AEExplorersandCreatorsSeriesEp.1

Chris:

HiI’mChrisParadysz,I’mco-founderofAdventureExplorations,withmypartner

CodyMessic.We’relocatedinPennsylvaniaacrosstheBoilingSpringsLancaster

100mileradiusareaallthewaydowntoWashingtonDCandMarylandalltheway

outtoPhiladelphiaandPittsburgh.We’regonnatakesomethingonalittledifferent

thistime,interestingandalittlebitdifferentinperspective,comingthroughyour

ears.Straightintoyourheartandyoursoul,we’regonnausemusic.We’regonna

comethroughasensethatgetsusedallthetimebutrarelytalkedabout,butitisone

ofthemost,ifnotthemostmemorablesensewehavealongwithoutsmellandour

taste.Butthistimeit’sourearsandwe’regonnaopenuptheoutsideandnaturein

freshnewwaysthroughartists,throughcreators,throughwhatwe’recalling

explorers,butofadifferentkind.Sooftenexplorersgetboxedinbasedontheir

adventuresuprocksandmountainsandwaterandsoon.Thisisthroughmusicand

throughsongandthroughcreators,buttalkingaboutandsingingabouttheoutside

andtheimplicationsofthatonourlives.

We’regonnabejoinedbythese2incredibleco-hosts:AudreyMartellsyou’llhear

fromhershortlyalongwithSammyWags.Bothofthemareincrediblemusiciansin

theirownrightconstantlysongwritingandtravelingtheworldwiththeirown

musicaswellascoveringandtouringmusicofothersongwritersandcreators.

Theybothcontributeatsuchanextraordinaryexquisitelevel.Youarereallyinfora

treat,Ican’twaittositinandhaveaconversation.SoI’llbedifferent,thisisnotan

interview,thisisadiscussionwith3people,andI’mreallytheretospurthings

alongandhaveSammyandAudreytakeusonajourney.SoI’mgoingtopassitoffto

the2co-hosts:Audrey,andSam.

Audrey:

AsPartofthisnewseriescalledExplorersandCreators,I’llbeco-hostingsessions

withmydearfriend,andbrilliantmusicianSammyWagsaboutthepowerofmusic

tochangepeopleslives.We’lltakeadeeplookintothelivesoftheseartistsand

explorethejourneyintothecreategeniusestheybecame.SponsoredbyAdventure

Explorations,anoutdooradventuretourismcompany,we’llbeexploringand

discussingtheirinspirations,theirhistoryandtheirstoriestodiscovertheirown

brilliantmagic.

Sam:

ThanksAudrey,andthisisallbeingcreatedandrecordedliveatTheKoopStudioin

Irvington,NY.Thehomeforallofmycreativemusicalprojectsandaplacethat

adventurouscreativeofallwalksoflifecometorealizetheirartisticvisionsandto

beinspiredfortheirnextcreations.

Audrey:

Firstwe’regoingtoexploreBillWithersandhissong“LovelyDay”recently

performedbyDemiLovatoattheinaugurationofJoeBidenandKamalaHarris,and

thenwe’regoingtomoveontoournationaltreasure:Mr.StevieWonderandhis

compositionof“RibbonINtheSky.”Nowyoumightnotthinkthatbothofthese

artistshadmuchincommon,butonethingtheybothlovedwasRayCharles’smusic.

2Brilliantartists,aperfectplacetostart.Solet’stalkaboutthemandtheirjourney

tofindingtheirvoicesandtheirbeautifulcompositions.

Chris:

IremembercallingMikeVaboutthat,IsaidIhaveacrazyIdea.Idon’tknowwhyI

hearrapinthissong,anditwasbecauseofMike’sarrangement,itjustkindofhad

thisdifferentkindofR’n’Bvibetoit.CauseBillWithersdidn’treallysinganR’n’B

vibethatwaslikenothis…

Audrey:

NoitwaslikeCountrysoulBlues

Chris:

ExactlyitwaslikeworkingmanwestVirginiakindofthing

Sam:

Yeahthat’sreallyinterestingdiggingintohimIkeepcomingintothat,Ididn’tthinkI

wouldrealizethat,orcometothatrealization.Themoreyoulistentothecatalog,oh

it’snotwhatIthoughtwhatitwasactually.

Chris:

Andthinkaboutthosetimes,thoseMotowntime,Imeanbigtime,butIdidn’tknow

yoursonrappeduntilyoutoldme.

Audrey:

Ididn’tknowherappedeither.

Chris:

IsaidtoNico,mysonIsaid,whodoweknowwhoraps?AndIknowonekidandwe

wasnotright,Iwaslikewhodoweknow?Andhesaidyouknow,Iswearwho’sthat

womaninyourband,Ithinkhersonraps.AndIdon’tknowwhereNickheardthat.

Audrey:

TheyweretalkingaboutNile,causeNiledoeseverythingandhe’sveryvocalabout

it,he’salwaysontheinternetexploitingwhatevertalenthehas,he’snotshy

Sam:

We’llhe’lldoverywellthen

Audrey:

Yeah…ButColeismuchmoretheunder-cover-brother,soIknowhehasitinhim,

butIwaslikeI’mnotgonnaaskNiletothis,I’mgonnaaskColetodothis,becauseI

knewthatitmightbeanicesegueintodiscoveringhisloveforhisownvoiceagain.

Chris:

WellI’lltell…Thepartthatwasmostimpressive,the…modestscatalmostattimes

thewayhewasdoingitwascool,it’sjustveryrhythmic,wasalltheundertonestuff

hewasdoing,thatwasgreatandSammymixeditsobeautifully,hejusthadthose

littlevibes

Audrey:

Smoothyeah

Chris:

Underneathit,anditjustworkedreallywellwiththevoicing.Whichisthewhole

thingwasgreat,thatwassuchamoment.

Audrey:

That’sthebeautyofartyaknow,causethatcanjust,thatlittlesparkrightthere,the

opportunitycansomehowopenupawholecareer.

Chris:

Sure

Audrey:

Yaknow,justthatmoment,that’swhatIloveabouttheartsingeneral,butmusic

specifically,justgiveitroomandwilltakeonalifeofit’sown.

Chris:

Causeitisthere,it’ssittingtherewaitingforyou.

Audrey:

Yeah

Chris:

IwasreadingsomethingaboutBillWithersnotplayinganinstrument,hedidn’tplay

pianoorguitar,hecouldjustsing,andsohejustboughtsomecheapguitarand

learnedhowtoplaysomechordsandsuch,andthenhegothimselfapianobuthe

didn’tknowhowtowriteorreadoranythingonthepiano.It’sjustsointerestinghe

saidhejuststartedplunkingoutthenotesonenoteatatime,guesswhereleanon

mecomesfrom?Andthat’s,itwaslikeIjustplunkeditout,hesaidanylittlekid

couldplaythat.Youdon’tneedthechord,youknowwhatImean,sequentiallyit’s

thesimplesthingintheworld,it’slikeasesamestreetsong,youknow?

Audrey:

Simplicity

Chris:

Ithinkthat’swhatpunchesthrough.

Audrey:

Butyougottabelieveinitright?Yougottabelieveinsimplicityandalotofpeople

walkingintoamusicofficewith…andIcanunderstandwhyyousaidthathethought

somebodyelsewasgoingtoperformhissongsbecauseeverythingabouthimwas

justsosimplystatedandwithoutthehype,thepophypethatwasgoingoninthe

music,thattendstogooninthemusicbusiness.ButIthinkthat’sthebeautyofwho

hewasandwhyitresonatedwithsomanypeople,partofitanyway.

Chris:

IthinkummI’dbecuriousofyourtakestoo…hehadsomethinginhisheadlike

everyartistdoesandeverymusiciandoesyouhavesomethinginyourhead,asound

you’retryingtocreate.Itanswersalotofquestionswhenyousayit’sthesimplicity

andelegancemaybeisoverstated,butforBillWitherstohaveneverhadamanager,

exceptforlikeaveryveryshorttime,managedhimself,producedhimself,that

reallysayssomethingandheownshalfhiscatalogwhichheandhiswifemanage.

It’sjustlikethesimplest,hiswholelifehasbeensimple.Andthenwhenhewas

done,hewasdone,justwalkedaway,thatwasit.

Sam:

Yeahitwasthesimplicity,Ilovethatyourinitialreactionisthatit’ssuchadry

simplerecordingwhereyoucanheareverything,itisit’strue,youtakethatfor

granted,whenI’msousedtothesebigbeautifullushproductions,andIthinkI

wouldventuretosayifyouhadaskedmeaboutthissongbeforelisteningtoiton

headphonesI’dbelike,yeahit’sanawesomeproductionwithstringsand…butit’s

thesong.

Audrey:

It’swhereyourimaginationtakesyou.

Sam:

Exactly,whenyoulistentoit,I’mlike,wowitreallyis,it’sbonedry,everythingis

putinitsspot,anditsjustpresentedtoyouinsuchastraightforwardsimpleway,

butthemessageiswhatitis.

Audrey:

Ihavetoassumethathe’ssinginghisbackgroundsright,causeIcouldn’tfinda

backgroundsingeronit

Sam:

Soundslikeit,andIalsocouldn’tfindanyadditionalvocalistsyeah.

Chris:

Thetunelovelyday,where’sthatcomingfrom?What’syourreadonthatAudrey?

Audrey:

Well,Idon’tknow,goingbacktothefactthatyousaidthathewroteallhissongs

andkindofselfmanagedhimself,umm,itseemstomethathewasbasicallyjust

writingaboutthingsthatwereaffectinghisownlifeatthattime,anditseemstome

thathedidthatthroughouthisentirecareer,anditdidn’thavetobeanything

majorlyspecial,itjusthadtobealifeexperience,somethingthatresonatedwith

him,soI’mnotsurethatlovelydaycameoutofaspecificlovelyday,oradaythathe

wantedtobemorelovely,butIcouldn’tfindanythingthatsaid,ohIwroteit

becauseofthisparticulardayoflifedidyou,haveyouanyknowledgeofthat?

Sam:

YouknowwhatIuncoverediskindoftheoppositeofthat,Ionlysawoneinterview

wherehementionedit,becauseIwastryingtofindspecificallythissong,andthere

wasoneinterviewintheannalsofGooglehetalksbout,theyaskacouplequestions

aboutthissongandheactuallydownplayedifanythingelse,notonlydidhesay,it

wasjustacouplesentences,buthesaidsomething,causehewroteitasa,Ibrought

upsomeoftheinfohere,heco-wroteitwithSkipScarborough,andhehadsaid,to

him,itwasallaboutthecollaboration,andhedidn’thaveanythingspecificinmind

anditwasmostlyabouttheenergytheyhad,andtheycameupwithanidea,they

werehappywithit,enjoyedit,

Audrey:

Theywerehavingagoodtime.

Sam:

Havingagoodtime,andtheyjustrolleditandhesaidhedidn’t,kindofbriefly

alludedtothathedidn’thaveanythingspecificinmindotherthantheywerereally

enjoyingthissongthatwascomingintofruitionandjustwentwithit,andhesaidin

theinterviewhe’sworkedwithalotofotherpeopleandsongscomeoutdifferently,

hesaidifitwasadifferentdayandadifferentperson,itwouldn’tbelovelyday,it

wouldbesomethingelse.Sohedidn’tgointoitthinkingIhavethissongideato

write,hewentintoitsaying,I’mworkingwiththisperson,andthat’swhatcameout

ofit,whichiskindofmagicalandincredibletolikebeopentoityaknow.

Audrey:

Itis,it’sjust,itsoundssobasicasisthecharmofwhoheis,it’sjustsobasic,he’sthe

songwriter,helovestowritesongs,he’sintheroomwithSkipScarborough,whoI

didalittlebitofresearchone,wealwaysknowBillWitherwithLovelyDayandall

hissongs,weknowofhisgenius,butSkipScarboroughwrotedon’taskmy

neighbor,whichistheemotionssong,Imeanoneofmyfavoritesongsofmy

childhood.HealsowrotewithGeorgeBensonthesongLoveBallad,AnitaBakerhe

wontheGrammy,GivingYouTheBestThatIGot.Thisisamajorsongwriterthat

gotintheroomwiththebuddingBillWithersandwrotethisbeautifulandamazing

song.

Chris:

AndsoifyougobacktowhatyouweresayingAudrey,earlieractuallybeforewe

rolled,yousaid,sometimesthemusicisjustthere,andyougottadiscoveritandlet

it,Idon’twannastealyourwordsfromthat,justkindaletitbepossibleIguess.If

youogbacktowhereverSlabForkis,Ibetithasn’tchangedalot,andhissimplelife

andwherehecamefrom.ThengoingintotheNavy,andhavingthestutteringissue,

What’syoursensemaybe,ofhowthatearlylifecarriesforwardinasonglikeLovely

DaywhichSammywassaying,kindofwhereitcamefrom.

Audrey:

He’soneofsixkids,hismomwasamaid,hisdadwasaminer,averysimplesimple

life,andevenhewhentheyaskhimabouthissongwritingexperience,justhis

experienceinthemusicbusinesshesaidwellyouknow,notbadforakidfromSlab

ForkWestVirginia,butonethinghewouldsayabouthimselfisthathe’snotthe

greatestmusicianintheworld,hedoesn’tconsiderhimselfagenius,buttheone

thingheknowshowtodoiswriteasongthatresonateswithalotofpeople,justtalk

andsingaboutthingsthattouchesalotofpeopleshearts,andsothat’s,that’swhat

he’sproudof,hisachievements.

Sam:

IfyouaskanybodytheirimmediategutreactionofBillWithersIfeellikethere’sa

lotofpeoplethat’sgonnasay,thatmanheknewhowtogetrighttotheheartofthe

matter,insimplestmosteffectivewayyaknow,anduniversal.

Chris:

Questlovetalksabouthimashisfavoriteartist.

Sam:

FunnyIforgotuntilyoujustmentionedthat,thatIdorememberreadinga

QuestloveinterviewwhenhedidtheAlGreenrecord,whichis,ifyouguysdon’t

knowLayItDownAlGtreen,it’soneofmyalltimefavoriterecordsofalltime,that

recordspecificallywiththewaythatQuestbroughttheoldandthenewtogether,

it’sunbelievable,buthesayinginaninterviewtheywerelikeoh,thisisunbelievable

thisislikeworkingwithoneofyourheroes,andhesaidabsolutely,andtheysaid

whoelsenowthatyou’regettingtothepointinyourcareeryoucanpick,andhedid,

hesaidBillWithers,IreallywannadothesamethingwithBillWithers,Iwannadoa

recordlikewedidwithAlGreen,butnevergottodoit,that’sabummer,whoknows

whatthatwouldhavebeenlike.

Chris:

Thetime,ifwejustrewindbacktowhenthesetuneswerewrittenandthecontext

ofwhatwasgoingonintheworldthen,canwetalkaboutthatalittlebit.

Audrey:

JimmyCarterwaspresident,let’ssee,whatstruckmeistheTVmini-seriesRoots

wasontheair,130millionviewers,Irememberthosedays.

Chris:

WhoplayedthemaleleadinRoots?

Audrey:

Whichonetherewassomany?What’shisname,gosh,LavarBurton.

Chris:

AndthewriterwaslastnameHaileyright?

Audrey:

Yes

Audrey:

Antthen,recordoftheyearwasThisMasquerade,GeorgeBenson.Album,thisis

ironic,Albumoftheyear,theyearthatLovelyDaywasreleasedSongsInTheKeyOf

LifewasAlbumoftheyear.

Sam:

Iwasgonnasaytoo,that’ssuchaninteresting,togobackintotheproduction,atthe

timeyoulistentosongsInTheKeyOfLifeandsomeofthestuffthat’spopularisjust

likethisamazingsonicmasterpieces,andthenstillBillWithers,stillabletobreak

throughandsayhey,yaknow,I’vealsogotthisoverhere.

Chris:

Right,punchedthroughthatgreatnesss,thatalbumweweretalkingearlierabout

SongsInTheKeyofLife…

Audrey:

Dorememberthesong,justtosegueintoStevieforamoment,there’sasongonthat

albumcalled“VillageGhettoLand”andit’sjustStevie,anditremindsmealittlebit

ofthevibeofBillWithers,verysimplystatedwithaveryverydeepmessageandI

don’tknow,yaknow.Steviehadaway,justtocrossoverbetweenthe2,twothings

struckmeasIwaslisteningtothisLovelydaytune,wastheamountofrepetition

thatBillWithersusesonalotofhissongs,repeatingthesamelines,orrepeating,

literallyverbatimrepeating,notjustforafadeattheend,butinthetuneandStevie

Wonderdoesthatalottoo.ComparingStevietoBillWithersI’vealwaysfeltthat

everytimeSteviewouldrepeataline,amelody,buthavedifferentlyrics,hewould

godeeperanddeeperanddeeper,andifhewasangryorportrayinganger,or

portrayingsomekindofindifferencewhichwasoftenwasinhismusic,eventhough

wasthesamemelodicline,hewouldjustkeepgoingdeeperanddeeper,and

musicallyhegomoreandmoreandmoreintense,whereIalwaysfeltBillWithers

kindofjuststayedthere.

Audrey:

Yeahkindaskatesontopofthewater.

Chris:

Yeahhedoesn’tlikeemotionallygoasdeepasaStevieWonderdoes,butthe

repetitionofsomethingthat’ssosimpledoeskindofdothat.

Audrey:

Itkindofyeah,he’saninterestingartist,hestandsaloneinalotofwaysbecauseitis

soulmusic,itisBlues,butatthetime,thankfullytherewassuchaneclecticamount

ofstylesofmusiconthesamepopstations,soeventhoughit’sakindold-school

bluesystyle,hewasonthesameradiostationwithMarvinGaye,gottogiveitup,

theBeeGees,NatalieCole,FleetwoodMac,youknow,theemotions,JimmyBuffett,I

meaneverythingthatwasgoingonaroundthattime,andhemanagedtostayinthis

verysimplistic,almostcountrysoulvibeandbejustasviableandstillfitintothe

playlist.

Sam:

It’sinterestingwhenI’velistenedtoBillWithers,specificallythehitsandthebigger

stuff,itdoesforme,actuallyIhadtofigureout,Ididn’tactuallyknowlikewhenit

cameout,itkindofhasthisstrangeambiguitywithliketiming,it’snotasclear,the

productiondoesn’ttellme,ohit’sexactlythistime,itcouldhavebeenearlierthan

thatandIwould’vebelievedit,itcould’vebeenlaterthanthat,itdidstandupnext

tothecontemporaries.

Chris:

Thatuniversalityto…I’mthinkingofAintNoSunshine,butthelineI’mthinkingofI

knowIknowIknow,buthedoesn’tgoIKnowIKnow,heskatesrightontop,and

youdowonderifyougobacktowhohewas,west,no,SlabForkWestVirginia,6

kids,wenttothenavy,stuttered,workedasyouknowahandymaninanaircraft

facility.

Audrey:

AnAssembler

Chris:

Right,thenhewenttoSussexLabelaskindofhisfirstmove,andthenwhenthey

tankedhewenttoColumbia.Theasablackmaninawhiteworld,youthinkaboutA

andRinthattime,ifyouputMotownoverhereandcomparethebiglabelsatthe

time,Iwasjustgoingthroughtryingtokeepdigging,whathappenedatColumbia,

onlyonethatwasonehitthatcameoutofthatwhichwaskindofinteresting.

Audrey:

Ireadsomeplacethathewasangrythattheyweregoingtodo…we’rejumpingall

aroundasfarasthetimetableisconcerned,thatdoesn’tmatter,thathegotangryat

ColumbiabecausetheyweregonnaputoutarecordforMr.T.Waslikeyeah,Ibet

youwerepissed.

Sam:

Thatdoesn’tsurprisemeatall.

Audrey:

Buttheydidn’tknowhowtopromotehimatall,hegotswallowedupbythebig

label.

Chris:

Yeahbutgivenwhohewas,abitoflikejustthetowofusisatotalkissmyasssong,

likenoyou’renotgonnadoityourway,I’mgonnadoitmyway,youwonderifthat,

andalsobeinginthattimeasasuccessfulartistthatcamefromwherehecame

from,hadastrongopinion,managedhimselfandblackmaninawhiteworld.He

managedtostaynotgettingcompromisedatatimewherethewholelabel

surroundedyouwithcompromise…Mr.T…comeon.

Audrey:

Imeanthat’sthetypicalbiglabelstoryright,theywerefollowingthefadsandhe

washotatthattime,Imeanlookforsomethingthatmakessomemoney.

Sam:

NoMatterwhat’sontherecordpeoplearegonnabuyit.Butsomany,youknow

epictimelesssongsaren’tknowninthetime,andwhenyoudolook,whenIlookat

hisyaknowhisawardreception,havingin1971AintNoSunshine,andthen81Just

TheTwoOfUshis2bookendinginthatpointofhiscareer,hislikereallypowerful

winningawards,yaknowtalkingtheworldstage,that’s10yearsinbetweenwhere

he’sputtingoutmusicandthisfallssmackinthemiddleifit,sotheredefinitely

must’vebeensometoughlikeyaknow,hastobesometoughdecisionsoflike,cause

weallknowespeciallybackthen,labelsifyou’renotgettingthesekindsof

accolades,theirnotseeingthisasasuccessfulventure,solikehowdowedothat.

Audrey:

Butalso,backthentheydidtendtogivetheartisttimetodevelopyaknow,unlike

todayyouburnoutprettyquicklyifyouhaveasecondbighit,you’reverylucky.

Sam:

Yeahthat’struetoo.Yeahevenifyoutakelovelyday,isolatedyoumightstartto

thinkOhitsjustanotherlightpopsong,butthat’snotandhiscatalogueisclearlynot

atall.Soyou’reright,hedidhavethiskindaofdepthtohischaracter.Andtherelike

okayit’snotwhatweareusedtomakeeasymoneyonbutsomebodydecideditwas

worthpursuing,whichisamazing

Audrey:

AndthatwasClarenceAvantwhopeoplecalledtheBlackGodfatherhaveyouseen

thatNetflixShowabouthim?Idon’tknowifitsstillonNetflixbutNetflixtendsto

comebackaroundifyouhaven’tseenit,trytofindit.It’sthestoryaboutClarence

Avantandhisjourneythroughthemusicbusinessandhe’sgotareallyinteresting

lifestory.Hesignedhimandhe’salsoworkedJimmyJamandTerryLewisandhe’s

beenoneofthosepeople,themoversandshakersbehindalothugemomentsin

bothmusicandinfilmbutnobodyknowswhoheis.Andsohesignedhimbackin

thedayandhadstruggleswithhislabelwhichactuallyendedupfoldingandthat’s

whyBillwenttoColumbiarecords.

Chris:

RightyeahIsaidSussexImeantAvant.

Audrey:

NohislabelwasSussexrecordsbuthisnameisClarenceAvant.

Chris:

Gotcha.OkayAndhewastheonethathookedhimupwithBookerJones.Whichwas

kindofthebeginningofthemagicbecauseBookerhadtheaccesstothemusicians

thatyouknowhowwouldBillWitherseverhavefoundthosepeople.StevenStills

kindsofjustdraw?59.14himoutofwhateverstudiohewasininLA.

Audrey:

RayParkerJR.???59.21Whowasoneverything.IwaswatchinganoldclipofSteve

backinthedayandtherewasRayParkerplayingwithSteveWonderandCheri

KnightonbassandRushKunkelondrumsfor“LovelyDay”AndRalphMcDonald

playingpercussion.

Chris:

There’sareallygreatinterviewwithhim,talkingabouthispercussion.Youtalking

aboutSteveWondernow?

Audrey:

No,RalphMcDonaldonpercussionfor“LovelyDay”

Chris:

Andthenthebridgebetween,youweresayingearliertoBillWithersandStevie

Wonderandhowalotofthosemusiciansofcoursewereshared.Youwatchthese

videos…

Audrey:

Alotofthosesessionguysgotaround.

Chris:

When“ChasetheMoon”decidedtodothatandMikeViscegliaarrangedthattune,he

obviouslyhadsomethinginhisheadandweendedupgettingtoaverydifferent

placeasaresultofitandthatwholeprocessthatwewentthroughwherewepicked

thesongsasagroupprettymuchandthenMikewouldgooffandarrangeitonhis

own,mostly.

Audrey:

MikeV!!

Chris:

Yeah.Andthenwecomebacktogetherafterscramblingthepartsandtryingtoread

hischartsandeverymusicianwritestheirchartinaparticularway,sofiguring

Mike’schartsandwhatwewasintendingtosay.Whenweputthistunetogether

andyouwerethinkingofyourrespectiveparts,whatwasinyourhead?Beforewe

playthetune,whatwasinyourhead?Didyoutrytoputyourselfinacertainspace?

Audrey:

Wellfor“LovelyDay”IwasbasicallysingingbackgroundsoIwasjusttryingto

supportSusanandwhatevershewasgoingtodoandnotgetinherway.ButumI

didhelpColeBullockgethisraptogetherandjusttryencouragehimtofindhisown

voicewithinthatproduction.Ithinkitcameoutwonderful.It’sgotavibeofallits

own.

Chris:

Howaboutyou,Sam?Thoseprettyinfamouspercussiontracksandhits…

Sam:

It’sfunnywhenyouweretalkingabout,ononehandagain,itsagaindeceptively

simplesongwhenIfirstthoughtweweredoinglike,ohthatwillbereallyfunand

it’sagrooveandit’satuneIlove,andthenanactually,asfarasarrangementwith

MikeV.IthinkIdon’tthinktherewasanythingthatwetweakedsomuchactually.

Chris:

Notonthatone.

No,Imeanlike,weactuallydidtweakadecentamountofthearrangementwhenhe

firstsentitoverIwasbackandforthwithhimforalittle,like,ohnowehavetoshift

acouplebarshere,ifyouwantthissoundshere.Itdidn’tflowrightoutaslike

exactlyaswhatyou’rehearingcauseitneededtoberight.Assimpleasitis,ithadto

feel,hadtohavetherightflow.Soitmakesmewonderwhentheoriginalrecording,

Iactuallylooked,totrytofind,causeyouknowI’majazzandproductiongeekI

alwayslovehearing“inthestudio”songwritingcraftingstuff.Iwasverycuriousif

theywentinthestudioandwithasonglikethisIcouldhearitveryeasybeing“okay

thisisit,thisisthesongwewroteeverybodyplaytheirpartsdown,youallarelike

experiencedprosthatknowexactlywhattodeliver,oritcouldhavebeenheylet’s

reallyfigureout,letsreallyplaneachsectionverycarefully.Icouldseeeitherway.

Audrey:

Icouldseeiteitherway.

FromwhatIunderstandhewasamanoffewwords.Youknow,havingnevermet

himIcan’tsayforsure,butIhavetosaylyricallyIalwaysaskmyselfwheneverI

comeacrossthesebrilliantsongwriters,likewhatisthemagic?Howdoyoudothat?

Howdoyoutakeasimplesentimentandmakeit,sayitinawaythathasneverbeen

saidbefore.Imean,alovelyDay,everybodyknowswhatalovelydayislikebuthe’s

talkingnotaboutalovelydayhe’stalkingabout“justonelookatyouandtheworlds

allrightwithme”.Sohehastheabilitytonot“mansplain”,youknowwhatImean,

hejuststatessomethinginawaywhereyouknowifhewassingingtoagirlthatgirl

wouldknow,wouldbesmittenbecausehefoundawaytosayIloveyouinawayI

I’veneverhearditbefore.That’smagical!Imean,that’swhatwealllookforwhen

we’rewritingasong,howtodoyousaysomething,makeitsoclear,butinaway

thatnoonehaseversaiditbefore.Youknow,andsosimplysaid.It’shard,that’s

hardtodo.Buthefoundit,youknow.

Chris:

Freshistough

Sam:

Ithinkthat’ssomethingthatbridgeshimandStevie,togetherforsuretoo.The

Steviething,there’ssomanytuneswherehe’ssayingthesevery,yaknow,asmuch

ashe’slyricallyhecansomereallyinterestingcreativestuff,healsocangetvery

simplebutlike,puttingthecontext,solike,BillWithersgaveusjustalittlebitof

contextforlovelyday,andinstantlyI’mfeelingthisemotionoflikewhatthatwould

feellike.Stevieisthemasteratthat,he’llgivejustalittlebitofcontext,Ijustcalled

tosayIloveyou,thesekindofthings,there’samillionexampleswherethewayhe’s

sayingit,Icanjustclosemyeyesandseeit,youcanjustfeelitandseeit.It’ssowell

paintedwithwordsyaknow.

Audrey:

Stated,yeahabsolutely.

Sam:

Ittakessolittletoaddsomuchtoit,whichissointeresting.

Audrey:

Yeah,thatinitselfisageniusthatwealwayssearchfor.

Chris:

SoSammyandAudrey,whydon’tyouintroducethesebacktobacktunes,the

originalartistandcreator,andthenadifferentinterpretationinspiredbytheChase

TheMoonbandwhichyou’rebothin.Andbringsadifferentperspective,adifferent

arrangement,adifferentwaytotellthatstory.

Sam:

Yeah,sowe’llstartoffwiththeoriginalrecordingofLovelyDayreleasedin1977co-

writtenbyBillWithersandSkipScarborough.Ifyou’renotfamiliarwiththeoriginal

version,I’msureyou’veheardoneofthemanyincrediblecoversdoneoverthe

years.We’llfollowupwiththeChaseTheMooncoverversionsungbythe

incomparableSusanDidrichsonandfeaturingMCColeBullock.Now,wenotonly

addedourownspinonthisclassicbutwerecordeditattheheightoftheearly

pandemiclockdown.Soourversionwasdoneentirelyremotely,takingonyet

anotherinterpretationoftheoptimisminthissong.

EDITSOFORIGINAL“LOVELYDAY”ANDCHASETHEMOONCOVERVERSION

PLAYEDHERE

Sam:

Wow

Audrey:

Somuchfun

Chris:

That’sanincrediblemixyadidonthat.

Audrey:

Itreallyis.

Sam:

Thankyouitmeanstheworld.

Audrey:

Tellmeaboutthepercussion,thecongasor…areyouplayinglivecongasonthator

isthatprogrammed?JustforsomereasonreallypoppedoutatmewhenI’m

listeningtoitthistime.

Sam:

Yeahit’sfunny,Ifeltthesame.

Chris:

WhenIfirstheardit,thefirsttimeIhearditback,youdidthat“slapsound”itwas

likewhat?Socool.

Sam:

Yeahthat’saMikeVtotally,ImeanI’malwaysgametoplaysomecongasonthere,

butIrememberhimsayingwhenwecameupwiththearrangementhewaslike,

yeahplaysomecongasonit,Iwaslike,OK,justlikenotevenaskingdoyouplay

congasoranything,he’sjustlikeputsomecongasonit,there’spercussiononthe

original.Youwhat’sinterestinglisteningbackthere’s,itisverydifferentactually,

butnot,youknowwhatImean?Itactually…whenIhearthedifferent,wedon’tjust

copthesameguitarlines,there’snostrings,butyetatthetime,andstilllisteningto

it,there’sstilltheheartandsoulofthesong,Ididn’treallythinkofitasthat

differentatthetime.Irememberlisteningtotheoriginalalot,butnowlisteningto

themI’mlike,itisdifferent,butit’snot.

Chris:

Wellnotrumpet,theMikessaxophonereallyjumpedforme,Ihaven’thearditina

while,andIhadforgottenthatharmonythathecreated,thatopeningline.Thatwas

sofreshandpickingupthehornsrightupfronttocreaterightoutofthegate,create

thatvibethatwasgonnacomelater.Whatstruckmetoowas,anditdidn’tgetmeas

muchwhenIlistenedtotheoriginal,itjustflows.

Audrey:

Justkeepsskatingonthatwater.

Chris:

There’sneveramomentwhereitjuststopsandgoesanotherdirection.

Audrey:

YeahImeanthekeyisjustgreatsong-writing,youcanchangeitamillionways,but

thecoreofthesongisjustsobeautiful,it’ssobeautifullystated.Itgivesyouroomto

playaroundwithitandhavedifferentarrangements,butit’sstillgonnabethat

song.

Chris:

Let’scrossoverintoStevie.HowdoyouwanttobridgeBillWithersandStevie

Wonder?Wechosethesetwoforareason.

Audrey:

WellRayCharlesisagoodbridgerightthere.ThefactthatStevie,heusedtodoRay

CharlescoversongsbeforehegotsignedwithhisfriendJohn,theyusedtojustdo

RayCharlescoversandmakesomesidemoneywhenhewasakid.

Sam:

Yeahcausethat’swhatpeoplewantedtohearthen.

Audrey:

ItwaspopularmusicandRaywasRay.YeahSteviewonder,wheredoyoustart,and

itwillneverend,he’ssuchamusicalgeniusandhasinfluencedeveryone.

Sam:

Yeah,there’snoquestionaboutthat.Ithinkthatwhatwewerelasttalkingaboutas

wellispartofatransitionbetweenthemtoobecausewe’retalkingaboutthebands

thathelpedtobackthisartist,butpersonallyme,myoneofthethingsthatgetsme

aboutStevieislisteningtothetracksanddiggingintowhatheplayedandwhat

track.ThatkindofhelpstransitiontoStevieaswell,becausethere’ssomuchof

whatwe’rehearinginhissoundaswellbecausehehadsuchahandson,Imeanifhe

didn’tlikewhatsomebodywasplayingorthewaytheywereplayingit,hewould

walkinthereandplayithimselfthewayhewantedtoandsomeofmyfavorite

drumtracksareStevieWonderDrumtracks,Ijustlovethewayheplayeddrums,ya

knowallthedifferentinstruments.SoIthinkthat’sanimportantsteprightthereif

you’regonnastartcomparingtheartists,andtalkaboutthetime.Thereisthatlevel

ofcontrol.WetalkedaboutBillWithershaving,sayingwhathewantedtobedone

andreallystandingbythesong,andthenSteviewouldstandbythesongandthen

gothenextstepfurtherandno,Iknowexactlywhatyoushouldbeplaying,yeah,

andsowhatwe’rehearingis,yaknow,onmostofthepopularespecially,thestuff

wherehegotfullcreativecontrol,we’rehearinghistrue100%vision,whichalways

getsme.Soremarkable.

Audrey:

Whichjustgrewandgrew,hegotmorecontrolashegotolderobviouslyso,yeah

suchaninterestinglife.

Sam:

Stillblowsmeawaytothinkabout,Idon’tknowmanyartistswhereyoucansay

thatatall,yaknow.

Audrey:

Andagain,giventhetimetogrowintowhohewas,notalotofartistsgetthat

opportunitytostartoutsomewhereandgrowintowhotheybecome,yaknowit’s

overbeforeit’sbegun.MysonactuallyaskedmewhenIwasdoingsomeresearch

andItoldhimthatSteviewasbornwithsight,butbecausehewas6weekspre-

mature,theyputhiminanincubation,andtheoxygenwastoohigh,anditcaused

hisretinastodetachanditcausedhimtogoblind,soColeaskedme,welldoyou

thinkhewouldbeStevieWonderifthatdidn’thappen?IsaidThat’sagoodpoint,I

wonderifhewould’vedevelopedalltheseothergiftsthathehas,youknowhis

senseofmusic,hissenseofhearing,hisabilitytointerpretlyrics,hisabilitytoput

histhoughtsonmusic.Wouldanyofthathavefalteredifhedidn’thavethat

handicap.Idon’tknowbutyeah.

Sam:

That’sareallyinterestingquestion.

Chris:

Andhowdoesthejewel“RibbonintheSky”landinallofthat?

I’velovedthatsongsincethefirstdayIhearditbutitalwaysappearedtomelike

Stevieputitthereforyou.Itwasn’tpartofthisothermixofincrediblemusicthat

justemotionallytookyouaway.Onit’sownitjust..Idon’tknowhejustputitthere

forusorsomething.EvenasakidIalwaysthoughtthat.

Audrey:

IalwaysaskmyselfwhenIheardthesongyouknow,causeIwassongwritingfora

longtimeanditsalwaysbeenmywayofexpressingmyselfbutthefirstthingIasked

waslikeKnowingthatitcamefromStevieit’sjustavisualimage.Forsomeonethat’s

blind,youknowwhatImean.SoIrightawaywonderedwhereitcamefromwith

himandI’vebeensearchingandsearchingtoseeifanybody’severaskedhimthatin

aninterview.Ihaven’tcomeacrossthatinaninterviewsobutIhavetosayitsurely

didn’tstandintheway,hishandicapdidn’tstandinthewayofgivingusthisvisual

thatwealllatchedontowithoutanexplanation,right?Youdon’tneedan

explanationreally.Rightbutthat’sthegeniusinthat.

Sam:

Yeah,that’ssosotrue.It’sfunnyyousaythatcausethere’safewtunesofhiswhere

there’ssuchavisualelement,howdoyouevenknowhowyou’redescribingthatso

perfectlytomeasifyouknowyou’reseeingitandpaintingitasifyou’rewriting

it…yeahit’sincredible.

Audrey:

Itmakesitthatmorespecialforme,youknow.OnceIthoughtaboutthatitjust

madeitthathewentdeeplyinsideofhimselfthathedidn’thavetoseeitvisually

outsideofhimselfhecouldseeitinsideofhimselfandthat’swhyprobablywhyit

connectswithussodeeply,youknow.

Chris:

Mhm…andhismusiclikethecomparisonBillWithersitsustainsusina

nourishmentkindofway.Right,likewhenyouhearthissongandmostsongsthat

deliverlikethatinsuchasimplewaythere’sjustsomethingaboutthisjewelthathe

gaveus,it’sjust,Idon’tknowI’vealwayshadthissenselikethathewaslikehere,

Andthewords,myfavoritelineis“Thisisnotacoincidenceandfarmorealucky

chance”I’mlike,reallylikeyou’resayingearlier.How’dallthatcomeuptogetherto

formexactlywhathe’ssaying.What’syourreflectiononthewherehecamefrom

andhisexposureIsupposetoGospelandthehistory.How’dallthatpourinthere?

Audrey:

Well,Iknowthathismomhadalottodowithhimbeinginchurchandplaying,um

atavery,veryearlyageandsingersitseemsliketheyalwaysgottogivethe

motherssomepropsbecausealmosteverystoryIalwayshearthemom’skindof

guidetheirkidstowheretheyshouldbe.Youknow,andyoucanimaginetheyou

knowfearingforhimhavingthisuhchallenge,whatwasgonnabecomeofhimand

hislifeandthefactthathefoundmusicI’msurehewouldeasilysaythatmusic

savedhislife,hefoundsomethingthathecouldcommunicatewith.

Sam:

Yeah,Ithinkthat’sspoton.

Audrey:

IthinkhesaidhisUnclegavehimhisharmonicaitwasoneofhisfirstinstruments.

Andhelikedtheharmonicabecausehelovedthewayitbendedthenoteslikea

saxophoneplayerwould.Hecallsithislittlesaxophone.

Chris:

TheInstrument’sthathechosetobekindofhisdominantvoiceheexcelledinthem

asmuchashecouldplaydrumsandbassandIdon’tknowifheeverplayedguitar,

heprobablydid.Idon’thaveamemoryofitbutumthechoseninstrumentsthat

makeitintosomanyofhistuneshe’sexceptional.It’snot“ohyeah,hecanplaythat

too”Heplaysitlikethat’shisprimaryinstrument.I’malwaysstruckbeinga

guitaristbythistunehowitopenswithalmostthislikeaflamencosound.Andit

onlyhappensonce,justintheintrothatkindofjustbringsthattunetogetherearly

on,likewhatyouweresayingwiththeBillWitherstune,Sammyyousaidthatas

well,youkindofknewwhatwascomingitwasnotgonnabeharsh,itwasgonnatell

mesomething,Ineedtopayattention.ButIfoundthatguitar,andtosomeextent

thecymbalalso,justhisuseofthecymbalisso,sospare.Butitdoesmakeyoureally

payattention.

Sam:

Yeah,Ithinkthat’sagreatpointwiththesongstartsandifitdidn’thavethatlittle

elementofthatguitaritwouldbelikeokayweresettingthebass,balladgroove…

Chris:

Right,andpianoofcourse,yeah.

Sam:

Itdoesaddthislikelittleextramagictoit,yeah.

Chris:

Theguitarsthroughoutitbutthatparticularvibe.

Audrey:

Itkindoftellsyouthat“listenup,listenuporyou’regoingtomissthemagic.The

littlethings.

Sam:

Yeah,he’slikethere’sneveradullmoment.Keeppayingattention.That’sthething

alsoIendlesslyobsesswithStevie’syoucouldjustlistentoitoverandoverthere’s

alwayssomethingmoretofindinthere,youknow.Yeah,andIlikedthatboththe

vocalandthepianoplayingumit’sneverlikestraightonperfectionstudiorecording

thisisallgottafitneatlyintherhythmicboxorwhatitis,youknow.It’slikeit’sreal

expressiveplaying.That’sanotherthingagaintocomebacktolikeamodern

productionstandpoint,IjustthinkIdon’tknowifsomebodyhaddonethatinthe

studiotheremightbesomeproducerthatyouknowshouldn’tbeintheresaying

“Youknowwell,let’smaybelet’ssingalittlemorestraight.Ohthatpiano,doyou

haveanothertakeinyou?”Youknow,thatkindofthing,whenI’mlisteningbackto

this,hopefullyIthinkitseemedlikeitwasatthatpointinhiscareerwherethey

werelikenoifthat’swhatyouwanttosay,that’swhatyouwanttosayandthank

Godforthat,causethat’sright.It’sveryhuman;it’sveryreallikeyougetthesenseit

doesn’tfeelmultitrackedtome.Itdoesn’tfeellikeproduceditfeelslikeaband

playingasong.

Audrey:

Andifitwasn’tthanhemanagedtomakeitfeellikeitwas.Youknow.

Sam:

Exactly,andthat’swhatIwasjustabouttosay,whenhedoesstuffmultitracked

there’safewtunesthatIknowthathespecificallydiddomultitrackedandplayeda

lotoftheinstrumentshimselfbutitfeelstomethere’sabandinthereplaying,it’s

justhim.He’stheband.Itfeelsveryreal.

Audrey:

Yeah,Ifounditinterestingtofoundoutthatoneofhisfirstcompositionswasagain

thetributetoRayCharles.Oneofthefirstthingshewasabletoputout.Withaguy

namedIthinkwasRonnieWhiteofTheMiracles.Hewasworkingwithhimatthe

time.IhopeIgotmyfactsrightthere.Buteitherwaythatwasahugeinfluencefor

himwhenhefirststarted.Whatdidheplay?Piano?Harmonica?Drums?

Chris:

Synth,obviously.

Audrey:

AndalsothatumafterhewaspoutoutbyMotownaslittleStevieWonder,hisvoice

startedtochangesoonafterwards.Andtheywerethinkingofdroppinghim,and

SylviawhohadsuchahugeinfluenceonalltheactsthatwereonMotown,

convincedthemtokeephim.Andthenhewentontojustdiscoverhisman-voice

andcanyouimagewhatwewouldhavemissed,iftheydroppedhimjustbecausehis

voicechanged?

Sam:

Ohboy!

Chris:

Howdowedescribeinawayforthepeoplethatarelisteningtothistogetinsideof

whatshouldstaywithhim.Wepickedthesetwotunesandthesetwomusiciansfor

areason.Notjustbecausetheycameoutofthesimilartimeframe.BothBlack

Artistsatatimethatwasprobablyrelativetotoday.Adifferentenvironment

obviouslytosucceed.Youdidn’thaveHip-HopandRapandthingstosupporta

community.Whatshouldpeopleunderstandaboutthesetwoartiststhatiseither

similarordifferentorwhatevercomestomind.

Audrey:

Ithinkit’sjustwhatyousaid,similaranddifferentbecauseasmuchaswecansay

theywereinfluencedbycertaingratesthatcamebeforethemorthatwerealive

withthem,bothBillWithersandStevieWonderhavesuchauniquestyle.Youknow

theymayhavesimilarinfluencesbutyousayRayCharlesisathreadofartistthat

theybothlovedbutneitheroneofthemsoundlikeRayCharles.Youknowtheyhave

theirindividualmagicthattheysomehowputinthepotandcreated.Andtheyboth

knowhowtostatethingsthatseemsosimplebuttheystatedinsuchanoriginal

way.Verydifferentartists,right?BillWithersdoesn’tplaymultipleinstrumentslike

Stevie,butanythinghesaysitdoesn’tsoundlikeawasteoftimeheknowshowto

stateitsothatitstayswithyouforever.Andyou’llwanttoquoteitagainjustlikehe

saiditbecauseitwasstartedsoperfectlywellwhichiswhythesongsgetredone

overandoveragain.Youknow.

Sam:

Yeah,thatlastinglegacyofboth,areabigcommonality,forsure.AndIthinkto

understandifyoureallyenjoymusicasanartformifthisissomethingthatspeaks

toyouandlistentosongwriting,it’slikelearninghistory.It’slikelearningtheFour

Fathers.Thisissomuchofwhatwe’rehearingtoday.Whetherit’sveryobviousor

moresubtitle;it’sjustsostronglyinfluencedbyspecificallythesetwoartists,you

know.Andyoulistenthesetwospecifictunes,Imean;youjustcan’thearaballad

afterthiscameoutwithouthearingStevie.Andyoucan’thearafeel-goodtunethat

hasthatvintagesoulkindofappealtoitwithouthearing“LovelyDay”inittoo.

Whetheritwasimmediateorwhetheritincreasedovertime,fromasong

writing/productionsandjustalisteningtothepantheonofmusic.Theyboth

changedthelandscapeandyoujustcan’tgobackafterthat.

Audrey:

IthinkespeciallywithBillWithersittooksometimeforpeopletorealizethat,that

simplesongwasn’tsosimple.YouknowwhatImean?itwasactuallygenius.Took

mealongtime,ImeanIalwayslikeditbutittookmegrowingupandstillsinging

thesongbeforeIrealizedwowthere’sreallysomethingspecialabouttappinginto

thatabilitytotellastorythatresonateswithsomanypeopleanditdoesn’thaveto

bebig.Itcanbeverysmall.Youknow,andverysimplystated.

Chris:

Ithinkwe’llendontheChasetheMooninterpretation.Whichtookalotoftimeto

pulltogether,asyoubothsaidsoeloquently.Itissimplebutnotsimplydone.Itis

complexititswayandthearrangementforthisSam,ifyouwanttothrowbackatall

toyouandMikeV.puttingthistogether.AndthenAudreyrealizingwhatthissong

meanttoyou,Ithink?WhenIfirstspoketoyouIjustfeltthissenseoflikethissong

isreallyimportanttowhoIam.

Audrey:

Youknow,IhavesomuchrespectforSteviethatanytimeI’maskedtosingoneif

hissongsIamalittlefearfulbecause.It’slikeArethaoranyofthesepeoplethatare

justpuregeniuseswhatdoyoudowithsomethingthatisperfect?Youknow.You

havetotakeastepbackandsay“well,youknow,it’snevergonnabethesame”you

justhavetofindwherethemessageresonateswithyouandhopefullyitwill

resonatewithsomeoneelseinthewaythatyoudeliverit.ButIhavesomuch

reverenceforStevie’sversion.It’salwayshard.Ihavetoadmitit’shard.

Sam:

Ithinkthat’ssoimportant,Ithinkthatcomingfromtheworldofplayingwhatever

youknow,functionalbandsandcoverbandsandstuffwherethere’sobviouslya

handfulofStevietunesthatareonthelist.Idon’tknow,therejustalwaysseemsto

beaalittlebitofdareIsayirreverencetoit,whereit’slikeaccepted,andohwe

gottadothisone,ohwegottadothatoneanditalwaysfrustratedme,itreallydid,

evenfromtheyoungagewhenIfirstlearnedaboutmusic,Iwaslikenono,no

matterwhatsongitis,yougottataketheseseriously,thisisStevieWonder,ya

know?

Audrey:

Ithinkwegetlazy,becauseIthinkwe’vehearditallourlivesright?Soyouthink

youknowthesonguntilyouactuallyhavetoplayit,andsometimeswhenyoudon’t

takethetimelikeyou’retalkingabout,yathinkyou’replayingit,butthat’snotthe

wayitgoes,yaknow?

Sam:

Nobodyisplayingsuperstitionright,they’renowdoingit,youplayme20bands

playingit,I’msorry,they’renotplayingitright,andI’mnotsayingthatIcanplayit

righteither.WhenIhearit,itisdeceivinglysimple,it’snotaneasytunes,andnone

ofthesetunesareeasytunesbyanymeans,sotoeverputthatlabelisreallyreally

doingadisservice,soI’mhonoredtohearthat,Ithinkthat’stherightapproach.

Don’tnotdoit,becauseit’syaknowsuchapassionatething,butreally,justcarrya

littlebitofweighttoitandgiveityourall.

Audrey:

AndwithStevie,healwaysfindsthisplaceinhisvoicethatisjustsoemotional,it’s

justeffortlesslysoulfulandemotional,it’ssospiritualIcan’tthinkofanyother

word.SotosingsomethingbyStevie,youhavetotakethetime,youknowItriedto

takethetimetofindtheplacethatfeelsvulnerable,andalmostfeelsweepy,you

know,makeyoufeellikeyou’reexposingsomethingthatyoumaynotwant

everybodytosee.Buthedoesthatsoeffortlessly,andeverythingthathedoes,he’s

justsuchageniusandasourceoflightinhismusic.Soifyougottafindthatin

yourselfsomehow,oratleastlookforitbeforeyouattempttomesswithhisshit.

Sam:

That’sareallygoodpointactually,toevenbuilduponyourpoint,findingit,howit

relatestoyou,notevenjustsayingokthisisStevieIgottatakeitseriously,but

findinghowyoucangettothatplaceauthentically.

Audrey:

Yeah,atleastgoonthejourneyyouknowwhatImean?It’llneverbeStevie,butit

willmaybebesomethingelsethat’sinterestingyaknow?

Chris:

Let’stakeanotherlookatthatoriginaltune,it’scompositionandperformance,the

checkinonChaseTheMoonandgettheirversion,theirarrangement,thesame

tune,let’sseewhatwecanpulloutofthatcomparison.

Sam:

Ok,sonowwe’vegotRibbonInTheSkybyofcourse;StevieWonder,releasedin

1982thiswasoneofacoupleneworiginalsongsthatwerefeaturedonhisfirst

greatesthitsalbum:StevieWondersMusiquarium,andthentheChaseTheMoon

versionfeaturingnoneotherthanourveryownAudreyMartellstakingtheleadon

thisincredibleandpowerfulsong,completelymakingitherownandgivingusyet

anotherreasontofallinlovewithitalloveragain.

ORIGINALSTEVIEWONDERSONGANDCHASETHEMOONCOVERPLAYHERE

Chris:

Wellthanksfordoingthis,itwasgreat,anicemoment.

Audrey:

Itwasmypleasure.

Sam:

Verymeditative.

Chris:

Sowe’lldothisagain,we’llworkonournextcombination,2isplenty,3wouldhave

beenwaytoomuch.

Audrey:

Wouldhavebeenwaytoomuch,IfeellikewejusttouchedonStevie,there’sso

muchmoretosay,butthatwouldbeanothersong,he’sgotalotofthem.

Chris:

I’vealwayswantedtodoSirDukewithafullband,suchahottune,wedidoncein

rehearsaljustforkicks,butyougottahavemorehornsthanjustMike.

Sam:

Ithinkwejammedonitonce.I’vealwayswantedto,ImeanI’vedoneitwithsome

groups,butMasterBlasterispersonallyisjust.Ijustthinkit’soneofthebestdrum

tracksandthat’shim,MySteviething,IguessI’mgonnasayitbecauseit’smygo-to

SteviethingisthatIjustlovethat,therawnessofthattrackwhereyouhear,inthe

beginning,theclickintheheadphonesandyouhearhimgobehindthedrumkit,if

youlistensuperclosely,youcanliterallyhearhimputtheheadphonesoncausethe

soundoftheclickchanges,andthenhekindalikehitstherimofthesnare,butthen

herrrratdatdatandhegoesintothisphenomenalgroove

Audrey:

Who’splayin…isheplayindrums?

Sam:

He’splayingdrumsandheplayeddrumsfirstwithnothingrecorded,he‘splayingto

aclick,doingallthefillsandeverythingcauseit’sallinthere,heknowsexactly,I

meanthewhole,onetake,playingitdown,totape,drums,knowsthearrangement

inhishead.

Chris:

That’slike,that’saBeethoventhing.

Sam:

StraightupBeethoven.SoI’vealwayshadapassion,notonlyisitanawesometune,

butit’sthewayheplaysitsoperfectlyandperfectonthatsong,godIloveitso

much.

Audrey:

Ilovedcomingacrossitsomuch,causeyouknowwhenheonealbumoftheyear3

yearsinarow,andthentherewasoneyearthathedidn’tmakearecord,andPaul

SimonwonstillCrazyAfterAllTheseYears,andhegotupandhesaidI’dliketo

thankStevieWonderfornotmakinganalbumthisyear.ThebrillianceofPaultobe

sohumble.

Chris:

Wellthiswasgreat,thankyou,thisisexactlywhatIhopedwouldhappen,justlight

thematch,letthemusicdowhatitdoesandtheartistandthetwoofyouwere

amazing,.

Audrey:

IdidsyaPaulSimonnotPaulMcCartneyright?

Chris:

YousaidPaulSimon,yep.

Audrey:

Yeahthiswasawesome.

Chris:

Greatexperience.

Audrey:

Sowehave2songs,2artiststheiroriginalaudiorecordings,plusarrangementsby

othermusicians.We’regonnalookatdifferentviewpointstothesesametunes.

Musiclightsupallyoursensesandconnectsyoutoyourownstory,that’sour

formula,sowewanttofocusonthatandtakeourtimerevealingeachofthese

creativegeniuses.I’mexcitedtodigdeeplyintothewseoriginallyandfigureoutwhy

theyfitsowellintodaysculture.We’realwaysgonnastaytruetothemissionto

celebratethedifference,andwe’regonnacomeatitandtrytoseekthattruthwith

respectandappreciationfortheseartistsalways.