Quincy Jones

Well, it was sort of a challenge, really, because I had come back from Europe, and I had lost a lot of money, and I had to say, Irving Green, the president of Mercury, said, come over here as an A&R man, because you are an artist on Mercury anyway, an artist in repertoire. He hired me, and he promoted me to vice president. And

During that time, I was recording all the divas and, you know, Nina Simone and Sarah Vaughan and Shirley Horne, Donnie Washington. And we were doing things with Robert Farnes, big string, expensive dates and so forth. And they were beautiful musical albums, but...

During that time, I was recording all the divas and, you know, Nina Simone and Sarah Vaughan and Shirley Horne, Donnie Washington. And we were doing things with Robert Farnes, big string, expensive dates and so forth. And they were beautiful musical albums, but...

During that time, I was recording all the divas and, you know, Nina Simone and Sarah Vaughan and Shirley Horne, Donnie Washington. And we were doing things with Robert Farnes, big string, expensive dates and so forth. And they were beautiful musical albums, but...

Irving said to me one time, he says, you know, all the pop guys are saying you and Hal Mooney, who are the arrangers, are budget busters because you do all this big music. But we need some more help with the bottom line with hit records. And I was a little presumptuous and said, well, I don't think it's such a big deal to make a pop hit.

Irving said to me one time, he says, you know, all the pop guys are saying you and Hal Mooney, who are the arrangers, are budget busters because you do all this big music. But we need some more help with the bottom line with hit records. And I was a little presumptuous and said, well, I don't think it's such a big deal to make a pop hit.

Irving said to me one time, he says, you know, all the pop guys are saying you and Hal Mooney, who are the arrangers, are budget busters because you do all this big music. But we need some more help with the bottom line with hit records. And I was a little presumptuous and said, well, I don't think it's such a big deal to make a pop hit.

And he says, well, why don't you start making something then? And we were at a meeting at the Oxford House where we had A&R meetings regularly in Chicago.

And he says, well, why don't you start making something then? And we were at a meeting at the Oxford House where we had A&R meetings regularly in Chicago.

And he says, well, why don't you start making something then? And we were at a meeting at the Oxford House where we had A&R meetings regularly in Chicago.

and he said here's a tape that joe glazer sent me and his friend the fight manager somebody has a niece that sang something just say you listen to it and we'll send it back you know i grabbed it and uh i thought i said i'd like to try this because she had a great sound as far as a rock singer in those days she could sing really in tune she was 16 years old and uh we went back to new york and talked to joe glazer he said make her a star and you know all of that hollywood stuff and uh

and he said here's a tape that joe glazer sent me and his friend the fight manager somebody has a niece that sang something just say you listen to it and we'll send it back you know i grabbed it and uh i thought i said i'd like to try this because she had a great sound as far as a rock singer in those days she could sing really in tune she was 16 years old and uh we went back to new york and talked to joe glazer he said make her a star and you know all of that hollywood stuff and uh

and he said here's a tape that joe glazer sent me and his friend the fight manager somebody has a niece that sang something just say you listen to it and we'll send it back you know i grabbed it and uh i thought i said i'd like to try this because she had a great sound as far as a rock singer in those days she could sing really in tune she was 16 years old and uh we went back to new york and talked to joe glazer he said make her a star and you know all of that hollywood stuff and uh

We went in on a Saturday and we recorded two songs, It's My Party, and with a B-side written by Paul Anka, young Paul Anka called Danny. And on the way to Carnegie Hall, I saw Phil Spector. And Phil Spector said, I just cut a smash, man, with the crystals. Called It's My Party. I said, what? I had never experienced that kind of competition before.

We went in on a Saturday and we recorded two songs, It's My Party, and with a B-side written by Paul Anka, young Paul Anka called Danny. And on the way to Carnegie Hall, I saw Phil Spector. And Phil Spector said, I just cut a smash, man, with the crystals. Called It's My Party. I said, what? I had never experienced that kind of competition before.

We went in on a Saturday and we recorded two songs, It's My Party, and with a B-side written by Paul Anka, young Paul Anka called Danny. And on the way to Carnegie Hall, I saw Phil Spector. And Phil Spector said, I just cut a smash, man, with the crystals. Called It's My Party. I said, what? I had never experienced that kind of competition before.

I went back to the studio with the engineer, and we mastered 100 acetates to send out to the radio. And the rest, you know, I had to go to Japan right after that. And I told Leslie, we've got a great record and everything. All we need to do is fix that name, because I don't think this name is going to work with a pop record or so.

I went back to the studio with the engineer, and we mastered 100 acetates to send out to the radio. And the rest, you know, I had to go to Japan right after that. And I told Leslie, we've got a great record and everything. All we need to do is fix that name, because I don't think this name is going to work with a pop record or so.

I went back to the studio with the engineer, and we mastered 100 acetates to send out to the radio. And the rest, you know, I had to go to Japan right after that. And I told Leslie, we've got a great record and everything. All we need to do is fix that name, because I don't think this name is going to work with a pop record or so.

No, I didn't like it. I won't tell Al Gore about that. And so I went to Japan to do a television show and we did a little acting and scoring it. And so I got a call from Irving Green later, and he said, did anybody call you yet? I said, no. I said, did she get that name together yet? Did she come up with any suggestions? She said, the record's number one. Do you really care? I said, no.