March 11, 2025 • 27 mins
Getting together after so many years isn’t without its bumps. After working through a few
personality clashes, the band hits another obstacle–a big one. eeling from a recent breakup and a death in her family, Cupcake finds herself unable to sing lead vocals.
The band manages to knock out their new songs, but none feature the show-stopping vocalist at the forefront. Is this really an Edge of Daybreak album without her?
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
An a and original podcast. Los Angeles has no shortage
of recording studios, but there aren't that many that occupy
the place in American pop history that Sunset Sound does.
More than three hundred gold albums have been recorded there.
(00:21):
The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds, the Stones exile on Main Street.
It's where Prints created Purple Rain. This is where Edge
of Daybreak would begin recording its second album. The place
doesn't look like much from the outside, but it was
a far cry from the prison visiting room where the
band recorded Eyes of Love. Sunset Sound is a little
(00:43):
three room bungalow with wood shingles and some wavy psychedelic
lettering that looks straight out of the Summer of Love.
But inside there are vintage microphones, sprawling consoles that look
like they belong at NASA, and recording booths that occupy
mythical status. The morning of September ninth, twenty twenty two,
(01:04):
three outsider artists pulled up to that studio feeling excited
but uncertain. In the last conversation I had with Neil,
Jamal and Cupcake before we left Virginia, they told me
just what this moment meant to them. Jamala was philosophical.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Why many people got the second time and ran to
do what we did and what we're getting ready to
do again. This is just a second awaken me.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Cupcake wanted to make a name for herself.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
I want to leave a real legacy. I don't want
to be known as Cupcake Queen or Richmond. I wanted
to be known as Cupcake.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
What the word?
Speaker 1 (01:40):
And Neil, well, he was really certain.
Speaker 5 (01:43):
I told him, I want to be the most sought
out the song right, idea is out there.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
That's what I planned to be.
Speaker 6 (01:49):
It ain't after that they can give him some awards.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Their first day in the studio was a Friday. That
morning at sunset sound, Cupcake was definitely channeling her inner
rock star. She stepped out of our suv wearing striped
white pants, a bright red tank top, and matching high
top sneakers. Neil was slightly more subdued in an abstract
floral button down in his walking cane. Jamal went with
(02:22):
the clean and classic look, white T shirt, black shades.
They all looked ready for action.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
They opened a door here, but good mom, how you doing?
Speaker 7 (02:36):
Good morning? Good morning.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Their producer, Steve Lindsay was already inside along with several
session musicians. Today, they would be recording the backing tracks.
All the band had to do was sing along to
guide the musicians. They'd lay down their final tracks in
the coming days. The studio was buzzing. Steve was in
(03:05):
his element amongst the cacophony of instruments and chatter. He
was energetic and at ease. He'd later describe the studio
as his temple. He introduced Neil, Jamal and Cupcake to
the musicians, many of whom were legends in their own right.
Speaker 5 (03:22):
What's up?
Speaker 2 (03:23):
He saw me traveling, carry my amp and lifting all
that hits a bit, still look the same.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
The man holding down the rhythm section was none other
than Ray Parker Junior, the legendary guitarist, singer, and songwriter.
You probably know him best from the iconic Ghostbusters theme
song He's played with Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder, Barry White,
and Aretha Franklin. Neil, Jamal and Cupcake had spent their
(03:50):
lives listening to these artists, including Ray. When Neil met him,
he added an honorific to his name.
Speaker 5 (04:00):
Hey man, Good to meet you man.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Cupcake meanwhile, was introducing herself to the bass player. Freddie Washington,
mister Washington.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Oh yeah, it's basically right, Freddy.
Speaker 5 (04:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Well, I ain't gonna forget that. I wouldn't be hanging
out inside. I wanted to give them the space to
be creative, and I knew I'd be hearing the tape
later and catching all the moments I missed, like this one.
This is Neil finally getting to try out the pitch
I'd heard him rehearsing for years.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
I got fifty song the moook ready to go all right,
and I got songs.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
That I'm composed of.
Speaker 5 (04:36):
The artist's top on it like Dada, God, God, Beyonce.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
I got steal the Dan you O'donald Fagan.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
I work with, I worked with Studiday. I just came
off tour with it.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
To me, this felt like more than a fun moment
of synchronicity. It felt a little like Neil was trying
to show that he belonged in the room too.
Speaker 7 (04:56):
Well.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
I do a lot of Stealiday.
Speaker 6 (04:57):
That's my favorite group.
Speaker 8 (04:59):
Mind too.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
They know they've heard me do all that stuff, and
they couldn't believe it. Between the bona fide session musicians,
the high tech equipment, and the big time La producer.
This recording session could not have been more different than
that five hour prison band room session in nineteen seventy nine.
Speaker 5 (05:49):
The next song is Beautiful Brown ass from New Orleans.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
That's Neil's original cassette demo, A Beautiful Brown Eyes from
New Orleans. That day in the studio was the first
time Neil would hear a full arrangement of that song.
Steve and his team made it more lush and textured,
with a focus on harmonies. Their new music was going
(06:28):
to feature some instrumentation that The Edge of Daybreak didn't
have the first time around, something Jamal always wished they
did have.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Hawns to me, owns kind of put that main ingredient.
You know, if you got a nice old cake or
a path, it's kind of like the whipped cream on
the path or cherry on top of the cake.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Brown Eyes was one thing, but Neil was still feeling
protective of his other track, Classic, the one he'd been
working on all week and struggling with because of some
unexpected changes to his lyrics. Musically, the band was transforming
this one too. The horn jabs made it punchier, the
rhythm more precise.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
Your man.
Speaker 5 (07:36):
To tang tanged. Okay, it just.
Speaker 4 (07:39):
Lost its Let's go back to what we were.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
Doing and make this man.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
Jim on this time. When do you play piano? All right?
You know, like.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Like those Eisley brother piano pianos. The musicians got into
their zone pretty quickly. That's what studio players do. They're amazing.
They step in and they can play pretty much anything
on the spot. But the one thing I didn't hear
a lot of was Cupcake, Cupcake, Cupcake. Today wasn't the
(08:26):
most crucial day for her vocals, but still Cupcake was
uncharacteristically fading into the background. Her big song was still
in Love, the track that she, Steve and Dylan had
come up with during their writing sessions earlier in the week.
But when the musicians started laying down their instrumentals, Cupcake
(08:48):
seemed uneasy. She wasn't fully herself. Steve and the musicians
just kind of did their thing. Well. She observed it all.
At one point she went to sit in a room
away from our bandmates.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
When they were in there doing the whatever they were
doing that when they were talking to Freddy and Ray,
I was sitting in the little vestibute eat. They ain't
seen to miss me. So I'm not gonna push my
way into something where if you seem let I'm not
wanted or needed, I ain't.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Going in there.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
When it was all said and done, though, that first
day served its purpose, the band now had the instrumentals
they needed for five of their new tracks. We headed
back to their rental apartment to relax and more importantly,
to prepare for that following Monday, their first day of vocals.
(09:49):
I'd heard the band sing together harmonizing in Richmond. I
thought they sounded great, but they were out of practice
and they knew they had work to do. So we
hired an La vocal Code, which for them to work
with before their studio sessions were over a period of
two days, they'd be singing lead and background vocals on
all five songs. The coach is kJ Rose.
Speaker 9 (10:11):
Very nice to meet you guys. You can have a seat,
okay right there.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Neil told kJ about their concerns right away.
Speaker 5 (10:19):
We hadn't been together to do nothing, and it's gonna
be kind of ragging and roll.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 9 (10:25):
I don't think it's gonna be ragging and row.
Speaker 5 (10:26):
Now I'm saying what we've been doing yes for the
fast two days because you know, we ain't in the
mood for Let's practice five hours.
Speaker 6 (10:33):
You know what I'm saying, and.
Speaker 5 (10:34):
Get this thing the way we want it done.
Speaker 6 (10:36):
Get it done right, you know.
Speaker 5 (10:37):
But we're gonna get the information from you and Steve
and everybody else.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Before kJ got into the mechanics of their vocals, she
got them started on some exercises around intention.
Speaker 9 (10:48):
Who do you have in mind that you're singing this
song to It makes misto?
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Yes, it makes mistal in my life.
Speaker 9 (10:59):
Let's go because they got to come ready.
Speaker 7 (11:02):
Because you're getting ready, I'm getting ready.
Speaker 9 (11:04):
They can't come halfway and.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
I'm pulling my wig back up.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
I love it all right. At the time, I didn't
fully appreciate it, and I'm embarrassed to think about it now.
Cupcake was going through a breakup. I'd seen her cracking
jokes and checking out guys during our trip, but I
didn't fully appreciate what was going on underneath all of that.
She was processing a major life change. When kJ had
(11:32):
them doing exercise where Cupcake had to speak to a mirror,
her relationship was again front of mind.
Speaker 9 (11:40):
Cupcake, what's the why why you so dope.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
Why you cupcake?
Speaker 4 (11:48):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Did so shit together? What is wrong with you?
Speaker 3 (11:52):
Let the world know who you are, my legacy.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
Let them know who you are, Yes, legacy.
Speaker 9 (12:02):
I love it Okay.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
With kJ pushing her cupcakes sounded strong and confident, they
all did.
Speaker 9 (12:10):
Here we go one, two three, and you Destiny.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
Check it out good. Okay.
Speaker 9 (12:18):
Now let's just finesse the you're so that we know
that somebody out there makes they feel like you're talking
exactly to them. We're talking to somebody. We're talking to
your nieces and your nephews. We're talking to the people
that are still in the penitentiary that need this type
of elevation. Here we go one, two three, n.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
You Destiny check it out good.
Speaker 9 (12:40):
No break on the Destiny. Here we go one one time.
Speaker 7 (12:43):
Here we go, de.
Speaker 6 (12:48):
Check it out good.
Speaker 9 (12:49):
I love that out. I love that out. Check it out,
give me the check it out.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
The band spent the weekend working with kJ Neil spend
Money with Dylan going over those new vocals for his
song Classic to make sure he'd be fully prepared when
it was his turn to sing. Then on Tuesday, the
whole group convened at a different studio in Beechwood Canyon,
a residential neighborhood right at the base of the Hollywood Hills.
(13:16):
As we drove up, we could see the famed Hollywood
Sign right above us. Cupcakes showed up wearing a straw
cap she'd picked up in Chinatown over the weekend. She
and Jamal seemed relaxed well. Neil was still a little rattled,
and despite the extra session with Dylan, Neil was still
having a hard time remembering the new lyrics to Classic.
Speaker 4 (13:40):
For the Course. For me, it sounds for of a
hit to go because I would be the magic.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
There were some more late breaking changes. Those took a
little more coaxing.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
It can be a classic.
Speaker 6 (14:10):
I want to be a press and I want to
be class Okay, I wrote the song five times.
Speaker 4 (14:17):
That's better than fifty. Living in La.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
This was a big day. They were recording backing vocals,
which might sound like it's lesser stakes than the lead
vocals that would happen the following day, but this was
an important technical challenge. They wouldn't actually be harmonizing as
a group. The band members needed to sing each of
their parts one at a time in the booth, listening
(14:45):
to playback in their headphones.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
We'll figure out what all the parts and got which
blend is the best bland, who's on the best bar?
And then yeah yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
There were a bunch of people crammed into that little
studio space. The new faces seemed to energize the band.
Jamal and Cupcake were telling stories. Neil was showing off
his songbook again. Then it was time to start. The
room got really quiet. First up was Jamal. He walked
(15:17):
into a tiny space the size of a telephone booth,
popped on the giant headphones, and stepped up to the mic,
looking me.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
A classic Yeah, can you see that part? Is that
your brain? The magic?
Speaker 2 (15:38):
I think that's right right?
Speaker 1 (15:46):
The magic was there. It took some warming up. Sure,
one more time, more.
Speaker 7 (15:59):
Time our loved to I Okay, sorry, I know it's
confusing about it.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
But to me, this didn't sound like a band way
past its expiration date. It was clear they had something right.
(16:31):
That was Cupcake finding her placed in the group's harmony.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
I lost a little of my false settle, lost a
lot of my false settle, a lot of my channel.
But I made it work. I feel like I made
it work. I know I was one of the most
I was one of the loudest things in there. You
could hear it be My voice didn't get weak, he
got stronger, but he just lost some of that feminine
(16:55):
characteristic to it.
Speaker 4 (16:59):
Cool all right.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
The background vocals came together in a kind of repetitive
loop for each song, Jamal then Neil, then Cupcake, each
singing their parts. Sometimes they'd get in the booth together.
Sometimes they were solo, so the next.
Speaker 4 (17:15):
Part, let's get Cupcake and Neil.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
By the end of the day, I honestly couldn't say
what was in the can, but I knew it sounded promising.
(17:55):
The plan was for each of the band members to
sing lead on a song or two back by the others.
Speaker 4 (18:04):
Don't you remain.
Speaker 6 (18:08):
Namen, we said, forever, okay, for good eternity.
Speaker 5 (18:18):
It would be if.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
We just whold long to our belief.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
This is Neil on Beautiful Brown Eyes from New Orleans.
It's more somber track. On classic Neil sounds more spirited.
Speaker 9 (18:37):
Talk to me like hurd a kid.
Speaker 5 (18:41):
You know that, Alma, don't forget.
Speaker 6 (18:44):
It will be a lovely won forgot like mooning Owen Julie.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Going into that last day of recording, there were three
songs left, one for Cupcake and two for Jamal.
Speaker 8 (19:02):
All Right, we're rolling, all right, we're here with Jamal
Newby and it's the final day in Los Angeles. Jamal,
how are you feeling about everything so far?
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Man?
Speaker 2 (19:15):
I'm feeling okay right now. Man, I'm really looking forward
getting a studio receiver. And this day is the day
that we game for to put everything to go.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
You know, Jamal was getting ready to tackle your destiny
for the second time. This was a little surreal. It
had been a lifetime since he'd first written those lyrics,
but this was also the song they've been practicing all week.
When Jamal got into the booth, he was confident, you're.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
Countain of the ship.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
When are you saying so real to you? Navigating your
own destiny?
Speaker 4 (20:00):
Yeah?
Speaker 8 (20:01):
Yeah, just.
Speaker 4 (20:05):
Take it out.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
Neil and Cupcake hit those backup notes they've been practicing
for weeks. Here's how it all came together. The next
(20:37):
and last song they'd record that day was Still in Love,
Cupcake song she'd been preparing all week.
Speaker 7 (20:44):
Oh words, get in the way, nothing more to say, stealing, low,
stealing loah.
Speaker 4 (21:00):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
But when it came time to get in the booth,
something had changed. Jamal and Neil told me Cupcake just
wasn't up for it.
Speaker 5 (21:11):
He was all upset about a little bit of everything.
He had lost his love of friend whatever you're gonna
call that.
Speaker 6 (21:17):
Broke up.
Speaker 5 (21:17):
That's what he was all upset about out that, you know.
And he couldn't function well. But anyway, he didn't tell
nobody that, but we knew that. He listened to him
talk on the.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
Phone, you know.
Speaker 5 (21:26):
We didn't bring it up, and we let it be,
hoping that he'd be all right with that.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
Cupcake told me she wasn't functioning well. She wasn't herself.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
I don't know what happened when we went to California.
I didn't have a voice. I didn't have a note
to throw out that.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
She also told me she felt a little overshadowed by
her bandmates. She felt like they kind of pushed her
to the back.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
I was the salad partner. Basically, she got lost.
Speaker 5 (21:53):
In his house.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
Jamal stepped forward instead. He sang the lead on still
in Love, and he was in his element.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Not bad, what the gonna do? Because I love you,
you love it, We love it to the wool girl.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
Now still still still in the next day, the band
finished their lead vocals on two more tracks, Jamal and
Niels respectively, and that was it. After forty plus years,
(22:39):
they had done what they set out to do.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
Everybody that participated in this project many time nuts. They
got their own fan crew, they got their own followers.
They they already got their own legend, you know. So
this is a this really is as a legendary record.
When I look at this whole thing that I don't
been through, this whole ordeal that I've been through was
(23:03):
a journey towards my destiny.
Speaker 5 (23:06):
You know.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Now I feel like I'm stepping into my destiny and
it's just about tangible. I can reach it. This is
still like a dream to me, man, you know what
I mean, Even though all this is unfolding before my eyes,
it's still like a dream to me.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
Jamal felt good about what he'd accomplished, but Cupcake couldn't
help but think that when the session was all said
and done, she hadn't gotten what she came for. She
wanted to prove to her friends and family in Richmond
and to herself that she still had it, but somehow
she'd only ended up as a background singer for Jamal
(23:45):
and Neil.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Believe me, when you see me with everything that I
have or everything that I've got, it's because I waited
my turn. So I'm listening. I'm like that. I don't
push nothing at nobody, just like I've been waiting for
this all my life, waiting. And if I ever get
(24:06):
that chance again, which I'm hoping that A and Egle
like these five and give us a chance to do
three more, they can kiss my foot. I'm gonna stick
my foot in one of them songs, simple as that.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
We left Los Angeles with songs in tow They've done it.
They'd made five new tracks, and from what I'd heard
of them in the studio, their voices sounded great, but
something seemed off. Did they just finish a new Edge
of Daybreak album without Cupcake being featured on at least
one track? Back in Richmond, Cupcake had a chance to
(24:54):
sit with what happened, and it wasn't sitting easy. I
would love to be a performer again.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
I would like to do more of it a dpre.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
And the more I sat with it, the more I
agreed there was more to this whole thing than just
pressing an album. This was about giving the entire band
the recognition they deserved. Cupcake needed another chance. I got
on a call with the producers and the decision was unanimous.
Everybody wanted more Cupcake and we were gonna get it.
Speaker 10 (25:28):
Let me show you how it's done about you gotta
stay up late at night partor to rise and sun
because then we know that everything's all right.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
If Cupcake had a second shot, would she be able
to deliver? And once the album was locked, how much
closer would they all be to everything they'd been dreaming
about for years? Is this the comeback they wanted? That's
next time on Sole Incarcerated if you want to hear
(26:14):
more of Edged day Breaks music. Their new EP, New Horizon,
is available on all digital platforms.
Speaker 8 (26:20):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Sole Incarcerated was written and hosted by me Jamie Petris,
co hosted and produced by Dorian Missik, story edited by
Jasmine kah and sound designed by Bill Moss and Isaac Lee.
Executive producers are Mcamie Lynn, Jesse Katz, and Warren Ostergard.
Special thanks to everyone who helped us research this story.
(26:45):
To Marv Hyman, Bill Crawley, and Sanethia Lewis. To the
author Dale Broomfield attorneys David ba and Mara Meltzer Cohen.
To doctor Heather Thompson and Lisha McCarney for lending insights
on American carceral history. Thanks to the entire staff of
the Library of Virginia and to Ben himofharv from the
Henrico County Public Library. To the vocal coaches kJ Rose
(27:09):
and Elise Tunyak A and E's Jennifer and Sonia, Michael Greenwald,
and Elaine Fontaine Bryant. Thanks to the team at silver
Lining Entertainment, One Story Up Productions, the Numeral Group, the
crew at Sunset Sound and In Your Ear Studios, Alex
Lambert Lucas, Benkin, Will Bethel, and Marty Keith. Thanks to
(27:30):
all of the band's friends, family members, and associates who
took the time to talk to me for this story,
and most of all, to the Edge of Daybreak Harry Coleman,
Jamal Nuby, and Neil Cade for sharing it with me.
An a and original podcast. Los Angeles has no shortage
of recording studios, but there aren't that many that occupy
the place in American pop history that Sunset Sound does.
More than three hundred gold albums have been recorded there.
(00:21):
The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds, the Stones exile on Main Street.
It's where Prints created Purple Rain. This is where Edge
of Daybreak would begin recording its second album. The place
doesn't look like much from the outside, but it was
a far cry from the prison visiting room where the
band recorded Eyes of Love. Sunset Sound is a little
(00:43):
three room bungalow with wood shingles and some wavy psychedelic
lettering that looks straight out of the Summer of Love.
But inside there are vintage microphones, sprawling consoles that look
like they belong at NASA, and recording booths that occupy
mythical status. The morning of September ninth, twenty twenty two,
(01:04):
three outsider artists pulled up to that studio feeling excited
but uncertain. In the last conversation I had with Neil,
Jamal and Cupcake before we left Virginia, they told me
just what this moment meant to them. Jamala was philosophical.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Why many people got the second time and ran to
do what we did and what we're getting ready to
do again. This is just a second awaken me.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Cupcake wanted to make a name for herself.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
I want to leave a real legacy. I don't want
to be known as Cupcake Queen or Richmond. I wanted
to be known as Cupcake.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
What the word?
Speaker 1 (01:40):
And Neil, well, he was really certain.
Speaker 5 (01:43):
I told him, I want to be the most sought
out the song right, idea is out there.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
That's what I planned to be.
Speaker 6 (01:49):
It ain't after that they can give him some awards.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Their first day in the studio was a Friday. That
morning at sunset sound, Cupcake was definitely channeling her inner
rock star. She stepped out of our suv wearing striped
white pants, a bright red tank top, and matching high
top sneakers. Neil was slightly more subdued in an abstract
floral button down in his walking cane. Jamal went with
(02:22):
the clean and classic look, white T shirt, black shades.
They all looked ready for action.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
They opened a door here, but good mom, how you doing?
Speaker 7 (02:36):
Good morning? Good morning.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Their producer, Steve Lindsay was already inside along with several
session musicians. Today, they would be recording the backing tracks.
All the band had to do was sing along to
guide the musicians. They'd lay down their final tracks in
the coming days. The studio was buzzing. Steve was in
(03:05):
his element amongst the cacophony of instruments and chatter. He
was energetic and at ease. He'd later describe the studio
as his temple. He introduced Neil, Jamal and Cupcake to
the musicians, many of whom were legends in their own right.
Speaker 5 (03:22):
What's up?
Speaker 2 (03:23):
He saw me traveling, carry my amp and lifting all
that hits a bit, still look the same.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
The man holding down the rhythm section was none other
than Ray Parker Junior, the legendary guitarist, singer, and songwriter.
You probably know him best from the iconic Ghostbusters theme
song He's played with Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder, Barry White,
and Aretha Franklin. Neil, Jamal and Cupcake had spent their
(03:50):
lives listening to these artists, including Ray. When Neil met him,
he added an honorific to his name.
Speaker 5 (04:00):
Hey man, Good to meet you man.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Cupcake meanwhile, was introducing herself to the bass player. Freddie Washington,
mister Washington.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Oh yeah, it's basically right, Freddy.
Speaker 5 (04:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Well, I ain't gonna forget that. I wouldn't be hanging
out inside. I wanted to give them the space to
be creative, and I knew I'd be hearing the tape
later and catching all the moments I missed, like this one.
This is Neil finally getting to try out the pitch
I'd heard him rehearsing for years.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
I got fifty song the moook ready to go all right,
and I got songs.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
That I'm composed of.
Speaker 5 (04:36):
The artist's top on it like Dada, God, God, Beyonce.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
I got steal the Dan you O'donald Fagan.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
I work with, I worked with Studiday. I just came
off tour with it.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
To me, this felt like more than a fun moment
of synchronicity. It felt a little like Neil was trying
to show that he belonged in the room too.
Speaker 7 (04:56):
Well.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
I do a lot of Stealiday.
Speaker 6 (04:57):
That's my favorite group.
Speaker 8 (04:59):
Mind too.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
They know they've heard me do all that stuff, and
they couldn't believe it. Between the bona fide session musicians,
the high tech equipment, and the big time La producer.
This recording session could not have been more different than
that five hour prison band room session in nineteen seventy nine.
Speaker 5 (05:49):
The next song is Beautiful Brown ass from New Orleans.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
That's Neil's original cassette demo, A Beautiful Brown Eyes from
New Orleans. That day in the studio was the first
time Neil would hear a full arrangement of that song.
Steve and his team made it more lush and textured,
with a focus on harmonies. Their new music was going
(06:28):
to feature some instrumentation that The Edge of Daybreak didn't
have the first time around, something Jamal always wished they
did have.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Hawns to me, owns kind of put that main ingredient.
You know, if you got a nice old cake or
a path, it's kind of like the whipped cream on
the path or cherry on top of the cake.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Brown Eyes was one thing, but Neil was still feeling
protective of his other track, Classic, the one he'd been
working on all week and struggling with because of some
unexpected changes to his lyrics. Musically, the band was transforming
this one too. The horn jabs made it punchier, the
rhythm more precise.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
Your man.
Speaker 5 (07:36):
To tang tanged. Okay, it just.
Speaker 4 (07:39):
Lost its Let's go back to what we were.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
Doing and make this man.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
Jim on this time. When do you play piano? All right?
You know, like.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Like those Eisley brother piano pianos. The musicians got into
their zone pretty quickly. That's what studio players do. They're amazing.
They step in and they can play pretty much anything
on the spot. But the one thing I didn't hear
a lot of was Cupcake, Cupcake, Cupcake. Today wasn't the
(08:26):
most crucial day for her vocals, but still Cupcake was
uncharacteristically fading into the background. Her big song was still
in Love, the track that she, Steve and Dylan had
come up with during their writing sessions earlier in the week.
But when the musicians started laying down their instrumentals, Cupcake
(08:48):
seemed uneasy. She wasn't fully herself. Steve and the musicians
just kind of did their thing. Well. She observed it all.
At one point she went to sit in a room
away from our bandmates.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
When they were in there doing the whatever they were
doing that when they were talking to Freddy and Ray,
I was sitting in the little vestibute eat. They ain't
seen to miss me. So I'm not gonna push my
way into something where if you seem let I'm not
wanted or needed, I ain't.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Going in there.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
When it was all said and done, though, that first
day served its purpose, the band now had the instrumentals
they needed for five of their new tracks. We headed
back to their rental apartment to relax and more importantly,
to prepare for that following Monday, their first day of vocals.
(09:49):
I'd heard the band sing together harmonizing in Richmond. I
thought they sounded great, but they were out of practice
and they knew they had work to do. So we
hired an La vocal Code, which for them to work
with before their studio sessions were over a period of
two days, they'd be singing lead and background vocals on
all five songs. The coach is kJ Rose.
Speaker 9 (10:11):
Very nice to meet you guys. You can have a seat,
okay right there.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Neil told kJ about their concerns right away.
Speaker 5 (10:19):
We hadn't been together to do nothing, and it's gonna
be kind of ragging and roll.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 9 (10:25):
I don't think it's gonna be ragging and row.
Speaker 5 (10:26):
Now I'm saying what we've been doing yes for the
fast two days because you know, we ain't in the
mood for Let's practice five hours.
Speaker 6 (10:33):
You know what I'm saying, and.
Speaker 5 (10:34):
Get this thing the way we want it done.
Speaker 6 (10:36):
Get it done right, you know.
Speaker 5 (10:37):
But we're gonna get the information from you and Steve
and everybody else.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Before kJ got into the mechanics of their vocals, she
got them started on some exercises around intention.
Speaker 9 (10:48):
Who do you have in mind that you're singing this
song to It makes misto?
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Yes, it makes mistal in my life.
Speaker 9 (10:59):
Let's go because they got to come ready.
Speaker 7 (11:02):
Because you're getting ready, I'm getting ready.
Speaker 9 (11:04):
They can't come halfway and.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
I'm pulling my wig back up.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
I love it all right. At the time, I didn't
fully appreciate it, and I'm embarrassed to think about it now.
Cupcake was going through a breakup. I'd seen her cracking
jokes and checking out guys during our trip, but I
didn't fully appreciate what was going on underneath all of that.
She was processing a major life change. When kJ had
(11:32):
them doing exercise where Cupcake had to speak to a mirror,
her relationship was again front of mind.
Speaker 9 (11:40):
Cupcake, what's the why why you so dope.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
Why you cupcake?
Speaker 4 (11:48):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Did so shit together? What is wrong with you?
Speaker 3 (11:52):
Let the world know who you are, my legacy.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
Let them know who you are, Yes, legacy.
Speaker 9 (12:02):
I love it Okay.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
With kJ pushing her cupcakes sounded strong and confident, they
all did.
Speaker 9 (12:10):
Here we go one, two three, and you Destiny.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
Check it out good. Okay.
Speaker 9 (12:18):
Now let's just finesse the you're so that we know
that somebody out there makes they feel like you're talking
exactly to them. We're talking to somebody. We're talking to
your nieces and your nephews. We're talking to the people
that are still in the penitentiary that need this type
of elevation. Here we go one, two three, n.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
You Destiny check it out good.
Speaker 9 (12:40):
No break on the Destiny. Here we go one one time.
Speaker 7 (12:43):
Here we go, de.
Speaker 6 (12:48):
Check it out good.
Speaker 9 (12:49):
I love that out. I love that out. Check it out,
give me the check it out.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
The band spent the weekend working with kJ Neil spend
Money with Dylan going over those new vocals for his
song Classic to make sure he'd be fully prepared when
it was his turn to sing. Then on Tuesday, the
whole group convened at a different studio in Beechwood Canyon,
a residential neighborhood right at the base of the Hollywood Hills.
(13:16):
As we drove up, we could see the famed Hollywood
Sign right above us. Cupcakes showed up wearing a straw
cap she'd picked up in Chinatown over the weekend. She
and Jamal seemed relaxed well. Neil was still a little rattled,
and despite the extra session with Dylan, Neil was still
having a hard time remembering the new lyrics to Classic.
Speaker 4 (13:40):
For the Course. For me, it sounds for of a
hit to go because I would be the magic.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
There were some more late breaking changes. Those took a
little more coaxing.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
It can be a classic.
Speaker 6 (14:10):
I want to be a press and I want to
be class Okay, I wrote the song five times.
Speaker 4 (14:17):
That's better than fifty. Living in La.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
This was a big day. They were recording backing vocals,
which might sound like it's lesser stakes than the lead
vocals that would happen the following day, but this was
an important technical challenge. They wouldn't actually be harmonizing as
a group. The band members needed to sing each of
their parts one at a time in the booth, listening
(14:45):
to playback in their headphones.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
We'll figure out what all the parts and got which
blend is the best bland, who's on the best bar?
And then yeah yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
There were a bunch of people crammed into that little
studio space. The new faces seemed to energize the band.
Jamal and Cupcake were telling stories. Neil was showing off
his songbook again. Then it was time to start. The
room got really quiet. First up was Jamal. He walked
(15:17):
into a tiny space the size of a telephone booth,
popped on the giant headphones, and stepped up to the mic,
looking me.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
A classic Yeah, can you see that part? Is that
your brain? The magic?
Speaker 2 (15:38):
I think that's right right?
Speaker 1 (15:46):
The magic was there. It took some warming up. Sure,
one more time, more.
Speaker 7 (15:59):
Time our loved to I Okay, sorry, I know it's
confusing about it.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
But to me, this didn't sound like a band way
past its expiration date. It was clear they had something right.
(16:31):
That was Cupcake finding her placed in the group's harmony.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
I lost a little of my false settle, lost a
lot of my false settle, a lot of my channel.
But I made it work. I feel like I made
it work. I know I was one of the most
I was one of the loudest things in there. You
could hear it be My voice didn't get weak, he
got stronger, but he just lost some of that feminine
(16:55):
characteristic to it.
Speaker 4 (16:59):
Cool all right.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
The background vocals came together in a kind of repetitive
loop for each song, Jamal then Neil, then Cupcake, each
singing their parts. Sometimes they'd get in the booth together.
Sometimes they were solo, so the next.
Speaker 4 (17:15):
Part, let's get Cupcake and Neil.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
By the end of the day, I honestly couldn't say
what was in the can, but I knew it sounded promising.
(17:55):
The plan was for each of the band members to
sing lead on a song or two back by the others.
Speaker 4 (18:04):
Don't you remain.
Speaker 6 (18:08):
Namen, we said, forever, okay, for good eternity.
Speaker 5 (18:18):
It would be if.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
We just whold long to our belief.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
This is Neil on Beautiful Brown Eyes from New Orleans.
It's more somber track. On classic Neil sounds more spirited.
Speaker 9 (18:37):
Talk to me like hurd a kid.
Speaker 5 (18:41):
You know that, Alma, don't forget.
Speaker 6 (18:44):
It will be a lovely won forgot like mooning Owen Julie.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Going into that last day of recording, there were three
songs left, one for Cupcake and two for Jamal.
Speaker 8 (19:02):
All Right, we're rolling, all right, we're here with Jamal
Newby and it's the final day in Los Angeles. Jamal,
how are you feeling about everything so far?
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Man?
Speaker 2 (19:15):
I'm feeling okay right now. Man, I'm really looking forward
getting a studio receiver. And this day is the day
that we game for to put everything to go.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
You know, Jamal was getting ready to tackle your destiny
for the second time. This was a little surreal. It
had been a lifetime since he'd first written those lyrics,
but this was also the song they've been practicing all week.
When Jamal got into the booth, he was confident, you're.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
Countain of the ship.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
When are you saying so real to you? Navigating your
own destiny?
Speaker 4 (20:00):
Yeah?
Speaker 8 (20:01):
Yeah, just.
Speaker 4 (20:05):
Take it out.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
Neil and Cupcake hit those backup notes they've been practicing
for weeks. Here's how it all came together. The next
(20:37):
and last song they'd record that day was Still in Love,
Cupcake song she'd been preparing all week.
Speaker 7 (20:44):
Oh words, get in the way, nothing more to say, stealing, low,
stealing loah.
Speaker 4 (21:00):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
But when it came time to get in the booth,
something had changed. Jamal and Neil told me Cupcake just
wasn't up for it.
Speaker 5 (21:11):
He was all upset about a little bit of everything.
He had lost his love of friend whatever you're gonna
call that.
Speaker 6 (21:17):
Broke up.
Speaker 5 (21:17):
That's what he was all upset about out that, you know.
And he couldn't function well. But anyway, he didn't tell
nobody that, but we knew that. He listened to him
talk on the.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
Phone, you know.
Speaker 5 (21:26):
We didn't bring it up, and we let it be,
hoping that he'd be all right with that.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
Cupcake told me she wasn't functioning well. She wasn't herself.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
I don't know what happened when we went to California.
I didn't have a voice. I didn't have a note
to throw out that.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
She also told me she felt a little overshadowed by
her bandmates. She felt like they kind of pushed her
to the back.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
I was the salad partner. Basically, she got lost.
Speaker 5 (21:53):
In his house.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
Jamal stepped forward instead. He sang the lead on still
in Love, and he was in his element.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Not bad, what the gonna do? Because I love you,
you love it, We love it to the wool girl.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
Now still still still in the next day, the band
finished their lead vocals on two more tracks, Jamal and
Niels respectively, and that was it. After forty plus years,
(22:39):
they had done what they set out to do.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
Everybody that participated in this project many time nuts. They
got their own fan crew, they got their own followers.
They they already got their own legend, you know. So
this is a this really is as a legendary record.
When I look at this whole thing that I don't
been through, this whole ordeal that I've been through was
(23:03):
a journey towards my destiny.
Speaker 5 (23:06):
You know.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Now I feel like I'm stepping into my destiny and
it's just about tangible. I can reach it. This is
still like a dream to me, man, you know what
I mean, Even though all this is unfolding before my eyes,
it's still like a dream to me.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
Jamal felt good about what he'd accomplished, but Cupcake couldn't
help but think that when the session was all said
and done, she hadn't gotten what she came for. She
wanted to prove to her friends and family in Richmond
and to herself that she still had it, but somehow
she'd only ended up as a background singer for Jamal
(23:45):
and Neil.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Believe me, when you see me with everything that I
have or everything that I've got, it's because I waited
my turn. So I'm listening. I'm like that. I don't
push nothing at nobody, just like I've been waiting for
this all my life, waiting. And if I ever get
(24:06):
that chance again, which I'm hoping that A and Egle
like these five and give us a chance to do
three more, they can kiss my foot. I'm gonna stick
my foot in one of them songs, simple as that.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
We left Los Angeles with songs in tow They've done it.
They'd made five new tracks, and from what I'd heard
of them in the studio, their voices sounded great, but
something seemed off. Did they just finish a new Edge
of Daybreak album without Cupcake being featured on at least
one track? Back in Richmond, Cupcake had a chance to
(24:54):
sit with what happened, and it wasn't sitting easy. I
would love to be a performer again.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
I would like to do more of it a dpre.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
And the more I sat with it, the more I
agreed there was more to this whole thing than just
pressing an album. This was about giving the entire band
the recognition they deserved. Cupcake needed another chance. I got
on a call with the producers and the decision was unanimous.
Everybody wanted more Cupcake and we were gonna get it.
Speaker 10 (25:28):
Let me show you how it's done about you gotta
stay up late at night partor to rise and sun
because then we know that everything's all right.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
If Cupcake had a second shot, would she be able
to deliver? And once the album was locked, how much
closer would they all be to everything they'd been dreaming
about for years? Is this the comeback they wanted? That's
next time on Sole Incarcerated if you want to hear
(26:14):
more of Edged day Breaks music. Their new EP, New Horizon,
is available on all digital platforms.
Speaker 8 (26:20):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Sole Incarcerated was written and hosted by me Jamie Petris,
co hosted and produced by Dorian Missik, story edited by
Jasmine kah and sound designed by Bill Moss and Isaac Lee.
Executive producers are Mcamie Lynn, Jesse Katz, and Warren Ostergard.
Special thanks to everyone who helped us research this story.
(26:45):
To Marv Hyman, Bill Crawley, and Sanethia Lewis. To the
author Dale Broomfield attorneys David ba and Mara Meltzer Cohen.
To doctor Heather Thompson and Lisha McCarney for lending insights
on American carceral history. Thanks to the entire staff of
the Library of Virginia and to Ben himofharv from the
Henrico County Public Library. To the vocal coaches kJ Rose
(27:09):
and Elise Tunyak A and E's Jennifer and Sonia, Michael Greenwald,
and Elaine Fontaine Bryant. Thanks to the team at silver
Lining Entertainment, One Story Up Productions, the Numeral Group, the
crew at Sunset Sound and In Your Ear Studios, Alex
Lambert Lucas, Benkin, Will Bethel, and Marty Keith. Thanks to
(27:30):
all of the band's friends, family members, and associates who
took the time to talk to me for this story,
and most of all, to the Edge of Daybreak Harry Coleman,
Jamal Nuby, and Neil Cade for sharing it with me.
Host
Jamie Pietras
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