Michael电话采访Pharrell Williams，2003年，译文在2楼

misslatte

Pharrell Williams: music's hottest hitmaker talks to the thriller

Interview, August, 2003 by Michael (American pop singer) Jackson

If a song is currently burning up the charts, chances are that Pharrell Williams' fingerprints are all over it. Whether he's crafting beats for Britney, singing alongside Snoop, or remaking rock with his band N.E.R.D., Williams is music's man with the golden touch. As one half of the production team the Neptunes (with Chad Hugo), he has translated soulful rhythms and infectious melodies into a slew of hits for the likes of Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Nelly, No Doubt, P. Diddy, and Busta Rhymes. With Star Trak Presents . . . Clones (Star Trak/Arista), a star-studded compilation of Neptunes tracks due this month, Williams is at pop music's pinnacle--a place his interviewer, the legendary Michael Jackson, knows all about.

MICHAEL JACKSON: Hello?

PHARRELL WILLIAMS: Hello! How are you, man?

MJ: You must forgive me, but Gregory Peck, who died yesterday, was a very dear friend of mine, and I've been helping his wife prepare the memorial and all those things. So please forgive me for being late with this call.

PW: No, listen, man, I can't believe I'm on the phone with you.

MJ: Oh, God bless you.

PW: Thank you, sir. You too.

MJ: Thank you. So, I'm interviewing you, right? And I think it's seven questions, or something like that?

PW: Sure. Whatever you like.

MJ: Okay. What would you say inspires you in your music? What is it that inspires you to create your music?

PW: It's a feeling. You treat the air as a canvas and the paint is the chords that come through your fingers, out of the keyboard. So when I'm playing, I'm sort of painting a feeling in the air. I know that might sound corny, but--

MJ: --No. No, that's a perfect analogy.

PW: And when you know it's done, you know it's done. It's like painting or sculpting. When you let it go it's because you know that it's finished. It's completed. And vice versa-it tells you, "Hey, I'm not done."

MJ: Yeah. And it refuses to let you sleep until it's finished.

PW: That's right.

MJ: Yeah, I go through the same thing. [laughs] And what do you think of the music today--are you into the new sounds that are being created and the direction that music is going?

PW: Well, personally, I kind of feel like I'm taking notes from people like yourself and Stevie [Wonder] and Donny [Hathaway], and just sort of doing what feels right.

MJ: Right.

PW: You know, like when everyone was going one way, you went Off the Wall [1979].

MJ: Right. [laughs]

PW: And when everyone else was going another way, you went Thriller [1982]. You just did it your way. And I'm taking notes from people like yourself, like not being afraid to listen to your feelings and turn your aspirations and ambitions into material. Making it happen, making it materialize.

MJ: That's beautiful. That's lovely. You said that very well. I wanted to ask you--do you feel, the way I do, that it's almost like a pregnancy, giving birth? Writing a song is like having a child, and once the song is finished, it's like letting the child into the world. Do you ever feel like that, like it's hard to let go?

PW: You know what? I did an interview the other day to present a video, and I was afraid to let it go. That was for a video, but the video to me is like the second part of the song because it is the interpretation given in a visual perspective. So, yes, I completely feel that way. And it's like sometimes if you play something to people and they don't get it, it's kind of like your child who's done something and everyone is pointing fingers and you're like, 'Wait! This is my kid!" Now, I'm not a father, but I imagine that's the way it would be--at least that's how I feel about my songs.

MJ: Right. Now the different forms of music--popular-culture music--that the black race has been responsible for bringing in, ushering in, from jazz to pop to rock 'n' roll to hip-hop, you name it, what do you think that is all about? Is it given from God?

PW: I think all music is a gift from God. And--[a fan interrupts] Michael, can you hold on for one second? [Williams talks to fan for a few seconds, then resumes talking to Jackson] Sorry.

MJ: [laughs] Blues, rock 'n' roll, all the different forms of popular-cultural music--like rock 'n' roll was invented by Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Fats Domino.

PW: Absolutely.

MJ: Even the dances from the cakewalk to the Charleston, the popping, the breaking, the locking. Don't you think they're a gift from God?

PW: Absolutely. God gave us that gift when he gave us the gift of interpretation. I mean, when you write your lyrics, (more Williams page 123) you're writing to someone, or to the world. When you're playing, you're playing something for the world to hear. When you're dancing, you're dancing for people to see. It's just a form of expression. And then there are times when you might be a little more introverted about it, when you're dancing, writing, or playing for yourself, and you have no idea how amazing what you're doing looks, sounds, or feels, until somebody else tells you, or until you record it and go back and look at it.

MJ: That's right. Who are some of the older artists--not the artists on the radio today--who inspired you when you were younger? Like the artists your father listened to, did you learn anything from those artists?

PW: Absolutely. The Isley Brothers.

MJ: Yeah, me too. I love the Isley Brothers. And I love Sly and the Family Stone.

PW: Donny [Hathaway], Stevie [Wonder] ...

MJ: You like all the people I like. [laughs)

PW: Those chord changes. They take you away.

MJ: Beautiful, beautiful. Okay, well, where are you? In New York?

PW: I'm in Virginia Beach, Virginia, sir.

MJ: Virginia! Oh, beautiful. Will you give my love to Virginia?

PW: Yes. Thank you.

MJ: And your mother and your parents? Because God has blessed you with special gifts.

PW: Thank you, sir. And I just want to say something, and I don't know if you want to hear this, but I just have to say it because it's on my heart. But people bother you--

MJ: --Yeah.

PW: --Because they love you. That's the only reason why. When you do something that people don't necessarily understand, they're going to make it into a bigger problem than they would for anybody else because you're one of the most amazing talents that's ever lived. You've accomplished and achieved more in this century than most any other men.

MJ: Well, thank you very much. That's very kind of you.

PW: What you do is so amazing. When you are 100 years old, and they're still making up things about what you've done to this and what you've done to that on your body--please believe me, if you decided you wanted to dip your whole body in chrome, you are so amazing that the world, no matter what they say, is going to be right there to see it. And that is because of what you have achieved in the music world, and in changing people's lives. People are having children to your songs. You've affected the world.

MJ: Thank you very much. It's like the bigger the star, the bigger the target. You know when you're--and I'm not being a braggadocio or anything like that--but you know you re on top when they start throwing arrows at you. Even Jesus was crucified. People who bring light to the world, from Mahatma Gandhi to Martin Luther King to Jesus Christ, even myself. And my motto has been Heal the World, We are the World, Earth Song, Save Our Children, Help Our Planet. And people want to persecute me for it, but it never hurts, because the fan base becomes stronger. And the more you hit something hard, the more hardened it becomes--the stronger it becomes. And that's what's happened: I'm resilient. I have rhinoceros skin. Nothing can hurt me. Nothing.

PW: Well, that's precisely my point. I just want to let you know you're amazing, man. What you do to music, what you've done to music, from "Billie Jean" to "That's What You Get (For Being Polite)"--[Sings "That's what you get for being polite"].

MJ: Oh, you know that one? [laughs]

PW: [sings "Jack still sits all alone"]

MJ: Boy, you know all those ones.

PW: When you do that, you do that to the world. [resumes singing "Jack still sits all alone"]

MJ: [hums a guitar riff]

PW: If I never work with you, just know that you are unstoppable. That's why I said, when you're 100 years old and you decide to dip your entire body in chrome, as much as they say things--and I don't care what they say about you, sir--they're going to be right there to see it.

MJ: There's a lot of jealousy there. I love all races, I love all people, but sometimes there's a devil in people, and they get jealous. Every time there's a luminary that goes beyond the heights of his field of endeavor, people tend to get jealous and try to bring him down. But they can't with me because I'm very, very, very strong. [laughs) They don't know that, though.

PW: They know! Please believe me, they know!

MJ: Anybody else would've cracked by now; they can't crack me. I'm very strong.

PW: Of course. They couldn't crack you when you were 10, because you were destroying grown men doing what you did with your voice and your talent. And when you were 20, you were outdoing people that had been doing it for 20 or 30 years. And nowadays they're still waiting to see where you're at. They want to see your kids, they want to see your world. You're amazing, and I just wanted to tell you that, man. And I hope that this all gets printed because it's very important to me. I hope that I can be half as dope as you one day.

MJ: Oh, God bless you. You're wonderful, too. Thank you so much.

PW: Thank you, man.

MJ: Have a lovely day.

PW: You too, sir.

MJ: Thank you. Bye.

PW: Bye.

misslatte

转载ptt上sokillua的翻译（ptt上没法说话，如果译者有异议请通知删帖）

现今音乐排行榜的畅销金曲,大多都有经过PW的手,
不论是帮布兰妮制作节奏,帮Snoop伴唱,或和自己的乐团N.E.R.D.创作摇滚曲,
PW在音乐上有点石成金的能力.身为Neptunes的制作小组之一,
他将充满灵魂的旋律和富有感染力的曲调转变成许多畅销金曲,
如Jay-Z,Justin Timberlake,Nelly,No Doubt,P.Diddy 和Busta Rhymes的热门歌曲.
在制作过这些大牌明星的畅销歌曲后,PW已经在流行音乐的巅峰了,
这个地方是他的访问者-传奇人物 Michael Jackson-最知道不过的了.

MICHAEL JACKSON: Hello?
PHARRELL WILLIAMS: Hello! How are you, man?
MJ:请你原谅我这么晚才连络你,昨天我一位要好的朋友-Gregory Peck-去世了,
   我正在帮他的妻子准备追悼会及相关的事情,所以请原谅我现在才打给你.
PW:没关系,天啊,老兄,真不敢相信我在和你讲电话.
MJ:Oh,愿上帝保佑你.
PW:谢谢你,先生,你也是.
MJ:谢谢.所以,我是要访问你,对吗?我想应该是有7个问题,是这样吗?
PW:当然.只要你高兴就好.
MJ:OK.你认为你音乐上的启发是什么呢?是什么激发你创作音乐呢?
PW:那是一种感觉.你把空中当成一张画布,颜料就是和弦,从你手指经过,由键盘展现.
   所以当我在演奏乐器时,就像在空中画出我的感受一样.
   我知道它听起来像陈腔滥调,但是---
MJ:不,不,那是一个很棒的比喻.
PW:所以当你知道它完成的时候,你就是知道.就好像作画或雕塑一样.
   你停止放手是因为你知道它已经完成了.相反的,它会告诉你”Hey,我还没准备好.”
MJ:是啊,而且它不会让你睡觉直到你完成它为止.
PW:没错.
MJ:Yeah,我的经验完全一样.(笑)
   你对现今的音乐有什么想法?你会投入新型态的音乐,符合现在音乐的趋势吗
PW:Well,就我个人而言,我比较喜欢向你和Stevie Wonder,Donny Hahtaway学习,
   而且就是跟著感觉走.
MJ:没错.
PW:你知道的,就像那时大家都做一样的唱片,而你做了Off the Wall(1979).
MJ:没错.(笑)
PW:而且,当别人都转同样的方向时,你却做了Thriller(1982).你就是照著你的感觉走.
   而我就是要学习像你一样的态度,不要害怕倾听自己的感受,
   将自己的灵感和梦想转化成音乐作品.让它发生,让它具体化.
MJ:太美了,太动人了.你说的真好.我想要问你,我自己是这样的,
   你觉不觉得就像是怀孕生子一样?创作歌曲就像生孩子一样,
   当歌曲完成后,就好像要让孩子进入世界一样.你有感觉到很难放手吗?
PW:你知道吗?前几天我接受一个访问要播放一个影片,但我很害怕要播放它.
   那段影片对我而言就像是歌曲的一部份,因为它是用视觉的角度来诠释这首歌.
   所以,是的,我完全有这个感觉.当有时候你演奏音乐给别人听,而他们不喜欢时,
   就好像你的孩子做了一件事,却遭受别人指责时,你会想”等一下,这是我的孩子啊!”
   目前我并没有小孩,但我对歌曲的感受就是如此.
MJ:没错.目前各种的音乐形式,不管是流行或文化音乐,都是从黑人起源或开创的,
   从jazz,pop,rock‘n’roll,hip-hop等各种类型.你对这点有什么想法?
   是上帝的礼物吗?
PW:我认为所有的音乐都是上帝的礼物.而且□(歌迷干扰)
   Michael,你可以等我一下吗?(PW和歌迷说了一会儿)抱歉.
MJ:(笑)Blues,rock’n’roll,各种不同类型的音乐,
   例如摇滚是由Chuck Berry,Little Richard,Fats Domino等人创造的.
PW:当然.
MJ:甚至是跳舞,从蛋糕舞到查尔斯顿舞,the popping,the breaking,the locking.
   你不认为它们是上帝的礼物吗?
PW:当然是.上帝给我们这些也给了我们诠释的能力.我是说,当你在写歌词时,
   你是在写给某个人,或这个世界.当你在演奏时,是在演奏给全世界听,
   当你在跳舞时,是在给别人欣赏.它们是一种表达感觉的形式.
   有时候你会感到怀疑,当你独自在跳舞,创作,或演奏时,你不知道它们有多棒,
   直到别人告诉你,或你录下来自己看时才会知道.
MJ:就是如此.在你年轻的时候,有哪些老牌的歌星□不是现在这些□启发了你的音乐?
   像是你父亲会听的歌星,你有向这些歌星学到些什么吗?
PW:当然有.The Isley Brothers.
MJ:Yeah,我也是.我很喜欢the Isley Brothers.还有Sly,the Family Stone.
PW: Donny [Hathaway], Stevie [Wonder] ...
MJ:我们喜欢的都一样.(笑)
PW:这些旋律的变化会让你惊叹.
MJ:太棒了.OK,那么,你现在在哪里呢?纽约吗?
PW:我在Virginia Beach,先生.
MJ:Virginia!OH,是个很美的地方.你可以献上我的爱给Virginia?
PW: Yes. Thank you.
MJ:也替我献给你的父母好吗?因为上帝赐与你这么特别的礼物.
PW:谢谢你,先生.还有我想要说件事情,我不知道你是不是想听,
   但我一定要说因为我是真心的想要告诉你.有一些人烦扰你--
MJ: --Yeah.
PW:是因为他们爱你.这是唯一的理由.当你的行为不被大众理解时,
   他们会比对待别人更严格的对待你,因为你是有史以来最伟大的人物之一.
   你在一生中所完成及达到的目标是任何人都比不上的.
MJ:非常谢谢你,你太过缪赞了.
PW:你所做的实在是太惊人了.就算你100岁了,他们还是会虚构一些你对身体的改造的谣言.
   请相信我,如果你打算把全身镀成金色,你会很意外的发现全世界□不管他们说什么□
   都会在那里看著你进行.
   而那只是因为你在音乐领域中达到的地位,还有你如何的改变了人们的生活.
   人们在你的歌中孕育生命,你影响了全世界.
MJ:真的很谢谢你的称赞.越闪亮的星星,越容易成为目标.
   你知道当你--我并不是在自夸□站在顶点时,他们会开始攻击你.
   耶稣也被钉在十字架上.对世界有贡献的人
   如Mahatma Gandhi,Martin Luther King,Jesus Christ,甚至是我都是如此.
   我的座右铭就是Heal the World,We are the World,Earth Song,
   Save Our Children,Help Our Planet.有一些人因此而迫害我,但它从来不会造成伤害,
   因为我的歌迷群变得更强大团结.而且你越用力攻击它,它会变得更强壮,更坚硬.
   这就是我的情况,我适应力很强的,我有犀牛般坚硬的外壳.没有任何事会击倒我,没有.
PW:是的,这就是我想说的.我只是想要让你知道你有多让人惊叹.
   你在音乐上的成就,从Billie Jean到That’s what you get(for being polite)
   □(唱That’s what you get for being polite)(Jackson 5)
MJ:OH,你知道这首歌?(笑)
PW: [唱 "Jack still sits all alone"]
MJ:Boy,你真的知道这些歌啊.
PW:当你创作时,你是对著全世界创作的.(继续唱Jack still sits all alone)
MJ:(哼吉他旋律)
PW:就算我没有跟你合作过,也知道你是势不可当的.
   那也是为什么我说当你100岁时打算要把全身镀金,他们甚至会说一些有的没的,
   --我不在乎他们说什么□他们一定会在那里观看的.
MJ:那里充满了太多嫉妒.我爱所有的种族,我爱所有人类.
   但有时人类的邪恶面出现时,嫉妒也会出现.
   当出现了自己如何努力也达不到相同地位的杰出伟大人物时,
   人们会因为嫉妒而想击倒你.但他们是击不倒我的,因为我非常,非常坚强.(笑)
   不过他们不知道这点.
PW:他们知道的!请相信我,他们知道!
MJ:那些现在想击倒我的人是击不倒我的.我非常的坚强.
PW:当然.他们在你10岁时就击不倒你了,因为你用你的声音和天份达到了毁灭性的成长.
   当你20岁时,你已经超越了当时潮流约20-30年了.
   而现在他们还在看你在做些什么,他们想看你的孩子,你的私人世界.
   你所做的真的人太惊人了,我只是想要告诉你这件事,
   我希望这个内容会被印在杂志上,因为这对我而言真的太重要了.
   我希望有一天能达到你一半的成就.
MJ: Oh, God bless you. You're wonderful, too. Thank you so much.
PW: Thank you, man.
MJ: Have a lovely day.
PW: You too, sir.
MJ: Thank you. Bye.
PW: Bye.

misslatte

只有文字版，如果能找到录音就好了

g○d丶MJ°

迈迈很喜欢煲电话。

yaha-nintendo

真是令人愉快的访谈~~

xueping21

没有音频么，谢谢LZ

上次有个歌迷的文章就提到这个采访了，很有趣

不说再见

没人能打倒MJ,没人!

aizheMJ

迈是坚强的。。。。

bobodog

这个真是太棒了，是杂志访谈吗？那么是说最后是有录语整理的才对啊，哎，有音频就好了

hamasa886

嗯 我也想听录音～光看文字 就很激动了

IVYXIE

被采访者肯定放下电话还在琢磨，这是真的么？不是做梦么？！！
哈哈

money

我想任何人接到MJ的电话都会想说“这是真的吗？真的吗？michael jackson给我电话了？michael jackson？OMG，真的是michael jackson！！！”

哈哈~

MJ-Ruby-JD

哈哈  看了之后会很欣慰 其实挺有意思的 不知道他们俩个是谁在采访谁
说实话刚开始看到七八行的时候有点悲哀和困惑 为什么让MJ去采访呢 那个人够资格吗 是不是又是有人想玩弄Mj呢 但是等都看完了 真的是被感动了 因为相信MJ支持他的人还是有那么那么多的 说的夸张点有点像信仰了
不过 我还是想知道 为什么让MJ来采访呢 这是为什么

APPLEHEADYE

呵呵，要是有音频就好了

天是红河岸

对，就是我那篇帖子提到的采访，可惜我也没有听过音频，只看过文字。