It was a Tuesday night meeting of music professionals at New York University’s Iris Cantor Theater.
Clive Davis and Mark Ronson appeared at a screening of the documentary Do You Remember and swapped stories about the famous musicians they’ve worked with, from Aretha Franklin to Adele.
Ronson discovered the “Hello” singing sensation when he was just 18 years old, and explained that he often recorded 17 to 25 takes of a song.
“After about 14 takes, her voice will settle in and she’ll have that distinct ‘Adele sound’ that we love,” Ronson said.
Unlike the “Rolling in the Deep” songstress, Franklin only recorded a few takes.
“She was a musical genius and usually only recorded a maximum of three takes per song,” Davis revealed.
Critic Anthony DeCurtis hosted a 45-minute talk during which Davis revealed that, unbeknownst to most people, the Queen of Soul often ad-libbed songs in the studio.
“Sometimes the ad-libbing actually interfered with the catchiness of the melody,” he said. “But if I told you it was ruining your chances of getting a hit, Aretha would be back in the studio first thing in the morning.”
“She was the ultimate professional,” he added.
Davis also recalled a time in the ’80s when, after having a “light” dinner without booze with the “Respect” singer, a waitress brought him a check for $2,700.
After objecting to the bill, the manager returned five minutes later and said, “‘Mr. Davis, you’re right. Dining with Mr. Franklin was only a fraction of that bill. But unfortunately, four of Mr. Franklin’s bodyguards were at the bar the entire time,'” he joked.
Ronson also opened up about his work with the late Amy Winehouse, crediting her for helping him “surrender” to music.
“She had an energy that inspired creativity, and I learned from that experience…The work that excites you the most is often the very thing that connects with the audience,” he said.
The “Night People” author’s hilarious mother, Anne Dexter-Jones, was also in the audience.
“Mark’s mom is coming! I invited her,” Davis said. “There is nothing more important to me than my family,” he said.
