>> reporter: charlie manson had come to los angeles with a plan. r than the beatles. by the summer of '69 he knew that wasn't going to happen. and that's when manson told his followers they had to ignite something he called "helter skelter," an imminent world-destroying race war which he'd named for reasons only he knew... after a song on the beatles' "white album." >> they were gonna go in the desert, stay there for 150 years, while the black man takes over. but then they're gonna need him later. and that's when he's gonna come out as the master race, and be the leader of everyone. >> it sounds ridiculous, of course. >> it is ridiculous. but combination of, drugs, being isolated. he had them all convinced that this was real. >> he was serious about this -- >> oh yeah. >> king of the world thing. >> yeah. he believed it. or so he persuaded his followers. he told them he needed complete loyalty and complete control. >> every day he would gather everyone together and dose them with lsd. and he would talk for a while. >> reporter: that's when, for his

manson. when we return -- >> dennis was convinced that he could make charlie a star. and manson's strange hold on his "family." >> "he dances, he sings. he looks beautiful, he looks happy. and this draws a lot of people -- ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ new charmin ultra soft! ♪ ♪ ♪ it's softer than ever. new charmin ultra soft is twice as absorbent so you can use less. and it's softer than ever... so it's harder to resist. okay, this is getting a little weird. we all go, why not enjoy the go with charmin? ♪ strummed guitar you can't experience the canadian rockies through a screen. you have to be here, with us. ♪ strummed guitar travel through this natural wonder and get a glimpse of amazing. with a glass of wine in one hand, and a camera in the other, aboard rocky mountaineer. canada's rocky mountains await. call your travel agent or rocky mountaineer for special offers now. >> reporter: los angeles. 1968, the center of the rock and roll universe. here was capitol records, the beatles' record company, the sunset strip, and here the producers who could make charles manson a star. he positio

manson. when we return -- >> dennis was convinced that he could make charlie a star. and manson's strange hold on his "family." >> "he dances, he sings. he looks beautiful, he looks happy. and this draws a lot of people -- ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ new charmin ultra soft! ♪ ♪ ♪ it's softer than ever. new charmin ultra soft is twice as absorbent so you can use less. and it's softer than ever... so it's harder to resist. okay, this is getting a little weird. we all go, why not enjoy the go with charmin? >> reporter: los angeles. 1968, the center of the rock and roll universe. here was capitol records, the beatles' record company, the sunset strip, and here the producers who could make charles manson a star. he positioned his family out here in a wooded haven of alternative living. topanga canyon. >> he lived on a place in topanga canyon. it was a burned-out house. >> reporter: eric carlson was living nearby. in his first tv interview, he told us how he got to know manson and his very available young women. >> they would come over to get -- to take showers and stuff. >> reporter: and stuff