When I look back on my childhood, I distinctly remember "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" being used during the end credits of Sister Act II. Forty years later, with such a large catalog of hits, I'm sure there are a few songs that you hoped or wished had a bit more exposure. What do you consider to be one of your undiscovered gems?
Valerie Simpson: Actually, one appears on this DVD — "Gimme Something Real," which is from our very first album together. I always loved the song and I don't think it was that well-known because the first album introduced us but it wasn't a huge hit. I think the song still holds up. Maybe it'll have the light of day now.
Nickolas Ashford: There are a lot of songs that are buried on our albums and they're never heard, so I encourage everybody to get out those old CDs. There is a lot of good music out there, besides what gets played on the radio. You know, it's politics.
It's not typical for artists to be known simply by their last names. How did you decide to be called "Ashford & Simpson"?
Nickolas Ashford: It's hard to find a little cute name. I think we just talked that over.
Valerie Simpson: Our name kind of sounds like a law firm! [laughing]
Nickolas Ashford: That's the first time I heard that — a law firm! [laughing]
Many of your songs have been covered, but one song in particular has been sampled over and over again: "I'm Every Woman." At the time of its release, were you surprised at how much it resonated with women?
Valerie Simpson: No. It always had that feeling about it. It's a "Yes, I Can" kind of song. The lyrics managed to stand the test of time. Sometimes when you have such a strong hook you can mess it up, but I think he came up with the right hook. It was great for Chaka, even better for Whitney, and even wonderful when Oprah did it for two years on her show. It's like one of those things everybody can identify with. When we do it in shows, the women just rally. It becomes like a big anthem for us.
In this day and age, most people don't sing the songs that they've written. They have songs that are written to match their voice or their image. As singers and songwriters, what are some of the consequences and what are some of the benefits?
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