Quincy Jones on Taylor Swift: ‘We need more songs… f–king songs, not hooks’

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Quincy Jones is 84 years old and in those 84 years, the man has accumulated a lot of gossip. Jones is a living legend, widely respected as an oracle in the music industry, film industry, Broadway and everywhere else. He’s friends with everybody, but he’ll also talk sh-t about anybody. Quincy sat down with GQ and wooo, is this interview something. I actually avoided reading this for a few days because I thought he was just going to come across as out-of-touch and I would feel sorry for him. But no – he’s sharp as a tack. And bitchy, judgy, ageist and sexist and kind of funny. You can read the full piece here, but here are the parts getting the most attention:

His 22 girlfriends: “I got 22 girlfriends. I was married three times, man. Was told not to marry actresses or singers. I ended up with two actresses, Peggy Lipton and Nastassja Kinski, and a superstar model. I didn’t listen to all the advice…. Hell yeah [I have 22 girlfriends]. Everywhere. Cape Town. Cairo. Stockholm—she’s coming in next week. Brazil—Belo Horizonte, São Paulo, and Rio. Shanghai—got a great girl over there from Shanghai, man. Cairo, whew.”

Whether his girlfriends know about each other: “Yeah, I don’t lie. And it’s amazing—women get it, man. Don’t you ever forget they’re 13 years smarter than we are. Don’t you ever forget it. My daughters gave me new numbers, because they kept saying, ‘Dad, you can’t go out with girls younger than us.’ I said, ‘Y’all are not young anymore.…’ So the new numbers are 28 to 42. They gave them to me.”

Whether he would date a woman his own age: “Hell no!” Jones gives me a look, a kind of incredulity that is some mixture of horror and bewilderment. “You see me with an 84-year-old woman? Are you crazy?” And why not? “Why not??? Why? For what, man? There’s nothing…there’s no upside. You gotta be kidding. I got me some technology out there”—he gestures to the mansion’s perimeter—”that keep fat and old away from here. Buzzes if they’re too old. But you’d be surprised.… These women, the young ones, are aggressive now. Oh my God, they’re fearless, man. All over the world.”

On Bono & racism: “[Bono]’s a great guy. I stay at his castle in Dublin, because Ireland and Scotland are so racist it’s frightening. He said, ‘Trying, Quincy, to assimilate, but it’s not coming easy.’ So I stay in his castle.”

The people he loves in music now: “Yeah, I love Kendrick Lamar, I love Bruno Mars, I love Drake, I love Ludacris, I love Common. Mary J. Blige. Jennifer Hudson.”

Whether he likes Taylor Swift: Jones makes a face, somewhere between disapproval and disdain. What’s wrong with it? “We need more songs, man. F–king songs, not hooks.” Some people consider her the great songwriter of our age. He laughs. “Whatever crumbles your cookie.” What’s missing? “Knowing what you’re doing. You know what I mean? Since I was a little kid, I’ve always heard the people that don’t wanna do the work. It takes work, man. The only place you find success before work is the dictionary, and that’s alphabetical.” So if you were producing a record for Taylor Swift, what would you have her do? “I’ll figure something out. Man, the song is the sh-t—that’s what people don’t realize. A great song can make the worst singer in the world a star. A bad song can’t be saved by the three best singers in the world. I learned that 50 years ago.”

[From GQ]

I actually disagree with him about a good song making a bad singer seem good – I find the opposite is often true, where a great singer can make a bad song palatable, or even great, and no amount of good songwriting will help a terrible vocalist. The problem with Taylor Swift is that she’s not a great vocalist and as a songwriter, she’s stuck in high school. She’s now working with better producers who throw a lot of sh-t at the wall to try to distract people from those two truths (that she’s not a great songwriter or vocalist).

As for what he says about girlfriends and dating women his own age… he seems sort of gross, sorry.

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157 Responses to “Quincy Jones on Taylor Swift: ‘We need more songs… f–king songs, not hooks’”

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  1. Christina says:

    He’s lucky he’s rich or he wouldn’t have any girlfriends.

    • Una says:

      I am sure he is aware of that. That’s why I don’t mind it, i guess? He is open about what he is so I don’t mind really. As long as it’s safe and consensual Quincy Jones and his 22 girlfriends can do whatever they want.

      • Sabrine says:

        If Taylor Swift didn’t have a “hook” in her songs, she’d be nowhere. Everyone knows what makes a song a hit is a good hook. He’s not aging very gracefully.

      • Jussayin says:

        I agree for the most part. I’m sure he knows it’s about the money and his name. I’m sure he’s not forcing them into anything. I just find it very sad that there are still women who choose to sleep with a man because of his bank account.

    • Alix says:

      True that.

      I think he sounds like a total jackass.

      • Margo S. says:

        In all honesty, I’ve never met an 84 year old that wasn’t a jackass lol.

      • Spring says:

        Ugh, yes. “Keep fat and old away from here” — what an enlightened message for his 6 grandchildren. I admire his work, activism, and accomplishments, but his misogyny sucks.

      • Spring says:

        There are plenty of 84-year-olds who aren’t jackasses. That’s as ageist as QJ’s views. If you’re including people with progressive cognitive loss in your 84-Yr-Olds = Assholes assertion, Alzheimer’s & other conditions cause very difficult & antisocial behaviors, but that’s a far different thing than being a jackass.

      • Marley31 says:

        I agree and disagree. I agree that people need to make songs. Bruno Mars has a lot of songs that are good but they also have a lot of hooks (there catchy) but there good. Madonna wasn’t a great singer ( and I say that being a big Madonna fan) but she was a star because 1 I think her songs were good and cathy 2 plus she new how to market herself. Madonna is the shit😊 that being said I think Taylor Swift is a gifted writer but all her songs sound the same.

    • Caly says:

      Men of his age are so funny when they think those younger women they sleep with see something in them other their money.

      • prissa says:

        @Carly – THIS! How do they convince themselves into thinking otherwise? That is some strong delusion right there.

      • Kitten says:

        I bet he knows. I mean..come on. No woman between 28-42 is going to be getting with a senior citizen who’s broke.

      • Nancy says:

        The president is a good example of that. Thinks he’s a hottie when he’s a nottie and 72 flipping years old.

      • Kit says:

        I don’t think men like Quincy Jones care at all what a woman thinks or feels, she is just there to serve whatever purpose a tired old man is paying for.

    • Spark says:

      It’s not always just about $$. Confidence, skill, charm and power are also attractive traits that attract some younger women to older men. The reason i’ve always been attracted to much older men, anyway.

      • Umyeah says:

        To an 84 year old???? Really???

      • Amy Tennant says:

        Yes, and he does seem quite charming, doesn’t he?

        (I do know what you mean, Spark, I’m poking at this old jerk, not you)

      • Mirage says:

        84 years old, but a legend.
        I think this generation doesn’t really understand the immense impact Quincy Jones has had on music, especially on funk, jazz and everything urban.
        I would 100% have a date with him if I had the chance, just to hear the incredible stories he must have.

      • Alix says:

        So Helen Mirren or Tina Turner, for instance, would be too old for him, huh? He may be a music legend, but he admits to being a shitty father and I’m guessing he didn’t treat anyone else in his life very well, either. Without his checkbook and little blue pills, he’s just a elderly misogynist pig now.

      • Aren says:

        Exactly. Maybe it’s because how us women are raced, to appreciate others despite their looks, age, etc. so I would absolutely date a 100 year old if he was somebody I admired.

    • fran says:

      Bam! Agreed!

      • Samantha says:

        In that case you’d better not be fat, old or black because you wouldn’t get a date anyway.

    • Umyeah says:

      Dude is sooooooooooo gross, i hope all of his 22 girlfriends dump him. Who the hell is he to shade woman his age? Old delusional rich man syndrome

      • HK9 says:

        I think his “22 girlfriends” also have multiple boyfriends and are having great fun living their lives. I never envisioned any of them waiting by the phone for his call-ever.

    • SilverUnicorn says:

      I wish there was a way to prove him wrong (hint: there isn’t, we live in a man-oriented, mysoginist, sexist and ageist society).

      I want to tell my 1st husband tonight that if I divorce him and score two more husbands (clearly both handsome) then I will be divorced at 84 but… man, 22 boyfriends younger than me all over the globe!!

      Imagine THAT.

      (It ain’t gonna happen even if I sleep covered with dollars… because old woman=garbage regardless of money)

    • Moe says:

      America is more racist than Ireland. I’ve lived both places. Just saying….

  2. BlanktFort says:

    Plus side, he disses Swift.
    Also plus for him, his daughters are so cool they bring him up a bit.

    Negatives – his entire attitude towards women and being friends with Bono.

    • BengalCat2000 says:

      This^

    • Kitten says:

      I can’t believe Rashida is his daughter. I love her. Sure, Quincy Jones is immensely talented but also immensely gross.

    • Otaku Fairy says:

      Yeah. I don’t mind older people wanting to date younger people or younger people wanting to date older people as long as the younger parties are consenting adults, the relationship isn’t abusive, etc. What’s gross is that this guy feels entitled to disrespect women who are outside of his narrow range of beauty and fuckability.
      But what he says about Taylor Swift is true.

    • Milla says:

      It’s not a plus it’s a fact. She’s average.

      But so is Bono. His last hit was over two decades ago.

      Music is dead. All the hyperproduction and shady deals finally turned art into complete business. Hopefully there will be some revolution. Something new and fresh. Something that will make those men in suits shake and tremble.

  3. Miles says:

    That’s his opinion and he can have it all he wants. The only reason why Taylor became as big as she is was her ability to write songs that so many people could relate to. She IS a great song writer. However, her and her team decided they wanted her to be a pop star which is when all the theatrics happened and now here we are. I don’t know how someone can listen to songs like All Too Well, Better Man, Clean, Style etc and then go “wow that person who wrote those songs sucks.” But different strokes for different blokes, I guess.

    Oh and being sexist/misogynistic isn’t cute or funny but I guess when Quincy Jones does it, it’s okay.

    • Josie says:

      I disagree: she’s a good songwriter, not a great one.

      • Croatian says:

        I think she WAS a great songwriter, but now is a good catchytunewriter.

      • OG OhDear says:

        I think that she/her team:
        (1) Got the benefit of the doubt because she was a teenager when she first broke out
        (2) Hasn’t progressed since then, and people expect more from someone in her late 20s who has been in the industry for a decade or so.

        IMO, I don’t think she/her team was ever a great songwriter (it doesn’t compare to Tori Amos or Fiona Apple, both of whom actually wrote their own songs as teenagers), but she filled the “innocent, victimized unpopular (white) girl” gap that was missing at the time.

    • PoodleMama says:

      I am a Taylor swift fan and enjoy her music but I would say that I have been a little surprised at how little her songs have matured with time. She writes about the same material over and over again. She also will use awkward phrasing to make all her lines rhyme when they should just be deleted (example bad blood/ mad love). But…Drake does that as well so I don’t understand how Quincy can criticize Taylor and say Drake is one of his favorites in the same breath.

    • Kelly says:

      Yeah what I’m getting from the article is that he is a total douchebag. The part about Swift is a small detail and doubt she cares what he thinks. I sure don’t.

  4. Neelyo says:

    Just because you can sing doesn’t mean you can write a song. I hate when people defend Swift, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé with the argument, ‘they write their own music!’. Please, that writing is really more about royalty money than any true gift for composition. Plus the songs are mediocre at best.

    Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hart, Harold Arlen, Irving Berlin wrote great songs. And let good people sing them. I respect a vocalist more who recognizes they’re not a songwriter.

    • Miles says:

      Or maybe those women don’t want to sing songs from a male point of view and would rather sing songs from their own experiences. Imagine that.

    • Shambles says:

      She’s great at writing about the teenage girl experience (still, now, at almost 30). That does not make her a great songwriter. Most of her songs could be written in about 10 minutes with no deep thought behind them. That’s fine if that’s the kind of music you want, but that doesn’t make them great songs— it makes them great products, and that’s what she’s selling.

      • Slowsnow says:

        I prefer Lorde’s take on being a teen.

      • Aren says:

        I agree. I think in the past, pop music was expected to have a certain level of complexity. These days, anything that sells is good enough.
        And I’m not saying “old music was better”, there is still a lot of good music at the moment, but mainstream has remained ‘Madonna-level’ for way too long, in my opinion.

    • Andrea says:

      Mariah is legit an amazing songwriter. She wrote a Christmas classic “All I Want For Christmas Is You”…idk how you could dismiss her talent.

  5. Pomegranate says:

    He’s gross. Period.

  6. Maya says:

    Atleast he hasn’t assaulted anyone (that we know off) so there is that.

  7. Millennial says:

    He name dropped like crazy the whole interview, and mostly people who are dead. It seemed to me like he spends a lot of time reminiscing about his younger days.

    The weirdest part when when he said he saw Ray Charles shoot heroin into his testicles because he was out of veins. Gross.

    • Caly says:

      Yep, he talked about rubirosa’s penis size and he said this about Marilyn Monroe: “It was unbelievable, man. Frank was always trying to hook me up with Marilyn Monroe, but Marilyn Monroe had a chest that looked like pears, man.”
      He’s so gross.

  8. Mabs A'Mabbin says:

    Damn. I wanted to like him. F*ck him.

  9. Josie says:

    “Some people consider her the great songwriter of our age”. 😂😂😂

  10. Nicole says:

    I mean his gross views of women are not new at all.
    But his remarks about Taylor are hilarious and true. And the petty queen can’t do anything because Quincy has more capital in the business than she could ever hope for. Just like Patti Labelle shaded her too. Here for it.

    • magnoliarose says:

      I am too. She is extremely overrated and annoying.
      Rashida is great. She went to Harvard and was always intelligent so it was no surprise to anyone who knew her that she would do something interesting. She didn’t really become an actress until after college. Love her. My cousin could be her body double they look so much alike.
      His sexist views are far from new. Somehow though his daughters, especially Rashida are solid strong minded women with lovely personalities.

      • Domino says:

        I wonder if you can grow up with a sexist, ageist dad like that and don’t end up with issues around men?

  11. Sasha says:

    I think he’s talking about songs in the sense of composition and heightened musicality. He’s not just a producer, he had his start as a jazz arranger and composer. I think especially with recent albums, Taylor Swift music is pretty generic production created by Max Martin. There’s no innovation there in the way Off the Wall or Thriller innovated music.

    • Amy Tennant says:

      Cool. I like that. I wish I understood that side of it more.

      I hate what he said about what he said about dating women his own age though.

      As far as what he said about a great song working even with a bad singer… this example is probably more relevant lyrically than musically, but think about Bob Dylan. Personally, I always liked Dylan’s voice, but I know it’s not technically what is usually considered “beautiful.” His songs were always so great though, so it worked. Then when you hear someone else cover one of his songs, sometimes it just blows you away! I think sometimes you really appreciate Dylan’s songwriting ability when somebody covers him (maybe because you can understand the words). But I still like hearing Dylan lurch and mumble his way through them. 🙂

      Well, of all that Jones has “produced,” I think I like Rashida the best. I’m going to credit Peggy with giving her a good feminist upbringing.

    • Tiffany :) says:

      Yes, I agree re: his comments on song writing.

      His production on “Man in the Mirror” is some of the BEST that has ever been made. The key change is some of the most powerful music I have ever heard. The meaning, the lyrics, the sound, they all completely unify in support of the message of the song. It is musical genius.

  12. smcollins says:

    Huh….well that was an interesting read. All I can say is he’s 84. I’m not even sure “old school” could cover that way of thinking, but it’s not like he’s going to change now. I found his reactions and comments about TS pretty comical though.

  13. Lulu says:

    I don’t care if he’s dissing the person who I can’t stand , when he talks about woman in general the way he does , his opinion loses any credibility to me … gross !!! If I was his daughters I wouldn’t be helping him I would be ashamed !

  14. deets says:

    Would be nice if someday we got past casually sh+tting on older women.

    Qincy is part of the overarching problem that sees women’s value as their youth and sexual availability.

  15. peanutbuttr says:

    I think the right song can make a mediocre vocalist great. Madonna is a primary example. She’s not a good singer but she knew what songs worked for her and sold it.

  16. Red says:

    Who the hell is saying Taylor Swift is the greatest songwriter of our generation? WHO??? She can sometimes write a catchy song, sure, but they are not classics. Good grief, I can’t even imagine what her ego must be like if she’s getting fed these lies.

    • Nicole says:

      Her delusional stans who I question if they’ve ever listened to an artist that has written groundbreaking music. Her stuff is relatable but this far into her career boring and predictable

    • MellyMel says:

      What Nicole said…

    • magnoliarose says:

      Nicole summed it up. Outrageous I know but they believe it.

    • HH says:

      RIGHT?! It’s one thing to enjoy her music, but at least be honest about it. Britney Spears came on the scene in my early teens. I loved to dance around to some Britney, but you’re not going to tell me that’s a great singer. Britney Spears had a great team behind her and that “it” factor that made her exciting to watch. However, I would have never called her a great singer or even extremely talented.

    • lily says:

      Of all the horrible things he said, that is the one that bothered you? Seriously? Man I dislike Tay but no way in hell I am gonna give a pass to a person who is pos like him.

  17. Cannibell says:

    Thanks for sharing, Quincy.

  18. Fleurucci says:

    It always disturbs me when old men treat /think of old women like that

    • Bungler says:

      I’m 42. Next year I’ll be out of his f*ckable range. I’m so sad. Or I can just go home and bang my hot 45-year-old husband whose ball sac is still at the appropriate length.

      My friends and I already laugh at the divorced boys we know trying to date all the 20-somethings. It will be all the more painfully amusing when I’m his age. And I’ll be chilling in my caftans eating all the chocolate. Can’t wait.

    • magnoliarose says:

      Don’t be disturbed. A lot of older women aren’t so into 84-year-old men either. My aunt/cousin is in her early 70s, and she will not date a man over 70. 65 really but 70 if he’s energetic and forward thinking. After her husband died, she said she doesn’t want to deal with a boring old man who is looking for another wife to take care of him. Her boyfriend now is 60 and very dashing, but she will never remarry. She is too independent and into her farm and garden and philanthropy but most of all doing whatever she wants to do.
      Quincy doesn’t understand women at all.
      Men like him think a woman’s whole sense of self is about men, but I know many interesting, attractive older women who wouldn’t date him either. He’s no catch.

  19. ALLY says:

    That is some Trump level disgusting. “I got me some technology out there that keep fat and old away from here. Buzzes if they’re too old.”

    Has he even had a hit since Michael Jackson?

    Also, poor Nastassja Kinski – her crazy father, Roman Polanski and then this guy. Must be quite some therapy bills.

    • Valois says:

      Nastassja Kinski was on the German version of Dancing with the Stars about two years ago and she seemed mentally unwell imo. Her whole behaviour during and after the show was pretty sad and I cannot imagine what she went through.

      • Ally says:

        I’m sorry to hear that. This #metoo moment has made me realize afresh how much of what we call ‘mental illness’ and often subsequent self-medicating addictions are common (natural) reactions to (unnatural) abuse and trauma.

        All the more reason to help victims rather than stigmatizing the state of their mental health and possible addictions. And also to inhibit/punish the perpetrators and prevent their future crimes as soon as possible.

    • manta says:

      Not to mention that her first husband Ibrahim Moussa was allegedly violent, the relationship wasn’t easy.
      To the credit of Quincy Jones, I read an interview from Sonia Kinski (Nastassja and Ibrahim’s daughter) saying that she considered Jones her father, gave her advice, confidence, even years after he was no longer with her mother.

  20. tracking says:

    This interview only confirms why it has been, and continues to be, a man’s world. Screw this sexist @sshole.

  21. Sitka says:

    Maybe the problem when he comes to Ireland isn’t that we are racist but that he is sexist and the people he encounters don’t want to deal with him? He is 84 and very accomplished but the way he speaks about women, and actually the way he came across in that interview doesn’t make him someone I would ever like to meet here in little old racist Ireland.

    If any of you do come to Ireland – I recommend going outside Dublin; it’s much cheaper; breathtaking scenery and some amazing accommodation!

    • Josieinmo says:

      Sitka,
      We are visiting Ireland in May and are looking forward to driving around the country. We are reading about the history of Ireland and are watching some Netflix docs. Do you have any recommendations for modern novels set in Ireland? We have decided on the ring of Kerry, the giant’s causeway and the Boyne Valley. We just have 8 days and are visiting friends who live south of Belfast for two them but anything else you would highly recommend? Hope you see this!

      Josie

    • Kitten says:

      TBH I didn’t care much for Dublin. Much preferred Galway and some of the other towns along the coastline. But I’m from a small fishing town in New England so that could be part of the appeal for me..

      • Jeannie says:

        Galway! One of my friends is from Ireland and both he and his sister went to college in Galway and said it’s a great college town. Raucous, but then we also watched the ed sheeran video and it looks very pretty and austerely beautiful. I’d love to go to Ireland, all of my references from Ireland are older so i was so excited to meet a young irish person.

  22. littlemissnaughty says:

    He seems delightful. It’s always so refreshing when crusty old rich guys share their views that can mostly be summed up as “Everything was better in the good old days.” How inspiring.

  23. manda says:

    This interview is hilarious, although also sad. Men are pigs. But I laughed out loud at the “y’all are not young anymore!” comment because, alas, they (and I am 41 so I’m right there with them) are not young anymore. It’s weird to be in this place of life where I’m basically invisible to so many people. It’s not a completely unwelcome turn of events. I also wonder if I only just feel invisible because one thing about getting older is you stop caring what people think. So maybe being less self-conscious makes you notice people noticing you less. That, or I’m invisible. 🙂

    Regarding your comments on Taylor Swift–yes!!! I never was a fan although yes, some of her songs are catchy, and I think you summation, that she is stuck in high school and not a good singer or songwriter are spot on.

    • adastraperaspera says:

      I understand what you are saying about invisibility of women after a certain age. It’s somewhat of a relief in a way, and yet it exposes so much about the culture. Probably the most unsettling thing for me to see now is how obviously young women are treated as a commodity. That’s hard to see when you’re under 40.

    • Slowsnow says:

      I am pretty sure you are not invisible TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE @manda. (about to be 42 here)

    • SilverUnicorn says:

      Who cares @manda, nearing 50 here and I am so over ageist society…

    • Honey says:

      I thought it was kind of funny too. One of my friends has two adult daughters who are pushing into their late 20s and early 30s. She told her girls to start going to basketball games and to buy court side sits to attract players. Her reasoning was that it’s better to hook up with a rich loser than a broke one. Her girls looked aghast when told this and they were like “Moma!?!” With a straight face, she replied, it’s not like you all are virgins. I almost died of laughter.

      I also thought it was funny too when Q said that he has technology around his house to keep out old and fat women. Why??? Because he was obviously lying . Plus, at 84, is his junk really working like it used to? And, not only that, but women within his age range are probably not going to do all of the rubbing, stroking and sucking (forgive me for that) that’s required for him to get it up. He probably needs young women with surgically enhanced breasts wearing two-piece bikinis to make him feel . . . something. But with an older women, she’ll take a look at his limp noodle, pat him on his hand, then tell his old *ss to go sit down.

  24. Beth says:

    He’s another example of an old pig who’d have no chance with all of these women if he wasn’t rich and famous. Gross

  25. Brea says:

    I disagree: Taylor Swift is no Joni Mitchell, but she can be a gifted songwriter and most of her songs that don’t end up as singles show that.
    That said, it feels like lately you can’t critique other people’s art without being labelled a “hater”.
    I remember when y’all dragged Damon Albarn through the mud, even daring to say that he’s not talented, just because he said that the album Adele was working on was creatively safe and very “middle of the road”. Eventually we got to listen to 25 and guess what? It was exactly like he described it.

    • oh-dear says:

      hmm, interesting perspective @Brea.
      I wonder how much of this whole conversation is about audience? Would Joni and Dylan find success today? I think of the great songwriters we do have (I love Hozier, for example) and they do not have the interest or audience those great singer-songwriters of the 60’s and 70’s. There isn’t a market for intelligence and nuance on a very large pop-scale at this point in time. It seems performing, entertaining and reaching the masses drives content.

  26. Tiffany says:

    Re: Swifty, well…yeah, he right.

  27. Censored says:

    There is an old Oprah interview with Quincy back in the 80’s, before Color Purple , before they were friends, in fact Oprah was meeting him for the first time and seemed In awe of him
    At the time he had at least 3 marriages behind him and was on his 5th or 6th child with maybe 4 or 5 moms . Oprah asked him something that Is really no body’s business (but I suppose it was relevant in the 80 ‘s but I doubt she or anyone would such a question now ) and that is why he only dated, married and procreated with white women ?

    HIs response was ” its not that I only date white women it’s that I only date beautiful women ” it sounded sooooh bad and the way in which he said it , that the white women in the audience actually gasped and had their jaws open ( I mean there isn’t many other ways to Interpret that other than only white women are beautiful ) and Oprah who is rarely at a loss for words was stunned for a minute before she regained her composure and moved on

    I mean date who you want but what he had to say and how he said it , the whole exchange was so cringeworthy ,it gave me an insight into who he was

    • deets says:

      Well that is a whole level of gross I did not know about.
      Also insight, his daughters are the ones that made him date ‘older’. You know, the ones who will never be beautiful.

    • Aren says:

      That’s horrifying and I’m not exaggerating.
      I’m done, he might be very talented, but no amount of talent excuses that mentality.

  28. Jamie15 says:

    He’s really gross. I’m not going to separate what he’s saying because I dislike Taylor either.
    Why wasn’t their a post on all the disgusting things he’d said about women? Who cares if he thinks Taylor’s wack. This dude has got some cases coming out against him,I’m sure.
    His whole interview was gross. I don’t care about his opinion on any woman.

  29. Nancy says:

    He used to be cool. Aside from all the weirdness that is his love life, he’s spot on about Swift. When you’re his age and have had as much success as he did, you don’t have to be so pc. Meanwhile back at the ranch, Taylor’s mopping the floor with the bucket of tears she spilled demanding to know what rhymes with Quincy. Ha!

  30. Claudia says:

    He sounds like an old creepy delusional man.

    And I beg to differ: Taylor is a great songwriter. Vocalist – no.

  31. stace says:

    There seems to be a few that will completely overlook his comments about women simply because he dislikes Taylor Swift. I’m not a Taylor Swift fan however she doesn’t bother me it’s men like Quincy who bother me. His comments prove he is a misogynist nevermind the fact that this is a man who refuses to date women of his own color.

  32. HK9 says:

    I completely agree with him about Taylor Swift. I admire his career, he’s a legend. As a musician I’ve learned so many things from him. As for his personal life it’s as trashy, tawdry and self-hating as you can get which is what makes him human. It’s like he give the best of himself to his career and there was nothing left for his personal life.

  33. BaBaDook says:

    He seems gross tbh. Also, why is he lumping Ireland and Scotland in together here? We’re not even remotely attached.

    Also I can’t speak for Scotland but here in Ireland we’re fairly progressive as a society (the government is still catching up with the views of the people of course) – sure there are incidents like everywhere but overall we’re way more welcoming than say, the US are to POC – be it immigrints, tourists or the children of immigrints.

    • BaBaDook says:

      Obviously I don’t want to undermine his experience but from the POV of the first generation of Irish kids to grow up with POC around us, things are so much better than they have ever been here. I don’t think Quincey hiding in a castle or Bono who owns said castle are really the best people to inform us on real Irish society. Smh.

      TLDR: Bono is a pox. And Quincy Jones is not much better

    • Alyse says:

      I think he sunds confused. He was talking about Bono and castles and Ireland and Scotland. Scotland’s no connection to Bono!

  34. Tig says:

    Good Lord- I really struggled to
    find the “humor” in his comments. Does he ever stop to think that a woman 60+ would see through his pathetic self-absorbsion in 0.2 milliseconds? Hope he keeps his “boundary system” in working order, so the “olds” can’t get to him.
    And, sorry, disagree that a good pop song is easy to write/easily forgotten.

  35. mannori says:

    he thinks saying he has 30 “young girlfriends” around the world makes him look macho and stuff, when all that comes out of this is that he’s a pathetic insecure old dude, who has to pay for sex and obviously uses Viagra, at his age obviously can’t get it up to satisfy one woman, let alone 30 20somethings. . Also that comment about Swift is so misogynist and contradictory of his own hook-ups, why he’s not bitching about male singers jumping from one bed to another? Legend my *ss: treating women like meat and disrespect older women, this whole interview actually is disgusting to me.

    • mannori says:

      I’m going to add something that might seem an unfair generalization and I’m sure it actually is unfair because many elders are great role models and honest people, but anyway: I cannot wait for the worst people of his generation to just leave this world. Many of these men and women have misogyny, racism and discrimination to any minority rooted inside of them so deeply and unapologetically in their brains and hearts that can’t help to let it out and offend and insult even if they’re not even trying to. Leave, leave…your time has passed. Fresh air.

    • sparrow2 says:

      I am disgusted right along with you. And you know what? He can’t even get a date with an older woman because they all got his #. No self-respecting older woman would put up with his sh*t.

    • Alyse says:

      Disgusting to me too.

  36. Emily says:

    I don’t think this dude should get a free pass for being gross just because he dissed Taylor Swift. His comments about women are just not okay in 2018.

  37. Slowsnow says:

    Stockholm is coming?! Does he mean the syndrome? because… yeah.

  38. Jayna says:

    Gross is an understatement about bragging about all of the young women he’s banging and the way he carries on about women in the article. His tone about older women is so demeaning. If you have class and confidence, there is no reason to say any of it like that. He’s old and somehow now feels the need to brag in a way that isn’t cool. It’s just gross. Live your life the way you see fit. I don’t care about that. It’s this interview that is so off-putting.

    There are no words.

    “You gotta be kidding. I got me some technology out there”—he gestures to the mansion’s perimeter—”that keep fat and old away from here. Buzzes if they’re too old.” Ugh. He’s 84, and his cut-off age for a woman is 42. His “fat” comment is sure getting a pass, it seems.

    • Lightpurple says:

      The “technology” is his abrasive personality. Mature women won’t put up with his crap.

      And, Quincy, check your ego at the door. When was the last time anybody asked to here “We are the World”? And Bandaid’s “Feed the World”?

      • jetlagged says:

        The man has an EGOT and 27 Grammy Awards (more than almost anyone else in history). I’m not sure you can reduce his career to a few charity singles from 30 years ago.

  39. Other Renee says:

    Just because he says he’s got a bunch of girlfriends doesn’t mean it’s actually true. Just saying.

  40. Renee says:

    He sounds like a sexist pig.

  41. CityGirl says:

    So, my comment is based Soley on The Title of this one:

    Amen Quincy Jones! Amen!

    • CityGirl says:

      So, my comment is based Soley on The Title of this one:

      Amen Quincy Jones! Amen!

      But yes – He has Always been problematic

  42. SuzyQ says:

    He’s a pig and an ass. Everyone’s entitled to be attracted to whoever they’re attracted to. No judgment. No rules. To be clear, I’m taking about adults.
    But the way he disses and dismisses older women (all women), the way he talks about them is disgusting. He doesn’t get a pass because of who he is.

    • Samantha says:

      Thank you SuzyQ, it’s almost as if his comment was glossed over for some reason. Genius or not, his attitude toward women is disgusting. He is entitled to like whom he likes, but to put others down in the process is not okay. No other man would’ve been given a pass for this, I’m not sure why he does???

  43. perplexed says:

    I thought he was joking about the girlfriends. 22? Really? How? But clearly I was wrong.

  44. Amy says:

    Fat and old? Sexist and ageist. 84 year old women are included in the women that deserve respect. Especially 84 year old women. All women. Me too and times up include all women. The 22 girlfriends should dump him for that statement alone.

  45. BJ says:

    Q is a producer and arranger so I respect his opinion about music composition.
    His girlfriends are with him because he is rich and powerful.He is with them because they are young and beautiful.They are equally shallow.

    • GreenTurtle says:

      Yes, it annoys me when people focus on the woman for being a “gold digger..” It’s a transactional relationship on BOTH sides.

  46. Kayahead says:

    Meh, gotta say, I wasn’t that disturbed by his feelings on women. Sure, they are problematic an indicative of an overall problem in society, but from all indications his relationships are consensual and mutually beneficial to all parties, so more power to them! Also, many, many men feel that way about youth and beauty and that, although older women are beautiful in their own way, youthful beauty is the true pinnacle. I actually have quite a few girlfriends who also feel the same way a only date younger so, there you go. What I found even more amazing is his life story, his background, his near death experiences and his proximity to so many amazing events and people (his Ghetto Gumpness)…absolutely amazing! I am always fascinated by people like him, near geniuses who clearly have something extra going on, and how their genius manifested itself, how it was nurtured, how they managed to keep pushing the envelope in the face of institutional barriers.

    • jetlagged says:

      His life and his career are something else. If you tried to do a movie of his life, no one would believe it’s based on a true story. And let’s face it, a single movie wouldn’t do it justice. It would need to be a multi-season series on Netflix or something just to fit it all in. And he’s still going strong.

  47. CK3 says:

    I mean… Praying is a really good song that makes a bad singer seem good and I say that as someone who likes Kesha. She just doesn’t seem to have the range anymore. Same goes for most Lana Del Ray songs and Joe Jonas/Nick Jonas/One Direction member. T Swift is vocally the weakest mainstream singer out there, but she has really good songs.

  48. Bp says:

    How is this guy “sharp as a tack” Or “funny”?
    Seriously this guy is a deplorable piece of garbage.

  49. lily says:

    I don’t like Taylor Swift but seriously I have seen people calling her so much worse words like c***, w**** for hooking up and this ugly f-tard gets away with it. This dude is way worse. The hell? Don’t talk about women like that you stinky bish.

  50. Bliss 51 says:

    An old man of his time and generation, so his views on women are not shocking to me. Add to that he’s a musician, a brilliant one to be sure, who’s toured and hung w/ men like Frank Sinatra and Ray Charles, major hound dogs. I will defer to him on his views on TS. He knows music, works everywhere, listens to what’s out there, worked w/ FS and RC. Sinatra was a thug, but a gifted singer, as well, along w/ RC who brought his blues take to country western, I Can’t Stop Loving You and to the Beatles. But yeah, sure, he’s sexist and ageist, no surprise. And this is what an interview looks like when it hasn’t been groomed, shaped and edited by the talent’s team/people.

  51. Jingle says:

    Here’s the truth. Quincy Jones is an 84 year old man who only likes white women aged 28-42. He clearly has a crush on her and is acting like a school boy to get her attention.

    Whether you like her song writing or not she WRITES the songs and does producing. Bruno won song of the year for a song with over TEN plus male writers. I guess Taylor could go that route and have an entire basketball team write for her but until then take what she gives you. If you don’t like it, find an artist who fits your maturity level. Here’s a hint pop music should not be where you look for mature music.

  52. lucy2 says:

    “Some people consider her the great songwriter of our age.” Yeesh. Did Megyn Kelly conduct this interview? Who is saying that about Taylor Swift?
    I respect his incredible talent and career in music. His daughter Rashida is awesome (I don’t know much about his other kids). If he wants to have “girlfriends” all over the world and they are consenting adults, but that’s their business.
    But the “keep away the fat and old” thing is really gross, as is the idea of an 80+ person “dating” a 28 year old.

  53. SM says:

    Gross!

  54. jetlagged says:

    It’s probably worth pointing out he has apologized for his “joke” about dating.
    https://twitter.com/QuincyDJones/status/953937510593277953

    I don’t know that I entirely think it was a joke, in my experience jokes like that usually have a large grain of truth about them.

  55. Mees says:

    At least he’s honest. He’s not married for appearances and pretending not to be a slutty old fella. Sounds like these women get flown all over the world so if it works for everyone then why the hell not.

  56. Jen says:

    I hate to say it but this is why I get a little miffed about younger women dating older men. I mean sure love can be “ageless” but men dating much older woman is a rarity so i don’t know how true that is.

  57. Veronica says:

    Oh my God, he is such a misogynist dinosaur, but honestly, that interview is a piece of f*cking post-modernist art. It’s insane! The name dropping. The reveal that Wonder and Ray would act more disabled if it meant getting girls to fuss over them. Getting stabbed by a Chicago gang at seven. The part about his daughters refusing to let him date women younger than them. TELLING THE POPE HE HAD PIMP SHOES. Amazing.

    • jetlagged says:

      I don’t know how much of it is 100% truth, but it’s one of the most epic celebrity profiles I’ve ever read. To go from a seven year old catching rats so mom could cook them for dinner, to having Oprah bringing then presidential hopeful Barack Obama to his mansion in the hopes Jones will switch his support from Hillary to Obama – man, what a life he’s lived.

  58. Jingle says:

    That’s why Taylors fans always point to her Grammy award wins. It’s not that they are bragging about awards it’s that there is always someone knocking her musical ability. So when that happens you ask them if she’s so bad how has she won TWO AOTY Grammy awards? One, you could call a fluke but two is saying this B is great. So that’s why and they will continue to do it for as long as people claim she’s so terrible. 12 years in the business. 4 one million openers, one of very few artists who will write solo. Has never had anything lower then 71 metacritic. For reference Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran just won grammys for albums with scores LOWER then 71. She’s never been below 71 rep is her worse with 71.

    This is more proof TAYLOR does not create drama. I haven’t seen her at all this year yet here we have an 84 year old man slamming her in the press. As Taylor says SHE DOES NOT LOVE the DRAMA it LOVES her. Why didn’t they ask him if he liked Beyonce or Rihanna? That would have made more sense since his current faves are male hip hop artists like DRAKE and he threw Mary J and Jhud in for the women. Beyonce should have been the question, not taylor cuz judging by his current faves any white female pop artist is not his liking.

    Then people claim SHE forces people to ask questions about her, this is more proof that’s false. Interviewers ask ANYBODY about her (who will take the bait) sometimes it comes back positive and sometimes it comes back negative but it is never HER forcing herself to be part of anyone’s interview.

  59. Bridget says:

    Dude. You have money and power in the music industry. You know why “hooks” are successful? Because that’s what the powers that Be are creating. That’s what’s being played and being rewarded. You want better? Nurture that talent.

  60. Elizabeth says:

    I find it interesting that a man so ageist and sizeist manages to gripe about racism.

  61. Anare says:

    Just came in to say that I agree with QJ assessment of Taylor Swift’s music. I can’t stand 99.9% of her stuff and can’t turn it off fast enough. It’s just juvenile and annoying. Only exception is the song her old BF and Rihanna did. That was ok. Probably b/c it wasn’t Taylor singing it. I’m sure QJ knows a lot of women but I think he was just having some fun with the bit about 22 girlfriends.

  62. kiddo says:

    HAhaha–
    In my mid-30’s I feel no reason to waste the time and considerable effort it takes to coax and intensely focus on the junk of men no longer in their 20s when far more often than not they do not have the skills not the desire to get me off in return.

    You think YOU don’t like older women? That’s because we are not putting in any effort to seduce you. Women aren’t unsexy as they get older–they just stop putting out crumbs when they don’t want to lure a dud.

    Women are women. We are POWERFUL in getting your attention if we want it.

    But honey, we aren’t aren’t giving you anything to work with by choice.

    When we spot a winner, we are perfectly capable of reeling it in.

  63. Ozogirl says:

    He doesn’t have to be so damn rude about age and body type…

    Taylor is a decent pop song writer, but a terrible singer. Once in awhile she puts out a couple of gems though… like Getaway Car or Blank Space.

  64. Layla Love says:

    He’s a Pig