2. Various ArtistsThe Colour Purple
I picked The Colour Purple’s soundtrack because it had a huge impact on me. I first saw the film when I was little, probably early teens. The soundtrack’s amazingly written, the songs in there are just unbelievable. It got me into blues! Tracks like ‘Miss Celie’s Blues (Sister)’ and ‘The Dirty Dozens’ made me think – and still do when I hear them – wow! The singing knocks me out, you know?
I can’t tell you how many times I watched that movie! Other people were into Grease but I wasn’t really into that at all, I would watch The Colour Purple and it had a really big influence. And I still love those songs.
Quincy Jones is, of course, a genius. He is a phenomenal, phenomenal musician. He’s one of those modern day geniuses who did so much. He’s a very inspired person and I love how he went almost fully to the back seat, but he still had so much to express in so many different ways, and he understands all of it, and everything that comes out is just quality. Because of him and this soundtrack I bought Memphis Minnie, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Miles Davis – all of it! This thing just opened a whole new world to me of singing styles and experimentation.
