Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast - Mini #195: Composing for Documentaries (and Podcasts) with Adam Dorn

Episode Date: December 20, 2018

This week: Loving Pat Cooper! Detesting Ferris Bueller! Celebrating Marvin Hamlisch (and Charlie Fox)! Mitch Miller fires up a doobie! And Adam evaluates Gilbert's "singing" voice! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is brought to you by FX's The Bear on Disney+. In Season 3, Carmi and his crew are aiming for the ultimate restaurant accolade, a Michelin star. With Golden Globe and Emmy wins, the show starring Jeremy Allen White, Io Debrey, and Maddie Matheson is ready to heat up screens once again. All new episodes of FX's The Bear are streaming June 27, only on Disney+. FanDuel Casino's exclusive live dealer studio has your chance at the number one feeling, winning. Which beats even the 27th best feeling, saying I do. Who wants this last parachute? I do.

Enjoy the number one feeling, winning, in an exciting live dealer studio. Exclusively on FanDuel Casino, where winning is undefeated. 19 plus and physically located in Ontario. Gambling problem? Call 1-866-531-2600 or visit connectsontario.ca. Please play responsibly. Hi, this is Gilbert Gottfried, and I'm here with my co-host Frank Santopadre, and this is Gilbert and Frank's Amazing Colossal Obsessions. And our guest today is a composer, a model. He's a hand model. Hand model.

Hand model. A dermatologist. He is. He is. And composer. A circus geek. Adam Dorn. Hey, composer. A circus geek. Adam Dorn. Hey.

Adam. Yes, Frank. We'd love to have podcast superfans. Hey, before we talk to Adam. Yes. When we were talking bad werewolf films. Yeah. Did we mention Werewolf of Washington?

We did not. Is that the Dean Stockwell one? Dean Stockwell. You know, I didn't put it on the list because some people consider it halfway decent. Well, they're fucking idiots. Those fucking people. Yeah. Also, we hate to get political on this show.

We get so much blowback. God forbid we say something about the fascist in chief. Oh, boy. Yes. You know, when you're selecting those films, you're just mindful of chief. Oh, boy. Yes. You know, when you're selecting those films, you're just mindful of time. Oh, yes.

And I just didn't put everything on the list. And I had to make room for Werewolf in a Girl's Dormitory. That's right. Because that was the Guinea one.

Yeah. And what was that? What's the one with Chaney? Is it the face of the screaming werewolf? Something like that. Yeah. We had Raybone

in here for those. It had about, well, don't bring him back in. He's right there. I'm looking at him through the glass. We only have a week and a half to get the answer. You know,

just to speak well of Adam, Adam also listens to the mini-episodes. Everything. He paid for Stitcher. Yes. He cares, Gilbert. You know, honestly, I want to, before we go into this this i do want to say i really do care and i don't take this this podcast is like the fans don't take it for granted they really that's nice no gilbert does well but i have to no seriously like my father-in-law was very ill last year. Sorry. Honestly, for about four months,

we just would listen every week to whatever episode came out. And I have to say, we may have listened to the Pat Cooper episode 11 or 12 times. It might be the funniest thing. It's the best episode. You like vitriol. Yeah, yeah.

That episode drew, you know. Yeah, he was not angry enough. Yeah. He chased some people away. He was like, another fucking bargain. you're like vitriol yeah yeah that episode drew you know yeah he was not angry enough yeah chase some people away he's like another fucking bargain another dude jack jones right another bargain who was it that he he he was opening up for someone and they wouldn't acknowledge him so he interrupted their show and he said i've been opening up for you for three fucking weeks you can't say hi to me who was was that? Who did he interrupt? I don't know.

But it's great. I'll go back and listen to it. Why hasn't he been back on? Okay, I know. I was a friar. I know what that's like. I think we sort of shot all our bullets there.

Don't you think so? Yeah, it's kind of one note. And what's so weird to think there is he, for a little while, was in a comedy team with Jackie Mason. The thought of it. Yeah, bitter and more bitter.

That's what they called themselves. Yeah, those must have been charming too. Yeah. Whoa. Yeah. Blood and bile. Bile and phlegm.

Mason is even a bridge too far. Yeah. We would have done Jack Carter we would have done Pat Cooper but no yeah

your dad had experiences with Jackie Mason yeah I mean I you know just yeah he was really kind of a prick so yeah I'll just keep it at that

before you rave about us I'm gonna oh yeah I'm gonna one more thing I'm sorry go ahead can I interrupt

sure there is one more thing that's very fucking important. You hold a position on something that I couldn't agree with more. He's looking at Gilbert. Ferris Bueller is a fucking prick. Thank you. When you started that episode off that way. No.

I almost jumped. I was driving. I almost jumped out of my car. I was a kid that movie was made for like my generation and I saw it and I hated it

I'm 70 so I'm 47 and yeah your generation I fucking hated that movie he was mean to his friend he got his friend in trouble he said you know

lie to his parents lie to his parents he got a principal fired it was just like yeah and the principal, he's the bad guy because he's doing his

fucking job. Exactly. It's like he should be a good guy and let this guy play hooky every fucking day and not care about the student who's not going to school well listen way to suck up adam

yeah oh yeah oh come on but no i agree yeah no no i and that you led off the episode with that that's balls he was yes but to his credit what a great episode and what a great he has a sense of humor he's very yeah he's very nice about it I... Yeah, because the guy's a prick. I don't mean... I don't mean... I get it. You think he's a prick. I don't mean... I only have 20 more minutes.

I'm not... I don't mean Ferris Bueller. Oh, you mean... No, you don't. I mean Matt... No, you don't. He's a gentleman. Yes.

No, yeah. Absolutely. No, he's very nice. Absolutely slumming by doing this show. Yeah. Adam is a musician, a producer, a composer. He's not just a Gilbert Gottfried podcast superfan. He does a million cool things.

And he's a dental hygienist. He does everything. He's composed music for Better Call Saul, Disney's Meet the Robinsons, The Devil Wears Prada. You've seen some of these things. The Pink Panther, The Bourne Supremacy. Yes.

All have used his music. And even the podcast Serial. Yeah, the current season. The mega podcast Serial. We dream of having Serial. Ira Glass called me to do it. He did? A former guest, so there's a connection there.

A mutual friend of Ira's. Yeah. How does one go about composing music for a podcast even? That's a really good question because there's nothing to look at. So basically I'm a huge fan of that show and what I really kind of set out to do was just ask them a bunch of questions about what

sort of the arc of the show was and the season and it's based in Cleveland. It's all about criminal justice reform. They spent a year in Cleveland with full access to the court system. So I said, just give me an idea of certain emotions you want hit, and you just

start writing. That's it. Yeah. Gilbert has a question. Here. Yes. Yes. Yes. From the New York Times. Yes.

Don't say CNN. Don't say CNN. Don't say, yeah. What I'm always amazed with, with people who do, who are composers, is there's that thing of like, there's great, there's awful, but if they know anything at all,

it's like there's like kind of a, like they know anything at all, it's like there's kind of a... Like they know scientifically, like if you want people sad, you have this note and these notes. And if you want people enthusiastic, you have this... Specific keys. What's the sad key? What they call the sad key? Well, you know, I'm going to say D minor.

D minor, right. The spinal tap thing. Have you seen Spinal Tap yet? He still hasn't seen Spinal Tap. Good. At this point, don't. Yeah. But yeah, D minor, D flat minor.

Like, there are certain keys. But it's funny. You've actually spoken about movie music a lot with the guests that have been on it. And you say something that is really fucking important, actually. And I'm not sucking up. It's not my job to be featured it's my job to bolster the story and say things that the actors can't say but not lead the viewer so it's really true that when you notice the music you're i mean unless you're

supposed to you're in trouble it's kind of especially for something like when you notice the music it's kind of like when you're watching a movie and you say oh what a great scene boy the dialogue is really witty yeah yeah and it's like so sometimes music comes on and you go okay here's the music yeah telling me how to feel yeah and, and it's not good. We talked about it. We had Giacchino on the show, Michael Giacchino, who's the composer du jour. And we were talking about, I think what Gilbert's referring to is, yeah, too much emotional manipulation. Oh, it's the worst. Overplaying the hand.

And I mentioned that example of a sitcom. My wife watches Grey's Anatomy. Yeah. Grey's Anatomy has these little comic relief moments in the show and the music always cues you to laugh. Do you know what I'm talking about? I hate it. I worked on a sitcom all last year with Melissa McCarthy and

one of the key things about working on that is to do the opposite. Do the opposite. You never play funny. You never play comedy because that's what they're doing. Yeah. And that's what the story ostensibly is meant to do.

So if the music tries to be wacky, fuck you. It's almost quaint on a sitcom. You watch a show like The Office and there's no music at all. Well, and that's what I prefer, to be honest. Or the way Curb, you're into that. A pseudo documentary. Yeah, but, or when a, I'm sorry, you go ahead. No, there are some of these, there are some of these there are some of these

uh movies uh where if it's a comedy scene it'll be and and it's like oh god you know well well it's so cliche because there's i have a couple buddies that work a lot in comedy there's a lot lot of sitcoms, like successful sitcom composers. And we always joke like, so which pizzicato, violas, and violas? They're like, blum, blum, blum, blum, blum, blum, blum. But like you said, curb, I assume it's a bassoon or something or a trombone. But it's used ironically. Yeah, and it's also like, I think you found that music.

It's library music from Italy. And some of it was commercial music from Italy used for TV commercials. And it's used to perfection. It's only like five pieces of music in the whole series. And it's never wrong. I think they always use it perfectly. What do you think of our library music, the theme song for this show? I love the music.

Is it aptly chosen? Yeah. You know what's funny? I went through about 80 pieces of music before I settled on that one. But I hear the theme from your show sometimes. It shows up in other things and I'm like, that's Gilbert and Frank's music, you fuckers! Turned up on the Food Network. Yeah, exactly.

And I get pissed because I'm like, it's yours. Because it's out there. Now what do you think of this theme music if we can get Frank? I'm sorry, Frank. Are we bothering you? Frank didn't mean to wake you. The Hello There. Play the Hello There music.

Oh, okay. Sorry. He doesn't have it dialed up. Oh, okay. Sorry. He doesn't have it dialed up. Oh, okay. But you come from a musical family. Yes. Your dad was a legendary Grammy winner and record producer, Joel Dorn. Yeah.

And I did some research on your dad. Oh, boy. Well, you know, fascinating. I found some really interesting YouTube videos. Really? About his life. Yeah. I will direct you to them.

Oh. And he worked with Roberta Flack and Bette Midler. Yeah, he signed Bette Midler. Signed Bette Midler. Discovered Bette Midler and worked with her on her very first record. Hot damn. Yeah. And we were talking about those wonderful, the Charlie Fox song.

Oh, well, yeah. Killing Me Softly. He worked with Roberta Flack. He produced that record? Take me to your heart. Show me where to start. Let me play the part. It's as if I'm finally hearing the song. Yeah.

I love this. Your dad also worked with Lou Rawls, Dr. John, Peter Allen. Paul, did you know these names? Kate Smith. Oh, gee. Yeah. Charles Mingus. Yep.

Ton. Ton of stuff. Donny Hathaway. Just so many different artists. And the movie. Peter Allen. Yeah. The movie High Fidelity.

Yeah. Indirectly references him. Right. So in the film, if you remember, there was this thing of dream jobs. him right so the in the film if you remember there was this thing of dream jobs and dream job number two was literally atlantic records staff producer 1964 to 1973 and he's literally the only person that ever like that's him wow so i'm watching the film and i'm like that's they're talking about my old met because he made records that really i the first Allman Brothers record. Don McLean. Don McLean. Yeah.

Interesting fella. Interesting fella. I know a little bit about Don McLean. Yeah. Ask Andy Breckman about Don McLean. I will. This is interesting too. Some symmetry. Your dad wrote a letter to Atlantic Records when he was 14? Asking for a job? He had ideas

for songs that Ray Charles should do. So he wrote a letter to Ahmet Erdogan. The great Ahmet Erdogan. And actually, the Erdogan brother no one ever talks about was named Neswi Erdogan. And Neswi was responsible for the jazz and the sort of R&B side of Atlantic. So Ahmet wasn't very interested in this annoying jewish kid from the suburbs of philadelphia getting his letter he gave it to his brother and his brother called my dad about that he literally called him and then they started a correspondence and by the

age of you know my father went to temple university in philly and was that he was actually a pretty prominent radio personality and you guys will love this the radio station that he worked at he was on the am overnight and on the fmo overnight was ed bradley ed bradley from 60 minutes and my father's sub was peter boyle the actor so this is the three guys i knew that about radio station i knew that about peter boy yeah peter boy replaced my father they were friends for life. So I knew Peter. And they both died pretty close to each other, unfortunately. Your dad passed in 2008?

2007. 2007. Yeah, Peter, I think, pretty soon thereafter. What a lovely guy. Did you know he had a DJ background, Peter Boyle? No. Yeah, big jazz fan. Huge jazz guy.

And a very good friend of John Lennon's. Yeah, absolutely. Totally. And actually, funny, my. Huge jazz guy. And a very good friend of John Lennon's. Yeah, absolutely. Totally. And actually, funny, my father had some relationship. My father was friendly with John Lennon, tighter with George Harrison. I grew up with all this. It was like growing up in the dugout. It was like being Ken Griffey Jr., except I wasn't in a dugout.

These people would be over the house? Marvin Hamlisch was at my house one day. And he decided two things. Now, mind you, I'm like eight years old. And I wasn't a musical or a musician at all. And I really couldn't give a shit. He was sitting at our out-of-tune piano writing a song about my mom. But the bad thing is my mom's name is Florence.

So it doesn't really give itself over to music. Florence, Florence, she's working in your kitchen. And we were like, who the fuck is this guy? You don't know when you're eight years old. Marvin is a legend. Pretty cool. He wanted me to teach him how to throw a curveball. He couldn't throw a baseball.

You were eight and Marvin Hamlisch asked you how to throw a... Yeah, he was like, let's have a catch. He was really on. It was like Irving Cohen, you know, the Martin Short character. A bouncy C. Give me a bouncy C. Marvin Hamlisch wrote the theme music to The Swimmer.

Yeah. When he was like 20. Yeah, no, no. Was he a prodigy? Total prodigy. Marvin Hamlisch, he must have been. And I think Bananas with Woody Allen. Yes, he did. You're 100% right. total prodigy Marvin Hamlisch he must have been and I think Bananas with Woody Allen yes

he did you're 100% right and the thing is what a hip guy in a way like it took me a long time to really appreciate him he had such a respect

for a bygone era he was from you know what I mean it's like he I could see him like he just was like I want to be Sammy Khan

you know what I mean like who wanted to be Sammy Khan in the late 60s you know what I mean well Gilbert wanted to be Sammy Conn in the late 60s? You know what I mean? Well, Gilbert wanted to be Jessel. Yeah. He got his wish. One white and shining night.

And who did we have here? The really top rock and roll guy. Tommy James? No, no, no. Felix Cavalieri? Felix? The producer. The producer. Peter Asher? No. Oh, my points. Jimmy James? No, no, no. Felix Cavalieri? The producer. Peter Asher? No.

Jimmy Webb? No. Paul Williams? Paul Williams. Paul Schaefer. It's with a D. A bouncy D. I don't know. We'll edit this one out. A big rock guy. Oh, Ron Delsner. He's a promoter.

He's a promoter. Don't point at me. He's a promoter. Ron Delsner. He's a promoter. He's a promoter. Don't point at me. He's a promoter. Wait. Ron Delsner. And here's the thing. My dad did. This is very important.

Okay. I'm listening. Because Ron Delsner helped produce the Groucho Marx. At Carnegie. At Carnegie. And New Hamlish. Right. That's true.

And Ron Delsner said to me, and we just knew each other for like about half a minute at this point. He said, you know, she used that woman he was with. Erin Fleming. Erin Fleming. She used to blow crowd show. And you tried to get him to say it on the show. And he goes, and Marvin Hamlisch had a shot at a two. Oh my God.

Oh my God. Wow. There's winning. Here's a podcast connection to your dad. What's that? Rosanna Arquette. Your dad was the music coordinator

on the movie Baby It's You. Yes, he was. So there you go. She helped me three times. I know. As you've publicized. Did you know Charlie Fox growing up? A little bit.

I got to know Charlie when I first moved to New York because he was still running around. When there was real studios in New York, I worked at a place that was kind of a toilet, but it's more known for the first place Tupac got shot. It was called Quad. Frank spent some time at Quad. Okay.

And Charlie would still be running in and out of the studios, trying to get people to do songs and working on demos. He's a genius. Oh, total genius. Not only first time ever, not first time ever, but Killing Me Softly, but the Love Boat theme. Oh, yeah. And a million pieces of music.

And finally, we're the king and queen of hearts. Hold me when the music starts. Oh, yeah. That was from Zach. I know. Dozens of people know this song. We've asked him to do this podcast. We've had four people ask him.

He won't do it because I think he's aware that Gilbert is going to sing Ready to Take a Chance again. Did somebody send him the video of you singing Ready to Take a Chance again? I think so. Down at Loser's Lounge? You know he sang this live? I'll send you the video. So it was sort of destined that you would go into music. You remind me.

All right. Cut it out. Now I know why Frank's like, all right, wrap it up. At what point did you decide this is kind of what I'm going to do, this is what I love? Pretty early on. Did he encourage it? No.

Actually, my father produced a band called the Neville Brothers. Do you know the Neville Brothers from the album? Sure, yeah, of course. And the person that actually really motivated me the most to be a musician pointed out to me the fact that I was rhythmic and musical. I'm sorry. Wait, i'm trying to i'm so easy i remember so much i'm forgetting his name right now no it's um art neville yeah the keyboard the organ player he was also in a band called the meters which is like the funkiest band ever and he'll murder me for forgetting his name that's okay art my father moment yeah totally

my my father was working on their record and they were playing mixes all the time and and i would keep time and i would kind of listen and tap and and art said to me when i was about 10 he was like you're i don't know if you know this or not but you're like you're really musical you're really rhythmic you're going to be a musician and they dawned on me at the age of 10 like i better do i'm i'm not going to be a lawyer or an accountant i can't ever fucking do like something regular i knew that i was smart enough at that age but uh yeah art neville i give i give him the and like your dad you sat down and wrote a letter yes at age 15 yeah i wrote a letter to someone who's not really a household name but is probably one of the most famous musicians bass players and producers guy named marcus miller i wrote him a letter and much like neswee erdogan he called me

and within a year i was in the studio with marcus with miles davis interesting i literally left high school to go and work with miles davis for about a year both both adam and his dad wrote letters as teenagers geez and that's how our career started that's fascinating i mean i'm people knew who my father was so i think it hurt he it didn't hurt but you know so spending my senior year of high school which would have been in high school not in high school but with miles was the best education you could possibly what the hell was miles davis like is amazing you know what's funny yeah i think of the way you talk about jerry lewis and saying hey you know because you hear all these notorious things about miles davis yes and he was always nice to me i never he was what's that like turning his back to the audience yeah yeah famously yeah

but i thought that was kind of brilliant because he was like i just listen don't look listen to what i'm playing i thought that was kind of brilliant but he was nice to you always always told me stories and fostered my interest in going into music and and definitely was like you stay around the studio you watch what we're doing you learn oh nice this is this is your school this you know so I mean how can you not complicated Complicated man. Yeah. Complicated life. So was Jerry Lewis. So was Jerry Lewis. And he died young. 65, same age as my father. Actually, they both died at 65. One thing we've spoken about before in this show,

and that's the thing, like the unsung heroes, and that's the studio musicians. Yeah. Yeah. Because so much that we remember of great music great music it wasn't uh no group it was directing crew documentary yeah of course wonderful and it's funny so my friend adam gorgoni his father al played the guitar intro to brown eyed girl he's just a he just you know studio musician he's like oh hold on

and he's like yeah it was just a Wednesday. We were in the studio. I got 60 bucks. It was just another gig. It's an iconic thing. And it's just this iconic thing. And he played on hundreds of records. What's his name?

Al Gorgoni. He's a great guy. Lovely guy. Kind of like the way they have editors in movies. And they say sometimes what's great about the movie was what the editor did. Absolutely. I mean, they're crafting the narrative,

and they're putting everything together, and they don't really get that much credit. So you're 15, you're hanging out with Miles Davis, Luther Vandross, David Sanborn. Most Jewish 15-year-old kids. What the hell was Luther Vandross like? He was the best. Luther used to giveold kids. What the hell was Luther Vandross like? He was the best. Luther used to give me rides.

What a giant. He actually, along with Miles and obviously Marcus for fostering my education, Luther was the best. He wrote my letter of recommendation to Berklee School of Music, and they rejected me because they thought it was a forgery. Oh, my God. So he called them, and I was in the was in this understandable and he was he was like who do i need to speak to this is ridiculous i ended up going there and but you know yeah luther

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Your music was used in a Deep Throat documentary? Yes. Oh, now I woke up. Now he's 24 minutes in. Hello. I got Gilbert's attention. We're almost done. Now I'm paying attention.

What was it called? Deep Inside Deep Throat? Inside Deep Throat. Inside Deep Throat. They used some songs of mine and it's it's a great documentary actually how did you come to specialize in things like that because you because you do documentaries would you say is is that's my that's really my main as a composer which is weird because it's not really a lane that most composers shoot for but

the way i look at it it's like documentaries they're telling stories that last forever and they're telling real stories as opposed to like these, you know, I would love to work on a big action Marvel, like, you know, tentpole kind of thing. But the reality is it's like these current projects I'm on, like, you know, Robin Williams, a legend, an absolute, like to work on something for Robin or Richard Pryor or like, you know, the Donald Trump series. Well, you're working the Donald Trump series. Well, you're working with that. We'll tell our listeners too. You're working with the great Alex Gibney. Yeah.

Who made, uh, Enron documentary and, uh, yeah. Scientology. And the wonderful HBO. Yeah.

Taxi from the taxi from the dark side. And that's a, that's a, that's a great guy to be working with. Yeah. Alex is the best. Totally gives you freedom to do your thing, but like five hours of

focus on donald trump it's a little much you know for anybody yeah and i know gil you pay your dues some uh experiences with donald gilbert called him the furor yes on the uh on the apprentice so great you were telling me in the street we when we took that cab the other night you were telling me that the that the prior documentary documentary, that there was something painful about it. There was something hard to watch. Yeah, I mean, it's a sad story. I mean, Richard Pryor, you know, it's funny. I think of the Robin and the Richard,

and I think a lot of the difficulty is Richard, his life was so difficult just to get to the start of his career i mean he was raised in a brothel sure you know substance all terrible things terrible things and i mean such an important guy i mean just a beautiful important but i think he also caused a lot of problems for himself i mean you know and was nice to you gil oh yeah yeah yeah very you put him in the miles davis category movie were you i i didn't make it to the final cut that's right which was just as a horrible oh right the that's right the another you yeah their last collaboration so yeah the last wilder richard prior so there's

a scene in the documentary where he's on um he's one on one of these talk shows and the the host says so so tell me about your movie what's it about and it was like one of those horrible movies and his answer was it's about two hours too long oh so he knew you know i mean like he knew he he had he had a run of like eight or nine horrible films in a row but to go out like that with gene wilder after the great shit they did. Yeah, that was... And by comparison, you said the Robin Williams documentary was more,

despite the tragic ending, more of a celebration of life and whoopies in it. Whoopies in both. Yeah, she's great in both. Yeah. And yeah, I mean, the Robin is just stunning. What were you telling me about Zachary, his son? You were sitting next to him?

I was sitting next to Robin's son watching the film about his father's life for the first time. So, you know, really emotional. And he's a really lovely guy. And he's like, you know, sitting there and, you know, you just, I don't know, you just think of your own father who passed and they both passed very suddenly. What did you say to him? Did you talk to him? I just gave him a hug.

I mean, you know, I felt bad enough that i was like i hope the music isn't manipulating you making you cry it's like all that shit where you're like don't i hope you're not mad at me you know that's fascinating that's something that i've seen in documentaries where they'll be talking about something really tragic yeah and sad music comes on and you go, I think it's already tragic enough. We know it. Hitler was dark. Yeah. We know.

Sometimes you're watching a dramatic film and the story is manipulating you, maybe even to the point of tears, and it's working on its own. And then the music comes in and starts to do it too, and it's unwelcome. Yeah. You almost want to say, I don't need the music comes in and and starts to do it too and it's unwelcome yeah you almost want to say i don't need the music i'm already there it's overwhelming it's overwhelming me now don't don't but those magical times when the music does also tug at your heart you know it it's it's pretty it's such a subtle thing to me. It has to be where you don't notice it.

Yeah. Like it affects you. But once you start to go, okay, here's the music. So how do you know? I mean, you're just going on pure instinct. How do you know, okay, that's too far? Yeah. Do you try it out on people you trust?

Well, I mean, if you think about it, as you know as a composer i mean i'm turning music into an editor and a director and yeah ostensibly a couple producers so they'll let you know you know and the and the right directors you know they'll have a sense of how they want to use music like on the robin there's a there's a scene at the end where like the first couple passes of what i did was you know i got notes like all right similar to what you were just saying gilbert like okay we get it there's a cello it's sad oh yeah you know cut it out you know take it out dial it back you know but sometimes i gotta say just as like an empathetic feeling person you're looking at something and you're like i want to do this to it

so you you know you get there eventually but it's it's a it's trial and, but it's a push and pull. You get the footage for the scene. You get the whole thing. Yeah, generally, yeah. Okay, so you're not composing piecemeal. No, no. You're watching the whole thing, and you're taking notes, and you're writing down the emotion of what you feel. You heard Giacchino on our show, and he was talking about the scene in Up.

Yeah, come on, and that's a – Which I think came to him in the shower. Yes, that's what he said, and I love that, and you know what? That's true. He's such a freak. No, but it's not. That stuff comes to you everywhere. Getting your car washed, you know what I mean?

Like, whatever, randomly ideas come up. So they'll send you the completed Robin Williams documentary, and you lay it out in front of you, and you say, I know I need this here, and I need this here and and also you're writing music for pacing i need to speed the story up here a little bit no that's more of you know that's funny that you say that that's more of scripted like you know maybe stuff for episodic tv or like you know feature films give us an example of where you were challenged say on the on the Robin doc. On the very last cue of the film, which I'm still not pleased with.

You're not. Because it's kind of this montage that wraps up everything, and I just feel like the music doesn't work. Have you seen the documentary yet, Gilbert? The Robin Williams doc? I saw the one on TV. The HBO?

Yeah, yeah. That's his music. That's his score. Yeah, I thought that sucked yeah I didn't see that didn't see that coming did you

wow surprise that music just dragged it to the fucking gutter which balding Jew wrote that music is it that Adam Andy Dorn

I apologize I haven't seen it yet but that no it's you'll love it yeah and if you saw the prior though

I saw the prior. And it's dark. Yeah, very. It's not uplifting. But I appreciated it. We were talking about Whoopi's mom's documentary, too. Yeah, I saw the mom's Mabley doc. It was great.

She did a great job. Real labor of love. You know, someone needs to make a Red Fox documentary. It should be us. Yeah, we're right. The three of us. With Bill Persky's DeMond Wilson stories. Yes, 30 minutes of just him.

But did you guys ever heard there's there's the famous damon wilson thing where he he was holding out for like a salary thing and a reporter asked red frocks you know how do you feel about like damon wilson holding out for like you know more money and he said let me tell you something. This show can be Sanford and anybody. And it's just fucking spectacular. But yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It would have been great. There's a story about, you just said, you told us too off mic that your dad knew Howard Kalin, former podcast guest. They're pals.

They crossed paths over the years. A lovely man and a legend. Yeah. And a true original. Yeah. Such a great episode. Got high with Soupy Sales. So here's who my father got high with.

Do tell. So when he first started going to Atlantic and he was getting ready to work there, he was still living in Philly, commuting back and forth. And he goes to Atlantic Studios one night, which is up on 60th and Broadway. Dark room. Still a kid. He's like 20. And a joint is getting passed around.

And he's like, yeah, fine, I'm in. And the guy next to him hands him the joint. And in the glow of the joint, he realizes it's Mitch Miller. Sing along with Mitch. So imagine my father is thinking of his Zeta Jake and Bubba saying, hey, you know, we're going to watch Mitch. And he's getting stoned with Mitch Miller. Of course.

He's a musician. Yeah. So he's getting stoned. But the greatest thing about Mitch Miller that I found out from John, John Dumanian told me the story. Legendary John Dumanian. Do we need to tell people who he is? If you're a Woody Allen fan,

you've seen John Dumanian in every Woody Allen movie. Yeah, exactly. The heavy set guy with a mustache. Sneezing the cocaine. You know him. You've seen him in all of them. So John Dumanian told me the story. The friend of his, this great jazz guy that used to work with Nat King Cole,

Dick LaPalme was his name. He was taking Mitch Miller around the country on a promo tour. And he said, Mitch Miller, and you'll love this Gilbert, was the cheapest human being in the... And this is my scurrilous TMZ rumor. Second cheapest. No, this is it. This is late

breaking TMZ news. Mitch Miller is the cheapest person in the history of the entertainment business to the point where Dick LaPalm threw the following line. He said that Mitch Miller was so cheap, he had a reach impediment. Reach impediment. It's such a hip line. So, yeah, you might be the second cheapest person ever.

Mitch Miller, yeah. Is there also, I heard from our mutual friend, Eddie Portnoy, who wrote to me and he said, Adam, Dorn's going to be on. I'll never be gifted a second mini episode, but it's not a short story. About Gene Simmons? It's a spectacular short. Okay, we'll bring you back another time and you'll tell a Gene Simmons story. But Quincy Jones is involved in the Gene Simmons story.

He's the catalyst. Now, you're aware, of course. No. He doesn't listen. I don't know. Listen, I've missed a couple episodes. Yeah, let me in on something. I've never had the courage to talk about this before.

I want to give you a safe space, Gilbert, a forum. Get it out. Quincy Jones and Marlon Brando used to fuck Richard Pryor up the edge. Do tell. Really? Yeah. This is fascinating. We should make a documentary about this.

Another documentary that Adam could score. Film at 11. Last question. You've heard the musical guests on the show. Oh, man. You guys have had such great- Did you have a favorite? Michael's really good.

Michael Cicchino. I have to say... Jimmy Webb was fun. Jimmy Webb was fun. I really liked Felix Cavalieri. Cavalieri. Because I know all the other members of the band. I know the Brigadis.

I spent a lot of time with them. We love Felix. He was great. Paul Williams. Yeah. We're going to. He was great. Um, Paul Williams. Yeah. We're going to have Paul back soon. Paul's the best. And I actually,

I work with Paul through the ASCAP stuff and the advocacy. He, Paul's the best. He is. He is a sweet soul and we're going to have him back and do this again. And last question for Adam Doran, the music expert, how is Gilbert singing?

Seriously? Um, in the pantheon of vocalists. Some people, musicians, have written to me and say he's oddly on key. No, he's oddly sitting in what is called odd meter. You have one of the worst senses of rhythm I've ever heard. That, by the way, like they say like in the stunt world, they say that like skiing badly on purpose is really difficult.

You sing poorly in such a way that is almost, it's genius bad singing. What a great compliment. Spectacular. You're the best bad singer in the history of horror. Is that fair? That is a fantastic compliment Gilbert That's better than Adam West's

Compliment about the penguin Plugs my man The Robin Williams documentary Yes Come inside my mind Come inside my mind People should see The Richard Pryor documentary too

And you're working with Alex Gibney now And the series for Showtime is called Enemies November 18th November 18th at 8pm is the premiere. It's a four part series. You're busy. And Serial. And Serial. Season 3. Richard Pryor documentary

Marlon Brando coming to my ass. Wow. Wow. That was a callback. Let's end this meeting on a high note. That's why he's a professional comedian. Wow. Adam, you flatter us.

We're so thrilled you listened to the show. This means a lot to us. It means a lot to me to be on, and I'm just such a huge fan. Thank you, pal. So people can go to your website, too? No website. No website. Just find me on Facebook, Adam Dorn.

Find you on Facebook, Adam Dorn. They can also buy your records. Yes, Motion Worker Records. Motion Worker. All right, pal. Thanks. Or at a pizza store. We'll see you at the pizza store.

We expect you to tell the Gene Simmons story. Thanks, guys. So this has been Gilbert and Frank's amazing colossal obsessions with composer Adam Dorn. Thank you, buddy. Thank you, buddy. Thank you. Altyazı M.K.