KGNU’s Dr. Decibel joins James Bradley Jr. to talk about his journey in music, working with some iconic names in music and the connections he’s made along the way. He also spends some time reflecting on his time working with different DJs and the interactions he’s had with them. (Interview date: 1/31/2025)
The Variable: James Bradley Jr.
James Bradley Jr.: Yeah. J-B-J
The Variable: J-B-J in the house.
James Bradley Jr.: Yeah.
The Variable: Fast forward, I was listening to this, I don’t know, new Kendrick Lamar record today. And he has this song called wacced out murals that always says, “I’m sitting in the GNX bumping Anita Baker Sweet Love in the tape deck.” The 87 Oldsmobile. Let’s see. I have another question here. How do you approach when you’re interacting with the singer, like Jeffrey Osborne, Anita Baker, as a percussionist, it’s just playing the drums, and that interaction, when you guys are on stage and whatnot, and the communication that goes on.
James Bradley Jr.: That’s a good question. Probably out of those three singers, Anita and I had a connection. We were, I think, more connected because I would play off her energy, like chills run down my spine and I was like, I just felt like giving her everything I had, when I was playing with her. And she loved that, she encouraged me to do that. One time in the rehearsal, like a sound check, I don’t know, I was in a nonchalant mood. Maybe I had partied too much the night before or something, but I was just oh, ho humming it. I was playing, I was in the groove, but she could tell, something was off a lot, sometimes I would drift, sometimes, so she would talk me through playing this particular groove with her, testing some new songs, when she was in her thing. She was amazing.
Dr. Decibel: You’ve worked in hip hop, you’ve worked in rock, you’ve worked in hard rock. Do you have a favorite genre of singer that you find that you work best with?
James Bradley Jr.: For me, definitely R& B. Rhythm and blues.
Dr. Decibel: I won’t tell, I won’t tell Gretchen and Julie that you said that then
James Bradley Jr.: Okay. I gotta ask you a question then. I thought about this a few days ago actually. Who’s the most soulful to you between Julie and Gretchen?
Dr. Decibel: Oh, hands down. Julie’s more soulful, Gretchen’s more rocking, Gretchen’s punk rock. Julie’s soulful country and Gretchen’s punk rock. For two singers that harmonize so well together, you just can’t compare them. You know what I mean? And that’s what made Mary’s Danish part of the reason that made Mary’s Danish such an amazing band.
The Variable: You mentioned working with DJs. How did you find that work with DJ Hurricane on Check Your Head, or DJ AM with Crazy Town, or with other bands, how do you find that interaction with the DJs? Cause I’m a DJ. It’s my instrument that I’ve picked up the last few years.
James Bradley Jr.: Okay. As far as those two, as far as interaction, DJ Hurricane and I would mess around. But DJ AM. We were a lot closer. He was actually my roommate in the first Crazy Town tour in ‘99. We would experiment. The thing that he started to do with Travis Barker that idea actually came from me and him. Really got into experimenting with that, because we had time to mess around doing sound checks. So we were like, hey, why not? I just started messing around just playing certain beats and doing certain rhythms. And, he would hop in and scratch certain rhythms. And, we would try to link it up that way.
Dr. Decibel: I’ve been meaning to ask you something, a rumor I heard that I’ve been wanting you to confirm or deny, maybe you can do it live here on the radio when the Beastie Boys pivoted from being strictly a hip hop group and picked up instruments, is it true that you’re the one who taught Mike D how to play drums?
James Bradley Jr.: I could add to what you said. Probably true. I heard, I didn’t know this either. They were a punk rock band.
Dr. Decibel: That is correct. They were a punk rock band before they were a rap group.
James Bradley Jr.: I think the first album, Polly Walks Through, something Polly Walks Through. It was after the Paul’s Boutique album. This is really crazy because it seems like whenever, I had this telepathy or this spiritual thing because, there’s so many artists that I’ve met and been able to be with and hang out with. Just by thinking about that, like really taking a liking to him. This happened again. I had it with James.
Dr. Decibel: Wait. Back up. You have Rick James stories?
James Bradely Jr.: Yeah.
We might have to save that for another show, but Rewind. Yeah, we’re gonna have to hear some Rick James.
The Variable: Just listening to him and thinking about him and manifesting Rick James.
James Bradley Jr.: Other than you, Doc, and my wife, you guys are my biggest fans. He was a big fan of me, like when he met me. And that’s crazy because I had bought his album a month before I met him, I bought the album, his first album, You and I was a single. That was a jam.
Dr. Decibel: Alright, if you just joined us, I am here with The Variable and we are wrapping up our conversation with the great drummer, James Bradley Jr. Thank you so much for joining us tonight, James.
James Bradley Jr.: Thank you for having me. I love you guys, man. I hope to see you sometime this year. We’re just going to keep going here until we can’t anymore.
Dr. Decibel: Thanks again so much for joining us. I am your good buddy, Dr. Decibel. I am here with my co host, The Variable.
James Bradley Jr.: Mr. V! Mr. V!
Dr. Decibel: Yeah. And we have been speaking with James Bradley Jr. And you can check back. I think we might have an edited version of this whole interview. Hopefully up on the archive. We’ll see. Shout out Deep Rock Dave. And thanks again James. We really appreciate it.
James Bradley Jr.: Alright buddy.
Dr. Decibel: Alright, thank you.
