Vagabond Synth Nerd’s Journal Vol. 211 - Mourning the Loss of the Great Legendary Producer Mr. Quincy Jones Part II

The Death of the Great Star Quincy Jones

Quincy Jones, one of the greatest producers of American music, passed away on November 3, bringing an end to his musical career. When I saw the newspaper article, I felt a bit overwhelmed.
Quincy Jones was my favorite musician and producer. His music was sublime and I always heard something new.
The music, while having a basis in jazz, was easy to understand and had a commercial edge, but it also had a different kind of mass appeal.

Establishing the Quincy Brand

Quincy Jones' involvement in music began when he was a teenager playing in a nightclub with blind pianist and singer Ray Charles. Quincy studied jazz at Berklee College of Music and began his professional career as a trumpet player. He later became involved in arranging with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra and rose to the position of producer, a position that gave him a bird's eye view of the music.
Quincy Jones was a multi-faceted musician: jazz performer, arranger, producer, and even record company owner.
In 1961, Quincy Jones became the Vice President of Mercury Records New York office. He also began working as a producer for Mercury Records.
He has demonstrated his ability to produce legendary musicians such as Miles Davis and Frank Sinatra.
In 1978, he became producer for Michael Jackson. At the time, Michael Jackson wanted Quincy Jones to produce, but Epic Records did not agree because Quincy Jones had too much of a jazz background.
Michael Jackson released Off the Wall in 1979 that was produced by Quincy Jones. With this album, Michael took his first steps as a hit maker.

■ Recommended album: Off the Wall (1979) by Michael Jackson

It wasn’t until Michael Jackson's fifth masterpiece album for it to be finally produced by Quincy Jones. The band members, who made the most of Quincy's personal connections, were in charge of the performance. The sound of the band was highly accomplished and full of great songs.
This was the first time that an album had charted with four singles in the U.S. Top 10.
The album was a success, silencing Epic, which had been unhappy with Quincy Jones as the producer.
The album reached #3 in the U.S. on the Billboard charts. It was a stepping stone to the next album, Thriller. Two of the singles reached #1 in the U.S., and four of the songs reached the top 10 on the U.S. charts.
The appointment of Quincy Jones as producer changed the course of Michael Jackson's destiny.

Recommended Song: “Don't Stop ‘Til You Get Enough”

The first song is written and composed by Michael Jackson. It reached No. 1 in the U.S.
When I first heard “Don't Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” the string arrangement at the beginning of the song caught me off guard. Later, this string arrangement became Quincy Jones' signature. The Brothers Johnson also has a piece that reminds me of this string arrangement.
Either way, the song is gorgeous and catchy. It gives the listener a sense of anticipation of what is to come. Michael's grasp of rhythm contributes to the groove of the song.

Song recommendation: “Rock With You”

Written by the brains of Quincy Jones’ team, Rod Temperton. It reached #1 in the U.S.
The bass and drums on this song were played by Greg Philingains on keyboards, and top session men such as Paul Jackson, Jr. and Wah Wah Watson on guitars. It became the source of a unique groove.
Rod Temperton is the bandleader and composer of the British band Heatwave. Rod would continue to be an important member of Quincy's network and would be heavily in Quincy’s produced tracks.

■ Thriller (1982) by Michael Jackson

This is the biggest monster album in the history of music, selling over 100 million copies worldwide and spending an astonishing 37 weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. charts. All seven songs that were cut as singles became Top 10 hits in the U.S., making it one of the greatest albums of all time.
In addition to record sales, the title track, “Thriller,” was made into a music video that became a worldwide sensation with the rise of MTV. The music video's involvement in the promotion of “Thriller” also had a synergistic effect, setting the tone for the album's massive success.

Recommended song: “Thriller”

The drums, percussion, and bass are hammered. The swell of the clever, mechanical synthesizer bass line blends seamlessly with the cries of the wolves and other sounds to create the mood of the song.
The video crew was top-notch and the budget was unprecedented. The quality of the video is on par with Hollywood movies with Michael Jackson as a werewolf, the humorous zombie dance, and the squeaky clean music produced by Quincy. ......There’s so much American talent that all gathered under Michael. This symbolic masterpiece was a swirling mixed bag of elements that the times wanted and it created an icon of the era called “Michael Jackson”.

Recommended Song: “Beat It”

This masterpiece of a song features Edward Van Halen's rock solo guitar in full force. This song was the third single cut and reached #1 in the U.S.
Like “Thriller,” the promotional video for “Beat It,” which featured Michael and fighting gangs in an intense dance routine, would become part of the formula for selling the song.

Musicians, albums, and song recommendations featured in this issue

• Artists: Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, etc.
• Albums: Off the Wall and Thriller
• Recommended songs: “Don't Stop Tonight,” “Rock With You,” “Thriller,” “Beat It”

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