Description:
The story of twentieth-century American music--what really happened, and how and why--from the right-hand man to James Brown, Prince, and D'Angelo, among others.
Alan Leeds is one of the most important figures in Black music, which might sound surprising given he's a Jewish kid from Queens. You may not know him, but he knows everyone. For half a century, in at least three discrete artistic eras, he has been central to the way that Black music (from soul to funk to neo-soul to hip-hop) has been made, marketed, and toured. His long career in the business has given him a unique perspective, and It's Got to Be Funky--both a tale of a life lived near fame and a chronicle of the evolution of popular music, told through stories and loaded with insights-- illuminates all that he's learned. Leeds began his career working with James Brown in 1969. In 1983, after a brief spell working with KISS, he signed on with an unproven up-and-coming funk musician named Prince, with whom he worked throughout his rise and commercial and critical peak. From there, Leeds went on to work with the likes of Maxwell, Raphael Saadiq, and D'Angelo and the Soulquarians (where he crossed paths with, among many others, Questlove). As a music manager, his taste was peerless. As a writer, Leeds is a natural storyteller with a steady hand, a clear eye, and plenty of material. There are few people better positioned to chronicle one of the most important art forms in American history.Review Quotes:
"Few have participated in the wide range of live concert experiences that Alan Leeds has. Iconic personalities like Prince, Chris Rock and D'Angelo share centerstage in these memoirs with roadies, managers and late night characters who are all part of global nightlife. Alan is our guide to the drama that happens between shows."
--NELSON GEORGE, author and filmmaker
who couldn't give 1/8th of the information and detail that Alan Leeds has actually
lived, witnessed, and experienced at the ground level. We are all so lucky to have this
national treasure share his knowledge with us."
--CHRISTIAN McBRIDE, GRAMMY award-winning bassist and composer "The music business is remembered by the people who won it and written by the people who watched it. Leeds was in rare air - he ran it. That's a third kind of witness, and it's the rarest one. Entertainment survives off of who remembers to keep receipts when all is said and done. It's a hell of a drive from James Brown's Apollo to Prince's Paisley Park to D'Angelo's Electric Lady (and beyond) - this is his account of that fascinating route."
--COMMON, GRAMMY award-winning rapper and actor