Quincy Jones, Los Angeles, California. 1981/Bobby Holland/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Quincy Jones, an icon of American pop music, passed away recently at the age of ninety-one. Calling Jones a ‘giant’ isn’t just a metaphor—it’s practically a title. Frank Sinatra himself used it, and he knew a thing or two about musical and personal greatness.
- 1. ‘Soul Bossa Nova’ by Quincy Jones
- 2. ‘Love Is In Control (Finger On The Trigger)’ by Donna Summer
- 3. ‘Old Turkey Buzzard’ by Jose Feliciano
- 4. ‘Strawberry Letter 23’ by The Brothers Johnson
- 5. ‘Hangin' Paper’ by Quincy Jones
- 6. ‘Fowl Owl’ by Boomer & Travis
- 7. ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ by Frank Sinatra
- 8. ‘Give Me the Night by George Benson
- 9. ‘Somewhere’ by Aretha Franklin
- 10. ‘You Don’t Own Me’ by Lesley Gore
‘I’ve got the latest Michael Jackson, the latest McCartney, the latest Quincy Jones in my car trunk—I’ve got all the latest, as they say, enough to blow your mind!’ boasts Aleksandr Abdulov in the 1989 film Black Rose Is an Emblem of Sorrow, Red Rose Is an Emblem of Love. Despite the humor, this line captures the essence of Quincy Jones—not only was he a star of the highest caliber, but he also knew how to create stars.
He earned twenty-eight Grammy Awards and worked with everyone from Michael Jackson and Frank Sinatra to Miles Davis and Ella Fitzgerald. He performed with Billie Holiday, played the trumpet for Elvis Presley, and once famously called The Beatles the worst musicians in the world. When he produced the 1985 charity single ‘We Are the World’, he posted a sign at the entrance of the studio advising all stars to leave their egos at the door. In many ways, he was a man who consistently left his own ego at the door: you may not even know his name, yet you live in a world profoundly shaped by Quincy Jones.
A dedicated lecture series could easily be created on Quincy Jones’s cultural legacy, but in the meanwhile, Qalam has selected ten signature tracks where Jones played a key role, his contributions ranging between being composer, arranger, and producer. Given their obvious place in his catalog, we’ve, however, excluded ‘We Are the World’ and Michael Jackson’s hits.
‘Soul Bossa Nova’ by Quincy Jones
Jones wrote this playful parody of a bossa nova tune in just twenty minutes back in 1962, yet it has remained popular for over sixty years. It even experienced a resurgence in the ’90s, thanks to the spy comedy Austin Powers.
‘Love Is In Control (Finger On The Trigger)’ by Donna Summer
Jones produced Summer’s solo album in 1982, creating one of the most inventive disco tracks of the era, ‘Love Is In Control (Finger On The Trigger)’. However, his famous advice to ‘leave your ego at the door’ didn’t fully apply to the producer in this case. As Summer later admitted, ‘I felt like I was just a backup singer on Quincy Jones’s album.’
‘Old Turkey Buzzard’ by Jose Feliciano
The Western Mackenna’s Gold (1969), starring Gregory Peck and Omar Sharif, was released in the Soviet Union in 1974, and 63 million people heard this song written by Quincy Jones. Originally sung by Jose Feliciano, a new version with lyrics by Leonid Derbenev was performed by Valery Obodzinsky: ‘Again, again gold beckons us!’
‘Strawberry Letter 23’ by The Brothers Johnson
Jones regarded Louis Johnson, one half of this duo, as the greatest bassist in the world. As producer in 1977, he did everything to bring out Johnson’s full potential in this stunning track. Recognizing its brilliance, Tarantino used it in the soundtrack for Jackie Brown twenty years later.
‘Hangin' Paper’ by Quincy Jones
In 1967, Jones composed a sharp, intelligent, and tense soundtrack for the film adaptation of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. Rumor has it that Capote wanted Jones removed from the project due to racist prejudices, but he failed to see it done. In the end, it was Capote who faded from the public eye years later, though for different reasons.
‘Fowl Owl’ by Boomer & Travis
In 1967, Jones also scored another Oscar-winning film, In the Heat of the Night. Here, removing him was impossible, as Sidney Poitier, a Bahamian-American actor, played the lead role, and the plot centered on racial prejudice (Jones himself had been an activist since meeting Martin Luther King). Ray Charles performed the main theme, and the film features the memorable flute theme ‘Cotton Curtain’, as well as a country-styled piece by Boomer & Travis about an owl on the hunt.
‘Fly Me to the Moon’ by Frank Sinatra
In the ’60s, Sinatra invited Jones to work as the conductor and arranger for two of his albums with the Count Basie Orchestra. Jones showcased his unique musical ear and skill, while Sinatra, in turn, taught Jones the ‘right way’ to drink in Las Vegas: seven double bourbons in an hour.
‘Give Me the Night by George Benson
The unmistakable smooth sound of 1980 was defined by jazz guitarist George Benson’s album, which went platinum thanks to Jones’s production work.
‘Somewhere’ by Aretha Franklin
As a seasoned jazz arranger, Jones fearlessly reworked any music, no matter how iconic, sometimes transforming it entirely. Listen to this song to see how he reimagined the West Side Story theme for Aretha Franklin in 1973.
‘You Don’t Own Me’ by Lesley Gore
In 1963, Jones produced this remarkable proto-feminist hit by Lesley Gore, which was later beautifully covered by Klaus Nomi in the ’80s.