Song for Geffen
Early on, Browne had written to Geffen, “I’m writing to you out of respect for the artists you represent,” Geffen recalled. Remember, his desk was flooded with demo tapes by hopeful musicians. According to Geffen, the letter “went on and on… I figured, ‘My God, this guy can’t be any good.’”
Jackson Browne 1977. Photo by Koh Hasebe / Shinko Music / Getty Images
So, he tossed Browne’s tape in the garbage. He only listened after his secretary, Dodie Smith, found the tape in the garbage and convinced her boss to finally give it a listen. “It was the only tape we ever took that was unsolicited,” Elliot Roberts recalled. The song they listened to was Song for Adam.