Show Notes
We said we’d come back for Part 2—and we did. Arthur Baker, the architect behind “Planet Rock,” “Confusion,” and so much of the ’80s dance-floor sound, returns to The Questlove Show to finish what we started nearly a year ago. Arthur takes us from carrying crates of vinyl onto airplanes to the Synclavier sessions for Hall & Oates’ Big Bam Boom, the clubs and DJs who shaped his sound, and the Brooklyn studio sessions that led to what he jokingly calls “New Arthur” records with New Order. He also opens up about Streetwise Records, the making of Beat Street, the story behind “Sun City” and Artists United Against Apartheid, his connections to Miles Davis, Diana Ross, and Little Steven, and why he wrote his memoir, Looking For The Perfect Beat, for his daughter. Arthur Baker is back. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
More from The Questlove Show
Questlove sat down with director and composer John Carpenter in Hollywood to discuss Cathedral, a graphic novel and heavy metal album inspired by a single dream. Carpenter tells how a bongo lesson from his father led to the iconic Halloween theme. He also talks about casting Kurt Russell after their Elvis TV movie, why The Thing was his hardest shoot, and says The Exorcist remains the scariest movie ever made. Along the way, Carpenter turns the tables and interviews Questlove, sparking a lively debate about The Beatles and whether music has reached “creative diminished returns.” It’s a funny, engaging conversation between two directors who work in different worlds but share a love of making music. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Deniece Williams talks about her Grammy-winning solo career after working with Stevie Wonder and Earth Wind & Fire
The Questlove Show hoped to record an episode with DJ Shadow while he was on the East Coast for the 30th-anniversary tour of Endtroducing….., but scheduling didn’t work out this time. Instead, Open Mike Eagle—who is performing on some of Shadow’s current tour dates—and Cousin Jake celebrate Shadow’s landmark debut, its lasting impact, and more. They talk about crate-digging in dollar bins, Shadow’s little-known production work for Paris, Gift of Gab’s verse on “Midnight in a Perfect World,” and the difference between a beatmaker and a producer. They also explain why Shadow’s music demands active listening—not background or the dreaded “beats to study to.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A real tycoon is in the building. Questlove sits down with Vallejo’s own E-40, the Yay Area legend who was selling records out of his trunk back when getting a major-label deal felt impossible. He built his own label, financed his projects independently, and gave Hip-Hop an entire dictionary of slang and similes. Now, with Turning My Money Over—a historic 40-song quadruple album—Earl Stevens isn’t slowing down. E-40 talks about growing up on Magazine Street in Vallejo’s Hillside neighborhood, the New York and Bay Area rappers who shaped his voice, and the year at Grambling State that taught him how to make it on his own. He explains how The Click navigated distribution through consignment sheets, mom-and-pop stores, and even rim shops—and how VHS duplication helped change the game for independent artists. 40 Water recalls his dealings with Tupac, advocates for members of the Hieroglyphics crew, and shares how being doubted by a room full of DJs decades ago only pushed him to go harder. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this classic episode of Questlove Supreme from 2022, Joan Jett spoke about growing up moving between Pennsylvania, Maryland and Los Angeles, and how songs like T. Rex's "Bang a Gong" made her want to chase her dreams, even after a guitar teacher told her "girls don't play Rock & Roll." She recalls forming The Runaways as a teenager, starting with four bus rides to jam with drummer Sandy West, and the low point after the band broke up, which ended when she met Kenny Laguna and later turned a little-known Arrows B-side into the hit "I Love Rock 'n' Roll." Jett also discusses her influence on Riot Grrrl, her Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, her new acoustic album, and her plans to keep stepping outside her comfort zone—maybe even with an R&B record. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.