Mike Post

In his nearly three-hour interview, Mike Post talks about his early interest in music and his formative years as a studio musician. He recalls his early successes as a music producer, including producing the first album for First Edition, the band that made Kenny Rogers famous, and producing the number-one hit "Classical Gas". He discusses his first big break in television as the musical director of the newly revamped The Andy Williams Show (1969-71), making him the youngest person to hold that title at the time. He recounts his longtime partnership with Pete Carpenter and their collaborative efforts on many of the major dramatic shows of the 1970s and '80s. He speaks about his chance meeting with Stephen J. Cannell that led to his extensive work with Cannell, Dick Wolf, and Steven Bochco. Post describes the work of a television composer as someone who layers their art on another's in a true spirit of collaboration. He outlines his compositions and memorable theme songs for such series as The Rockford Files, Hill Street Blues, The Greatest American Hero, L.A. Law, Cop Rock (theme by Randy Newman), and Law & Order. Stephen J. Abramson conducted the interview on May 25, 2005 in Burbank, CA.