Any Way the Wind Blows - E. Lynn Harris [40]
Michel had offered to come with me, but I had convinced him that I could handle this on my own. I rode the packed elevator to the thirty-third floor without removing my dark glasses and ignored the stares of a couple of women who were either admiring my mink coat or looking at me in disgust. Either way it didn’t matter. I had paid good money for my coat and was prepared to slap into next week anyone who said anything to me.
About fifteen minutes later, I was in the studio with Doug and Dee Dee after they had played “Any Way the Wind Blows” and invited callers in to talk with me. Doug and Dee Dee were really nice and told me how much they loved the song and how it had sparked a lot of debate with their callers.
“So is the song based on true life experience, Yancey B?” Dee Dee asked.
“I don’t know, because it certainly isn’t my life,” I laughed. I decide to make light of the questions and hoped Dee Dee would ask me about the CD and my future plans.
“So, Yancey B, I guess you’re saying that if the song is based on somebody, you’re not talking?” Doug asked.
“I’m saving a few things for my memoirs,” I joked.
“Lady, you’re much too young to be talking about any memoirs,” Doug said with a huge smile.
“Thank you, Doug.”
“So are you dating anyone?” Dee Dee asked.
“Right now I’m dating my career.”
“Have you ever dated a brother who was on the DL?” Doug asked.
“The DL? What’s that?” I asked. I knew what he was talking about but I figured if Doug took time explaining to me on what the down low was, my time would be up.
Instead of Doug explaining, Dee Dee did the talking.
“Now Yancey B, come on, girl. Where are you from?” Dee Dee asked as she pulled a sheet from my press kit and stared at it.
“I’m from Tennessee, but I’ve spent the last four years in New York. You know I did Broadway before I started my recording career,” I said.
“So you’re telling me you’ve never met one of those good-looking brothers who pretend to be straight, wining and dining you, and then later you find out their best male friend is more than a friend?” Dee Dee asked.
I paused for a moment like I was really thinking about the question and then said, “No, I can’t say that I have.”
“Now Yancey B, come on now!” Dee Dee said in amazement.
Before I could respond, Doug asked me if I was surprised at how well the song was doing.
“I’m not a bit surprised. My record company, Motown had a great marketing plan and the music and lyrics are just great. Not just with the single, but the entire CD. Have you guys played ‘I’m Not in Love’?”
“Yeah, and it’s tight, but we don’t get as many calls for that as we do for ‘Any Way the Wind Blows,’” Doug said.
“I think that will change when people hear the entire CD,” I said.
“Let’s go to the phone lines and see what our listeners think. Good morning. You’re talking with Yancey B, Dee Dee and Doug Banks,” Doug said as he punched a blinking phone line.
“Look at all those lines light up,” Dee Dee observed. “We haven’t had this many calls since we had Janet Jackson in the studio.”
I spent the next thirty minutes taking calls from all across the country. Everyone was telling me how much they loved the song and asking if I was going to tour their city. Several women told me that they’d bought several copies of the song and sent it to girlfriends who they thought were dating brothers on the down low. I thanked each of them and told them to go out and buy some copies for their male friends as well.
Everything was going smoothly until the last caller. “You’ve got a question for Yancey B?” Doug asked.
“Yeah I got a question for her. What about Madison?” a female voice asked in an unmistakable threatening tone.
“Madison?” Dee Dee quizzed. “Do you want to know if Yancey B is going to visit Madison, Wisconsin? Is that your question, caller?”
I drank the rest of my now-cold coffee and noticed Dee Dee and Doug exchanging puzzled