August 7th, 2005

LOOK AT YOUR GAME GIRL:  THE MUSIC OF CHARLES MANSON

"How are you going to get to the establishment? You can't sing to them. I tried that, I tried to save them, but they wouldn't listen. Now we've got to destroy them." - Charles Manson
 

People often tell me that I am sick because I love Charles Manson's music.  And it's not just my regular fascination to search for strange and odd bits of pop culture either.  Sure, that's how I originally stumbled on the music of Charles Manson.  It started as a curiosity to hear the words and music of possibly the most despised criminal of the last fifty years.  However, I was surprised at what I heard.  Beautiful melodies, meaningful lyrics, and that voice.  Could that be the voice of Charles Manson?  It isn't how I would have expected it to sound.  Ever since I discovered the music of Charles Manson I have often played him for friends asking them to make a guess to who they were listening to.  The answers have varied vastly: James Taylor, Art Garfunkle, Don McLean, Arlo Guthrie, Seals and Croft (this one amused me greatly).  The same result happens each time that I reveal the identity of the singer.  People are shocked and then have to admit that the music is good.

Not long ago, on a message board I frequent, a poster asked for suggestions for new music to download.  Amongst my recommendations I posted Charles Manson.  In response another poster criticized me for the recommendation of Manson and asked me, "what's next?  Are you going to buy Karla Homolka's album?"  I asked her if she had ever listened to Manson's music.  The reply was, "no.  I don't have any desire to listen to the voice of evil."  Perhaps, if she had listened to the voice of evil, she might have been surprised at how much she liked it.  In response I told her that there was a difference between Charles Manson making an album and Karla Homolka making an album (which, so we don't confuse things, she is not doing).  If Karla Homolka made an album she would have been a killer who made an album while Charles Manson was a musician who made an album and then became a killer.

Now, Charles Manson was in trouble with the law long before he ever led the Manson Family in the grizzly series of murders that took place in 1969.  He had spent time in prison before and it was while in prison in 1966 that Manson first learnt to play guitar and started writing songs.  He was taught guitar by Alvin "Old Creepy" Karpis who was, at the time, the only surviving member of the Ma Barker gang.  He spent most of the remainder of his time in prison writing songs and even learning to play the drums. He told his parole board that he had hopes of finding work as a session musician once he had served his sentence.  Upon being released in 1967 Manson lost himself in the Los Angeles hippie scene.  It was in the coffee houses and parks of L.A. that Manson gained a following as an up and coming folk musician.  He wrote groovy love songs as well as songs about the fall of the establishment.  It was through his good looks, his music, and his charisma that Manson gained a collection of groupies and hangers-on, which, eventually, became the followers known as the Manson Family.  It was these kids that would be the hands that committed the murders at 10050 Cielo Drive.   In many ways Charles Manson could have been compared to the Pied Piper.  Music so beautiful that it will seduce the young to follow - although in Manson's case following eventually meant killing.  So then if the music was so good that people would follow its creator without question then why would we assume that it would be terrible?

It was during this time that Charles Manson met Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys.  Wilson had picked up two members of the Manson Family hitchhiking and they had convinced him to come and listen to Manson play.  Wilson was impressed with Manson's songs and got the Beach Boy's producer Terry Melcher to come and hear what Manson had.  However, Melcher was not as enthused about Manson's music and offered him no contract.  This was a blow to Manson who had got his hopes up.  It is suspected that this disappointment eventually became one of the motives for the murder of Sharon Tate and her four companions a year later.

However, Dennis Wilson had not given up on Charles Manson yet.  For three days in the summer of 1968 Dennis and sound engineer Stephen Despair recorded fourteen demo tracks for Manson in Brian Wilson's private recording studio in his home.  Manson arrived with nothing but six female followers and tons of dope.  The result of the recording sessions was the album "Lie".  Many of what are considered to be Manson's best compositions were recorded during those sessions including, "The Eyes of the Dreamer", "Look At Your Game Girl", "Mechanical Man", "Home is Where You're Happy", and "Cease to Exist".

Following the recording sessions, Wilson convinced the rest of The Beach Boys to record one of Manson's songs.  "Cease to Exist" was recorded on the Beach Boy's "20/20" album.  However, for the album the song was renamed "Never Learn Not to Love".  This produced recordings that highlighted just how good of a songwriter Charles Manson was.  However, when played back to back, "Never Learn Not to Love" is not nearly as effective as the less psychedelic "Cease to Exist", once again proving that you can never best the original artist.

It is also highly rumored that at around this time Charles Manson auditioned for the role of a Monkee on TV's "The Monkees" and was beat out by Peter Tork.  It remains a speculation as to whether this is true or not.  Evidence shows that the auditions for the Monkee's were held just before he was released from prison in 1967.  However, one can only imagine what may have been different if Manson had become one of the fake fab four.  Songs like "Look at Your Game Girl," and "Eyes of the Dreamer" could easily have fit into the Monkee sound and been crooned by Davy Jones.  They were just that inoffensive.

Now, why Charles Manson snapped a year later in 1969 is unknown to me, but there is evidence of a direct link to his time with Dennis Wilson in the murders of Sharon Tate and friends.  At the time that Manson met producer Terry Melcher, who did not sign him to a music deal, Melcher inhabited 10050 Ceilo St. where Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski were living in 1969. This became the crime scene for the infamous Manson slaughter.  It has been suggested that the murder was a result of Manson's rejection by Melcher and that the party was targeted as a warning to the producer. Warning or not, the coincidence is just too uncanny.  The other crime scene, 3301 Waverly Dr, also bears a bit of coincidence.  Manson had attended parties at the house next door with Beach Boys road manager Phil Kaufman who had a falling out with Manson over his music.  Kaufman has suggested that Manson was after him and that Manson's followers were looking for him at that home.

After the murders and the trial, "Lie" was finally released in 1974 by ESP records with all proceeds from the sales of the album going to the families of the Manson Family's victims.  For the first time the world could hear the music of Charles Manson.  "Lie" obviously had no hit singles due to the fact that it was considered in bad taste to buy the album.  However, those who did hear the music of Charles Manson paid close attention and Manson's music managed to recieve a bit of a cult following.  In recent years many of Manson's compositions have been covered.  Guns N' Roses recorded "Look At Your Game Girl", The Lemonheads tackled "Home is Where You're Happy", and Marilyn Manson partially recorded "Mechanical Man" in the song "My Monkey" (where the only lyrics are of the third verse repeated).  "Lie" was once again released to the curious in 2003 on CD spawning another generation of curious music lovers.  Just as before, the proceeds of the album sales went to the families of Manson's victims.

But this is my question:  When does music stop becoming good, or when is listening to good music become suddenly in bad taste when the musician becomes involved in a crime?  Music icons such as Johnny Cash, Sly Stone, and James Brown have all spent time behind bars.  Sure, perhaps their crimes were not as severe as murder, but their recordings have not become tainted.  But how about serious crimes?  Despite child porn convictions, Gary Glitter's "Rock and Roll" still is played at all sporting events.  Despite Rick James' rape charge we still get funky to "Super Freak".  And how about Michael Jackson?  If he had been convicted of recent child molestation charges he would have been cell block neighbors with Charles Manson!  Would that have stopped "Thriller" from being the Sgt. Pepper of the 1980's?  And as for murder, if Phil Spector is convicted for the murder of a B film actress will we stop praising his "wall of sound" and throw out our copies of "Let It Be?"  Just like Manson these people were musicians first, and criminals later.  Perhaps there are a few differences.  First, artists such as James Brown and Rick James did reform.  Secondly, the artists mentioned became famous before their convictions and were not ignored musically until after.  However, what can't be argued is the quality of the music.

You can criticize me and tell me I'm a sicko for being a fan of Manson's music.  I am not ignorant to the crimes he committed and I do not feel they are forgiven by the beautiful music he created.  I do not hero worship him like some do.  However, the music speaks for itself.  Take the time to download some.  My recommendations are "Eyes of the Dreamer", "Mechanical Man" (with the Manson Family), "Cease to Exist" (as well as the Beach Boys "Never Learn Not to Love"), and, my personal favorite, "Look At Your Game Girl".  Two things may surprise you.  First is that, for the exception of perhaps "Mechanical Man", you will find little to no evidence of the madness that we know lies in Manson.  There is no hint of what was to come.  Secondly, you may find you actually like it.

Manson has been judged.  Now it's time to judge his music.

All content copyright Sam Tweedle 2006.