DISGRACELAND Bonus Episode: Charles Manson the Music Man

Release Date: November 17, 2022
Host: Jake Brennan (Double Elvis Productions)

Episode Overview

In this interactive bonus episode, host Jake Brennan takes a deep dive into the lesser-explored musical ambitions, influence, and legacy of Charles Manson. While Manson is remembered primarily as a cult leader and orchestrator of the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders, this episode pivots to examine his music career—the failed stardom, doomed connections, and surprising, lingering impact on rock culture. The episode also features discussion of related true crime, media recommendations, and listener interactions, including voicemails, texts, and emails.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Charles Manson: The Forgotten Musician

[03:27 – 08:15]

• Introduction to Manson’s Music Career:

  • Jake opens by emphasizing how Manson’s ambitions as a musician often get overlooked or mocked, describing him as “a short dude, had a sex cult back in the 60s, was a murderous hippie, freaked America out” but also, importantly, a “musician in addition to being a murderer.”
  • “Charles Manson as a musician is something that either gets overlooked or at best is given passing attention or is laughed off. And for good reason... Charles Manson wasn't that great of a musician, that was clear.” (Jake Brennan, 04:20)

• Manson's Ultimate Failure?

  • Brennan disputes the label of "failed musician." He contends that failure suggests a lack of impact, and Manson’s music, by virtue of being covered by others and remaining a part of the era’s folklore, had a surprising amount of influence.

• Music at the Core of the Crimes:

  • The episode underscores how music was “at the very heart of the story of the murders” and the “helter skelter motive” used by prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi.
  • Suggestion that the conventional “failed musician” label misses the way Manson’s musical disappointments, particularly his rejection by producers and industry figures, factored into the infamous crimes.

2. Famous Fans and Industry Connections

[05:50 – 08:15]

• Neil Young’s Advocacy:
  • “[Neil Young] tried to get Charles Manson signed to a record deal with Mo Austin and Warner Brothers.” (Jake Brennan, 05:57)
• The Beach Boys & Terry Melcher:
  • Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys introduced Manson to producer Terry Melcher, who recognized Manson’s musical shortcomings.
  • “Terry Melcher... knew what Neil Young and Dennis Wilson somehow didn't, and that was that Charles Manson sucked as a musician.” (Jake Brennan, 06:16)
• These rejections became part of the mythology and alleged motives surrounding the subsequent murders.

3. Manson’s Music After the Crimes

[12:03 – 16:15]

• Guns N’ Roses Cover:

  • Guns N’ Roses recorded Manson’s “Look At Your Game, Girl” as a hidden track on their 1993 EP The Spaghetti Incident?
  • Major backlash ensued, including from their label head, David Geffen, over the idea of Manson profiting from crime-derived fame.
  • “Geffen intervened and he made sure that the royalties never made their way to Manson in prison. Instead, he made sure that the money went to Bartek Frykowski on behalf of Manson Family murder victim Wojtek Frykowski.” (Jake Brennan, 13:29)
  • Brennan admits the song itself—and Manson’s own version—“suck,” but the cover cements Manson’s weird persistence in music culture.

• Other Covers and Influence:

  • Brian Jonestown Massacre's “Arkansas Revisited” and Evan Dando/the Lemonheads’ cover of “Home Is Where You’re Happy” cited as evidence that Manson’s music still echoes through subsequent generations.

• Trent Reznor & The House on Cielo Drive:

  • Reznor of Nine Inch Nails worked in the house where the Tate murders took place. Brennan observes, “That album does not suck.” [Referring to Nine Inch Nails’ The Downward Spiral]
  • Reznor's encounter with Sharon Tate’s sister caused him to confront the reality of the crimes and reconsider his own fascination:

    “...the meeting caused him to consider the victims, something he hadn’t really done prior. And it’s something that we should all try to do when we’re delving into these insane true crime stories. I try. I do. I fail sometimes, but I do try.” (Jake Brennan, 14:50)

4. The Morality of Manson Memorabilia

[15:00 – 16:15]

• Brennan shares a story of passing on the purchase of a rare Manson vinyl:
  • “I felt a little bit, I think, of what Trent Reznor must have felt when considering his association with that house… I don’t want that kind of evil lying around my house.” (Jake Brennan, 15:39)

5. Recommendations: Music, Books, and TV

[20:08 – 26:03]

• Music:
  • Miles Davis’ Live Evil: “It defies categorization... It's electric, it's funky, it's dark, and again, it's weird in all the best ways.” (Jake Brennan, 20:25)
• Books:
  • The Life and Crimes of Richard Ramirez by Philip Carlo for research into an upcoming AC/DC episode (“…one of the best true crime books I’ve ever read… makes all of his actions all the more horrifying and especially creepy.” (Jake Brennan, 20:56))
  • Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties by Tom O’Neill: “...provides a thoroughly sourced spine of information... Read it. Listen to the Mama Cass episodes coming up in Disgraceland and you will be forever squinting between the lines of Helter Skelter and possibly calling bullshit on the whole damn thing.” (Jake Brennan, 22:07)
• TV/Film:
  • All Quiet on the Western Front (2022): “...the greatest war movie that I've ever seen... horror of war is unimaginable, the filmmakers here did something that's never been done before.” (Jake Brennan, 23:04)
  • White Lotus Season 2 for its neutral, almost satirical take on culture wars.

6. Listener Interaction & Community

[26:03 – 29:50]

• Listener Texts & Voicemails:

  • Shoutout to a listener (Johnny Vinyl) with a Johnny Thunders tattoo and a request for a Johnny Thunders episode.
  • Another listener, JT from California, requests an episode about the Red Hot Chili Peppers, focusing on Hillel Slovak.
    • “Why, yes, JT, we have thought of doing an episode on the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but I've been saving it.” (Jake Brennan, 26:33)
  • Will Kavanaugh from Australia recommends Blood, Sweat and Beers, an anthology of Australian rock stories, prompting Brennan to mention an upcoming AC/DC episode.

• Encouragement for Listener Participation:

  • “Send me more weird shit, America. I'm listening, I'm watching, I'm looking. Give it to me.” (Jake Brennan, 24:49)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Charles Manson as a musician is something that either gets overlooked or at best is given passing attention or is laughed off.”—Jake Brennan, 04:20
• “Terry Melcher... knew what Neil Young and Dennis Wilson somehow didn't, and that was that Charles Manson sucked as a musician. Sure, he had some interesting ideas... But musician, hardly.”—Jake Brennan, 06:16
• “Failure suggests a lack of impact or significance. And when it comes to Manson's music, that's hardly the case.”—Jake Brennan, 07:19
• “Doesn’t sound like a failed musician to me.”—Jake Brennan (regarding Guns N' Roses royalties), 13:21
• “I'm not, but I was freaked out, I don’t want that kind of evil lying around my house.”—Jake Brennan (turning down a Manson record), 15:41
• “Send me more weird shit, America. I'm listening, I'm watching, I'm looking. Give it to me.”—Jake Brennan, 24:49

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Charles Manson’s Musical Ambitions: 03:27 – 08:15
• Guns N’ Roses and Manson Royalties: 12:03 – 16:15
• Trent Reznor & the Cielo Drive Connection: 13:59 – 15:45
• Miles Davis & “Evil” Recommendation: 20:08 – 20:55
• True Crime Book Recommendations: 20:55 – 22:58
• Listener Calls, Texts & Emails: 26:03 – 29:50

Episode Tone & Style

Jake Brennan’s delivery is informal, irreverent, and darkly comedic, blending music nerdery with true crime grit. He openly shares subjective opinions and weaves in pop culture references, making episodes feel like a conversation for those who find both rock history and its criminal undercurrents captivating.

Closing & What’s Next

Jake teases the next episodes on Mama Cass Elliot and her connections to the Manson story, invites listeners to keep submitting their suggestions and strange finds, and closes with a tongue-in-cheek reading from an Arkansas phone book as an odd tribute to the Brian Jonestown Massacre—ending the episode with a signature “moment of Zen.”

For more details, sources, or to join the listener community:
Visit disgracelandpod.com or text/call 617-906-6638.