August 28, 2024 • 70 mins
This week on The R&B Money Podcast, Tank and J Valentine are honored to welcome the Legendary Dionne Warwick to the pod. Miss Warwick takes us on a journey through her incredible career, from her early days singing in her family's gospel group to becoming one of the most successful female vocalists of all time.
She shares stories behind some of her biggest hits like "Walk On By", "That's What Friends Are For", and "I Say A Little Prayer", and reminisces about her close collaborations with Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Dionne also discusses the importance of music education, her entrepreneurial pursuits, and how she approaches her craft with elegance and authenticity.
Join us for an unforgettable conversation with a true icon as Miss Warwick drops gems on artistry, perseverance, and staying true to yourself.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Cold on.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Let's get to it. R and B Money, Honey.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Thanks take valoti. We are the authority on R and B.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Ladies and gentlemen. My name is Tank, said Valentine, and
this is the R and B Money Podcast, epic moment,
the authority on all I don't mind gonna scream, but
they don't have to scream. No, I don't have Today.
It's a day of elegance. That's not today. You see
how my shirt is buttoned all the way to the top.
You see your shirt. Today is the day of we
(00:53):
are buttoned up today. We are what's happening today is
just out say you know what what If you ever
need me, I will be there for you for friends
of yes, wow, hello, Hello. We call ourselves the authority
(01:24):
on all things R and B because we've he's he's
been in it since a child. Yes, but that yeah,
that long. I go from gospel to you know, to
the R and B world. But in terms of our
hands reaching, you know, we can. We've we've been able
to reach some of the youngest, Yes to the to
(01:47):
the and and what you are doing for the validation
of the word authority for us today.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
I don't know about that I really don't even think
I know everything. I do not know everything.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
It's not what you know, it's what you've done and
who you are and who you are. Okay, Yes, this
is this is this is a this is a popular
collar pod. This is this. This is a moment for
you to say it how you feel it. You know
what I'm saying. We are celebrating you today unapologetically. That way.
(02:26):
I'll take that, so you can do no wrong, hit
no wrong. I want to. I want to start off
by saying, wow, what a what a what an amazing
body of work? Yeah, what an amazing body of work?
(02:47):
And I mean it goes back to a time where
I put up one of the videos. It was like
a tee television video where it's like really in black
and white, Yeah, like in real black and white, you
know what I mean to hear? Yeah, and the celebration
(03:17):
still continues. What does that feel like?
Speaker 1 (03:21):
It is sometimes overwhelming? You know, things that are coming
to me as rapidly as they're coming, I've always considered
them blessings.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
You know.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
I don't use the word award. I use the word reward.
It's for the work that I have done and now
being recognized for and appreciated for. But it has been
truly amazing what's going on right now for me? You know,
(04:04):
one thing right after the other after the other. The
fact I have looked up and say, hey, I called
God Charlie, that's my personal friend.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
Can we blow it down, Charlie, not up the job?
Speaker 1 (04:25):
No, no, no, no no no. But you know, it's
it's truly it's becoming fun. Yeah, I really is. Oh
another one. You know, it's like, wow, I am truly
it's just said, I'm blessed.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
A lot of times we love to go like to
the go back to the very very beginning. And so
you know, we did some reading where we're students of
the game. We we we we know it starts in
the church. We know that we no clear it is
clearly clear. But you go in the studio and you're
(05:11):
singing these backgrounds m hm and someone is like her, yeah,
she's the one. Was that a thing where? Because that
was that was fair? That was your family? Right?
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Was that a thing where? Because a lot of times,
you know, when when groups are on this group mission,
you know what I mean, it's some the solo ists.
The solo artist is inevitable, but it's still a heartbreak,
you know what I mean? Was was that a tough
moment or tough decision for you to now?
Speaker 1 (05:49):
You know, I wasn't the soul so lead singer. My
sister was Lee sing I signed tenor and now, as
it happened, we were doing a background session for the
Drifters and a song that Very had written with another songwriter,
(06:15):
Bob Hilliar. I laughingly say, most of the time that
must have been seen to loud. But as it was,
you know, I read music, and that was I think
what caught is I had more than anything else. I
had the ability to read. Yes, And he approached me
(06:37):
and asked if I would be interested in doing demonstration
records of a song, if you'd be writing with Hal David.
And there was a way to supplement that little scholarship
I got from New Hope at the Church to go
to her college. So I was helping my mom and
(06:58):
my dad keep that money to say in school, yeah yeah,
and I see yeah, and studied doing demonstration records along
with more background work.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
When did you learn how to read music?
Speaker 1 (07:13):
I started piano lessons at the age of seven. Okay,
so I've been reading a long time, a very long time.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
I was supposed to read music, was supposed to I
was supposed to. My grandmother put me with this, you know,
with this piano teacher. And I had already been playing
by ear. Yeah, and so you know, the program was
the program in terms of where you start at middle
c with your thumbs and the whole. And I was
(07:48):
already playing church chords and all this thing, and it
was taking me so far back, like I felt like
it was a waste of time, mistake on my part.
And then in turns of you being able to read
music like and read those charts in the background, you know,
seeing those backgrounds in those spaces. I got a scholarship
to Morgan State from god Rest is old doctor Carter
(08:09):
an amazing musician, right, and the first day of school,
you know, walking class and they start handing out you know,
sheet music. I'm like, okay, we're getting ready to learn
something like all right, we don't learn and opened my
little book and sitting next to all the people in
the choir and doctor Carter comes walking in. He's real
James Brown with the two afro boots, leather jacket. You
(08:31):
know what I'm saying, like the thin leather like soup jacket,
the whole the whole movie. Right, Doctor conways on the
piano and he goes and he says, all right, I
started a measure one, and everybody starts saying, wal do
you here like this? Who's gonna tell me? Y'all have rehearsals, rehearsals, No,
(08:59):
all that play by here that they were reading fresh
off site. And so like when you when you when
you're saying that, like, I'm just I'm gathering so many
pictures of how music was made back then.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Oh yeah, you know when you have composers. And I really,
being myself, very fortunate that I felt and still feel
to this day. I had two of the most prolific yes,
(09:38):
composer and writer called how David a poet actually to
come along during that period of time. I am okay,
I I just we were known in the industry as
to try and marriage that worked, and that's so we
(10:01):
became family. We became very different, and we find those
kinds of people that create the way that they're creating
and began creating specifically for you. I mean, you become one.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
It's a different kind of magic, right, because it's it's
it's rare when you find these marriages because a lot
of times in our music space, it's always searching from
producer to producer to writer to writer, trying to find
the hit more so than having your own sound, sitting
(10:46):
in and finding the magic. Like we talked about Brandy
dark Child on Na Sean before about some marriages are
just so timeless that they'll just never be recreated. True,
that never be recreated. Yeah, and how many.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
Years we were together? About fifteen years when we were
apart for close to twelve years, and then they got
back together, so it was never it's a little it's
(11:29):
a family quarrel. Yeah, And nobody wanted to agree with
each other. So I say, y'all go, you're aware, and
I'm gonna go mine, but you're gonna pay me because
you're supposed to be getting me something that you know
you're it's saying you're not gonna get me. They owed
me recordings. I remember like it was yesterday. It was
(11:53):
with Burner Brothers at the time and more Austin was
Fred and at the time he said to me, oh,
now you know you owe us it's some amount of albums.
I said, yeah, and you know the contract is between
(12:16):
you backgracking David, I said, yeah, and you know they're
not talking to each other. Yeah. I said, well, you
have to get them back together, do the CVS album
for you, or one brother's gonna have to sue you
and one present to them. So he says, either that
(12:39):
or you're gonna have to sue them. I said, that's
an easy thing to do. There we are and got
my money.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Yeah, you know they musually were wrong.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
But they they weren't working together at the time exactly,
and it affected everything.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
And I was doing this like hello, you know, because
they made it perfectly kid. They exclusively were my producer songwriters. Yeah,
and everybody just wouldn't come near me with songs, so.
Speaker 4 (13:22):
No one would even submit songs because they just knew
they knew, you know. I mean, And how like compare
those records to walk on by, Like what do you like?
What would we even submit if those if you're putting
off those type of records at that high of a level,
I get it.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
You know. I. In fact, I made a comment to
Bert I heard a song that came out of Philadelphia,
introduced and written by one of my dear dear friends,
and I made a call. I said, hey, Bert, Hey,
(14:04):
have you heard a little group called Stylistics? He said yeah.
I said, well, I'm going to the airport the other
day and somebody said, I know you have a new
record out. I said, don't. Oh yeah you do. I said, no,
I don't. So we heard the other day. I said, no,
(14:25):
you heard Russell singing, not them tom Bell. And I
told Bert that day, I said, you know what, you
better get up on your your gig because this little
boy out of Philadelphia is on your butt. He is
on you, and rightfully so bomb as I called him,
(14:47):
because of the way he spelled this. I used to
call him bomb. Hey bomb? Yeah, what you doing? He said? Well,
I want you to have this all but couldn't get
past that background. Man, Okay, but that's the way it was.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
It was territorial, though, because y'all had a had a streak,
had a thing.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Oh yeah, we had and it was a family. Yeah,
we really were that close. You know. I put my
feet under the dining room table and they put their
feet under my mama's dining room table. Yeah, so we
were basically as one.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
How did it feel too?
Speaker 4 (15:31):
I mean, for lack of a better term to rule decades. Well,
you just have records.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Nobody had bigger records. You want to count to his,
you want.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
To know, you know, it was something I don't really
think I thought of about it because once I did it,
and I was on the road as much as I was,
(16:07):
she had time to think about that and until people
started pointing it out to me, what, no, come on,
get out of my face. But that's what was going
on in my life. And if it's happening so rapidly.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
So you're not even paying attention to the charts exactly.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Never did, still don't.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
That's when he got so many. You have so many,
but it's so many hits.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
When you got your one hit, you're like, yeah, you
know right now it's number five.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
How many times have we had that conversation with somebody? Yeah,
you know right now, because we never She's like, yeah,
we number eight with a bubble bubble, you go to bubble,
we trend it up. I'm trying to tell you the
research is coming back real good the past twenties.
Speaker 4 (17:01):
Like so when you get your first hit record, you
go immediately on the road.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Yeah, exactly, and literally would come in off the road too.
To do a session if we were doing a project
at the time. The prime example would see promises session,
(17:30):
which just a funny story. The producer of the show,
I can't ever remember his name. I used to call
him Little Cason. What is his name? Everybody? He he
brought the cast to my session when I was recording
(17:54):
promises because they just I mean promises se song to sing.
And remember Jerry Albrac said to me, how the hell
do you do that? Very carefully? You know, I think
(18:15):
if you look at the chart of promises, you say
meter change every bar, so you literally are reading meters.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
People don't even understand what that is.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
Oh every bar. If it's a four to four measure bar,
it's one two four, and with promises it was one
two three one two one two three four one two
one two three four five yeah, every other bar.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
I was going cry, and I'm saying, you're singing it
that way. You look at me like I've lost my mind.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
But you have to have so much musical information in
order to pull that off, because listening to it it
you make it sound it seems.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Yeah, yeah, I know that's what everybody's is, but it's
not it's not easy, and I don't see it. Yes,
I do understand why, and it's because I think the
three of us were were glued together, you know that
there was nothing that In fact, it that's so funny
(19:32):
between us. I felt that every time I went to
the studio with Right and said, Okay, let's see if
you can do this. If you yeah, you know, and
I felt, you know, that was the challenge, which was wonderful.
It helped me tremendously in college, tremendously being able to
(19:56):
read as fast as I could and also playing. So
I never really gave it a second thought. But I
yet to hear anybody attempt to sing it in performance.
Speaker 4 (20:12):
Because they definitely sing your songs and that's definitely not.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
Yahoo promises. I don't know about that can walk on?
What's another one with a crazy time?
Speaker 1 (20:34):
Anyone had heart? The one that and Burton House and
write this from Now? Andrea and Dorry Prepping wrote Aboullians
at Alls, which is also one of those you know,
I think it's going somewhere that that never gets to.
He was just like, oh wait a minute, she didn't
(20:57):
sing that note there. You know, I didn't sing that
note that because they weren't written for that taking care.
You know, everybody just said to me doing heartbreaking with
the Good Brothers, they felt, oh yeah, let's give us
something that goes around the corner three or four times
(21:17):
to the avenue.
Speaker 4 (21:19):
Yeah, you couldn't do that with the artists now, you
just couldn't. You couldn't do that.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
No, you can't.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
You know, I'm watching a video of you, and I'm
watching I'm watching the construction. I'm watching you all sit
there and and build as as bird's playing and house
there with just in your and you're singing, all are
going back. It's like it's like this crazy thing that
(21:49):
you guys are doing where it's like, okay, there's a
challenge there, but of course it's like making sure that
we're in the right place musically, vocally, and lyrically all
at the same time exactly, which is rare because you know,
in these days, they just make a record, have somebody
(22:12):
done with here? Listen to this copy? Just yeah, it's
never like, hey, sit in here and let's work through
the progressions of this idea we have and let's make
sure you land perfectly.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
Within that realm exactly. It's called creativity ultimate creativity.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
That's the magic.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
It ain't no punching, no vocals. We're gonna sing this
thing through it. We're gonna rehearse it. It's top to bottom,
top to bottom. It's top to bottom. You were singing
those songs top to bottom.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
We're gonna go ahead and clap. It's gonna go ahead
and clap for that. I've only sang one song, talked
about it my entire career, and I thank god I
did because when I've had you to perform in life,
because when I sing these other songs that I punched,
(23:11):
you don't need to bring that down the whole step.
If you don't mind, we're not gonna be able to
cover the end of that if.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
We didn't know anything about that. You know, no, I
loved straight.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
Out, And you know why I recorded that song like that?
Maybe I deserve you know why I recorded that song
like that. I didn't have no more studio time. I
was probably running low, for sure, but I had done this.
I did a session We're Gladys Knight, yeah, and we
were working on her gospel album, and I had I
had done this. They were like, she needs a really
(23:47):
cool interlude, something that you know what I mean, you know,
just start the album, be somewhere cool. And so I
did this like almost like two minute you know thing,
just good movements and singing and all like. And so
I put it together and she comes into the studio
and and she's like, okay, let me hear it. And
(24:10):
then I play it and she's like, I like that. Okay,
I'm gonna just be back here. Just keep playing it.
And I'm just I'm just you know, we just we
just waiting, waiting on miss Gladys. It's cool, right right.
So after about maybe like five or six listens, she says, okay,
I'm ready to baby. I was like, okay, all right,
well come on on here, set the mic up, and
(24:33):
we said we're gonna start you right here at the top.
She's like, all right, let's get it, and we press
record and she goes from top bottom two bottom flawlessly
h an auto tune. These are a DAPs, no no
extra nothing, And I'm sitting there with the engineer when
(24:56):
she finishes, and I'm like looking at me, should should
I again? Should I tell her that it again? I'm
gonna just tell her to do it again so I
can feel like I'm doing something. Uh this last night,
I was absolutely amazing. Maybe on this one, just be amazing.
(25:20):
Here we go one more time from top to bottom,
and I said, thank you for coming. You may go home.
And that made me to have to at least try it.
I have to at least try it. And that's how
I say, maybe I deserve topped about him. But you
(25:41):
hear on that song is just what I had left
by the end of that song. And I can sing
that song live every night because of that.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
Why would you not wanted it that way?
Speaker 2 (25:55):
Because we lazy? Yes, yes, yes, I'm gonna be honest
with you.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
No, I understand because I can remember, like yesterday, our babies,
and that's what I call them. We'll block a studio
for a year and they'll come in maybe once every
three weeks to sing one note and leave. But they
blocked the studio out for a year, and nobody can
(26:23):
do anything in a studio for a year. But that's
how they do it, one note at a time.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
It's crazy. Yeah, uh, senselessly wasting money and people's.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
Don't make me over.
Speaker 4 (26:51):
Yes, that's your first hit, very first recording, So that's
your very first recording as well. So the first song
ever that you recorded for you was a hit record
as well.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
Yeah, okay, yeah, so so me, you know, I think
I know a lot of what you've done. And I
remember a young lady by the name of Sibyl Yeah
singing this song called Don't Make Me Over, and it
was one of my favorite songs. And I was two
(27:29):
days years old to today knowing that that was your song.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
Yeah, nineteen sixty two, Siper boy even thought.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
Of and your and your time signature was crazy in
that one. So me, he imagine me like knowing thinking
all this time that don't Make Me Over this song
I'm from, and then I go back and hear the original.
Mind blowing.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
You know. I'll tell you something.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
She came over and she's from England. She came over
to do my show, my friends and me, and that's
the first thing she said, No, I've recorded your song. Yeah, no,
you recorded my song. It is wonderful, thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
Yeah yeah yeah, And.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
She said, well what did you think? And before I
could think, you know, I have a very bad habit
my mouth sometimes my foot that's plopped right in my mouth.
But I said, you know what, the only thing about it.
The first note you sing on the song is not
the right note. She said it is. I said, no,
(28:54):
it isn't. She said, oh, lots of go and listen
to your record again. I sing that song. I did,
But she sings two notes wrong on the first two notes.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
So if you remake.
Speaker 4 (29:11):
Any of her music, put out the discrimon, she's going
to call you out. Listen here, baby, say right, I'll
see what she was going for. I see what she
was going.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
For because she decided or produced this whoever it was,
and decided to re record the song to make it
another genre of music. So it gave her liberty to
do what she wants to do.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
Speaking of but speaking of genre, I feel.
Speaker 4 (29:53):
You know, I'm one of I'm one of those people
who feel like I want to hold everybody to R
and B.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
I believe everybody's in R and B.
Speaker 4 (30:01):
But when I look over your career and I studied
your career, it felt as if it wasn't a genre
at all when it came to your music.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
Absolutely, thank you so much for saying that. Everybody all interviews, well,
how do you categorize? I said, that's the beauty of me.
I cannot be categorized.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
No, you know, I mean that.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
There's so many instances where and I tell people, I
am whatever the listening your decides I am. You think
I'm lost full It's what I am, rock and roll,
ron B, pop, whatever it is. Don't put me in
a box. You can't put me there. You never know
where I'm gonna be musically. Yeah, And they said, well,
(30:49):
what would you say, let me it's kids. I said that,
you just said it our music.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Your music.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
That's all.
Speaker 4 (30:58):
No, because when you listen to the songs, yeah, it's
it's it's just it's just great music. It's just great music.
It's great listening.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
Yeah, I love it. I do.
Speaker 4 (31:08):
And even just all the people who sampled are covered,
you know, because he said we were gonna go down
the songs and of songs that you know, that's that's
stuck out for us.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
Most people don't know. Yeah, a house is not a home.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
I know, it's your songs. Funny Luca, Oh yeah, you know,
well listen what's my heart? I miss him so terribly.
We talked every day, but I was the first one
to hear his recording of it. He decided he wanted
(31:44):
to record the songs that damn Wood have recorded Houses
not a Home? Isn't the only one anyone who had
a heart, that's the only Thus, yeah, he just I
think you wanted to do my entire catalog, you know,
I mean, yeah, you know. And he called me and
(32:05):
he said, listen, I just recorded one of your songs.
I want you to hear it and tell me what
you think. And over the telephone is the way I
heard A House is Not a Home. And at the
end of that song, I said, you know what, Liza,
(32:26):
I hate you. I hate you. He said, no, you
can't het me. I said, yes, I do. I said,
I'm gonna call you back because I have to make
a phone call. And I called both bird and I
called how and I let them know. I said, you know,
I just heard something that both of you should know,
(32:50):
the definitive version of a song called a House is
Not a Home and recorded by Lida van Druss and
believed me. As far as I am concerned, I feel
it is the definitive version.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (33:05):
You know, although he says, just whatever you record, I
don't want to record it too. That was his whole attitude.
But I mean, he took the song to another level
totally another level.
Speaker 4 (33:23):
No, I didn't know until I was older. Yeah, I
didn't know as a kid of course, sleuth vandas song Yeah,
I probably fought you as much as I could have
been all the way wrong.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (33:38):
Well the first first version to record that was broke Benton.
Speaker 2 (33:42):
Oh, so you didn't record it first? You know what?
That's another question I have because there was one song
where you were like the seventy fifth person that record.
I can't remember what song that.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
Was sound called healthy Outfie.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
How does that because it wasn't like it was a
lot of generations apart?
Speaker 1 (34:04):
No, you know, how did that work? Where Burton Now
were commissioned to write the theme for the film, and
being that it was financed by British money, they decided
to do one of the British artists to record it
and Gallon Sila Black did the title song for the film,
(34:30):
so she was the first person to record it and
it has been recorded. I was a forty third person
actually recorded and did not want to record it then.
Speaker 2 (34:42):
Like it had been out forty two times.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
Already twenty three. Yes, they had been half forty two
times already.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
That is crazy.
Speaker 4 (34:50):
It was running that publishing what.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
Yeah, it was recorded. Ironically, when the films are distributed
by different companies, United Artists distributed it here in the States.
Suddenly Share recorded the title mm hmmm, Sonny Rylands retarded
it when it was released in US trade, and it
(35:18):
just looped yourself around around.
Speaker 4 (35:22):
That is a copyright, that's a but that is a
thing that that doesn't exist any there, noose. I'm gonna
listen to the radio the day I'm see what it
would sound good. Don't change the word.
Speaker 2 (35:37):
Hey man, you think you can see me that same
track go?
Speaker 1 (35:39):
You just did.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
Because I never understood how that works. I knew that
they would take a song and then one artist will
be recording it, and then they would take the same
song and then give it to another artist, and then
they will recorded, and then they would give it to
this artist and they recorded, and then finally by the
fourth or fifth artist, then it was a hit song.
Speaker 4 (35:56):
Yeah, somehow or another. They're like, listen, this might not work,
but this song works.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
But the song wouldn't be a hit. But until it
got to the right artist and they would keep trying
their shot with that song. Publishers allow us to keep
moving this song because it's not the song. It's probably
the artist by your week artist, probably a week artist.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
Man.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
You know what I'm saying. We can help you make
more money if you let us move these songs around all.
I got another one that I was that I was
a little lost on say a little prayer. I thought
(36:47):
it was to read the song.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
I can say it was.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
That song. Yes it was, and still and so I
go see. You know, I love the movies. I love
them to death. Did you see the movie when they
when they when they put that.
Speaker 1 (37:17):
I sat right behind Julia when the scene came up,
and they're all sitting at the table scene every since
she just turned around and said, what do you think?
Turn about you? And the lovely thing about it is
(37:38):
that Okay, I said a little prayer, which was the
fun part for me. I loved it, but I didn't
realize that I had another one. Imagine recordings in that movie.
I just don't know what to do with myself.
Speaker 2 (37:58):
You got too many songs, You got too many songs.
Speaker 1 (38:04):
That was a surprise to me because everybody was talking
about the little.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
And they didn't even realize it.
Speaker 1 (38:12):
Oh, I guess it did. When it came on screen,
I said, oh my goodness, I didn't know I had
two songs in this.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
Film another one another another one. You definitely need to
DJ call at the premiere like something like that is
like it's just a testament again to just great music.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
Agreed.
Speaker 2 (38:47):
I mean, great music is just absolutely timeless. We were
talking earlier just about just about the compositions, and I
was like, musically it was like it was like maybe
a piano band version of of like Stevie Wonder changes
(39:10):
that would just be and then but you would be
super clean and elegant and straightforward on top of it,
to where the difficulty of really what was going on
you masked it.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
Yeah, the making it sound easy. You could sing this too.
Speaker 2 (39:29):
Yeah, you like you were half stepping in and like
the chords and the street like it was nuts.
Speaker 1 (39:38):
Tell me about it. I mean was times literally I
would come off the road and directly into the studio
and have sat right off of what.
Speaker 2 (39:51):
I feel like you could have only accomplished that by
being able to do that at there's no way that
you could have you that you could have said okay
play it for me, or and gone from one two
three four one two one two three one two three
for there's no way. I should learn how to read music.
Speaker 1 (40:16):
Take the time and do that. It won't hurt you.
These kids real healthy.
Speaker 2 (40:22):
These kids miss take a lot of my time. Make
him learn how to read the music with you. My
wife be wanting to do date night, My wife be
wanting to do day night. You gonna blame date night.
Read read music sometimes my wife saw somehow. You know,
(40:44):
she always makes up my fault. Let's go ahead and
tell what you got for me, Walk on by. I
feel like.
Speaker 4 (40:57):
That was the first song that as I got older,
I realize you were pretty much telling people mind your business,
mind your business.
Speaker 2 (41:06):
If you see me, just.
Speaker 4 (41:10):
Just keep on going, keep it listen, stay out of
my business. Just keep on you know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (41:17):
Just flat out to see you? Bye?
Speaker 2 (41:19):
Was was that? Was you talking to somebody? You know? How?
You know the kids do now? In the comments?
Speaker 1 (41:26):
Yeah, yeah, yep. I didn't write the song, but it
was a timely time to sing it.
Speaker 4 (41:38):
Mm yeah, purpose gone. So how did you feel when
you heard Isaac Hayes's.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
Version Love Love Today Love It? I that man just
took it to a completely mother round. Yeah, Like I said,
what is your problem? Why are you doing this to me?
Speaker 2 (42:08):
You.
Speaker 1 (42:09):
Oh, I loved it, loved it.
Speaker 4 (42:13):
Do you feel as if like like these songs because
you have so many, so many records that artists were
covering of yours, not just because at this point there's
no it's not they're not sampling it.
Speaker 1 (42:24):
They're covering the songs.
Speaker 4 (42:25):
Do you feel like they were making the songs bigger
even when you will go and perform them now to
over the years.
Speaker 1 (42:32):
They're keeping them alive. They keeping music alive, which is
so exciting for me. You know this. My granddaughter called me, Grammy, Yeah,
have you heard what's idea?
Speaker 2 (42:58):
Can you get one of dog send me one of
those guts And.
Speaker 1 (43:06):
She explained to me who she was and what he
had recorded. I had no.
Speaker 4 (43:11):
Idea and one of the biggest.
Speaker 1 (43:15):
Artists that I'll tell you. That's what's going on, Bunnie.
These babies are finally thing. Oh that's music.
Speaker 2 (43:27):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 1 (43:27):
I want to be a part of that, which is
very exciting to me. And what they've done is they
just it just hit rejuvenating deond Warwick, which is lovely. Yeah.
And I get nice calls from them, you know.
Speaker 2 (43:46):
It's nice to hear the new generation even desire that
to want to to want to understand it, like, because
what happens is is that when this Doja Cat song
comes out, these kids are so smart and so resourceful,
(44:09):
like they're going down the rabbit hole to find the
original music and they are loving it. They're getting smack
on it because there's nothing else like it. One is.
No one is even trying to venture and and dare
I say I can't?
Speaker 1 (44:30):
No, I don't say that.
Speaker 2 (44:32):
Well, they haven't. They haven't. They haven't studied to learn
how to get to that place, like that place is
not a it's not a place you loock up on.
Speaker 1 (44:44):
No, that has to stop and think. Every single song
or whatever these babies are doing, they're all sound exactly
the same. And that's only because it's allous now once
they so hearing me hear yeah, jake ye, they said,
(45:14):
oh I don't want to try that. Yeah, And that's
what's going on now.
Speaker 2 (45:19):
And I'm hoping that's what's going on because I'm starting
to hear producers now finally be a lot more musical
and not locked into eight bars, not locked into sixteen bars.
I'm hearing. I'm hearing real pianists play for progressions and
things like I'm starting to hear that and people are
doing what's new and now on top of that. But
(45:43):
the musical bed, it's like, did you hear yeah? Exactly
so again harsh saying they can't but they're they're they're
not programmed to just yet.
Speaker 1 (45:55):
Well they're on the road.
Speaker 2 (45:56):
They're on the road, yes, as they keep digging in
the grate and there's.
Speaker 1 (46:01):
Nothing wrong with that. I am so happy about it.
I am. It's exciting that they are discovering the real deal.
Speaker 2 (46:10):
I'm gonna talk about yourself. The real deal says here
uh induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, child,
that's chill handsome. If you only knew any.
Speaker 1 (46:31):
You know, I gots say.
Speaker 2 (46:35):
I was.
Speaker 1 (46:37):
First of all, I didn't even know I would have
been nominated at first song and somebody, you know, they
you had to be nominated for Rocohlolfer. I said, okay,
I am how nice is that? But very wonderful, And
of course I didn't make it. And yet they nominated
(46:59):
me the second time and didn't make it, and then
they called and said, we are putting you in the
Rock and Roll Hall of thing. You don't have to
be voted on, so who was the hater? Who knows?
(47:20):
I didn't care I was there or not. I am
not a rock.
Speaker 2 (47:26):
Oh yeah, you know.
Speaker 1 (47:29):
I just feel if they are going to put DIONN.
Wallick into the Rock and Roll Hall of Things, they're
gonna put a dollary party into the rock and Roll
Hall of Thing. Then they got it, took goes and
change it to the music Hall of Thing because you're
covering every genre. Now, not what you created that for.
(47:53):
Mm hmm to call it the music Hall of Thing?
Speaker 2 (47:57):
Yeah, why is it called the rock and roll Hall created?
Speaker 1 (48:00):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (48:02):
I get it, but put that stamp on it. They
want to put their stamp on it. We're to get
too deep. So how many Grammys?
Speaker 1 (48:13):
I six six?
Speaker 2 (48:16):
I have a certificate?
Speaker 1 (48:21):
Did you get to Plock to Hang on you?
Speaker 2 (48:31):
Jennifer Hudson one R and B Album of the Year?
I produced and roll on that album and send me
a piece of paper after she won, And I just said,
I just don't think it's right. So every time somebody says,
do you have a Grammy? I say, yes, it's just
in paper form, so you should.
Speaker 1 (48:51):
Have gotten They should have sent you one as well.
Speaker 2 (48:56):
I'm gonna let you say it I'm gonnahow run up
in there and say it's din. Warwick said, you don't
give me my grammy, it's gonna be some problems in here. Yeah.
And if you don't give me my grammy, when you
see me walk on by, you see me in the street,
walk home by you, you'll never get well. Listen, you
(49:37):
know we don't. I'm gonna keep you along. We just
want to make sure you play them right now. Player,
(49:58):
we we we know you know a lot of me music. Yeah,
you have sang and written and recorded and orchestrated moments
go down in history. But what the people want to know,
what people want to know, what they want to know
(50:21):
is the music that means the most to you. And
we call that your what is it called top five?
Your top five?
Speaker 1 (50:39):
Top five?
Speaker 2 (50:43):
You're top five R and Basingers you are. And the
songs we got to know before you go here are
the show your Yes, yeah, top give us one name
(51:16):
you five, mister An Warwick, Yes, your top five, R
(51:40):
and B. We're gonna song.
Speaker 1 (51:42):
Okay, little diddicl. Neither one of us be the first
to say good bye gladys to night.
Speaker 2 (51:53):
Hm hm.
Speaker 1 (51:56):
Oh here and now huh a little Diddy.
Speaker 2 (52:03):
Yeah. By the way, come on, tell me, I know
where you're going with it.
Speaker 1 (52:10):
Written by my son.
Speaker 2 (52:19):
Oh yeah, we port Champagne believe it.
Speaker 1 (52:23):
Song Stevie wanted to record it called my Love.
Speaker 2 (52:28):
M hmm, yeah, I don't know my Love.
Speaker 1 (52:33):
We we in the incredible song. As Stevie is right,
we have homework, very spiritual song and it's the kind
of song in fact that can be or could be
used as his friends same thing. Yeah, oh thing called
(53:04):
bad huh yo.
Speaker 2 (53:07):
Man, Michael Jackson, that that came out of nowhere.
Speaker 1 (53:17):
Another one of my favorites. Oh, let me think he
you know, I had to stop and thinking about it,
I'd be talking about Oldish Redding and I'd be talking
about James Brown with with so anyway, those is fine
me too. I think it's called turner off the lights off. Yes,
(53:46):
that's theater. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (53:52):
So would you say your favorite songs and or top
five songs and top five singers are going to be different?
You just did songs, but you also named the artists.
So is that like like a combo platter?
Speaker 1 (54:07):
Yeah? I know anything they saying, that's.
Speaker 2 (54:10):
The first combo platter we've ever had on the R
and B Money podcast, and because it is miss Dion Warwick,
we accept it absolutely. Oh absolutely absolutely, you do what
you want. Okay. So we're gonna make what's called a voltron, right,
(54:32):
and a voltron is like your super R and B artists.
So we want to know what person would you get
the vocal from? What person would you get the performance
style from? What person would you get the styling from?
And which person would you get the passion from? So
let's start with the vocal. What artists of all the
(54:55):
artists you know that you love, would you get the
one vocal from to build your super R n B artists?
One vocal? Oh?
Speaker 1 (55:06):
God, matthis Jennie mash matthis?
Speaker 2 (55:18):
Yeah, yeah, San Francisco. Okay, all right, you flex that
performance style on stage?
Speaker 1 (55:29):
Oh performance Sammy Davis Jr.
Speaker 2 (55:34):
The Ultimate entertainer.
Speaker 1 (55:36):
Absolutely yeah, that's mean.
Speaker 2 (55:45):
The styling, the drip styling.
Speaker 1 (55:50):
Are you.
Speaker 2 (55:53):
Thank Carol mm hmm elegant classic? Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 1 (56:01):
She's one of my mentors. Wow, Lena Horn, Elfus Gerald, Sara,
these ladies I made me their own.
Speaker 2 (56:14):
Do you think that we can I think we can
get that now. Someone just has to do it. I
just have to do it. I'm talking to my daughter,
talking to Jordan, and I.
Speaker 1 (56:26):
Can answer that because unfortunately, and I don't know what
it puts us into their little brains. And but then
they do own the industry at this point in our time,
but they feel they invented show business. Nobody can tell
(56:46):
them anything, nobody and they have so much to learn,
but it's their business.
Speaker 2 (56:57):
Sound I'm preaching to my daughter, elegance. Elegance, it's so needed,
so needed. Okay. Last one, the passion of the artist,
like the heart of the artists. Who who have you
heard it really means it? Who have you seen it
really means it?
Speaker 1 (57:14):
Who immediately comes to mind?
Speaker 2 (57:16):
James to shake that church up?
Speaker 4 (57:24):
Tell me about its Grandmama had me own that.
Speaker 2 (57:31):
Couldn't listen to nothing else. Don't you turn down, James,
don't you turn him down and turn that boof turn
that turn off that boom boom you go there to me?
Speaker 4 (57:46):
I have to ask, is there anything over time, like
what's the wildest thing that you bought? All those years, well,
all those all those years of getting to the money,
getting to the money, first hit records, your first record?
Speaker 2 (58:04):
You do? You go on tour?
Speaker 4 (58:06):
You do? You were doing million dollar deals when no
one else worth assuming people, he's getting your money, He's
getting to the money.
Speaker 2 (58:17):
What is the craziest or wildest thing you bought that
you just look back and like, why that? Why the world?
Speaker 1 (58:24):
My first car? I saw a car in the window.
I want that car, and I had the money deny it.
(58:47):
And I was not looking my best that day when
I walked into the dealship and I said, how much
your that car? And they told me. I said, okay,
can can I drive it out of here? If you're
(59:09):
gonna pay for it? I said, yeah, I'm gonna pay
for it. This should You're gonna pay for it? I said, yes,
I'm gonna pay for it. And he said, how are
you gonna pay for it? Then me give you a
check right now? Oh, well, we have to verify so
we can call the bank. Then lets you know I
(59:32):
got some money to pay for it. Can I drive
it out of here? Sure? He can't. They called the bank.
Let's say give her four causes.
Speaker 2 (59:48):
Y'all, y'all to.
Speaker 1 (59:57):
My first cab.
Speaker 2 (59:59):
Oh had the rider.
Speaker 1 (01:00:03):
It's a green car. I called her the green hornets. Yeah,
that was the craziest thing.
Speaker 2 (01:00:10):
Did you did you pull up on him, though, I
did you pull drove there in it? Did you? Did
you pull up on some friends? You see me?
Speaker 1 (01:00:18):
You see me? You want to ride up?
Speaker 2 (01:00:24):
Not in the green hornets.
Speaker 1 (01:00:27):
Yeah, that was proudly.
Speaker 4 (01:00:30):
The craziest Yeah, and that was off the first record
or that you had. Yeah, a couple of records by
the time. Yeah, yeah, a couple by the time. Okay,
she had whole dealership. She can buy forty Yeah, give
her four. We'd like to also show you the Blue
One if you want to want Jesse, you want to.
Speaker 1 (01:00:51):
Blue l.
Speaker 2 (01:00:54):
One. We got one more see one more segment for you.
I ain't saying no nick. Hey, I ain't saying no names. Yeah,
I ain't saying no names. I ain't saying no names.
Where you was, what you did? Don't see. I ain't
(01:01:16):
saying no names.
Speaker 1 (01:01:25):
That get no names?
Speaker 2 (01:01:32):
Uh? So ms Dion, Can I cuss before I say
what I got? You know, because even on this show,
I've been.
Speaker 1 (01:01:41):
Known, I've had a couple of customers.
Speaker 2 (01:01:47):
Yeah, but I'm gonna be very respectful.
Speaker 4 (01:01:50):
Okay, So this segment of the show, it's important, it's
called uh, I ain't saying no names. And he tells
the story funny and fucked up our funny amp fucked
up in your time in this music business. Things you've said,
something you've dealt with. But the only rule to this
game you just can't say the names. You can say, well,
(01:02:12):
you've been whatever, all of that. You just can't say
who's there?
Speaker 1 (01:02:17):
Okay? Oh golly.
Speaker 2 (01:02:22):
Mm hm hm hm.
Speaker 1 (01:02:30):
I was at still Apollo Theater and the young lady
that was dressed me. It was in the dressing room
and this woman walked into the dressing room and just
shot down and uh an Least said, can I help you? Oh,
(01:02:55):
I'm here? You there? Yeah, okay, do you know her? Yeah?
I know her. I'm related to her. Oh okay, how
are you? She and my cousin? Okay, cousin so here,
I come booking, you booking your bulley And she's dressed him.
(01:03:16):
And I walked by this woman and I said, hey, dahnay,
who who is that?
Speaker 2 (01:03:24):
She said?
Speaker 1 (01:03:24):
She said, I said, oh really? So I walked down
and I said hello, Hi, I said, and what's your name?
And she gave me her name. I said, and why
are you here?
Speaker 2 (01:03:45):
Yo?
Speaker 1 (01:03:45):
Well, that's none of your business, I said, Oh I yeah,
I think it is. She said, no, no, it's none
of your's. I'm here to see my cousin. I said, well,
who is your cousin, Dionne Warwick? I said she should cousin?
Really who who? Who's your mother? Who's your father? It
(01:04:08):
was just one of those on on on. I said,
so you're here to see Dr Warwick. She said yes,
if that's any of your business. I said, well, as
it turns out it is. And what makes it your business?
I said, cause I'm dion Warwick. And she literally after
(01:04:31):
she's gonna pass out because she got caught in this wagmire.
If she had built up her own I said, woman,
get out of my dressing room now, please, Well, I
want I know now out. She gonna look at it
(01:04:51):
in my face and told me she's here just t
me and don't know.
Speaker 2 (01:04:54):
No, get your attitude are okay?
Speaker 1 (01:04:58):
It gave me attitude.
Speaker 2 (01:05:00):
She's crazy. I ain't here for you, my cousin, my cousin,
my cousin.
Speaker 1 (01:05:08):
Yeah. You know, people are crazy. That's very interesting, the
word crazy. He's crazy. They're very interesting. M They come
up with some of the weirdest things. And I don't know,
(01:05:29):
I've been in situations where they become possessive, you know.
And some of my friends have done that to me
and I've had to calm them down. Oh yeah, it
went just one day. I'm in the here. Uh no,
(01:05:49):
you don't do that.
Speaker 2 (01:05:51):
You know.
Speaker 1 (01:05:52):
I've been your friend since kindergarten. I will always be
your friend. But you do not own me.
Speaker 2 (01:06:00):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 1 (01:06:01):
Yeah, don't even come on with that craziness. Yeah, you're
jealous of each other, I'm thinking, and somebody else's company.
But you didn't come see me. No, I didn't come
see you. You're right, I didn't, and the I has
not changed each all, never will. I don't see any
reason for it. I like me, I do.
Speaker 2 (01:06:23):
I like me.
Speaker 4 (01:06:25):
We like you too, We love you, And you just
summed up for aspiring artists and for and for current
artists and successful artists how to deal.
Speaker 2 (01:06:37):
With it, Like you said, just be you and you
have to like you. You know.
Speaker 1 (01:06:45):
You know my grandfather told me that ages and ages,
I was a little bitty thing. He said, why would
you want to be anybody other than you? Why? Very special?
He was God made you, You only made one of you.
Might want to be somebody else? Yeah, yeah, that's why
(01:07:08):
I laugh. But some of my friends who have gone
that Madden New line of getting done yeah and done,
yeah done here and done yeah yeah everywhere he could
finally do. And I tell him all the time, what
(01:07:28):
in the world you try to do? You can't improve
upon perfection God made that. I can't improve That's a perfection.
Cannot improve on it. And our grandfather also told me
my grandpa was one of the wise men in the world,
second only to Jesus. Okay, but he told me a
(01:07:50):
long time I was in how fussing like crazy about nothing,
just got about. He said, baby girls, don't you said nothing?
It is something must be wrong with you in there,
going on and on and on. I said, I don't
even know how I'm done with Grandpa. I really don't.
(01:08:13):
He said, let me tell you something. Don't you ever
forget this? He said, you're in there frowning and counting on.
You know, frownally gives your wrinkles, smiling, doesn't. I haven't
such smile since that day. I refuse, I'm not gonna
have a wrinkle. I'm just not gonna do it.
Speaker 2 (01:08:36):
I get it.
Speaker 4 (01:08:37):
I get this little botox. It's called brotox act. It
is not score botox. Man, stop doing it. Stop she said,
you can't improve perfection. Man's right, chill out.
Speaker 2 (01:08:56):
I'm not trying to improve it, just want the last
longer smile.
Speaker 1 (01:09:04):
Here you go.
Speaker 2 (01:09:07):
Well, miss Dione Warwick. First of all, we want to
say thank you, thank you for paving a hell of
a way for us.
Speaker 1 (01:09:17):
You kidding. It's been a joy to me and for me.
Speaker 2 (01:09:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:09:25):
Music is a healer and I've seen it work. Yeah,
and I thrilled to be a part of it.
Speaker 2 (01:09:35):
Yeah, I really well, we feel it.
Speaker 1 (01:09:38):
Thank you, and.
Speaker 2 (01:09:41):
It will that feeling will linger on through the animal
of time. Oh so sure? Oh yeah it is.
Speaker 1 (01:09:49):
It is the sound safety smiling.
Speaker 2 (01:09:52):
Hey, okay, funny is Tank Jave Valentine And this is
the R and Mondy podcast, the authority on all things
R and B. And this has been the elegant, the timeless,
(01:10:13):
the absolute amazing Mistiaple R and B Money.
Speaker 4 (01:10:24):
R and B Money is a production of the Black
Effect podcast Network. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the
iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your
favorite shows. Don't forget to subscribe to and rate our show,
and you can connect with us on social media at
Jy Valentine and at the Real Tank. For the extended episode,
(01:10:46):
subscribe to YouTube dot com or slash r and B
money
Cold on.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Let's get to it. R and B Money, Honey.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Thanks take valoti. We are the authority on R and B.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Ladies and gentlemen. My name is Tank, said Valentine, and
this is the R and B Money Podcast, epic moment,
the authority on all I don't mind gonna scream, but
they don't have to scream. No, I don't have Today.
It's a day of elegance. That's not today. You see
how my shirt is buttoned all the way to the top.
You see your shirt. Today is the day of we
(00:53):
are buttoned up today. We are what's happening today is
just out say you know what what If you ever
need me, I will be there for you for friends
of yes, wow, hello, Hello. We call ourselves the authority
(01:24):
on all things R and B because we've he's he's
been in it since a child. Yes, but that yeah,
that long. I go from gospel to you know, to
the R and B world. But in terms of our
hands reaching, you know, we can. We've we've been able
to reach some of the youngest, Yes to the to
(01:47):
the and and what you are doing for the validation
of the word authority for us today.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
I don't know about that I really don't even think
I know everything. I do not know everything.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
It's not what you know, it's what you've done and
who you are and who you are. Okay, Yes, this
is this is this is a this is a popular
collar pod. This is this. This is a moment for
you to say it how you feel it. You know
what I'm saying. We are celebrating you today unapologetically. That way.
(02:26):
I'll take that, so you can do no wrong, hit
no wrong. I want to. I want to start off
by saying, wow, what a what a what an amazing
body of work? Yeah, what an amazing body of work?
(02:47):
And I mean it goes back to a time where
I put up one of the videos. It was like
a tee television video where it's like really in black
and white, Yeah, like in real black and white, you
know what I mean to hear? Yeah, and the celebration
(03:17):
still continues. What does that feel like?
Speaker 1 (03:21):
It is sometimes overwhelming? You know, things that are coming
to me as rapidly as they're coming, I've always considered
them blessings.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
You know.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
I don't use the word award. I use the word reward.
It's for the work that I have done and now
being recognized for and appreciated for. But it has been
truly amazing what's going on right now for me? You know,
(04:04):
one thing right after the other after the other. The
fact I have looked up and say, hey, I called
God Charlie, that's my personal friend.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
Can we blow it down, Charlie, not up the job?
Speaker 1 (04:25):
No, no, no, no no no. But you know, it's
it's truly it's becoming fun. Yeah, I really is. Oh
another one. You know, it's like, wow, I am truly
it's just said, I'm blessed.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
A lot of times we love to go like to
the go back to the very very beginning. And so
you know, we did some reading where we're students of
the game. We we we we know it starts in
the church. We know that we no clear it is
clearly clear. But you go in the studio and you're
(05:11):
singing these backgrounds m hm and someone is like her, yeah,
she's the one. Was that a thing where? Because that
was that was fair? That was your family? Right?
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Was that a thing where? Because a lot of times,
you know, when when groups are on this group mission,
you know what I mean, it's some the solo ists.
The solo artist is inevitable, but it's still a heartbreak,
you know what I mean? Was was that a tough
moment or tough decision for you to now?
Speaker 1 (05:49):
You know, I wasn't the soul so lead singer. My
sister was Lee sing I signed tenor and now, as
it happened, we were doing a background session for the
Drifters and a song that Very had written with another songwriter,
(06:15):
Bob Hilliar. I laughingly say, most of the time that
must have been seen to loud. But as it was,
you know, I read music, and that was I think
what caught is I had more than anything else. I
had the ability to read. Yes, And he approached me
(06:37):
and asked if I would be interested in doing demonstration
records of a song, if you'd be writing with Hal David.
And there was a way to supplement that little scholarship
I got from New Hope at the Church to go
to her college. So I was helping my mom and
(06:58):
my dad keep that money to say in school, yeah yeah,
and I see yeah, and studied doing demonstration records along
with more background work.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
When did you learn how to read music?
Speaker 1 (07:13):
I started piano lessons at the age of seven. Okay,
so I've been reading a long time, a very long time.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
I was supposed to read music, was supposed to I
was supposed to. My grandmother put me with this, you know,
with this piano teacher. And I had already been playing
by ear. Yeah, and so you know, the program was
the program in terms of where you start at middle
c with your thumbs and the whole. And I was
(07:48):
already playing church chords and all this thing, and it
was taking me so far back, like I felt like
it was a waste of time, mistake on my part.
And then in turns of you being able to read
music like and read those charts in the background, you know,
seeing those backgrounds in those spaces. I got a scholarship
to Morgan State from god Rest is old doctor Carter
(08:09):
an amazing musician, right, and the first day of school,
you know, walking class and they start handing out you know,
sheet music. I'm like, okay, we're getting ready to learn
something like all right, we don't learn and opened my
little book and sitting next to all the people in
the choir and doctor Carter comes walking in. He's real
James Brown with the two afro boots, leather jacket. You
(08:31):
know what I'm saying, like the thin leather like soup jacket,
the whole the whole movie. Right, Doctor conways on the
piano and he goes and he says, all right, I
started a measure one, and everybody starts saying, wal do
you here like this? Who's gonna tell me? Y'all have rehearsals, rehearsals, No,
(08:59):
all that play by here that they were reading fresh
off site. And so like when you when you when
you're saying that, like, I'm just I'm gathering so many
pictures of how music was made back then.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Oh yeah, you know when you have composers. And I really,
being myself, very fortunate that I felt and still feel
to this day. I had two of the most prolific yes,
(09:38):
composer and writer called how David a poet actually to
come along during that period of time. I am okay,
I I just we were known in the industry as
to try and marriage that worked, and that's so we
(10:01):
became family. We became very different, and we find those
kinds of people that create the way that they're creating
and began creating specifically for you. I mean, you become one.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
It's a different kind of magic, right, because it's it's
it's rare when you find these marriages because a lot
of times in our music space, it's always searching from
producer to producer to writer to writer, trying to find
the hit more so than having your own sound, sitting
(10:46):
in and finding the magic. Like we talked about Brandy
dark Child on Na Sean before about some marriages are
just so timeless that they'll just never be recreated. True,
that never be recreated. Yeah, and how many.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
Years we were together? About fifteen years when we were
apart for close to twelve years, and then they got
back together, so it was never it's a little it's
(11:29):
a family quarrel. Yeah, And nobody wanted to agree with
each other. So I say, y'all go, you're aware, and
I'm gonna go mine, but you're gonna pay me because
you're supposed to be getting me something that you know
you're it's saying you're not gonna get me. They owed
me recordings. I remember like it was yesterday. It was
(11:53):
with Burner Brothers at the time and more Austin was
Fred and at the time he said to me, oh,
now you know you owe us it's some amount of albums.
I said, yeah, and you know the contract is between
(12:16):
you backgracking David, I said, yeah, and you know they're
not talking to each other. Yeah. I said, well, you
have to get them back together, do the CVS album
for you, or one brother's gonna have to sue you
and one present to them. So he says, either that
(12:39):
or you're gonna have to sue them. I said, that's
an easy thing to do. There we are and got
my money.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Yeah, you know they musually were wrong.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
But they they weren't working together at the time exactly,
and it affected everything.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
And I was doing this like hello, you know, because
they made it perfectly kid. They exclusively were my producer songwriters. Yeah,
and everybody just wouldn't come near me with songs, so.
Speaker 4 (13:22):
No one would even submit songs because they just knew
they knew, you know. I mean, And how like compare
those records to walk on by, Like what do you like?
What would we even submit if those if you're putting
off those type of records at that high of a level,
I get it.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
You know. I. In fact, I made a comment to
Bert I heard a song that came out of Philadelphia,
introduced and written by one of my dear dear friends,
and I made a call. I said, hey, Bert, Hey,
(14:04):
have you heard a little group called Stylistics? He said yeah.
I said, well, I'm going to the airport the other
day and somebody said, I know you have a new
record out. I said, don't. Oh yeah you do. I said, no,
I don't. So we heard the other day. I said, no,
(14:25):
you heard Russell singing, not them tom Bell. And I
told Bert that day, I said, you know what, you
better get up on your your gig because this little
boy out of Philadelphia is on your butt. He is
on you, and rightfully so bomb as I called him,
(14:47):
because of the way he spelled this. I used to
call him bomb. Hey bomb? Yeah, what you doing? He said? Well,
I want you to have this all but couldn't get
past that background. Man, Okay, but that's the way it was.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
It was territorial, though, because y'all had a had a streak,
had a thing.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Oh yeah, we had and it was a family. Yeah,
we really were that close. You know. I put my
feet under the dining room table and they put their
feet under my mama's dining room table. Yeah, so we
were basically as one.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
How did it feel too?
Speaker 4 (15:31):
I mean, for lack of a better term to rule decades. Well,
you just have records.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Nobody had bigger records. You want to count to his,
you want.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
To know, you know, it was something I don't really
think I thought of about it because once I did it,
and I was on the road as much as I was,
(16:07):
she had time to think about that and until people
started pointing it out to me, what, no, come on,
get out of my face. But that's what was going
on in my life. And if it's happening so rapidly.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
So you're not even paying attention to the charts exactly.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Never did, still don't.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
That's when he got so many. You have so many,
but it's so many hits.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
When you got your one hit, you're like, yeah, you
know right now it's number five.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
How many times have we had that conversation with somebody? Yeah,
you know right now, because we never She's like, yeah,
we number eight with a bubble bubble, you go to bubble,
we trend it up. I'm trying to tell you the
research is coming back real good the past twenties.
Speaker 4 (17:01):
Like so when you get your first hit record, you
go immediately on the road.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Yeah, exactly, and literally would come in off the road too.
To do a session if we were doing a project
at the time. The prime example would see promises session,
(17:30):
which just a funny story. The producer of the show,
I can't ever remember his name. I used to call
him Little Cason. What is his name? Everybody? He he
brought the cast to my session when I was recording
(17:54):
promises because they just I mean promises se song to sing.
And remember Jerry Albrac said to me, how the hell
do you do that? Very carefully? You know, I think
(18:15):
if you look at the chart of promises, you say
meter change every bar, so you literally are reading meters.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
People don't even understand what that is.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
Oh every bar. If it's a four to four measure bar,
it's one two four, and with promises it was one
two three one two one two three four one two
one two three four five yeah, every other bar.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
I was going cry, and I'm saying, you're singing it
that way. You look at me like I've lost my mind.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
But you have to have so much musical information in
order to pull that off, because listening to it it
you make it sound it seems.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Yeah, yeah, I know that's what everybody's is, but it's
not it's not easy, and I don't see it. Yes,
I do understand why, and it's because I think the
three of us were were glued together, you know that
there was nothing that In fact, it that's so funny
(19:32):
between us. I felt that every time I went to
the studio with Right and said, Okay, let's see if
you can do this. If you yeah, you know, and
I felt, you know, that was the challenge, which was wonderful.
It helped me tremendously in college, tremendously being able to
(19:56):
read as fast as I could and also playing. So
I never really gave it a second thought. But I
yet to hear anybody attempt to sing it in performance.
Speaker 4 (20:12):
Because they definitely sing your songs and that's definitely not.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
Yahoo promises. I don't know about that can walk on?
What's another one with a crazy time?
Speaker 1 (20:34):
Anyone had heart? The one that and Burton House and
write this from Now? Andrea and Dorry Prepping wrote Aboullians
at Alls, which is also one of those you know,
I think it's going somewhere that that never gets to.
He was just like, oh wait a minute, she didn't
(20:57):
sing that note there. You know, I didn't sing that
note that because they weren't written for that taking care.
You know, everybody just said to me doing heartbreaking with
the Good Brothers, they felt, oh yeah, let's give us
something that goes around the corner three or four times
(21:17):
to the avenue.
Speaker 4 (21:19):
Yeah, you couldn't do that with the artists now, you
just couldn't. You couldn't do that.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
No, you can't.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
You know, I'm watching a video of you, and I'm
watching I'm watching the construction. I'm watching you all sit
there and and build as as bird's playing and house
there with just in your and you're singing, all are
going back. It's like it's like this crazy thing that
(21:49):
you guys are doing where it's like, okay, there's a
challenge there, but of course it's like making sure that
we're in the right place musically, vocally, and lyrically all
at the same time exactly, which is rare because you know,
in these days, they just make a record, have somebody
(22:12):
done with here? Listen to this copy? Just yeah, it's
never like, hey, sit in here and let's work through
the progressions of this idea we have and let's make
sure you land perfectly.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
Within that realm exactly. It's called creativity ultimate creativity.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
That's the magic.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
It ain't no punching, no vocals. We're gonna sing this
thing through it. We're gonna rehearse it. It's top to bottom,
top to bottom. It's top to bottom. You were singing
those songs top to bottom.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
We're gonna go ahead and clap. It's gonna go ahead
and clap for that. I've only sang one song, talked
about it my entire career, and I thank god I
did because when I've had you to perform in life,
because when I sing these other songs that I punched,
(23:11):
you don't need to bring that down the whole step.
If you don't mind, we're not gonna be able to
cover the end of that if.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
We didn't know anything about that. You know, no, I
loved straight.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
Out, And you know why I recorded that song like that?
Maybe I deserve you know why I recorded that song
like that. I didn't have no more studio time. I
was probably running low, for sure, but I had done this.
I did a session We're Gladys Knight, yeah, and we
were working on her gospel album, and I had I
had done this. They were like, she needs a really
(23:47):
cool interlude, something that you know what I mean, you know,
just start the album, be somewhere cool. And so I
did this like almost like two minute you know thing,
just good movements and singing and all like. And so
I put it together and she comes into the studio
and and she's like, okay, let me hear it. And
(24:10):
then I play it and she's like, I like that. Okay,
I'm gonna just be back here. Just keep playing it.
And I'm just I'm just you know, we just we
just waiting, waiting on miss Gladys. It's cool, right right.
So after about maybe like five or six listens, she says, okay,
I'm ready to baby. I was like, okay, all right,
well come on on here, set the mic up, and
(24:33):
we said we're gonna start you right here at the top.
She's like, all right, let's get it, and we press
record and she goes from top bottom two bottom flawlessly
h an auto tune. These are a DAPs, no no
extra nothing, And I'm sitting there with the engineer when
(24:56):
she finishes, and I'm like looking at me, should should
I again? Should I tell her that it again? I'm
gonna just tell her to do it again so I
can feel like I'm doing something. Uh this last night,
I was absolutely amazing. Maybe on this one, just be amazing.
(25:20):
Here we go one more time from top to bottom,
and I said, thank you for coming. You may go home.
And that made me to have to at least try it.
I have to at least try it. And that's how
I say, maybe I deserve topped about him. But you
(25:41):
hear on that song is just what I had left
by the end of that song. And I can sing
that song live every night because of that.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
Why would you not wanted it that way?
Speaker 2 (25:55):
Because we lazy? Yes, yes, yes, I'm gonna be honest
with you.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
No, I understand because I can remember, like yesterday, our babies,
and that's what I call them. We'll block a studio
for a year and they'll come in maybe once every
three weeks to sing one note and leave. But they
blocked the studio out for a year, and nobody can
(26:23):
do anything in a studio for a year. But that's
how they do it, one note at a time.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
It's crazy. Yeah, uh, senselessly wasting money and people's.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
Don't make me over.
Speaker 4 (26:51):
Yes, that's your first hit, very first recording, So that's
your very first recording as well. So the first song
ever that you recorded for you was a hit record
as well.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
Yeah, okay, yeah, so so me, you know, I think
I know a lot of what you've done. And I
remember a young lady by the name of Sibyl Yeah
singing this song called Don't Make Me Over, and it
was one of my favorite songs. And I was two
(27:29):
days years old to today knowing that that was your song.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
Yeah, nineteen sixty two, Siper boy even thought.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
Of and your and your time signature was crazy in
that one. So me, he imagine me like knowing thinking
all this time that don't Make Me Over this song
I'm from, and then I go back and hear the original.
Mind blowing.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
You know. I'll tell you something.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
She came over and she's from England. She came over
to do my show, my friends and me, and that's
the first thing she said, No, I've recorded your song. Yeah, no,
you recorded my song. It is wonderful, thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
Yeah yeah yeah, And.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
She said, well what did you think? And before I
could think, you know, I have a very bad habit
my mouth sometimes my foot that's plopped right in my mouth.
But I said, you know what, the only thing about it.
The first note you sing on the song is not
the right note. She said it is. I said, no,
(28:54):
it isn't. She said, oh, lots of go and listen
to your record again. I sing that song. I did,
But she sings two notes wrong on the first two notes.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
So if you remake.
Speaker 4 (29:11):
Any of her music, put out the discrimon, she's going
to call you out. Listen here, baby, say right, I'll
see what she was going for. I see what she
was going.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
For because she decided or produced this whoever it was,
and decided to re record the song to make it
another genre of music. So it gave her liberty to
do what she wants to do.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
Speaking of but speaking of genre, I feel.
Speaker 4 (29:53):
You know, I'm one of I'm one of those people
who feel like I want to hold everybody to R
and B.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
I believe everybody's in R and B.
Speaker 4 (30:01):
But when I look over your career and I studied
your career, it felt as if it wasn't a genre
at all when it came to your music.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
Absolutely, thank you so much for saying that. Everybody all interviews, well,
how do you categorize? I said, that's the beauty of me.
I cannot be categorized.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
No, you know, I mean that.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
There's so many instances where and I tell people, I
am whatever the listening your decides I am. You think
I'm lost full It's what I am, rock and roll,
ron B, pop, whatever it is. Don't put me in
a box. You can't put me there. You never know
where I'm gonna be musically. Yeah, And they said, well,
(30:49):
what would you say, let me it's kids. I said that,
you just said it our music.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Your music.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
That's all.
Speaker 4 (30:58):
No, because when you listen to the songs, yeah, it's
it's it's just it's just great music. It's just great music.
It's great listening.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
Yeah, I love it. I do.
Speaker 4 (31:08):
And even just all the people who sampled are covered,
you know, because he said we were gonna go down
the songs and of songs that you know, that's that's
stuck out for us.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
Most people don't know. Yeah, a house is not a home.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
I know, it's your songs. Funny Luca, Oh yeah, you know,
well listen what's my heart? I miss him so terribly.
We talked every day, but I was the first one
to hear his recording of it. He decided he wanted
(31:44):
to record the songs that damn Wood have recorded Houses
not a Home? Isn't the only one anyone who had
a heart, that's the only Thus, yeah, he just I
think you wanted to do my entire catalog, you know,
I mean, yeah, you know. And he called me and
(32:05):
he said, listen, I just recorded one of your songs.
I want you to hear it and tell me what
you think. And over the telephone is the way I
heard A House is Not a Home. And at the
end of that song, I said, you know what, Liza,
(32:26):
I hate you. I hate you. He said, no, you
can't het me. I said, yes, I do. I said,
I'm gonna call you back because I have to make
a phone call. And I called both bird and I
called how and I let them know. I said, you know,
I just heard something that both of you should know,
(32:50):
the definitive version of a song called a House is
Not a Home and recorded by Lida van Druss and
believed me. As far as I am concerned, I feel
it is the definitive version.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (33:05):
You know, although he says, just whatever you record, I
don't want to record it too. That was his whole attitude.
But I mean, he took the song to another level
totally another level.
Speaker 4 (33:23):
No, I didn't know until I was older. Yeah, I
didn't know as a kid of course, sleuth vandas song Yeah,
I probably fought you as much as I could have
been all the way wrong.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (33:38):
Well the first first version to record that was broke Benton.
Speaker 2 (33:42):
Oh, so you didn't record it first? You know what?
That's another question I have because there was one song
where you were like the seventy fifth person that record.
I can't remember what song that.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
Was sound called healthy Outfie.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
How does that because it wasn't like it was a
lot of generations apart?
Speaker 1 (34:04):
No, you know, how did that work? Where Burton Now
were commissioned to write the theme for the film, and
being that it was financed by British money, they decided
to do one of the British artists to record it
and Gallon Sila Black did the title song for the film,
(34:30):
so she was the first person to record it and
it has been recorded. I was a forty third person
actually recorded and did not want to record it then.
Speaker 2 (34:42):
Like it had been out forty two times.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
Already twenty three. Yes, they had been half forty two
times already.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
That is crazy.
Speaker 4 (34:50):
It was running that publishing what.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
Yeah, it was recorded. Ironically, when the films are distributed
by different companies, United Artists distributed it here in the States.
Suddenly Share recorded the title mm hmmm, Sonny Rylands retarded
it when it was released in US trade, and it
(35:18):
just looped yourself around around.
Speaker 4 (35:22):
That is a copyright, that's a but that is a
thing that that doesn't exist any there, noose. I'm gonna
listen to the radio the day I'm see what it
would sound good. Don't change the word.
Speaker 2 (35:37):
Hey man, you think you can see me that same
track go?
Speaker 1 (35:39):
You just did.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
Because I never understood how that works. I knew that
they would take a song and then one artist will
be recording it, and then they would take the same
song and then give it to another artist, and then
they will recorded, and then they would give it to
this artist and they recorded, and then finally by the
fourth or fifth artist, then it was a hit song.
Speaker 4 (35:56):
Yeah, somehow or another. They're like, listen, this might not work,
but this song works.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
But the song wouldn't be a hit. But until it
got to the right artist and they would keep trying
their shot with that song. Publishers allow us to keep
moving this song because it's not the song. It's probably
the artist by your week artist, probably a week artist.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
Man.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
You know what I'm saying. We can help you make
more money if you let us move these songs around all.
I got another one that I was that I was
a little lost on say a little prayer. I thought
(36:47):
it was to read the song.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
I can say it was.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
That song. Yes it was, and still and so I
go see. You know, I love the movies. I love
them to death. Did you see the movie when they
when they when they put that.
Speaker 1 (37:17):
I sat right behind Julia when the scene came up,
and they're all sitting at the table scene every since
she just turned around and said, what do you think?
Turn about you? And the lovely thing about it is
(37:38):
that Okay, I said a little prayer, which was the
fun part for me. I loved it, but I didn't
realize that I had another one. Imagine recordings in that movie.
I just don't know what to do with myself.
Speaker 2 (37:58):
You got too many songs, You got too many songs.
Speaker 1 (38:04):
That was a surprise to me because everybody was talking
about the little.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
And they didn't even realize it.
Speaker 1 (38:12):
Oh, I guess it did. When it came on screen,
I said, oh my goodness, I didn't know I had
two songs in this.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
Film another one another another one. You definitely need to
DJ call at the premiere like something like that is
like it's just a testament again to just great music.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
Agreed.
Speaker 2 (38:47):
I mean, great music is just absolutely timeless. We were
talking earlier just about just about the compositions, and I
was like, musically it was like it was like maybe
a piano band version of of like Stevie Wonder changes
(39:10):
that would just be and then but you would be
super clean and elegant and straightforward on top of it,
to where the difficulty of really what was going on
you masked it.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
Yeah, the making it sound easy. You could sing this too.
Speaker 2 (39:29):
Yeah, you like you were half stepping in and like
the chords and the street like it was nuts.
Speaker 1 (39:38):
Tell me about it. I mean was times literally I
would come off the road and directly into the studio
and have sat right off of what.
Speaker 2 (39:51):
I feel like you could have only accomplished that by
being able to do that at there's no way that
you could have you that you could have said okay
play it for me, or and gone from one two
three four one two one two three one two three
for there's no way. I should learn how to read music.
Speaker 1 (40:16):
Take the time and do that. It won't hurt you.
These kids real healthy.
Speaker 2 (40:22):
These kids miss take a lot of my time. Make
him learn how to read the music with you. My
wife be wanting to do date night, My wife be
wanting to do day night. You gonna blame date night.
Read read music sometimes my wife saw somehow. You know,
(40:44):
she always makes up my fault. Let's go ahead and
tell what you got for me, Walk on by. I
feel like.
Speaker 4 (40:57):
That was the first song that as I got older,
I realize you were pretty much telling people mind your business,
mind your business.
Speaker 2 (41:06):
If you see me, just.
Speaker 4 (41:10):
Just keep on going, keep it listen, stay out of
my business. Just keep on you know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (41:17):
Just flat out to see you? Bye?
Speaker 2 (41:19):
Was was that? Was you talking to somebody? You know? How?
You know the kids do now? In the comments?
Speaker 1 (41:26):
Yeah, yeah, yep. I didn't write the song, but it
was a timely time to sing it.
Speaker 4 (41:38):
Mm yeah, purpose gone. So how did you feel when
you heard Isaac Hayes's.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
Version Love Love Today Love It? I that man just
took it to a completely mother round. Yeah, Like I said,
what is your problem? Why are you doing this to me?
Speaker 2 (42:08):
You.
Speaker 1 (42:09):
Oh, I loved it, loved it.
Speaker 4 (42:13):
Do you feel as if like like these songs because
you have so many, so many records that artists were
covering of yours, not just because at this point there's
no it's not they're not sampling it.
Speaker 1 (42:24):
They're covering the songs.
Speaker 4 (42:25):
Do you feel like they were making the songs bigger
even when you will go and perform them now to
over the years.
Speaker 1 (42:32):
They're keeping them alive. They keeping music alive, which is
so exciting for me. You know this. My granddaughter called me, Grammy, Yeah,
have you heard what's idea?
Speaker 2 (42:58):
Can you get one of dog send me one of
those guts And.
Speaker 1 (43:06):
She explained to me who she was and what he
had recorded. I had no.
Speaker 4 (43:11):
Idea and one of the biggest.
Speaker 1 (43:15):
Artists that I'll tell you. That's what's going on, Bunnie.
These babies are finally thing. Oh that's music.
Speaker 2 (43:27):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 1 (43:27):
I want to be a part of that, which is
very exciting to me. And what they've done is they
just it just hit rejuvenating deond Warwick, which is lovely. Yeah.
And I get nice calls from them, you know.
Speaker 2 (43:46):
It's nice to hear the new generation even desire that
to want to to want to understand it, like, because
what happens is is that when this Doja Cat song
comes out, these kids are so smart and so resourceful,
(44:09):
like they're going down the rabbit hole to find the
original music and they are loving it. They're getting smack
on it because there's nothing else like it. One is.
No one is even trying to venture and and dare
I say I can't?
Speaker 1 (44:30):
No, I don't say that.
Speaker 2 (44:32):
Well, they haven't. They haven't. They haven't studied to learn
how to get to that place, like that place is
not a it's not a place you loock up on.
Speaker 1 (44:44):
No, that has to stop and think. Every single song
or whatever these babies are doing, they're all sound exactly
the same. And that's only because it's allous now once
they so hearing me hear yeah, jake ye, they said,
(45:14):
oh I don't want to try that. Yeah, And that's
what's going on now.
Speaker 2 (45:19):
And I'm hoping that's what's going on because I'm starting
to hear producers now finally be a lot more musical
and not locked into eight bars, not locked into sixteen bars.
I'm hearing. I'm hearing real pianists play for progressions and
things like I'm starting to hear that and people are
doing what's new and now on top of that. But
(45:43):
the musical bed, it's like, did you hear yeah? Exactly
so again harsh saying they can't but they're they're they're
not programmed to just yet.
Speaker 1 (45:55):
Well they're on the road.
Speaker 2 (45:56):
They're on the road, yes, as they keep digging in
the grate and there's.
Speaker 1 (46:01):
Nothing wrong with that. I am so happy about it.
I am. It's exciting that they are discovering the real deal.
Speaker 2 (46:10):
I'm gonna talk about yourself. The real deal says here
uh induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, child,
that's chill handsome. If you only knew any.
Speaker 1 (46:31):
You know, I gots say.
Speaker 2 (46:35):
I was.
Speaker 1 (46:37):
First of all, I didn't even know I would have
been nominated at first song and somebody, you know, they
you had to be nominated for Rocohlolfer. I said, okay,
I am how nice is that? But very wonderful, And
of course I didn't make it. And yet they nominated
(46:59):
me the second time and didn't make it, and then
they called and said, we are putting you in the
Rock and Roll Hall of thing. You don't have to
be voted on, so who was the hater? Who knows?
(47:20):
I didn't care I was there or not. I am
not a rock.
Speaker 2 (47:26):
Oh yeah, you know.
Speaker 1 (47:29):
I just feel if they are going to put DIONN.
Wallick into the Rock and Roll Hall of Things, they're
gonna put a dollary party into the rock and Roll
Hall of Thing. Then they got it, took goes and
change it to the music Hall of Thing because you're
covering every genre. Now, not what you created that for.
(47:53):
Mm hmm to call it the music Hall of Thing?
Speaker 2 (47:57):
Yeah, why is it called the rock and roll Hall created?
Speaker 1 (48:00):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (48:02):
I get it, but put that stamp on it. They
want to put their stamp on it. We're to get
too deep. So how many Grammys?
Speaker 1 (48:13):
I six six?
Speaker 2 (48:16):
I have a certificate?
Speaker 1 (48:21):
Did you get to Plock to Hang on you?
Speaker 2 (48:31):
Jennifer Hudson one R and B Album of the Year?
I produced and roll on that album and send me
a piece of paper after she won, And I just said,
I just don't think it's right. So every time somebody says,
do you have a Grammy? I say, yes, it's just
in paper form, so you should.
Speaker 1 (48:51):
Have gotten They should have sent you one as well.
Speaker 2 (48:56):
I'm gonna let you say it I'm gonnahow run up
in there and say it's din. Warwick said, you don't
give me my grammy, it's gonna be some problems in here. Yeah.
And if you don't give me my grammy, when you
see me walk on by, you see me in the street,
walk home by you, you'll never get well. Listen, you
(49:37):
know we don't. I'm gonna keep you along. We just
want to make sure you play them right now. Player,
(49:58):
we we we know you know a lot of me music. Yeah,
you have sang and written and recorded and orchestrated moments
go down in history. But what the people want to know,
what people want to know, what they want to know
(50:21):
is the music that means the most to you. And
we call that your what is it called top five?
Your top five?
Speaker 1 (50:39):
Top five?
Speaker 2 (50:43):
You're top five R and Basingers you are. And the
songs we got to know before you go here are
the show your Yes, yeah, top give us one name
(51:16):
you five, mister An Warwick, Yes, your top five, R
(51:40):
and B. We're gonna song.
Speaker 1 (51:42):
Okay, little diddicl. Neither one of us be the first
to say good bye gladys to night.
Speaker 2 (51:53):
Hm hm.
Speaker 1 (51:56):
Oh here and now huh a little Diddy.
Speaker 2 (52:03):
Yeah. By the way, come on, tell me, I know
where you're going with it.
Speaker 1 (52:10):
Written by my son.
Speaker 2 (52:19):
Oh yeah, we port Champagne believe it.
Speaker 1 (52:23):
Song Stevie wanted to record it called my Love.
Speaker 2 (52:28):
M hmm, yeah, I don't know my Love.
Speaker 1 (52:33):
We we in the incredible song. As Stevie is right,
we have homework, very spiritual song and it's the kind
of song in fact that can be or could be
used as his friends same thing. Yeah, oh thing called
(53:04):
bad huh yo.
Speaker 2 (53:07):
Man, Michael Jackson, that that came out of nowhere.
Speaker 1 (53:17):
Another one of my favorites. Oh, let me think he
you know, I had to stop and thinking about it,
I'd be talking about Oldish Redding and I'd be talking
about James Brown with with so anyway, those is fine
me too. I think it's called turner off the lights off. Yes,
(53:46):
that's theater. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (53:52):
So would you say your favorite songs and or top
five songs and top five singers are going to be different?
You just did songs, but you also named the artists.
So is that like like a combo platter?
Speaker 1 (54:07):
Yeah? I know anything they saying, that's.
Speaker 2 (54:10):
The first combo platter we've ever had on the R
and B Money podcast, and because it is miss Dion Warwick,
we accept it absolutely. Oh absolutely absolutely, you do what
you want. Okay. So we're gonna make what's called a voltron, right,
(54:32):
and a voltron is like your super R and B artists.
So we want to know what person would you get
the vocal from? What person would you get the performance
style from? What person would you get the styling from?
And which person would you get the passion from? So
let's start with the vocal. What artists of all the
(54:55):
artists you know that you love, would you get the
one vocal from to build your super R n B artists?
One vocal? Oh?
Speaker 1 (55:06):
God, matthis Jennie mash matthis?
Speaker 2 (55:18):
Yeah, yeah, San Francisco. Okay, all right, you flex that
performance style on stage?
Speaker 1 (55:29):
Oh performance Sammy Davis Jr.
Speaker 2 (55:34):
The Ultimate entertainer.
Speaker 1 (55:36):
Absolutely yeah, that's mean.
Speaker 2 (55:45):
The styling, the drip styling.
Speaker 1 (55:50):
Are you.
Speaker 2 (55:53):
Thank Carol mm hmm elegant classic? Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 1 (56:01):
She's one of my mentors. Wow, Lena Horn, Elfus Gerald, Sara,
these ladies I made me their own.
Speaker 2 (56:14):
Do you think that we can I think we can
get that now. Someone just has to do it. I
just have to do it. I'm talking to my daughter,
talking to Jordan, and I.
Speaker 1 (56:26):
Can answer that because unfortunately, and I don't know what
it puts us into their little brains. And but then
they do own the industry at this point in our time,
but they feel they invented show business. Nobody can tell
(56:46):
them anything, nobody and they have so much to learn,
but it's their business.
Speaker 2 (56:57):
Sound I'm preaching to my daughter, elegance. Elegance, it's so needed,
so needed. Okay. Last one, the passion of the artist,
like the heart of the artists. Who who have you
heard it really means it? Who have you seen it
really means it?
Speaker 1 (57:14):
Who immediately comes to mind?
Speaker 2 (57:16):
James to shake that church up?
Speaker 4 (57:24):
Tell me about its Grandmama had me own that.
Speaker 2 (57:31):
Couldn't listen to nothing else. Don't you turn down, James,
don't you turn him down and turn that boof turn
that turn off that boom boom you go there to me?
Speaker 4 (57:46):
I have to ask, is there anything over time, like
what's the wildest thing that you bought? All those years, well,
all those all those years of getting to the money,
getting to the money, first hit records, your first record?
Speaker 2 (58:04):
You do? You go on tour?
Speaker 4 (58:06):
You do? You were doing million dollar deals when no
one else worth assuming people, he's getting your money, He's
getting to the money.
Speaker 2 (58:17):
What is the craziest or wildest thing you bought that
you just look back and like, why that? Why the world?
Speaker 1 (58:24):
My first car? I saw a car in the window.
I want that car, and I had the money deny it.
(58:47):
And I was not looking my best that day when
I walked into the dealship and I said, how much
your that car? And they told me. I said, okay,
can can I drive it out of here? If you're
(59:09):
gonna pay for it? I said, yeah, I'm gonna pay
for it. This should You're gonna pay for it? I said, yes,
I'm gonna pay for it. And he said, how are
you gonna pay for it? Then me give you a
check right now? Oh, well, we have to verify so
we can call the bank. Then lets you know I
(59:32):
got some money to pay for it. Can I drive
it out of here? Sure? He can't. They called the bank.
Let's say give her four causes.
Speaker 2 (59:48):
Y'all, y'all to.
Speaker 1 (59:57):
My first cab.
Speaker 2 (59:59):
Oh had the rider.
Speaker 1 (01:00:03):
It's a green car. I called her the green hornets. Yeah,
that was the craziest thing.
Speaker 2 (01:00:10):
Did you did you pull up on him, though, I
did you pull drove there in it? Did you? Did
you pull up on some friends? You see me?
Speaker 1 (01:00:18):
You see me? You want to ride up?
Speaker 2 (01:00:24):
Not in the green hornets.
Speaker 1 (01:00:27):
Yeah, that was proudly.
Speaker 4 (01:00:30):
The craziest Yeah, and that was off the first record
or that you had. Yeah, a couple of records by
the time. Yeah, yeah, a couple by the time. Okay,
she had whole dealership. She can buy forty Yeah, give
her four. We'd like to also show you the Blue
One if you want to want Jesse, you want to.
Speaker 1 (01:00:51):
Blue l.
Speaker 2 (01:00:54):
One. We got one more see one more segment for you.
I ain't saying no nick. Hey, I ain't saying no names. Yeah,
I ain't saying no names. I ain't saying no names.
Where you was, what you did? Don't see. I ain't
(01:01:16):
saying no names.
Speaker 1 (01:01:25):
That get no names?
Speaker 2 (01:01:32):
Uh? So ms Dion, Can I cuss before I say
what I got? You know, because even on this show,
I've been.
Speaker 1 (01:01:41):
Known, I've had a couple of customers.
Speaker 2 (01:01:47):
Yeah, but I'm gonna be very respectful.
Speaker 4 (01:01:50):
Okay, So this segment of the show, it's important, it's
called uh, I ain't saying no names. And he tells
the story funny and fucked up our funny amp fucked
up in your time in this music business. Things you've said,
something you've dealt with. But the only rule to this
game you just can't say the names. You can say, well,
(01:02:12):
you've been whatever, all of that. You just can't say
who's there?
Speaker 1 (01:02:17):
Okay? Oh golly.
Speaker 2 (01:02:22):
Mm hm hm hm.
Speaker 1 (01:02:30):
I was at still Apollo Theater and the young lady
that was dressed me. It was in the dressing room
and this woman walked into the dressing room and just
shot down and uh an Least said, can I help you? Oh,
(01:02:55):
I'm here? You there? Yeah, okay, do you know her? Yeah?
I know her. I'm related to her. Oh okay, how
are you? She and my cousin? Okay, cousin so here,
I come booking, you booking your bulley And she's dressed him.
(01:03:16):
And I walked by this woman and I said, hey, dahnay,
who who is that?
Speaker 2 (01:03:24):
She said?
Speaker 1 (01:03:24):
She said, I said, oh really? So I walked down
and I said hello, Hi, I said, and what's your name?
And she gave me her name. I said, and why
are you here?
Speaker 2 (01:03:45):
Yo?
Speaker 1 (01:03:45):
Well, that's none of your business, I said, Oh I yeah,
I think it is. She said, no, no, it's none
of your's. I'm here to see my cousin. I said, well,
who is your cousin, Dionne Warwick? I said she should cousin?
Really who who? Who's your mother? Who's your father? It
(01:04:08):
was just one of those on on on. I said,
so you're here to see Dr Warwick. She said yes,
if that's any of your business. I said, well, as
it turns out it is. And what makes it your business?
I said, cause I'm dion Warwick. And she literally after
(01:04:31):
she's gonna pass out because she got caught in this wagmire.
If she had built up her own I said, woman,
get out of my dressing room now, please, Well, I
want I know now out. She gonna look at it
(01:04:51):
in my face and told me she's here just t
me and don't know.
Speaker 2 (01:04:54):
No, get your attitude are okay?
Speaker 1 (01:04:58):
It gave me attitude.
Speaker 2 (01:05:00):
She's crazy. I ain't here for you, my cousin, my cousin,
my cousin.
Speaker 1 (01:05:08):
Yeah. You know, people are crazy. That's very interesting, the
word crazy. He's crazy. They're very interesting. M They come
up with some of the weirdest things. And I don't know,
(01:05:29):
I've been in situations where they become possessive, you know.
And some of my friends have done that to me
and I've had to calm them down. Oh yeah, it
went just one day. I'm in the here. Uh no,
(01:05:49):
you don't do that.
Speaker 2 (01:05:51):
You know.
Speaker 1 (01:05:52):
I've been your friend since kindergarten. I will always be
your friend. But you do not own me.
Speaker 2 (01:06:00):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 1 (01:06:01):
Yeah, don't even come on with that craziness. Yeah, you're
jealous of each other, I'm thinking, and somebody else's company.
But you didn't come see me. No, I didn't come
see you. You're right, I didn't, and the I has
not changed each all, never will. I don't see any
reason for it. I like me, I do.
Speaker 2 (01:06:23):
I like me.
Speaker 4 (01:06:25):
We like you too, We love you, And you just
summed up for aspiring artists and for and for current
artists and successful artists how to deal.
Speaker 2 (01:06:37):
With it, Like you said, just be you and you
have to like you. You know.
Speaker 1 (01:06:45):
You know my grandfather told me that ages and ages,
I was a little bitty thing. He said, why would
you want to be anybody other than you? Why? Very special?
He was God made you, You only made one of you.
Might want to be somebody else? Yeah, yeah, that's why
(01:07:08):
I laugh. But some of my friends who have gone
that Madden New line of getting done yeah and done,
yeah done here and done yeah yeah everywhere he could
finally do. And I tell him all the time, what
(01:07:28):
in the world you try to do? You can't improve
upon perfection God made that. I can't improve That's a perfection.
Cannot improve on it. And our grandfather also told me
my grandpa was one of the wise men in the world,
second only to Jesus. Okay, but he told me a
(01:07:50):
long time I was in how fussing like crazy about nothing,
just got about. He said, baby girls, don't you said nothing?
It is something must be wrong with you in there,
going on and on and on. I said, I don't
even know how I'm done with Grandpa. I really don't.
(01:08:13):
He said, let me tell you something. Don't you ever
forget this? He said, you're in there frowning and counting on.
You know, frownally gives your wrinkles, smiling, doesn't. I haven't
such smile since that day. I refuse, I'm not gonna
have a wrinkle. I'm just not gonna do it.
Speaker 2 (01:08:36):
I get it.
Speaker 4 (01:08:37):
I get this little botox. It's called brotox act. It
is not score botox. Man, stop doing it. Stop she said,
you can't improve perfection. Man's right, chill out.
Speaker 2 (01:08:56):
I'm not trying to improve it, just want the last
longer smile.
Speaker 1 (01:09:04):
Here you go.
Speaker 2 (01:09:07):
Well, miss Dione Warwick. First of all, we want to
say thank you, thank you for paving a hell of
a way for us.
Speaker 1 (01:09:17):
You kidding. It's been a joy to me and for me.
Speaker 2 (01:09:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:09:25):
Music is a healer and I've seen it work. Yeah,
and I thrilled to be a part of it.
Speaker 2 (01:09:35):
Yeah, I really well, we feel it.
Speaker 1 (01:09:38):
Thank you, and.
Speaker 2 (01:09:41):
It will that feeling will linger on through the animal
of time. Oh so sure? Oh yeah it is.
Speaker 1 (01:09:49):
It is the sound safety smiling.
Speaker 2 (01:09:52):
Hey, okay, funny is Tank Jave Valentine And this is
the R and Mondy podcast, the authority on all things
R and B. And this has been the elegant, the timeless,
(01:10:13):
the absolute amazing Mistiaple R and B Money.
Speaker 4 (01:10:24):
R and B Money is a production of the Black
Effect podcast Network. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the
iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your
favorite shows. Don't forget to subscribe to and rate our show,
and you can connect with us on social media at
Jy Valentine and at the Real Tank. For the extended episode,
(01:10:46):
subscribe to YouTube dot com or slash r and B
money
Hosts And Creators
Tank
J. Valentine
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