Extra Credit: Vivian Scott Chew

This quick-hit Extra Credit episode finds Jeffrey Sledge volleying rapid-fire prompts at industry trailblazer Vivian Scott Chew, who fires back with stories that prove a great A&R ear is equal parts instinct and heart. She recalls the one artist who slipped through her fingers, reflects on the eclectic mix of acts that still give her chills, and names the producers who defined entire eras of sound.

Vivian’s tales jump from surprise arena moments to late-night overseas after-parties, all threaded by a single belief: music’s first job is to make you feel something real. Her behind-the-scenes perspective—especially as a woman who’s spent decades championing other creatives—turns this bite-size conversation into a masterclass on passion, purpose, and the magic that happens offstage.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Mixed and Mastered.
Extra Credit with Vivian ScottChu.
Are you ready?
I hope so.
Give me an artist that youwanted to sign but you couldn't.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
D'Angelo.

Speaker 1 (00:19):
Give me the story behind that.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
The person over me.
We got outbid.
We got outbid, but D'Angelowent exactly where D'Angelo
needed to go, because his A&Rguy was Gary Harris and you
could not have found a bettermusic man than.
Gary Harris.
So yeah, but D'Angelo.

Speaker 1 (00:38):
Okay, that's a good one.
Give me three of your favoriteartists and why.
Any genre doesn't matter, old,new doesn't matter.
You know, old, new doesn'tmatter.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
Sure, George Clinton number one.
George Clinton number onebecause he makes me feel
Absolutely.
He's been making me feel fordecades.
Okay, it's a genre, it's not anartist.
I'm a big yacht rock girl, Likepeople don't know that about me
.

Speaker 1 (00:59):
Did you watch a documentary?

Speaker 2 (01:11):
Yes, I did so.
I'm a Doobie Brothers.
Steely Dan, kenny Loggins.
I cried at the Kenny Logginsthis is it Last concert, like
don't go.

Speaker 1 (01:15):
I have to say it definitely is a genre.

Speaker 2 (01:17):
Louis Vega.
Louis Vega is one of the mostincredibly talented people.
I think people really make himsmall just as a DJ, but he is
the most amazing producer andnow live artist.
So for two summers in a row Iwent and hung out with him and
his wife and Ibiza, just todance Wow.

(01:37):
So, yeah, those would be.

Speaker 1 (01:40):
I had one has to be a genre because I wasn't
expecting Louis, but hedefinitely deserves.
I just wasn't expecting him.
Give me three of your favoriteproducers.

Speaker 2 (01:52):
I got to go back to Louis.

Speaker 1 (01:55):
I guess two.

Speaker 2 (01:59):
You don't get better than Jammin' Louis, their body
of work, from Yolanda Adams toJanet Jackson, just, and all of
the pop acts.
I mean they were also one ofthe first Black producers that
were producing pop acts andhaving hits and consummate
gentlemen.

(02:19):
I met them when I was at ASCAPand I was signing up, everybody
in Minneapolis and I mean theyare.
They were then exactly the samepeople that they are today.
So I just think that they'reamazing.
I don't want to take the easyroute and say Ellie and Babyface
, that's very obvious.
I'll say Teddy Riley, I reallywill.
I will say Teddy Riley becauseyou know again, these are all

(02:39):
people that had a sound, youknow, and not only with Teddy.
With Teddy came not only themusic, but then you know the
little haircuts and the clothesand the dance all of that.
So it became.
You know, he really ushered usas a culture into something else
.

Speaker 1 (02:57):
So yeah, he did.

Speaker 2 (02:58):
Oh, and Timberland, I'm sorry.
Okay, okay, absolutely Okay.

Speaker 1 (03:02):
And last question, absolutely Timbaland Okay, and
last question, I'll say three,but if you can't think of three,
it's fine.
Give me three of your favoriteconcerts over the years that
you've seen shows.

Speaker 2 (03:14):
Sly Stone getting married at Madison Square Garden
.

Speaker 1 (03:17):
If you watch the documentary?

Speaker 2 (03:19):
I was there, I was wild at 14.
14 was a year I did a lot.
Yeah, I mean, we had no ideathat Sly was getting married and
I was like third row seats onthe end and you see these women
come out in these gold lamédresses with these, and it was
just, and I'm sure I wastripping on some kind of illicit

(03:40):
drug at that point in my life.
So I mean it was just thatdefinitely.
Concerts I've seen Chaka Khanopen for Marvin Gaye.
I saw Prince did 21 shows atthe um O2 arena in London and I
went to the 21st show and he hadan after party at the little

(04:02):
club that's attached to itcalled the Indigo, and he had an
opening act and the curtainsopened and it was just this
little white girl with thisblack hair that was all up on
top of her head.
And after she finished singing,prince came on and said ladies
and gentlemen, amy Winehouse,wow, I remember that.
Wow, I remember that.

(04:24):
So those are some of my that'sthree good ones that's three
really good ones.
Oh wait, earth Wind Fire come onnow.
There's never an Earth WindFire show that comes in town.
I travel to go see Earth WindFire.
They make me happy.
It's back to being in the 70s.
It's the 70s happy moment forme.
Thank you for that feelingthank you for letting me go down

(04:45):
memory lane.
You made me think of thingsthat I didn't remember.

Speaker 1 (04:48):
Yeah, man.
Well, thank you very much,Vivian Scott Chu Thank you sir.