Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis

Interview by Michael Neely

I would describe our sound as the sound of the artist that we’re working with. Our goal has always been to make the artist sound like their best selves. So, we try to tailor each song for each individual artist. If we had an overall style I would say funky bottom which is from Terry’s P-Funk influence and pretty top which is from my love of pop music growing up.

I read an old interview where you said that without the business there would not be music. How does that ring true today? Hmmm.. I don’t remember saying that. I do remember thinking that the two things go together. But there’s a reason it’s called the music business, not the business music. There is no business, without the music first.

How does that concept of a song trickle down to your role as producers? The line between writing a song and producing a song is pretty blurred. Writing a song is basically planting the seeds of the idea and producing the song is watering it and fertilizing it so that it grows. I’ve always thought a record producer is like a film director. It’s all about getting the best performance out of the artist. It’s very psychological.

We’re actually mixing our album right now and as I’m answering these questions Terry is at his house, our engineer is at the studio and I’m at my house. We’re all together via technology and socially distanced from each other. I think it probably affects the live business more as we experienced when we were taping the Jimmy Fallon Show and the Tamron Hall Show. We obviously couldn’t and then send them the performances.

So, being music executives in the industry, what is your opinion when it comes to music and social media? I personally love social media. It’s a great tool, not only for discovering new music, but also directors, graphic designers, photographers etc... When I hear or see something I like I’ll DM the creatives and follow them. Many of the creatives we’re collaborating on our album have relationship origins from social media.

How have you seen R&B evolve? Like many things musical, it used to take a group of people to make music. You had a great drummer, a great bass player, a great guitar player, great keyboard players, then horn and string arrangements. There’s something about a team of people doing something together that is almost unmatchable by one person on a laptop. There’s a lot of the newer R&B artists like, H. E. R. who not only can play all the instruments but also uses a great band of people to help her create and it comes through in the depth of her music. The good news is, R&B is alive and well with the young creatives as well as us old folks.

We are big fans of Snoop Dogg and have been trying to work with him on various things over the years. I remember he came over to the studio about 10 years ago and we worked on some things together, but never finished anything. When Stokley came up with a concept for “vibrant”, it was very much a combination of Minneapolis funk which he represented and West Coast funk which had Snoop written all over it. When Snoop heard it, he totally loved it and wrote and performed it in about 30 mins.

Tell us about your newest project called, JAM AND LEWIS VOLUME 1? We actually started working on this album 35 years ago when we were doing the “Control” album for Janet. She ended up taking one of our tracks which turned into “what have you done for me lately” and it basically started her career and ended our album. About three years ago, when we were inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame, we were asked what we hadn’t done yet. And looking at our bucket list of things we hadn’t done yet, we realized we never had done our own album, so that got us on the path to do it finally. The bonus was, Babyface was in our same class, so we started talking about working together and our single is the combination of that.

It seems like there are more opportunities to hear music than ever before, but at the same time people seem to be listening a lot more passively. Do you agree? How has technology changed the music industry from then to now in your eyes? I think people listen to music more passively because attention spans are shorter, but also because there’s no work into receiving the music. You basically just push a button on your phone and the music just appears effortlessly. We’re missing what I call the ceremony of music. We used to go to the record store, sift through the records and then when you got the record home you had to take it out the

shrink wrap, put it carefully on the turntable not to get fingerprints on it, blow the needle off so there was no dust on it, and then you picked up the album cover and read the liner notes. So, you were much more involved. Technology has of course changed that. And made music feel less important to people because there’s no work in getting it. Plus, you’re not using all your senses to experience it. Yes, your ears to listen, but not the sight of the label spinning or the smell of the vinyl or the touch of the physical product. It makes it feel less important.

What other producers, songwriters and/or artists do you see as your primary inspirations? Too many to mention, but the foundation from the production side always start with Quincy Jones and Gamble & Huff. Artist wise, everything begins with James Brown and Sly & The Family Stone, and of course the people we were able to work with like Prince and Michael Jackson.

Were you drawn to digital right away? Please explain. We were always open to the concept of digital. Terry early on would experiment with computer-based software to create music, so we never were afraid of technology and actually embraced sampling very early on. As well as synthesizers and drum machines. Before ProTools, we were using both RADAR and Sonic Solutions as digital recorders as well as Logic. Our album is a combination of 24 track analog tape and digital, and we’re mixing both in stereo and in 11.1 immersive audio and using both analog and digital sound boards and outboard gear.

Do you feel that there may be some downsides to digital? Would you say that at this point, you have made a complete transition from analog to digital? I wouldn’t say a complete transition only because we’re still utilizing analog technology, whether it’s old keyboards from back in the day, live strings, live drums or as I mentioned earlier, analog tape and soundboards. Growing up during the transition from analog to digital makes us comfortable in both worlds and we tend to use them together rather than separate them. They’re complimentary, so we’re putting that to good use on our album.

I call Terry, vocal master and he tends to be more the lyricist and produce the vocals. I lean a little more toward the music and melody creation, but we can each do both. Also, Terry and I shook hands 40 years ago and decided we would split everything 50-50. That allows us the creative freedom to do whatever we need to do on any given project. A song could be totally done by Terry but I still have 50% of it and vice versa. So, the short answer is we do whatever it takes to get the project done and we both can do everything.

Is there an artist you want to work with that you have not yet had the opportunity to work with? There are quite a few, but top of the list for me over the last 20 years has always been, Sade. And for Terry probably, Janelle Monae.

The advice that I always give is simply, be prepared. It applies to everything that you do. Producing, arranging, writing, make sure you do your homework and are prepared. As James Brown said, “if you come ready or you ain’t got to get ready”.

It was a great experience. The saying is, “never meet your heroes”, because you don’t want to be let down. We had high expectations for Babyface and he completely blew them away in all aspects of talent. He trusted us to produce him and I think he was pleased with the results. Our goal is always to make the artist happy so, I think it’s been a successful start and hopefully the first of many future collaborations with him.

I must be in a really good mood right now, because I don’t even look at things so much as challenges. I love music so much that there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to figure out how to create it.

When you have the right partner, it makes everything easier to deal with and Terry is the ultimate life partner.

We just always think of everything as school. We may be old, but you never stop learning and while we enjoy learning from the masters of the past we also enjoy learning from the new artists. At the end of the day, it’s just school, you never should stop learning.

Probably our consistency. Our goal was not to be the hottest producers, but warm for a long time. Having been associated with #1 records over 5 decades (80’s, 90’s, 00’s, 10’s and now 20’s) I think we’re doing ok, so far.

I would describe the Jam & Lewis sound as an extension of the Minneapolis sound which we believe is more the Prince authored sound which is a heavy synth sound. As you listen deeper you hear our personality as players, but we tailor the song and production to whomever the artist is, basing it on whatever the artist’s creative desires.

Think you may have read it wrong… I believe the we have stated without the music there is no business. Music sets the stage.

The essence of a good production is based on the Artist having a great performance and a great song that inspires that performance.

Covid is a World issue. We now just work from home a lot. The need for social distance has force us to learn and use new technology to record remotely.

Social media has become an integral part of all new age promotion and connection. Its great for instant reach out and touching music lovers and fanbase.

R&B continues to evolve and revolve. It goes around and comes around thru sampling, covers, Classic artist reimagining their careers and young & New artists pushing the boundaries music based on today culture.

The Song VIbrant, Stokley featuring Snoop was all artist love. Snoop and Stokley are fans of each other and felt the need to work together.

Jam&Lewis Volume 1 a great body of work featuring great songs lots of our Great Friends!

Music is the soundtrack of Life! It’s available like oxygen and water. We use it like a utility, but because of the ease of use, music doesn’t always get the respect it deserves. Technology gives access to many but sometimes doesn’t build enough respect for the work of the art creation.

Songwriters & Producers Like Prince, Gamble and Huff, Babyface, Teddy Riley, Leon Sylvers, Quincy Jones, George Clinton, Timberland are a few among the many favorites.

I'm always drawn to new ideas and concepts, so digital recording pulled me in right away.

The plus for digital can be its downfall if you let it. You don’t have to commit to a single idea so you can try things forever. Making final choices can become confusing.

At This point I think the world is all in on digital but we still alway keep a finger in the analog world because we were raised in that world. We are very comfortable with both.

It can be done in many ways. We both can everything or nothing. We try to always cover each other and take up the slack.

Janelle Monae. One I haven’t heard of ….

Love the music, Study, Great producers understand Melody, Sounds & Styles, Great writers Read!!

Great working with a great man who is a phenomenal producer and a hall of fame songwriter! Can’t get no better than that.

The biggest challenge is staying out of your own way. Keeping your ideas fresh and your attitude in check. We are servants so its never about us … its about the music and the artist as the presenter of the blessing.

Being Honest, Working hard, Study, Serving the music and the artist to create the magic moments that people love & remember.

Ain’t nothin’ Old Bout School… Y’all better learn! How can you call something old when the base of your creation is based on a classic concept.

I’m most proud of my relationships .. with Music, Jam, The Artist and the Business we chose to build our life’s work. I think we have help to make people feel better about being here. I love serving what is needed more than what is wanted.