Mo Ostin Discusses Neil Young & David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive

Mo Ostin - October 7, 2009 Inventing David Geffen |  PBS | American Masters

As noted recently, a rather significant announcement, PBS American Masters Archive Releases 1,000+ Hours of Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interviews: Patti Smith, David Bowie, Neil Young & More. 

 

David Geffen, Elliot Roberts, & Neil Young
Frame from  'Inventing David Geffen': American Masters

(See So What Makes Neil Young's Muse Tick?) 

 

In December 2012, PBS | American Masters broadcast the documentary film "Inventing David Geffen. American Masters: Inventing David Geffen is "an unflinching portrait of Geffen, who narrates his unorthodox rise from working class Brooklyn boy to billionaire entertainment power broker in extensive interviews." 

Interviewees include Neil Young, Elliot Roberts, David Crosby, Henry Diltz, Gary Burden, Mo Ostin and many others.

From the unaired interview with Mo "The Sleaze" Ostin, Warner Bros Executive, (listen to song "Surfer Joe And Moe the Sleaze") on working with Geffen and his clients, Neil Young and his manager Elliot Roberts. (Ed. note, unedited raw transcript @ ~2:43:00)

Mo Ostin:  [Geffen] sued Neil [Young] because he thought that Neil wasn't making commercial records.

[Geffen] was so intense and so passionate about having successful records. That he might have become myopic, you know? And Neil turned in a record that [Geffen] thought was not commercial. And he was paying him [Young] a huge advance. And [Geffen] thought "I shouldn't be paying that kind of advance for the records he's delivering."

And he told Neil to make another record. I don't know whether Neil made an effort at that or not. But Neil continued to record.

I guess he didn't feel Neil was making the change. And so he stopped funding the record. And sued him.

Interviewer: How do you think that a move like that affected his image in the music business?

Mo Ostin: You know, Neil was revered. And musically respected, not only on the critical level, but by all of his musical peers. [The lawsuit] could not have sat well with them.

Interviewer:  I mean, how do you think what David did affected his image? I'm dumbfounded he'd do that.

Mo Ostin: I guess he didn't think about it. I mean, I guess he was just so involved. Having realized that he had been losing money. He hated the idea of losing money, including other people's money. He never wanted to lose money.

And there was these jokes going on about the Titanic, who had a better band, you know, that kind of stuff.

And so, you know, I think he just was doing everything he possibly could to rectify and right the ship

...

Interviewer: A number of people have told us that there's one thing that David Geffen probably regrets most is suing Neil Young.

Mo Ostin: Yeah. And I believe that they made up.

That's also what's great about him [Geffen] is the fact that he owns up to his mistakes.

Also, see Neil Young's Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive.

 

 Neil Young - November 29, 2011

'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS | American Masters

 

Also, see Elliot Roberts Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive.

 

Elliot Roberts - July 22, 2009

'Inventing David Geffen' |  PBS | American Masters(Also, see Elliot Roberts Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive)  

 

David Crosby - May 14, 2012 Inventing David Geffen |  PBS | American Masters(See more on full David Crosby: Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive)

 

Gary Burden - November 12, 2012

Inventing David Geffen |  PBS | American Masters (See more on full  Gary Burden: Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive.) 

Henry Diltz - November 13, 2009

Inventing David Geffen |  PBS | American Masters(See more on full Henry Diltz: Uncut, Never-Before-Seen Interview | 'Inventing David Geffen' | PBS American Masters Archive)

---

---