Quincy Delight Jones Junior was born in Chicago in 1933. At High School in Seattle he became an accomplished trumpeter, and then focused on music with a scholarship to Boston's Berklee College of Music. After college he worked with a number of orchestras and bands until in the 1960s becoming Frank Sinatra's arranger and conductor, notably leading the recording of the 1966 live album "Sinatra at the Sands" with the Count Basie Orchestra. A background with big bands, orchestras, and jazz followed him through his career and into our disco era where Quincy's signature production features bold brass, lush strings, hypnotic percussion and complex vocal arrangements. He met Michael Jackson when they both worked on the film "The Wiz". Michael invited Quincy to produce his upcoming solo album, but the record label objected, saying Quincy was "too jazzy". Michael insisted, and the result, "Off The Wall" propelled them both to mega stardom.

Here I've gathered my favourite Quincy produced, arranged and written tracks which have themselves already been lovingly reproduced by disco leaders Dr Packer, The Reflex, Loshmi, Pete Le Freq and more, plus, unusually for me, some original recordings, which itself is very telling. No-one can even try to improve Quincy's original "Billie Jean."  And I couldn't find anyone who's touched "Ease on down the road"  .   .   .  yet.

Thank you Quincy.  You will be missed.  Love F*

Here's the track list:

1 | Michael Jackson | Billie Jean (SWG Remastered Extended Mix)
2 | Donna Summer | State of independence (Dave Leatherman & Bruce Nolan 2023 Rework)
3 | Michael Jackson | P.Y.T. (The Reflex Revision)
4 | Quincy Jones featuring Chaz Jankel | Ai no corrida (DJ S Rework)
5 | Quincy Jones (featuring Chaka Khan and Ashford & Simpson) | Stuff like that (Pete Le Freq Stuff Like What Rework)
6 | The Brothers Johnson | The real thing (Loshmi Edit)
7 | Quincy Jones featuring Patti Austin | Betcha wouldn't hurt me (Charles Dancer Edit)
8 | The Brothers Johnson | Strawberry letter 23 (Digital Visions re-edit/Dr Packer's Soul Groove)
9 | Quincy Jones | Razzamatazz (Dr Packer Injection)
10 | The Brothers Johnson | Stomp (DJ Funkdamento Remix/Andrei Edit)
11 | Michael Jackson, Diana Ross | Ease on down the road (from the original motion picture "The Wiz")
12 | The Brothers Johnson | Get the funk out ma face (Loshmi Edit)
13 | George Benson | Love x love (The Reflex Revision)

And here's a link to the Spotify playlist, but please note that most of the edits and remixes I've used may not be widely available.

Mixed with love in London.

(Revised 10th November 2024.)