Barnes & Noble.com: How did Lucy Pearl come about? Had you always wanted to work with Dawn and Ali?

Raphael Saadiq: I've been working with Ali for a few years, and originally we wanted to put a group together with D'Angelo. But D'Angelo was still finishing his album Voodoo and we figured it would take him a while. So we started looking for a third person, and we thought we should get a girl. We auditioned lots of singers, but nothing clicked. Then I ran into Dawn Robinson in Los Angeles. I asked Ali, and he said we should include her in the group.

Barnes & Noble.com: What are your favorite songs on the Lucy Pearl album?

Raphael Saadiq: I love "I Wanna Dance Tonite." I also like "Without You" and "Remember the Times." I like the originality of those songs. They have a way out vibe. The whole Lucy Pearl sound is loose, and it's precious like a pearl. That's why I called the group Lucy Pearl.

Barnes & Noble.com: What artists inspired you to become a musician?

Raphael Saadiq: I was really into Bay Area artists like Graham Central Station and Sly & the Family Stone. I also loved the Jackson Five. And I listened to whatever was on the radio too -- rock bands like America. But my main influence was gospel. Growing up in Oakland, the Hawkins Family were huge. And Joel Smith was my idol. He's a gospel musician who's played with the Hawkins Family and the Mississippi Mass Choir. He plays the drums and the bass and probably the keyboards too. The man is bad.

Barnes & Noble.com: D'Angelo has a strong gospel influence in his music. Is that how you connected artistically?

Raphael Saadiq: Yeah, we come from the same kind of background. We connect on a spiritual level.

Barnes & Noble.com: If you had to pick a theme song, what would it be and why?

Raphael Saadiq: It would have to be two songs by Marvin Gaye. "What's Going On" and "How Sweet it Is to Be Loved by You." Marvin Gaye sings for the working man, and so do I. Like Marvin, I see struggle when [other artists] don't see struggle. Nowadays, people see good times. And there are good times, but there's also oppression. Marvin was singing about "fish full of mercury."

Barnes & Noble.com: What music do you listen to when you're chilling at home? In the studio?

Raphael Saadiq: There is so much music. I listen to whatever is on the radio, and I like jazz. Kenny Burrell is one of my favorite jazz artists. In the studio, I'm not really affected by the music other artists are doing. I have my own vision. But when it comes to hip-hop, I listen to whatever Ali is listening to. He's been playing this one group, dead prez. They're really political. And, of course, I was a big A Tribe Called Quest fan.

Barnes & Noble.com: What was the first record you bought?

Raphael Saadiq: The first 45 single I bought was "Bustin' Out" by Rick James. I loved the record's funky bass line, and on the cover was a picture of Rick busting out of a brick wall. I play the bass and he was holding his bass in that picture. I was like ten or 11, and I bought it from a little mom-and-pop store in Oakland.

Barnes & Noble.com: What record would you give to someone unfamiliar with soul music?

Raphael Saadiq: I'm really not good with titles. I just listen to music. But I would give them a Bobby Womack record. Maybe Across 110th Street. His guitar riffs are always soulful, and his string arrangements are great. I like it that Bobby talks you into the record. Like Isaac Hayes and Barry White, he talks a little before he gets started. That's what soul is.