Q&A: Get Up Close and Personal with DJ TONY MORAN
Originally published July 10, 2010
Today is definitely a good day. Speaking of legendary producer/remixers, we’ve got one for you right here – DJ Tony Moran. Been a huge fan of his forever (click here to check out all his mixes at Masterbeat), so glad my boy Mikey took the time to get up close and personal with the hottie mixmaster!
Tony Moran talks his mentor Shep Pettibone, his work with the biggest divas in the Biz, upcoming mixes (for Ne-Yo and…Rihanna!). Plus, did you know he wrote the Cover Girls song ‘Show Me’? Lets get to it…
|
M: Tony, thanks for taking the time to speak with me! You’ve been in the business now over 25 years! What are some of the best memories you have when looking back over your career so far?
TM: For anyone that’s done anything significant in their lives, the first memory of doing it is usually the best. My first memory is working with Albert Cabrera (my partner in the Latin Rascals). I took the song “Show Me”, by the Cover Girls, (which I wrote) into a Bronx discotheque & the D.J. played it. The song became so huge before it even finished playing, it had 1000 people singing along with it! At the time, there was a lot of Shannon, Cher, etc. happening, nothing really homegrown yet; the Cover Girls helped create that.
*****
M: You first hit the scene with Albert Cabrera, creating “The Latin Rascals”, which many consider one of the major steps in the inception of freestyle music. What drew you to essentially help create a completely new style of music?
TM: The fact that Albert & I could just look @ each other & totally focus on the craft was amazing, that’s what made us a great team. What’s really interesting is this: we didn’t dub ourselves “The Latin Rascals.” We were being interviewed @ a radio station & the DJ said on the air “Oh those Latin Rascals”…From then on, on all of our tapes we overdubbed on a reel to reel “Those Latin Rascals” & a name was born!
*****
|
M: Shep Pettibone influenced so many people during that time, as he was creating a style all his own as well. How did his mentorship help you along the way?
TM: Shep essentially pioneered making the edit become the actual hook of the track; he created a function that simply was not there before. I met Shep when I was a kid, 21 or 22 years old, & he was the MAN, the biggest DJ to me; he was MY Madonna! He allowed me the luxury of being in the room with him while he was being creative so I could understand where he was coming from with what he was doing & I could respect it. A teacher/student relationship has evolved into a great friendship. He basically helped shape how I want my career to go; I constantly want to share what I’m doing & evolve.
*****
M: You’ve worked with some of the most legendary voices in music, from established artists like Mariah Carey (“Don’t Forget About Us”) & Whitney Houston (“Step By Step”) to newer acts, like Brooke Hogan (“About Us”) & Kaci Battaglia (“Crazy Possessive”). How do you choose the artists you want to work with?
TM: A good deal of my choice of artists comes from ideas. I recently DJ’d a NYC Pride Event, & the party was called “Destination.” I had the idea to write a track, & when I was writing, I couldn’t think of a better artist to do it then Ultra Nate. I called her, she came from Baltimore for me, & turned the track out! The track was released this week on Star 69 Music & is amazing! (Muzo Note: Gorgeous track! Def give it a listen.)
I also just get a feeling from the artist & can like what they’re doing. I heard Kara DioGuardi (“American Idol” judge) & really loved her style. We worked together & the track we did together “La Fiesta,” went to the top of the U.K. tracks! It’s all about the chemistry.
*****
|
M: You’re work with Deborah Cox is legendary. From “Easy As Life” to “Everybody Dance,” your mixes of her songs have kept dance floors packed for years. Can you tell us about the experience of working with such an amazing artist?
TM: When I did “Easy As Life” with Deborah, I told her that it sounded incredible, but I wanted to change some of the arrangement of the song; I wanted to hear her hear her heart when she sang. Since the legendary Elton John wrote the tracks, I had to call his people. I got to submit my changes, & they loved it! Basically, people want to feel joy, but feel purged as well. The way Deborah sings her songs does this.
*****
M: We’ve recently seen a number of mixes with the “Moran & Rigg” label. Warren Rigg is a great remixer in his own right. How did this partnership come about?
TM: Warren Rigg originally came to my studio & let me hear tracks he made with sounds & beats that were so different, that the technical was simply indifferent. I left him in the studio to do his thing, & the rest is history. We felt a very unique style working together from the beginning, & his input with me went beyond a working relationship, it became a partnership. To this day, we’re great friends.
*****
M: There are a number of Tony Moran remixes that have featured a ton of legendary big voiced divas, such as Jennifer Holliday’s “No Frills Love”, Patti LaBelle “Shoe Was On The Other Foot,” among others. What is the experience like working with such icons?
TM: With anyone I remix, I’m on my “A” game, & I’ll work them to get them to give me what I know they can! I research the people I work with, & know what they can give me before they walk into the studio. With Patti’s “Shoe Was On The Other Foot”, I had to take the original & work from that. I was in a room with Patti for two solid hours, & when she resang it for me. It became fun again. That’s what made it great. Cher on the other hand, was much more guarded at first. The key is to get the very best in a certain pocket of time; once you do that, the rest just comes.
*****
|
M: You’re premiering in Asbury Park this summer, on both July 24th & July 25th, spinning @ Paradise, then headlining the Disco Tea Dance, spinning with Shep Pettibone himself! Is this your first Asbury Park visit?
TM: It is my first time in Asbury Park! I’ve been wanting to come for years, as I have friends there. I bumped into Shep on a cruise, & it was the best “just like yesterday” I could have asked for. I’m ready to work with him & want to do what I can to add to the feeling that he gives his crowd. I’m thrilled & honored to be working with my friend and mentor.
*****
M: You seem to have done it all & worked with everyone. What possibly could be next for Tony Moran? Any top secret mixes coming up that you can give us a hint on?
TM: My next track is a song called “Magic.” I was working in a recording studio, & across the studio was the world-renowned Lincoln Center. Jennifer Holliday was performing that week (she, incidentally, is the only non-classically trained singer to ever perform @ Lincoln Center). I asked that she come to the studio to hear my song, & she felt it had “her” written all over it, that it was truly meant for her, as it’s a very optimistic track. That is the first track off of my next album, also titled “Magic”. I’ve also done some remixes for Ne-Yo & Rihanna’s new tracks.
*****
M: Tony, a HUGE thanks for speaking with me!
TM: Thanks to you as well!
