Even amid the all-star lineup of guests that dot the liner notes of Mark Ronson’s latest album, “Uptown Special,” one name stands out among the rest: Michael Chabon. Ronson tapped the Pulitzer Prize winner to write lyrics for the album after realizing that the music — a mix of early R&B, funk and soul, and a departure from the up-tempo dance tracks of the longtime D.J.’s earlier efforts — called for a more cerebral approach to lyric writing than what he calls “the usual ‘heartache on the dance floor’ that we settle for sometimes.” Here, the Grammy-winning superproducer and the “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay” author discuss the origins of their unlikely, if highly fruitful, collaboration.
Mark, how did you decide that you wanted Michael to write lyrics for the album?
RONSON: An ex-girlfriend bought me a copy of “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay,” and it was the first time I ever cried while reading a book. When I sat down to write for this album, there were a few pieces of music that just seemed like they needed something a little deeper lyrically. I know people want songs about going out on a Friday night or whatever, but it’s my fourth album and I just couldn’t bear the thought of doing that. So I said to my co-producer, “What if I just email Michael Chabon and see if he’d be down?”
Michael, how familiar were you with Mark’s music?
CHABON: In a way I was aware of Mark’s work before I actually knew I was. I remember listening to Amy Winehouse’s record “Back to Black” over and over again, and as incredible a singer as she was, what got about that record was the sound — just the overall sonic perfection. The way that the new and the old are brought together is just so wonderful. But I didn’t know that was Mark.
RONSON: We actually met at a signing for Michael’s book “Telegraph Avenue” in 2012. There was a torrential rainstorm in New York. It was one of those nights when you’re running, trying to use your jacket as an umbrella, but I told my friend Andrew Wyatt, who plays on the album, “We’ve got to go.” And Michael had this big crowd around him, so I just kind of waited. I didn’t want to be like, “Hey, I’m Mark Ronson.” I thought that would be obnoxious. But I was definitely putting on a heavy vibe, like, “Hey, are you going to recognize me or what?”
What was your reaction when Mark approached you about collaborating, Michael?
CHABON: I didn’t have any apprehension until after I told Mark I would do it. At that point, my thought process was, ”Oh my God, can I actually do this? These guys have high standards; they’re used to working with amazing songwriters. What is there besides desire and willingness that I can bring to the party?”
Had you ever written lyrics before?
CHABON: I was in a punk band called the Bats in college, but let’s just say the standard was not as high. Lyrically, it was like, “Are they actual English words and do they fit the music? If so, we’re good to go.” That was my music moment, and it didn’t really ever occur to me that it would come back again.
RONSON: I brought Michael in because I loved his characters: shadowy figures and antiheros that you become attached to and form a bond with. It wasn’t like, “O.K., well he’s a good writer so he’ll just be able to do anything.”
What’s one thing you learned about each other during the writing and recording of this album?
RONSON: I feel like Michael would actually recognize Joey Bada$$ walking down the street. That’s how deep his knowledge of pop culture is. He’s incredibly erudite, but at the same time never condescending. Is it New York magazine that has the chart of the high and low culture and the highbrow and the lowbrow? The sector that’s low culture but incredibly highbrow — that’s the realm that Michael seems to appreciate. And that’s a great thing when you’re making a pop record, because you still have to be of the people.
CHABON: We went to Memphis to record at Royal Studios, and watching this cast of really disparate characters come through introducing ideas of their own into the conversation — it took me awhile to realize that what I was seeing was amazingly effective leadership. They were all doing what Mark expected them to do, because they want it come out well for his sake. And because Mark is a mensch.
Mark, would you ever consider writing a novel?
RONSON: No. It’s one of those things — you know how musicians are so enamored with athletes because it’s like a magic trick that you can appreciate but don’t really know how to do? That’s how I feel about novelists. I know what my limitations are.
(The Los Angeles Times)
