The legend of American music, who won around thirty Grammy Awards, has scored numerous unforgettable hits. From jazz to hip-hop, Quincy Jones has followed the pulse of pop and shined in his creations during a career spanning more than seven decades. Here are five memorable ones.
1 1985 : “We are the world”
In January 1985, Quincy Jones was at the helm of the historic recording of We Are The World of the USA for Africa collective, an incredible “all star” of the American pop, rock, soul scene where we found, among others, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles and Bruce Springsteen. Co-written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie, the song launched on March 7 aimed to support the fight against the famine raging in Ethiopia. It echoed the hit of the British stars united under the Band Aid banner(New window)released for the 1984 Christmas holidays.
2 1982 : “Thriller” pour Michael Jackson
Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson had one of the most successful collaborations in the history of popular music. Jones produced Jackson's first coming-of-age album (without his musician brothers), Off the Wall, released in 1979. With 20 million copies sold, the record made Quincy Jones the most powerful producer in show business and earned the 21-year-old singer a Grammy Award for his vocal performance on the opening song Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough.
Avec Thriller (1982), a global triumph (with eight Grammy Awards to boot), which became the best-selling album in history and the crowned king of pop, Michael Jackson went even further in terms of impact. The album is also the first to fully utilize music videos as a means of promotion. This is particularly the case for the song Thriller written by Rod Temperton, whose clip will be played repeatedly on MTV. A 14-minute short film directed by John Landis broadcast for the first time on December 2, 1983 which, with its zombies and its famous choreography, will change the course of the history of “video clips” as they said then. Quincy Jones also co-produced the album Bad (1987) which enjoyed great success.
31989 : “Back on the Block”
Back on the Block, studio album produced by Quincy Jones and released in 1989, collected frommany famous singers and musicians from three generations in particular Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Ice-T, sarah vaughan, George Benson, Luther Vandross, Barry White, Al Jarreau et Ray Charles. It won the 1991 Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
4 1964 : “I Can’t Stop Loving You”
Quincy Jones won his first Grammy Award in 1964 with the arrangement of the popular song 'I Can’t Stop Loving You of the disk This Time by Basie by Count Basie and His Orchestra. In all, Quincy Jones received 27 Grammy Awards.
5 1962 : “Big Band Bossa Nova”
During the 1960s, Quincy Jones recorded a few records, one of which was, Big Band Bossa Nova (1962), is home to the famous and sparkling Soul Bossa Novaon which we notably find Lalo Schifrin on piano and Roland Kirk on flute. In this album, Quincy Jones expresses an interest in Brazilian music which will never weaken thereafter.
