Lou Adler’s career in the music industry is one of the most accomplished in history, writing and producing hit songs and albums for the likes of Jan and Dean, Sam Cooke, the Mamas and the Papas, Carole King and many more. But he also was a producer of films like The Rocky Horror Picture Show and the director of Cheech and Chong’s Up In Smoke. On top of all that, he opened The Roxy Theater on the Sunset Strip, the club that launched many careers, which Lou talks about with Marc on the occasion of The Roxy’s 50th anniversary.
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This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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this
all right. Let's do this. How are you what the placards, what the fuck bodies was the top with what the fuck a delicate what's happening?
mark mare- and this is my podcast- w E f work into it.
We'll make my way through my birthday cake. We bought a lot
urged cake.
Amazing, vague and cake I've ever in my life, and
I am not my mother's son in certain ways I will not throw away food unless it's just tapped,
I will not throw away food. I dont like not eating food out of it at arrested.
I don't even I get a little sad.
Thinking about what happens to left over, but Faye food. I have a food thing.
Think we establish at, but god damn it
cake is lasted. I froze it. I just defrost it and now just
I'll just go
cry with chocolate, joy
cry with shock with joy. Also is
guess what I'm doing is
we'll be me charting my pre diabetes
but doktor braun
don't pay for ads. They ve always been supportive of this show and
years ago, fields,
years. They sent me couple box.
Of the of the soap, the big bottles.
and I've been using that for a couple years: nothing but brunners, but
the way they were making chalk of a wild and I went t in and then out of nowhere gift pack
the again chalk. Apart from brown
there's an there so rich in fucking good and between that and the cake and the boxes dates I bought
I'm fucking jammed with sugar.
Jammed up butter
be birthday to me ongoing, so
lou antlers on the show. Today, this guy is
The one of them
in hollywood rock guys direct support.
you're, a film producer, Colonna, roxy theater, and how we would he produced out
comes with the mom and pop as jan and dean. Caroline
including tapestry. Oh, my god,
Grand kids are still
Take on that one
he produced several movies, including the rocky horror picture show and he directed cheat.
In jobs up in smoke,
come on man.
David. I here come on, dude
actually just celebrated its fiftieth anniversary, so we had a man
he doesn't do,
stuff
written no books
and he knows a lot of stuff
but, as you know, is a guy, a gipsy himself lives is life enjoys it, but here
been there through the whole arc of that that
or of music late, sixties, mid sixties,
Only seventy three was here man. He was in it password
act and war in that crew, but tat
his way back in the music businesses. It is a great great episode. The priest
for my twenty twenty four tours going on right now, all the links are a deputy pod, dotcom, slash tour and you can use that,
resale code, all in that's one
word a our ally and I'll be proof
coming in san, diego san francisco, portland main boston, providence, rhode, island, tear
town, new york, atlanta, madison, wisconsin, Milwaukee, chicago minneapolis,
on clare, new jersey, philadelphia, washington dc pittsburgh, cleveland detroit charleston, south carolina charlotte north carolina, durham, north
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It is all in one word,
the general on sale data's tomorrow, friday november, through
at ten a m local time. All the venues and links are at wmd pod, dotcom, slash, tour,
this saturday I'll be in Boston. Doing that
mixed, come home
scuse me in modern kelly and robert and PETE davidson and tammy pescatarian lenny clock Alex edelman, Rachel Feinstein and me
more and more boston, but I,
talk about this before man going back to
lost in that area that
to be in these same airiness of new england is both its heavy man. It's a specially fall! You you get that
crisp air and the leaves changing and it's beautiful, it's poetic, but
me. It's also a bitter it's a bit
returning
to the scene where the trauma
took place where I put myself through it
college, an comedy I mean
I left home and I went first
the milton massachusetts for my freshman year out their curry college and then to boss
so all those changes were there what's wrong. Is that help
all my changes? Were there? That's for sure I mean I think,
Think niels dogma, winnipeg and he's probably younger, but when you make the shift to the college, if you're fortunate enough
or you can, like you, know your kind of on your own, but not really and you're. Just
if you're me my sense of self as a little
a morpheus, anyways
kind of put the pieces together. You'd try
Do all the things that you always want:
I do like for me now. I did some acting
did some writing a did. Some poetry, ng wrote for the newspaper studied film,
studied the english studied art you. I did all the stuff wrote some stuff.
you now to try to find myself, but that's like that's not it
rate time. I don't know what kind of people
the great time figure him
I out of you
regret it, but Jesus Christ
that was hard and sad and weird, and
bearing
Like I come out here to l- and I do their way then get all fucked up on drugs. Go back to boston start. My
many career, their hearts
and sad and embarrassing, not in bed.
We a good time to be had any time during
time other than hang out with some some comics women were crossing
and hanging out with the guys
women and men of my generation, their drinking.
when blow game, but really, I think, at the heart of the trauma,
Of going back to the new england area is
I, for some reason was able to work these one nighters into driving out in the middle of nowhere to do to go of cold for an audience of people. New england, people
the full spectrum of knowing when people and just.
hammering it out at a god,
and bowling alley. I feel
come on when I go out their work with
any clack, when clack
was scary man and, although
that that whole world of of Boston, comics
great as they all are in work.
Intimidating and scary. Don't want to get on the wrong side any of em. I missed
jobs. I bell
there's just a shout out rest in peace, Bob Cybele that guy was a character. I wish I had a little more time with bob cybele. He, oh my god
driving down two francs in franklin, poncho visas and lemon stir, bank,
in flower river that taught unreal
chauncey captain Nixon a banquet
johnny he's down in yarmouth? Oh my god
hang around hotel room would show unity in Don Gavin plain, I doubt poker game
Jesus
now. It sounds amazing and fun. It was
anxiety,
and a lot of sweating
made it through and I'm going back
saturday and eventually, like we say what the comedy store. You know the damage was done to me that place when I was younger, eventually faded
DR went there more.
And maybe that'll, be maybe it'll, be fun, made of
be fun to play with the bandwagon. Do the asshole song, I think maybe
are going to be in the band. They got me
Gear I gotta go to rehearsal on Saturday. Ammo
about my ten or fifteen minutes I made
Mitigated by those audiences it does
go away.
driving out.
Driving the was tat, they do stay,
she's at margarita bill.
Just don't, you know just come up against a full roma, those factors sallies
And cindy's
solve, carries
Well, I'm just naming names. I just phrase I like
just naming names, radio in them off. Who gives a fuck
Yes, she it's happening. I've gotta, keep it out
hold on to me as I entered this world speaking comics.
and I want talk to her the comic,
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All right so next week I go
albuquerque
my old man. They're swear we're slowly ejecting.
And my wife: is there no way the chemo theatre, the chemo fear?
with. Actually something always wanted to do not allow it
Gigs Albuquerque sought a big market but
hold out the key mon. It's a big deal. Toys big
the other gown in the field.
It is that they feel the weight of the judgment.
I have some of the people that knew me when I was five and would have been a little older. When I was ten you know. So I got the wait.
The entire audience of new england who saw me forge part of me and I got-
oh, feel the weight of albuquerque mexico which forged the rest to me.
And now I gotta go to thanksgiving in my mothers and sort of there being the absence of maya,
amazing, aunt, barbara. So it's a it's a heavy month, man, it is a heavy month. So look
This is a great conversation.
I talked to Lou adler for quite a while his club, the roxy, is having its fiftieth anniversary
and go to the roxy dot. Tk,
for all the shows and events there holding this year, and this is made.
fucking with Lou adler
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It seems like you, do in all right figures:
you still alive, I'm sixteen. You remember sixty
our thinking about that today, because I was reading about you and I saw- was your birthday. Sixty was real good birthday for me. Oh yeah yeah, what hours this
Five. Here I mean
my wife
I am now mary reactor.
and
A sort of having a bunch of goods is good without on purpose.
after a while at last she water. When I married her here,
she said you know
to tell you that one of my
thanks? I always thought about
was there have seven kids
by seven different men men, why would she a cat?
her head a bird. I gave her seven,
so now you got him to get into giving her. Do you got him
three before I met her yeah and one of them
still runs the club break. So scope we ask,
yeah. You know why,
he's got so much to do with. It
golden voice. That's the first of all how gag idea honey! He owns a bunch of vague and restaurants. Oh yeah, here, maltese, so yeah yeah. I saw that chain. Third, is due in the business
but whose run in the club, no orthodoxy
girls and voice. I said
he's not a family affair anymore reality overlooking the iron
look alike, is able to because his calls and voice and family right right showed how yeah it's good
Paul to lead has become a very good friend. The actual Haider hooty he's
started goes in voice, that's it
production company
that does coachella right.
and probably
Two hundred more festival is all it out, but is it considered? What is it? Is it consider management, company or production company, or just a
it was music promotion
zone by h g now, our really they on everything right
We can only invite him for so long. I guess I don't live nation does the idea
live nation is huge, should be new bill grammar back in the day. They are very much yeah. Good guy
strong
tough here, really tough, guiding the good guy so like ours.
figure out because I haven't
too many people
that have the ark they that you doing in music and in this town, primarily ex emperor albert. I interviewed her albert more. You do. I did I do,
I didn't ask about eyes folk toby. Yesterday, yeah yeah we're
good talk
and you guys came up together right yeah. We did. We started together, but where'd. You start writing songs
wait what what town? What city here?
we ll, not glendale ally of bridge. You grew up here or you grow up elsewhere. I grew up in boyle heights: east l, a in east l, a
So you he's a ella guy too, he went on
carfax yeah
so you know each other in high school.
Well, I knew his.
He was in the army near I met is
girlfriend which I do know, is his girl. Until you tried not okay there.
got out of the army, eventually married her, and
she and judges return her girlfriend
That's how herbie and I became good friday. I
any and did you write together. Yeah live
song cigar and that's how it started to it, which was the first hit while we have
couple small yet near
by weird grove circle rock by the Samas brothers. You who, via
a country ardors eve
Eventually, we had
some girl and you have wonderful world. You are that yeah, that's a big!
yeah. That's all
we still makes money still does
crazy, takes care of the younger kid, that's critic of the youngest and when I just meant analysis run below him. Oh, my god, you gotta,
we'll brood going. So that's some when you were coming.
I mean it's interesting to me that how did the because
two guys who were who were in new york and doing that that song
writing in that song. I was involved in that for awhile
the bridge building in that kind of stuff. Sixteen fifty building, which everybody calls the bridge building, but it's not the bro building. Sixteen fifty per
Ok, so, but
out here I mean what what what can
well judy get into the music racket because I use a certain type of person like when you were a kid. Was it you just now know I want her to be a journalist. I did play yell and
nah?
junior eyes school in high school. I wrote the school song here, but
What sort of anything
maybe journalism here as a career. Right now, it's just
I am from whatever
thanks of an extra whatever my dad thought,
get a trade. You know your dad's trade is a mockery.
Again a truck driver, oh yeah, here an ally and your mom house,
I hear you're never work stuff.
Work. Annoyed choose sixteen in chicago, so they were
they come up in chicago chicago juice, sugar,
the Jews for sure, and then you get siblings.
I have one sister,
Seven years, younger storeroom, good genes have good for you. She is our
our parents on
so stern. I are so
start writing songs,
because, like when you got in the music, like it
whole business built around you really around around that generation of people. The rock business in the pop song business shifted right when you were start now shift at as far as toy is as far as the the
I would imagine
It just seemed like there are a lot of people once rock and roll took hold your tongue
in a score the songs.
trying to make hits trying to write his friend in delivering the artists, and maybe was always like that. I don't know well was more individual. You know there was
less corporate yeah sure we're so Anna was quicker rear.
Nl I rather song
you could have around the errand twenty four thirty six hours, ITALY, what you just press, a single
on processing off you find a band. You press the signal you get it to. The did. Did jackie you, gotta kiev tubby, these radio station, the shocking in our
We made the discharging. Our partner
natural reed. We're became our partner. He was at three o clock
I d J, iowa jack, I'm dr time guy dr time,
formerly love you.
from new york, a jazz dj. Aha,
were bought into Iraq, iran and that answer that so that was in quite pale, and that was just a partnership
Anna, was based on bail out yet
I consciously had it right, but it was just a smart move to bring the guy in definitely, and he was a friend yeah he began, perform
any you got the howling that partners, so you and urban him. It was called tb.
her bellew production, yeah, yeah, herb
the four be met through here, Lou yeah take off and ass. He looked a rounded there are many heads of that company have,
Ah, no
it really heavy and I started to get into production.
Are you working with sound cook at that point? It is it
peak of his career now, just before he had
it was fifty
fifty nine he had. You send me
And maybe a couple of other heads right here, but it was done with the gospel.
it was done with their and
so you got them sort of a prime time.
everything I've ever done, as seems to be prime time that would you that's it
Would you call that luck
I have had a lot of luck. I don't know what else to call it.
cause I rolled, seek it out in no way we're. So it's a lot of visas. Lark I mean it has allotted
with an sting sure
I've tried a lot of new
two things because that dog I've never
then very conscious of rules and regulations. Will you managing with day with her
hurry and I met our first act- that we manage was jan and dean.
Had some hit, so that was that a lot, so that was, after the song, writing like sorted door,
like when did they all I want? Is that was managing producing more that's all those little later.
then the songwriting thirty, nine,
waiter than herbie Lou,
later than herbie during but later ok. So how does it so? When you decide to be a manager, I mean: how does that that sort of
work. It just seems like it. If you think these things were just impulsive back in the day you just grab abandoned, you sign the papers and you're the guy
Sometimes you don't sign a paper sure you're, the guy used
are taking on things,
you can do tat
that nobody else is doing for them right and they're not doing or they don't want to do, and you
do you fill those slots.
Had pretty sure neuro mannered, but that is how you built relationships with the labels and stuff bye. Bye, take
Consequently, JANET
started yeah? That was actually.
there were small labels, could you couldn't get in
to cap it all hearts, yea colombia here where the three big ones in it I saw It- was vine street resolved sore fronts. Oh really tat and
the John dene records run or label called dory, deal worry and whose waiver was that fidel was his name bia. Ah you
He had another layer.
Well era: yeah.
small labels.
There were no use comedian, so so
It was a time where, like you know, a guy in new york, if you could pull it together, you could you could press some records and there was a chance outside of the corporate structure altogether outside of major labels. You could
You can make a pretty good hit for yourself in into all right.
Are you gonna need, could start what we feared?
as soon as we had
I hear of any gandhi I've. Even before we started labels here
we are well able to did you start. We have
before my bed labels.
to a done deal
owed
I have weird little labels named after our girl, friends, so yeah ty, and so was the idea with the little label. Just to you, you would just you know. What would you do? Paperwork and there's no like knock out a few records on it, and then you move on you could pressure me
ah
and you could promoter
and there were local promotion man
Jerry moss was
very independent local promotion, man will used and he was even around for years right.
sure you started in fifty nine and then he go on to be a label head
you started here now with there with her bright, jerry, moss right. But if you
something on the radio in the twenty four hour period, I mean any
takes off. You got a record suppress ray.
That's an interested third because July of, for example, sam car right.
per hour. You sent me here and if you ve got it
caused major right away. The stations are picking it up and
there were thirty two in
the pageant,
distributors across the country at that time,
one in new york on in philadelphia, one or new jersey army across so
and they would make deals. Ah, if
If I buy now the distributor which I wasn't here, if I buy three hundred records, we
Give me ten or fifteen
in free, so
good, sell. Those
all the muddy, I'm right
we're naive yeah sure had said
cook comes out.
you send me start selling
crazily, the guy,
philadelphia caused keen records. We are putting the record out. We
You give me a hundred recruits for every three hundred I sell yeah, ok son
Thirty thousand, therefore, that so not greatly
but you did all right.
For me and her really were make money we never made here and now.
enough to get you guys started without. Was that really what you build? Dunghill records? None, not
downhill, is financed by
Another partner that I had at that time
So you just you made the money on the sam cooks as single, and then you just kept doing the same thing for a while kept on going, knocking him out yeah. That was the last one with sam. No one.
for world was very late, which we are a couple of
Small records on different albums, yeah, nothing, really big til wonderful world, so managing jan and dean were you with them their whole career through through the the tragedy like jan and dean yeah I was, I was with them. I saw dean last night. You did hear how's, he doing
I attend of the swedish people ever since
ever was and still is so why
and how does it sorted evolve? What are the next steps? It get you to the point where I mean cause, it seems, like you know,
I guess the times were changed so word we're talking with with them cooksey early sixties, right, Jan early sixties,
jan and dean. Fifty nine, so sam was before that fifty seven, fifty eight. So what are you doing between? Like you know, fifty nine and when you know the sixties, explode wow
avenues is, and I decided to go separate ways.
herbie always wanted to be an hardest yeah. So rest,
blood. Wherever we had, I took Jan indeed he the tape machine was
that was our ass. It I yet
I went to work in new york and I sixty one for
publishing company a guy named Donnie kirshner
and now nevins out a company called alden music gear and
Thirty. Six top ten records in three years sets up big that company you. Why
and now is don kirshner from don kirshner rotten answered at start curse.
I met girl, came very man, so new york times that we let the broadway time do your gear
and that's ok, so you may care king is songwriter songwriter her and her husband, juridical gough, india,
ok, so that's where you you can't get tapped into the whole scene. That's all different worlds! In new york language, not only new york but publishing yeah, which I and dealt with much
not on that level. What that's also like you know, that's where the big money is right.
in a lot of ways is holding onto its the continuation of money. We answer
the continuation of after the record, sent me out. I see so
When did so? How does he relationship of carole king king evolve? That seem to be? You know that
at the evil I I was one
my job was. There was too
take songs that
They rode
Try to get on recorded by artists by released
ships with
the in our men and producers,
and so from new york. I had this small period, maybe three four months when I lived in
in new york and
I came out to allay and opened up a branch of,
all the music. So so, then you are primarily in publishing and you are taking songwriter songs to artists are trying to deal with ain't, our guys to get to deliver them to art and write and carol was sending me. What I noticed at the time is when I would give a demo of carol
to produce severe or an aura, couldn't get it back
yeah they love the damage so much a latter day. Added
to their collection of using very listen to her
Naturally that comes when I start recording kara to keep it simple and keep it light. Demos,
so yeah what he made that that masterpiece record, but be before tapestry. You were dealing with the summit that the pop psychedelic
guy like a moment in the papers, I guess out of if it's psychedelic, but it was at the beginning of that right, the problem
just from a psycho darling, your rikers words like tat, yeah yeah, but you are sort of at the at the euro.
Top of the wave of of sixties pop. Would
with them re us now,
that wave one from new york to allay. Ok, it
that's one allies started to get big. Ah folk, rock
for hate for start moving until so you like the way you like in new york way, where we d
the stone ponies right,
Linda runs right was that were they in new york or they here they were here. I mean that's one. Those of pure folk
bands yeah all foot erode guys neil young, eagles and fleet parts
the fleet would man,
buddy was moving out of focus.
Stephen stills via you
Ok, so, by by it seemed was a mom. Is in the past the first really break out of folk. You think enter into pop
I think it was the biggest near
it had a lot of them. Package of the two girls being up
yeah for the first time,
in a rock and roll grew, and that was on your label. The first mama's internal, the vat, was the first mom and pop his record. That's
yeah yeah and
you are producing yes,
so you're in the middle of the insanity.
I don't know
right and the end, and you have to tell the story. Well,
Quite a story was interesting interesting. I I was like looking. You can kind of reading up on you and in the fact that you, you haven't written a member
I have not because you're a guy that to keep things either keeps them to himself or knows a lot of secrets, while I'm on both of those guys actually pod.
I do have only done to part gas nor yeah. I just thought
It's my story and I'll keep it we're at that.
Thank you. I mean I don't want. I mean
The story gets so broad here that, if you start to
talent or right yeah. You have to stop some point. You can doubt that deepened.
toward him. Without it and without powers we hurting other people. I don't, I don't feel comfortable doing that idea.
I have seven kid, so you boys and
they asked me ass
chancellor schroeder live the book were through there,
yeah.
Do they ask you, questions about you mostly about people, you knew it.
Pretty good combination and depends on which boy with because of the age
age. What therein to again, will you certainly a good resource?
I am an excellent resource for so many years after so after that, like in the sixties, you know, I guess that
really kind of established you here and
label and the boy
you're working with, as as one of the main music
movers in in allay right. I've thanks
yeah nineteen sixty four
I start doing those live at the: u whisky albums were johnny rivers and from that point, on
snowboard. I really it was constant.
So the whiskey
still around and that's that pre darted nineteen sixty four predates the roxy by decade. Almost right answer,
point: the rocks he's just a strip club in the trooper around right, too
Darya folk folk are folk
and rainbows nigh happening, yet seventy one okay. So what is the feeling you cause? You must have seen in the mid sixties. The sun stretch sunset strip. Take the form that it it took.
It's a change right. What was on this trip was just a couple of
clubs and zeros was probably still there right, shirley was our. I mean the the basic attendee too.
Ah, the stirrup
and the areas surrounding the was frank sinatra.
Group should here I mean
people of that age
her team and that they were looking for so that ok, so that so that what this that's a big moment right so in the mid sixty two the way sixties, the
the entire music industry shifts the film industry shifts entertainment shifts. Film was a little later. Seventy yeah one two yeah the trip and write those films. Five easy pieces had woke up, and Sarah rock and roll yeah yeah, but music muse,
like you know after the folk rock I mean you saw pretty- I you knew janis now
Why did monterrey pop? Yes? I m always add that was seventy. Sixty seven wow
your idea,
The idea was sort of john philips, the mama's impossible. Ok, I jumped right in the two of us.
together the sa board of directors day ever mac.
few names on a piece of paper. He has some of them didn't, even though they re the border around the border area.
What sort of validated what we tried to do and how many were there, I think to fifteen, but
First, one sixty nine.
which fell on around sorry. There was only one,
There was only the one internal two years ago.
the film or wherever we had to fifty avowed over three. There was one,
so that was one big festive one been. We went back to wow to think about the second one hand.
Ah there had caught on to what we were doing there.
They re saw the prices they ask for more things. He asked
to be.
It's literally, a pain in the ass wages. Why?
the first one I mean I because I've seen like
in some of the film doing some work, someone filmed it penny Becker, there's penny baker
because I watched it may be the criterion channel where I found it its own criteria and its way.
Yeah there's some the scope of it was amazing and
everybody was there right at that time, Harvard every genre every big act
open commie act
in every genre.
It was crazy. Why go out on the Saturday afternoon? I got the list right here: kante big brother and the holding company country Joe and the fish owl cooper, the butterfield boozman, the electric flag.
Silver messenger service, Steve Miller, ban. I just interviewed him here.
interesting guy, see because, like you know you, I could walk down the street no would normally at some of the biggest hits of the seventies and
a musician. He really
is right and then in the night, moby grape,
hugh massa keller, the bird
laura nero jeffson airplane. Boycotting the m J b, marquise otis redding ravaged
in car was their Simon
funchal uncle Eric Johnny rivers, the association ikea buffalo spring
the who the grateful dead hendricks that must have been there for you
wait the whole time for three days
I was on a high yeah,
which guides both.
was it. Do you have memories of it was crazy. I was every memory. Ah you lucky of solid
based on his somebody, asked me the other day,
of all the ah,
sick events. There are there
which one would you like to have done at
I said I was that yeah all the big ones of it,
I got to be there either a part of it
or see it.
I hear it, but it seems like monterrey, you know
It's not as crazy as woodstock.
monterrey was about the music woodstock was about the weather, yeah, so
subject to weather and the size of the crowd yeah. He was a little and neither of those things entered into monterrey, we're all about the music and in your recollection, where there like what were the moments of monterrey, where you were like holy shit. This is like the this is white walking on the moon,
drugs because yeah yeah. I made an order to validate just look at the past
baker. Failure.
At the faces of the girls at her in the frog tat. They can't do not believe what they're saying here, how
certainly janis here John
I had gone off to san francisco earlier
to see some other group lobby. Rape,
We saw moby grape. I recall, I think movie grape was a bill
graham said poorer mine and grateful that to same with
great yeah,
John is not us out
so Janis Andrew. Oh, yes, of course. How is act? I must have been a mail order, was amazing orders.
And he knew.
because he says in the public. This is the love crowd is in it
he do that he was. It was a different crowd for him. Here, largess wide audience thirty. He had
so it has other, though of crowd was their hippy idea. So this is
like everything a chain yet over any was before it got weird and bad in the seventies there
and so many of them are died shortly after you didn't get to see it. Yeah
I think he died in
december of that year. Maybe- and this was jones-
like the janis, was dead, what seventy one seventy one yeah terrible hendricks. Yet seventy weren't same seventy one. Seventy one
I think all twenty seven I know is that crazy. That's not
here here, yeah morrison.
Did you know that guy
Genova level there was an actual m one of my weddings did. He behaved himself. He brings
saved himself.
You just stay in the game? You open the brok in seventy three, but mostly up into that point, you're producing
and and and putting our records on your label
and the idea the roxy, because its it seems like a joint venture, was what
as the fundamental idea was it was it to entertain, or was it to have an outlet for these bans,
You here and our way forward
exposure out here that this storage, true we're carol, can
Going to play her first
had lining show at the troubadour and this
by this, it toast tapestry year before house, before tat,
so you haven't recorded that yeah. Ok, we might have started ok.
song goin to time to sound baja at the troubadour. Yet she's my label, hum
producer, the up and manner to write bought for
back in the afternoon. I knock on the door. It opens a baronage.
I said yeah.
Had I some here too, for called kings soundtrack, it's clean,
I say no, I'm her manner or I use that word. Where gets me right, he says
I don't know, I don't know your name, I said,
My name's on the list
he says I have a list
I said I made a list
He says: maybe it's out the back door. I go awry
through the back door through the year
same guy, opens the door to gag same guy, opens the door yeah, I said,
what I told you at the front door
is what I am now telling you at the back door and ivory
pete myself.
I don't remember if I got in
If I left or what happen that and the fact that
when the axe played the trooper door
they had signed six or seven options.
at the same money that they mean
aid on the first
first time they play right. So
John
only pays thirty five. Forty thousand dollars to get out of this
contract.
goes on for years to contract there. Ok,
indifferent tie rice.
four to seven times you play anywhere, you
and apply them the the trooper drawer, and this is how much you're going get those things factored into it also you're pissed off. I was
really there by partner, was elmer valentine, who had stood
The whisky go go here which actually
doesn't get the credit. He should use a guy. He turned rock and roll lights on sunset,
She had used the guy that brought it up here.
A chicago cop, bad cop, but
and he says I think
largo were true.
A burlesque cause next
the rainbow yeah. We had already opened
as available the guy wants to solid cited
sobered someone, that's open something
that treaty act right that gives
the best possible
dressing room, sounds the sun, everything that they were,
getting at the troubadour
and he says what stir near the armor valentine on reform,
the cop in chicago bad cop. What that yet
throw him out of Chicago. They had allergic to be a bad cop in Chicago you've got a pretty covers man, you gotta, be pretty bad to be thrown out of chicago, so he's a tough guy is tough.
So you get. So this is seventy three! You decide seventy two seventy two and when does TAT
three come out: seventy one so that today,
like cause. I I was kind of looking at the you know the in terms of producing and putting out records. I mean that was that was
when the biggest records ever at the time,
the time and for a long time,
maybe still our cause
David says what use and was bigger better. I think the girl king still might be the biggest selling record by sir,
of female artists.
it's like you know it's one, those records my parents had down. I mean one on growth, also,
free time, there's a new mode,
the thieves,
but he buys tapestry to put her dinner. We started up vinyl cds
wherever we go digital, wherever ghosts they buy and you
your piece of that record was as a producer and as the original label and india the part of the publishing as well now carol,
I saw the published, but so that wake on some level. You made your life that record
in terms of money made my kids life,
what data all seven of a forum all through school is not something about their business.
So after that hits like that. You know
You ve got a lot more freedom and, in terms of I always felt like I had freedom, I can't remember back there
we german once I have
a deal at columbia,
CBS or whatever. We are records that
I
left in the metal because I just couldn't take it here, we're working for somebody, for somebody be too many rules too many regulations, but what's interesting is Mikey you looking at some of the information I have it seems like you know, you tried you did some film producing and directing mia
director up in smoke
way that you directive smoke yeah, that's it!
movie hampered, is directed a viable.
but where did you find that you like it only had? One was enough for it was in your bag or what
turns out where I was in my life. I directed one other film. After that
called the fabulous stance which is so
what caused film
and do really well in theatrically. Ah, I just sort of instinct
feel forward on up in smoke
they were your guys right. I mean kind of guys we had already done six out about that. That's the other things like you do carol, king and then all of a sudden like it seems like the other biggest earners at the time, were
chief enshrine records. I mean old records that was owed record,
beautiful. Voting now is your labour here now cheat. You shall see you. I got a lot of people, don't I dont think relay
yes, but I guess you know who I talked to the both of em.
a few years ago and having grown up on that together. Yes,
It was like it was a rare thing, but it was right when they started to kind of be able to be together again, but
The funny thing was at my old house- and I had the two of them in here and I got my headphones it because I grew up with their records. Just hearing them talk, it's crazy that I couldn't fucking, believe it yeah. It was right there in front of me and they're just talking regular, it's like it's fucking, cheech and Chong, but
I think they gave you credit for and- and I think that people realise that that vat turned comedy records
into something huge. I mean that you'd it was. It was because of you and utilizing the fm radio stations.
in getting the airplane fm radio flowers in her cover thing there
One is that I made
deal was to make your movies saw. I
added a fax to the cod comedy.
george slamming cars point europe should return so
It was an error movie. You can listen to the com on your movie of young casual lies o, yet with all their liking, sergeants, dank right now, clap my very great and then the driving sure oh yeah, yeah dazed. I hear man now that stuff, where there is
in cars? So you could hear the car so that wind
Each was singing along here, all those songs he made.
It sounds, writers, arrive, guy, drunk and also made them more pliable because they attach to them. So you could do a teaching chung cut in between
in songs with nice evolution, didn't it didn't necessarily change the entire tone, like you're listening to stand as a dj right right, you could just sort of ease into it and would make sense immediately
and they ll be able to use. Those were like those records. Were radio, wow
We decided
not to carry a banner,
four we'd. We take it somewhere,
and I told the promotion men at an end.
If they say well, we don't know within play,
give her very much right right, walk away.
If the guy shows enthusiasm, that's the guy. You want bright of the other ones, logical!
right in terms of because there are around drugs jacket
so the way I publicize it was
in buses and bus benches yeah, you didn't advertise with the first record. You did that. Why mean one of the record big bamboo was like a rolling paper cover, I mean he's, and that was it to find that record with the giant piece of rolling paper yeah. I think I found one I mean you can get them. I think,
Spain being us, was my first cheating John and the like
is a great guy teachers.
not only that is real smart
Well, he's story: we are being a pottering and dodging the draft and coming back, it's crazy goin to counter tommy chunk story with the family who, on this trip club and all that shit, it's crazy they're, both a movie yeah I endured actually now now they seem to be promoting their we'd together all the time. I got him to be doing a thing together
she just sort of backed off performance leah tommy continues with his wife shall be-
It is very much into his latin. Are
museum job
yeah. I had a tremendous time of both of them, but that those records I mean that must
when a blast you did how make you know you did all the cheating drawn records. I do. I didn t do teach
solo rock okay, born in east l, a row yeah right right into that. So what the last one you did was like the wedding album or some idea that yeah I do
I think I did all their out once but between
between gigi shining carol, king those were the big ones ray. I had said
such also a good partner,
scar in the ally express, ok, ah honour owed spirit.
Oh spirit was that's right: they were your guy J ferguson in their great guy creed musician.
Around the same time. Ok
but is so, but this is a time also that use you'd become sort of hands on it. The Roxy right around the same time right
sort of hands. We had booker's.
and do the booking, but oh well, who was given a partner as well as you, and he was sort of a consult in l, a roberts elliott
have money and was consult met elliot before he passed. I met him with were terrific fella, who is so funny cause. I interviewed neil at my old house.
And he brings us like you know: seventy something year old, parsi with him. He just a bunch of gray hair coming up the driveway, and that was it. That was an interesting afternoon for me. I was lucky because ne
in the moment seem to take
I came to me and was was amenable to talk. It took a minute by, but it was pretty good. It's got
it's tough to say when he talks, yeah yeah, but you gotta, you gotta, earn it. You have to earn it. Is that he's not going to volunteer it nah yeah. It was kind of a great experience to to talk to that guy, who just had two great shows out of rocks. That's what I heard I heard it must have been amazing. Amazing, yeah I've talked to cry. I talked to crosby too. You know he was sort of. You know. He was something he is very
it was the times we had a lot of crazy people, but the way he talks about neo, like you, it was very kind of studying. You know that the first time he macneil
it's up in laurel canyon and neal, whipped out a guitar and Crosby was sort of like oh, my god yeah. This is the guy yeah he like, they all knew. He was the guy yeah they did yeah, especially
guy how those folk rock people-
Well, you know you isn't that neil stuff in a dozen age a day,
most of the neo stuff, no matter when it was recorded because the production was so
you're, not fucked with my goes early neo records make their timeless.
It's kind of a natural area was d arm.
somebody said in a review. I read, he hasn't played with
crazy. Do guys crazy, her ear,
for years and they apply.
They just met the up. Why can't you
actually keep a loose. He has this amp that he doesn't even know if it's going to work after the time. I think he's got a guy that just manages this amplifier just the way he is. You know
Is it is a kind of got this weird magic to him. He's is magical yeah I mean there are many guys like that right now,
I had the great fortune of working
with three of
the greatest songwriters of
not only is certain period, but maybe of all time here they are magical, ended in a way the sam cook, dear John philip
yeah mamas and papas carole king.
Long comes Neil yeah, so crazy right, oh you brought you produced at their jumped over so on which people were that's a king and so on.
Can we little interesting on who is dark at tat time behind your loss, Michel in the area? So
now when the roxy gets going. Does it take up like you say you are in hands on your and stuff, but it feels liking, or now it was the fiftieth anniversary. But when you
look back on that I mean, will you add all the shows I mean you're in town? Did you was my? I was single. It was my life as hanging out on sunset boulevard, so to have a place
is that
a single region, a club club on
What else could you ask for
all I could ask for, was killed and they started common
Yeah I had at all
and those night there I mean
you have a lot of talk about when the first time bob marley came to the states, town and
I just started thinking about that today, you know, goes, you know my generation, I think people, you know the music. You take it for granted in a lot of ways, the other, the reggae or whatever, but yeah just start to think this morning about what it must have been light to see that group of people you lie.
first time it was almost like, never been seen before any any one of them.
at this stage we are of
Five hundred see where we are
one point
the clash of midnight. We put thirteen hundred people into the rocks
no kidding in the sun was seventy. Seventy one. Seventy
somebody you came.
You took a spot where
trees. They charge you couldn't move, but
It's true where animal jacks,
coming over
genesis really early on how those acts it you just heard about in their sort in the story area, but you got to see him
right but, like I can't imagine like when reggie we're just starting a sort of blow up, and he was the guy that
Nicholson even talks about the first time he saw Bob marley was like the greatest concert. Saturday night, it was at the rocks, everybody came, everybody came there just like what the fuck yeah
What is us and
Your words are going there and you do you do know how to live. Records airs well right, yeah in fact
were putting out?
music carers.
Out, seven or eight, maybe maybe ten
live tracks from the rocks
I think I saw weasel do his father's whole set at the roxy, not too long a few years ago,
trusting stephen morally on Sunday then did
his fathers, but you had so many people come through there and I in either. I dont think people realize- or maybe I didn't realize that
at times when you say genesis, they they were
popular here yet right nor a lot of the act, so we had
ah were introduced
to the american.
Not only public, but jays
certainly writers, nea. You know yeah the very hip writers that picked up on a already be up, but
the general writers right and the general sort of
you know the only time the average so they would come and they that would that would start to get them. Some traction, yep,
Try was import well, it was the only place supply
and a really so so the
Their troubadour was now the children, always folk rock,
sale.
no ill john broke out of their right in
indeed, but in the eagles to write
he goes like playing. The trumpet ended,
what date, but they must have weighed the roxy while now never played. There are no kin, but I give
look it they're like see. I like. If I look at the just act,
came through their is such a vast.
So like it's it's it's the whole spectrum of music. I mean.
temptations ere you I mean how dare
the jerry Lee Lewis, at some point to house. We did too when he was in that must have been when in the seventies, so he was, it was late yeah, but he still was kind of crazy right
always crazy, but he probably still put on. He would surely Lee Lewis yeah the new york dolls. Seventy four
for here, Joe carker yeah,
I mean it's crazy in zappa, of course, did you, where you friends with frank, not real friends but
Who is he wasn't? He was a party guy, shirley newman, respected him. Yeah billy, jaws, smokey robinson Springsteen recorded their her that
try seventy five springsteen
that's crazy maize. How
Did you? How long was this at two hours you didn't know he didn't. Do he hadn't gotten into that?
Most of those sites, work between
forty five and on our fist,
sure sure and patty smith did her first dilating a right and louis.
Played there in seventy six to read that play there yeah? Oh, that must have been. I wonder what era that was was I don't remember that so, but in y'all started like a party room there right,
while we are upstairs on the rocks yeah and that was like a, but that was just for a private club yay and that must have been nuts for nuts yeah. I was crazy yeah I just added to the craziness yeah. You lived through it man, you you've made it amazing yeah, it is ray yeah. I wasn't much of an addictive right
it take it or leave it yeah, yeah yeah. I was never crazy with
yeah guides.
I used to right. I dig him or even then use em
sex pistols were there to? What was that did was that I love the sex.
yeah you still friends with you know Steve. I did a couple shows the mere yeah and
in this. Second fell: my dad
I directed steve and cook
the drama and are in the film
as well as fee wave now from the tubes and pass cinema from clash.
Those were great act
I just want you. I just wanna watch the
the real of the talking heads movie start making spectacular and they
their diva was our diva was was from here weren't. They diva another from ohio, but they're around mothers buzz here.
The cars were there, be king, herbie Hancock, while cars passed in the ep
austin imprints played
and seventy nine that must have been amazing. Prince
crazy
In a sense he didn't
want to step on sunset boulevard.
His bodyguard carried him from the club to the car.
What was the reasoning
found a wanted on sunset boulevard.
Like nineteen eighty,
I'm working muddy waters. The clash button was out
with what I'm looking at my kids yeah.
The money was at where the stones did their video. Did they do that? Out of that was it now
but Molly was that was sort of his research. I think they did that and Chicago or do they, I think so. But money was I kind of like a kind of pop and again that was when Johnny winters was doing those records with may rightly right, sir
We kind I had this k resurgence
So we have this kind of artists because,
You got to a certain point in your career. Wear it.
right to go to a place tat, would give you that kind of shot give
low credibility with the young people validate yeah
like also, like I mean
I think I saw
kennison did same kennison.
I believed yeah yeah yeah, yeah yeah. He did that special at the roxy se and he did it there, because I think, because robin film there and richard pryor film there so richard pryor did a special there. Robin Williams is that the famous one that robin williams yeah
I think sam's, first, that that first h b, o special was at the roxy, and that was crazy yeah. But who else do you say Chris rock to Chris rock
Who is the first one? I think everybody like usually comics they wanted perform. I think prior there must have been at a grocer prior, we friends for him,
ah no there.
Because, like usually comics, if it becomes established as a venue, well
there was one right down the street that was the comedy so sure, but and for a lot long time, if a knack performed at the rock,
yeah, she wouldn't let us come back to the comedy, but because these acts were so big, yeah sheila
started the comedy store, but, like that, that time they weren't shooting specials. At the comedy store, no did you not serve us well as heroes, it was. It wasn't serious by seventy three. It was a store and zeroes had been black for awhile, and I guess there was a guy didn't guy one that one part of the room that was sort of a music venue for awhile that he took over as rock and roll right, yeah, yeah and then, like, I think, Sammy sure got that
on behalf of the club and started the guy
indie store, and then she took it over in seventy three. When they divorced, you didn't have business with her. I died. I had no, I knew paulie fairly well sure yeah, yeah yeah, but no, I never had any and it was just down the street like it's one thing: it wasn't a strap to that strip
which started for us at the whisky yeah,
and include the viper room right
thing from
tower records right over was Joe. He knew right, got it ok or that
Well, that's good, you know, did you go up? Did you go? Do the comedy shows? Did you see richard in every muscle, richer prior and I shall pass
the robin william yeah yeah. I do
up until now? The wanted
in key to the roxy, so it seems like right after you opened it you just you know you just put the rocky horror picture show in there for a year. Seventy five yeah!
I mean he must have been a I mean this before was a movie was a stage show, but you must have been so taken with that I mean was that a weed
just in love with the show razetta financial decision. What was I
I haven't made other than outsider,
the music per year.
for my financial decisions were made. Origin make too many within the music business or the entertainment. But how interesting I? Ah, how to
my first boy. There is never a lie with vertical
the at whose swedish english near actress
She lived in london, my son, who lived there for the first couple years of his life
and I used to go in every
six weeks or so to visit him here and
she called in the middle of one of those three
week centres
she says: there's a show her the rocky horror shakspeare. Ah,
or a common sense.
I flew undersea arose in July, the music
Jim Currie. All of that just got me here.
That night I went to a party in london. I met
Michael white
regional producer made a deal
brought it to the rocks. You stayed for a year nine months
and it would just so. I went crazy. Every night,
and then the movie happened after
we want to broadway and failed. Ok,
ah
So you are the american producer, poverty, malcolm practice,
yeah. And what did you have anything to do with the film I produced it? You did
that that thing had a life forever, still
I made this
the hollow september,
october november yeah,
wheels. Eight hundred nine hundred theatres,
I'll holloway, its
This generation after generation learns the ritual of being part of the movie
because they have that seventeen
an older
it's all right path, yeah and it still is still go.
still going so gawaine. That's crazy man,
So that was a good decision on your part. Huh I bet
and then that, like some of these other bans do like guns and roses and and james addiction, they started the roxy to a bit right re incident, great
conjoined browsers, might play the whisky bf or were you guys all knew each other on the strap right? It's a community, their club,
right? Well
I own the whisky for a while with elmer and
maggie airy family,
which was mario magloire area
you were in the structure who wasn't it
use a bad man
a bag man for the judge, put the money in the bag, I'll give it to them.
when you met him, he was at or after the chicken
You should call, you see,
door. Man asked the wizard
ok and manager.
doubling of part of the ownership. So is it wise their mob involvement.
Now we have won the incident I used to go to the whisky every night were johnny rivers was flying there and I get a message from Johnny Kennedy:
come back to the dressing room and I go back
dressing, room and theirs
you guys and besides johnny,
One is in a suit near lawyer, type near the other guy deftly
emotionally. I hereby here and they have a lawyer hands me. A paper
signed this. I take a look.
the bottom? I knew quickly was peace.
Of johnny rivers. I still don't know. I'm not signing this year,
Gaza guy says to me something
how about I stuff your arms down your neck and nor every kind of threat here
It will give me the paper. Let me take it overnight
here and I will
to Elmer, I know
flew to chicago reproached, talk to those bar and causes guys off
homer still. I will wait weight still. Oh my god. That's crazy and use it.
To all the lakers game for awhile re still there
still go, but I don't go to as many the arduous secluded every game with jack, tracking,
we'd be out every how's he doing
stone these do whatever he really wants to do. I want to be quiet
You won't see what watch here. Lover politely,
gee. I remembered some guy. I there's
a friend of my one, to put him in a movie and he had a conversation with them, but
act as our wanna? Do it yours? You know what I did today. I said under a tree and I read a book that sounds
repudiate was good
talking you. I appreciate you taking the type of thanks very much use ass right questions are. Thank you.
as
there, you go right. How good was that
Cheech and Chong
You can go to roxy dotcom brow. The events are holding in honour of the fiftieth anniversary and please
You could hang out of it.
hey folks. I dont know if you heard Monday show, but dan soldier was my guest in he was talking about what happened when he started.
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I'd. So the latest archive deep dive is now posted for full marin subscribers. We revisit episode two hundred the interesting thing that we talk to me,
a lot of the beginning. The pike ass was now. I've got all these new fans who
don't know me as a comic. It was a big concern for me at the beach
any and in it was hard for me, like you know
that you know I was like. I didn't get into this game to be an interviewer. I know it was a job on tv that I tried to get, but ultimately he in an even stronger now yeah. I I've always been and always wanted to be a comic
Of some relevance. I mean
start the pod gas to for you to be an interview where we started the pod cast for you to do a radio show that highlighting you the way we were doing it on the air at air, america and various other outbursts
The thought was. This will be an a way to help your stand up career, my game with a side gig to help out with your profile. It wasn't thought to be an interview show and that you are going to be the interview guy right. I guess that's where I forget that they go to get bonus ep,
twice a week and all the beauty of episodes ad free go to the lincoln the episode description and sign up for the full marin or go to w E f pod dot com and sign up for w E f p
next week. It's a real new york city, weak folks, with documentary and John wilson on Monday and world music, legend laura g on thursday. Those are good. Those are both interesting and now here, some slight guitar for my friend law.
Train monday in the angels everywhere.
Transcript generated on 2023-11-04.