Mark Ronson: Mark One
Artist:
Mark Ronson
2007 was arguably Mark Ronson's year. The producer and co-writer behind both Lily Allen's heartbroken ballad Littlest Things and much of Amy Winehouse's brilliant five-million selling Back To Black, Ronson's own album Version did pretty darned well too. With a top 10 album and a Grammy! Archna Sawjani catches up with the ‘English New Yorker' to discuss the endless accolades, Amy Winehouse and the year 2008...
Did you anticipate your career taking off the way it did?
No, definitely not. To be honest, I’m still trying to pinpoint why exactly my record has been so successful. It’s definitely bizarre and weird. I never expected it to do anywhere near this well.
Does fame and success equal happiness or madness?
I personally haven't had to pay a high price. I’m not really that famous compared to Lily or Amy. The people who come to my shows know who I am, but I’m not getting stopped coming out of the pub at midnight or anything.
The accolades must be pretty great too, right?
Yeah I’ve been producing records for eight years and it’s only now I’ve had any sort of real success and that’s mainly because of working with people of such great talent. I got Amy coming to my studio and saying “I like all this ‘60s, jukebox, girl group music,” which led to inspiring me for the sound of Back To Black. It’s nice that the people I respect also respect and like what I do.
What’s the nicest thing you have read about yourself?
I used to be engaged to Quincy Jones’s daughter and I was so afraid to play him any music because he’s heard everything. The man is brilliant. I would make up excuses like “Oh I left the CD at home.” Then I saw a interview he did and he said ‘Mark Ronson has turned into a really great producer.” He has no reason to be nice to me really because I broke off an engagement to his daughter, so the fact that he said that probably meant more to me than anything else I’ve ever read. He’s a musical genius.
Will you be working with Amy on the next album?
Definitely. We have been talking about it. I just finished a track for Mary J Blige for her album, which is out right now. Hopefully me and Amy still have some... I don’t think we have exhausted our creative partnership. She is such a prolific song-writer. The way that we work together is really good, so I can’t imagine we couldn’t do at least one more record. I know she really wants to start recording.
Is she ready? She seems to be in a very bad way right now...
Umm. [Pauses] Do you mind if I don’t comment on that?
Do you prefer working with new artists, who aren’t all crazy ego-monsters?
Yeah. That’s all I’ve done. Work with new talent that is. Except for Robbie Williams, I guess he’s pretty famous! When I met Lily, she was just some girl I met in a nightclub and Amy had some success with Frank, but nowhere near the superstar status she has now. I really do enjoy working with new artists because there’s not as much pressure in many ways.
You're so chilled for someone who produces emotive beats.
Yeah I am mellow. People think I'm on pain-killers or antihistamine all the time cos I talk slow. Or they think I'm stoned a lot, which I think is amusing. There's a club in Las Vegas and when I'd come out, they'd be like 'Man how high was Ronson!' But I don't smoke weed! It's weird.
Do you think your star-studded childhood is why you’re not affected? Sleepovers at Michael Jackson’s house etc...
I didn’t sleep over his house. He slept over my friend Sean’s house. Maybe seeing people like Michael or Robin Williams at my parent’s house has made me less affected by celebrities, but then I know kids who also grew up around it who are absolutely obsessed with it, so I think it just really depends on the person.
Born in London. Raised in New York. Are you British or a American?
I feel like an English New Yorker. New York is definitely my home, but I'm British.
How’s your love life?
I’ve been seeing the same girl for the past two years. She’s a great girl, really talented and an amazing artist. Her name’s Cosi. She’s a visual artist, a photographer.
Any goals for 2008?
I don’t really have any grand plan to be honest with you. I am actually pretty much just excited about producing some great music and working with artists who I think are really amazing and that’s kind of it. I’m not really thinking much further than that really.
RWD Magazine
MySpace.com/markronson
2007 was arguably Mark Ronson's year. The producer and co-writer behind both Lily Allen's heartbroken ballad Littlest Things and much of Amy Winehouse's brilliant five-million selling Back To Black, Ronson's own album Version did pretty darned well too. With a top 10 album and a Grammy! Archna Sawjani catches up with the ‘English New Yorker' to discuss the endless accolades, Amy Winehouse and the year 2008...
Did you anticipate your career taking off the way it did?
No, definitely not. To be honest, I’m still trying to pinpoint why exactly my record has been so successful. It’s definitely bizarre and weird. I never expected it to do anywhere near this well.
Does fame and success equal happiness or madness?
I personally haven't had to pay a high price. I’m not really that famous compared to Lily or Amy. The people who come to my shows know who I am, but I’m not getting stopped coming out of the pub at midnight or anything.
The accolades must be pretty great too, right?
Yeah I’ve been producing records for eight years and it’s only now I’ve had any sort of real success and that’s mainly because of working with people of such great talent. I got Amy coming to my studio and saying “I like all this ‘60s, jukebox, girl group music,” which led to inspiring me for the sound of Back To Black. It’s nice that the people I respect also respect and like what I do.
What’s the nicest thing you have read about yourself?
I used to be engaged to Quincy Jones’s daughter and I was so afraid to play him any music because he’s heard everything. The man is brilliant. I would make up excuses like “Oh I left the CD at home.” Then I saw a interview he did and he said ‘Mark Ronson has turned into a really great producer.” He has no reason to be nice to me really because I broke off an engagement to his daughter, so the fact that he said that probably meant more to me than anything else I’ve ever read. He’s a musical genius.
Will you be working with Amy on the next album?
Definitely. We have been talking about it. I just finished a track for Mary J Blige for her album, which is out right now. Hopefully me and Amy still have some... I don’t think we have exhausted our creative partnership. She is such a prolific song-writer. The way that we work together is really good, so I can’t imagine we couldn’t do at least one more record. I know she really wants to start recording.
Is she ready? She seems to be in a very bad way right now...
Umm. [Pauses] Do you mind if I don’t comment on that?
Do you prefer working with new artists, who aren’t all crazy ego-monsters?
Yeah. That’s all I’ve done. Work with new talent that is. Except for Robbie Williams, I guess he’s pretty famous! When I met Lily, she was just some girl I met in a nightclub and Amy had some success with Frank, but nowhere near the superstar status she has now. I really do enjoy working with new artists because there’s not as much pressure in many ways.
You're so chilled for someone who produces emotive beats.
Yeah I am mellow. People think I'm on pain-killers or antihistamine all the time cos I talk slow. Or they think I'm stoned a lot, which I think is amusing. There's a club in Las Vegas and when I'd come out, they'd be like 'Man how high was Ronson!' But I don't smoke weed! It's weird.
Do you think your star-studded childhood is why you’re not affected? Sleepovers at Michael Jackson’s house etc...
I didn’t sleep over his house. He slept over my friend Sean’s house. Maybe seeing people like Michael or Robin Williams at my parent’s house has made me less affected by celebrities, but then I know kids who also grew up around it who are absolutely obsessed with it, so I think it just really depends on the person.
Born in London. Raised in New York. Are you British or a American?
I feel like an English New Yorker. New York is definitely my home, but I'm British.
How’s your love life?
I’ve been seeing the same girl for the past two years. She’s a great girl, really talented and an amazing artist. Her name’s Cosi. She’s a visual artist, a photographer.
Any goals for 2008?
I don’t really have any grand plan to be honest with you. I am actually pretty much just excited about producing some great music and working with artists who I think are really amazing and that’s kind of it. I’m not really thinking much further than that really.
RWD Magazine
MySpace.com/markronson
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