A younger generation may recognize him as the bearded man seated courtside next to Jack Nicholson at Lakers games, but in the music industry, few people bring the phrase “Showtime” to mind quite like Lou Adler.
Co-organizer of the groundbreaking 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, producer of the cult classic “Rocky Horror Picture Show” and hit-maker for artists as diverse as Carole King, Sam Cooke and the Mamas and the Papas, Adler’s influence on American pop culture is nearly unparalleled.
Last week, the longtime Malibu resident joined many of the artists he recorded in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when he was honored for his trailblazing 60-year career in music and film with the Ahmet Ertegun Award for Lifetime Achievement at the hall’s 28th annual induction ceremony at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles. The ceremony will air on HBO on Sat., May 18 at 9 p.m.
The Malibu Times caught up with Adler before his induction to hear his thoughts on joining the Hall of Fame.
When did you first find out you were in the running to be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?
About 20 years ago!
What took so long?
I don’t know why it took so long. There were a lot of people they had to get in. I’m satisfied it’s done.
What does it feel like to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?
It feels good. Through the years, you start getting these questions – Why aren’t you in the Hall of Fame? When are you going to be in the Hall of Fame?
How did you end up in Malibu?
I turned off of Sunset Boulevard onto PCH (laughs). I rented a house on Carbon Beach in 1970. I then sold everything I owned in town and became a complete Malibu resident. It took me a few years to build the house on Carbon [that I live in now]. I’m a real resident. I hardly go anywhere except to the basketball games (Adler is well-known for sitting with friend Jack Nicholson at the Lakers games).
Being honored like this can be a time for reflection. As you look back, what really stands out?
That’s always a difficult question. All the artists I worked with – and there weren’t a lot, probably ten or under – all become important to you for a lot of reasons. It’s difficult to pick out one in particular.
Were there ever any acts you passed on that you wish you had signed?
No. I never sought out talent or auditioned a lot of talent. It just happened for different reasons. I never went after an act that I didn’t get. I almost had Buffalo Springfield at one time, back when they had Neil Young, but I’m happy.
Tell me about your philanthropic projects.
My wife, Page, and I are cofounders with Paul Newman, Jerry Moss and Herb Alpert of a camp for children with chronic or lifethreatening illnesses – The Painted Turtle at Lake Elizabeth. It’s for kids who couldn’t normally go to camp and it’s built around a medical facility that can provide dialysis, etc. It’s designed so that any child, no matter what the illness, can participate with special equipment in horseback riding, zip lines, etc. The swimming pool is wheelchair accessible.
Is there a signature sound to the records you produced?
I don’t know if I changed the way music sounded. The difference in the way that I produced is, that if you take someone like a Phil Specter and the way he produced, there was a Specter sound. You could identify it no matter which artist he recorded. I tailored the records I produced around the songs the artists had. So when you listen to my productions, you would say ‘that’s a Mamas and Papas sound,’ not ‘that’s an Adler record.’
What was it like for you starting out in the music business?
Herb Alpert (partner) and I were one of only four sets of independent record producers when I started, as opposed to the three major record companies Capital, Columbia and RCA Victor. There were a lot of independent studios at the time. We recorded Jan and Dean in Jan’s garage, then took the vocals and a piano into a studio that mostly did radio transactions. There was a string of 32 independent record distributors in the country, and you had to contact and then ship records to each one.
Is your whole family going to be there?
I have seven boys, and they’re all going to be there (along with their dates and significant others), and my wife, Page. I’m just sorry my mother won’t see it.
