Quincy Jones was a globally known musician, music composer, arranger, and producer, who died on November 3, 2024, from pancreatic cancer, at the age of 91. During his 70-year-long career, he received the highest honors, and the most prestigious awards. For that, a further tribute article, written by an amateur web DJ such as me, would be useless, and not interesting. Differently, I think that a page of the blog about Quincy Jones can be useful, in case I underline some obscure aspects of his personality, that might be the unknown and not studied sources of the celebrated successes.
Quincy Jones never learned to drive a car, because of a psychologic trauma that he had when he was 14, and he resulted as the unique survivor of a terrible car accident. I can remember that a lethal car accident involved also Jim Morrison of the Doors, with a subsequent lifetime shock, very influential for the music of the Californian band. How the disaster of the above changed the life of Mr. Jones? In my opinion, it was a step for developing the legendary capacity in the field of team-working, something extraneous to an individualist personality, such as the one of Quincy Jones. The second step of the described path was learning about the methods of Italian-American mafia, at first during the years of Prohibition, and then, starting from the 60’s, due to a successful collaboration with Frank Sinatra, that lasted until the year 1998. The experiences of the above were fundamental because, artistically speaking, the best of Quincy Jones as a jazz trumpeter was the work together with an 18-members-band, the Jones Boys, formed by himself in the year 1957. Well, it was an incredible flop, that left him in a compelling need of money, and was the unique economic fall of Quincy’s prestigious career. That way, Mr. Jones learned that he needed other mentalities, different from the one of himself, to achieve some satisfying results.
A big, surprising side of Quincy’s way of thinking was the belief in the positive effects of conflicts, a radical contradiction of his social commitment in favor of black Americans, and something not belonging to himself as an icon of political correctness, magnified by president Barack Obama, and other top members of the American Democrats. How was the contradiction of the above possible? Before proposing an articulated answer, I would like to convince you that my intention is not defamatory, or otherwise offensive, and that I only want to report verified facts, exclusively for the sure relevance of them. First, when Quincy was young, his mother was recovered at a mental institution, because of a sudden and intense episode of schizophrenia; consequently, he lived for years with some relatives. Second, Quincy was led by Ray Charles, his musical idol, to the abuse of heroin, that, luckily, Quincy was able to overcome in about 5 months. Third, since the year 1974, Quincy suffered from a chronic brain aneurysm, contained with two brain surgery interventions. A metal plate was implanted in his head, and after that he was forced to stop playing trumpet, the greatest love of his lifetime. As you can read above, life is the best of teachers, and one of the most precious lessons is that social conflicts are the strongest fuel of Capitalism, and not a way to make Capitalism implode. Back to Quincy’s way of thinking, life teachings made him remain humble, and opened to dialogue, despite of being a number one, many times recognized.
The best successes blessed Quincy Jones as an arranger, and a producer. Particularly, the collaboration with Michael Jackson has generated three albums, that, for now, have sold 20, 65, and 45 million copies (years ago, I read statistics even much better). The three albums, “Off the Wall”, “Thriller”, and “Bad”, are global milestones of the history of pop music. Musically speaking, what are the reasons of a similar kingdom in the harsh world of pop? Don’t cite the Beatles, as a musical expert of white ethnicity, I assure you that the band is almost forgotten, and that the LP “Thriller” will never be forgotten. In my opinion, the hard work made by Quincy Jones in the field of movie soundtracks gifted him with a rare sensibility, the one of feeling a deep connection between sounds and actions. How many soundtracks have been produced by Quincy Jones? Some say 40, others say 50. That’s the most part of Quincy’s career. Well, each disco classic bound to Quincy Jones seems a part of an incredible soundtrack, the one of his marvelous, complex, and contradictory life. In conclusion, Quincy Jones was neither an angel, nor a demon, although only Satan can explain why incorrectness has beaten correctness.
Is this the first of a series of pages? Honestly, I don’t know. For now, I describe the mix of the page. It is made of tunes strictly bound to Quincy Jones, partly greatest hits, partly lesser-known tracks. The mix serves for you to know an inexplicable fact: Quincy Jones played piano and trumpet, but the best of the tunes produced by him are based on electric guitar.
File name is “the dark side of Quincy Jones, by Max Look DJ (Jan 2025)”, 1 hour and 20’ of beautiful tracks strictly bound to Quincy Jones.
Your life as a movie, the playlist:
Quincy Jones – jazz corner of the world/Birdland (1989)
Donna Summer – love is on control (finger on the trigger) (1982)
Michael Jackson – beat it (1982)
Michael Jackson – working day and night (1979)
Quincy Jones, Usher, Robin Thicke and Tyrese feat. L.L. Cool J, Tevin Campbell, and Barry White – the secret garden remix (2010)
Quincy Jones – Pink Panther theme (1964)
Quincy Jones – watermelon man (1963)
Michael Jackson – get on the floor (1979)
George Benson – off Broadway (1980)
Brothers Johnson – light up the night (1980)
Brothers Johnson – this had to be (1980)
Rufus and Chaka Khan – do you love what you feel (1979)
Quincy Jones feat Patti Austin – razzamatazz (1981)
Brothers Johnson – stomp (1980)
Michael Jackson – don’t stop ‘til you get enough (1979)
Brothers Johnson – street wave (1978)
James Ingram – Yah mo B there (Jellybean Benitez remix) (1983)
Michael Jackson – smooth criminal (1987)
Michael Jackson – rock with you (1979)
George Benson – love X love (1980)
Quincy Jones feat Patti Austin – betcha wouldn’t hurt me (1981)
Frank Sinatra – L.A. is my lady (1984)
George Benson – give me the night (1980)
Brothers Johnson – mista’ cool (1978)
