You might not have known it was him but without question you’ll have heard Quincy Jones’s influence on many of the 20th century’s biggest pop hits.
As a music producer and multi-instrumentalist, he understood the craft of record-making intimately.
It was that deep understanding of music which meant he was capable of reworking Fly Me To The Moon – taking it from Waltz to Swing for Frank Sinatra – just as he helped the likes of Michael Jackson to find his solo style, with pop masterpieces like Billie Jean.
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There’s having connections within the music industry, and then there are the 19 mobile phones Jones’s security guard apparently carried around for him.
Celebrities wanted him to have their number – his musical approval mattered.
Of course, having that knowledge and universal respect meant he could get away with saying more than most.
While many artists shy away from the controversy that comes with having genuine opinions about others, Jones wasn’t one to self-censor.
Elvis, he claimed, was a racist that he wouldn’t work with.
The Beatles, he said, were “the worst musicians in the world”. (Although he later apologised to Sir Paul McCartney.)
No artist was above criticism, as it should be.
During the recording of We Are The World, as he wrangled the egos of 46 of the biggest singers of all time, he apparently only allowed Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder to contribute ideas.
He reportedly told Jackson to “just do what you’re told.”
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Music legend Quincy Jones dies, aged 91
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Jackson – and the music world at large – listened because Jones knew what he was talking about.
His career as a black music executive was pioneering. His deftness with music, and his ability to hear how to make an artist better, means he leaves behind a legacy that will outlive us all.
