Son
of a pastor, Donell spent time acting out in church. As he speaks about
his newest album "Journey Of A Gemini" hitting stores June 20, 2006.
"There are two sides of a Gemini," says platinum recording artist Donell
Jones, referring to his zodiac sign. "You've got the good guy," he teases
slyly, "and the bad guy." On his fourth and long-awaited album, Journey of a
Gemini, the singer/producer/songwriter opens up and takes music lovers on an
intimate and sometimes explicit journey into both sides of his interestingly
opposing split personality.Jones came up with the name of the album from the experiences he faced while making the record. "It's been a journey going from LaFace Records to Arista Records, and now to Jive Records." The project that started three years, three labels and fifty songs ago, has taken Jones on a bumpy ride that's ended as smoothly as its creator's laid-back personality, and he says, "is some of his best work yet."
What have you been up to since the last album?
I’ve just been trying to find out what I was going to do record company wise. LaFace Records shut down and there have been many mergers going on so I was trying to find my place in all of that.
Where did you get the concept of Journey of a Gemini?
The songs are all based on personal experiences and things that I’ve been through the past few years, I’ve written most of the tracks by myself. It’s to show the different sides of me.
What kind of tracks are on the album?
It’s half and half. There are some slow jams, some mid-tempo and some up-tempo. I wanted to mix it up. Portrait of a Woman, Special Girl, My Apology, Cry and Can’t Wait really mean something to me.
Which producers on this album did you really click with?
Pretty much all of them but I had the most chemistry with Tim & Bob.
That’s funny, Bobby Valentino said that as well. What is it about those two?
They really studied my music and knew exactly what key I sing in and they did a lot of homework before I even got there. We did five songs in five days.
Why did it take so long to get this album ready?
It didn’t take long to record or anything. What took a long time were the problems with the record companies because of the mergers with BMG and Sony which meant a lot of artists were up in the air and their projects were cancelled.
How have you improved as an artist in the past couple of years?
I’ve improved tremendously and have got better as a singer, writer and producer. I think as each album progressed you can see my growth and the differences between them. They all have the same style and flow but the music and vocals have stepped up.
Which other artists have you written for?
I haven’t written for anyone recently, I didn’t want to give away my best songs while I was working on my project. I’m writing for one of my own artists at the moment as well but nobody else at the moment. One song that I wish I kept for myself is Think of You, which Usher sang, that was a Donell Jones.
What do you think of the newer artists who don’t write any of their material?
I feel a little bit sorry for them that they don’t. For me, to write your own songs is important so you can show your fans what you’re going through and you’re able to put more soul into them because they come from your mind. The artists that don’t write are subject to whatever anyone gives them. I already know what I want and how I sound but for a new artist, it’s hard on them. They think they have to accept anything from the hottest producers. The new artists get so caught up in the hype of working with a well-known producer they let them give them anything.
What do you think of the R&B scene as it is now?
I think R&B is definitely coming back but the dance appeal can be a bit too much and not enough love, love is always going to be here and needs to be sung about. A lot of these young cats want to be rappers instead of singers which is really killing the music.
How do you feel about the fact that so many couples get together while listening to your music?
I feel like my songs are very important to me and if I’m going through something I can’t possibly be the only person going through it so at the end of the day it’s to make me feel good but also other people going through it. It’s great to know that I’m helping somebody out or making them get up and dance.
How do you manage to balance music with family life? Do your children know your songs?
It’s very easy to me. When it’s time to be dad, I’m dad. When I need to go on stage and perform, I do that. My children are who I am and they love the fact that I spend time with them and sing as well.
Do your daughters ever sing your songs to you?
Yeah, they sing my songs and have their favourites! They love music.
What has been the biggest obstacle you’ve had to overcome in this business?
I’m not even close to where I wanna be but my biggest obstacle has been the lack of support I’ve received from these record labels. I have not had the support I deserve or need. The most support I received was on my Where I Wanna Be album and even then that wasn’t enough, it was enough to make people aware but it could have been pushed a lot more. I’ve had the same problem with all of my other records dealing with record companies which have had other agendas. I haven’t overcome that obstacle as yet but maybe when I’m on my label you’ll see a change. I know me as an artist.
www.donell-jones.com
By Rashmi Shastri - Sep 2006