Before and after: My Color Purple experience

Never underestimate the power of music to bring back a flood of emotions…

In 1985 I got a call from Quincy Jones’ office asking me to meet with Q at The Bel-Air Hotel. Now, I was booked to do a TV special with Andy Williams and immediately thought I’d turn down the meeting. I have never been comfortable being overbooked. Then I got curious: I had to see what this was all about. So I booked the meeting. 

The Bel-Air hotel is a sprawling compound with many buildings and exquisitely manicured gardens. I finally made my way to his door and knocked.

When I walked in I saw a KEM flatbed machine in his suite. I was startled because the only place I had ever seen these machines (used by directors and editors to edit film) was in tiny editing suites on studio lots. Now I was really intrigued. 

After a few pleasantries he explained that he wanted me to help him on a film he was producing AND writing the score for called The Color Purple. I wasn’t familiar with the book or the story but quickly realized that being associated with a Steven Spielberg film was something I had to do. Being double booked be damned!

Then we went to the KEM machine. He wanted to show me one of the scenes he wanted me to score. For those of you who don’t know, a KEM machine is like a reel to reel tape recorder but instead of magnetic tape you could sync a film reel and a dialogue reel (which was magnetic film) and play them back together. Editors would then cut the film/dialogue film on specific frames, remove the part they cut out, splice the two reels together and then playback the edited version for review. Prior to the introduction to non-linear, digital technology this was how films were made. A cumbersome process but the industry standard since the beginning of filmmaking.

I sat down in front of a tiny monitor that sat on the tabletop. As I watched Q sat behind me and didn’t say a word - he was waiting to see what my reaction would be. When the scene ended he asked what I thought? “Seems like we need to get a couple of vamps going”. Q immediately broke into this huge laugh, slapped his thigh and said: “Just like Count Basie!). 

Then we sat down in the sitting area and spent the next two hours talking. He asked me all sorts of questions: what I wanted to do with my life etc. When I left I was literally floating. I had never experienced that type of connection or spiritual presence. Speilberg called Q a “spray gun of love”. I instantly could see why he was so adored and, …so successful. A life changing experience for me.

I went home and spent probably 5-6 days working on this 2:36 piece called “Champagne Train”.

When I listen to it now I am instantly transported back to the moment… the entire experience… the incredible Alice Walker story and more. I was 31 years old. It’s easy to look back and understand that there was my life prior to The Color Purple and after. 

The image is from a frame my wife made to commemorate my work. For the score nerds the entire orchestration is noted in a 6 stave sketch.

Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_SK03qsJSU