CLIVE CHATS CLIVE, CARNEGIE HALL TRIBUTE AND MORE

Surely against his better judgment, Clive Davis allowed HITS into his home on a rainy spring morning in New York, just hours before his 92nd birthday.

The occasion? A discussion about the New York Pops' 4/29 gala, "The Soundtrack of Our Lives: A Tribute to the Legendary Clive Davis," which traces the chronological arc of his iconic career with performances of Davis-associated classics by Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, Busta Rhymes, Melissa Manchester, Barry Manilow, John Mellencamp, Rob Thomas, Carlos Santana and Dionne Warwick at Carnegie Hall. Music by the late Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin, with whom Davis worked closely for decades, will also be represented.

Below, a few tasty excerpts from a longer conversation in the good, old-fashioned print edition of HITS dated 4/22, conducted while Clive's King Charles spaniel, Charlie happily snored on the floor as we spoke.

Is there such a thing as a typical day for you?

I was in my office yesterday all day working on a number of projects. One is a documentary on the greatest party ever thrown, and that is my pre-Grammy gala. We had meetings on that. The Student Leadership Network came to my office as a charitable endeavor on my part, to give them a half hour Q&A on any subject that they want. I had a conference call with the New York Pops and Carnegie Hall. I was pitched on a few different ideas, because there was a connection which motivated me to give them an audience. It was a very full day. I got there at 11, grabbed a sandwich somewhere in between, and I know I left at seven because I was being hosted at Rao's by [Hit Factory owner] Troy Germano.

Let's talk about some of the artists that are appearing at the Pops gala and your relationship with them, starting with Babyface.

During all my years with Whitney, our procedure was that my A&R staff and I would narrow down about 18 songs after hearing hundreds. There was this one time involving a song called "Why Does It Hurt So Bad." She listened to it, listened to it again and said, "That's not me. If a guy wants to betray me, if a guy wants to reject me, he's not the right guy for me. My religion tells me he's not the right guy for me. My self-worth tells me he's not the right guy for me. I would not hurt so bad."

She leaves, and I call Kenny Edmonds up. I said, Kenny, she's not ready to do it. Would you put it on hold? In our business, you don't put a song on hold when the guy could get Mary J. Blige or whomever to record it. He said, "Look, she sold 25 million of this and 24 million of that, so I will put it on hold for you." It was on hold for five or six years. One day, Whitney calls me up and says, "Can we have lunch?" I'd always order her a hamburger and Coca-Cola. She came in and said, "I did not want to tell you on the telephone, but I'm leaving [husband] Bobby [Brown]." She knew I wasn't the biggest fan, without laying fault on either party.

So, we get into it and we're talking for a good 45 minutes. She asked me, "Who recorded that song years ago? You know, the one I didn't feel was for me? I don't even remember the title of it. Who recorded it? What ever happened to it?" I said, "No one recorded it, and not only do I still have it, here's the demo and here's the lyric sheet." I played it, and she looks up and says, "I get it. I am hurting so bad. I remember vividly that it was the only song that I ever did not relate to what was shared."

When I asked Babyface what song he'll be singing at Carnegie Hall, never did I dream he'd say, "Why Does It Hurt So Bad?" That really took me by surprise, but of course I understood. I've never heard him sing it! I wanted rap to be represented, so I'm glad Busta Rhymes is doing "Pass the Courvoisier." We knew Pharrell wasn't able to be there, so when I asked who was going to do the vocal, Busta said, "Could you call Babyface? He could kill it!" I said, "He'll be there already." So they're going to do it together.

Aretha would have just celebrated a birthday. It's nice that her music will be represented at the show even though she won't be physically present.

One funny Aretha story. We were having my Grammy party in New York, because wherever the Grammys are, we are. I had my celebrity friends come here to my duplex first, so that after an hour of conviviality they would go over to the Plaza Hotel and feel at home. Aretha will not get into an elevator that goes this high up, so I didn't tell her that I was turning my Grammy party into a tribute to her that year. I said, "I'll send my limo to you, and I'll meet you downstairs at this hour and then we'll go to the Plaza together."

It was a wonderful evening—Whitney sang, Cissy [Houston] sang, and Natalie Cole sang. For whatever reason, even MC Hammer was there. They got through "Natural Woman" and were about to do "Respect" with everybody onstage. I took the mic, went to the foot of the stage and asked her to join. It was pandemonium! I was so proud because the surprise was so special, and I couldn't wait to hear her reaction. The show ends, and I'm told Aretha's gone already.

Fast forward to the next night. We go to the Grammys at Radio City separately, but by total coincidence—and I never let her forget it—I met her at the aisle. I said, "Aretha, about last night." She throws her arms around me and says, "Clive, that lobster appetizer was unbelievable. And that chicken! I've never had chicken like that." So here I am waiting to get a thank you, and she's talking about chicken and lobster. It became a private joke—"After everything I went through, you're reviewing the food."