Older Maxwell Interviews
Here is a short collection of Maxwell interviews from over the years. These interviews are for archival purposes only. Special thank to Sanjay for sending in these interviews. This post was created, February 2010 in order to showcase older interviews from Maxwell.
Miss Funky Flyy
1996 Interview and Biography
A reluctant star on the rise
Anyone who’s heard Sony/Columbia recording artist Maxwell’s debut CD, “Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite”, would agree that it’s everything but an ordinary contemporary r & b album. Unlike much of today’s sometimes insipid commercial Soul (which relies heavily on samples for the groove and over-explicit promises of sex for lyrics) Maxwell’s creation is arguably different but nevertheless sensuous and funky. Built around his own true-life love story, “Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite” is an album with a concept. Backed with live instrumentation and a sound which is hard to define, but easy to love, Maxwell’s the merger, the link between the sounds of the nineties and the finest of the ’70′s and early ’80′s. As fresh as it is fadeless.
The album’s eleven songs reveal true appreciation and understanding of that era and it’s obvious that what we have here is a bona fide artist at work. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if in a few years time, Maxwell will be one of the most celebrated stars on the Soul scene. That is, if he wants to and I’m not so sure he does. As I found out (during a forty-minute phone interview with the man himself , two months before the record was released) words like ordinary and predictable are just as ill-fitting when it comes to describing Maxwell’s personality as his music. Introvert, bohemian and shy are just a few of the things that have been said about him in the press. Sure, Maxwell’s not the type of guy to flaunt or brag, (in fact, not even his mother knew about his record deal for a long time), but my female intuition was right when it told me that any man daring to share his innermost feelings, desires and pains with the listeners, simply couldn’t be afraid to interpret the message and the music, especially not with a freelance R & B journalist from Sweden. Friendly, humble and very fascinating is how I perceived him. So what if he didn’t answer the first question completely truthfully.
-I would prefer not to tell you my full name. I have many, many names.. Since I’m half Puerto Rican, half West Indian, everyone wants to name you, so Maxwell’s like the best way to consolidate. For me to tell you my full name would take such a long time. Honestly, that’s what it is, Maxwell vowed with a laughter, at first half-heartedly attempting to convince me (by picking up on my joke about his driver’s license carrying tons of initials) then stating
-I’m sure someone will dove into some archive one day and find out what they need to find out.
Maxwell was born and raised in East New York, Brooklyn, a place described as one of the roughest neighborhoods in that area. Even though he’s moved and now lives in downtown Manhattan, he speaks fondly of his old home territories and doesn’t like the way they are portrayed in the media.
-Well, South Bronx, Harlem and Brooklyn are nice places to me, I guess it’s all in where you’re coming from and how you think about it. I learned and gained a lot from growing up and living in those areas. There’s so much joy and love and compassion there. It’s not all they say it is. I know there are some things that go on there every day that are unfortunate, as far as violent kinds of things. I believe your surroundings are not you , it’s how you think that makes you the person you are. I loved living up there and I would never have changed it. I didn’t run out and tried to get into some big, plush place. I moved out and went to a more eclectic version, but it’s definitely just about the same thing. I get so much inspiration from the city and all the different kinds of people struggling and trying to survive.
Maxwell’s the first to say he’s nowhere near the stereotype one might expect coming from that background. He claims to never have had a drink or a puff and depreciates the so called ghetto macho’s oversized ego as much as their compulsory degrading view on women.
-I really honor women for what they are and for what they represent as people. I honestly believe that they teach (men) a lot just by their ways of living, as far as the emotional sense that they have. And their lack of ego is so intriguing to me! I’m amazed at how a woman can have a child and just know what to do. It’s just so instinctive to them. I strive for that..To have as little ego as possible.
Buying his first keyboard at sixteen or seventeen (“an old wack thing”), he became obsessed with music and began working with a basic four track studio set up. To support himself he waitered tables at a restaurant but never actively pursued a career in the music business. As it turned out, a friend who knew a friend at a record company, eventually had Maxwell recording demos in a 24 track studio and soon thereafter, several labels showed interest.
-I chose Sony because, unlike some of the other record companies, they didn’t ask me to conform or tried to change me which I wasn’ t willing to do, he explained
-When I first started working with Sony, they were obviously a bit nervous about me going in and producing myself, so they went and got a guy from Chicago called P.M. who was engineering, mixing and programming that could help me out. But no one from the label checked on me. Other people involved were Stuart Matthewman who’s worked with Sade, he’s in my live band as well and Bashiri Johnson played percussion. On the album, I programmed, played synthesizer, piano, moog and guitars and then I used different people on different tracks, whoever I’d get a feel for might suit the track. It wasn’t about me being the almighty. I just wanted to have good sounding music. I’m not Beethoven or anything, I just do what I can do to get the music out of me. There are a lot of people on this record. It was like they gravitated towards it and it was great because usually I end up doing it all myself. I was in a situation once where no one was around, musicians would be late, so I ended up putting the tracks together myself. But it was such an honor to have these people wanna be a part of this story, that I couldn’t be selfish with it. Not with this album. Maybe in the future I might go into my little cave and do the whole thing, but all of this was just such a blessing, all these things were sent down from heaven. Everyone has their own heartbroken story to tell and it was nice to have to have all these people put their emotions and experiences inside this little story that I felt that I was all alone with. Some people just came in and played, they had no idea what I was trying to do.. So, I can’t say everyone knew, but with those who did, it was nice.
So how did legendary producer, songwriter, arranger and singer Leon Ware, co-responsible for one of the best concept-albums of all times; Marvin Gaye’s “I Want You”, become part of the project and what was it like working with him?
-I think he had heard of me or seen me perform. He was in town and we ended up having dinner. We hit it off and wrote “Sumthin Sumthin” together. It was interesting working with him and it was an amazing honor, of course. It’s funny, the song ended up changing. It was something else when we wrote it and later on when Leon was back in town, he came to the studio while I was working on the new version, lyrics and all that. He said “man, you’ve changed the whole song up!” He wasn’t bothered or anything, but he was kinda taken aback that it could evolve into something else that way. He was pleased, I’m happy he was.
Those who study the musicians credits will find Wah Wah Watson (a.k.a. Melvin Ragin) on guitar and as co-composer of “The Urban Theme” and “The Suite Theme”. Two exquisite atmospheric instrumentals, one opens, the other closes the album. Not having seen his name on anything recently, Wah Wah’s return was a happy surprise to me. Wah Wah was The top session guitarist during the ’70′s and ’80′ and his name appears on numerous records . He’s also equipped with one of the most distinctive styles in the business.
-Wah Wah and I are very, very good friends now. He calls me his little brother!, Maxwell said, without any false attempts to hide how proud that made him feel.
-We’ve been on tour together and he’s helped me out, he really has my back. We just got together through a writing situation that came up from another label a long time ago. We walked away from it, really getting along and really getting a sense of where we were coming from. He was just always there to the very end, so I would fly him out to New York and he played on some of the tracks. I’m such a big fan of what he did with Barry White and all that Motown stuff.
Maxwell seemed as astounded as I about the collaboration.
-Yeah, how often do you get a chance to work with one of your heroes? When the opportunity to work with Watson came up, I was completely nerve-wrecked! I couldn’t believe this was happening to me. Even now when I look at the things that have come from just putting these songs together, I can’t even believe it. He taught me so much about being a musician and about structure, just a lot of the subtle little things that you kinda lose out from hearing what’s around today. He made me feel cool about where I was coming from, because I was a little out.
Asking Maxwell to explain what he meant by out he unveiled the circumstances under which the album had been done.
-This record was finished a year ago and in the process of making it, I don’t quite think everyone understood what I was trying to accomplish. I was getting tons of support from the one person I was working with at Sony but.. It was the kind of thing that you had to hear it after the story was finished. When we were in the stages of three or four songs, I don’t think anyone knew what it was about.
Judging by the warm, vibrant feel of his album, it sounds as if the early ’80′s post-disco blend of Soul and Funk was his major influence for the album. (Just listen to the slap bass groove in “Sumthin Sumthin”, if you need convincing). In the biography sent out by Sony to the press, Maxwell is quoted stating “the early ’80′s had the perfect combination of computerized instrumentation with a live feel. Later the music got all into hip-hop and some of the dynamics were lost”. He confirmed:
-Yes, that was my inspiration for the album. That’s my old school. I was born in 1973 and my understanding of music happened maybe six years after my birth, so in the ’80′s that’s when I knew music. I didn’t know I was gonna be a musician , but that’s my time, the time of S.O.S Band and Loose Ends. That vibe was where I was and what I was living. When going through puberty, falling in love and getting crushes and stuff, it was on that music. That is why I identify with it the most. I also like to listen to a lot of classical music. I really get into symphonies that have themes and reason. Where you can find more meaning as you listen to it.
The hype surrounding “Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite” has been massive and now that the record’s out, many well-deserved words of praise have been written about it. So what’s Maxwell’s biggest fear?
-Success. I must say it is a big fear of mine. I’ve always told my friends and it freaks them out when I say that success is the biggest fear that I have, in reference to my career, whatever’s gonna happen in the future. The thing that kills me is honestly that I believe success is something you have to maintain. It requires so much maintenance to remain where you’re at, on that level, and to try and keep the level of work that you like to do. Failure’s not really the hardest thing to do, it’s very easy to fail. It’s very easy to just not try and go for it and that kind of thing. My whole take on that is that the best thing you can do as an artist is try to be and express yourself. If you get caught up in your hits and what’s happening on the radio you will fall prey to that and I don’t need that kind of monkey on my back. If you can strive to create your own niche and your own world and your own genre, then at the end of the day whatever happens is good, because you would have done what you wanted to do and you would have expressed your spiritual soul. No one can knock you for that, even if only one person bought it.
The bashful Maxwell is very well aware of how the media can build an artist to destroy and admitted not feeling comfortable in dealing with the press. With a critically acclaimed debut such as “Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite”, my next question was if it wouldn’t be tremendously pressuring to work under the high expectations that inevitably will precede the follow-up?
-No, because I’ve already recorded it. When the record was finished in March last year (1995), I had to do something. I’m not one for twiddling my thumbs. Over the summer I worked on the next thing. They’re not fully recorded tracks, but they’re fully demo’ed versions of themselves, so that when the recording situation brings itself to me, I’ll be able to have a fresh outlook as well.
Pointing out the comparisons that will be made between Maxwell and D’Angelo (both are young multi-instrumentalists who have gone against the grain) Maxwell’s response “They will?” perhaps suggests that he hadn’t even thought of himself playing in the same league as D’Angelo. It’s certainly not a sign of low self-esteem, but of his lack of an ego, plus displeasure with the competitive side of the business. Maxwell continued in his smooth, cool tone of voice
-Why would I feel any other way than complimented by being compared to D’Angelo? To me, that’s a complete honor. He’s great! I just wanna make it clear that I don’t look at the music business like the Olympics. I know that the industry can do that sometimes and it’s unfortunate because it puts us artists in a hard position. I respect everyone that’s expressing themselves a hundred percent, based upon their own experiences. They should get applauded for it because not many artists are doing that. My whole take on everyone else is even if it’s something that I’m not personally down with, I always respect their expression. At least as long as it’s not about the dollar.
Finally turning the attention over to the thread that runs all through “Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite” I wondered just what the title meant and if he saw it as a celebration to love in a universal sense or to the love of the woman of his fantasies, the lady he met in the flesh for one day, who not only broke his heart but gave him the concept for the album. He paused for a while, took a deep breath and said
-Uhh, there are three or four meanings to the title for me. I guess what it would mean..It’s kinda hard to say. It’s kinda like the merger between the sophisticated and the urban, like a combination..You know? Layin’ back with whatever this collection of music is I would think.. Maybe.. slightly, sorta, kinda.. (laughs). What does it mean to you from hearing the record?
Turning back the questions to me was a re-occurring theme while talking to Maxwell. He explained his curiosity:
-I mean this from the bottom of my heart.. I’m so interested in how people are affected by it, be it good or bad. I get so much from hearing what you might feel. What I get from it, is what I get from it. I never like to dictate any particular way of looking at the record, because so many people view it differently. I don’t like to impose my view. I feel that the only imposition I need to make, is to make the music.
Would it be fair to say that the whole album evolves around the short encounter you had with what we all secretly dream of; the divine combination of spiritual and sexual love, the union of mind body and soul?, I asked. It almost seemed as if Maxwell mused aloud as he talked, exposing his spiritual side.
-To me a lot of this record is not about the physical, earthly situation that it was but in many ways it’s about a spiritual thing for me. As well as she is a physical being , I can see it on the other side, which is my pursuit for something higher, my relationship with the higher forces. This album represents that as well for me. As time went on, it became more so. It was weird how I almost felt tricked, I felt like God gave me this situation. And then three or four or five months later, I could see that he or she was trying to explain what our relationship is. I mean spiritually, of course. This path was chosen for me, I didn’t choose this.
So how does he look at this bitter-sweet love affair today?
-My philosophy is that all things happen for the ultimate good of you. What you make of the situation is what the situation is, ultimately. That’s what I did with my heartbreak. Hopefully some people will be able to identify, because I honestly feel that I’m not the only one in search of the this person or thing that is gonna complete you.
Maxwell corrected himself by adding -Not complete you, but just make you feel whole.
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BET Web Chat 1999
Host: Welcome! Tonight’s chat will start at 9PM ET.
Host: Good Evening, the chat with Maxwell will begin at 9PM.
Host: Good Evening and welcome to another edition of Chatterbox. We are joined tonight by Maxwell
who is here to talk about his latest CD and his upcoming tour. Maxwell will be taking questions from
this chat for his Live 99 Tour Book , so get your questions ready as will be starting at 9PM.
Host: Good Evening the chat with Maxwell will begin at 9PM
Host: Good Evening and welcome to another edition of ChatterBox. The chat with Maxwell will begin
momentarily.
Maxwell: Welcome MidWives.
Monica: Do you feel as though you have to compete with other male artists?
Maxwell: To me there is no real reason to compete when we collectively are doing what we do. To
glorify the God that has blessed us with whatever gift we have, at least in my case.
smiler1: What are the tattoos that grace your body, and did you get one after your Urban Hang Suite
experience?
Maxwell: No, I got a tatoo in 1995 when I went to Arizona to hang out with my God Mother. It’s an
umbrella that signifies protection.
Robert III: What can we expect from Live’99?
Maxwell: The unexpected.
Zina: Love your hair in braids or out. When braided how long does it take?
Maxwell: Longer than any man should have to sit.
LaShana: Hi,Maxwell,I think your Urban Shakespeare. Keep making me feel good. Are you doing anymore
videos for EMBRYA
Maxwell: Thank you, yeah there is a possiblity that something will be coming out soon, we will have
to see.
Maxwell: Most of the band willbe there, we have abrand new drummer, Michael Bland, some of you may
know him. I’m definitley in good spirits and I am ready to havve fun with everybody.
Robert III: What can we expect from Live’99?
Maxwell: The unexpected.
Lahana Mysteria: Hello Maxwell,Your videos seem to be works of abstract art.How do you come up with
concepts?
Maxwell: Thank you. I just try to bring other dimensions to other things that people already think
of, hoping to make them interesting and timeless.
Kboogie: ” Will you ever collab with Lauryn Hill?”
Maxwell: I’ll definitly be standing on line for that one.
Latilleon: Maxwell, do you think that you will ever collaborate with a rapper?
Maxwell: It’s funny that you should ask, MUSZE has got me deep into hip-hop right now. So either
I’ll be making some people happy or mad in a minute, but not like you would expect.
Lavoris: What the story behind the song “This Woman’s Work?” Are all of your songs about things that
you have experienced? Will you bring your tour to VA?
Maxwell: I think This WOman’s Work was a way to show women that men can relate, if not physically,
when emotionally to the experience of the majesty of giving birth. Fellas feel ya’ll. Right Fellas!
Sheena: I really dig how you uplift God and women. You’re the ideal. Where did you develop your
ideas of spirituality?
Maxwell: Tragedy, Consequence and Opportunity
Dana: Do you play any instruments?
Maxwell: My favorite instrument is the instrument of thought.
giovanni: who taught you to speak spanish?
Maxwell: Growing up, hearing it.
Faith: What would you be doing if you were not an artist?
Maxwell: It’s very difficult to say. It’s something quite unimaginable.
Maxwell: I can’t imagine ding anything else right now, other than kids and a wife one day.
Stephanye: Maxwell, please excuse my ignorance, but I always did wonder, who or what is musze?
Maxwell: MUSZE is inspiration. MUSZE is God .MUSZE gets al lthe credit, MUSZE is YOU.
Stephanie: I’ve know you’ve been asked about an acting career many times, but are you thinking about
it. I’m a writer and what you represent has given alot of inspiration in my stories and scripts.
Maxwell: Thank you very much. I’m not one to say never, but it isn’t likely that it will happen, but
you never know.
giovanni: Do you prefer Puerto Rican women?
Maxwell: I have no preference with regards to where someone comes from or what they look like . The
soul is what really matters at this point. Not to say I ain’t lookin for some fineness, but nothing
matters but the soul. And if you heard any different “It wasn’t me”.
Timmonica: What is your most memorable life event
Maxwell: Looking up into the sky after playing a beat up casio keyboard for 8 hrs after school and
finally knowing what I was meant to do.
Karen: Maxwell, WONDERFUL CD!! What exactly is the wierdest thing a fan has ever done?
Maxwell: Thank you very much. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. In general somepeople
have a tendency to belive that my position and what I represent is beyond them and beyond their own
reach. And I say that there is no division between you and I.
Melissa: Maxwell I’m curious to know who is your favorite poet. If any??
Maxwell: I would have to say Khalil Gibran.
Latilleon: Do you involve your family in the making of your music?
Maxwell: My family wants nothing more but to be just that. Completely and totally outside of the
spotlight. And with respect and love I give them just that. This is why I go by one name.
Host: TOUR INFO. You can visit Maxwell’s site at http://www.maxwelllive99.com/flash_tour2.html for a
listing of tour dates.
Stephanie: Maxwell, I read how you talked about your father’s death in Essence. My father past away
when I was five, and I too didn’t understand what happend or where he went. Reading that article
made me feel that I was not alone.
Maxwell: The absence of him always lead to a lot of questions and this is why I go by one name which
is his name and this is why my major major love from my West Indian background I were a puerto Rican
flag as a ring, not as favoritism but it’s a way to keep Dad close.
Faith: What artists do you listen to when you relax? Do you listen to yourself?
Maxwell: Right now I’m into Nas, Missy, Stan Getz, and Trick Daddy.
Jarron: What’s your favorite food?
Maxwell: Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches, even though I’m not sopposed to have them.
SaBrina: What advice would you give to someone who wants to get into the music industry?
Maxwell: Do it for the love of music and God will provide all.
Sentoria: Who are/were your music idols growing up? Ya beautiful baby!
Maxwell: My earlist love of music came via hip-hop and then it moved on over to R&B, Soul, Rock.
Maxwell: Thank you, I bascially chilled. But the best gift I received was the tour dates and knowing
that I was going to be back with the family. I missed you all very much.
smiler1: You express yourself wonderfully with your style and wardrobe. Any favorite designers?
Maxwell: I go by color more than designer and right now, red, black, white and grey are the joints.
Erica: Hi Maxwell…are there any plans for writing and producing for other artists?
Maxwell: Right “Now” that is happening.
Stephanye: Does your career make it difficult for you to be involved in a relationship?
Maxwell: Incredibly. I feel like my audience is like a women in my life as well. It can make it very
difficult to concentrate on being with someone. But everyone know that everyone need somebody and I
am blessed enough to have people like you who understand a man his needs.
Host: All tour dates and cities can be found at http://www.maxwelllive.com
SylviaInPhilly: Are there any other artistic fields that you would like to venture into?
Maxwell: The art of being a good father and a good husband one day.
Host: TOUR INFO: You can visit Maxwell’s site at http://www.maxwelllive99.com/flash_tour2.html for a
listing of tour dates.
JAZYLADI: Maxwell, have you ever thought of doing duets, and if so with whom?
Maxwell: Yes. If all goes well Marc Anthony should be the first person I do a duet with soon.
SylviaInPhilly: When the day comes and you look back on your life. What do you want to be remembered
for?
Maxwell: WOW!That’s a really good questions. I want people to be able to say that I took risks. At
this point I’ve learned that I can’t control what people say. When you make one person happy
unfortunetly you are bound to leave someone unhappy. I just hope that everyone understand that my
actions/intentions come from love.
carameljoy: Maxwell are you a Knicks fan? You should be!!!
Maxwell: You think I’m not watching thgame right now! Yes I am definitley a Knicks Fan
Maxwell: We are 23 up right now.
7SmooveGrooves: Maxwell, I think you have a hot sense of fashion. Have you thought of starting your
own clothing line?
Maxwell: Never crossed my mind. But you never know…
Queen: I would love to hear you do a duet with Sade, Is that something you would be interested in?
Maxwell: I’m on the line too.
Dana: what did you do when you first heard your song on the radio? That’s the turning point, isn’t
it? LOL
Maxwell: Definitley a turning point. I still can’t believe it when it happens
Skytron: what is your favorite music video that you’ve done, and why?
Maxwell: Fortunate. It’s very close to who I am and what I’m experiencing.
evie: when you perform, can you actually see the audience?
Maxwell: Every last one of you.
Maxwell: Melanie is actually opening the tour which starts in August.
Latilleon: What makes you laugh Maxwell?
Maxwell: Melanie Carmacho.
Karen A.: Are you surprised at your success?
Maxwell: Success is relative. When I’m 73 and I look back, then maybe I’ll be surprised, Right now I
am so in it and I am jus trying to do my thang.
evie: do you ever visit clubs when your on tour?
Maxwell: Psssss. Everybody come close.
Maxwell: Somebody might be doing some unannounced surprised aftershows. But don’t tell nobody I told
you. You didn’t hear it from me. 
Nadia: Do you pray before you go on stage
Maxwell: I pray each hour, each minute, each second, each day of my life.
SylviaInPhilly: I’m wondering why you were not on the “Marvin Turns 60″ album. You are what’s
missing. Were you asked?
Maxwell: I can never in my life, no matter how long I sing, do better than Marvin. And I will never
try. If it ain’t broke don’t it..
Jamila: Could you please tell us more about the whole meaning of Embrya ? Especially the symbol
between Gestation:Mythos and the last song: Embrya? I have the felling it’s like a process
Maxwell: Indeed. It is a process. There is another form of media to come, that willmake it all make
more sense. Thank you for playing that rubik’s cube.
Crazy4Max: What do you feel is most important in life?
Maxwell: Love.
Jazz: How involved are you in handling the business part of the music business?
Maxwell: I handle my “BIDNISS”
Xyphoni: where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
Maxwell: Hopefully with kids and a wife. A wife that has enough patience to handle me.
Brooklyn Dunz: Do you still hang out with your old friends?
Maxwell: Yeah.Yeah I do.
Sheena: What’s with the bathtub and fingernail polish in “Fortuate?”
Maxwell: You tellme 
Brooklyn Dunz: what song do you like performing the mostt?
Maxwell: I’m always pretty satisfied with the entire set list.
brenda: this may be one of the most oddest questions, but what was the last book you read?
Maxwell: The last book I read was Conversations with God, books 1,2,3. I reasd them three times each
and the book I’m reading now is Hannible.
spiritchick: are you a comedian with friends……….or are you the contemplative type
Maxwell: I’m definitley a prankster.
Skytron: how much say do you have in choosing singles off your records?
Maxwell: As much say as anybody. I make a request ans usually people go with it.
Tiara: What is the meaning behind “Know These Things:”?
Maxwell: You should check the transcript on MUSZE.com for this answer.
Host: Kristi, he is answering the ones he chooses to answer, in no particular order
silverstyler: any special plans for new years 99
Maxwell: No plans as of yet. I just want to be somewhere really safe.
Sherita: Do you like to watch BET shows?
Maxwell: I am really caught up in making music, so sometime the media is like in another universe
Rissa: If you wre locked in in a room for a month with the choice of one CD, which would it be?
Maxwell: CD? how about some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!
Shay: Do you ever think you will come out with you own book of poetry?
Maxwell: I never looked at myself as a poet, thank you.
April: Does religion play an important role in your life?
Maxwell: Spirituality more so than religion.
Aliya: Has there ever been a time when you’ve doubted your purpose? How have you handled this?
Maxwell: Yeah. Yes. Sometimes it feels really lonely to be ina situation where you yearn to express
things in ways you never imagined you could. But it’s kind of like my biggest hope is for everyone
to be happy and you can’t please everyone no matter what you do and that’s a very hard thing forme,
but Ideal with it. I want everyone to know that no matter how things come out I always do my best.
matrimony lady: what is the biggest misconception about you
Maxwell: I don’t know. everyone tell me.
Maxwell: Ya Mon
[then it abruptly ended]
______________________________
BMR The Internet Interview (Blues and Music Review) Magazine [Blues Interactions, Inc.]
Tokyo, Japan, April 2001, No. 272
After 3 years since the last one, Maxwell will soon be releasing his new album Now. In this issue, we have an exclusive interview with Maxwell and an analysis on his Caribbean roots, vocal sound and fashion sense.
It is early spring in 2001, and Maxwell’s third album Now is about to be released. Although the prospect of this article is to bring out the entire picture of his new album, and his recent state prior to the new release, to the readers of BMR so that they could get more expectation, to tell you the truth, Valentine’s Day has already passed and yet I have only listened to one track, the first single from the new album, Get to Know Ya.
Since Maxwell is not fond of interviews, I had to communicate with him by an e-mail, which I think is more difficult to know his feelings than talking on a telephone. I am very uncertain how much I can satisfy the needs of Maxwell’s fans. Please let me explain a little more. In the US, there has been an increasing number of incidents in hip-hop/R&B markets where new songs leak out to the public before the release dates against the musician’s will. In worst cases, they are distributed as bootlegs. Record companies started to maintain strict control over the matter. As a result, people like me who have no intention of making a profit, other than the income from writing, lost out. I don’t know how it is in Japan, but please don’t put your hands on bootlegs even if you find them in stores. Not buying bootlegs is one way to show your love to the musician. I am sorry for starting with a lot of complaints in such ugly sentences. It is not suitable for beautiful Maxwell, and I am changing my tone right now.
When I received a message from Maxwell that he was in the middle of recording in a studio and would like to respond to my questions by an e-mail instead of a telephone, I honestly felt very uneasy about not knowing what would happen next. (Oops, I’m in the complain mode again.) That’s why my heart throbbed so fast when I opened a reply mail from him for my questions which I wrote using my small brain and very little information. E-mail is also a tool that makes a sort of private and formal atmosphere. Naturally, it is a modified form of a letter. It means that the e-mail I received is an open letter from Maxwell to BMR. Yes, it does. Then it is very special, and I am starting to feel much better. (Positive thinking!)
First, we need to consider a frame of his new album. Maxwell has been writing lyrics and composing music since his debut and showing off his talent along with his falsetto voice. He credits the creative part of himself as Musze to suggest the existence of a mysterious spiritual influence inside of him. In another point, it is well known that he has welcomed Stuart Matthewman, who is one of the most important members of Sade, as the only producer from outside. I asked him about changes.
Interviewer: Did Musze write most of the songs again for the new album?
Maxwell: “Yes.”
Interviewer: Does anybody support Musze on writing songs? If so, would you introduce the person to us?
Maxwell: “Musze is God to me. It is also a special nickname for me, a given place and all of me.”
Interviewer: Did Stuart Matthewman join the new album again?
Maxwell: “Yes.”
Interviewer: Talking about Matthewman how did you like Sade’s new album?
Maxwell: “I love it, especially Every Word. That is a wonderful song.”
Interviewer: What do you think of Sade Adu as a vocalist?
Maxwell: “She is original.”
Interviewer: Do you think that she influences you?
Maxwell: “I don’t think she influences me in any special ways, but it is true that her record has become a door to lead me to Stuart who has been a great influence.”
Interviewer: I heard that you have newly recorded Kate Bush’s This Woman’s Work. Are you devoted to British Music?
Maxwell: “I only like “good” music. It doesn’t matter where the music comes from. The most important thing is having a heart and soul, and anybody from anywhere can express them.”
Interviewer’s Comment:
His responses and sentences in English are very sensual and very similar to his lyrics. His grammar would probably make Japanese college prep students confused. (The problem is not Maxwell’s grammar. It is the extremely strict English education that has to be blamed). I have read his e-mail repeatedly and started to see the beauty of his words. It is his inner beauty (writing sometimes shows the person more clearly than speaking) and sensitiveness. I have tried to translate his words literally to Japanese rather than the free translation because I wanted to share the beauty with the readers as much as I could. It may be a little awkward, but I want you to read it slowly. I’m sure you can sense the beauty.
Interviewer: What inspires you most when you write a song?
Maxwell: “It depends on the time and place.”
Interviewer: What situation do you usually put yourself in when writing a song?
Maxwell: “It is not always the same. An inspiration just comes out when it comes. I used to try to control it, but I realized that I should just let them come out whenever.”
Interviewer: You studied photography and design. Do you have particular images every time you write a song?
Maxwell: “Yes, I do, but not so clearly. I like to write about how I feel at the moment.”
Interviewer: Which instruments do you use to write songs?
Maxwell: “I start in a basic way, usually a piano or guitar.”
Interviewer: Some songs contained lyrics in Spanish in the last album. Did you express Latin or Caribbean culture as your roots in the new album?
Maxwell: “A little, but not so remarkably.”
Interviewer: The title of the new album is Now. What do you think of the world we are living in now.
Maxwell: “Possibilities are unlimited, and the ultimate theme is the truth. Love yourself and respect what’s different from you. I think we are living in a very interesting world.”
Interviewer’s Comment:
Although the last answer seems to be a little shifted from the question, he probably wanted to tell us a message from the theme of his new album. It is also a part that most shows his character, and we can guess from the answer that the essence of his music is the high spirit and sharp senses. (Perhaps, that is the true form of Musze). Born in Brooklyn, NY and of Puerto Rican and West Indian descent, Maxwell holds a sophisticated urban atmosphere, a fear for primitiveness and a sense of being true to his feelings. We can sense his virtue by his favorite words, Heart and Soul, and his virtue shows that he does not fit in the showbiz world where money and chart rule.
Interviewer: Get To Know Ya is a very beautiful song. What inspired you to write the song?
Maxwell: “I met a lady who fascinated me so much in a way I have never experienced.”
Interviewer: What did you think of the song Fortunate when you first listened?
Maxwell: “I thought, This is great!”
Interviewer: Did you think it was going to be a big hit?
Maxwell: “Not really. I don’t see things that way. It is whether I like it or not. Hits are unreliable and they don’t mean that you have a talent. However, a hit can generally lead you to a larger scale of work.”
Interviewer: You and R Kelly have different styles of music. My impression of R Kelly when I interviewed him was a very shy person. How was he in the studio?
Maxwell: “I have never met him before.”
Interviewer: A lot of new artists admire you as a forerunner. What do you think of Music Soul Child, Bilal and Jill Scott?
Maxwell: “I love and respect them all. This movement will get bigger, and is actually going that way. It is a testament that everybody has a heart and soul.”
Interviewer’s Comment:
I had a very hard time translating the word, testament. Testament is also another word for the Bible, and it shows his faith. Fortunate was the second single from the movie Life which Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence star, and it is Maxwell’s biggest selling single so far. If Maxwell doesn’t have an acquaintance with R Kelly, R Kelly must have trusted Maxwell so much to give him his song. On the other hand, for Maxwell having a “good” song right in front of him, it is more important how he succeeds in singing it his way than who is going to produce the song. And it ended up being “great”. Q-tip once said, “I’m tired of everybody judging a song by if it’s hot or not instead of good or not.” If you care too much about making a hot-hit, it will eventually cool down. As Urban Hang Suite still sounds fresh, I believe that Now will be the record that reflects a contemporary time undeniably even 10 years later. It is very “fortunate” that we are living “now”, the time of many new talents and artists including Maxwell himself.
Interviewer: Is the theme of your new album love? If there were songs that are not about love, would you tell us the contents of the songs?
Maxwell: “Main subject changes from song to song, and they reflect every moment. Some songs are about love but the motif throughout the album is my emotional growth, just as I am now able to handle things that don’t go well.”
Interviewer: What is most different from the last two albums?
Maxwell: “I hope many things are different, but I’m not really sure what is different. I would let the listener judge that.”
Interviewer: Do you have any plans for Valentine’s Day?
Maxwell: “I wish.”
Interviewer: You are one of the fashion leaders. Do you have a favorite designer?
Maxwell: “Now, I like wearing ordinary clothes more than ever.”
Interviewer’s Comment:
A song that was written based on running into a mysterious woman who makes his experiences useless (Get to Know Ya), how he’s learned to handle life when things are not going well — I assume he had a few troubles in his private life, however, he has made it positive through music. A source tells me that he didn’t write songs by design or with a purpose this time, but that he let the songs naturally flow out. In other words, it will be the album that grasps a natural atmosphere of music. As he says, he feels like wearing ordinary clothes, Now is stuffed with Maxwell’s heart and soul.
FASHION
I was shocked when I saw Maxwell crawling on the floor with his exploding hair and in his tight pants in the video of ‘Til the Cops Come Knockin’. “British singer?” was my impression of him. Maxwell grew up in the notorious Ghetto of East New York in Brooklyn where many rappers come from. Everything around him must have been hip-hop in his school days. Then where did he get his style? In 1993, before his first contract with a major record company, he performed for the first time in a club called Nell’s in downtown New York. From 1992 to 1994, house parties went out of fashion, and the parties in clubs like Giant Step and Soul Kitchen in downtown were at their height. I have been to some of the parties there. I remember that there were people of different races, and a lot of them wore a neat shirt, used suit and a hunting cap or a scarf around rolled-up hair, as an acid jazz musician from the UK would have dressed. A friend of mine who used to hang out with Maxwell before his major contract told me that Maxwell quite often appeared at these parties.
According to my friend, Maxwell was always stylish and very particular about his fashion. I suppose he still doesn’t have a stylist now. From that point of view, I selected some of my favorite fashion coordinates of Maxwell from magazines, videos and shows. First, the most impressive one was at the show in Madison Square Garden last year. He wore a pure white suit, a white tank top and a white knit cap with a luster-color line. Another one was an official photo for the record company. Thinly braided hair and a tight fitting pin-stripe suit. In both cases, a neatly tailored suit was freed with a cap or his hairstyle. It is Maxwell’s originality, and you don’t see that style in other R&B singers. It seems like a British influence; however, it originated in the club scenes of downtown New York. (Atsuko “Akko” Matsuda)
CARIBBEAN ROOTS
Though it is going to be away from the Caribbean, I would like to talk about Latin America first. I’m sure you know the Red Hot ++ OO series. One of them is “Red Hot + Rio”, and it includes Maxwell’s Seguranca. As “+Rio” suggests, this album contains the Brazilian music such as songs from PM Dawn with Flora Purim + Airto Moreira, Markie Mark and Caron Wheeler. Maxwell’s original song Seguranca is one of the most remarkable songs among them. Remarkable, but not exaggerated. He sings the song, which was inspired by Bossa Nova with a fascinating atmosphere. He wrote the song with Stuart Matthewman. Sade’s songs also have something in common with Bossa Nova. Seguranca gets high points because Vinicius Cantuaria plays the guitar for the song. He is a Brazilian musician living in New York, and was in a band with Caetano Veloso. Cantuaria gives real Brazilian taste to the song. Although the song sounds Brazilian, you can also feel the Caribbean taste in the use of percussion and violin. On the whole, it is Maxwell’s original New York sound. It looks simple, but he has polished it up quite well. Talking about Caribbean, people like Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez and Christina Aguilera are much popular and being talked about. They play songs that show Puerto Rican or Venezuelan background. In the case of Maxwell, he does not show his Puerto Rican roots outright in his music. I feel that Roxy Music’s Avalon and the music of the Caribbean keeps the same distance in him.
Whenever Wherever Whatever from the album, “Urban Hang Suite” has Caribbean taste. It’s not dance music, but a simple song that was played by a guitar in the background. The guitar sounds Spanish and his singing has a taste of sentimiento in salsa. The words are in English, though. I can’t help talking sensitive, but “Embrya” is much more Caribbean as an album. The sound of the percussion is much different from the prior works, especially in the beginning secret track Gestation: Mythos and Everwanting: To Want You To Want. It’s even clearer for “I’m You: You are Me and We are We”. The new single Get To Know Ya doesn’t have his usual fascinating tone, but it is a straight pop. It is interesting in the way he uses horns in the song. Very Caribbean. It is not just my impression, others have thought about it. It is more than Caribbean. African grooves like the late Franco (greatest guitarist of Africa) from Congo. Horns are calm but sharp, and exquisite. Although a song called Arroz con Pollo from “Embrya” had horn phrases similar to Allen Tooussaint’s Yes We Can Can. Get To Know Ya is an advanced form of that style.
I haven’t had a chance to listen to other songs from the new album. I’m starting to think that the album might be surprisingly different from the past albums. But again, it might not be because he is distinguished as a very stylish person. I am looking forward to the release no matter what happens. (Michihiko Takahashi)
DIMENSIONS OF THIS MAN’S WORK
Maxwell’s vocal sound is not so soulful compared to other Soul/R&B singers. His falsetto voice is the opposite of muddy and sweaty voice of singing and shouting in full volume like K-Ci. However, his sweet and sensual whisper has caught and persuaded the listeners. Maxwell and Sade have always been compared (sometimes put in the same class) because of Stuart Matthewman. Sade’s vocal is not as well soulful or even good, but that makes her voice more erotic and incredible. She attracts the listeners like ants falling in a hole. I don’t know if Matthewman particularly likes this type of voice, but the vocal sound of Maxwell and Sade gets more and more sexy and becomes 3-dimentional when they sing mellow songs.
Basically, he sings mainly with a strong tenor voice, and he uses both his natural voice and falsetto skillfully to express the song. From that point of view, he is similar to Prince. When Maxwell sings Kate Bush’s This Woman’s Work with shouting falsetto for MTV Unplugged, he reminds me of Prince. Lonely’s The Only Company from “Urban Hang Suite” is not as intense, but still sounds a little like Prince. However Maxwell does not express his emotions with straight falsetto. He adds vibratos to his falsetto to show his sincerity in the song. It is based on his love and tenderness. Maxwell also reminds me of Marvin Gaye from the 70’s as much as he is compared to Sade. He uses the vocal coordinates in multiple recordings and his wandering voices in I Want You (’76) and Here, My Dear (’78) are very similar to Maxwell’s voice. Especially, there is no doubt that I Want You which he spends almost a year just for recording has the most similarity with Maxwell.
El DeBarge covered Marvin’s After The Dance in ’92 and he also has something in common with Maxwell’s sound. El DeBarge and Maxwell both have Hispanic roots. It might be too much to say that they are not as soulful as other black singers are because they are Hispanic; however, it is true that Maxwell was not only influenced by Black artists, but as I mentioned earlier, he covered a song by Kate Bush for MTV Unplugged. He also challenged to cover Nine Inch Nails. It is easy to find the elements of white influences in Maxwell’s music because he does not hide the influences. As a matter of fact, you wouldn’t feel the incompatibility of singing between Brian Ferry who was greatly influenced by black musicians and Maxwell. (It is weird, though). His songs like Suitelady (The Proposal Jam) from “Urban Hang Suite” are traditional soul music as Sam Cooke and Bobby Womack would sing. Maxwell is a progressive singer just like his hair in the back photo of the “Urban Hang Suite” CD. I am looking forward to his new album. I wonder how he is going to sing about love for his lady. (Tsuyoshi Hayashi)
This entry was posted on Monday, December 1st, 2008 at 9:00 am and is filed under Interviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
