[Interlude: Ray Charles & Interviewer]
Music has changed so much since you first got into music
And yet you're still here
Singing, writing and recording and outlasting so many that came after you
How do you feel young artists should approach commercial music making
If they want to experience just a teensy bit of success and longevity that you have enjoyed?
Well, the reason that's kind of a tough que— question for me—
I was lucky, you know when I first started speaking with y'all, I told you
I had free reign when I was with the company— record companies I was with (That's right)
None of 'em told me what to do or how to do it
Or when to do it
Today, unfortunately for the young artists that, that comes up now
They got producers who tell them what to say, how to say it
When I listen to a lot of this stuff today, I hear so many of these kids, they—
They sound so much the same, you know (Yes)
I mean you had identity when I was coming up
If— If Ella Fitzgerald opened her mouth and sang one word (Yes)
You knew that was Ella Fitzgerald (That's right)
You understand what I mean? (Yes)
You knew that was Nat Cole or you knew that that was Frank Sinatra
Or you knew that was Barbara Streisand
See, but today
Well, for me, and I know, I hear good (Yes, yes), I know I do
But I'm telling you, be— because record companies and that—
They want you to come up with and sound like whoever had the last hit (Yes)
That's what they want, you know?
And— And— And I can't blame the— the artist because the artist wants to record
And so they get— they got these producers, they want to do what the producer says
And as opposed to saying, "Hey, I'm creating my stuff
I'm gonna do it the way I feel it
And— And— And— And you worry about the selling of it"
But, you see, you can't do that nowadays
It just doesn't work that way