Following his “Wild Wild West” success, Fusari got back together with Destiny’s Child to work on their Survivor album. He submitted about 30 tracks to the group’s manager, Mathew Knowles, who forwarded the tracks to Beyonce. About two months later, Fusari got a call from (Columbia’s) LaBarbera-Whites, who said that Beyonce loved the track which would become “Bootylicious.” Beyonce met with Fusari in Manhattan, and they not only finished “Bootylicious,” but they also wrote three other songs which made the Survivor album (“Apple Pie,” “Happy Face” and “Thank You”).
“It was great working with Beyonce,” said Fusari. “She’s an extremely gifted artist, and she’s the real deal as a songwriter.” Fusari went on to produce three songs on the Destiny’s Child Christmas album (8 Days Of Christmas), and co-wrote the song, “Winter Paradise.”
http://www.singeruniverse.com/fusari.htm
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Did "Bootylicious" come together in a similar fashion?
I came up with the idea to build a track using the guitar riff from Stevie Nicks' "Edge of Seventeen." I really wanted to play the riff from "Eye of the Tiger," but I was flipping through my CDs in the studio and I couldn't find it. But I saw the Stevie Nicks CD and I remembered that the riff was similar.
I figured I'd put the guitar loop on there temporarily, and later go into the studio with a guitar and replay it, because I'd learned, after sampling Stevie Wonder's "I Wish" for Will Smith's "Wild Wild West," that I didn't want to lose 50% of the publishing. I vividly remember telling Mathew Knowles, "Mathew, you got to book me into your studio and let me replay that riff." It was Guitar 101! One note!
But Mathew didn't want to do it?
He didn't want to do it. So 50% got cut for one note. That whole experience was bittersweet for me.
I remember watching Barbara Walters interview Beyoncé about "Bootylicious," and she told Barbara about how she came up with the idea for the track. And I was just like, "What?" I called Mathew-which was a big mistake; I got emotional, and I apologized after-but I called Mathew and said, "Mathew, like, why?"
And he explained to me, in a nice way, he said, "People don't want to hear about Rob Fusari, producer from Livingston, N.J. No offense, but that's not what sells records. What sells records is people believing that the artist is everything." And I'm like, "Yeah, I know, Mathew. I understand the game. But come on, I'm trying too. I'm a squirrel trying to get a nut, too."
http://www.billboard.com/features/producer-rob-fusari-dishes-on-lady-gaga-1004070301.story#/features/producer-rob-fusari-dishes-on-lady-gaga-1004070301.story
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Billboard magazine 2006.1.14 issue
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Stevie’s most famous solo single ‘Edge Of Seventeen’ was borrowed for Destiny’s Child’s smash ‘Bootylicious’. What did she make of that? “Oh, Beyonce called me to ask if they could use it,” she says, blasé. “So I own 50 per cent of ‘Bootylicious’
http://fleetwoodmac-uk.com/wp/truth-lies-rumours-i-nme-meets-the-legendary-stevie-nicks/
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Following his "Wild Wild West" success, Fusari got back together with Destiny's Child to work on their Survivor album. He and fellow producer partner, Falonte Moore (of later Koffee Brown acclaim) submitted about 30 tracks to the group. About two months later, Fusari got a call from (Columbia's) LaBarbera-Whites, who said that Beyonce loved the track which would become "Bootylicious". Beyonce met with Fusari in Manhattan, and they not only finished "Bootylicious," but Destiny's Child also wanted more of the tracks submitted by Rob and Falonte, which made the Survivor album ("Apple Pie A La Mode", "Happy Face" and "Thank You").
http://maps.thefullwiki.org/Rob_Fusari
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If Starland manages to clear these hurdles, the public could get a chance to own Fusari's 12.5 percent interest in "Bootylicious."