Michael Felder, can you tell us about the making of this jam???
FROM MIKE FELDER OF MIKE & BILL>>>>
HI JAY""" BACK IN THE 1970'S I WAS WRITING AND PRODUCING SEVERAL GROUPS. TWO WHICH I PATTERN LIKE THE TEMPTATIONS AND THE BLUE NOTES.
HOW I WENT ABOUT WRITING THE SONG, IS THAT AS A YOUNG KID GROWING UP, GROWN FOLKS ALWAY'S HAD DIFFERENT SAYING'S IN THEIR CONVERSATIONS WHICH I PICKED UP. FOR EXAMPLE: SOMEBODY'S GOTTA GO AND IT SHO AIN'T ME, THAT MEANT ( SOMEBODY HAD TO LEAVE OR THERE WOULD BE SOME FURNITURE MOVING ( LOL" ) THE OTHER SAYING WAS ( YOUR GOOD THING HAS COME TO AN END")
HOW I GOT EVERYTHING GOING WAS THAT I HAD A FRIEND WHO HAD JUST OPEN UP A RECORDING STUDIO, HE HAD NO EQUIPMENT, AND I HAD ANOTHER BUDDY WHO OWNED A MUSIC STORE WHO WAS LOOKING TO GET RID OF SOME INSTRUMENTS. SO I BOUGHT THEM TOGETHER AND THEIR DEAL WAS MADE.
ONCE THE STUDIO WAS COMPLETED I WENT IN TO GIVE IT A TEST. THE FIRST SONG THAT I RECORDED I WASN'T FEELING IT, IN THE MEANTIME THERE WERE SOME WEST INDIAN MUSICIANS IN THE STUDIO LISTENING TO WHAT I WAS DOING. WHEN THEY HEARD ME PLAYING THE INTRODUCTION TO SOMEBODY'S GOTTA GO ( LIKE MOST MUSICIANS WHEN THEY HEAR SOMETHING THEY LIKE, THEY ASKED TO JOIN IN""THEY LEARNED THE SONG RIGHT AWAY, THAT'S HOW WE GOT THAT CARRIBEAN VIBE IN THE RHYTHM.
WHEN IT WAS TIME TO BRING THE SINGING GROUPS IN TO SING, IT WASN'T HAPPENING, SO BILL AND I WENT INSIDE THE BOOTH TO LAY A DEMO VOCAL. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE MAGIC STARTED HAPPENING"""I WANTED THE BACKGROUND VOCALS TO BE UNIQUE. SO I CAME UP WITH THE GOSPEL HIGH FALSETTO ON THE HOOK.
WE MOVED ON TO A. R. STUDIOS TO COMPLETE THE ENTIRE PROJECT.
WE STARTED OUT WITH 200 RECORDS AND WOULD GO OUT TO ALL THE CLUBS AND POUND THE PAVEMENT JUST WANTING TO BE HEARD.
THERE WAS A CLUB IN THE VILLAGE THAT WE HAD GONE TO, AND THE DJ PLAYED OUR RECORD AS SOON AS HE GOT A LISTEN IN HIS HEADSETS""""THE ENTIRE CLUB GOT UP AND WENT TO THE DANCE FLOOR, SOME PEOPLE STARTED CHANTING. THE DJ PLAYED IT BACK TO BACK.
W.E.B.B IN BALTIMORE WAS THE FIRST RADIO STATION TO PLAY US"""THEY CALLED US AND SAID GET SOME RECORDS TO THEIR DISTRIBUTORS RIGHT AWAY, BECAUSE THEY WERE GETTING CALLS.
WHEN WE GOT BACK TO NEW YORK THAT'S WHEN WE MET DAVID MANCUSO DOWN AT THE LOFT ( RECORD POOL" ) HE WAS A BLESSING. AFTER GIVING HIM SEVERAL BOXES IT SEEMED EVERY DJ WAS PLAYING OUR RECORDS. AND VINCE ALLETTI TOOK INTEREST IN US EARLY ON AS WELL.
NOW WE HAD SEVERAL RECORD COMPANIES THAT WERE INTERESTED IN US. THE FIRST COMPANY THAT CALLED US IN WAS CURTOM RECORDS, OWN BY CURTIS MAYFIELD. WE MET WITH VICE PRESIDENT BARRY RESNICK AND SHARON HEYWOOD. WHO THEN TOLD US THAT CURTIS MAYFIELD ARTIST ROSTER WAS FULL AND THEY COULD NOT SIGN US AT THAT TIME, BUT BARRY TOLD US ABOUT A NEW COMPANY ( ARISTA" ) THAT HE HAD A FRIEND ( VICE PRESIDENT HANK TALBERT") THAT HE WOULD CALL. HANK TOLD BARRY TO SEND US OVER THAT SAME DAY. WHEN WE GOT THERE HANK LISTENED AND SAID HE WAS MEETING WITH CLIVE DAVIS LATER AND WOULD PLAY IT FOR HIM. BEFORE THE WEEK WAS OUT ARISTA CONTACTED US THAT CLIVE LIKED IT AND THEY WOULD BE DRAWING UP CONTRACTS.
OUR LAWYER MAX LERNER TOOK IT FROM THERE AND WE GOT THE BEST DEAL THAT ANY ARTIST/PRODUCERS COULD EVER WANT. I HAVE NOTHING BUT GOOD THINGS TO SAY ABOUT ARISTA RECORDS. THE STAFF WAS GREAT TO US""""THIS WAS A GREAT MOVE.