Choosing the tunes for HBO’s “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” has become a treasure hunt for hidden gems for music superintendent Gabby Helfer.
Set in the 1980s, the series tells the story of Los Angeles Lakers, owner Jerry Boss and Magic Johnson. Helfer climbed on board and immediately pulled out “great, flowery music from the period and earlier, so we can paint a picture of that time in Los Angeles”
Orchestral disco from Spirit of Brotherhood, Loosely Tight from Arizona Hard Rock, and Miami Cuban salsa band Ray & His Court are just some of the lesser-known works that Helfer chose to reflect the era. The music supervisor said his goal was to introduce viewers to artists like Afro-rockers the Hygrades, whose song “Somebody’s Gonna Lose or Win” plays at the end of Episode 2 when coach Jerry West quits, asking them to say, “Now I’m going to put them on.” in my playlist.
Aside from hoping to highlight “artists who may no longer be making money”, Helfer has also made it his mission to research lesser-known hit songs from popular artists.
In the pilot, Jerry (John C. Riley) and Magic (Quincy Isaiah) head to a party in Malibu. Executive Producer Adam McKay discovered that the first song chosen for this scene, a piano performance, wasn’t working, he requested something with more energy. Helfer took a deep dive into the music of that era and found Neil Diamond’s “The Dancing Bumble Bee/Bumble Boogie.” He says, “I ended up falling in love with him because he feels so good and he feels like at the moment – what’s going to be originally at that party.
“You can recognize him [Diamond’s] sound, but I’ve never heard this song,” adds Helfer, who happily notes that the show “exposes people to parts from a catalog by big and famous artists they might not even know.” “
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