You know, I think what happens is A and R is visceral. It's a gut feeling thing. It's to a technical thing. If it was a technical thing all these producers who are becoming A and R guys and opened up labels would have had success. And for the most part none of them have ever succeeded. It's interesting if you analyze it with rare exception.

It's about something that connects and I can't describe it. and I would analogize it to, you know, if you see a pretty girl walking down the street. I don’t think you have to look twice. It's either there or it isn't. when I see something that excites me - this Ana Alicia was singing on [Speaking Spanish], which is the American Idol Latin Version. And I called it like the second or third week into the show. Everybody was giving their opinion and I said I think the superstar on that show - the only one that can some day sell records is Ana Alicia.

It's just a gut feeling. It's the whole package. It's not just singing it's how they interrupt a song. It’s the feeling thing. It's how they communicate and you just take it all in. it takes five minutes to take it all in. And anything pass that, I'm sure there have been exceptions in the past, something that we analyze and maybe has worked out. But it usually just happens. And again, I can only tell you that it's very visceral, it's a very visceral thing. A very gut feeling thing. you can line up ten artists and I have a gut feeling about which one can happen or which one might not happen.

Interviewer: Do you think this is something you're born with?

I think so. I really do. I really do. I think I've played trumpet for three years or whatever but I don’t think that made me a great A and R guy. I think you have to have a decent ear. You know, be able to hear a hit. You sit down with some people and then you play a song that you think is a hit and they don’t even remotely see it. I think some people don’t have the ability to hear a hit. But for the most part, before you get to that part of that process, you have to be sold on the artist. And I think that that visceral gut feeling thing, no different than Donald Trump might have it for where to put the right building and whatever city. I just think it's a gut feeling thing.

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