# Quincy Jones has zero fucks to give: his Interview; shades Michael, Jimi, Ringo, Cyndi, etc **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 9, 2018, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quincy-jones-has-zero-fucks-to-give-his-interview-shades-michael-jimi-ringo-cyndi-etc/808505 "2018-02-09T10:40:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quincy-jones-has-zero-fucks-to-give-his-interview-shades-michael-jimi-ringo-cyndi-etc/808505/102 "2018-02-16T07:10:46Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Ha! I missed this one the first time. This is precisely true. All those attempts to reach kids in the 50’s 60’s and 70s resulted in some great art. But there is no reason to believe, listening to the radio, that today there might be the same unintended consequences in selling pop to kids. They do it without what used to be the prime function of making records: _ **an original melody or idea to stand out in the market.** _ To make a good original record, pop or rock, you have to be conscious of the pop and rock that has already been made. Otherwise you might infringe on another song, or just be out of touch as a writer. This is what the pop scene of today sounds like, at least to me. It sounds regressive, and not aware of music as it moved forward. Selling these records is more like selling marvel movies than music. > > In any case why listen to pop records that don’t move music forward towards newness or originality? That was the reason I started listening in the beginning. Well put. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quincy-jones-has-zero-fucks-to-give-his-interview-shades-michael-jimi-ringo-cyndi-etc/808505/103 "2018-02-18T07:57:23Z")
[More info on the rift between Quincy and Michael Jackson](https://pagesix.com/2018/02/17/michael-jacksons-family-is-furious-with-quincy-jones/?_ga=2.111388931.624357369.1518796806-173086073.1518796806), including info that Jackson lobbied the Grammys to not award producer credit to Jones on _Thriller_. Also Jackson’s family is puffed. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quincy-jones-has-zero-fucks-to-give-his-interview-shades-michael-jimi-ringo-cyndi-etc/808505/104 "2018-02-18T09:57:17Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > This crossed my mind more than once. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him interviewed before so all I know of him is his brilliant career and it’s hard to get a sense of it just from print. It was enjoyable to read though, motherfuckers 😛 He did a long Playboy interview in 1990. Might be interesting to compare them, if you can find it. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quincy-jones-has-zero-fucks-to-give-his-interview-shades-michael-jimi-ringo-cyndi-etc/808505/105 "2018-02-18T10:46:59Z")
Went looking for the Playboy interview and got hung up on this GQ interview from Jan 29th. Only just started it but it looks great. Here tis: > **[Quincy Jones Has a Story About That](https://www.gq.com/story/quincy-jones-has-a-story)** > > Quincy Jones has run with Frank Sinatra. Michael Jackson. Malcolm X. Prince. Even Tupac. And the 84-year-old music legend has a tale to go with every famous name. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quincy-jones-has-zero-fucks-to-give-his-interview-shades-michael-jimi-ringo-cyndi-etc/808505/106 "2018-02-18T10:49:45Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > [More info on the rift between Quincy and Michael Jackson](https://pagesix.com/2018/02/17/michael-jacksons-family-is-furious-with-quincy-jones/?_ga=2.111388931.624357369.1518796806-173086073.1518796806), including info that Jackson lobbied the Grammys to not award producer credit to Jones on _Thriller_. Also Jackson’s family is puffed. Ah. I hadn’t appreciated that Michael had lobbied for full Producer credit on Thriller. That puts any issues waayyy back in time. I _have_ heard a few demos of Michael’s where he had drafted songs from Off the Wall and Thriller on his own - and yes, they sound very much like the final version. Michael was excellent in the studio. But a freeze-out on the guy who actually brought the songs home, told Michael he needed one more hit and got Beat it out of him, and asked Eddie Van Halen to play, etc.? C’mon - that sounds much more about Michael being a jerk vs. having a legitimate solo producer claim. I also didn’t know about Quincy approaching Prince to duet on Bad. Who’s singing “Your butt is mine,” indeed. Fascinating, thanks. That snark by one family member about Quincy not being able to deal with Michael’s talent, when Quincy produced Sinatra, Aretha, Miles, etc., is just hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quincy-jones-has-zero-fucks-to-give-his-interview-shades-michael-jimi-ringo-cyndi-etc/808505/107 "2018-02-18T11:04:00Z")
I agree with every point. Thanks. It was quite a surprise to find out that Jackson had tried to squeeze Jones out on the production award. Jones has been known as the producer for as long as the album has been out. I seem to have a vague recollection also of Jones about what what he got paid too, mentioning something about other producers getting paid more for rap albums. But again, the memory of it is vague. I may try to find it later. And yeah, the comment from Jackson’s family re Jones not being able to handle Michael’s talent almost ruined my keyboard. The mental image created by the story on Prince and Michael Jackson questioning which one would sing “Your butt is mine” was worth the read all on its own. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quincy-jones-has-zero-fucks-to-give-his-interview-shades-michael-jimi-ringo-cyndi-etc/808505/108 "2018-02-18T11:14:45Z")
I simply hadn’t realized there was an attempt to get them into the studio together. I just could never, ever imagine that anything could work. The passive-aggressive genius-ness on display would make each discussion a mini-gladiator fight between Peter Pan and The Purple One. Your butt is mine. Oy. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quincy-jones-has-zero-fucks-to-give-his-interview-shades-michael-jimi-ringo-cyndi-etc/808505/109 "2018-02-18T11:19:15Z")
Yep. No idea what Q was thinking. Could be he’s prone to overestimate his admittedly Herculean abilities. (Speaking of which, in the GQ thread I linked to he states he currently has 22 girlfriends scattered around the globe, ranging in age from 28 to 42.) He’s 84. And now I’m out for the night but I’ll look forward to any comments you might have re the GQ interview. And for that matter, I’ll look forward to reading the rest of it myself. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quincy-jones-has-zero-fucks-to-give-his-interview-shades-michael-jimi-ringo-cyndi-etc/808505/110 "2018-02-18T12:04:34Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Went looking for the Playboy interview and got hung up on this GQ interview from Jan 29th. Only just started it but it looks great. Here tis: > > [Quincy Jones Has a Story About That | GQ](https://www.gq.com/story/quincy-jones-has-a-story) Yeah - some pop culture site had summarized this interview’s big highlights, but I hadn’t read the whole thing. Say whatever you want about Quincy Jones, but damn, he’s done it all. Telling the Pope he’s wearing pimp shoes - oh, man, how can you not love that? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quincy-jones-has-zero-fucks-to-give-his-interview-shades-michael-jimi-ringo-cyndi-etc/808505/111 "2018-02-18T12:22:14Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Ha! I missed this one the first time. This is precisely true. All those attempts to reach kids in the 50’s 60’s and 70s resulted in some great art. But there is no reason to believe, listening to the radio, that today there might be the same unintended consequences in selling pop to kids. They do it without what used to be the prime function of making records: _ **an original melody or idea to stand out in the market.** _ To make a good original record, pop or rock, you have to be conscious of the pop and rock that has already been made. Otherwise you might infringe on another song, or just be out of touch as a writer. This is what the pop scene of today sounds like, at least to me. It sounds regressive, and not aware of music as it moved forward. Selling these records is more like selling marvel movies than music. > > In any case why listen to pop records that don’t move music forward towards newness or originality? That was the reason I started listening in the beginning. Kids these days, get off my lawn, etc. I’ve been listening to rock/pop music since 1965, and I don’t have much trouble finding new music that feels fresh compared to the thousands of tracks I’ve already heard across the decades. I agree that you won’t find much of it on the stations that play Taylor Swift, but most of the stuff on Top 40 radio 50 years ago was dreck, too. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quincy-jones-has-zero-fucks-to-give-his-interview-shades-michael-jimi-ringo-cyndi-etc/808505/112 "2018-02-18T16:25:58Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Kids these days, get off my lawn, etc. I’ve been listening to rock/pop music since 1965, and I don’t have much trouble finding new music that feels fresh compared to the thousands of tracks I’ve already heard across the decades. > > I agree that you won’t find much of it on the stations that play Taylor Swift, but most of the stuff on Top 40 radio 50 years ago was dreck, too. Indeed, if there’s a position that makes my eyes hurt from rolling, it’s that music stopped being good at some time in the past. I don’t have much time for Jones, and far less for Jackson. To hear Jones trot out that tired old nonsense makes me have even less time for him. It implies that he didn’t understand something fundamental about music as I see it, no matter how much money he made in the industry. And the serious art world never thought too much of Dali - not necessarily a position I share, but it’s true. He’s much more important as an example of being at the forefront of self-promotion, rather than being at the forefront of painting. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quincy-jones-has-zero-fucks-to-give-his-interview-shades-michael-jimi-ringo-cyndi-etc/808505/113 "2018-02-18T18:10:04Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Kids these days, get off my lawn, etc. I’ve been listening to rock/pop music since 1965, and I don’t have much trouble finding new music that feels fresh compared to the thousands of tracks I’ve already heard across the decades. > > I agree that you won’t find much of it on the stations that play Taylor Swift, but most of the stuff on Top 40 radio 50 years ago was dreck, too. Cites? 1. For “pop” records from 2015 or later that are “fresh”; 2. For any reason to believe that the “dreck” ratio was the same in 1965, as 2015. You’re young and spry. It should be easy. Please hurry up. I’m going into the nursing home next week. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quincy-jones-has-zero-fucks-to-give-his-interview-shades-michael-jimi-ringo-cyndi-etc/808505/114 "2018-02-18T18:32:34Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > Indeed, if there’s a position that makes my eyes hurt from rolling, it’s that music stopped being good at some time in the past. I don’t have much time for Jones, and far less for Jackson. To hear Jones trot out that tired old nonsense makes me have even less time for him. It implies that he didn’t understand something fundamental about music as I see it, no matter how much money he made in the industry. > > And the serious art world never thought too much of Dali - not necessarily a position I share, but it’s true. He’s much more important as an example of being at the forefront of self-promotion, rather than being at the forefront of painting. You left out your explanation of what is fundamental about music. You’re saying you have it but you’re holding out? It’s the thing QJ didn’t have. We know that much. Do you have a “smooth” market vision where all songs are in a big uniform cultural stream that never stops, or changes qualitatively. You would have to cite for that. If music changes it can be better or worse. Or the same for a few data points. But it won’t be identical. So the idea that music is always partially good to a similar ratio is ridiculous. Tired old nonsense comes in many forms. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quincy-jones-has-zero-fucks-to-give-his-interview-shades-michael-jimi-ringo-cyndi-etc/808505/115 "2018-02-18T19:22:06Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > You left out your explanation of what is fundamental about music. You’re saying you have it but you’re holding out? It’s the thing QJ didn’t have. We know that much. > > Do you have a “smooth” market vision where all songs are in a big uniform cultural stream that never stops, or changes qualitatively. You would have to cite for that. If music changes it can be better or worse. Or the same for a few data points. But it won’t be identical. So the idea that music is always partially good to a similar ratio is ridiculous. > > Tired old nonsense comes in many forms. Dude. Can’t you just stick to the topic. Quincy Jones says that there is music today he likes and does not like. Please just leave this there and don’t act like you have every right to demand that others do your bidding. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quincy-jones-has-zero-fucks-to-give-his-interview-shades-michael-jimi-ringo-cyndi-etc/808505/116 "2018-02-18T20:42:46Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Dude. > > Can’t you just stick to the topic. Quincy Jones says that there is music today he likes and does not like. Please just leave this there and don’t act like you have every right to demand that others do your bidding. The topic was QJ not knowing what he was talking about, in his field. It led into the old tired “There is always pop that’s good. You are just old.” thing that you can see here all the time, that is meant to end discussion about quality, and that I am frankly tired of. That was my reason, and my topic, which was adjacent to the OP and in response to someone’s post, and not you incidentally. What the heck is my “bidding”? ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quincy-jones-has-zero-fucks-to-give-his-interview-shades-michael-jimi-ringo-cyndi-etc/808505/117 "2018-02-18T21:01:59Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > The topic was QJ not knowing what he was talking about, in his field. It led into the old tired “There is always pop that’s good. You are just old.” thing that you can see here all the time, that is meant to end discussion about quality, and that I am frankly tired of. That was my reason, and my topic, which was adjacent to the OP and in response to someone’s post, and not you incidentally. > > What the heck is my “bidding”? You are asking people to “prove” to you that there is current music that is worthy. That is “your bidding” and yet another example of you making a thread about…you. Quincy Jones cited folks he thinks are good today and not so good. You, and anyone, are welcome to disagree with whom Quincy Jones cited. And if you want to use that to frame a debate about the state of Current Pop, start a thread and see how it goes. But instead, you are hijacking this topic. You can’t cite whom Quincy Jones liked and disliked today as evidence that he’s senile or “doesn’t know music - certainly not today” - because: A) it’s all subjective and anyone has every right to say there is Good music today also those who say there is not; and B) He’s Quincy Fuckin’ Jones. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quincy-jones-has-zero-fucks-to-give-his-interview-shades-michael-jimi-ringo-cyndi-etc/808505/118 "2018-02-18T22:06:11Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Cites? > > 1. For “pop” records from 2015 or later that are “fresh”; > > 2. For any reason to believe that the “dreck” ratio was the same in 1965, as 2015. > > You’re young and spry. It should be easy. Please hurry up. I’m going into the nursing home next week. Dunno that I can provide cites for things that are a matter of opinion, but here are a few songs from 2015 that I regard as ‘fresh.’ I’m sure you’ll find reasons to dis them, and that’s your prerogative. But there’s good music out there, and if you want to tell it to get off your lawn, that’s too bad for you. “Ship to Wreck” - Florence + the Machine “Sedona” - Houndmouth “My Sweet Summer” - Dirty Heads “Uma Thurman” - Fall Out Boy “Lampshades On Fire” - Modest Mouse “Cigarette Daydreams” - Cage the Elephant “S.O.B.” - Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats These are all from 2015, they’re on a playlist of mostly 2015 stuff that I listen to a lot, and I’m nowhere near getting tired of any of them. Enjoy. (Or not.) ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quincy-jones-has-zero-fucks-to-give-his-interview-shades-michael-jimi-ringo-cyndi-etc/808505/119 "2018-02-18T23:12:40Z")
_Sedona_ was great! I remember that one well. I think _Take it or Leave It_ was better than _Cigarette Daydreams_, from Cage the Elephant. The former was really a unique pop song, the latter was more derivative of other influences, but it was still pretty good. Yes, there’s absolutely good pop music still being produced. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quincy-jones-has-zero-fucks-to-give-his-interview-shades-michael-jimi-ringo-cyndi-etc/808505/120 "2018-02-18T23:31:42Z")
> [@Jacquernagy](#): > > _Sedona_ was great! . . . Sort of a modern-day Herman’s Hermits type thing. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quincy-jones-has-zero-fucks-to-give-his-interview-shades-michael-jimi-ringo-cyndi-etc/808505/121 "2018-02-18T23:36:19Z")
While we’re around that same time period, I never dug Gotye’s big hit. But Pharrell’s _Happy_ was a bit of pop genius. I hated Hozier’s overwrought _Take Me To Church_ but I thought _Someone New_ was a good piece of musicianship. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quincy-jones-has-zero-fucks-to-give-his-interview-shades-michael-jimi-ringo-cyndi-etc/808505.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quincy-jones-has-zero-fucks-to-give-his-interview-shades-michael-jimi-ringo-cyndi-etc/808505.md?page=7)