The Questlove Show - QLS Classic: Siedah Garrett

Episode Date: November 4, 2024

Award-winning singer songwriter Siedah Garrett talks about growing up in Compton, her lifelong relationship with Quincy Jones and what it was like on tour with Michael Jackson. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clivert Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media.

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Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode.

Listen to the Sports Slice Podcast on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slical Life 12 and TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. When a group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist, they take matters into their own hands. I vowed. I will be his last target. He is not going to get away with this. He's going to get what he deserves. We always say that trust your girlfriends. Listen to the girlfriends.

Trust me, babe, on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Quest Love Supreme is a production of IHeart Radio. This classic episode was produced by the team at Pandora. Ladies and gentlemen, this is Questlove Supreme Classic. And what can I say? is such a legend, legendary writer, legendary performer. One of the most exciting episodes and stories that we've had on Questlove Supreme. I hope you enjoyed as much as we enjoyed doing it.

This is Saida Garrett's QLS Classic from May 2017. Suprema, Subrama Roll Call. Suprema, sub, sub, subprima roll call. Supremma roll. Who? Subrima Role call. Plus Love got a theory. Yeah.

Thought y'all should know. Yeah. That Jamalai Flau flavored yogurt might be Jamba C's I.O. Role call. Supremma, Submina, Surma, Submina roll call. Supremma, sub, sub, suprema roll call. My name is Sugar. Yeah.

I'm never scared. Yeah. Even when. Yeah I'm unprepared Bro Supreme Superma

Roca Supremea Roca Supremea Superma Superma roll call I'm unpaid Bill Yeah Flew in to see you

Yeah And I will not Yeah Say shit about mirrors Rollca Supreme Subrama Roll Call My name's boss Bill

Yeah Got here in a rush Yeah Was back at the hotel Yeah Jamming to some blush Roca, Suprema, Subrema, Roll Call

I'm La'i'em. Yeah. And I just can't stop smiling. Yeah. Because I'm with Saida. Yeah. Ain't no need to be rhyming. Roll call.

Really? You know what I'm like? Supremea. Roca Your turn. Supraima. Subraima, Roca

My name's Saida. Yeah. And I'm from Compton. Yeah. When I'm not singing. Yeah. Y'all know I'm bumping. Roll call.

Suprema, S S S S Srema Rold Roll Call. Supremma S S S S Srema Ro Call. Supremma S S Srema Role call. Supremma Role call.

Ladies and gentlemen, that was the most confident a guest of the show has ever been. Really? For someone who was very anxious about doing it, he came right in and nailed it. Yeah, ladies and gentlemen, she was panicking.

all of when we warned her about her first. I will not be ushered. No, you did one. You're the winner of the most confident delivery. Hey. Hey. Nice and gentlemen,

welcome to another episode of Questlove Supreme only on Pandora. I'm your host, Questlove. I'm the point guard, and I brought Team Supreme today. Sports references. Yeah, my power forward is

boss Bill, our fierce leader and sometimes coach. What's up? What up? What up? How you doing? And plus record It's kind of dope

Yeah It is It is It's awesome My shooting guard Is sugar Steve Our audio genius

And god of Punch lines How you're doing Good I can shoot The three too From downtown You can't

Yeah They used to call me Downtown Stevie Brown That's not why I can call As a woman I can shoot

The three I promise you Okay That's past me the ball Okay That is not Why they called you That

Our small ford is Unpaid Bill. Small. It's the first time I've ever been called small. Sorry much. Yeah, you're like six feet. I'll take it. I'll take it.

A small forward. Unpaid Bill. You're our information and life lesson recorder. That's what I do. Yeah, that's what you do. And our center is another... I'll take that.

I actually was the center in the Boys and Girls Club on my basketball team. Okay. On the bench. Our center is Laia, aka Sweet Margaret. Big for her size.

Her age. That's right. I'll take it. The organized dress. and you know she she keeps this in line our guest today she kind of takes forward guest center get what you're six man award the assistant coach yeah yeah yeah

our guest today uh she takes what I'll say uh she'll take the title she's living that Renaissance life and she takes it to the next level uh for over three decades uh slide to Garrett has done it all name it singing acting songwriting arranging producing directing

and conceptualizing she's kind of like my favorite type of artist which she's basically you know she's dependable she shows up on time actually early early she was so excited yeah she shows up early and basically

I think that she also inspires others to be their best and she comes through in clutch with the winning shot. And not only has she worked... Basketball metaphors. The coach doesn't... You're really driving home.

When you take the shot. Well, this time she is. And the fish is St. Pittsburgh. Let's not talk about sports. Okay. Really? A bunch of music people. I don't read that.

Anyway, I will say that not only has she, in my opinion, work with the best, but I actually believe that those that utilize her gifts and her talent do so because she is actually the best at it.

Oh. And what she does. I'm going to send you a check. I know, right? Milk of this all in. It's tax season. You know, being at duetting the all-time, what I call a barbecue classic, don't look any further. Two-step classic. There you go.

Or one of Quincy Jones's most reliable go-to lyricist. Pending, dare I say it, probably Michael Jackson's most important song. I think Man in the Mirror is his most important song. I mean, people have their favorites and people have their go-to classics, but

you know, like John Lennon has imagined. That's his cry song. That's the one that makes a cry. Michael Jackson has Man in the Mirror. I feel like that's one of his most important songs. To her Oscar nominated work for the animated film Rio, and for Dreamgirls, which you

want to Grammy for, correct? I did. Absolutely. Someone's done their homework. Absolutely. I love you, Sayy de Garrett. Welcome to Sayyida Garrett to what's love Supreme. Yay! Thank you.

You're from Compton. Yeah. Ands, what about it? Really? Yeah. 119th in Wilmington, honey. Really? Constant, straight up, Watts, you know.

I have to say that probably the period that where I'd, ran into you the most was during your time with with brand new heavies. We're doing the smoking grooves thing together. Yes, uh. And I, you know what? God, I completely forgot about that.

But I watched you every night because the thing, you're, I'm sure you've heard this a lot. You're very magnetic personnel. Darling, I can't hear it enough. What is your sign? Cancer. I'm a moon child.

I'm a moon child. I'm a moon child. child. Ah. Well, yeah, you're very magnetic. And so it was to the point where, like, every night I was watching guys when you were on. Even though I was, I think you only did like three weeks of that run. Yeah.

They smoked and grooved me out, honey. I was done, dada. Yeah, but I really, I really didn't want to overwhelm you with the fandom because even Beckman, like, I would have loved it. I would have loved it. I'm sure, like, you just get overwhelmed with people asking you, like, Man. So tell me what it's like.

I can't hear it's enough. I'm telling you. I'm glad. I'm just going to love this interview. Yeah, I was about to say this is this is show which all we do is gosh. We geek out on this show. I love it. Remember when you sang with Michael Jackson?

That was awesome. That was awesome. Remember when? That's all we're going to do. Remember that song you wrote for preferred Ted and Camel? That was awesome. That was awesome. We've really good.

You guys are stupid. Only on Pandora. So you were born. I was born in Connton. I was born at St. Francis Hospital in Linwood, California, and spent the happiest part of my childhood on 119th in Wilmington. Okay. Being raised by my grandmother who's passed now.

Okay. What was it, what was Compton Lincoln? Because, of course, me growing in my... Okay, they had gangs. They had the Crips and all that. But the worst that the Crips would do to you if they caught you out was still your jack? Really? That was it, dude.

That was it. They would just steal your leather jacket. Oh, that jacket. Still your tennis shoes and that was it. Now they're shooting people and killing brothers and I'm, you know, I'm glad I'm from there, but I'm glad I'm not in it right now. I did time in Compton for a little bit. What does that mean?

Yeah, what kind of time was it? When my parents were recording the Congress Alley record, my grandmom lived in Compton. But my cousins were all crips. and so to my parents dismayed, you know, me wearing blue and wearing a derby. You were in Compton while your parents were working on a record that would be sampled for a Compton classic. Nice.

Thinking black man, six degrees. Thinking black man news. That's right, that's right. You are a thoughtful black man. Well done. How crazy. Thank you. That was a great meta classic reference.

It could happen. Bill is referring to nothing but a G thing. That, yeah, we still haven't got paid. for. Oh, snap. I think Dre has some money. You might be able to get some. Oh, well.

You know. He got a couple of those. He can, yeah, afford it. He might be able to. So did you grow up in a musical family, or what's your musical beginnings? Well, my mom was in a singing group with her twin sister and her baby sister, and they were trying to pop off when the Supremes were happening. So they called themselves the other three.

Oh. So, dude, I would watch them rehearse, and they would have their matching outfits, and they do their makeup and everything, and go out and perform in one of these things they called a nightclub. And I was like, what is a nightclub? That just sounds so hot. Like, ooh, I want to go to a nightclub.

Can we go? Mommy, can we go? No, you can't go to no nightclub. But it's a nightclub. That just sounds like that just sounds. sound so fun and you guys are dressed up and you're singing and I want to go to the nightclub.

Right. Did they let you in? No. Really? No. This is why I was so fast. I was like eight or nine and I was just fascinated with the idea of those two words going together, night club. What is that? I wanted to be a part of that. I think that's where the seed was planted. But my mother was a blender.

She's not a soloist. She was a So I think I learned about harmonies and stuff like that. In fact, my first recording gig was with R&B artist DJ Rogers. Yes. So it was right after the Say You Love Me album, the next album he was recording. Oh, that's one of my favorite records. Oh, bless your heart. So my mother was his interior decorator, and she was hanging wallpaper in his house.

And she's like, you know, DJ, my daughter can sing. He said, your daughter, my plumber's son, the maid's nephew, everybody, no, no. But my mother was very, very persistent. He said, all right, bring her by. But if she can't sing, I don't want to hear shit else. I don't want to hear nothing else. So my mother brought me to his house, and he sat me down on the piano bench, and he said, okay, sing this.

And he played some riff, and I sang it. And he looked at me like, oh, okay, sing this. So he played something a little more intricate, and I sang that. and he literally pushed me off the bench. I fell on the floor. And the next thing I know a couple of days later, I'm in the studio singing background with these amazing singers

and just blending in the harmonies. They were just so luscious. And I was on a high and I came home. And three weeks later, I got a check. What? And I was like, this is some shit I think I can do on a regular basis. And I think that's what started it.

It was like that was my first official recording. What album was it on? The album after the say you love me. I forgot the name of it. So that might be love music and life. There you go. Yes. That sounds like it.

Shit. I have that record. Yes. Okay. Play it. You'll hear me in the background, baby. I will do that. With the silts.

So that's when you were a teenager. Yes, I was but a child at the time, yes. So wouldn't you When did you decide? Were you the only one in your family that had musical aspirations? Did you have siblings? No, my mom did. I told you she was, but that didn't evidently, that didn't work out too well.

But I'm in siblings or cousins? No, my sister wishes she could sing. Oh my God. My sister wishes she could sing so badly. Wow. But you can't, Cindy. Oh, yeah. Oh, wow. Yeah. Shots fire.

Shots fire. Where's no. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Man down, man down! I can tell you already, I'm still going to love this interview.

We're not even 10 minutes to do it. I'm a love to be fired. So when did you officially, I mean, I guess, when did you officially start? Like, how did the, was plus your first situation? Yes, it was my first signage. Really? How did you run into Renee and Angela? I think I met them through my record label. You were signed to who?

I was signed to Quest, which fell into Warner Brothers. So wait, you were signed the Quest before you did the Plus Project? No, that was pre-Quinslet. You're right. It's an RCA. I think we're signed to RCA, yes, RCA Records. And they were staff producers there, Renee and Angela. it wasn't a very pleasant experience so I don't want to elaborate on that

anyway Brené is an asshole Can I just say that? Can I just say that? Dude, true He doesn't want to allow it. Truly. Wait a minute.

My manager is like freaking out right now but I really don't care because he really is. Okay, we won't. He was so mean to me. I was so freaking mean. And then I ran into him 30 years later. Working with Michael, right?

Like two months ago. I ran into him at the gas station. I saw him. him. Doing the dangerous project? I pretended like I didn't see him. Really? Yeah, he was pumping gas.

No, two months ago. Yeah, just a couple months ago I ran into him. And he said something about, I drove around him because he was parked and I drove around his car. And he shouted something like, hey, lady, you can't even drive. So you didn't even know he was you

and he said, he said, he didn't see her face right now. He knew of me. And then he went in and I was trying to get out of the lot and he just finished pumping his gas and he said, hi Saida and I said hi Renee and he said I was trying to say that was me that was saying something smart to you I said I know that's why I ignored your ass because it was you anyway no love lost see I wasn't even going for the Renee angle because what I wanted to know was it was also highly unusual for lead producers to be female which Angela right And because when was the album recorded? Late, late, early 80s or late 70s?

I think it came out 82. There you go. Okay, so what I was saying, that was a highly unusual. Their whole situation was unusual. And they were very, very successful at the time. So what was it like under her tutelage? Like I said, it wasn't all pleasant, darling. Okay.

So from the look on my manager's face, I'm going to the story. I'm going to stop right now. Okay. Damn. Before it goes all the way to the heel of my shoe that's been inserted in my mouth. This is, this is one observation. Uh-oh, a note's been passed. Just like the West wind.

Eric, Eric, let me just let you know. Let me let you know that we're not in the burning bridges here on Questlove Supreme. Only like a little, not all. A little bridges. That bridge is not only burned? Like footprints. Like the bridges. Like Madison County.

I will move on. No, I hadn't started writing yet. So I was just signed as a, you know, a singer in this group. And they were. How many members were there? There was myself and two other guys. I'm sorry, dude. The other three.

Shut up. The other two. Yeah, we were plush. And that record lasted like a summer. But it was fun to make. Okay. Okay. I was going to say that the, uh, your solo turn, the, uh, I don't know where it left

comes from. There's what? The second and the last song on Side 2. I'm still referring to the Plus record. You are killing me Larry. You are killing me right now.

No, no, no, no. I don't even remember the single from that album, let alone the third song on two side 2. What? What? But here's the thing that's that's how this works.

It's like you have to remember your career, but if you don't, they do. Oh, yeah. Wait, so I'm going to have a question about your career? I need you guys to follow me around every day. I know. So do I want to play a little bit of it because there's a very interesting observation.

Give me a beat. All right. Where is it, I mean. Okay. I was waiting for the ad lib to come. But the reason why I wanted to ask about this song is the fact that I found it very interesting that even though this album came out before Thriller, you channeled one of mics. Oh, I know, yeah.

Iconic ad-libs before he even got to capitalize him, which told me you must be a deep Michael Jackson fan because his trademark, He He He really wasn't a thing until... It was a thing. Thriller came up. I mean, he did it once on walk right now. He kind of did it on working day and night. I mean, he did a lot on the live record.

But by that point, for you to reference that he-he-he-he-he-he. I want to hear this riff so bad right now. That was it. That was it. Right. Exactly. You know what? And that's the thing.

I was like, wait a minute. This came out before a thriller. Oh, my God. How did you do that? I have no idea. But you know what? I sound a lot like Angela. She was producing that vocal.

They wanted me to be her. And it was killing me. Every song, I had to sing it like she sang it. Because she did all the demo. Follow the demo. Yeah. Sing it like she said. That doesn't even sound like me.

That sounds like Angela. Well, I mean, I still, I have a soft spot of my heart for like really good, obscure, boogie era music, like between 79.83, like, preprints, post-disco, like, that zone. So, yeah, but I- That's a sweet spot, man. I love the fact that you managed to reference an iconic ad lib before that I. iconic adlib even got To the icon Raised Heights But that's sort of the

Doeby stuff we do here I love it Quest Love Supreme So you said the group That only lasted a summer So the group imploded Truly It would

Plush got flushed Basically From RCA records Not even one show Or two shows or Mm-mm Mm-mm Really?

It was the I think it was just A write-off kind of thing You know Whatever But I mean, did you get... Those were the days, my friend. Did you get anything out of it or like, I mean, at least...

Yeah, I got recording experience. Recording experience was really valuable. Yeah. So... I learned just what not to do for the next few albums. So for the next year, for the next year, I've heard many a story from Dennis Edwards in of Don't Look Any Further. Mm-hmm.

one of which I heard that his original intended duet partner was supposed to be Shaka Khan. Can you refute or... What happened was? Yeah, how did this happen? When I auditioned for Quincy Jones, there were a buttload of songwriters and producers in the room during the auditions. Quincy at the time was recording He was putting together Patty Austin's album

Okay Every home should have one Yes Recording that album And songwriters were submitting songs To Quincy for Patty's album And I was the demo chick At the time

Since they saw me at those auditions I started doing everybody's demos For Quincy for Patty Well rewind What are the auditions Because now is just a little different I see your YouTube page. Oh, let me check them out.

But what was the circuit back then? It was a cattle call from Music Writer Magazine. A friend of mine and an ex-singer friend of mine whose group I was in since I was a kid was going to the auditions, but she didn't tell me about it. Her boyfriend had told me, right? So the boyfriend called me and said, whence he's doing this and I said, okay, okay, where is it? So he gave me the address over at SIR in Hollywood. And I said, okay, what time? He said, I don't know.

So, baby, I showed up at 7 a.m. And it was me and two other people. And we stood in line until the thing didn't start until noon. But by then the line was around the block. I was number three, right? So once you were inside, there were two card tables and paper clipboards for each day with 15 intervals, 15 minute intervals. Oh, reading is fundamental, isn't it?

So you were supposed to go to the table and write down the time and the day you wanted to audition. And I'm thinking, I'm here now. I think I'll audition now because I'm not going to be any more ready on Tuesday at 1015 than I am right now. So I was one of the first few people to audition, and Quincy told me years later that everyone who performed after me had to be as good as me or better than me. So I went home that day. Baby, the bar was set. I went home and over the course of nine months, I would get these letters. Congratulations.

You're one of 500. the quiz he does the next letter you're still in the running 250 100 75 50 25 25 15 15 10 5 4

me and three dudes wait I wonder what was like for the fifth person to get like seven letters mom I'm making the time I'm going to quit my job they probably were telling me hens that night

the blooming onions Actually, the one, this is a little known fact since you're into all this kind of minutia. Yeah. The little known fact is that Lisa Melvoin, Wendy's sister. Remember, she told us. She was the fifth member of the group. Susanna Melvoin. Susanna.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. She told us about this. Yeah. Because when we first found Plush, I was like, is this the group that Susanna was talking about? No. So he wanted to put together a United States. Benetani. No, he wanted a Fifth Dimension or a Manhattan transfer.

He just wanted men and women who sang together or a group. He really wanted take six, but they hadn't been discovered yet. Who were the other guys? One was Kevin Dorsey. One was Darrell Finacy. And the other guy was David Swanson. But the guys that ended up going on the road with me was Darryl Fennacy. Kevin Dorsey and a guy named

Dorsey sound so familiar. Why does he's on he used to sing. We used to sing on everybody everything. Everything. Yeah, and he had a really amazing, rich, bass voice. Yeah, we're lying in no chunky. Daryl, I know from the Michael Jackson, he toured with Michael for years, right? Yes. Let me apologize in advance

for his be. No? Okay. No, no, no. No, if you want to. Eric was like, no. So many shots fired. So many of jokes. Swing and a miss. Okay. So that's what, so this was in 81.

Okay. Handed another note. I believe. This was 81 or 82. Because I think Susanna was going to take the gig. And then Prince talked her out of doing it. Yes. And said, come with us.

And Wendy, but Wendy didn't come around until like 83. 82. Okay. But I remember her conclusion, the conclusion was that he told her like, don't you want to do it with us?

I always wondered what that was about. They never told us why she was no longer rehearsing with us. Very ambiguous with it. Yeah. So thanks for that. What was the name of the group or the project? Deco.

We had one, okay, we were signed and we were offered artist contracts and writer's contracts. I didn't written no song. I wrote poems, okay?

And I wasn't about to be on the other end of a lawsuit with Quincy Jones for not fulfilling my contractual obligations. So I was like, you know what, guys, I'm just going to sign the artist part and you guys, you sign the writers. They were like, fine, whatever.

So they took our contracts, went to Quincy's house, I mean the Quincy's office, and he did the equivalent of just like shuffling their contracts on the desk and said, where's Saida's contract? They said, oh, she didn't want, she just want the artist thing.

She doesn't want a songwriter's thing. So Quincy pushed their papers back across the desk to them and said, you either all sign or nobody signs. Next thing I know. Saida, bitch you better open is doing that. It's like, am enough. So when three large black men calling me,

At your door, you signed a contract. So I signed and then I began the process of learning the craft of writing a song. They began the process of cashing their checks. So I was kept on for seven years. They were dismissed after one year. So you had no designs whatsoever to be a songwriter or... None. To be behind the camera?

No, no, no. Here's why. because let's just say, Quincy said, okay, you guys have to write 12 songs a year, 12 songs that I own the publishing to. So they were like, fine, they're musicians. They can whip up a song, you know, just them 12 songs in a year. Fine.

Okay, if they had to whip up 12, that means 50%. I mean, I got to whip up 24 and don't let three people be in the room. I was like, no, no, I don't need this. I just want to be an artist. And he wants individual songs. So it's not like you as a collective, like, okay, so Bill and I have the song we want to submit to you. Sure. If you're signed to him, then he owns 50% of your share and Bill gets to keep his part.

But that's only half a song for you. So you still got 11.5 more songs to deliver. That's crazy. Yes, exactly. Oh. Yikes. Exactly. Wow.

That's another thinking meme moment. I wish there was the audio equivalent of that. That's crazy. Things that make you go. Oh, damn. Okay. So that's interesting. So how does, so once that's in place, how does, don't look any further come into.

Okay. And the thing is, if you're signed to him, are there restrictions for writing for other people? Or like, does he get first dibs on all that you do? Yes, yes, yes. Okay. The latter. Once I was waiting, those nine months, That's when all those producers, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil,

Dennis Lambert and Brandy Goldie, they were all in the room. All in the room. And I started doing demos. I even did Shaka's demo through the fire. What? Let me tell you, Seth, wait a minute. Wait, what? Cynthia Wilde.

I'm sorry, that's nice. Somewhere on this earth is your version of Through the Fire? I wanted it so bad. She claimed she couldn't find the demo, wink, wink. Anyway, so she, when I was singing the demo, she did not know, Shaka Khan is the reason I sing, okay? Shaka Khan was my vocal idol. I loved her riffs.

I loved her tone. I love the fact that Miles Davis told her her voice sounds like a horn, because it does. She's just so sharp and crisp and I love Shaka. So I was doing this demo and they said, well, we're writing a song for Shaka Khan. I said, sure, I'll sing it. So I was singing this song and I sang, Through the Fire. She said, don't do the art like that. Don't roll. I said, you have no idea. That is Shaka. I said, trust me. I've been singing Shaka Khan songs since I can remember.

That is Shaka. Through the fire. And I did that shit. Shaka loved it. She did every lick that I did on the demo. And I was like, praise the Lord. I have passed over. You were the blueprint. I was the demonstration singer, darling. I demonstrated how the song should be sung, God damn it. Wow. That's insane.

So then it goes back to Dennis Edwards and Shaka Khan, right? Yes. So I'm getting, it's getting hot in here. I'm going to take up my jacket. Okay. Just take it all off, though. Don't turn that. What you talking about?

Don't be blocking nobody else blessings. I'm looking good over there, girl. So, congratulations, Eric. I did this demo for Frannie Goldie and Dennis Lambert. Yeah. And it was the song, Don't Look Any Further. So that was supposed to be a duet, but they couldn't get the two in the room at the same time. I don't know what was happening.

Shaka was on tour. Dennis was, I don't know, somewhere. Anyway, I did the demo, and I did the demo the whole song. Dennis Edwards came in a few weeks later and put his vocal on. So in the meantime, they were trying to find Shaka. Couldn't warner, Motown said, look, we got to, we have a release date. We have to release this single. Who, we can't find Chaka?

No? Well, who's on the record? Some chick named Say to Garrett. Great. Leave her on it. Really? So I go back to the studio thinking I'm going to do my real vocal now, right? Oh, they kept the demo.

A real thing. Dennis Leverd said, oh, no, no, no, no. We're keeping the vocal you did. So the vocal you hear, bitches, it's my demo vocal. So the next time somebody tell you, oh, it's just a demo, smack them in the mouth. For me, just smack them right in the damn mouth.

Wow. I love that I can curse on this way. Bishes? This shit is fabulous. Let it be known that Eric's rolling his eyes in the corner. Eric's having the best time that anybody's having them. I got you. I got you.

I got you. I got you, man. No, you got him. Shee. So that's how it happened. It's amazing, because it's amazing to me because the very first time I saw you was on Soul Train. I'm sorry, go ahead. Yes.

I'll take all the questions. Yeah, it was on Soul Train. And, you know, even in the show introduction, when, you know, Sid McCoy's like, you know, and guest stars, You see Dennis Edwards. I was like, wow, who's that woman that's standing with Dennis Edwards in the digital box intro? And I watched it, and it was like, you, that was your segment. Dennis wasn't even there. I'm a sole trainophile as well, so I'm not trying to freak you guys out.

But that was such, that was a star making turn. Like you took over, not even took over, because that feels like a coup d'et top. but it was like, I remember, yes, I remembered you more than Dennis Edward having the best hit of his career since, what, standing on the top forever. Yeah, and that was such a star making, like you really made the most of it. I also have to say that that video is my favorite. I'm going to smack you so hard. Listen, listen. I love it.

I love it. I love it for the right reasons. Okay, geek, check this out. Oh, yes. That video, I'm in love. That video was shot in the basement of Motown Records. I think it costs $11.57. Including the electricity that he cost.

Yeah, and Dennis was not in his best form. Yeah, the tux was. working though. In fact, Dennis was like, he was so amped up. The video director between shoots, she would come over at one point she came over with a piece of paper and she said, let me, can you put your

gum in? And Dennis was like, I ain't got no gum. I ain't got no gum. I ain't got no gum. I ain't got no gum. He was just chewing the shit out of his own tongue. No. We're wearing. We're literally watching. Now look at it. He was chewing. He was chewing in the beginning.

Yes. Some cut and some gum. And then I didn't know it at the time, but, you know, when I turned around with my back to dinner. Sorry. We're watching the video. Sorry. You guys are wrong with a capital case. Now you're never going to be able to look at that video the same way.

Look at Saeed in the back. I'm sorry. Girl, that dress, that blue, the blue with you. Blue suede, child, blue sway. But listen, when I turned around, I didn't know that he was humping me behind me. I had no idea. I hate it when that happens. That move.

And when I saw it, I said, that nasty bastard. But you made the most of a moment. Like, how long did you have to promote the song with him? It was a hot summer on the East Coast. And it was not pleasant. We did clubs. And Dennis had, okay, you know, he had groupies. And, you know, Usher has groupies, but D.

These were not Usher-S groupies. Like Mama. Okay, so Dennis's groupies correlated with his age group. I get it. So we had some. A little one. So I'll tell you one experience. We were at this club called a silver something in Jersey, right?

Silver Shadow. So it was one big dressing room. You were there, Eric? I told them right. Okay, okay. So I guess. he's been in that club. You know, Eric used to do A&R for Epic.

Okay. Okay. Wow. Okay. I didn't even know. I didn't even know it. Okay. Just a little nugget for your Thank you. Check it out. For your nerd Bible? Yes. So, um, you fancy call me geek. I'm like, this is the honor of my life.

This should be your ringtone. I know. So go ahead. Okay. So, okay. So, Dennis, it was almost time to do the show and he had all these people and they were smoking and drinking and going in the bathroom to smoke I'm saying. In quotes.

So, yeah. So I said, excuse me, I, you know, I'd like to get dressed now. One of his groupies said, oh, honey, you ain't got nothing, he ain't never seen before. Never, never. I said he hasn't seen this one

before, so can I just change my clothes? So he left, went to the bathroom. But it was those kind of things. I trying to do a show and he and his other buddies and their chicks and his chick all in the room and it's like one little dressing room I'm like can you please anyway years later he sent me um he called me and apologized because I guess that's that's a thing you have to do when you go through some things yeah whatever whatever

anyway oh one of the steps yes not HR a little further past HR that's A. That's A.A and N-A, not H-R. Wrong acronym. Okay. Okay. Yeah, he was making amends, and I accepted his apology, but I said, you are so mean to me. He said, I know, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. But, yeah. Dennis Edwards.

Were you only there for one song and that's it? That's it, baby. That's all I can take. That's all I can take. Really? Yes. I would have incorporated you in this show and, like, I don't know. But Dennis wasn't trying to be in no show with anybody else.

He was just trying to do Dennis. He was a Dennis Edwards show. Yeah. And we were just. promoting the single at the time. Can I just ask a dumb question here? Yes. I think this is the platform.

Girl, you're surprised, though. Even the dumb ones got to be smart. Let me see how I say this. Amadea. Jamba, just please. Come on, man. Wait a minute. Wait a java juice. Wait.

Oh, I'm a day. It's the name. It's the name. I asked for any and Dennis. It's they just looked up names of African cities. We thought it was Swahili. No, it might be.

It might be. It might be. I'm not sure. But it's just they like the sound of certain cities and they just strung them together. But here's how it goes. Okay. Yes. Deo.

Yes. Ombadeo. Mm-hmm. Na Jambayu. Oh, ain't no Cairo in there. No, no Cairo. No Jamalaya. Deo.

Ombadeo. Umba deo. Jamba. Njambay Umbayo. Na Jambay Umba. Still no Cairo. Still no Cairo. Wrong part of Africa.

Indeo. Indeo. Deo. Njamba, Umbayo. Chah. Jamba Taitio. Now Jambaio,

Oh, you sound so Nigeria. All right. What was the other one? Deo Umbedio. Nambuji Ayo. Nambuji. Nambuji. I think I'm in the wrong room.

Yeah. I think I might have wandered into another radio show. You and me both. He got that show. sugar, he's in the right room. Just wait until I tell you how he got the sugar. Thank you for finally settling that. You're so welcome.

Because... It was a problem. It was a problem. Like, I'm a dance. They put them in there. That's what's up. They got my juice up in there, my city, Cairo. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Cliver Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits. reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music.

The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app,

Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends.

I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends, Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care. So they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no.

I vowed I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, everyone? I'm Ego Wodom.

My next guest, you know from Step Brothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Farrell. Woo. Woo. My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with them one day, and I was like, and dad, I think I want to really give this a shot.

I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings. I'm working my way up through, and I know it's a place they come look for up and coming talent. He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. Yeah. He goes, but there's so much luck involved. And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration.

It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right. It wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks Dad on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. So can you explain to us and the listeners, but mostly to me?

What is it like pounding the pavement on the background singer circuit? Which I'm sure that was your next step. I mean, you've done countless of... Yeah, that was an education, though, man. That was a real learning experience for me. because like I said, I started doing demos for L.A. songwriters and producers. So I got to experience completely different styles from every, you know, pop producer that was on the charts and was writing songs for whatever Quincy's next artist was. So it was a true training ground for me as a singer.

And singing lead is a completely different animal than blending with other people to make a cohesive background sound. To not stand in the way or... You can't step out and you can't be too silent. You have to blend. You have to create a sound, a harmonious sound with the other people that you're singing with. And that's what I loved so much about singing background on other people's records. That and the fact that I got to work with producers that I never would ever work with because I'm not that big artists that they're writing for.

But I'm the tick that shows the artist how to sing the song. It's just such an amazing, powerful feeling. And nobody does demos anymore. Nobody, you know, it's a sad state of affairs. Well, yeah, sometimes. At least they're not calling me. I don't know. Maybe they are.

No, demos just become the final product. I guess so, huh? You worked with, who did True Blue, Stephen Bray and Patrick Leonard, right? Yes. So. Oh, I have a great story for you. Yes. Has it been clear?

Has she been out there? Eric, can you tell us story, please? This one's good. This is about Madonna, and she fucking loves this story. So we're making music on the True Blue album, and Steve says to me, we need some background singers. I'm like, okay, I'll call, you know, I'll call somebody. So I call it. I'm trying to think of what kind of blend for this song.

So I call my friend Edy Lehman, who was like the jingle singer, the person, perfect pitch. She was on every movie score. She was the singer. So I called Edy because I sung with her before, and I said they need one more person. And before I thought too much more about it, Madonna was right there.

I said, you want to sing on this record? because I can hire you to sing on this record. Oh, this is not Madonna yet. Yes, this is Madonna. No, it's Madonna. It's Madonna. Okay, I don't know she was that. It's that as a status yet.

She was Madonna. This is like second album. Yeah. It's third album. So she said, yeah. So we're singing, right? And Madonna would, we joke and laughing.

And every time she would make a joke, she would just like, tap that ass. She would make a joke and just Tap me on the ass So after two or three times of the ass Tapping I said Bix you touched my ass in their tongue

I'm gonna fuck you She said Oh siret I was just funny You know I just joking But that was it She didn't touch my ass But you know what

Three or four years later, maybe ten years later, I'm in this restaurant on Lassia. I'm in the private dining area because that's how I do. And I'm by myself. I don't give a shit. I don't care. I don't care what people think about me sitting alone. I don't give a shit. So it was me.

And then in walks, Madonna and her husband. So. You're trying to find which one. Yeah. Okay. The husband. husband, I got you. The director. Oh, Guy Richie? Yeah, Mr. Richie.

So I said to her, she goes, hey, Saida, how are you? I'm like, I'm great. Hi, Mrs. Richie. And her husband just beam, because who calls her that? You know what I'm saying? Hi, Mrs. Richie. So she said, so, Saida, what have you been doing? What are you doing lately? And I said, I had heard that one of her background singers was not working out too well. So when she said, so, what are you up to? I said, I'm waiting for Donna to fuck up so I can take her place.

Yo. Yo. Where are the shot? That's what I'm going to ask. Was this Mickey or was it Donna Delori? Yeah, that demon. Anyway. Wait, is that a big time?

I'm not getting, my husband is freaking out. Okay. I don't give a shit. So many bodies are being discovered right now. So many bodies. So anyway. All right. I'll stop.

Anyway, so... Eric's going to have to go dig more holes later. I forgot what I was going to say. Anyway, we got the shovel in the car. Yeah. Okay. Oh, Jesus. Keep me going.

I don't even know what I was saying. Oh, in my head, wait, you were saying for Donna to fuck up. Is that Madonna walked past and you smacked her on the ass? That's how I really wanted to have. That's the wrong ass. So, you said I heard Donna fucking off. Oh, yeah, yeah. She laughed.

So three years later, I get a call. Three years, dang. Maybe a year and a half. But it was a little. lengthy, maybe almost, almost two years, maybe three. So I get this call and I ended up going on the road with her for a summer, the reinvention tour. We rehearsed for a month and we were out for three months and it was the longest year

and a half of my life. How, yeah, when, when you are a, when you're a natural-born magnet and your own planet. Yeah, that's a good description. No, when you are your own, how do you know when to fall back and just blend in when you're so obviously like, you shine? I have to give Madonna kudos because she knows that no matter who else is on stage, it's all about Madonna. So if you understand that, then you can roll with her. It's not a problem. But you have to resign to that.

I knew that when I signed up for the gig. I knew what I was doing when I signed up for the gig. I knew who the star of the planet was. And it wasn't Saeeda Garrett. I wasn't filling up stadiums. They came to see her. Right. Right.

So there's no. Never any temptation though? Well, she would bring me, she brought me out to do a solo. I mean, Donna had been on the road with her for 17 years. I bitch never got a solo. So I knew there was something about me that she understood. And she respected. But Donna, if you don't.

If you don't cower, if you don't back down, then she respects that. She truly does. And she knows she's not the best dancer, knows she's not the best singer, will be the first to tell you that. But that bitch is the hardest worker I've ever met in my life. True. She works her arse off. You're right.

You're right. And if she was saying, for 20 fucking years, that's what she'd say. I'm the cherry picker to all her fans. that she hovered above them. Thanks for being my fans for 20 fucking years. Awesome. Wow. What are the rules to surviving in that kind of world, that circuit?

You know who the star is, and it's usually not the background. Well, no, no, no. I don't even mean for concerts. I'm talking about, like, when you're called for work, is it, do producers look for, like, okay, who sings the flattest without, the most vibrato who shows up a half hour early, who... A good producer will consider all of those things because they already know what kind of sound they're looking for,

and they'll just hire the singers that they think can create that sound for them. Is it easy for you to track everything yourself or to do it with... Like, who are the contemporaries? Who are the go-to people in background work in the first half of the 80s? It had to be like, you know, Lisa Fisher, all those New York, Audrey Wheeler, Cindy Mazzle. A bunch of L.A. singers were not even featured in this. 20 steps before. Yeah.

And then there was background singers that didn't really have a background. Anyway, that's something else. I can't. Oh, Tawatha? Oh, yeah. Tawatha. Yeah. All these amazing singers.

Tawatha might have even been on that DJ Rogers thing of mine. Yeah, my first gig. But anyway, you get to know who, you know, the ones that are dependable, the ones who get the job done, the ones that do it quickly, and the ones that also producers are looking for people to come up with ideas that they didn't think of. You know, different harmony parts, different counter melody parts that you can come up with on the spot. So do they send you the track pronto? No.

You learn everything on the spot. Oh, wow. And if you make changes, do you get a check for that? No. That's part of why they hired you. They knew you could make the product better. without, you know, being a writer. I was working for hire.

So, you know what? This morning when I was recapping everything, I freaking forgot about Do You Want It right now? Oh, wow. It's just one of those things that escape me. Check this out.

Yes. Nerdorama. Yes. Ringtone. That song was produced by Jelly Bean Benitez. He was one of the three producers that I had after one of my

ill-fated albums that on the shelf at Warner Bros. That will never ever be heard or seen from in life. Wait, wait, wait, wait, what? Rewine. That was after the fact. My first album on Quest had three producers, Jelly Bean,

Glenn Ballard and Cliff Magnus, and Robbie Neville. And it never came out. What year was that? 85? I don't even remember. So this is before Kiss of Life, there was an album?

Yes, yes. There were two albums. There were a lot of changes that went from Quest transition to Warner Brothers and divorce, and it was a lot of shit going on. What? What? So. Do we know anybody in the Arkansas at Warner?

I'm going to find one. You're going to find what? Oh, we do that. We're going to try and find that record. Both of them. Your hearts. They were never released. No, but we're going to...

Oh, I'm scared of you guys. Anyway. We do that. Yeah. We find lost. Don't be scared. So this single, do you want it right now, was in the Sydney Portier directorial debut, fast forward. And the song is in the movie in the guitar solo.

So you never even hear me say a word on the film. But that song was released to the dance club. and it was number one dance record. It was inescapable. I'm sorry. I thought it was Shannon in the beginning. But it was all. No, I know.

I mean, I was, what, 13 at the time? But they always played it on Power 99 in Philly. This is the fast forward, the movie, the dance. The song. I know before the movie, right. Yeah. You've seen that movie? What?

I've seen all the dancing movies. Wait a minute. That movie was out for like 20 minutes. You sure you? I promise you. We had the blonde and then the rich people. I remember. It was the black guy and the white guy and they were friends.

Wait, Team Supremar. This is a key moment for us. I wish Fonte was here. That Laiia had a touch stone. Yeah. On. Do we be... What you're experiencing now, what you feel?

This never happens. When Laya knows some shit that no one else knows. TV baby. 80s baby years. Okay. Have you seen Body Rockton? Yeah. Must be your Spike Lee glasses.

You're saying? All right. All right, we're falling to a rabbit hole right here. It's dark in there, too. On the, it is, we have dark secrets. So even on the strength of having that single, no one at Warner's was like, okay, let's, let's get the product out.

No, no. There was a lot of upheaval in the Warner family and the Quest family. and I just sort of fell through the cracks as an artist but as a songwriter it behooved quest to plug me into different projects which is how I came to meet Michael Jackson

So what keeps you What keeps you saying My husband keeps me saying That's why I'm married him What keeps you singing? What's him saying? He had a little bit of face like shit That is a job

I really wish you have to see The look like Eric's face. He's the loudest one in the room, but you didn't hear one voice yet. Oh, that's sweet. So he's glad he went from 20% to 50% okay, so shut up. Shut the fuck up.

What I want to know, damn, they just gave each other a high-five. That was amazing. Relationship goals. He's like, I'll go get the shovel. Dreamwork. Teamwork. Teamwork.

We're dream work, baby. So, but I'm just saying, Matt, to, you know, to start when you did, and then to have the Plus Project almost be a contender. And then you might get some heat on the Dennis Edwards problem. It's almost a contender. And kind of some close-nosed cigars, not my year. It's not my year.

I'm sure every, like, New Year's Eve, you're like, okay, 1985, this is going to be the year. It's going to be it. And, like, what keeps you grounded? because usually in the cases I know, a lot of bitterness starts to enter artist's lives, usually by the six year of like the no cigar situation.

Like, okay, if it doesn't happen this year, then... Well... And what keeps you... By this point, mentally speaking, like, with the way that the label was, what keeps you hanging on? Wait, is this where... Benny enters the picture.

God, yes. Sorry. All right. I'm sorry, Eric. Eric just had a... He was already... He's just over. He's like 20 degrees colder.

Breathe, brother. Breathe, breathe. What's talking about Sergio Mendez? No, no, no. Let me just... I'm trying to explain that this show is not... This is probably the deepest we've ever gotten into... Stir in the pot?

Yeah, because... No, but seriously. Seriously, I'm more curious about the creative process and getting from point A to point Z. Not just like, oh, give me the sensationalist stories. Like, you know, what shirt was that and I wearing that day? But I am curious about obstacles that are in your way and how you deal with it and overcome such a thing to get to.

Man, you just, I don't know, you just don't. I just haven't stopped. You can't stop. You just got to keep focused. Eye on the prize. keep your keep focused on your goals no matter and then all that other stuff

is just extraneous stuff that's happening while you're focused on your goal so what okay for that point what in your eyes and you know everyone has a plan and quote God laughs at you whatever that thing is

that that's saying what were your aspirations during that period was it like I want to sell out I was going to be Madonna and then I was going to be Beyonce. I was going to be it. But that part of my career just never kind of took off.

But as a songwriter, because the focus wasn't on me as an artist, I think I had to concentrate on what was happening. And as a songwriter, I was doing a lot more than I was as my own artist. I mean, if you can't have a hit song after having a duet with the king of pop, the biggest pop songwriter in the world. If your record company can't get it together after that. And then a few months after that, you wrote the fifth single from the biggest pop song writer, pop artists in the world,

and you still can't get it going. It just wasn't meant for me. Like, I was on the bad tour. The single had just come out, Warner Brothers, like, you got to stay here and we got to make your record. You got to, you know, while this is hot, you got to do this, and the man in the mirror is coming out. You've got to make your own record.

So I rehearsed with the bad tour for like a week. And after a week, I told Michael, I said, dude, I got to do my own shit. I mean, Warner Brothers is saying so sorry. I left, entered Cheryl Crow. And the rest is herstery, bitches, herstery. I see. The executives ever come to you like, you know, in that artist type of way? Well, if you change this and if you change that, because I always thought it was dope,

You were ahead of your time. You know how I feel about hair. They wanted me to be Mary J. Blige. They looked at me and they saw an R&B singer, which I wasn't. I'm a pop singer, but I'm not Madonna. So the look didn't match the road I was trying to go down. So after a while, you've got to go with the flow, baby. You got to however it's flowing, you've got to make that work.

You can't. You have to understand that usually the conclusion that you just, told me, that's always reached in hindsight. Now, I mean, the key reason why I even have this show as a platform is for what you just said. Because I got about six or seven people in my lives, my lives. I have a lot of lives. You have many lives. You're a cat.

Like brands. I have six or seven people in my life who, their narrative is constantly. going down dead in streets. And just like, nope, nope. Did you read that book about the cheese and the rats and the new cheese? I might have wrote it. I forgot the name of it, but who moved my cheese? Okay.

Who moved my cheese? That book is about these two little rats who every day they would get out of their little house and get dressed for work and they'd go in the maze and they find the cheese and then they go home and get on dress, go to sleep. Next day they get up, get dressed, go down the maze and find out. the cheese. One day, there was no cheese. But one little rat just kept getting up, getting dressed, going down the road, going to find us, looking for cheese. The other rat started looking for some new cheese.

So as an artist, I was looking for some new cheese. That's the best cheese story we've ever heard on this show. It was. I just want to know, I've been in that new cheese situation. Yeah. because again I personally and I hate I know I'm regressing

to old Amir where I start taking over the interviews and making the interview about me instead of the artist but I got it this is a rare Tell us about the cheese Amir

Tell us about the cheese No no no but I'm just saying that Was it blue? Was it blue? Was it Swiss? Yeah. As an artist in the beginning When you're first starting

You have these lofty goals Of what you want your life to be Yes I don't. didn't ask to you know it wasn't a dream I mean yeah you said yeah I like to host a radio show or

be the new Doc Severson on a show but I didn't grow up like as an eight year old like hmm like half the stuff like write you know books about food and all that stuff I had a specific goal that I thought was going to get me to where my dream was and then

you know but I also have about four or five ledge talkers that taught me off the ledge from sabotaging stuff. Because when stuff doesn't go right for me, my first instinct is fuck it.

Now, none of us can play ball. You know, like, I'm that person. Oh, you think I'm taking my ball and I'm going home. Oh, I'll take the ball and roof it so nobody can happen. But I'm also smart enough to listen

if three, like 50 million Elvis fans can't be wrong. So if four people are telling me, I think you need to fuck you're fucking up I need you to breathe calm down that was a different way I thought yeah

they were telling you who you need to fuck who you need to fuck yeah who you're no I'm just saying that you're I'm just saying that I had that

but how did you because the narrative of anyone else I talked to this is where the downside of the dark side the period happens

but you just went with the punch and like okay well wasn't meant for me to... I had no other option. Like, there was no other alternative. You either...

It was not about... I was not about to just go down like that. I was just not going out like that. I wanted to just find a new way to make my name, to get my music out there. And if it wasn't through me, then I'll just write it for somebody else to do.

All right. Yeah, I'm going to bookmark this part of the interview and make sure that 95 billion people listen to you saying that. New cheese. That's, yes. And can we title this new cheese? New cheese. Casso Profundo.

Check this out. For those of you who live in Southern California, for the last 16 years from 2000 to January 2016, I was the voice of Toyota for Southern California. Jingles. New cheese. New cheese, baby. Now it's your to talk.

Toyota dealer, you can get a great deal on a 2016 Toyota. Holy shit. Tijuana. Let's go places. Let's go places, bitches! That's what I love. Those are my career goals. I'm like, yes, dope.

Yeah, that's dope. New cheese. I didn't wake up going, oh my God, I want to be that announcer girl. It happened. I was singing the jingle. We make it easy. Oh, so easy. I'm in that group.

How many? How many? Many, many. For many products. Can you name something that I don't know. know or that I might know or? Well, I've done lots of Pepsi, likes of Coca-Cola commercials, Jack in the Box,

McDonald's, just ooze and Oz all over the place. And, and the... Dang, you're real rich. No, no. No. No. Casino. Marongo. I'm on that too. And... I'm just... Wait, let me...

And that's another thing. This is going to be that episode. Okay, that's fine. Just because you work a lot doesn't mean that you're bringing in the dough. I'm not like the trash man that work a lot may not breathe. But when you are doing several commercials. No, I'm the plumber. I consider myself Mr. 19 jobs.

You don't know what a lot of dough is anymore. You're in a bubble. But to the rest of the system. No. Okay. Don't. I'm just saying it means that you're consistently working. You're a working class.

Niggie working class. Anyway. Stop him now. Sorry. So go ahead. Did I miss something? We're getting some other kinds of genes. We were talking about how.

Internal beef. It's filming JJ time, so good. But the jingles, amazing. Yeah, so, yeah, that was another way for me to still sing and be musical, but not be an artist and not be signed to a label. And not be, you know what else I hated about being signed to a label? What? They have their own agenda.

And it doesn't matter what kind of artist you want to be or what artist you think you can be or who you think you are. If you don't fit into that box that they have, R&B box, the pop box, with all the looks and everything that goes with it, then you are just looked over and you fall through the cracks. I know so many artists like that. Tavin was like that. Tevin had his sweet spot was before his balls dropped and his voice changed.

So after that, nobody wanted to fuck with Taven because he didn't have those high notes anymore. But Tavon took his gift and his talent and he went to Broadway. So he found some new cheese. Wow Not to mention Your Your acting game is

Oh God Quite awesome New cheese My first Yeah When I got my first VCR First show ever recorded was the facts of life Oh my God

You know like When you get your first VCR You got to record everything When you were a kid Yeah Steve's like No I got some stuff My dad recorded

that I happen to find that But yeah Pretty much recording everything Change my life, change my life The first week we got a VCR I recorded everything that was on television It just happened Her episode of Facts of Life was the one that I did

I did an episode of Amen I remember that episode Where you wanted to be a singer I would be a singer No Uncle Rubber I want to be a singer. Oh, Clinton Davis was your honor. Yeah.

I remember that. No, yeah, she was, uh, I guess Mrs. Garrett's girls wanted to enter a sing with the elder barge contest. Oh, yeah. And I think George Clooney's character and whoever the kid was.

That's right. I worked with George Clooney. Wait, George. Before he was on. That's right. Later, past life when they had their own bakery and whatnot. Right. So they organized them to enter this contest.

And then, of course, Tudie's group one. They're fucking show. Fucking Tudy. Fuck Tudy. Yo, man. Kim's a friend of the show.

But she lost the whole two of hearts thing. Remember that one too? You were on two hearts? No, no. Tudy lost when she was trying to remember that? Oh, yeah. I was like, wait. Two hearts that beat as one.

Anyway, no, Stacy. Let me tell you, I was on an ill-fated pilot called Wallie in the Diamond. Valentine's. Yes. Walling the Valentine's. I can't find this. On that pilot episode was

Kevin Campbell, Tassiana Ali, Cindy Harron, Saida Garrett. They were like, and everybody was like nobody then. And after that, they went on to do what they went on to do. But Jeff Franklin was the producer of that.

And he produced family ties, Family. Full house. Full house. Right? So they did a, they rebooted the show. And one of the actresses on the show, whose name is Jody Sweeten.

Sweeten. That one, Sweeten. She is in a rock band, her little band, and I wrote the song that her band sings. So this is like 30 years later, that producer who hired me as an actress, and I was on the pilot as the sister of Cindy and Tavin. And we were in this vocal group.

Anyway, the pilot went nowhere, but he and I remained friends. And like 30 years after the fact, I got married at his house in Beverly Hills. And then he said, well, we got this show. You want to write, so I'm right. So those relationships that are forged early on in your career, if you know how to nurture them, they're just valuing. People remember how professional you were, how important you were to the project they were working on, how you added your ideas. And they remember you for other things.

But had I been an asshole on that set? Wait a minute. I'd have probably got married at the town hall. Yeah. In Compton, thank you very much. Wait a minute. You just... Did you bring Tevin de Quincy?

I did. I was one of the first few people. That makes sense now. Because I was like, wait a minute. How did Tevin enter the picture without Quincy? Quincy heard about Tevin from me and from Benny Bedina around the same time. Because I was in the show with him, and I knew he could sing. Tevin had such a thick accent that I remember talking to him about some mark he had on his arm or some really scar on his arm.

I said, how did you get that? He said, oh, me and my silts. Oh, shit. We was running. And I was running with some siltsles. I said, you were running with what? Silsles. Some sizzles.

I said, child, where are you from? I'm for Waxahatchee, Texas. Where they pronounce scissors like sills. Wachia. Waxahatchee. That's Jambesitao. That's a wachia. Waxah hatchie and the Jambay unbio.

There will be a test later. Yo, he loves that accent by the time he did Fresh Prince. That's interesting because I was thinking about the Tatiana reunion on Fresh Prince. Yeah. Tim and was deep south. Wax and hatching. Okay. So you brought him to...

Quincy. Okay. Around the same time that Benny did. Because I often might have Sunday brunch in a certain New York establishment. And I'll... I'll still see Bobby Humphrey occasionally. And she'll be. be like, I discover

Darren Gamble. Oh, that's right. That's her, yeah. Because her name was, her, like, logo or something was on the first two albums or something like that. Right, right, right, right. I don't know nothing about that. Yeah. Sorry, Bobby. The way that I've always heard, Quincy Jones described the creative process

in sourcing material for Michael is that I'm always hearing numbers like, yeah, we sat and listened to 300 songs. We sat and listened to 500 songs. So, I mean, again, today's a whole new different standard. So am I to believe that the standard for then was that you would go to a certain publishing house and just have cassettes and all these songs submitted to you

and you just sit there and listen and... Well, no, Quincy would put the word out to songwriters that he respected, yeah, and the new could deliver. So, and then they would start submitting songs. And I wouldn't, I wouldn't doubt that they heard up to 300, 500 songs because Quincy informed me after I delivered the cassette to Man in the Mirror that he and Michael had been in the studio for like two and a half years. And Michael had yet to record a song he didn't write. So Quincy was like, I don't know. But then he said, don't worry, Sid,

if we don't record it with Michael on his album, the bad album, I'll record it with James Ingram on my album. And I'm thinking, Michael Jackson, James Ingram. Jackson James and I go. Had to let it go. But as it turned out, Michael loved the song. And in fact, the first thing he said to me was, I love this song.

The second thing he said to me was, I love your voice. Wow. It was just, I was on Cloud 51. Because this is one of two songs that weren't written by him on the album. Right. The other one was, she's out of my life, Tom Bailey. No, no, no, well, just good friends was... Oh, yeah, yeah, I'm wrong album, sorry, wronged out.

Right, right. Okay. So you were hinting to place the song, but Quincy was sort of saying like, eh, he wants to write off. Well, Quincy called a meeting with his songwriters, his West Coast writers. I think there were like six or seven of us, and I was late for the meeting, so I tried to sneak in, and everybody's sitting around his living room, and he's talking in the middle of a sentence, and I'm trying to stay in the back of the room and just sort of slink on the side and find the place to sit down. As if...

Yeah. And he's tracking me with his eyes as I walk across the back of the room and he says, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, you know, just following me and I'm like going, oh shit. So I sat in the corner and I took copious notes. Then I went to my friend Glenn Ball and I said, Quincy's looking for a song for Michael. And he said, well, what kind of song does he want? And I was like, I don't know.

So he gets up to go to the keyboard, to turn it on, to get some sounds. cut to two years prior to this day. I'm in a writing session with famous jazz pianist John Beasley, right? Sure. So John and I are writing, and John also introduced me to Sergio Mendez, which is another story. So John and I are writing and the phone rings. And I thought we were doing some pretty good work.

So I was waiting for the machine to pick up, and instead of him letting his machine pick up the phone, he picks up the phone and begins this very banal, conversation. Nothing. I'm just hanging. And I'm flipping through my lyric

book saying to myself, no, he didn't just say he wasn't doing nothing. No, he didn't. You know, I'm just like, I'm seething, right? And then I hear him say, the man? What man? Oh, the man in the mirror.

So I wrote down Man in the Mirror. Two years later, I'm at Glenn's house. He gets up to turn on the keyboard and he starts playing doom, doom, doom, doom, do. Just to get a sound on the keyboard. And I'm flipping through my lyric book again. And the phrase, man in the mirror, literally leapt off the page.

And I could not write the lyric fast enough. I'll tell Glenn, wait, I'm just scribbling frantically. Right? So in like 10, 12 minutes, we had the first verse and the first chorus to Man in the Mirror. That was Wednesday night. He said, you go home, finish the lyric, I'll finish the track, and on Friday we'll demo the song. So I demoed this song Friday, and we finished Friday night too late to turn it into Quest Records. So I called Quincy, and I said, cute. Glenn and I have written a great song. He said, great, Sid.

Just turn it into the publishing office, and I'll hear it on Monday or Tuesday. And I said, Quincy, no, I really just want you. He said, sit. I said, just let me bring it over. He said, Sid, I'm in a meeting. I have like 12 people sitting in my dining room. I can't. Quincy has six daughters. So he knew he was not going to win this argument. So he just said, okay, shit. And he bring it.

So I brought this cassette to Quincy's house, knocked on the door, and the housekeeper opens the door and calls for Quincy. He opens the dining room doors. Sure enough, 12 fucking suits looking up at me going, looking at their watches like what the fuck is she this is the look on all what the this must be really important because we're doing some shit and she's interrupting our meeting so quizzy goes to the door i give him this cassette and i said cue the only thing i asked is that you just get back to me he said don't worry he said don't worry shit close the door right

i was expecting you to play it for him on the spot i wanted to but he was like no like look like look at this no i got these people so you know i was glad that he let me you bring it. Right. So he called me two hours later. I was at my house cooking dinner and he picked up the phone and he said, Sid, this is the best song that I've heard in 10 years. I'm like, yes.

And I'm living in best song in 10 years. And I know he said, but I didn't want to hear whatever shit came after. I just want to live in best song in 10 years. And then he said, but you know, Michael. we've been in the studio two and a half years Michael hasn't, he hasn't recorded anything Don't worry Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, James Inger

Don't worry So I had to let that go I got a call three days later And Quincy says And I quote Sid We in the studio recording your old piece of song And I'm like yes!

Then he said but And you know how Charlie Brown's teacher You know they're saying something. You don't want to hear shit. So everything after butt, I was, we're recording your song. Let me just be in that for a moment.

Then he said, Michael wants you, the only thing is the chorus, Michael wants four more lines in the chorus and he really wants you. Then he says, hold on. And I hear, and then, and then,

and Quincy gets back on the phone and says, and he really wants you to bring home the message that, And then he says, hold on. And then I hear. And, right? So Quincy Jones.

It's like Pepperman Paddy and Marnsey's like. puts Michael Jackson on the motherfucking phone. Right? Now, I don't know about y'all. But when I was coming up, we're here with you right now. Michael was my husband. I was my husband.

My other cousins had Tito and Jemmaid. Michael was my husband. So in my mind, I'm on the phone with my husband. Right? So I did not want to be. Oh my God, my God. Let me sit much. You said some bath.

I'm so glad you were doing my song. I wanted to be the antithesis of that fan. I wanted to be the anti-fan. So I went. Not singing his songs in front of him. I went straight. I went straight telephone operator. I picked up the phone and I said, how can I help you?

I know, that's, I like that. I swear to God. And like I said, the first thing he said to me was, I love this song. Second thing, and I love your voice. I'm like, thanks. So two or three days later, Quinty calls and says, we need you to come down the studio because the demo, the key, is too high for Michael Singh. So we need to re-same the demo.

Great. I didn't know in the studio was Quinty Jones, Bruce Sweetine, and Michael Jackson. Yikes. So I walk in and he's like, hi. And, you know, we're talking and whatever. But I didn't know why he was filming.

So Quincy said, go in the booth and sing the song. So I get up to go in the booth. And Michael gets up with this, it was 80s. So it was a huge video camera, right? And he's following me. And in Spike Lee's Bad 25 reunion, you can see Michael in a reflection in the mirror in the studio videotaping me, getting ready to sing the demo in the new key. So I'm looking at the man in the mirror recording the man in the mirror as he, you know, it was just insane. So insane.

So I'm singing this, getting ready to sing the song. I said, why are you? What are you? Over my shoulder. I'm like, what are you doing? He says, I want to film you singing this song. I said, why? He said, because I want to sing it like you.

Wait a minute, wait a minute. I said, wait. I said, great, Mike. All my friends are going to believe me. When I tell him, he wants to sing it like me. So it was just such a weird, weird day. But it was one of the, I can't stop smiling thinking about it. How are you able to concentrate with that much pressure?

Because Quincy's there. Michael, I got a gazillion of Bruce Bredinian questions. I just saw Bruce last week. We went to Florida to visit. That's where he is? He's in Orlando, Florida. Bro, trap. He's in Orlando, Florida?

You were just there. You were just there. Oh, snap. I could have got you an interview, dude. Oh, man. I will do anything to talk. He would love it. He would absolutely love it.

They got a horse, rabbits, they got cats. We'll end up for us. You got that for us. And rabbits. They got chickens. Ooh, B. Sweetine has the best chickens I've ever met because they deliver. I tasted. No, no, no.

I tasted their eggs. Do you have a lot of chickens? They have amazing eggs. And the yolks are so rich. They're orange. They're the color of your shirt. Instead of yellow pale-ass yellow eggs, these yolks are orange.

Who knew they were supposed to be? And they are delicious. It's because their chickens just eat grass on the farm. Wow. Free-range chicken. Yeah. And free-range eggs. They're fabulous. I love we went from Michael Jackson to free-range farm products.

So fast. Have you done this so much that you can effortlessly just sing in front of someone? When Michael Jackson's freaking watching you. Okay, here's the thing. And somebody asked. me this the other day. What's it like to, you know, to record with Quincy Jones? Let me just tell you, when you're in the room with someone like that, someone of that magnitude, someone who's at the top of their game, in their game, you want to do the best that you can do to impress them.

So you're in it to do your best. You're going to bring your best game to this table because this is the table that your game needs to be played at. So you're going to be the best. So you're going to be the best that you're going to bring your best self and they're going to draw even more of that out of you because that's their gift wow did you take any drugs or anything

that day or anything to calm me down I think that would have really fucked me up you think I was bouncing off the walls with nothing I can't I couldn't know it was awesome oh I have a great story I told this story a couple of times but it just shows how truly human

he was The first time I met him, he, you know, I sang the demo, and then we had some downtime, and we were chatting. And I looked down, he had on a, his black fedora, white t-shirt, forest green corduroy shirt, black pants, one gray sock and one green sock or some shit, right? I said, dude. what's up with your socks he said oh it was early in the morning and the room was dark and I just pulled out

what I was in the door I said obviously so we laughed whatever so the next time I saw him a few days later to record we did the duet in Spanish and French and in English so I was with him for a week recording right so

the next time I saw him he said Sid and he called me over like come here And he pulled his pants up a little higher. He said, look at my socks. Now, he was still wearing, this time it was a red shirt and the white t-shirt and the black. I said, your socks are sky blue, okay? They match each other, but they don't match.

Nothing else you got on. So he just called me crazy. And he said, your name sounds like you, you just, you're just a country. So I'm going to just call you Miss Gary. So he called me Miss Gary. There's no joke. That's the story. That's just what it was.

You straight up and subpoenaed that shit like, there's no puzzle, man. That's all he did. That's just the story. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me.

Clever Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. And the next, we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music.

The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app,

Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends.

I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends, Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care, so they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no. I vowed. I will be his last target.

He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Ego Wode. My next guest, you know from Step Brothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live, and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. My dad gave me the best advice ever.

I went and had lunch with them one day. And I was like, and Dad, I think I want to really give this a shot. I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings. I'm working my way up through, and I know it's a place that come look for up and coming talent. He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. Yeah. He goes, but there's so much luck involved. And he's like, just give it a shot.

He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar. of, you know, the cat, just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks, Dad, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

You did the bad tour only for a few weeks, or? We rehearsed for like a month, and I rehearsed for a week of that, yeah. Okay, I was like, wait a minute, I kind of swore on a, I saw you sing that. just in touring with them how how tedious are rehearsals how tedious are Oh no once we rehearsed

It wasn't like Madonna Where you would You would rehearse And sound check Wink wink wink Every show Because we would always have to Rehearse whatever didn't go well

On the show before She would have notes and then Oh honey She would have Notage for almost everyone my chord, my guitar strap, my boot, you know, everything, everything, everything. So, but with Michael, we rehearsed for three months and that was it. I didn't see him except for two hours on the show every night.

He didn't rehearse every new city. No, no, because he knew. So time for band prayer, he's there and then hit the stage. That's it. Wow. So was it, I mean, was it a fun experience or was it just like? Oh, my God, it was the most fun I've ever had in my life. Because we didn't, it wasn't like a bus tour.

And the part that was the bus tour, I wasn't having no bus. No, I flew. Really? I couldn't. I did one 12-hour bus ride. And afterwards, I was like, oh, well, hell now. That's not fun? Hell to the now.

In fact, we would do a show. And me and Greg, me and Greg were flying. We would do a show. They would shower, whatever they're going to do, get in their pajamas, get on the bus. That's so... Drive to the next city. Me and Greg would go back to our hotels, hit it in our beds, get up the next day, pack our shit, fly in,

meet them before their bus arrived from the day before. Okay. And they're getting off the bus dragging, and Greg and I are like, we're going to lunch, see you guys, a sound check, you know. So touring with like that was amazing. And when there weren't buses, we would just fly everywhere. Because we had our own plane, and Michael was on his own plane. You know, and there was nothing like making fun of the stewardesses when they have to do the white lines.

We would all unbuckle and buckle our seatbelts when they would do that. And when she would do this, like the airplanes were coming in the hangar, we'd all do our hands like the airplanes would go. It was just so much fun. But listen, traveling with Michael Jackson, being on tour with Michael was like being one of Jesus's disciples. Baby, we used to hate it when we were in the same hotel as Michael because usually the hotel would coordinate with your position on the tour.

A hotels were for Michael, his guests, his friends. B hotels was for the band and the singers. C hotels was for the crew. Crew, right? So there were times when there was no A and B, it was only A and C. So those are the times when we had to be in Michael's hotel. We fucking hated it.

Because all night, It was just insane You couldn't sleep Could not And then Michael would like peek out the window And then they'd go in Freaking sane

You know So it was never He liked that kind of energy We just want some rest We wanted to get some rest So we were happy when we were in a different hotel Than Michael was in Because his fans are like

Fanatics They are truly fanatic In fact We were in Spain And I will never forget this We had a day off in Spain and Spain, leather, shoes, handbags, hello. So we were going shopping, so we changed the money at the desk.

So we got our little Spanish money and we're going out of the hotel. Now they cordoned off the fans because it was like a sea of fans in front of this hotel. But for the guests, they needed to rope off a path so the guests can come. So we're counting the money and putting money in my person, trying to figure out where we're going to go have lunch. And we walked down through this sea of people, this opening like Moses. and from behind me I hear Hey, that's Saida Garrett

Baby, I look behind me and people were like Me and my friend took off running down the street in Spain and we're running, running, and looking at them and they're coming after us. I said, oh my God! What are they going to do when they fucking catch us? It was just insane and we were running and running and then somebody must have said, hey, we're three blocks

from the hotel, we better, what if Michael comes up? out. So they then turned around, but that was the most harrowing time. And that's when I realized this is Michael every day. It's insane. Well, they're going to pull my hair out and just have a remnant. Look what I got. Yeah, I don't know. It was insane. And it really scared me to think about that's what his whole life was. Did y'all sing, I just can't stop loving you together? Did you all record that together? Or was it? So you were in his face. Yes, I told you. Two mic stands. one here, one here, and the lyrics said, I just can't stop loving you.

Michael Saeed him. It was in that moment that I realized, oh my God, I'm singing a duet with a fucking king of pop. Unbelievable. And in answer to your question, all I wanted to do was just deliver my best. Right. To impress him and Quincy.

Look what I can do. That's, oh, man, that's so much pressure, though, because it's like... I felt it was like, this is where I get to show them what I have. No, there was no crackage. You were just completely confident. Yeah, because I've been dying for this. You can't hear it in the song. Even when you do, I just can't stop loving you. You're like, ooh, oh, that moment I just wondered what Michael Jackson was thinking.

He loved it. He loved it. He loved it. We had so much fun, man. And there was one time in Japan, I think it was New Year's Eve or something. I came out on stage, and this was before people were doing colors in their hair. I came out on stage with a little hot magenta pink bob. And then when Michael turned and said, he started laughing so hard. He couldn't even sing he was laughing so hard.

It was so funny. It was so funny. My hair was usually like this and I wanted to switch it up just to see what was fucking happened. And he could not stop laughing. He said that was really funny. That was really funny. Wow. Wow.

That's, thank you for sharing that. Thank you. All right. Back on the block. Actually, I have a Michael. Oh, yeah. Were there any other songs that you guys recorded together that didn't come out? No.

The only other thing we did was... Keep the faith, right? Keep the faith, yeah. Wait a minute. Okay, now we can get to the bottom of... Gotha Hats versus... Oh, yeah, yeah. Okay.

So, on your solo record... My ill-fated solo. No, we have it. All right, so... Yeah, we have it. We had to. They called a friend They made us

No, so you did Baby got a bed with Rod Timberton Yes The fabulous Can you Yeah He's

What is Rod Timberton like? Well unfortunately He passed away I know What of my One of my Regrets was just not I mean besides a Twitter

Relationship I really didn't get a You know A chance to pick his brain And Yeah He was Rod Temperton

was the most amazing songwriter that I've ever met. Rod Temperton has a work ethic that was like none other. Rod Temperton hated the press. He hated interviews. He would never agree to do any. He just wanted to be the guy who wrote the great songs and was the behind the scenes kind of guy. When we were recording Michael,

Kiss of Life album. We were in the studio at the Westlake Studios and Rod had a couple of studios going at the same time because we were under pressure to get this record done. So one night we were recording

and Rod had a toothache and he was like a serious smoker. I can't even remember seeing his face without him having a cigarette hanging from his fingers. So he was smoking the cigarette And he's going like this with his hand on his face on his jaw

I was like, what's wrong? He said a bit of a toothache Was that's all right? Can we do it one more time? I'm like, Rod, you should call a dentist He said, it's so right. He said, so right. So he said, go ahead and sing song one more time.

While I was singing the song, Rod had sent one of the engineers into the toolbox. No! Wait for it? No. Wait for it. No.

No, no, no. Y'all be a dentist. Rod took a pair of pliers. No. No. This is not the, I'm a tip of this story. He gripped that tooth, yanked it out of his mouth, took a swing of his cigarette, a drink of his coffee, and said, one more take, please.

That's gangster. That's some gangsta shit right there. Wow. Gangster. Wow. He was like that. That's the kind of Nick of Rod was. What the hell, man?

No. You sat there and watched that? I was, I was in a lot right there. I would have turned around. And then he's like, and then he's like, you've got to be bleeding profusely. And he's washing it all down with the coffee and the cigarettes. Yeah.

He's drinking the blood and the coffee. Yes. No. Yeah. I bet it was delicious. Shut up for Steve. What did you say, Steve? I think that's cool.

It's a white guy thing. It's got to be a white guy thing. That's something you'd like to be able to do. But you could never pull that off. No, I wouldn't have the guts to do that. You could never pull that out. Your dad's a dentist. Steve?

The coffee I could do. Your dad's a dentist. Yeah. You've been working for 30 years. You don't know that his dad's a dentist? I'm like, I've known you for all my life. And I didn't know your dad was a dentist. You'll be a dentist.

That explains your, uh, everything. teeth? What? No, your Hanukah gifts. What are they toothbrushes or what? They're checks. I love it.

Oh, God. Okay, wait. Yeah, back to a baby. No, we didn't get the answer. It's a baby got to bed. Yeah, I was going to say. So the thing is, is that we have a version who got the Hats that's on kind of a

Michael box set that has him credited as the sole writer of it. Michael? Yeah. Right. Okay. So when we heard Baby got a bed I realized that that's basically got the hots which explains to me that so

that Rod Timberton did the music, correct? Mm-hmm. Probably. I'm trying to figure out how, so how did you get the track before? I don't know what track you're talking about. Got the hots. I'm not. Okay. It was This is a thriller outtake.

Play it, dork. Well, I didn't get it. Right. You never heard the original reference to Got the Hots? No. This is incredible. Okay. So this is Got the Hots in outtake.

So you got to the bottom of nothing. Right, but now we're all going to walk away enlightened, and I get to hear Got the Hots for a minute. Oh, yeah. I have heard this before. Okay. That's Rod Timberton to his core. Does he demo everything himself? Yeah, I sang a lot of his demos.

Can you play the other one? Okay, well. Have you played, have you heard Groove of Midnight? Michael's version of Groove of Midnight? What? Yeah. That was one of the songs that didn't make the album. Wait, hang me?

I love it when you freak out the nerds. Oh, midnight. Here in the warm, the sweetest of the moon. New Chief. Do you own this demo? Somewhere. Are we going to be best friends? You're going to be my friend now?

Of course. I'll shake my hand again. Absolutely. Larry again. You know how he do. I'm going to start calling you Larry from that one. That's fine. I'll be Larry.

Just giving them demo. Let's compare it to babies. Yes, nerd. All right. So this baby's got it. Also with Dick Rudolph on production, right? Yes. I used to love to sing for Ryan.

You hear the, I have. Are those all your backgrounds? Yeah, I was about to ask. And when you're doing that, are you making, are you, is that just like off the top of your head? Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no. Rod had all the chords, all the notes written out and he played me what notes to say. Is that how it worked? Yes, yes.

I always, I concluded that maybe perhaps Mike didn't see it to completion because it didn't allow him to flex. Do Mike, you right. As an entertainer. Exactly. Because he was confined. It was a brilliant song, though. Thank you. And that's the thing, like, especially with the work that Rod has done, especially when, like,

Johnny Wilder is in the lead doing the heat wave stuff. Yeah. And. Oh, yeah, all those harmonies. Yeah, there's one song on Central Heading where at the very end, it's called Put the Word Out. Yes, yes, yes, yes. So there's one song which Johnny Wilder actually gives himself some debt because he mastered, like, for like nine minutes, he had to sing this really intricate harmony part.

And at the end, at the end of the song, Johnny Wilder's like, I'm the best. I did that for 10 motherfuckin' motherfucking minutes. It's really great movie. For 20 fucking years. Love the callback. There you go. So when you're called for a project like back on the block

and subsequently listen up and there's so many players in it, like how... What are your memories of tackling that project? That was... I was just in awe to be in the room because you never knew who was going to show up. I mean, that album was Ella Fitzgerald. Sarah Vaughan. Sarah Vaughn.

Barry White. Miles Davis. Al Jaro. Who's the Cheeks? Dizzy Gillespie. All these people, that was their last project. Right. So I have a story.

Barry White was doing the Secret Garden, right? Right. So Quincy and Barry are talking in a little area between the recording booth and the vocal booth. There was like a little hallway at West Lake, yes. So they're and they're talking, and I'm going from either from the booth into the studio or from the studio into the booth, but I had to pass them. And they're talking, and Barry's talking to, and Barry's talking to Quincy.

And I'm standing there waiting to say something to Quincy, and while Barry is speaking, my ribs are vibrating. Wow. And I said, excuse me, Mr. White, I'm going to have to leave because right now you are inside me. me right now? Yeah, it was just so intense. He, his voice was so rich and so deep. My rib cage was vibrating from the tone in his voice.

Baby, ain't nothing like having Barry White inside you. I'm telling you. That's what they're telling you now. But is something like that overwhelming or by this point you're just like a... I was loving it. I wake up every day, oh, hey, great Charles elephant. No, you knew it was special.

You knew that that was... some shit that doesn't happen every day. You knew that these people only came because it was Quincy. I mean, Ray Charles, you know, Dizzy Gillespie, come on! So it was just, it was a rich

history lesson every day. The musical history that Quincy surrounds himself with and has inside of him. I mean, since he was 14 years old, and almost every decade has been relevant ever since. six decades of relevance in the music business.

Who does that? You know, it's just, I just wanted to be a sponge. I just wanted to soak up all the goodness, all the richness, all the musicality, all the experience, all the talent that I could possibly soak up while I was in their presence. What did they say you are, your collective intelligence is a sum of the seven people you surround you. yourself with or something like that. That's what Will Smith said. Well, in a room like that? Is someone having us surrounded by idiots?

You gotta get it? Oh, stop. What ain't? What ain't? I beg your guard and Mr. Questlove. I'm here, sir? No, that's a for real joke. That was, to me,

the only new person at the time of? No, that was on the second. She was on Q's juke joint. She was on Juke joint, juke joint. That's right. Back on a block. And Rod wrote the song for her, and I sang the demo. That's what I thought.

Mm-hmm. Her voice is delicious She was my baby Angela Vofield in my head What's your name? Misha Paris Do that song first? Yeah, Misha had a great relationship with Rod. He loved going back to London and recording stuff with her.

She's awesome. I sang her demos too. When Rod would write in L.A., I'd sing the demos and then he'd go to Europe and play him for Misha. Because Rod never let out his music. If he was going to have a meeting with an A&R person to play music for their artists,

he would go. play the music and take his shit right back with him because if you didn't like it then you're not going to like it in 20 minutes so you're not going to like it tomorrow he never left any of his music with anybody no damn

and he didn't do the demos until he got the job then he would demo do you like this song this song or we were like that really because right had that thriller money he didn't give a shit he really didn't because he loved the music he didn't need the money

In fact, that was the, you know, he didn't care about that. Rod Timber didn't even drive a car. He didn't own a vehicle. In fact, his wife had to, come on, Roddy, I need a car, you know, to, you know. But Rod had a relationship with the yellow cab service way before Uber. Rod was like having the cabs coming, taking to get groceries, taking to buy cigarettes, you know. Wow. He was a trip.

And Quincy doesn't drive either. What? If I was Quincy Jones, I wouldn't drive. Quincy never learned to drive. You're not Quincy Jones. I know, and I know how to drive. He was Quincy Jones for a long time. How often do you speak to him?

I spend every Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner with Quincy Jones, and I talk to him throughout the year, depending on who dies and what's happening. Because he said all my friends are dead. It's very sad. He's worried about him. Yeah. Yeah. And he said to me, like, when Ray Charles passed and then Rod Temperton passed,

and I was talking to him about funerals, he said, oh, shit, I can't go to another funeral, Sid. If I went to every funeral with the people that I know, at a funeral every week. He said, I'm done with funerals. Wow. I got to respect that. I got to respect that. Until you die.

I won't know that, though. So you wrote the lyrics for tomorrow, correct? Yes. For seven. Better you, better me, babe. Oh, you said it was your favorite. It was. You know that we'll show her hopes and out.

Yes. You never cry. Any of these songs? Man in the mirror. Tomorrow you never cry. Tomorrow actually makes me kind of tears. Yeah, like that's, you know, tomorrow will be. Okay, I'll tell you what. It reminds me when I was a kid and tomorrow was so far away.

And now tomorrow's here and I'm like, damn. This is tomorrow. But it's never far away. It's not. One thing I can always be sure of, yeah. Get it all to be strong. Is that right? Get it on.

To be strong. Yeah, me, I'm people. Wait. Actually, I'm going to make a confession. I actually didn't know that that song was originally an instrumental. Yeah. Because the lyrics just fit it so perfectly. Thank you.

There was no old. That's why they pay me the big looks. No, no. See, I didn't know that there were lyrics. Well, that's the thing. There weren't. Right. I get it now.

Just like, what's his name? The jazz guy that Eddie Harris, who always adds lyrics to. You know what? Okay. So as a source. Soul train a file. I have to say that usually where I come from in soul train ology, depending on what time it comes on.

Either wrestling's coming on right before that or America's top 10. Yes. So I was really happy doing your duration of it. That was so much fun, man. And, I mean, Casey Kasem called me one day and tell me I was doing a really great job because I would sub for him when he was going to vacation or if he was sick or something. How does that even happen?

I don't remember how that happened. I really don't. But I remember doing the show and they really wanted me to continue. But it was painful for me because every week I would announce all my friends going up the charts. Tevin, Madonna, they were all, you know,

and I would, this week on the, you know, and I felt kind of left out. I was like on the outside. And it was kind of painful. So I didn't want to do it anymore. Oh, okay. And they were like, but you're so good at this. I said, but I don't want to do it.

No, it makes sense. It was fun. I remember when Casey Kasem was having his first child, and he was trying to figure out what to name the kid, and I said, you know what, Casey, I don't care what you call him. Just don't call him Justin, Casey. Justin Kaysen. Right, I get it.

I get it. I got it. But I actually did say that. But I'm working on my stand. Okay, I'm going to cut to the chase because we'll be here for nine hours. How did you come across Brand New Heavy's? Oh my gosh.

I was assigned to write with each one of the members of the Brand New Heavy's for the next album, just as a songwriter. So I would get these tracks. and I would demo them and send them to London or I would go to London and demo the songs after I'd written. It was just me writing with an equal number of songs for each member of the group, right?

Did they know they were all writing with you? Yeah. Okay, I thought I was like, I got to say it again. No, no, no, no, no, no. It was my job to write with each one of them for their record because the last album, the drummer wrote all the songs. And they were great on the road, you know, buying clothes and living it up on the road.

And then they went home to their little apartments while the drummer bought a car and got a new flat. And, you know, so they were like, hey, we're equal members of the group, right? So we should all get a part of writing, right? We're all going to be writing, right? We're all writing. So I had to write with an equal number of songs for each member of the group. So who wrote some of the best songs? I was getting ready to ask that.

I think it was the drummer, Jan. John Kincaid? Jan Kincaid. Yankake. Dog, that, you might not be aware. But that Dilla remix changed lives. Oh my God. You don't even know it.

What remix? The Uma remix? Exactly. Oh, the UMA Q-Tip? Yeah, yes, yes. I love Q-Tip. And I see him, I hadn't seen him since for like 10 years after the record. And I didn't know if you'd remember, whatever.

Oh, no. It's a classic. And he said, the Amma mix? Of course I remember you. The Amma Mix, brand new habits. It was really good. That wasn't awesome. That mix was better than the record.

The whole record. I don't even know if you're aware The guy who did the track to the music Jay Dilla is like He's our Jay Dilla Yes he's he's All right

So Jay Dilla is a producer from Detroit That Q-Tip discovered Who's like our guru I would love to meet him No Well he passed away But, I mean, of all of his work.

Yeah, it's hard. But, I mean, you hold the honor of like, you're on one of his signature tracks. Like every, the tracks that he's done, that really inspired the Neal Soul movement. The way that DeAngelo's record sound, the way it does, the way that Erica Badu's records, the way that roots the album sound,

the way that Jill Scott's, like that whole Neal Soul movement between 96 and like 2005. he's really the epicenter of it all. So it's like you, I mean, you're basically on the Duke Ellington of that movement. Wow, that's so cool. Music, yeah, yeah. And so. I did not know that.

Yeah, when it came out, that just, that changed lives. So talk about your new, all right, this acronym is a nightmare. Why? You know, ghetto. Give me the acronym. Greatness. Yes. Happens.

Even though there's oppression. What's you saying? You couldn't say ghetto. What? I didn't say I couldn't say ghetto. I said I couldn't remember the acronym. Do you now? Yes.

What is it? Greatness happens even to those. No. Greatness happens even though there's oppression. Even though there's oppression, my dear. How apropos. for the times we live in it. I'm trying to tell you.

How did it come to be? Well, I've always been a fan of his energy and the message in his music and his rap. And I really started to know him as a person when we found out we were on the same Oscar board. Thank you, darling. We were on the academy.

He's an academy member. And I decided, when I decided to add a verse to this song, I had a little wish list and Common was at the top of the list. I wasn't, I didn't really expect to get him on it. But all he could say is no. And, you know, nothing beats a failure but a try. So I just posed it to him and sent him the song. He loved the song.

And I kind of got his information while we were on this music branch. and he just seemed so just kind of cool and just open to it. And when he said yes, because he loved the message of the song, I was like, great. And then it was about waiting for him to have time to put on his 12 bars.

But baby, when they finally came in, it was so dope. I just loved it. And it just elevated the song to another level. He's the man. Special individual of that comment. I'll say. Wait, why am I talking about Barry White?

You can wear some crocheted hands. You're a special boxhucking. I'm trying to tell you. Saeed and Garrett, you are everything I ever wanted in the interview. And we're not even... I even brought a bag of chips. What? I hate them on the way.

Wait, before we say goodbye, can you explain? Because aren't you involved this T-shirt that you're wearing? Yeah, Black Girl's Code. Yeah, can you just talk about that real quick? Dude. I was at a graduation for some people that are learning code and learning how to impact technology through art and music and business. And we wanted to, this movement is to teach black girls

that they can code their own computer games and they can program their own, they can compute themselves and they don't have to be young white boys to learn how to code and create your own video games and computer programs. Black girls can do it. And I think the movie, hidden,

no, hidden fences. I'm just kidding. Hidden figures did a lot to sort of show people that math is good for girls. And, you know, black girls can compute some shit. So I'm just here to support that, that every black child looks at a video game or looks at something on their program on their computer

or an app or something and think, I wanted to be able to think, hey, I can improve that or I can make an app for this or I can do that. I don't think they don't even teach that in school. So nobody really has an idea that they can aspire to do something like that. So I'm here to be the liaison

and just to be a vessel to promote that message. Black girls can do it. We can code. We can do some shit up in here. So, yes, we can. I got a friend who has two daughters that are, like,

their dream is to make video games. Black girls code, okay? That's crazy. Yeah. Wow. I think I've learned everything. Yeah. Boss Bill, what did you learn today, man?

What didn't I learn? Hold on. Let me go through my notes. You would keep your nose on it. Come back to me. Come back to me. Really? All right, I'm paid Bill. Man, same is the shit.

That's all I've learned today. Yeah, this is amazing. Listener talking about being an artist and all this other stuff is super enlightening and awesome. One of the things I learned that I'm going to treasure most is what the hell you guys were saying and don't look any further. That is going to come in handy. Just, I've always been a fan of yours. I'm sorry. No, it's okay.

It's okay. Don't apologize. Don't apologize. I think you I'm not Michael Jackson but I love your voice I love your voice and you write amazing songs

I'm very honored to be in this room with you right now so thank you for being here thanks for having me this has been relatively painless and I really appreciate it

I didn't know you didn't know you was walking into I didn't Sugar's key reflections What you say Shug I want to Got that Shug There's no version of

James Ingram singing man in the mirror Oh, hell no. We can all rest a little easier in that knowledge. I'm a fan of his also. James is wicked, man. Oh, I have a question. You don't have to raise your hands.

Force of habit. This actually could. Wait a minute. I was done. She did a song with Philip Ingram. Steve? Yeah, I did. Shit.

Philip Ingram, yeah. He was one of the guys that was at the auditions for Quincy. And he started hiring me to do background sessions. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry to carjack your memories. No, no. It's par for the course at this point. This happens every answer.

He didn't mean to Salino and Barnes, you know what, man. Salino and Barnes. You mentioned Salino. You mentioned James Ingram, and it just hit me that she did a song with Philip Ingram. And I was a massive Switch fan. You know what? Switch came to my high school, and I told Philip.

Words? Yeah, I went up to meet him, and he was so snoddy. And I said, you were a bitch to me. You were just so me. He said, when? So when I was in high school, your group came and you didn't, you didn't even, I just read him the riot act. He said, I'm sorry.

I didn't know, you know. He's so sweet. I just adore him. I adore him. Philip Ingram. Great singer. What you got to say, shoot? Just one more thing.

Got that sugar. No, I mean, that's your intro now. It's clearly, I mean, I guess I'm just staying the obvious, but, you know, Michael Jackson was your husband. That was my hood. And then you end up doing the duet. With my hood. Cross the microphone, yeah.

I mean, it's pretty incredible. It was a dream. It was a dream I didn't even know I had. I mean, if somebody had told me that that would have happened, I would have just laughed them out of the room. Because, you know, who, how could that happen? How can that possibly happen? Yeah, it happens, you know, once in a while, I guess.

The moon must have been blue that day. Sweet, sweet Margaret, any last words? New cheese. You're going to throw off, gosh. Like, who's Margaret? Gucci-Mame. We call it sweet Margaret. Does she know that?

No. No, she doesn't. They call me a lot of things. We're going to leave a sweet Margaret today. Never anything out your name. When is it sweet? It was a basketball reference. Oh, oh, fuck.

Okay, my bad. Fucking Bill. I learned, number one, that one of my heroes loves the cuss as much as I do. I love that, profanity. Also, this is you. What the fuck you talking about? You don't cuss? Motherfuck, I'm talking about you.

This power of new cheese, I am. I'm taking this. Now, I don't really think I need to read the book at this point because y'all gave me the whole thing. You got the gist. But what you did with your new cheese is so fucking amazing. And I hope that you realized one day that even though you did not go necessarily the path that you wanted to, what you have done is so much bigger to so many people. And individually, like the words that you bring people to so many emotions, joy and, you know, and sadness and everything else, everything they need to feel. So anyway, this is what I learned.

And I learned Saida Garrett is the shit. Bless. You just learned that today? Yeah, well today, officially, personality-wise, this is our first time meeting. So, yeah, the work was the shit, but now I know she's the shit. Lai, it took my lesson.

What about Bill? Oh, I'm paying him. He was first. He was first. He was first. He was first. He said more, Jolly. He's so forgettable.

Just in case you head scratching, when we, after we conclude a sermon or an interview, we all have our reflections on what we learned. but yeah I'll say again that and I'll double down on what Laia said for all of you listening and if I made you or texted you to listen to this episode yes I'm talking to you and if I tweeted it more than once yes I was really talking to you yeah if if it's time for new cheese and you know I'm bringing it back to my basketball metaphor like everyone's trying to be George And everyone's trying to be LeBron. But, you know what I'm saying?

At the end of the day, the trainer might move up to assistant coach, might move to defensive coach, might make it to owner of the team. You know, like not everyone. There's, you know, there's a little glory in being Alan Iverson or being LeBron. But at the end of the day, the cats that sign the checks, the guys behind the scene, there's new cheese. not just the spotlight cheese, but there's other cheese there. And that's the lesson I want people. That's where I really wanted you on the show

so that you could share that story. That's great. Thank you. Namaste, bitches. Yes. You know what that note? Fonte, I really wish you were here. I miss you so much,

I really wish we here in Fonte for this episode. Fucking new cheese. And we are Will I am studio. Bam. I just wanted to say that. Yes, thank you, Will I am for us. Thank you. Where is the future?

Yeah, where every room is white. And they have all the Japanese squirrels. Non-disclosure. Really? And I got sexually assaulted by the toilet. Oh, that's right. You loved it. What are you talking about?

The turlitz say hello when you walk in. Or will we? Anyway, on behalf, on behalf of missing Fonte, umpeyville, boss bill, sugar Steve, sweet Margaret, and the lovely sight of Garrett. and loud ass Eric. Yeah. This is... Eric got a camera.

This is Questlove Supreme. We will see you on the next go-round. Thank you. Quest Love Supreme is a production of I-Heart Radio. This classic episode was produced by the team at Pandora. For more podcasts from I-HartRadio,

visit the I-Hart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey,

or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, Follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else.

If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want. want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice Podcast on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, for wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. When a group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist, they take matters into their own hands. I vowed. I will be his last target. He is not going to get away with this. He's going to get what he deserves. We always say that trust your girls. Girlfriends. Listen to the Girlfriends. Trust me, babe, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.