Today marks the birthday of Quincy Jones—a legendary producer not only in American music but on the world stage. He’s also known as the executive producer of the popular U.S. comedy show "MADtv" on FOX. His body of work is monumental, from producing Michael Jackson’s "Thriller", the world-famous anthem We Are The World, to composing the TV jingle for the Japanese show The Weekender with Ironside, and creating the club classic "Soul Bossa Nova". Listing his titles and accomplishments could go on endlessly.
Today, I’m sharing my first Quincy Jones record, a 1978 release that holds a special place for me: Sounds…And Stuff Like That!! The real gem here is the cover of Herbie Hancock's "Tell Me A Bedtime Story", a mellow masterpiece also recorded by Kimiko Kasai for "Butterfly" (1979). This rendition is beautifully updated with strings and Hubert Laws’ flute, making it a popular sampling track. Incidentally, "I’m Gonna Miss You In The Morning" (A2) has been sampled in Mac Dre’s "Miss You" and Sho-Hai's "...Ella", while "Love Me By Name" (B2) has appeared in Sangue Misto’s "Nella Luce Delle 6:00" and Gopher D’s track with Mistaman, Frank Siciliano, and DJ Shocca, "Fatti Portare Giù". On a personal note, I’m also a fan of Love, I Never Had It So Good, a refreshing AOR tune featuring vocals by Charles May and Patti Austin, as well as the cover of Stevie Wonder’s Superwoman (B3), which, though not as grand as the original, has a catchier arrangement.
