The truth behind Pop
Recently social media exploded due to an incendiary interview with the legendary producer Quincy Jones. I can get dozens of quotes from this interview, such as when he mentions that he knows who killed Kennedy, or that Marlon Brando had sexual adventures with many famous men, including comedy icon, Richard Pryor.
But putting that aside, obviously Mr. Jones focused more on discussing not only the current state music, but the truths behind some of the artists with whom he has worked or known in the past. The mind behind Michael Jackson's Thriller opened up as never before about the "king of pop", and his first - and derogatory - impression of The Beatles upon meeting them.
This gave me a lot to think about, we tend to believe in all the mythology behind recognized artists or bands. And since we don’t want our idols to be thrown out of the pedestal, we are reluctant to accept that in the end these are real people, with many insecurities, and many defects as well, but aided by an immense production and advertising machinery.
So now, we'll demystify pop for a bit. Both the old and the modern.
Michael Jackson and The Beatles
First of all, it is not my intention to destroy these icons, anyone who knows me a little, knows that since I was a child I’m a big fan of Michael, to the point that I knew his choreographies. But I was always interested in getting to know the "king of pop" in his more human side, partly because of all the rumors and scandals that we already know. On the side of The Beatles, i’ll just leave you with this:
During the interview, Quincy Jones gives us - not so flattering - information about Michael Jackson as a businessman:
“I hate to get into this publicly, but Michael stole a lot of stuff. He stole a lot of songs. [Donna Summer’s] “State of Independence and “Billie Jean.” The notes don’t lie, man. He was as Machiavellian as they come.”
“Greedy, man. Greedy. “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough” — Greg Phillinganes wrote the c section. Michael should’ve given him 10 percent of the song. Wouldn’t do it.”
Then, Quincy talks a little about Michael's personal life:
“I used to kill him about the plastic surgery, man. He’d always justify it and say it was because of some disease he had. Bullshit.”
Later, the famous producer remembers The Beatles:
“That they were the worst musicians in the world. They were no-playing motherfuckers. Paul was the worst bass player I ever heard. And Ringo? Don’t even talk about it. I remember once we were in the studio with George Martin, and Ringo had taken three hours for a four-bar thing he was trying to fix on a song. He couldn’t get it. We said, “Mate, why don’t you get some lager and lime, some shepherd’s pie, and take an hour-and-a-half and relax a little bit.” So he did, and we called Ronnie Verrell, a jazz drummer. Ronnie came in for 15 minutes and tore it up. Ringo comes back and says, “George, can you play it back for me one more time?” So George did, and Ringo says, “That didn’t sound so bad.” And I said, “Yeah, motherfucker because it ain’t you.” Great guy, though.”
The current nostalgia trend
For some time now, we have seen a tendency to reboot several cinematographic and television works. The nostalgia factor seems work on us, and the industry has been in charge of selling us new versions - mostly quite mediocre - of classics such as "Ghostbusters", "The Planet of the Apes", or "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre".
In music, this strategy has also been applied, but in a somewhat different way, since it does not have images or scripts. But many current producers have resorted to reviving - or literally copying - African American music genres such as Soul and R&B to add a sense of musical substance to pop songs.
And so it happens that sometimes the impudence is so obvious that this ends in legal proceedings. A couple of years ago Robin Thicke And Pharrell Williams lost a lawsuit from the family of remembered singer Marvin Gaye, since the summer hit "Blurred Lines" copied ripped off "Got To Give It Up "by Gaye. Both must pay about 7.3 million dollars.
On the other hand, Justin Timberlake has been sued a couple of times for illegal use of samples (pieces of other songs) from "Cirque Du Soleil" and the legendary band "Sly, Slick and Wicked” respectively. And so, there are many examples of how producers, perhaps taking advantage of the ingenuity of young consumers, try to sell something, with clear references to the past, as "something new and innovative".
On this subject, Quincy Jones tells us:
“Hell no. It’s just loops, beats, rhymes and hooks. What is there for me to learn from that? There ain’t no fucking songs. The song is the power; the singer is the messenger. The greatest singer in the world cannot save a bad song. I learned that 50 years ago, and it’s the single greatest lesson I ever learned as a producer. If you don’t have a great song, it doesn’t matter what else you put around it.”
The mentality of the people making the music. Producers now are ignoring all the musical principles of the previous generations. It’s a joke. That’s not the way it works: You’re supposed to use everything from the past. If you know where you come from, it’s easier to get where you’re going. You need to understand music to touch people and become the soundtrack to their lives…
As we can see, much of the music of the past and present is made to manipulate us, to sell us an idea of genius, to elevate its authors to a level of gods, in favor of sales. And that doesn’t mean that we should not enjoy those songs, but as Quincy himself says: You have to do the homework. Questioning our musical tastes and opening ourselves up to other levels is as important to grow as learning from our own experiences, so, eventually, we can musicise our lives with more honesty.
I hope as always that you enjoyed reading me. See you next time!
