Ray Parker Jr., Bobby Brown & Run-D.M.C.: Black Performers' Impact on the 'Ghostbusters' Franchise

Greetings and welcome to another episode of Queue Points podcast. I am DJ Sir Daniel and my.

Name is Jay Ray, sometimes known by my government as Johnnie Ray Kornegay III. And we about to talk about a movie song.

Absolutely, Ray. You know, soundtracks are super important and let's just break it down real quick as to why. For one, soundtracks give an emotional enhancement to a movie. Like, depending on the genre of the movie, the songs associated with it will heighten that.

Yep. The thing about soundtracks as well, too, is it also expands on the themes in the film. I think it's interesting because the songs we'll talk about today have this very kind of literal tie to the movie, but oftentimes with soundtrack songs, it's just like a beautiful song that describes a scene or describes a moment in the film that really brings us more into it and sometimes even surpasses the film itself.

Absolutely. And I think what you're referring to is a cultural resonance that songs from soundtracks have. And they can take on the life of their own and they can speak to a time period, a specific time period. And it also just. It just gives such a cultural. Just makes a cultural stamp on the. On the. On the movie itself as well as to the listeners that are listening. And of course, where this is a capitalist society, soundtracks or branding opportunities. Come on now.

Absolutely. We love listen. Hollywood is amazing at selling things in multiple ways. You are going to get a film, you are going to get action figures.

Yes.

And you are going to get a hit song sung by Celine Dion that you cannot forget.

And if you're lucky, there'll be comic books, there'll be a cartoon based on the movie, there'll be spinoffs. So, yes, you're absolutely right. Um, it's just really, it's a very smart way to make some more money and to capitalize off the success of an already successful movie. And sometimes, like we said before, the soundtrack can be more successful than the actual movie itself. So let's just break it down for the people we are talking about, none other than the Ghostbusters franchise. On this episode, we're going to discuss how three black performers actually enhanced the movie franchise with their three different versions of the soundtrack for Ghostbusters.

Absolutely. And what's interesting about this particular conversation, too, is if you go back and you look at the cast of Ghostbusters, there are very few black folks in the first two films, and we're specifically focusing on Ghostbusters one and two. And of course, you get Ernie Hudson, who is a main character in the group of four. But there's very few black characters in either of those films. So it is particularly interesting that the three main soundtrack songs, and we did say three because I know y'all are, like, there's only two main soundtrack songs. The Ghostbusters. Nope, not true. There are three. And so it's interesting that all three of those songs are by black artists.

Real quick, Jay Ray, don't you find it funny in movies how there's always just, like, one black person? There's one black person in the friend group?

Yes.

How did that happen? That's just a question that I've always.

Had in New York. In the eighties.

In the eighties. Well, of course, this movie took place in Manhattan. They didn't venture out into the outer boroughs like Brooklyn or Queens, Jamaica, Queens, or even Harlem for that respect. So that's how we get here. But let's take it back to 1984.

Yeah.

So Ghostbusters is propelled into the atmosphere, the stratosphere, of being a very successful movie. One, of course, because it's got all these special effects and it's ghosts and whatnot. And it's a comedy, but it's also action. It's an action comedy with a little bit of horror to it. But the one thing that you always remember about Ghostbusters is that friggin theme song. Who you gonna call Ghostbusters. And we have none other. We have nobody else to thank for that but Ray Parker Junior.

Yeah, so that's really interesting. So, of course, Ray Parker Junior, famed session guitarist. You can hear Ray Parker Junior on Barry White tunes. You can hear him on Bill Withers tunes, boz eggs, Ray Parker Junior, and also his own band. He had a band called radio.

Radio.

And which, I love the spelling of that. It's R A y d I o. I thought that was great. Named after him.

Exactly. Why not?

And Ray Parker Junior, kind of what he was known for was kind of. Ray Parker Junior had a shtick. So not only was he just, like, a main guitar player, but he also had a way of songwriting that kind of lended itself to kind of the humorists in a lot of ways. So you would find these interesting lyrics in Ray Parker Junior songs. And by the time Ray came on board for Ghostbusters, Sir Daniel, they were already into the mixing process for, like, the film. So he kind of came later. And he has been on the record as saying he struggled a bit with, like, the song's lyrics, like, coming up with the song's lyrics. And. And so the reason why he came up with the who you gonna call is because apparently he started to reminisce back to, like, jingles around, like, plumbing and exterminators. And that's what kind of led him down that path.

Absolutely. So, of course, the song became a massive hit. It reached number one, of course, on the Billboard hot 100 and just catapulted him into the spotlight, because at this point, a lot of people didn't know Ray Parker Junior well. Didn't remember him as a part of a group or a session writer, things of that nature. So he just got. Became a cultural figure at that point. Jay Ray, I remember he showed up on, give me a break, acting. It was so. It was really quite hilarious because Nell Carter's character had the hots for Ray Parker Junior. Anyway, so what was I about to say? Oh, yes. Songwriting. Yes. Ray Parker Junior has written my favorite Sherilyn song.

Yeah.

Shake it up tonight. Yeah. Love this song. Especially when she did I'm going out tonight. Like you said, he had a very specific way of writing.

Yes.

And so that allows the vocalists to. To do some. Some, you know, very particular things with their. Their phrasing and the way that they would shape their mouths while they were singing. So I just thought that was so interesting that he wrote one of my favorite Sheryl Lynn songs. He wrote a song on your favorite Diana Ross album?

Yes, he did that. He. Ray was everywhere.

Everywhere.

Oh, my God. But, you know, my. My favorite, actually, Ray Parker Junior written song. You might. You might know. You might. Could guess this, but a lot of people do not know that. This is a great connection, actually.

I know where you're going.

You know where we're going. A lot of people do not know that. New editions. Mister Telephone man is actually a cover.

Yep.

It was written by Ray Parker Junior and originally performed by Ray Parker Junior. And I love that song because none other than Bobby Brown wears out that whole hook.

Yes.

He is singing his little heart out.

On that for his breakfast, lunch and dinner.

And, of course, that Bobby Brown is connected to the second main Ghostbusters theme.

That's right.

Um, in 1989, Bobby Brown is hot as fish grease, baby. Listen, don't be cruel have been released. We actually have an entire live show that we did on Bobby Brown and on our own, so you should definitely go and check that out in addition to this. But the cliff's notes is Bobby Brown was super hot. Don't be cruel had spawned, like, four top ten hits by the time on our own was recorded. So Bobby Brown, um, the producer, one of the producers of the film was like, listen, I want this guy Bobby Brown. This guy Bobby Brown, who's really hot right now.

Yes.

To do a song for Ghostbusters, Bobby was like, sure, if I could get a part in the film. And they were like, say less Bobby. So, so remember we talked about few black characters in Ghostbusters. Two. There are two. There's Ernie Hudson and Bobby Brown, who is the doorman.

Right, right.

So they record on our own, but it is written and produced by LA and Babyface, of course. So it is in the same line of all of the other songs that were released from the Don't Be Cruel project. And what I love about this particular song is it's still hot. Like, even though it's very literal to it's. It's very much incorporates the film into the song. The song still sits on its own. That's funny. The song still sits on its own.

Sir Daniel absolutely. Because of the infusion of new Jack swing, the Bobby Brown literally is part of the freshman class that introduced the r and b pop sensation that we know as new Jack swing. Like you said, bobby Brown was approached because of his crossover appeal. He, again, is one of the few artists that was able to successfully blend r and b and hip hop because Bobby is spitting his own verse at the beginning because handle too cold. But Bobby has always been a hip hop head and has always infused hip hop in a lot of his music. And I think that he's been a. Because he's a pioneer of that. He was able to just deftly do that on, on our own. And it just sounds so dope. So fun to see him doing the running man. J. Raye. I had a gumby. I had. I went to merry go round to purchase my very first pair of patent leather shoes with the smooth bottom strictly so that I could be in step with Bobby Brown. Mister Dance. Yeah, you know it. Because this song is not featured on any. On his don't be cruel album. This song is actually a remix, is featured on the dance, you know it remix album. So this song, his career has such a major life, and like we said, it brought much life to the Ghostbusters soundtrack. Ghostbusters two, I might add to that. And then, Jerry, there's another groundbreaking group that put their stamp on this Ghostbusters franchise hailing from Hollis, Queens.

Yeah, you know, so in all fairness, I had forgotten this existed until we were getting ready. And I do think that's kind of unfair, but it is a, it's an interesting time. So run DMC did a song called Ghostbusters as well. So here's what's interesting about this song. Ghostbusters, this particular song as well, was written by Ray Parker Junior, which is really interesting, but it doesn't feature Ray Parker junior. It is similar to the first song, but different than the first song. Like, some of the lyrics are kind of switched up in, and it's. It's done in kind of this rap format, not unlike Run DMC had already done. So if you hear this song, it does remind you of, like, run DMC songs from the mid eighties. I do think what's really interesting about. About Run DMC's version of Ghostbusters is it was 1989. It did feel like this song was almost like a couple of years older in a lot of ways, in terms of style, in terms of their flow, specifically, not the production, because we have some interesting notes about that production. But Run DMC did a version of Ghostbusters that was the second single for the film. It didn't do as well as Bobby Brown's on our own, which became, of course, the main song. But they did do a song. They did a music video, and it is out there. So you can go and check out run DMC's version of Ghostbusters, which was, of course, produced by Jam Master J and the whole run DMC team. But yeah, written by Ray Parker Junior and performed by Run and DMC.

I'm glad you mentioned the production, the sound of this particular song, because when I was reintroduced to it, the first thing that popped in my head was, oh, this is super sonic.

Same thing.

This is super sonic by JJ Fad, enhanced with a little bit of planet rock by Africa Bambata.

Yep.

Which is fine. Which is fine. It's easy on the ears. And harkening back to another point you made about the scarcity of black, um, performers in this movie and in this franchise. It is so, so significant. When you watch the music video, run DMC's video for, um, Ghostbusters, all the stars, particularly. Particularly the female stars of the movie, come out of a limousine, and they're escorted by one of the members of Run DMC and I. But what do each of these female performers have on these white women? Sigourney Weaver has on a fedora and a gold chain. Annie Potts has on a fedora and a gold chain. And I think maybe a pair of gazelles. And there's another performer, actress that comes out, another white woman wearing the same thing. So it's like Run DMC's cultural impact lent itself to this movie and to these actors, because they're trying to appeal to the widest audience that they can. So I just wanted people to realize that when you go and look back, you can see that run DMC stamped that movie with their appearance and their feature on the soundtrack. But, you know, Jay Ray, before we get up out of here, I want to mention that run DMC has killed several other soundtracks. In 1985, they were featured on the soundtrack, which literally was a movie about them and their journey to superstardom. And of course, the Christmas and Hollis was the big hit off of that. And can you rock it like this? Several other songs became hits off of that soundtrack. Of course, they're featured on the Ghostbusters two soundtrack, which we just discussed. And then fast forward to 2006. One of their old hits gets revamped and gets a new life in the fast and furious Tokyo drift soundtrack track. And we all know the fast and furious franchise has, like, what, 50 movies?

Oh, my God. Yeah, they're on. Movie 51 is probably coming.

Yes, at this point. So run GMC not only puts their stamp with their music on movies, but they also represent for hip hop, and they also bring a style and a fashion to wherever they go, including the music videos that are enhanced by these music, by these sounds from the soundtrack.

Looking at artists like Run DMC, looking at their contributions, we also recognize the importance of soundtracks in the careers of black artists. I think that when we take a look at certain folks careers, like, we can pinpoint soundtrack songs as, like, some of their best songs. So, Sir Daniel, that is kind of the kind of our final question of the day for you. What's one of your favorite songs from a soundtrack? That's not Ghostbusters.

Okay, this is really easy because I was blasting it on the way home last night. I love Tevin Campbell's. Just asked me to. From the boys in the hood soundtrack.

Great job.

That is quintessential nineties r and b pop. New jack swing flavor we got. It's produced by Albie Shore. You got chub rock on the rap, and a 14 year old Tevin Campbell singing his heart out. That song always makes me smile because I remember the video is very bright and colorful, like, nineties videos were. So in my heart, just ask me to is my favorite song from a soundtrack? What's yours, Jay Ray?

Oh, my goodness. The one today.

Cause it changes.

It changes. I have a lot of them, but the one today. Hopeless by Dionne Ferris.

Ooh. Solid. Solid pick.

Hello. Morning, baby. That song is so beautiful. From the Love Jones soundtrack, 1997, which is one of the best soundtracks ever released. Because what, once again, as we talked about at the beginning, like that soundtrack kind of enhances the themes of the film in a lot of ways. They. They exist on their own and are separate. But yeah, hopeless just feels like a breezy, beautiful Sunday morning where everything is going to be okay that day. And so the song I'm picking today is hopeless by Dion Ferris.

Baby Tate. Your mama did her big one on that one. Absolutely. She absolutely did. Well, listen, we've come to the end of this episode of Queue Points podcast. But Jay Ray, real quick, remind the people how they can follow and subscribe.

Absolutely. So you could do a couple of things. Make sure that you definitely visit our website, QueuePoints.com. there you can sign up for our newsletter. You can also read Queue Points magazine. Wherever you are checking out this show, make sure that you hit the subscribe button and hit the notification bell such that you get notified about other episodes of Queue Points. And last but not least, you can support us by checking out our patreon. You can also visit our store at store dot qpoints.com.

We really appreciate y'all, Jay Ray, another amazing episode of Queue Points podcast. But what do I always say? In this life, you have a choice. You can either pick up the needle or you can let the record play. I'm DJ sir Daniel.

My name is Jay Ray, y'all.

And this has been Queue Points podcast, dropping the needle on black music history. We'll see you on the next go round. Peace.

Peace, y'all.