in the seventies. One was Ah, there
was one in the seventies seven, which I know. There's

(55:42):
multiple percussionists when you're doing these shows. Are you the
loan percussionists on a majority of these shows? Are you
sharing with Yeah? Most you and your brother in a
package or no? U those showed well with Diana Ross,
that's a different story. I didn't even make the record
because I quit after the second gig. Okay, I was
gonna say, client wise, pre pre your your solo career.

(56:08):
Who who was a client that it was easy to
work with? I mean, I don't mean the complexity of
the music, but just a comfortable environment that you enjoyed,
that you like the music versus high end Yeah, versus
high end. Uh. You know, politics of of either a

(56:30):
band a band leader not being cordial or being hard
on you or whatever, or just because a lot of times,
you know, I know that with the artists, like even
if the artist is is wrong, they're right. Yeah. Wait,
that's s throwing me off, That's not the one and
you know, blaming you easy to point you out. So well,
that was dying to Ross. That's why I quit. Um.

(56:53):
She came to play Circle Star Theater, which was one
of the the dopest places to playing in San Francisco
at the time, and everyone played there. Shaka Rufus played there.
I mean everyone, Oh, Jayson didn't matter. So all the
artists would come and play that play. So they hired
me to play. And it's in the round, so it

(57:13):
turns in. The stage turns throughout the show, so half
of the stage was pit for the orchestra. And then
she's on top of the main floor and so you know,
I told everyone in the Bay areas, shoot, I'm playing
with Diana Ross, and all my people came. Well, she
didn't like people screaming at me. You can get a

(57:43):
one off, like, okay, I won't do it a second time. Yeah,
it was you know, I mean, and they announced the
people in the band and everything and then uh, but
you know, she was very angry, and so then she said, well,
I'm getting too much What she didn't tell me that.
She told the musical director she's getting too much attention.
She needs to cover up from her neck all the
way down. But but they told me to wear black.

(58:05):
I mean, I just I had like a sleeveless blouse
on its black. Everyone should wear black. And I was like, okay.
He said, well, she wants you to cover up your arms.
I said I can't because I'm playing and you know,
like this is gonna get in a way that pretty face.
I didn't say that. It's okay. Oh yeah, so only

(58:33):
two shows. Yeah, um, I played the one night and
U then this, he said, um ms Ross wants to
talk to you and um for tomorrow's show, but she
wants you to cover up. And I was like, well,
you hired me form my musicianship, right, and he said yeah.
I said, well I'm doing what you need to do,
right he said yeah. I said I can't play with

(58:55):
the sleep It's gonna be too hard. He said, okay,
Well she would like to speak with you. Okay. So
I stood out the side of stood at the door
of her dressing room and she could see me in
the mirror. She was just staring at me, but she
was talking to her friend. Yeah. Uh huh, So I'm
standing and she's just talking. I'm standing. She could she
could see me and five minutes, ten fifteen, then twenty,

(59:17):
then almost going on thirty, and I said, oh, I'm leaving.
So I turned around and her friends saw her, because
Diana kind of you know, looked to the side, and
her friend turned around. She said, oh my god, you
were amazing. I loved you. You were so amazing and
and and oh yeah that's a percussionist, blah blah. So

(59:40):
I walked out of the room and the guy said, well,
you know, I just want to make sure when you
come tomorrow that you're gonna be covered. I said, no,
that's not gonna happen because I quit. He's like, not,
we in the two shows that night. So there was
the two shows, but the next night I didn't even show.
I said, no, I'm not coming. He goes, no, no, no,
wait what you're quitting and said that, oh absolutely. I

(01:00:01):
said that's just wrong. I know what she's doing and
she and then I got really angry. She made me
wait there in the dressing room right that she looked
at me and purposely and like dog me and like hit.
So you weren't afraid of no, no, no, not commit
you for that, But at that time in your early career,
you weren't afraid of burn a bridge. No, she was wrong. Hey,

(01:00:27):
so that makes the we Are the World sessions super
in between. Wait, what's the time between we Are the World?
That's a lot offerent. And it was different. There was
never a breakup after the makeups to breakups. No, it
was I was she left Covido when I played with her,
and then I was talons, you my favorite league. But

(01:00:59):
did she know it was? Yes? And I bet you
were playing with sleeves about it, like I speared some
of them southed it with some sleeves. It was some sleeves, Sheila. No,
it was all good after that. I laughed. We kind
of we didn't say that, but we let it like
you comes it over here, you know, Hey, it's all good. Okay,

(01:01:20):
that's my girl. I loved me some Diana Ross. So
I gotta know. I know that you were on the
mid like Midnight Love Tour, okay, just to make sure. Okay,
So the the eight um the documentary, No no, no,
the eight uh Mancho Jazz Festival. That is not Chila playing, uh,

(01:01:45):
but I thought it was he has a no, no no,
this I'm talking to Marvin Yaane now man I'm sorry
you never seen it. Okay, I thought this whole time,
I thought it was you, and I looked this morning,
I'm like, that's not Sheila. When did you? When did you?
You've only joined for the Men Like Night Love Tour two,

(01:02:10):
the very his very last tour I saw. It's not
much footage is online, but I know of a promoter
that had a really good Uh at least there was
a radio City of Music Hall show that he did,
and it's it's there, and I'll say that all the
Marvin shows that I saw it was a little weird.

(01:02:34):
I don't know if it's based on the the newer
material or whatever, but I mean there's a point where
like even when he does sexual healing, like he does
a striptease thing down to his underwear and he just
for this particular performance, he he didn't look comfortable. And
then when the promoter told me like, yeah, this is
like one of his I think he's like, yeah, there's

(01:02:56):
like his his he would only have eleven more performances
left in there's like his last ten performances of his life.
What was it you did the whole duration of that tour? Yeah,
the whole tour and my brother and one of our friends.
So there was three of us playing percussion, three of you,
and we had duplicates of each, uh, three pairs of

(01:03:18):
Timbali's three pair of congress through a pair of bongles chimes. Yeah,
what what what was it like to to do that tour?
Just know what you know of what happened to his
life and stuff, and I mean not get personal in
his life, but what what was it like? Because even

(01:03:38):
when I watched it, it just it's weird because I
thought we started at Radio City. That was the first gig,
wasn't it. Well maybe I don't know when he does,
but he said like this, this is the last eleven
and something. Maybe it was eleven months or whatever, but
I know that because that was his last tour. I
definitely know that it was the last tour, definitely, because
after we got home was when he passed away. He

(01:03:59):
started in New York. I think we started a radio sitty.
It's crazy. I could swear no, No, I mean, I
don't know he could. But I'm just saying that usually
like agents like to start you off in Kansas or
somewhere where you can. I don't know, And maybe we
did I just remember because some stuff went down at

(01:04:20):
that gig, so um, yeah, it was pretty interesting. Um
he was amazing. I mean it was weird. I mean,
of course the women loved, you know, him dropping his
pants into some boxers with some designs on it. Um.
But man, there were times when he was singing. I
almost missed my cute because I was a fan going,

(01:04:43):
oh my god, look at him. I mean I was tripping.
He's at the piano, like really when he got into it,
he got his rhythm going as far as knowing what
songs were coming up, and it was amazing. He just
blew us away. She How often did those moments happen?
And that's that's interesting? Did you get this because you
worked with like so many great people exactly? Now, this
was at the kind of at the very beginning because

(01:05:05):
it you know, I mean I grew up listening to
Marvin Gaye and all of a sudden, I'm in the
band and that was one of the dopest congo drumbeats
everyone wanted to play. Dodd got could do that the
mother right, So playing that congo be just like I'm
playing it with Marvin Gaye. Like this story, I don't

(01:05:27):
know if I told you this before, But the story
when we were in rehearsals, like my brother didn't have
the gig, Peter Michael. So I'm playing UM and I
kept telling him come to rehearsal, um, you know, I
think I can get you the gig. So he kept
showing up. So Marvin thought he was in the band
for real, like during rehearsals, no one. He didn't even
know UM. And so he's playing thinking that there's three

(01:05:50):
of us playing. So I'm playing at We're all playing
at rehearsal, and everyone's kind of just sitting down playing,
you know, chilling. So the three of us we start
doing like the Michael Jackson, the Jackson five dance. We started,
oh yeah, the two steps. We started doing that, and
we start getting into it. So then the hard players
look like, oh, we can dance too, so they started

(01:06:12):
throwing down. Then the singers are like, well, we can
do something. So all of a sudden, that's how everyone
just started dancing, because we started dancing first, and especially
playing what's going on? I mean, you can't help but
not dance. So I'm playing that beat and it's really
it only consists of that boom boom fid dum dudoom
got well it got good to me and I hit

(01:06:33):
that low jump. I went dum dumack d got dune.
You know I hit that low jump. He's a very
soft spoken man. How are you telling she like? He
whispers when he talks. His back was to us. He's
singing that song. I hit that extra drum beat. There
were twenty four at least six people in the band.

(01:06:57):
He put his hand up and yelled with his back
to us and like, hold on stop. And it was
a trip because I don't think anyone had hurt him,
yell like yeah, and all you hear is, you know,
he sticks falling and you know, like what the heck
does happen? And it's like, you know, right? And then

(01:07:21):
he turned around and he's and he has his mic
in his hand. He said, somebody played an extra beat.
And I'm like, oh my, you could hear my heart pounded.
I was so scared. I was like, my heart is
gonna pop out of my chest. I'm frightened. And all
I could think it was to blame it on Peter Michael.

(01:07:43):
So so I just went like this. I was like,
I better say something before no one said okay, uh sorry,
Mr Gay. Um, that was my brother Peter Michael. So, yeah,
I had raised my hand, excuse me, I'm sorry. I'll
make sure that he doesn't do that again. And then
Peter Michael put his hand in and he goes, yeah,

(01:08:04):
I'm sorry, I'm sorry. So he took it and he's
like okay. So at the end of all of this, um,
Peter Michaels rehearsing with us for a couple of weeks
or whatever. We get ready to leave and Peter Michaels
walking to go home and he says, I'm gonna drive
back to because we're rehearsing here in l A. I'll
drive back to Oakland and the road. Magic Wilber says, hey, man,

(01:08:24):
go get your suit, your tuxedo, get fitted for your tuxedo.
And he's like for what. He goes, you're going on
to He goes, I know I'm not in the band,
and then he said yes you are. He said, yes
you are, and Marvin said, uh, yeah, you go get
your suit, and he didn't know that Peter Michael wasn't
in a band. He's like, make sure you get your
suit and you look nice. And so he got hired

(01:08:47):
as he was leaving, because Marvin thought he was in
the band the whole time. And who's do you know
who the d was at the time. It was his
cousin nephew. What was his name? If you told me
his name, might say, okay, yeah, he wasn't. Like wait
a minute, nobody said in the first place that many musicians. Okay,

(01:09:10):
you brought up. You brought up a point. Even when
you said with an Azteca, you mentioned at least seventeen
nineteen people, Um, how did y'all get paid? We did?
We got paid well. I mean Azteca was opening for
Earth Winning Fire and Stevie and Temptations, so they were
making money. Um, and that back in that day, Um,

(01:09:34):
you know they were getting paid, so you could, you
could still make a good living actually as a as
a side person. And at no point during this part
of your journey are you thinking, Hey, I gotta be
out on the front, I gotta be my own artist,
and I gotta you were just fine with being a
team member, and absolutely I love being a team member.

(01:09:54):
And and the crazy thing about it, even being a
team member with Marvin, he would still say she want
you to go take a solo. I'm like, okay, So
he'd go change and then the three of us would
do this dump thing that we made up, and I
take a TIMBALI solo, We throw the sticks up and
do this whole thing until he come back in a
new outfit. Okay. And I'm always going to refer to

(01:10:16):
the solo because it's very important. When you bounced the
stick on the floor, you throw up in the air
and you turn around do the pure wet and you
catch it behind your back. Has it ever dropped? And
I still, yes, it has dropped. But here's the thing.
Is when I was you play it off well or something,

(01:10:37):
I like, what I know? I don't see. Here's the thing.
I'm gonna give away some of my secrets. Please thank
you the ball. Yeah. So here's the thing. It's I
when I realized every time I wanted to make sure,
it's like she you know, you can't freak out. I
don't want to drop the stick. And I was like,
you know, I don't want to drop the stay every
time I throw it up, so um, most of the

(01:10:57):
time I caught it. Once in a while, like missing
you hear the audience go, ah, well, you're playing in
front of twenty thou people and I threw the stick
up one time and I missed him, like shoot, you know,
and you hear ah, And then I threw it up again.
I said, I'm catching sec. When I missed it, I
was like, seriously, But the all got louder. Oh. And
then the third one they're like, oh, she look come on,

(01:11:19):
and then I looked all they want me to win.
So the fourth one, I picked it up, and I mean,
I threw it up and I caught it, and they're like,
the roar was louder than the first roar because they
wanted to be with me and cheer me on. I
was like, I get it. I get it. See, you're
making me feel bad for not taking more risks. I

(01:11:40):
did that once once. Once I did so, and I
was watching you did the thing when you bounced the
stick off the floor or whatever, and the ship hit
me in the face. Never again that that hurts. And

(01:12:00):
this happened before. I used to try it in band
class in school and you just stay on the floor
like I never knew how you science to the bat.
Between watching her and Jerome Bent and do it, Yeah,
I wanted to know how to do it. With ease
and they bounce off the floor spin like it was nothing. Uh. Yeah,

(01:12:20):
I practiced that thing for at least thirty seven minutes
back backstage. I was then, because backstage is marble floors,
your drum sets on a rug. Somebod didn't think about
your own move, that Sheila move. Alright, So I know

(01:12:42):
that you moved to line Richie right after marr. I
was actually uh, touring with Marvin playing Chills at night
and flying back to l A during the day to
rehearse with Lionel for that next tour. Wow, did the
line of the first line of album tour? Not? Uh? Technically, well,

(01:13:04):
it's yeah, cancel because you're I forgot. You're in a
Running with the Night video. She's the leading video. You're
not here right now. I finally know something important. Wow, Yes,

(01:13:28):
she is the lead and Running with the Night video.
And so you did the cancel down tour. Yes, yes, cancel, Yeah, yes,
she did. That's okay a throw and everything. I'm sorry.
I'm just amazed that I knew something that wasn't here
to steal my shine on my own show than you
were you on the album too? I don't remember. I

(01:13:51):
don't know if I came in before, yes, before I did.
Speaking speaking of are you there or were you not there?
Can you settle the debate of if you are or
if you're not on? Don't stop to you get enough?
Good question. I've heard that you confirmed that you are,

(01:14:15):
and I heard you. I heard it was a rumor.
I don't Is that a rumor? No, uh, that's not
a rumor. No it is no, it's no, it's is
it fake news? Okay, Look what happened was Quincy called
me and said he wanted me to play something on
this song that Michael had written with some kind of

(01:14:36):
he didn't know what percussion thing was going to be. Um,
so I forgot. I don't know. I want to say
it's Westlake. I can't remember this to he was in
l A Westlake. Yeah, I think it's Westlake. So I
go there and I'm one known for not using normal percussionists.
I makeup stuff. I use different things, spatula's hair brushes, um, chopsticks,

(01:14:57):
you know, just whatever bite of an apple up they
put on the snare. I'm telling my secrets. Um yeah,
uh huh. I know you're gonna rewind that one. Yeah yeah,

(01:15:19):
But so I go in the studio and it's like
trying to figure out, Okay, what what works here? What
he's what? They're trying to tell me he need he
needs something. So I took water bottles and what real bottles,
not plastic? We didn't happen, but water bottle and I
tuned it to the song and I used my that
that metal piece for the triangle that I played the

(01:15:40):
triangle with, I used that for the sides and went
to Gang D Gang. So I tuned it to the
to the song and that's it. But whatso So what
happened was they kept changing Who's gonna play on? What?
You know? They that thing went on forever, trying to
get it done, and they forgot I played on it,
and they're like, no, I think it was Paulino, and

(01:16:01):
maybe it was what what you're not? You're not the
first person to get gagged on this, right? I was
just gonna say feeling games too. So I'm waiting for
the record to come out, and the record comes, I
was telling me what I played on Michael's first record,
blah blah blah blah. So I go to Leopolse in
Berkeley and and Michael's doing a signing. So he says,

(01:16:24):
I'm gonna be there at leopold I want you guys come. Okay.
We go to Leopoles. We meet him there and I
get the record and I was like, my name is
not on the record. He's like, huh, my name is
not on the record, man, So I just have to
tell the story. Damn Michael, who did the credits for that?
I did because I always forget people. That's funny because

(01:16:48):
he did it in store at Leopold's. Because I believe
there's there's footage of him the same day that he
did that in store at Leopold's. There's footage of him
visiting in Oakland club that very night and the DJ
plays don't stop, t get enough, and he gets on
and like he grabs the microphone and dances a little

(01:17:08):
bit in front of it, like it's it's that night
in Oakland that that same that same period. Wait a minute,
he let you guys know, I know this is weird
because you played with everyone, but I'm kind of freaked
out that, like you were even on speaking terms with
Michael Jackson. It was just me, but I thought it

(01:17:28):
was maybe that's like there's something to people because that's
kind of un comma. Wait, so did y'all talk about
each other? And did he say did he? And did
he asked you? What he and why are you talking
to him? And when he wasn't he wasn't Michael Jackson,
I mean, was Michael Jackson he was still Michael Jackson.
But yeah, but I met them when they were I
met them with George Duke in the seventies, so I

(01:17:49):
met the whole family when they were playing in Europe,
so they were still approachable. Yes, okay, absolutely, And they
wanted me to teach Randy how to play percussion. So
I went to the house to try and and then
the parents were like, we don't want no Mexican. No,
I'm just kidding, but I'll let it go. But I

(01:18:11):
don't been the kidding, just kidding. I really know they
wanted me to come and, uh, you know, teach them
how to play. So, yeah, can you teach the one
how to play? Because people asked me all the time, no, yes,
I say, I say yes, man, I've seen every one
of their mom asked me, and the most I'll do,
I'll do a play. I do not know how to

(01:18:33):
or I don't know if I have the patients do.
But there's another secret. What's the last time you gave
a lesson? She look, can you teach something how to play? Okay, yeah,
I've done some. I don't mean like when you're going
to a school and whatever. You're like, okay, you hold
the sticks and it's like, I mean, like a real okay.
I'll be there at four o'clock and then I sit
down and you're the Randy Jackson paid only need to death.

(01:18:56):
And I don't know any paradis, so I don't um. Yeah,
I don't know a lot of that stuff. Anyway, you know.
I I taught um like people at some of the
women conferences and stuff, and we talked about my book
or whatever. Then I'll say, but I can also teach
you how to play drums. Very simple. It's really simple.

(01:19:17):
And everyone's going no, no, no, I want to play,
and I don't know how to play like so I
have a drum set in the room for these conferences,
and all I do is this is this is the
trick right here. And because it's mind over matter, you
can sit down. You're going my feet and my hands
are gonna How am I gonna separate my brain to
do well. If you're walking, you're walking opposite like this,

(01:19:39):
your your your hand and your feet are walking opposite
of each other. So if you walk like that on
the drums, high hat kick, high hat kick, I can
do like this and every if you just walk on
the drums, immediately everyone plays done, got done, got dune.
Got it happens in three seconds. I'm going through some

(01:20:03):
emotional things in the corner because my dad is a drummer,
and for all my first teen years of my life,
I wanted to be a drummer and he just never
taught me. And I had to look at you on TV,
and then I had to look at our two, look
at Terry, and now that was He could have at
least just shown me that you know the way to
hold the sticks and it's still hard. Yeah, we've known
each other. You ain't teaching what you say. He did

(01:20:29):
you hear what he said? He don't teach you never asked. Yeah,
at least give me the honor to reject you. You
teach me how to play the drums. But I just
had an epiphany and I'm dead serious. You are going
to be my percussion teacher. Okay. I do not feel

(01:20:50):
like I'm a complete drummer until all right, so you
take your bottle of water. We're here. You get your
bottle of water. Build water. You just build a sum
about the wizard. Wait, not all you grabbing bottles. I'm thirsty.

(01:21:16):
I'm not thirsty, but I gotta get rid of this.
I don't want to destroy let your lady studios right now,
but you have to drink some of it because it's
too full to make a sound. There you go. You're
not supposed to do that. This is gonna be the
next route I've watched, watched you. For those who are

(01:21:38):
listening at home, they're breathing, or they're do we say breathing.
This is a vast water commercial right now is based
on using bottles of water. But she didn't do that.
But she didn't. You encourage me, woman, you're doing good.
I just mean that this is failing away from the mic.

(01:22:06):
First of all, it away from the mic. Yeah, because
it's why I can't whistle in the mic when i'm yeah,
because you're gonna hear nothing but error. You're right, No, no, no, no,
you do it like the shut up, get away from
the mic. They're just mad at you. You just this
is pressure. It's not we're not looking go ahead. You

(01:22:27):
said you're liking when other people looking at No, don't
make a sound first, just make a sound with the bottle.
Did Yeah you did? Bill? Okay, you want there you
stop trying to do headhunters and just can we please

(01:22:50):
no we have you have to hit a different note
than the note in the bottom. There you go, There
you go like some fair and tight there you go. Yes,
I am now that we've edited half of that out.

(01:23:13):
I'm kidding. I'm kidding. It's okay, thank you. Yeah, I
do feel that's your first lesson how to get high.
That's interest in Sheilia, because you talked like a mere
already talked about carpal tunnel and stuff, and you seem
to have very healthy hands and wrists. Talked me about
the rice trick. I did that. She told me to

(01:23:36):
go to trade of Joe's or to a place that
has like just one of the big gas industrial size
rice bags. Uh put it in my freezer and then
put my entire arm in it, and uh, exercise, exercise, mold,
do you warm it before you I do a little bit. Now.
Fifteen minutes, just just back and forth with the sticks

(01:24:00):
on a pillow or couture chair something and that helps. Yes,
absolutely see. I thought, in tune with with our James
and too many Miles Davis stories that that would kind
of be like eating before you get to the restaurant.
Or well, I learned the hard way, like maybe you have.

(01:24:21):
I mean I never warmed up before I played. So
I've got injury after injury and it's like, okay, you
need to stop and you need to warm up. So yeah,
I mean, my my wrist was messed up. I couldn't
pick up a toothbrush and brush my teeth, my elbow.
So I had a PRP done. Which does that work? Look,

(01:24:41):
I'm doing a p RP in like a month? Does
it work? I'll tell you who? Wait, who's well? We
can talk out. I'll give you my yeah. But I'll
tell you no, I have the dopest doctor here. He
moved here New York. Yes, he did. Mind and everybody
I think, So, what's his name? You know what? I think?

(01:25:03):
We see this? We see okay, uh, there there's a
doctor in Brooklyn. I see your photos up in there
Stevie Wonders photo. Like then it would be him. He's
amazing African. Is he African? Is he's not African. I
think he's like the opposite. The look like it's Caucasian.
I mean, this is a doctor's office, so many doctors

(01:25:25):
are but um PRP is I guess in a way
to describe it is when um they take your blood
out of you and then feed it back like they
have to spend it first again. No, no, they spin
it and clean it and then they get the good
blood as it spits out in like three or four,

(01:25:45):
four or five different bags automatically in this machine. And
then they take the good blood and then they mix
it and they shoot it back in the area and
you end up growing new tissue. That's what it does.
So I grew new tissue in my elbow and my wrist.
I did have it twice, because sometimes you do. I
just want to tell you take a pain pill before

(01:26:06):
you do this, because I'm I'm no, I'm not scared,
and I'm not scaring. That's fine, I am okay, that's
the simple part. No, the pain is that your blood
going back into that area is it hurts. Like I
can't even explain. I filmed my whole thing. I haven't

(01:26:28):
all the film yet. You can't. Well, I only know
about it because at the tonight show, Um, allot of
those camera guys there that a lot, so at least
four or five of them have gotten But how are
you going to do this when you need at least
three weeks off? That's I'm waiting for Christmas? Yeah, Christmas

(01:26:52):
break to do it and you literally you can't do it.
Where are you having it done where I'm doing it
in or no? No? No, I mean is it your risk?
I'm doing it on my knee. Oh yeah, that's good.
My mom had it done on the need to same
for our same guys talking and everything. But it's important
because really, in order to sustain what we do for real,

(01:27:16):
we get I have. I had a torn uh in
my shoulder all this stuff. My back went out in
from wearing heels. I wanted you to talk wearing heels
and it's shortened my calf muscle wearing heels playing for
years and years and years, my back gave out. Uh.
And when it gave out, I was partially paralyzed for
like two months, sorry, two weeks. And it took four

(01:27:38):
months and three doctors, three or four doctors to get
me to walk an entire block, like I had to start,
learned how to walk all of I had. I had
a cane. I was in pain, pain, pain, and I
didn't want to take out. You were a trailblazer in
pain because there was nobody else that you could probably
vibe with because nobody else is wearing heels, goes and eggs. Actly. Yeah,

(01:28:01):
that's what I was freaking out on some women's Yeah. No,
it messed me up. Yeah, right, but he didn't. His
surgery was after yours, right like you had George before
he did. Well, I didn't have surgery. You didn't know.
They wanted me to have surgery in my back and
I said, no, I think let me try to walk
on and do this health wise, you know, by myself

(01:28:26):
and with the doctors, and and it worked. Yeah. So
it took a long time now with those, I'm sorry.
I started with Line and then we got off. I
don't know what happened. Information were were those? Was that
a good tour for you or did you Marvin? No? No?

(01:28:47):
After after? Was it night and day? Or I mean,
was it a good tour with Line? Oh? Amazing? For me?
It was the first time, uh, realizing when someone makes
that much money, what that really means? And so then
you start touring on a private plane, hot cookies when

(01:29:08):
you get on the plane, blankets, dranks, chicken, and you
were worried. I was worried. I wasn't gonna. I was
scared to eat chicken in front of you. I didn't
first impressions. By the way, can I get adding this
this this video with the line Ritchie video? Just a
quick question question left Supreme Michael Peters who grandfather? Yeah,

(01:29:33):
Michael Peters, Yeah, I was going to say how long
did it take for you guys? Told the story about
Disneyland and used taking to disney Land the rapper prodigy
from Mob Deep, that's his grandfather. He was this year. No, Yeah,
I was gonna say how long did it take for
you guys to I mean, were you throwing off about
being the lead lady or I didn't want to do

(01:29:54):
it because Line is like my brother and he and
he says okay, and Michael Peters not there, like okay,
Sheley have to learn this dance step and I'm like, okay,
what are we gonna do? And the dance steps that
Michael Peter, I'm like, who does that? Like yeah, Like
how am I going to extend the arm with the
leg and then look at Line like we're in love?
That's my brother. Like so we kept laughing in between takes.

(01:30:18):
We couldn't even get it together. And Line was like,
don't look at me like that, like it's your fault.
Don't look at me like that video. Yes he did,
Yes he did. It was dope. You must have been
in the All Night Long video too. They were like five,
we all look alike and that I'm gonna mess with you.

(01:30:43):
You know. Actually I thought initially I thought who was
the leading Hello videos? She was all my children? Oh yeah,
I forgot a name that wasn't the same Chip from Thriller.
I thought that was oh no, no, no, okay, why
don't I know this? Her name is Laura Carrington. Why
do you know that? Because because those names, they were

(01:31:10):
the original video joints. You know what I'm saying. Uh No,
But I thought when I saw the Running with the
Night video, I was like, yeah, she grew hair out
a lot, like I thought it was a continuation like
they were dating now off the college campus and now
she got her sight back? What right? Exactly exactly? But
that album, that album was very Latin leaning. Yeah, the

(01:31:35):
Cancelo Down, Cancelo Down. There was some. There was a
lot of percussion on the album. Yeah, there was some.
I played percussion on one or two of Lionel's records,
and I don't remember if it was that one or not,
but which I do have to look and see um.
But he did. He loved having percussion in the show.
And the cool thing about Liono again that it was
so different from the Marvin Gate tour but musically and

(01:31:58):
then what they were doing, I mean they had, uh,
all these people putting together the show. It's like a
big major thing, you know, and you know, private planes
and chicken chicken and uh, you know, you've got clothes
made for you and everyone's you know, everything is coordinating.

(01:32:19):
You're going, wow, this is yeah, it's the big times.
My first time ever experienced in that. And I was like, oh,
this is what it is. Okay, I think I want this, Yeah, Okay,
I think I may roll with you for a while
instead of this guy one cookie Okay, Okay, it was
threw me under the bus, so sorry being his name,

(01:32:54):
his name is Sugar, all right, so Steve, basically we're
here an electric lady student because a good story to tell.
This is where, you know, and I'm trying to make
it distinct and fast. Um, watch watch watch Okay, Uh
are wasted twelve minutes right there? Okay, So we're in

(01:33:14):
an Electric Lady studios because for five years, this is
where we recorded D'angelo's Voodoo, which Steve was one of
the intellect Yeah, trust me, we spent a lifetime with de' angelo.
So um after the Voodoo record, and I guess you
know you started, Yeah, you worked on Black Beside, which
took fourteen years to make. Um. But by that point,

(01:33:37):
you know, everything fell off the rails. And he became
my full time engineer. And I think Steve is probably
the first white person in history or to have diabetes.
He basically because of my soul food diet. It. Oh lord,

(01:34:02):
I moved to Philly. He moved to Philly basically just
eating every meal with him. Yeah, and I got diabetes.
And there was a church. What was the name of
the churchyer version of it? Yeah, it's the House of Diabetes. Definitely.

(01:34:22):
Oh my goodness, do not feed your white person too much?
Is that what happened to you? After midnight? Okay? So
I know You're asked this a billion times, so I
want to take a different approach. Can you tell me
a random, normal print story, like a very normal story,

(01:34:49):
like what is normal that time that our volkswagon broke
down in the middle of the four oh five and
we had to trip to the supermarket when he ran
out of toilet paper. Let me get this sorry. Wow,

(01:35:13):
So I'm pretty sure that the world have your fans
know how you met Prince at backstage at his show
in the seventies, the same place where I played with
Diana Ross. Okay, the same theater, yes, the same show. Okay, wait,
what was he doing going to see al Well? We
were both at the Algebro show Great Theater in Oakland, Berkeley.

(01:35:35):
I'm impressed. That's when we first saw pick at each
other and went ding ding ding. So you were there
to see you were there playing? We're both no, we
were both there to see Aldro but I think I
was playing with George then. But but we were both
there watching Aldrow on stage, see okay from each other,
and we locked eyes and it was over. Prince didn't
strike me as a cat. That was like, yo, I

(01:35:56):
gotta see Algebro. He loved he loved all that music.
It's weird to me because at least from what I know, Like,
I feel like if from people I know that you're
either a total student or a total leader, and oftentimes
leaders aren't too they're more a loof or not aware.

(01:36:18):
I totally disagree. Let me tell you why you now,
because you can be both and that's what makes it awesome.
I'm going to continue to be a student lift life
forever because I'm never gonna learn everything, and if every
single day I learned something, so I'm always a student.
Prince is the same way, and I'm a leader. Prince
is the same way. He was a student. He wouldn't

(01:36:39):
say it, but he's a student because every time we
came in with something different, he's learning stuff he had
never even heard before, you know. So, I mean he
he became a student if he's in a situation with
other people that he's not played with, or you know, um,
we bring in music that he's never I mean when
he first met my family's like, what kind of music
is this? Latin jazz? Dang, this is dope. You know

(01:37:01):
that's the first time you heard it? Okay, Yeah, So
he was always a student in a way. I never
had to really say it. But he was always learning,
which is why he every time you you can tell
if he was hanging with this group of people or
that group of people, his music change the influence from
being a student. I think he was always a student
and he was also a leader. And I think you

(01:37:22):
can do boom. That's my take on it. I never
thought of that. Who can do both? It sounds like
we all should be both. Yes, we we yes. All
of people just checking Okay, I love alwe after roll

(01:37:45):
really okay, yeah this love get a lave dad last ever? Yeah?
Okay with Aldo? And then what happened that Steve so

(01:38:07):
um in in meeting? How long did it take for
him to really convince you that you should be your
own artist? And for him to convince me? Oh? It
was assuming that he was the one that told you
you need to be your own artist. Um well, he

(01:38:27):
wasn't the only one. But I had been writing a
lot of my own music. Um when I was a teenager,
and whatever money that I made at clubs or whatever,
I would take that money and go buy a piece
of gear. And I said, I'm gonna learn how to record.
I'm gonna be an engineer. I'm gonna learn how to produce.
I'm gonn learn how to write songs. So I started

(01:38:49):
with a two track. Then I started with a poor track,
you know, and you keep duplicating like then you hear
more hissing and more, you know, TI to that point,
what is what am I listening to? Um? So I
kept buying gear and so I had tons of tapes
of songs that I've written. Um. When I was with
Marvin Gay, Prince um prince was I forgot what record

(01:39:12):
he was doing? Then nine? Right? Yeah? Um so Uh
during the Marvin Gay tour he was sending me flowers
and then you know, coming to some of the shows, uh, Lionel,
Richie and eighty three. Then he started coming hanging out.
He's like, man, you're always backing everyone the same thing.

(01:39:33):
You get a solo with everybody. Every time I see
you're playing with you know, don't you want to do something?
I said, yeah, I do, but I'm you know, when
when the time is right. And so during me playing
percussion with Line eight three. Then towards the end of
Lionel's tour, he said, you want to do a record?
I said sure, he said, okay, let's do When I said, okay,

(01:39:53):
that was it, just like that, and we went into
the studio and a week later we were finished with
Glamorous Life record. Wow, you've recorded it in that in
less than two weeks. You it's only like six songs.
I get it. Well, yeah, but you also have to
be focused. Um, we didn't. We didn't sleep again. Remember

(01:40:17):
Prince was doing the song to day, So you've got
six songs on the record. That's six days and we
had two studios going at the same time, so we
had sense it sound. Um. Yeah, I admire his especially
in hearing that the output between two and eighty seven,
his kind of bull's eye like ability to I mean,

(01:40:41):
you know when you again, when I'm you're younger, you
just think that, oh, this magically happens. But it's like
the rareness of someone to write something effective. I mean,
I gotta go through thirty songs before I think like
one's half decent to use this is some women's just
like well, he really believed that every single song, every

(01:41:04):
single song that he wrote, he believed was a hit.
What it wasn't, but he believed that, so he just
kept writing, so it didn't stop him to go, well,
this is not a great song, so you know, but
again you're you're writing songs, and it just kept going
in the archives. I mean, I think even if they
weren't singles, I mean they were still correct, correct, just
the ideas. And some of them weren't all great. I

(01:41:26):
know some people are not gonna be having me saying it,
but it's the truth. They weren't all great. Uh No,
some of the ones him and I recorded, just him
and I that are in the about that I don't
really like. I'm sorry, I'm one friend. No, no, I'm

(01:41:46):
just like one. She looked record. I wanted to get
to that later though, Okay, no, but I mean he
but that was so this is the incredible This man
was an incredible songwriter, and he never wanted it. Sometimes
he would, but like he never wanted to use the
same sound all the time. He would just experiment. There
were no rules. And that's the thing is musicians tend

(01:42:08):
to we put ourselves in the box, you know, and say, well,
we need to mike the drum set this way. No,
we don't, we need to use this mike because I
heard that this is the snare mike. Well, you really
don't you know? Well, let me, I used the kick
drum mike, and I'm gonna sing a lead vocal on
it because it sounds different. You know. Go ahead, Can
I ask uh for the Sunset sound sessions doing that tenure?

(01:42:33):
Do you remember what brand the drums were there? If
I could get the answer to that, my life would
be super complete drum machine. No, no, no, no, I
don't mean the Lynd drum. I'm talking about, you know,
the occasional songs that you did cut that that had
live drums on them. Everything I used there was Yamaha okay, alright,

(01:42:56):
the maple custom maple okay, and pisty symbols right there,
and pins stripe hands jump hands really yeah, pin stripes
not coated white? Why did you put for a pin stripes?
I mean didn't matter to you. Was it just like,

(01:43:17):
oh it's there? Or was it like I changed I
changed them out sometimes, but most of the time was
because it had a funk thing, you know, with the
pins stripe and then sometimes putting a pillow inside the
kid jump and then putting a little bit of tape
or something on the snare is just tight. Even on
the snare. It never occurred to me once you use
the pin stripes. Now do you remember how they mike

(01:43:38):
the Lyne drum you were For those that are scratching
your heads at home, you can't really mike. Actually that's
not even fair to a lot of people. Put things
like that through an amp. And then that's what I

(01:43:58):
want to get to to get I know that the
dryness of the lyndrum, the dryness of the lyndrum naked
sounds very dry. How many do you know? What was
the effects process of getting Yeah, just the the sound
like those patches you got the closest. This is the closest,

(01:44:24):
remember is just the please like what what? What reverb stuff?
Did Prince huset like? That's the other engineers as well,
and they told you, I mean for me, yes, Susan,

(01:44:44):
you talk to you. You have to talk to Susan.
I'm certain that she'll reveal it. But but you've got
just for the sake of that sound being preserved. And
here's the other thing with the drum, the lyndrum machine,
because we have both of them, the big I call
it the mothership, the big one, and then the smaller one.

(01:45:05):
But we had um are the lyn drum machines modified,
so we had A and B switches to do different
stuff on the LI machines, which I still have. What
customized modified? Uh huh? Do those have effects on them?
Remember we got her must be in the Okay, so

(01:45:27):
those claps, it's those those claps are dopey. Yeah, how
did you build those claps? Slowly? SIPs water? Christ You
know I'm a student, man, I'm just I'm just kidding.

(01:45:51):
I'm kidding, waiting for let me off the hook. She'll
tell you offline maybe, yeah, I'll tell you offline. Seriously. Yeah,
that's cool. That's just the claps. That's the only thing
I'll ask about. The drums. That is the key to yes,
it is you want to give this secret out everybody.

(01:46:14):
She's gonna tell you. Have you heard music? Yes, So
she's gonna tell you claps right now on my show,
I should hope. So, like those are very iconic, but
louder than hell claps, they can be achieved. Okay, I'm
gonna get this from another I'm gonna get this from

(01:46:36):
another angle. So when you're doing this live, which I
know this is a a a nightmare. At least two
duplicate to to duplicate. How many drum machines are you

(01:46:58):
guys taking on the it with you in case one
breaks down or in case a buttons right now or
before before. I'm talking pre pro tools free. Oh you guys,
in my mind, we did um for real, we did.
So what I did was I had a Yamaha drum
set um. I had eight ten twelve fourteen sixt eighteen

(01:47:22):
tom and I had to kick drums. I had a
piccolo snare of fourteen inch, and then I had a
eight ten twelve fourteen sixteen eighteen crashes with a couple
of splashes, a sixteen and a fourteen inch paying and
a twenty inch ride and a sixty in that real
big one. I don't even know what size that thing is. Um.

(01:47:44):
And with each which each time that I had, I
put triggers in the in each tom, so which so
that I could trigger any sound that I wanted, not
just on the snare, but on all the tom's. Then
I had switched is put on each tom that had
a switch, and a B switch, so in case a

(01:48:04):
trigger went out, I just click it and I'm not
gonna lose anything. So I got my B plan. Always
got to happen plan the way that triggers are sensitive
and the way that monitors are Your monitors really can't
be that loud or have that much vibration because it
might offset the triggers. Correct, yes, and no we that

(01:48:28):
we didn't have that problem. Would they modify that for me?
And how loud were your monitors were using in ears
or happens? Then we have monitors. I tried triggering once again,
do something and then you give up too easy? Well, no,
it's just a nightmare because you know at the time

(01:48:49):
when I was using monitors before any ears, anytime I
have my kick drum, it would set off the entire
It was just a nightmare. And I know, like even
with the way that Rob had those those lights going
oh yeah, surely like if like you must be bulls
eye and know to press, like what if you miss press? Uh? Right? No, no, no,

(01:49:14):
I had I had triggers on each drum and then
I had pads. Uh it might have been a roll
and I don't know, it might have been yamaha, um.
But I had modules in a rack. Then I had
a different trigger on my snare and with the trigger
there was an on, on and off switch for the
handclaps that I triggered all my snare, those claps around

(01:49:35):
my snare, so I triggered. There's an on and off
switch with that. Then there's an on and off switch
for the LEN machine and everything that I just told
you that I built. That my text built, but this
is what I needed to make this happen. We built
a duplicate one just in case that one went down.
So then I had another switch that would then switch
all the programs. Every time I went to the next song.

(01:49:57):
They weren't switching, I was switching it. So I had
like temped was on the floor. One was off and
on switch just for the snare to have handclaps or not.
One was a switch to to change all the UM programs.
One is to turn the entire Lend drum machine off.
And then I've got two double pedals because they didn't
make a double pedal then, so I had two separate

(01:50:19):
pedals um that I had a high hat. Yeah, there
were so many pedals down there, and that was it
was like me playing in bas organ. Yeah, it was
so assuming that everything was perfect. I mean, what's your
panic level if something gives out like okay, it's time
to do high thing and you press the button and

(01:50:39):
it doesn't start, well, you would naturally play it on drums.
I'm behind right. Well, that was the that was why
we had to be planned. So if that machine didn't
work or didn't trigger, they just automatically switched to the
secondary entire rack of everything. For those that are listening
right now, Um, this might be right now. I had

(01:51:04):
a question follow I've already forgotten. Some people might not understand.
I'm just saying that what she's described to me right now,
like I'm I'm not breathing right now because just sound
like a lot of just just the level of I
don't know if I can handle that. No, it was

(01:51:25):
it definitely was a lot. But that was what I
came up with to do because I was his m D.
And it's like I was there most of the time,
just him and I as he recorded a lot of stuff.
And it's not like we have pro tools. We had
a hundred and fifty tracks, so we had twenty tracks
and if we slaved another one we'd have forty eight maybe.
But you know, so whereas says bass and he's playing bass,

(01:51:49):
he just put another sound in the middle of something
and I'd have to grab that little sound for one
or two bars or a phrase and take it and
sample that so I can play it on the drums
because it was on the bass track. But no one
would know that because they weren't sitting there with him.
So I was punching him in like stuff that he
couldn't punch himself in as far as playing guitar sols

(01:52:11):
or lines or whatever. If he couldn't do it. I
was his engineer for a lot of this stuff. You
would sample stuff from tape that he had played and
then and then assign it to a drum and then
play some other Wait a minute, Even in overdubbing, he
would play on top of prexisting tracks because because we

(01:52:35):
didn't have I'm spitting out what you just told me.
So even if like there's a keyboard part that says
keyboards left and right, but at the same time, he
would just punch in some other weird sound instead of
going to another track, He just punch it in the middle.
And there were tons of that throughout a song. So
when you hear stuff coming in and out, it's because

(01:52:57):
he punched it in there, and it's only to happen
at that place at that sound and you'll never hear
it again, because it's my life stream just to sit
and analyze one of those tracks in the ball, just
to see how things are mixed, or just to you.
I mean, that's like Rubik's cube level of confusing, because

(01:53:20):
I mean, again, now we have technology in our computers
that you can have a gazillion tracks. But yeah, I
think what what she's saying he was doing was like
when you run out of tracks, you have to go
to a track that already has something on and find
a space where that thing isn't playing like the pianos.
That's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying. He didn't

(01:53:42):
have to not even go with a Sympty track lets.
We didn't. We didn't believe in all right, if you
got if you're locking up the machine and I'm sorry
if we're getting too technical shows for this shows for
nerds me coming and up coming. Oh my god. Okay,

(01:54:03):
So I have a question. So you were talking about
the all the pedals and stuff and the triggers and
all that. How forgiving was prince of technical um screw ups?
You know, if something went wrong, like did he get
mad at you or um who did he get mad
if something I didn't get Yeah, we're impatient, absolutely, Like
but um like, did you see did you see that

(01:54:26):
as your fault? Uh? Like if it was, if it
was if there's a short and yeah, like if it
was a bona fide technical like if something was wrong
with the mission he was Sometimes he would just say,
whatever is going off, somebody fix it, walk out of
the room and come back and hopefully it was fixed. Yea,
I see that we're still not breathing. Yeah it was.

(01:54:50):
I'm telling you. It was a lot for me. And
then at the same time, not just you know, some
of the times I had to press either the limb
machine to stop on the end of before the down
so I could hit the down with the kicked I mean,
I was I know, you got to hear in all
of this, but but at the same time, taking this,
uh you know, the claps soft where they needed to

(01:55:11):
be in the middle of a phrase sometimes and it
was always on the up while I'm still playing and
singing and doing choreography. And You're like, okay, Superwoman, that's
what's that. Okay she was as a superwoman. Um, so
this is where I don't know if you're aware of this. So,
so there's a term speaking of black Messiah that um

(01:55:35):
that D and I always used, and well the term
was Michael Angelo. Oh okay. So I don't know if
I ever told you the story. So basically there was
there was a law period in our relationship where you know,
we didn't wrap with each other for like a couple
of years, and he was still working on this record.

(01:55:56):
So we mended our relationship and I came back to
the studio and he's like playing me cuts of what
he's been working on so far, like all three of them,
and by this no I'm playing by this time, like
he had gotten James Gatson to uh to to drum
on these joints. And I was saying, you know, part

(01:56:19):
of me was like trying to be like encouraging, like,
oh man, it's really fun, you know, because again it
was incredible ask Funk I was listening to. But in
my mind I was on this. Yeah, in my mind
I was set, even with rage like damn, I'm not
on the ship. And for me, in my head, I
was like, Damn, the only songs I'll I'll be able

(01:56:42):
to play on are the Michael Angelo songs. Which and
de'angelo speak, because the way that Romance six hundred is sequenced,
that would be Sheila's second solo for those that are listening.
Um A Love Bizarre is such a monstrous song the

(01:57:02):
way that is positioned on the album that there's really
no way for me to separate and make Dear Michael
Angelo its own song without thinking that Dear Michael Angelo
is just a three minute movie preview to what's about
to come around the corner, kind of like the first
half of Sliding the Family Stone stand like, okay, this,

(01:57:24):
we know this part of song, but we know the
part we're really waiting for is the last minute of
the song where they start like funking out. And but
whenever I sequenced the record, I always used Michael Angelo
the Love bizart like it's almost like an alley set
up shot to the Slam Dunk, And I thought, well, damn,
I can't get Jimmy gets In off this record, but

(01:57:48):
at least I can try to work on all the
Michael Angelo's the setup songs. And so that's where the
charade song on one Uh Black Messiah comes into plate,
Like that was our tribute to Dear Michael Angelo because
you know, I was not on Sugar Daddy, and I'm

(01:58:10):
still salty about that. But yeah, so that no, that
that song means a lot to us. I don't know
if you hear that often never no, thank you, that's awesome.
It's also hard to figure out where the one is
um um. I gotta ask for toy box because I

(01:58:35):
know that humor is is a big part of the presentation.
But how how how easy or hard is it to
do skit sort of that that sort of thing like
in front of like as you're recording it. I mean,

(01:58:56):
it's one thing to hear and like, okay, by that
point used to the comedy skit or the comedy section
of a certain songs, But how hard is it to
do like and and map and plan because it's like
you have to take a sixty four bar break too
to insert this in the song, Like are you guys

(01:59:18):
mapping it out one by one? Like all the lines
that you're just we're just going for it, okay, yeah,
just going for it. So a lot of times it
wasn't planned. We're just playing in whatever ended up happening,
is what it was, and then you built it around there.
Yeah yeah, okay, all right, and for for songs like

(01:59:40):
Mercy for the for the speed of Mad Clown in
the summertime? How many is that a band effort? Like
who's playing on that? The whole band that was recorded
live like Love Bizarre was And yeah, I'm trying to
get everything else. So I want to get the Crush
Group right now. You better hurry because I gotta go.

(02:00:04):
Can you tell where the pink jacket is over in
my closet? Okay? Thanks Crushed Group? Ye Bill? You oh,
I thought, you know, helping you move along the Cress Group. Okay,
Cresh Group, crush Man. So yeah, Michael, how did how
did Michael Schultz choose you? Like where you? I was

(02:00:29):
out on tour on Purple Rain. I have no idea.
Management said um. At the end of Purple Rain, we
had been out for a year or something. That's like,
we want you to go to New York and audition
for a part in the movie. Uh, And I'm like
what Okay? So they said, we just want to see
if you have chemistry with this up and coming actor Blair. Okay.

(02:00:53):
So of course I was exhausted. I had just cut
my hair because we had been on tour. I was like,
I'm so tired, but I'm gonna come here and do
try it. I came here. I was stressed and it's
so dumb because I've seen it somewhere. I don't know.
I think it was on YouTube or maybe it was
in my archives of stuff that I have. But we

(02:01:15):
did a uh, um, what do you call it? I
think I saw it there. If it's not, I have it.
If not, I have it, but I thought it was
on there. But if you see it in my profile
because I was stressed out, this big pimple it was.

(02:01:36):
It was a thumb growing out of my nose. It
looked like I was so nervous that bothered me more
trying to act like please don't look at my nose
or we're auditioning here. But anyway, we did the audition.
It was fine, and they said we want you to
come back, and uh so we kind of worked it
out and um. It was interesting still because in the

(02:01:58):
middle of the um filming of this, I quit, uh
And I usually don't quit, but I quit. You quit
the movie. I quit the movie in the middle of filming. Yes, sir,
we were sleeves, sleeves too much, too little sleeves have haunted.

(02:02:20):
How long did it take the film? Um? I don't.
I don't know. Four months, three months, I don't. It
didn't seem like it was that long. Um was it
a is it? Find memories of it like the good old?
Or was it just like whatever? Oh? No, it was
messed up. It was totally messed up. Um Now, Um,

(02:02:41):
what happened was while we were filming it, I guess
there was an East coast West coast thing happening. I
didn't know anything about it, you know, because Wow, I
had been on I had been on tour, and I
came in and it's just like, who's this West coast
wanna be rapper? Coming in as what I was? Because
you okay, because I'm just saying that's how it went down.

(02:03:04):
It's like, wait, what do you And I'm saying, what
are you talking about? I don't even know what you're
talking about. Well, we're here in New York and you're
just want to be rapper and I'm like, no, I'm
a musician, you know, So a lot of them hadn't
heard kind of like and then plus being out on tour,
I came in with and again you would call it entourage.
Now but I mean I had road manager and the

(02:03:25):
wardrobe people and we were just on tour, so everyone
came with me making sure everything was cool. And you know,
I'm used to being on tour and wherever we go,
it's like wherever I laid my head is my home.
So you know, like we're sitting in this room, you
gotta have vibe, you know, lamps and you know, UM
pictures of my family. They've never seen that before. It

(02:03:46):
very I mean, you know, the fat boys were in
other other room with some um cafeteria chairs in the table,
and I came in with the rug. I mean again,
you talked about the writer. I mean, it's like I
want a popcorn machine and I wanted for real, and
they're like wait, and they peeked in my room, like
what's that. They were cool, but some of the other

(02:04:09):
rappers were so mean to me. And and then not
only that, the fans, not even the fans, because they
weren't my fans. The people the extras in the movie.
While we were shooting Love Bizarre at the at the
at the club, yes, at the Favor Yeah, we're we're

(02:04:31):
filming that part. And everyone's like, you know, yeah, kind
of halfway moving. It was like whatever, and I'm singing
Love Bazaar and then at the end they're supposed to go, yeah, yeah,
you know she's They just stood there like this, nobody
clap and the extras nobody clapp New York is they were.
It was so much, very protective and they're very caddy

(02:04:54):
and and yeah, so they just they had the directors
had to say, wait, cut, hold on, do you guys
know where shoot in the movie? Like for real, you
guys got a clap, We're shooting the movie. So anyway,
it just got crazy scene too. That was a little
bit weird too, um because actually I had prints come
for that and so he was there. Yeah, he was

(02:05:16):
there for that for a second. Yeah yeah, wow, I
didn't know that it was. And then and then at
the end when we were shooting the part where we
were all dancing at the end of the movie. Yeah,
at the end of the movie, it was kind of
crazy because some of the other rappers were pushing us
off the stage and everything and moving us out of

(02:05:37):
the way and it was just dumb. I'm like, they
were just hating on us. So I was like, but
that boys were nice, right, boys were cool. The d D.
I might feel bad for wearing this ll O sweater.
Now was cool. That was cool. I'm in crush groove.
But you know, in retrospect now, I'm sure the next
project they did, they upgraded their writer because they was like, oh,

(02:06:00):
we can get this. I had no idea. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
we don't. Damn. I'm kind of disappointed that that wasn't
a good filming experience because that film meant everything to us. Yeah. No,
I mean I came back and you know, it was cool, um,
but it was weird. I mean, and the other ones

(02:06:20):
that were really mean to me, who are well known
people now and what they do and it is like, wow,
that's their name. Ryan would fun PRB never No, I
got that. Curtis go cold. Curtis is cool world now?
He was. He was. He was really cool and he

(02:06:40):
turned around to address everybody's like, come on, y'all, you
know we're supposed to be shooting a movie. Come on,
what you're doing now? He was really cool. Well, yeah,
for the greater good, I appreciate you doing that movie.
I had. I had a good time. I mean all
I had a good time. Was that your first East
coast West Coast situation because not for anohing, I was
always curious about the West Coast Latin jazz scene versus

(02:07:01):
the East Coast Latin right, and then now was a
whole another issue. Yeah, the Latin jazz and and jazz
and then salsa the East Coast against the West Coast,
big huge thing happening. Absolutely that was also rival with
the East Coast, said the West Coast US Latin jazz
artists and musicians don't play as well as the East Coast.
That's it's different countries. We're talking about two in situations

(02:07:23):
and kind of but I mean it's really it all
goes back to this rhythm called the clave and and
in Layman's term is really like the two and the
four where we clapping on the front, but this is
called the clave and that's their their their clock, and
so it's how you play it. So yeah, okay, I'm
trying to move past the purple period too, your sex

(02:07:45):
symbol post sex symbol, uh period of your career where
you're totally out of the fold or left, Like, what
was what was it like to make the decision to
really leave and and explore music that you wanted to
do without the tutelage of what you what you came

(02:08:06):
into the world as, at least in our eyes, Like,
what was that like for him to do Prince's Bid? Yeah? Well,
I mean after a while, it's like I didn't like
the direction he was going in and I didn't like
all the cursing, and I just the music was getting
crazy and I'm like, no, it does this, I'm not
having fun. If I'm not having fun, you know, I
need to leave. Do we forget to ask what we did?

(02:08:27):
But actually I just wanted to ask, did you have
any problems with seeing Scarlett Pussy No? Because I was
wondering if that was if that might have been something that,
you know, kind of no, no, no, when I did that,
that was supposed to be on my record and it
turned out that's right. That's actually I wanted to ask
about the record that didn't come out. Um, can you

(02:08:48):
tell me anything about the song three Nigs watching a
Kunk Fu Movie? Because that title has just been stuck
in my head for forever. Prince called me when I
was in Oakland and Three Niggs united in West Yeah,
that was on the Black album, but there was I
guess a sequel that was Yeah, that was me. He
called me, goes, I don't have a title for a song.
I said, okay, three Nigs United in West Compton or

(02:09:10):
whatever it was, and it goes, okay, that sounds good. Okay.
It was so he literally made the black album just
to have party music at your birthday celebration. That was yes,
and no, I mean we were we were recording you know,
that music mostly at his house in the studio, at
his house, um, and then one day he's just like,

(02:09:33):
we can't let this go. We can't release him, like
it's the dopest record. You are you kidding me? He's
just stopped the truck. No, we can't. And of course,
you know one of them trucks got through or I
don't know how many. Yeah, a lot of people got
the record anyway, yes how many you have? But yeah, okay,

(02:09:55):
but yeah, leaving it, I mean you felt more of
a sense of independ and well again not no, it's
not that, it was more of I felt something was
missing musically, and so something missing musically for me means
well why am I doing it? That passion was dwindling
away because I wasn't excited about showing up, you know

(02:10:15):
and playing it's like I don't like the direction. I
don't like what's happening. So um, I said, I gotta leave.
Well this led her to, uh, something that we do
really have in common. You were a late night band
leader for the Magic Hour? How how how was that

(02:10:37):
experience at least as a late night band leader? Like,
it was actually pretty dope. I mean I was ready
to do it. I I to me again, You're gonna
be a musical director for television. It's all about timing.
So it's like it's to me as I thought it
was a no brain and I just visualized what I
needed to do. It's like, okay, what's common sense. It

(02:11:00):
has to happen. Um, And I was cool with it.
So um, your brother too, I enjoyed it. Yeah. I
brought my brother and my band and now he's because right,
your brother was a music wright the for a TV
show as well, Martin Short and Wayne Brady. Yeah, wait
a minute, Peter Mikey Martin Short show. No, no, no, no,

(02:11:22):
not that one. You scared me. I was like, wait,
a man, Peter Michael was under my no and I
didn't know about it. What the hell? No? Okay, um, now,
but I'm just gonna say the Magic Ourt thing. I
mean it was, It's interesting, it didn't last that long.
I mean Magic have problems with trying to, you know,

(02:11:43):
figure out how to to be a host. That's a
hard gig. That's not easy at all. Um, I have
some problems with that show the first few episodes kind
of yeah, the first few, probably the first fifty episodes.
This is probably our rough This episode right now is not.

(02:12:03):
Um Okay, So I have two more questions. I'll let
it go. Um. The co Ed Project, Well, that happened
in the future. You want to explain what is Chronicles
of Every Dealer? Well, explain it to us. But what's
the Coed cod Project? Well, let's let Sheila explain. Could

(02:12:25):
you tell us what the Coed Project is? Well, wet there, okay,
Chronicles of Every du Yeah, we were h me Cat
Dot Dyson who plays guitar, Ronda Smith who plays bass in,
Cassandra who plays keyboards, and uh Cassandra Neil and we

(02:12:47):
would have different guests artists playing and performing with us.
That was the idea. And let's just go out and
play and put all girls band together, which is something
I always wanted to do. Anyway, Um, so I don't
know if we're going to do anything. Um I had
to disband it because all the things that I didn't
want it to be, and how women should be supportive

(02:13:09):
of each other and we get along and you know,
write some good music. It just kind of got funking.
It was like, this is what we said we weren't
going to be. So that is so. No, it's no,

(02:13:34):
it wasn't a deva thing. It's just really uh, just
not all on the same page of what we wanted
to do musically. You know, we all we all have
to be on the same page. Okay, two point five questions. No,
because you are a band leader. How and I've heard

(02:13:55):
maybe rears two were you leave, I maybe had some words.
That's how nerdy we are here. Oh my god, have
rehearsal tapes. We believe that. Yeah, so you heard it too. No,
but the thing is is that I was I was

(02:14:15):
impressed that you won the kind of the debate or whatever.
But how hard is it for you to put your
foot down, plant your flag and really make people respect
your gangster as far as you know, this is our
plan because this leads to what you organize for the

(02:14:38):
for the BT Tribute. I know that must have been
the hardest thing in the world for you to do.
I'm just mostly underway, but just from a technical aspect
for you to really take it there, I know that
you had to draw the map, draw the blueprint and executed.
How hard is it to band lead into to be

(02:15:00):
the bad guy? To be a band leader? You got
to be the bad guy, and I hate being the
bad guy. I wouldn't be everyone's friend. So how how
hard is it to do it? Um? Right now? It's
not that hard. It wasn't that hard when we did
the b ET to put that together. I have such
an amazing group of musicians and people around me that, um,

(02:15:22):
we love what we get to do. There's no drama anymore.
And ma'am, what a great place to be. I have
to say, there's no drama. There's no arguments and stuff
like that. It just doesn't really happen anymore. If it does,
it's once in a great while, but hardly at all.
And putting together the b ET thing, you know, um,

(02:15:42):
first trying to understand how I was going to do
it and figure it out and then say, okay, then
who can do this with me? I knew my band
was going to do it, but who else was I
going to bring into play? Well, some of the people
I did ask were already booked for other things because
it was the last minute. You know, this was unexpected
first of all. And then um, you know, some people

(02:16:03):
just said no, left me hanging like they didn't call
me back, but you got I mean it's because it
was the timing. No one knew you know what I mean,
It was no. But it was a brave thing for
you to to do. And I have to I don't
know if I even texted you or after, but yeah,

(02:16:26):
that was that was a great job. Thank you, Thank you. Okay,
we're about to let it go. Do you have question?
This is our last question. I swear you're gonna go. Um.
You've accomplished quite a bit as a musician. UM. And
I've been reading your book, The Beat of My Own Drum,
which is in stores now. UM. And and you talk
about how when you were a child you actually had

(02:16:48):
some aspirations of being an astronaut and you were quite
an athlete too. Um. Which of those two do you
think you would have gone and like gone into um
had music not worked out for you or oh, definitely athletes.
Yeah were you I saw the Olympics and you had
Olympic hopes. Oh yeah, absolutely. Mom's my mom is a tomboy,

(02:17:08):
and and all her brothers and her sisters, they would,
you know, compete all the time. So all of them
doing that, they just you know, I learned all of
that from from my mom competing and uh and being
an athlete. She wanted to start her and her sisters
wanted to start their own women's basketball team and baseball team.
And so she's my mom is always like, you know,

(02:17:30):
you can do whatever you want to do. And she's
that person's like, don't tell me I can't do something
kind of person. So, UM, I wanted to be UM.
I was in track and field and I was breaking
a lot of records in junior high in high school,
UM running track, and then I also played on a
a women's soccer league team for five years undefeated. We

(02:17:51):
were undefeated and I uh trophies for the most goals
and stuff like. So you couldn't even catch me. I
just kuldn't care to me. Just that was just how
it was. Running with the night, Huh. I love it. Yeah,
That's what I would have I would have. I always

(02:18:14):
tell him. It was like I wanted I wanted to
be the first well girl on the moon and then
asked her not. And the second thing was to win
a gold medal in track and field and Olympics. But
I got a gold record. I'm like, I'm cool with that,
you know, and got something that Yeah, and been around
the world. Yeah. You know, like when you're talking to

(02:18:34):
someone and you're trying to keep the conversation going on,
like you hang up, you hang up, Okay, it's time
to hang up. It's not funny because yeah, trust me,
there's like nine more hours of technical questions I have
about drumming. I mean, but I know we can come
I can come back. You can get talking about going countries.

(02:18:54):
What are y'all doing? And then we got like a
par of drunk behind us. I don't know what we're
doing the night is you just you have no from
us whatsoever you have get there before she was like
sleeping you have Like I'm not passing the message of

(02:19:15):
season in New York. Okay, my bad, I'm sorry. We
are communicators. Yes, you're right exactly. Anyway, probably say goodbye, Sheila,
thank you, thank you. Don't forget a little bye iconic. Yes, yes,
it is available now. Okay, uh, sort of go off

(02:19:36):
script with the show instead of playing our theme, Can
we just have a thirty second dance on drama? That's
all one? Thirty seconds dance thirty just shutting up? Can
we shut our please for thirty seconds? Can we do this? Please?
Do what? Yes? Can we have a dance on drum

(02:20:00):
off for thirty seconds? What's a dance on drum off?
You know? I love that you have such an illustrious
history with drumming that you don't even remember your classic.
The dance on it doesn't even have to be that.
Just do that because the triggers the sound te Yes,

(02:20:23):
I do. It's not gonna sound the same. We don't
need the glass breaking and all that stuff. Just for
thirty seconds, all right? Can we do this? Can you
play it first? Sexual suicide? Can we do it? Can
you play it first? Can you play it first? Yes?
All right, let's go. Let's go, so everybody, a mirror
is going to go behind the drum right now. Thank you,

(02:21:27):
good night, thank you. This has been an amazing episode
of Quest Love Supreme on behalf of the entire Supreme
team I'll see you guys later, and I'm gonna go
die now. Thank you until next time, good night of course.
Love Supreme is a production of I Heart Radio. This
classic episode was produced by the team at Pandora. For

(02:21:49):
more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the I Heart
Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your
favorite shows.

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