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How the music supervisor for HBO’s "Vinyl" picks songs for the show

Adriene Hill Apr 1, 2016
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How the music supervisor for HBO’s "Vinyl" picks songs for the show

Adriene Hill Apr 1, 2016
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Virtually every TV show has music, but in HBO’s series “Vinyl,” the music is the story – or at least a very big part of it.

“Vinyl” is set in the 1970s in New York. The music industry is awash in sex and drugs. Punk and disco are pushing their way onto the rock-and-roll scene. And amid the chaos, one record executive is trying to hold his label and his life together. The series was created by Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger, among others, and HBO has sunk a pile of money into it, including a big budget for music rights.

Marketplace host Adriene Hill spoke with Randall Poster, the music director of “Vinyl.” Poster is responsible for finding the right track, for the right moment and the right cost. Poster previously worked on HBO’s hit show Boardwalk Empire. He explained the detailed process of tracking down authentic music for the show.

“The role of the music supervisor, or at least the role I play, often includes a lot of detective work,” Poster said.

Click on the player above to listen to the full story. 

 

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