David Foster has always considered Quincy Jones as his mentor. They started collaborating in the seventies with The Brothers Johnson’s album “Blam!!” and went on to work together on many projects including productions for Michael Jackson, Donna Summer, George Benson and the debut album by James Ingram. “It’s Your Night” came out in 1983, Ingram was already well known for his work on Q’s The Dude and also for the #1 duet with Patti Austin “Baby Come To Me”. Foster wrote a song (with Richard Marx and Jeremy Lubbock) for this record entitled “Whatever We Imagine” and he also made some great work on “How Do You Keep The Music Playing” arranging and playing the piano.

Let’s leave to Q’s words to explain the beauty of this song: “This is, without a doubt, one of my favorite songs on the planet. I honestly can’t tell you what I like better: the musicians, the melody, the lyrics or the incredible vocal performances by Patti Austin and James Ingram. It is absolute perfection all around…my longtime homey Johnny Mandel co-produced this song with me and did the most awesome string arrangement…one of my favorite parts of this song is David Foster’s classic piano intro; David says that I absolutely hammered him until he got it just right. Fos is a pro, a truly beautiful and talented human being, and he really hung in there until we got it”. Take a listen and tell us if he isn’t right.

Lead Vocals: Patti Austin & James Ingram
Drums: Leon Ndugu Chancler
Bass: Nathan East
Acoustic Piano: David Foster
Guitar: Paul Jackson Jr. & George Doering
Synthesizer: David Paich
Arranged by Quincy Jones & David Foster
String arrangement by Johnny Mandel
Produced by Quincy Jones
Co-Produced by Johnny Mandel

Lyrics

How do you keep the music playing
How do you make it last
How do you keep the song from fading
Too fast

How do you lose yourself to someone
And never lose your way
How do you not run out of new things
To say

And since we know we’re always changing
How can it be the same
And tell me how year after year, you’re sure your heart will fall apart
Each time you hear his name

I know the way I feel for you it’s now or never
The more I love, the more that I’m afraid
That in your arms I may not see forever
Forever

If we can be the best of lovers
Yet be the best of friends
If we can try with every day to make it better as it grows
With any luck, then I suppose the music never ends

I know (How do you keep the music playing)
The way I feel for you, it’s now or never (How do you make it last)
The more I love, the more that I’m afraid (How do you keep the song from fading)
That in your arms I may not see forever (Keep the song from fading too fast)
Forever

If we can be the best of lovers
Yet be the best of friends
If we can try with every day to make it better as it grows
With any luck, then I suppose the music never ends

How do you keep it playing it, baby, oh…
I wanna how do you do it, how do you keep the music playing
Over and over…