Though sunny Swedish pop act ABBA was playing in the delivery room when Glee's music producer Adam Anders was born, he grew up playing rock 'n' roll. His opera-singer-turned-gospel singer father and his concert pianist mother made for unlikely fans: "I couldn't play enough rock music for my parents," says Anders. "I'd play something [more subdued] for them and they'd be like, 'Nah, do some more edgystuff.'" Anders credits his eclectic musical background, which includes performing as a jazz bassist and studying classical music, with helping him design the music for Glee -- a grab-bag of glimmering pop gems that spans genres and decades, and has become wildly popular since the show debuted last year. Singles for the show have sold five million copies and both volumes of the first season soundtrack have gone triple platinum. Not bad, in an industry some worry is taking its final breaths. In honor of the return of Glee's first season tonight, we chatted with Anders, who also works with Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers, about artists who don't clear their music, and problematic mash-ups.
Who chooses the music for Glee?
[Glee creator] Ryan Murphy picks all of the songs. He writes the scripts and the songs.Sometimes something won't work for them and I'll give suggestions forsongs that might work in the script better. From time to time I'llthink of a song that will be great and shoot an email to Ryan and itwill show up in a script an episode later.
What songs?
"True Colors" was my idea. My partner produced CyndiLauper's last record, [Lauper] got hold of us and I pitched it to Ryan, andhe loved it. I also suggested a Bryan Adams song that he didn'tclear. (Laughs.)
Do many artists not clear songs?
No. It'sreally unusual that someone doesn't and we were shocked that Bryandidn't. We were even able to clear some songs like "Don't Stop Believin''" before the show even aired. Coldplay didn't clear asong, either -- "Viva La Vida" was supposed to be in the pilot. I think it's obvious that when Glee does a song, not onlydoes that version sell incredibly well, but the original version doesalso. There's an 87% jump in the sale of the original recording. Soit's a powerful tool for artists. Especially older artists, like theBruce Springsteens of the world. You can introduce your music to awhole new fan base.
Glee's had 20 songs in the iTunes top 100 songs at once.
Thatwas kind of bonkers. Twenty percent of the entire chart was produced by us. It'sclearly a cultural phenomenon. With "Don't Stop Believin,'' I knew wewere on to something using it, but I didn't expect it to get so huge.The Glee version went to number four on Billboard's Hot 100 and the originalversion by Journey went to number nine.
"Don't Stop Believin" is a song that already had a pretty bigpop culture presence -- you hear it at karaoke, everyone singsalong when it comes on in bar -- but giving it a Broadway-esquetreatment completely changed it.
We think a lot about those types of songs. Songs that never fullycrossed over into Complete-Cheese-Land. We're always asking 'How can wedo this without making it karaoke?' Or 'How do we a Broadway song in apop setting so that it's acceptable?' And that works. Hopefully we cankeep this going.
Cory Monteith, who plays Finn, is sort of the all-American jock character and sings a lot of rock and classic rock songs. Are what types of songs characters sing supposed to be reflective of their personalities?
I think more about what fits him musically 'than how will thissong make him look?' Cory's come a long way -- he'd never sung in his lifebefore we started the show and he has worked so hard. The show is really demanding -- you're asking someone who has never sung before to be ableto do both Steve Perry and Usher? That is really, really hard foranyone. We hone in on what works best for him and his voice matches up more to rock than pop. Corydoing a Doors song will work better than him doing a Chris Brown song.
Have there been songs that just don't work for the cast member they're assigned to?
No, I can usually make a song work for anyone. I've thought they were crazy for picking some songs, though.
Like what?
Themash-ups. "Halo" and "Walking on Sunshine?" Are you kidding? Or My FairLady's "I Could Have Danced All Night" with "Bust a Move?" A '50sBroadway show-tune that's three:four time mashed up with a rap song ishideous. But it still turned out really cool. Mash-ups are interestingin a way -- youend up creating a new song that actually works out really well. "It'sMy Life" and "Confessions" is killer. "I Could Have Danced All Night"and "Bust a Move" didn't end up making it on to the show -- itwas supposed to be onthe finale but we ran out of time. We'll probably end up putting it inthe box set.
Do you think high school glee clubs willstart performing more pop and Top 40 music, if theyhaven't already, as a result of the show?
The sheet music is selling like crazy. I thinkthere's going to be a whole revival of glee clubs and that's somethingI'm really excited about. The first thing they cut in high schools ismusic. That's such a shame because music makes a person well-rounded.It shapes you. Glee clubs are creating a whole new wave of music inhigh schools. Kids are hungry for it, they want to be a part of it.We've made show tunes cool. When "Don't Rain on My Parade" goes top tenon iTunes, there's something going on.
Glee premieres tonight on FOX.
