Thundering Thunderpuss An interview with Barry Harris and Chris Cox by Gregg Shapiro

Dance compilations are a dime a dozen, but some are worth more than their weight in gold. Barry Harris and Chris Cox Present Thunderpuss (Tommy Boy) is one such compilation. Some of the biggest names in the dance music industry, including Madonna, Kristine W, Suzanne Palmer, and Kim English have been remixed by the Thunderpuss duo, and the singles have been topping the dance charts in record-setting numbers. With all the success and acclaim that this in-demand remixing and production duo has achieved, you'd think they might be unapproachable. The openly gay Harris and happily hetero Cox are, in fact, two of the nicest and most down-to-earth guys you will ever meet.

Gregg Shapiro: Do you have, off the top of your head, a count of how many remixes Thunderpuss is responsible for?

Barry Harris: We're probably at a hundred right now.

How were you able to whittle that number down to the 15 on the compilation?

Chris Cox: There are three factors. A) You have to look at what we like and are proud of. B) How marketable is the stuff you pick? Obviously, you want to get in some big artists and big songs and hits. And C) what they'll actually be able to get licenses for and permission to use.

Do you think that the songs that didn't make it onto this compilation will go on the next volume?

Cox: It's on a track-by-track basis. It's still solely up to the owners of the recordings, the record companies. There are some people who don't want their stuff on compilations at all. If [the CD] sells decently, then they would probably want to give us things. We'd love for it to do well enough to where we could do another one, and more people would come to the party next time.

Please say something about the compilation's new track "First Class Freak," which features Thea Austin.

Cox: It's a song that Thea Austin and I wrote. Thea was actually the very first recording that we did as Thunderpuss, way back in '97. We did a cover of "I Just Want to Be Your Everything," the Andy Gibb song, for a disco compilation. That was the record on which Barry and I first decided to try to work together. Thea was the vocalist. It's a nice full-circle thing that we're doing something else with her. I, of course, had some success with her last year, as the singer on the Pusaka thing that I do with DJ Irene. Thea and I got along really well, not only as friends, like we always had, but on a writing level.

I was so excited when I heard your remake of Pigbag's "Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag." It took me back to my college days . . .

Cox: Oh, yeah. Me. too.

. . . dancing at Spit in Boston. Why wasn't that track included on the compilation?

Harris: Because it had already been licensed on a lot of other compilations before we had a chance to put it on our own. We felt like it had been licensed to death.

Cox: We mixed the MTV Party to Go compilation for Tommy Boy and "Pigbag" was included on that. In lieu of that, we decided to do a brand-new song.

Are there plans for a new solo disc by either of you?

Harris: Yes. I had "Dive [in the Pool]" in my head for about two years before it came out. I have another track in mind, too‹just haven't found the time to get it out of my head and put it on paper.

Cox: Yeah, I've had a couple of offers. I knew that the Thunderpuss thing was coming up, so everything was on hold. Something is definitely in the works, probably for this year.

You've worked with an amazing array of artists. Are there still people who you haven't worked with yet who are on your wish list?

Harris: There are not a lot left, really. I'm just so grateful and happy and already overwhelmed with the names that we've been able to do so far. I said the other day that it would be fun to do No Doubt. It would be fun to do U2 or more alternative or rocky things for a change, perhaps. Diva singer-wise? We haven't done Mariah [Carey]. Maybe it would be fun, in the future, to do that.

Cox: I think the only one left on my wish list is Prince. He was always my favorite musician. I've always had the utmost respect for him. I wouldn't necessarily want to remix him. I'd want to work in the studio with him. Everyone else that I've ever loved or admired or been a fan of has come through, so I'm thrilled, actually.

You've worked with so many artists, several of whom have reputations for being difficult, to say the least. Without naming names, are there performers with whom you will never work again in the future?

Harris: Oh, yeah! [Laughs.] There are certain goals [that you aim for] and when you finally do it, you're like, "Okay, I'm done and that was painful. Forget it, I'm done, I don't care now." I'll name names. No, I better not.

Please don't.

Harris: [laughs] I won't.

Cox: [laughs] I'm trying to think of scenarios. For me, there was never anything that was so bad that I was like, "Oh God, forget it. I'm completely over this." I'm not being diplomatic. I'm being totally honest. There were a couple of pretty tense incidents with one artist that we worked with. I would definitely work with this artist again, but I would have parameters. I would go into it more educated this time, anyway. Being a producer in the studio is kind of like being a doctor; you have to have a bedside manner.

Thunderpuss will be at South Beach, August 3. Their CD Barry Harris and Chris Cox Present Thunderpuss will be on sale at the door.