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Brolin: Hey Babyface. Babyface: Hey, how're you doing? Good man. How're you doing? Good. Right on. Thanks for taking the time to do this. Sure. So let's talk about the new album. This is something different for you. It's all covers, or there's a couple of originals in the mix? There's a couple of originals. What gave you…is this an idea that you had had for a long time, something that you had wanted to do? Or did you just sort of decide on the spurt of the moment to just knock it out? Well, first of all excuse my breathing; I'm doing cardio on a bike... No worries man. These are songs that I grew up with. And I was inspired to be a writer as well as a guitar player. Right. I found these songs on the radio when we were growing up and they were like, in the house there would be like, for the other records in the 45's that were coming around would be just R&B music. And my Dad had some Jazz albums. And so he'd listen to like Nat King Cole and I forget who, this piano player, Oscar Peterson. Yeah. And so he'd have that on and be playing this song called "Mumbles." And I thought this stuff was cool. But one day my brother brought in a guitar to the house - that's when I was in about 6th Grade. And it wasn't his guitar; it was a friend's that he borrowed. So it was an acoustic guitar and I was like, you know, really interested in it. He told me not to touch it though. [laughs] Right. So when he would leave the house obviously I would go pick it up. Now the thing was that it was a regular right-handed guitar and I'm left-handed. So I didn't—I wasn't able to change the strings around because when I would look at guitar players I saw that the strings were the other way. But I couldn't change it, it wasn't my guitar and he would know that I…[laughs] [laughs] That would be obvious. So I kind of just had to learn upside down. And I was kind of just self-taught. And so I didn't learn, like when I would see, like my brother he was in a band and I'd see the guitar players playing songs—they did a lot of James Brown—I didn't really go for that cuz first of all those are electric guitars and it was a little too hard to figure out what they were doing at that time. But when I would turn on the radio and the Black station, it would only be on till five or six o'clock then it would go off. So that was the AM Station WIP. And that's where we were obviously introduced to the Beatles and to all the Pop songs and Pop/Folk songs. So starting like from 7th Grade on, I was listening to the radio and getting introduced to James Taylor and Bread. On Sundays I'd go to church and listen to the choir sing. Then as soon as the preacher would start on his sermon I'd go outside and go to the car and listen to the radio. Okay. And that's where I was just really getting into it. And at that point I would be hearing the chords and trying to figure out what those chords were. So I was really inspired by it. It was like, it kind of talked to me. And so it's been, most of my growing up years, I was playing mostly folk kind of songs. And you know "Blowing in the Wind" and the "Diary" song, and "If." And so those things are just, those are easy to play. Acoustic guitars sounded great on them. And so I spent a good deal of playing more kind of pop-folk and pop songs than say heavy R&B music. Traditional R&B. Right. I didn't really get into funk till really kind of after high school when I joined the funk band. That was Manchild? That was Manchild. That's where I kind of got my funk lessons. Okay. Before that I was kind of, in fact in Manchild they gave me this nickname called 'Waterfall.' Because that's all I would play is waterfall music. [laughs] Nice. And so, really this record is something that kind of goes back to my beginning years and songs that I heard and songs that influenced me. And that were just great copyrights. And I didn't know whether, it's interesting, up to now I didn't know whether they influenced me as much. And nor did I really know that I could even pull off doing these kind of songs. I had the idea of wanting to always do it; but I didn't know that I necessarily had the voice or the timbre to pull them off. But I think it's through all these years of kind of being a musician; and then me kind studying the records a lot closer, figuring out how to kind of like walk the line to be soulful and to still be pop at the same time. Right on. And now have you, I mean are any of the artists that you're covering, are any of them friends of yours in the industry as well? Like has James Taylor or any of those guys heard any of the songs that you've done? I don't know if they've heard them yet. I do know James Taylor. I've met him a couple of times, I can't say I know-know him. But, and I keep saying every time I do an interview I keep saying yeah I'm going to send him a tape. But I haven't done it yet. But James is such—he's like the nicest guy in the world. And I'm sure he'll just appreciate the fact of people doing his music. I mean James, I could have really done a whole record of James Taylor music. He's got a lot of good songs. Yeah, he's just like – he's the man. And it was just easy for me to relate to him, and relate to his music. He had so much heart in it and so much soul in it as well. So it made it easy to do his songs. Cool. Now I mean you're primarily you know, the bulk of your career you're primarily associated with R&B. Yes. And New Jack Swing and this and that. What is your, I'm just curious to get what is your sort of opinion or you know, what's your feelings on the current state of R&B music right now? Do you think it's in a good place; do you think it's not in a good place, or what? I know that on this album you're sort of backing away from that style. But you personally, when you turn on the radio and hear the records that are out now, is that stuff that you're digging, or not so much? Well it's a whole different day. And so it's--melodies are different, structures are different and there are some good things and some things that aren't as good. Sure. Is it as good as the past? Well, the further back you go the better the music is [laughs]. Right, it seems that way. So I will not, you know so I can't, I'm not hating on it in that way. You know I'm not hating on it in the way that we're like "oh, you're just old; you just don't get it you know." [laughs] Right. It's not that. It's the music from yesterday is better and it will be proven years later. But I think that there are artists and there are promises. And sometimes you get people that come out with real soul, and real R&B, that you know have things to offer that give it promise. I think Corinne Bailey Rae is… Oh she's great. She is great. Definitely. And so heartfelt. And it's like soul music to me. And so you have your John Legends, you have your Alicia Keys, she's going to come out strong, I know she will. So you have these people. All types of the spectrum. You have sprinkles. And the thing is, it used to be where it was like, it was everywhere. So, and I think that day will come back when it will be very strong. And it'll be more than just a couple of sprinkles of artists. Because years ago you could just name out the artists like one by one you know: Brass Construction, you know, Cameo, Mandrill. There was like a whole name of--groups that you could name or stand up groups from the Manhattans to the Whispers to the Dells to the Delfonics you know. It used to be just a number of groups in any particular genre that you could name. You can't do that today. Yeah, times have changed for sure. I also wanted to ask you, I mean I know that between producing and songwriting and working in the studio, you've had your hands and your ears on a lot, I mean countless hits over a several decades. Is there any specific songs that really, really stand out to you that you're, you know, extra proud of? Certain tracks, for whatever reason, whether it's because you were just in the zone with the artist? Or you felt like the song was just something up above, more special than the other ones? Is there any ones that you're most proud of? Well I don't know if I can pick a particular one. One proud moment was definitely winning Record of the Year with Eric Clapton. That was with "Change the World?" Yes that's with "Change the World." That was a little hard to beat that one, that moment. I think, I don't know. I mean there's been a lot of good moments and a lot of good places you know. You don't really know it as they're going on. And so when you look back at it you know you say, oh that was cool. There's meeting certain people. Like the first time you meet people and the first time I met Stevie Wonder. And so any artist you know, that you meet that you admire it's kind of like you pinch yourself, am I really here? Am I really doing this? Sure. So I think for me it's always been like, I've always approached it in a very humble way. Yeah, that's key. Not so much like I—not like they should be happy to be with me. I'm always happy to be with them. But I always, at the same time, I would always control myself and never be too excited. You don't want to just look like a… I didn't want to look like a fan [laughs]. So sometimes I would be more reserved. And maybe even too reserved in some cases. But I think that overall maybe that proudest moment is still yet to come you know. Sure. For working with things. I mean there's always fun stuff to do. It's great working with Fall Out Boy. That was like an unexpected thrill you know. And it was fun as hell to do that. Nice. And so I imagine there'll be other things in the future that will come that'll maybe be left to center of what I would normally do. So, today I get excited about working with things that are left of center. I don't necessarily look to repeat what I've done. So I'm not trying to be the R&B King in producing and trying to make another run at that. I'm really just trying to do whatever kind of music that inspires me. And so whatever those, and whatever those artists, whatever lane they're in, you know that's kind of like, that's all it is. Are you still working with Ashanti? I know you guys were working on some stuff. Yeah we just did one – we ended up just doing one song together. Cool. And are you still going out and actively looking for new talent to work with? Or is it more like people bring them to you or what? Yes. People bring it to me. I'm kind of like, a little indifferent about it because I'm—I don't want to necessarily go through the whole label thing and do the whole production company thing again. It's kind of, I've been there, done that. And so I don't mind helping artists get to a label or doing records on them, new artists, if I'm excited about it. And I do consider every time a special artist comes around I say, I don't know, this might be one I want to mess with. But then in my life, for all the things that you know go on, and from having the kids and… You got a lot of stuff going on. Making sure I have time with them. And then now with this new record. Now I'm back doing that other thing where I'm doing these interviews, going out and doing promotional gigs, and I'm going to do some touring… Got a full plate. Just keeping busy, yeah. Yeah I hear you man. Right on. I wanted to ask too just, you know, the music industry in general is notorious for kind of building people up and then cutting them down and spitting them out. Whereas you've had a very lengthy career. What – just on an advice kind of situation, you know, what is sort of like the key for you in your case for just having this longevity and staying relevant; and in a business that's just constantly changing, whether it's the sound or the business numbers of it or whatever? What has been the secret to like being successful for thirty years? To be honest I think that it's the fact that I just never got so big. I was never so large that they even thought that -- to tear me down -- cuz you ain't large enough to tear down [laughs]. I was just kind of always under the radar, and I would have successes here and there and it was quiet. It was, even in certain things. Cuz sometimes when they like throw out the stats and how many number one songs, and how many albums may have sold that I was a part of. And the, you know, how many Grammys and winning Producer [of the Year] three years in a row, I don't really think of that. And I don't necessarily put that out there or brag about it. Right. Imagine if you will, well, I don't know if I want to say this. What's up? Imagine if the stats that I had, if Puffy hit my stats. Right. Right. He'd work the hell out of it. [laughs] Yeah, totally. And Puffy is great. But, I didn't have that personality. Not so much self-promotion or whatever. I wasn't rolling like that. And maybe if I was self-promoting, maybe it might have been different. But it comes to the thing, like Puffy, like he's had great success as well. But he's also, he's a star in the way that he knows how to self-promote. And he's just a natural star. It was going to happen. And so you have people that are just natural stars. And then you have people that are—I like to call 'the musicians'. Okay. The people that you know, the artists, so to say. Not to say that Puffy is not an artist. He's an artist in his own right. But he's a different kind of artist. I'm a musician. And that's what got me here, and ultimately that's what kept me here, is being a musician from the get-go. No doubt man. Well I got one more question for you and then I'll let you roll. I know you've got a big press day. You know nowadays, possibly more than ever, everybody wants to be an artist. You know everybody wants to rap; everybody wants to sing. You know now you've got a lot of independent labels jumping off and everybody's doing the MySpace thing and this and that. Yes. You know, being that you've been in it for so long, and been so successful on different platforms and different levels, what advice would you give for these young kids that's coming out now and watching the videos and saying "I want to be that." And you know trying to just sort of bust into the industry. What advice would you give for those guys? Well you know, it's always a hit away. It's coming up with the right catchy thing, and being a star. You see stars every day. You know, you listen to them, you watch their videos, you watch how they, you could see them more than ever before because you know, like when I was growing up you would only catch them in the Right on Magazine [laughs]. And maybe in your local newspaper if they were coming to town. Yeah. So now you can watch them pretty closely. So you can kind of see how to act and how to kind of roll. But also when it comes down, as always, it comes down to the music. It comes down to your uniqueness, and your voice. And that makes a difference in your longevity as well, is if you're unique enough and smart enough to figure it out. So it's not going—everybody, it's not going to happen. Right. But if you happen to be that one special artist, the truth is you have such a better shot at it today because of MySpace. Because you know people find it, and you could turn the world around. That first, there'll be an amazing artist that one day that will come from MySpace. That'll be, that will be from the Justin Timberlakes and the Ushers, to the Christina Aguileras. You know those artists that are like on top today like the Beyonces, that artist will come from MySpace one day you know. And they may already be there. That's true. That's a good point. So just kind of keep looking. And keep seeing what your competition is and make sure you work on trying to get it better. Right on. Well listen man, thanks a lot for taking the time to do this. I appreciate it. Thank you man. Have you got any last words you'd like to say to other people out there that's going to be checking this? Just, hopefully, they'll enjoy the record. And I think the main thing on this record is it kind of brings back memories. Cool. Some of these songs people know and they don't even know that they know them. You know, so it's kind of a nice feeling when you do hear them. It's kind of creating a new memory. So, hopefully, they'll enjoy it as much as I enjoyed doing them. Excellent. Well good luck with the album. And thanks again for taking the time. Thanks. Cheers. All right, take care. Bye. Bye.