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INTERVIEW WITH RED K
RECORDS CEO CLAYTON SAVAGE
by James Auburn
Virginia-based label CEO Clayton Savage has been in the music industry at
all levels: musician, songwriter, producer, and independent record
executive. Once signed to Manhattan Records, his history includes extensive
work with Sugarhill Records, Kool Moe Dee, Grandmaster Melle Mel, Sequence,
and many others.
Clayton spoke with me in a three-hour interview from his Virginia offices. A
mentor at heart, he is as generous with his insight as he is with his time.
James Auburn: Can you
remember the first time you picked up an instrument?
Clayton Savage: Sorta. I was pluckin’ notes on a guitar and keyboard
around 6 or 7… also the children’s flute around 8 or 9. I sorta just played.
It's a total ear thing... tried to read music but it just didn't flow for
me. I respect those that do or can.
JA: To this day?
CS: To this day, What I can do is read a guitar chord and play it on
keyboard read as in A minor.. not the notes but the words.
JA: Right. What instruments did you decide to concentrate on and why?
CS: Piano, because of the harmonies and the sound of a good piano
that's tuned properly… because you can play any well written song on the
piano and be complete in a performance, solo. Today, I love the keyboard
naturally due to its digital integration and the availability of sounds
triggered by the keyboard as in input device, but the guitar took over the
piano for a long long while, I rocked and rolled and grooved. The
bendability of the strings and the physical connection between the player
and the strings is much more organic than any other instrument.. That's for
all string instruments. I would love to play violin. Might do it one day!
I played the drums for a while but as a solo instrument it .... didn't get
the mood across. Hard to rap to a girl with a drumset! Some chicks dig
drummers and they are in a class of their own. Also it made a lot of noise
and a good set is expensive and has upkeep. One of my favorite drummers to
this day is Narada Michael Walden. I saw him do a solo as a kid that blew my
mind and he was a great producer too; great influence. I also played trumpet
for a while...
JA: So when did you decide to make this (music) your life?
CS: Around fourteen I started doing this semi-pro and writing and
recording as I was. I knew I had something going on so I had my first label
at fifteen. Started selling my own cassettes and stuff - chasing down record
deals. Got one at seventeen with Sugar Hill Records and started doing this
professionally. I've written and recorded with some of the absolute best and
trained along side some of the best engineers too, so the knowledge I have
is derived from so many top notch sources. I feel blessed. You can't get
this information on your own or from any of the newbie producers either.
They have a singular vision. I call myself a producer before anything else.
I make it sound like it should no matter the source material or style/genre.
That's the basis for what I do. Then a songwriter, then a musician.
JA: Is that the order of your passions, too?
CS: Yup. I'm checking production on anything I hear. That's the
difference between a finished product and just a recorded one. I engineer
mix and master all my own stuff and a lot of stuff I get from others.
JA: What did your very early music sound like?
CS: Well contrary to popular belief nothing like Prince. It was
guitar based, electronic and acoustic. I wrote a lot of love songs on piano.
I had a band with horns and a tight rhythm section. It was real funk…funky
funk.
JA: The best kind.
CS: Lionel Ritchie taught us all how to write a love song so the
quiet stuff could remind you of him. A lot happened on guitar mainly ‘cause
I didn't have a keyboard.
JA: How did you hook up with Sugar Hill Records?
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