( Part. III )
Kenny Farrall : How do you feel about
"lead" bass, as opposed to "bottom" bass? Do you enjoy holdin' it
down as much as tearin' it up? I'm thinking of lead lines like your moving Miles
tribute, "September 28th, 1991" and greasy bottom like you supplied on your
version of "Kashmir from Lenny White's "Edge' album... {that shit made me
stop breathing, btw}
FOLEY : Ha
ha haha !!!
But, in terms of... one or the other ?
You are either Bringin' it .....or NOT
“September 28th”,
is something that I have trouble listening to now !
I had tears runnin down
my face, half way thru the recording of my "Lead Bass" part
That's when I finally
let go of ALL of my feeling's I had about Miles' death
and, that "WHOLE RIDE" that I'd just been a part of
It's really painful to
listen to.
Actually, (bassist) Byron Miller was sitting right in the control room while I was cutting it...
It was too late to try
to look cool, I think Byron felt a little sorry for me in that moment ...
Not "pity" ,
but I think he may have really understood how I must have felt.
( it was the Miles Davis gig, that allowed me to
know "Him" )
I get the same feeling
when I listen to Jimi's "Machine Gun" ( Band of gypsies )
It’s just waaaaay too much to deal with sometimes....I can hear HIS pain on that record
Kenny : Btw, is it true that Miles first heard you
through the phone while Marcus Miller was listening to your tape?
FOLEY : Yeah, man ....
Crazy huh ?
Kenny : What if anything, scares you?
FOLEY : My Mom passing.
( that's normal , right
? )
She's really sick, right
now.
But, actually ....
I'm able to really
examine my "OWN" mortality !
Death is taught to be
something to fear.
And, because NO ONE
has "Incontrovertible Proof" of what really happens
...
I'm NOW taking a hard look at what "Death" really means
Aaaaaargh ....
I know that we're not supposed to know EVERYTHING....
But, if I could have just ONE QUESTION answered .....
WHY DOES MAKING THE "TRANSTITION" IN AND OUT OF LIFE ....HAVE TO BE PAINFUL ????
The "Closest" thing to a woman DYING ....IS GIVING "BIRTH" ?!?!?
WHY ????
Must the "Transition" for ALL living things .....Be PAINFUL ????
Cause, I've NEVER been
afraid of anything !
My life has been so
fuckin crazy....
Growing up like I did ?
U tend to become
fearless at a young age, regardless of whether U want to ..
or NOT
Kenny : What
gives you hope?
FOLEY :
The Rising of the SUN .....EVERY MORNING !
Talk about "Consistency" ?!?!?
DAVID HASSEN : I see a current trend of returning older artists, is this due to the internet in part ?
FOLEY : Nah.... That's simply a matter of SUBSTANCE !
The only thing the internet is good for is "Fanning Flames" of hype
but, You're STILL are gonna need "the Goods" sooner or later
I don't know if U've noticed but.....
People that are already household names like "Denzel" primarily DON'T HAVE WEBSITES !
Cause , all an artist owes an audience is a PERFORMANCE..... that's IT
The internet is basically for "Start-ups" & "Up Starts"
U know ....people that NEED the extra info to communicate with folks.... etc etc
And, The rest of this shit is for PORN ......
"Over-zealous" Celebs , bloggers , Internet Models & "Message board" celebs
Oh, yea ..... and HATE....
David : Do you think Junie returning on the scene after 20 years without a new album
and a label is a signal to Ohio's funkcard renewal in the recording world?
FOLEY : Shit.....OHIO don't NEED renewal of ANY kind !
We still on folks lips & hardrives !!
I'm just happy for Junie !!
Period .
David : Why do so many hip hop music producers who say they "LOVE" these artists that they loop from do not break them with collab spots and weakly sample the record? Is this about greed and selfishness and ego and a tad of fear?
FOLEY : Prolly ALL of that !
The concept of "Celebrity" itself ......is based on a sort of "FEAR" vs. "EGO" to begin with...
Fear of other people finding out that they take a shit & cry & "Bleed" like everybody else !
American "Idol" makers ?
David : Sly Stone box set do you forsee it in 2005?
FOLEY : I guess....
Who's it gonna *REALLY Benefit ?? *
It's like , Telethons....Foundations & shit ?!?!?
"Information" is Power....
Fuck-a-Telethon .....
Benefits don't "BENEFIT" those in need.... 99.9% of the time.
Except , those handling the Money....
When I did the Grammys with Miles in '89...
( Paul & Miles were presented with dat "Lifetime" achivement )
I got a chance to check out Paul doing his thing....
But, Paul spent most of his time talking about "Ray Charles"
"Ray this & Ray that "
And , Paul had "insisted" on having Ray perform as well !
David : Bjork wants to make a funk hybrid record and you are hired as the coproducer.
Who do you enlist and where do you record it?
FOLEY : That Lady don't need a producer....
She needs a"RE-ducer" with all that amazing shit coming a outta her ...
I met her one night in Madrid ( when she was still w/ the Sugarcubes ) back in '88
She was just down in the Hotel Bar , chill ...
Bjork looked bored.... THEN !
I knew she was bout to bounce...
She was a really sweet lady , tho
David : Some "Hater" questions would be : "You havent had a record out in 13 yrs. "
FOLEY : And it will be "ANOTHER" 13yrs. unless Shit is RIGHT !
Time is a fuckin' illusion anyways.....
I'm still in MF's faces , trust me
To continue to be talked about & brought up on the net & in music circles ?
With a "Whole New" generation of kids etc. ?
Yeah, That's TRUTH....
David : And , "Why do you play covers" ?
FOLEY : Why Not ?
For ME.... If I want to write a novel ?
Then , I need to have read quite a few of them !
So, doin' covers is like reading ALOT of literature .
Then , when I go to write something .... It will be on a level of any great author
Plus, there's some amazing shit out there that STILL needs to be examined.
David : And, "How come your fonts are so big on your website?"
FOLEY : Ha ha ha !!!
And, the one talkin the MOSTshit about it .....Are the ones bitin' the Hardest !!
I see my "Influence" on folks & Here ( these are just TWO examples )
Amazing what U can do with a simple -ass "Microsoft" program.....
More than anything , I like the control of doing it myself , as well !
( in the middle of the night... if I Choose. )
I take a very "Hands -On" approach to EVERYTHING I do
As long as the site's up ? That's all that matters, right now...
Even if that means... Not using "Flash or Dreamweaver "
Plus, all of these sites I see.... are "Cookie-Cutter" anyway !
Some web designer goin' to some "Flash Template" site & charging the fuck outta people....
for work that was ALREADY DONE !
Hence: "The Cookie-Cutters"
Man, There's Soooo Many People out there now trying to cop what I'm Doin'
It's Funny as hell ....I KNOW I've sparked a movement of folks doin' "Interviews"
on their site, now. I guess people figure since I'm not a "Household" name...
* only among REAL Musicians *
that most people wouldn't know where that style comes from ?
With "7" million hits in 5 yrs. ?!?!?
"SOMEBODY" KNOWS WHAT'S UP !!
I KNOW I've influenced a whole generation of the "Do-it-yourself" people.
And, they talkin about my FoNtS ?!?!?
From My Layout.....to "My Inner-views"
I see yáll ( please don't make me link muthafuckas )
It ain't just about the Fonts & colors....and the black background etc.
U still Gotta have Something POIGNANT to say with dem Fonts
Aiiiiight ????
Kenny
: I got some names to throw at ya…..
FOLEY : GENIUS !!!!
No Stepney ?
No EWF !!!
I shutter to think what
the radio would’ve been like, w/o Earth, Wind & Fire ....
Or moreover ….What
EWF would’ve been like without CHARLES STEPNEY !
FOLEY : SLY STONE is the Reason I can & will always appreciate MUSIC !
He was THE first one to
make me see colors, thru Sound....
I can't begin to process how I feel, about what he's meant to me... Musically
"Sylvester
Stewart" was & IS
the Greatest Poet of the 20th & 21st century
And, to hear SLY
tell it ?
We Have “Ray
Charles” to thank for HIM !!
Betty
Davis
FOLEY : Perhaps , Prince's "Sexiest" inspiration.....
( Er'body from
the "minneapolis scene" wouldvé been wearing cardigans, otherwise )
No Betty Davis
? No
"Vanity 6" ....etc. etc.
MILES' muse , with THE
most impact on him.... in his later yrs.
And, a WHOLE cast of
others
Sex & Rock n' Roll ( for Black Folks ) really wouldvé been a different game, without her...
I think she was what "Tina Turner" may not have had the stomach to be.... onstage
"Sex &
Sexiness" vs. "Openness" has never been about "Class"
U can either
"Go there" ...or U won't !
I think it's more about "Vulnerability"
, than anything...
And, "BETTY DAVIS" wuddn't Scurred !
"Nasty
Gal" huh ?
FOLEY : Tragic
....tragic way to go out .
No Sam Cooke ?
No Steve Perry.....
Ha ha ha ha !
FOLEY : Nobody's Fuckin with Todd !
I met him once, Really nice kat....
"Time
Heals" ?!?!
Whew.....
James Jamerson
FOLEY
: As
I've said before :
No Jamerson ?
No Peace !!
( if U play a bass
)
THE most innovative
Bassist , known to mankind !!
Was that too much ?
the mankind thing ?
cause, I couldn't find a
"word" wide enuff , to express his work.
Marvin Gaye
FOLEY :
I don't think I would've known how "DARK & BEAUTIFUL" sound / voice/ lyrics could be ....
I aspire to speak... as
Marvin did.
THE most “eloquent
communicator” I've ever witnessed.
Slave
FOLEY : "The Concept" is STILL one of my favorite albums... ever !
Plus, those young kids ( Danny & Drac )
were prolly the only
ones to EVER put some heat on our beloved "P-Funk"
guitarists...
And, they were only 50
miles away ( Dayton)
So, WE really championed them !
Bootsy
Collins
FOLEY :
I know Rhythm....
I know Space.....
I know Arrangement......
I know Humor
.....
I know Style.....
I know WHAT to play.....
because of WILLIAM COLLINS....
He was the reason I ever
wanted to play an instrument !
Bootsy's work, got
me ready for MILES ....in hindsight.
George
Clinton
FOLEY
: My Friend / Collaborator / Teacher / Confidant
I can't say enuff about
George !!
By George allowing
Bootsy his freedom ?
He inadvertently got me
ready for this WHOLE ride !!
Music & the Music
Business !!!
Chaka Khan
FOLEY
:
Loved HER all MY lifetime.....
Period.
The first
"serious" crush I ever had !
( I was 12yrs.
old )
*Hi, Chaka*
Walter
"Junie" Morrison
FOLEY
: Sly's successor if at all possible ?
This man wrote
"KNEE DEEP" !!!!
That
"ALONE" validates the first statement I made....
Not to mention those
"Westbound" years with the Ohio Players ?!?!
Bernie
Worrell
FOLEY
: The Father of Modern-Day synthesis !!
To say funk & R/B
would take away from his Brilliance ...
( and, it wouldn't be
the COMPLETE truth )
*see
“Atmosphere” from Funkadelic’s
“Let’s Take it to the Stage”
‘75
Meshell
N’degeocello
FOLEY : She's Dope
This woman made Mf's actually PRACTICE....
MeShell's live
arrangement of "Tennesee" for Speech & co.
on “SNL” , was UN-MATCHED !
Kamaal
The Abstract
FOLEY
:
I'm not sure how I feel about "Kamaal....
"Q-tip" , ain't to be fucked with... tho !
But, he gets Madd
props for Pushin'
The “Either/Or” questions :
Experience or Band
Of Gypsies ?
FOLEY
: I prefer Mitch & Billy ....
But, for Black Folks ?
Cause, Jimi didn't
cross-over ( wit Black Folks ) til' they heard that "Back-beat"
and, R&B "Vocal Stylings" of Buddy Miles in the mix !
I'm sure , still to this
day...the average Black person can only tell U about
when asked about Jimi Hendrix
( sad , but true )
Loose or Tight ?
FOLEY
:
Musically ?
Loose !
( and, that's still
depending on the Arrangement )
"Vaginally" ?
Take a guess.....
*hehehe*
Here or There ?
FOLEY : EVERYWHERE !!
Technique or Feel ?
FOLEY
:
It's Funny ....
"Technique" only really matters , when there's NO "FEEL"
And, even then...
Cause , Kats that have
"Technique" & No "Feel"
Just because someone can
type "500" word a min.
doesn't mean they're
playing this "Word Tool" !
They're just....
"OPERATING IT"
and, it
"Sounds like it" too !
I'd rather
hear a "Woodpecker" tap on a tree ....
than, to hear some kat
tappin' on an instrument with NO FEEL ?!?!
Way Back When or
Here and Now ?
FOLEY
: Both
!!
There's No "Here & Now" ....without the "Way Back When"
Inside or Outside ?
FOLEY : Musically
?
Both.....
( if U know HOW to Freak it )
But , in terms of
physical space ?
Outside !!
"Look Before You
Leap" or "He Who Hesitates.... Is Lost" ?
FOLEY
: The "Delicate" Balance of this very notion ...
has gotten people "Killed"
&/or made them "Wealthy"
So, HE
who KNOWS this "Balancing Act" .....
Shall prevail !!
Aiiiiiiiiiiiight
?!?!?
David Hassen : 5 string or 4 string bass ?
FOLEY : FOUR....
Cause , if U can't work 4 ?
One mo' string ain't gon' help ?!?!
Kings X or Nirvana ?
FOLEY : Doug & em's rhythm section is stronger .....
But , Kurt was a better songwriter !
So , I'mma roll wit Nirvana...
But, I got Madd props for Dave Grohl's survival skills
Teddy Riley or Jimmy Jam ?
FOLEY : TEDDY !!
No Fuckin' contest !!
Jam did his thing ...but, he sounded like he was always "Waiting on da trends" instead of starting them....
Cause, "Rhythm Nation" wuddn't nothin but Teddy's shit all Polished up !
And, with Janet's Control lp they waited on "MIDNIGHT STAR" to set the trend
"Control" wuddn't nothin' but "FREAK-A-ZOID"
( Damn near "Verbatim" )
"Love Will Never Do" is such a great song , tho...
"Anytime , Anyplace" was Massive as well.....
Lately ? The stuff hés done with her sounds like "Coke-a-Cola" ads
I can hear MF's now...."Where's You're Hits" ??
OR
"He talks ALOT of shit" etc. etc. etc....
I WILL ALWAYS BE ABLE TO "TALK SHIT" !!
For ONE simple reason : " I WAS THERE "
I helped to create some of this shit ......
People wear me out , talkin' like they're an authority....
cause, they might have a "Current" hit or "Whatever"
And, getting on some "Self-imposed" music-guru shit ?!?!?
MOST can only "discuss" what MAY have happened ....
I "LIVED / LIVE" IT !!!!
and, Continue To ...
When MILES DAVIS ~GEORGE CLINTON ~ PRINCE ~ etc.
Calls Yo' crib ? ( and , sometimes in the middle of the nite )
talkin' bout "I got some Women up here" or "I got this Idea, Man" or "Help" ?
THEN ....FOLKS CAN "TALK SHIT" WITH ME !!!
Until then ?
I've always set out to START TRENDS , Not "Follow" them...
Plus , like "DEL" the funky homosepian once said :
" I LEAVE THE STAGE BLOODIER THAN A TAMPON "
(((((( STILL ))))))
*Sorry , Ladies.... for THAT language*
Cats or Snakes ?
FOLEY : Neither.........
India Arie or Avril Lavigne ?
FOLEY : Ha ha ha ha haha !!!!
I can't front tho.....
"Irie" wrote some very powerful lyrics, on her first single !
( I just hope those lil' Sistas out there actually "heard" her )
Jerome or Bentley Farnsworth ?
FOLEY : Jerome !!
No Doubt ....
Alice Coltrane or Yoko ?
FOLEY : Ouch !!
Uhhmm ...."Jessica Hahn" ?
Since U talkin about "Vibe-wreckas"
*snicker*
Jane Pauley or Paula Zahn ?
( which one for an adult film ? )
FOLEY : Ha ha ha !!!
Jane Pauley's mouth is better ....
But , Zahn got Leggs ....
So , BOTH !!!
Actually , I always thought Jane was kinda cute .....
( for a news "Anchor" )
with "Van Hunt"