Drowned Madonna: Barry, welcome at DrownedMadonna.com. Which is your musical background?

Barry Harris: Thanks! Musical background is I play guitar, piano & Bass.

DM: Who were your idols?

BH: David Bowie…period…still is my all time biggest idol.

DM: When did you start DJing, remixing and producing music?

BH: I started Djing in Toronto in 1983 with the intention that it would lead me to remixing. Well…it didn't. I got frustrated by 1988 and said "screw it then…I'll make my own record". That record was "I Beg Your Pardon" by an act I named Kon Kan. By 1989 it went top 15 on Billboard in America and top 5 around the world!

DM: When did you and Chris Cox formed the phenomenon known as Thunderpuss?

BH: By the late 90's I moved to Los Angeles. Chris owned an Independent Record company Interhit Records. My Intention was to work with him producing & songwriting for his label. We never really took Thunderpuss all that seriously at the time. The very first Thunderpuss record was done in Fall of 1997. That was a cover version of "I Just Want To Be Your Everything" by Thunderpuss feat. Thea Austin.

DM: Why did you choose that name?

BH: Chris's wife came up with Erotic Thunderpuss. I thought it was too pornographic, so Chris suggested Thunderpuss. At the time I said well how about Thunderpuss 2000, it sounds a little fun and cartoonish and besides…remixers only get about 3 years to be popular (if they should be so lucky to become popular in the first place!). So we agreed on Thunderpuss 2000. Well much to our surprise we were still hot by the end of 2000. I really didn't want to have an old name…like who would care about Thunderpuss '98…so we just started to drop the 2000 by fall of that year.

DM: When did you and Chris split up?

BH: Chris and I split up officially as of September 2003.

DM: Who did what? Were you and Chris versed on everything? Did it depend on the specific project?

BH: Both Chris and I are pretty much versed on everything. Yes it depended on the project and sometimes the artist or even the song itself. We are both pretty versatile and would simply continue on with the others lead, (whoever started a mix from the beginning).

DM: Who had the louder voice in the studio?

BH: The louder voice? We were both equal. We just both contributed different things per project that the other didn't. It would depend on our mood, or even sometimes musical influences each week.

DM: Since you branded a sound that was unique, did labels expect a mix from you or were you free to explore ideas?

BH: Sometimes we were able to explore new ideas. That's what I loved about working with Madonna…you KNEW the more explorative and unknown you went with a mix…the better!! There's times when we weren't deliberately branding 'a sound'. Often that sound just came about because we were just 'being us'.

DM: Since you are DJ's as well as remixers, did you ever try out a remix in a club before you sent it back to a label?

BH: Absolutely! Both Chris and I went back to the studio and tweeked "What It Feels Like For A Girl" 3 times before we were 100% happy with it. Luckily…well in the end maybe not…because we did it so far ahead of time, we had a lot of time to spend with that one. Unfortunately, because we were SO far ahead, superfans of Thunderpuss knew we were working on it and posted a re-edit of the L.P. version on the Internet and named it the Thunderpuss mix. The record company thought we had leaked our mix. They freaked out and immediately pulled the carpet out from under us. Chris and I were absolutely perplexed and disappointed. We had worked on that mix for about a month. I STILL think it's one of the best mixes we've ever done. We put a LOT of hard work, blood, guts and soul into that mix!!

DM: Have you ever gone out of bounds and done your own thing entirely, regardless of what the label asked you for? Did the label ended up liking it?

BH: I was the one that would occasionally go out of bounds. I LOVE doing that, but 95% of the time the record company wouldn't get it. For example, I always though Britney really NEEDED a mix inventive and creative…unfortunately the record company didn't. So…yes…, there were times when we could do what we wanted and other times when the record company came to us mostly for the pop radio remix. I used to resent that….still do come to think of it!

DM: Have you ever felt that your remixes were going to be a big success? Were you right?

BH: Often when we were in the studio we would work until we really "felt it". Often we'd get the "goosebumps" vibe. That's when we both new the mix was done. Chris and I rarely worked together while each of us were creating the mix. I would work mornings and he'd takeover from where I left off and work into the night. We'd get together after a few days once we both felt we were ready to record the final result. Many times we'd feel a certain mix "should and would" be a big success! It wasn't finished until we felt that way! BUT, once it's out of your hands no one can MAKE it a hit. You just do what you feel is your best, cross your fingers and move on to the next project. Any success of anything is always a Team effort. That would certainly include the machinery of a big Record Company.

DM: Besides remixing, you also produced. Was your approach to the production different from your approach to remixing?

BH: Not a lot different. It depends what it is your producing. Even for remixing we often brought in session singers. Often with producing you have a bit more flexability. Plus you're creating more 'from scratch" too…i.e. the original vocals. Producing your own tracks I.e. "Dive In The Pool" is even better. I create best when I have no one telling me what to do.

DM: What do your DJ sets consist of?

BH: It depends where I'm djing. What kind of club it is (late night, bar, afterhours, specialized event etc..). I guess my dj sets consist of a bit of everything. Dark tribal, House, Vocals, Dubs….just as long as it all flows and makes sense. I'm perhaps a little of an 'old school' dj where I'll 'read the crowd'. They tell me (in vibe) where they want to go musically.

DM: Can you tell us a bit about your studios and technology?

BH: I currently work entirely within the computer (MacIntosh) on Digital Performer and Reason.

DM: Once Chris confessed that he would have liked to produce and remix Madonna's early stuff, mid 1985. What about you Barry?

BH: Hmmm…can't say that there's any thing in particular. I WILL say however when we first got all the tracks to "Holiday" I was spellbound. I wasn't expecting to be. Here I was already having remixed almost every major Diva in the world and I had all the tracks to Madonna's "Holiday" in front of me. I thought I was jaded, but when I hit play and could solo all the tracks individually I got this incredible rush. I HAD to call 2 of my best friends in Toronto and play some over the phone. "Holiday" is such a classic and went so far into my personal past that my reaction took me by surprise. That was an incredible moment!!

DM: Now that you worked for her… can you tell us what does it feel like?

BH: Flattering.

DM: Is something changed since you remixed a Madonna track?

BH: It was another goal for me. I'm very goal oriented. In some ways I suppose like Madonna, I like to achieve goals then move on. Like everyone who's worked with her, I'm flattered and honoured.

DM: Which is your own favourite remix? And what about your own favourite Madonna's remix?

BH: I don't have an exact favorite..i have a few. Mary J. Blige - "No More Drama" comes to mind, as does "Stranger In My House" by Tamia. My favorite Madonna remix by Thunderpuss would be "What It Feels Like For A Girl". I also feel our "Die Another Day" was cool too, mostly for it's simplicity. I felt the original song itself had so many hooks that it wasn't necessary to weigh it down with too much music.

DM: Can you talk about your unreleased Holiday mix? Is it officially commisioned?

BH: I just did it for myself for fun.

DM: And what about the new Into the groove 2005 version that Chris played recently at Roxy?

BH: I haven't talked to Chris much in the past year and a half. I had no idea that he'd done something with that!

DM: Do you have a count of how many remixes you are responsible for?

BH: Nope…I think Chris and I did more than 120 productions/songs/remixes though between 1997 and 2003.…I eventually stopped counting.

DM: You've worked with an amazing array of artists, are there still people with whom you haven't worked yet that are on your wish list?

BH: Chaka Khan was always high on my wish list. That dream just came through a couple of weeks ago.

DM: What projects are you currently working on?

BH: I just finished remixing "To Sir With Love" by Chaka Khan (March 2005).

DM: Are there plans for new solo discs?

BH - I have no plans. I've been enjoying taking more time for myself and only working on projects that really excite me!!

DM: Are there plans for a new compilation?

BH: I'm starting to get the itch. Talks are currently underway!

DM: Finally, if you weren't working in the music business, what would you be doing with your life?

BH: Being bored. The power of music is too strong. I will always be pulled back to it somehow…someway.

DM: Thank you so much for taking few minutes to chat with DrownedMadonna.com. We are very honoured.

BH: You're very welcome…no sweat. Hope Madonna fans find this interview somewhat interesting!

Special thanks to Mr. Joey Alvarado for the help.

BIOGRAPHY

Barry Harris has been a club DJ for 20 years. Starting off in Toronto and college radio in the mid 1980s, his club and radio savvy eventually brought him to Los Angeles in 1998 where he teamed up with long-time DJ/producer/friend Chris Cox. Together they created Thunderpuss, who in only five (5) years scored 31 #1's on Billboard's Hot Dance Music Club Play Chart and several more on the Maxi-Singles Sales Chart. He's done remixes and productions for Madonna, Cher, Whitney Houston, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears and Enrique Iglesias just to name a few. He also had an unprecedented first on any Billboard chart with the Thunderpuss & Barnes original production of "(Welcome to My) Head" topping the dance chart as an unsigned record early 2003.
Barry also remixed the theme song for the International Phenonema hit show "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy" entitled "All Things."
Barry has DJ'ed at some of the most prestigious clubs around the world. These include Twilo, Roxy and Exit in New York City along with Arc and the "Sleaze Ball" Party in Australia to name a few. Barry has always been a music fanatic all his life in one way or another. Outside of remixing and DJing, he plays guitar, bass and piano, and is also an artist, songwriter and producer. He's one who wears many hats.
The artist/producer/songwriter career began in Spring of 1988 with his very first effort "I Beg Your Pardon" by Kon Kan. "I Beg Your Pardon" became an international smash charting Top 5 around the world (#3 in the UK and #15 on the Billboard Top 100 in the US) by the Spring of 1989. Kon Kan also won the Juno award (Canada's version of the Grammy) for "Best Dance Recording" for that year. Kon Kan lasted from 1988-1993 with two LP's on Atlantic Records and one on Hypnotic/A&M before Harris decided to "pull the plug" and move on.
He then went back to the underground to collaborate with Toronto Veteran DJ Terry Kelly to create Top Kat (1993-1995) on Hypnotic/A&M& Stickman/Moonshine Records. Top Kat was best known for their Moonshine Records' release of "Feel Cool" which charted well on Billboard's Hot Dance Music Club Play chart. In 1996-1997 he hooked up with Rachid Wehbi (now of the remix/songwriting/production team "WideLife") to form Outta Control. They had a few hits in the US, most notably for their dance cover version of "(What If God Was) One Of Us" and "Sinful Wishes." Outta Control also became huge in Brazil and toured that country extensively in mid-1997. Wehbi & Harris also collaborated with vocalist Simone Denny (WideLife/Love Inc.) on the Canadian Top 10 hit in early 1998 "I Can't Take The Heartbreak" under the name Killer Bunnies.
Barry also created/wrote and produced the now club classic "Dive In The Pool" by Barry Harris feat. Pepper Mashay in 2000. "Dive" stayed at the top of Billboard's Club Play chart (for five weeks) alongside Madonna's "Music." It also became the unofficial theme song for "Queer As Folk."
Barry continues to tour extensively across the U.S. each weekend from NYC to LA to Miami to Seattle and various cities in between!

SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY

	Aaliyah - Got To Give It Up	remix- Thunderpuss
	Aaliyah - Got To Give It Up	remix- Thunderpuss
	Abigail - If It Don't Fit	remix- Thunderpuss
	Abigail - Let The Joy Rise	producer - Thunderpuss
	Amber - Above The Clouds	remix- Thunderpuss
	Amber - Sexual	remix- Thunderpuss
	Amber - Need To Be Naked	remix- Thunderpuss
	Amber - Taste The Tears	producer - Thunderpuss
	Anastacia - Love Is A Crime	remix- Thunderpuss
	Anastacia - Boom	remix- Thunderpuss
	Ayumi Hamasaki - Surreal	remix- Thunderpuss
	Ayumi Hamasaki - Trauma	remix- Thunderpuss
	Ann Nesby Lovin Is Really My Game	remix- Thunderpuss
	Backstreet Boys - The Call	remix- Thunderpuss
	Billie Meyers - Kiss The Rain	remix- Thunderpuss
	Boa - Amazing Kiss	remix- Thunderpuss
	Bob Sinclair - Freedom	remix- Thunderpuss
	Boomkat - The Wreckoning	remix- Thunderpuss
	Boomkat - What U Do 2 Me	remix- Thunderpuss
	Brian McKnight - Still	remix- Thunderpuss
	Britney Spears - Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know	remix- Thunderpuss
	Britney Spears - I'm A Slave 4 U	remix- Thunderpuss
	Britney Spears - I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman	remix- Thunderpuss
	Britney Spears - Sometimes	remix- Thunderpuss
	Celine Dion - I Want You To Need Me	remix- Thunderpuss
	Cher - Song For The Lonely	remix- Thunderpuss
	Christina Aguilera - I Turn To You	remix- Thunderpuss
	Christina Aguilera - The Christmas Song	remix/co-production-Thunderpuss
	Christina Aguilera - What A Girl Wants	remix- Thunderpuss
	Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya & Pink - Lady Marmalade	remix- Thunderpuss
	Donna Summer - Love Is A Healer	remix- Thunderpuss
	Enrique Iglesias - Be With You	remix- Thunderpuss
	Enrique Iglesias - Escape	remix- Thunderpuss
	Enrique Iglesias - Hero	remix- Thunderpuss
	Gloria Estefan - Out Of Nowhere	remix- Thunderpuss
	Janet Jackson - All For You	remix- Thunderpuss
	Jennifer Holiday - Think It Over	remix- Thunderpuss
	Jennifer Holiday - A Woman's Got The Power	production/remix Thunderpuss
	Jennifer Lopez Alive	remix- Thunderpuss
	Jennifer Lopez Feelin' So Good	remix- Thunderpuss
	Jennifer Lopez Play	remix- Thunderpuss
	Loleatta Holloway - Share My Joyn	remix- Thunderpuss
	Leann Rimes - Can't Fight The Moonlight	remix- Thunderpuss
	Leann Rimes - Tic Toc	remix- Thunderpuss
	Madonna - Die Another Day	remix- Thunderpuss
	Madonna - Don't Tell Me	remix- Thunderpuss
	Madonna - Thunderpuss GHV2 Megamix	remix- Thunderpuss
	Madonna - What It Feels Like For A Girl	remix -Thunderpuss
	Mary J Blige feat. JaRule - Rainy Dayz	remix- Thunderpuss
	Mary J Blige - No More Drama	remix- Thunderpuss
	Mirwais - Disco Science	re-mix with Giorgio Morodor
	Shakira - Underneath Your Clothes	remix- Thunderpuss
	Shakira - Ready For The Good Times	remix- Thunderpuss
	Sonique - Love Is On Our Side	production- Thunderpuss
	Soinique - Sky	production- Thunderpuss
	Sonique - Your Love Washes Away	production- Thunderpuss
	Tamia - Stranger In My House	remix- Thunderpuss
	Taylor Dayne - Naked Without You	remix- Thunderpuss
	Thunderpuss & Barnes - Head	production - Thunderpuss
	Thunderpuss feat. Jocelyn Enriquez - So Fabulous, So Fieirce (102 Dalmations Soundtrack)	production- Thunderpuss
	Thunderpuss feat. Latanza Waters - Stand Up	production - Thunderpuss
	Whitney Houston - It's Not Right, But It's Okay	remix- Thunderpuss
	Whitney Houston - My Love Is Your Love	remix- Thunderpuss
	Whitney Houston - Try It On My Own	remix- Thunderpuss
	Whitney Houston - Whatchulookinat	remix- Thunderpuss
	Whitney Houston - Same Script, Different Cast	remix- Thunderpuss
	Thunderpuss Presents Thea Austin - I Just Want To Be Your Everything	production- Thunderpuss
	VARIOUS SOLO TRACKS or PROJECTS, Groups, Teams, Pseudonyms
	S'cream (Nervous Records)	Solo writer/producer/artist
	I Got My Pride (featuring Pepper Mashay)	Solo writer/producer/artist
	Dive In The Pool (featuring Pepper Mashay)	Solo writer/producer/artist
	Beg 4 It Nervous Records	Solo writer/producer/artist
	Why'd Ya Let Her	Solo writer/producer/artist
	Filter Queen E.P.	Solo writer/producer/artist
	The Wailin' E.P.	Solo writer/producer/artist
	Feel Cool - Top Kat	writer/producer/artist with Terry Kelly
	Make It Hot - DJ Pierre & David Morales	Solo Remix
	New Creation - Dollshead	Solo Remix
	6 Feet Under - Thunderpuss & WideLife	producer/artist
	I Beg Your Pardon - Kon Kan (L.P. Move To Move '89)	writer/producer/artist
	Harry Houdini - Kon Kan (L.P. Move To Move '89)	writer/producer/artist
	Puss' N Boots - Kon Kan (L.P. Move To Move '89)	writer/producer/artist
	L.P. - Syntonic - Kon Kan '91	writer/producer/artist
	L.P. - Vida - Kon Kan '93	writer/producer/artist