Golden Nugget
How Much is it Worth?
Collectors feature:
The Beatles & Joe Cocker

The Grateful Dead's First Public Performance 
At the 2nd Acid Test
San Jose, California

Otis Redding Dies
in Plane Crash
Lake Winoma in Wisconsin

Picture This . . .
The Who tear it up . . . again!
This time they spend a night in jail in Montreal

Classic Album Review
Quadrophenia

Our Resident Hippy Remembers . . .
Real life stories from
the 60s and 70s.

Y

The Misunderstood arrived in England in mid 1966 and their talents were quickly recognized. In short order the group secured a recording contract, becoming label mates with The High Numbers (The Who) on Fontana Records. The group went into the studio in the early part of November 1966 and recorded six singles. This would mark the first and last time the band would ever record with this original, fiery line-up. The following month, their first single was released. It was a self-penned number titled " I Can Take You To The Sun" b/w "Who Do You Love". Both songs were branded with their unique style of hard psychedelic rock. Unfortunately, they could not have picked a worse time to bring their debut single to market. At the exact same time as The Misunderstood attempted to catch the ear of the U.K., The Jimi Hendrix Experience exploded onto the scene with the release of their first disc "Hey Joe". Two months later the single's demise was certain as The Beatles released "Strawberry Fields Forever". Once again The Misunderstood stood in the shadows. Many connoisseurs of the psychedelic era however, still rank this single as one of the best psychedelic singles of the sixties.

Inexplicably, their next single (recorded at the same sessions in Nov '66) wasn't released until March 1969. "Children Of The Sun" b/w "I Unseen" were both harder rocking numbers highlighting the band's continued penchant for unyielding guitar and drum work. Amazingly, especially when considering the fact that it was recorded some two years prior to it's release, the single blended in surprisingly well with other hard rock acts and sounds emerging out of the "heavy blues" influences in England at the time. With Led Zeppelin emerging at this time along with The Beatles' "Abbey Road", The Misunderstood were one of many bands to go unnoticed around this time.

An odd story surrounds their last single, titled "My Mind" b/w "Find The Hidden Door". It was never released while the band was in existence. In fact, it wasn't actually released until 1982, and then only as part of an English psychedelic compilation album titled "Before The Dream Faded". Once again, both songs were of above average quality as they once again showcased the band's intensity and hard-edged approach to psychedelia.

With the Vietnam War raging, the four young and able-bodied Americans of the group received draft summons from the U.S. military. This compounded their troubles as the band was also having difficulty securing long-term work permits. With their overall success minimal and their hopes dashed, The Misunderstood disbanded and the four Americans left England and returned to the U.S. in September 1969. It's interesting to note that member Tony Hill, upon his return from the U.K. and successfully dodging the draft, went on to form the progressive rock band High Tide.

The Misunderstood . . . Ever heard of 'em?

SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - "CAN YOU PASS THE ACID TEST?"
So read the over 700 hand written invitations handed out to concert goers as they exited the Civic Auditorium after taking in The Rolling Stones show last night. Over 400 ready and willing candidates showed up at a communal hippy home in downtown San Jose to take part in the all night event which included dancing and live music performed by local favorites now known as The Grateful Dead (formerly The Warlocks).

Upon entering the crowded home and after being passed your complimentary "Happy Drink", your eyes immediately absorb the huge sign dangling overhead, a live microphone attached to it. It reads, "By overcoming fear, by taking LSD boldly and disregarding consequences, you could make your breakthrough."

Microphones and recording machines are everywhere. People randomly stop to whisper, yell, or sometimes curse into the devices only to hear themselves ten minutes later in a different part of the house! To the right and down a small corridor are the main living area of the home and where most of the activity is taking place. Upon entering the living room, ones senses are immediately besieged by the overwhelming volume of The Grateful Dead playing mere feet away. The smell of sweet incense wafts through the air. Brilliant lights of every imaginable color are set all over the room, adding a somewhat spiritual vibe to the overall ambience. People danced anywhere they found room, many of the revelers adorned in colorful clothing with flowing, multicolored scarves and beads. Scanning the room, you see some people staring at the ceiling, while others stare endlessly at their hands. A group of six young ladies, all with brightly dyed hair color, dance barefoot in the middle of the room, eyes closed, arms and heads flailing in short, jerky movements, body and mind in what seems to be perfect harmony. Most people seem to be thoroughly enjoying the experience, but the evening is not without its casualties. It seems that more than a few participants have been taken to an upstairs bedroom, to what is fondly referred to as "The Freak Out Room". Here they can attempt to control the mind-bending games being played and "come down" before returning to the festivities downstairs.

The bright lights continue to swirl and the many speakers throughout the home continue to pump the music of The Grateful Dead into the night. It is now 3:00am and there's no sign of anyone going home, and more importantly, there's no trouble. Novelist Ken Kesey was responsible for organizing yesterday's affair, this being his first public test after holding a friends-only event last Saturday. Kesey prefers not to go solo in his quest for enlightenment. "I'd like to hold one of these every week!" he yelled over the groovy sounds of the band. "I invite all of California to show for the next one!" Ken Kesey hopes to organize an even bigger "acid test" on Christmas Eve.

As I look down at my hands, they seem to have grown to balloon size. With the sweet sounds of The Grateful Dead still blaring in the background, I decide now would be a good time to go home.

WISCONSIN - One of the greatest soul singers of our times is dead. Otis Redding perished yesterday when his chartered plane plunged into the icy waters of Lake Monoma in Wisconsin. Four members of his backing group, The Bar-Kays, were also killed in the early morning crash. The lone survivor, 20-year-old musician Ben Cauley, said he heard cries for help from Redding and fellow bandmates but was unable to reach them in time. Sources at the scene believe that all passengers aboard the flight survived the impact but subsequently drowned.

Redding was born In Dawson, Georgia on September 9, 1941 and began singing in the local church choir as a young boy. He spent his youth working odd jobs and getting his vocal style together drawing from influences such as Little Richard and Sam Cooke.

In Macon, Georgia in the late '50s, Redding joined a number of local groups, most notably "The Upsetters", Little Richard's former backing group. In 1960, Redding headed West to California and spent a year recording a handful of demos and performing at various clubs. Upon his return to Macon in late '61, he joined a local soul outfit called "The Pinetoppers". While working as a chauffeur in October 1962, he managed to record what would become his first hit single, "These Arms Of Mine", which reached #20 on the R&B charts. Redding then began touring the "chitlin circuit" relentlessly, quickly gaining a reputation and following with his impassioned live performances.

His unique vocal styling and stage charm were only part of his talent as Redding was also a noted songwriter. He penned many of his own hit songs including, "Mr.Pitiful" (#41 Pop, #10 R&B) in 1965 and "Fa fa fa fa fa Sad Song" (#29 Pop, #12 R&B) in 1966. Redding also wrote "Respect" for Aretha Franklin and recently covered The Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" and The Beatles' "Day Tripper".

Fondly referred to as the "Monarch Of Soul", Redding was voted top male singer of 1967 by music publications in France and Britain, including Melody Maker.

Constant world touring solidified his star status, but his death comes just as his career seemed set to achieve new levels of success. Redding appeared at The Monterey Pop Festival in June of this year and turned in an explosive performance that was greeted with a rousing ovation by the crowd, even though most were there to see rock groups like The Who and Janis Joplin. That performance brought him both international and mainstream acclaim and attention, and it seemed that he would enjoy crossover success with white audiences too. Next to James Brown, Otis Redding had become the most popular black performer of the sixties. It seemed that he was indeed on his way to becoming an international superstar.

Redding had recently formed his own record label and had expressed interest in becoming involved in the production and talent management areas of the music business. He had been in the recording studios as recently as last week working on what is rumored to be a song written as a gesture of thanks to the organizers of The Monterey Pop Festival and the people San Francisco. Redding's final days were spent juggling live performances and studio recording, and was on his way to an engagement in the Midwest when his plane went down. His wife and two children, both boys, survive him.

Picture this... The second half of 1973 proved to be a very busy time for The Who. The spring and summer had been spent at the band's Ramport Studio in London recording their epic Quadrophenia album, while both Roger Daltrey and John Entwistle released solo albums in April and June respectively. In September, the first single from the album, 5:15, was released and immediately raced up the UK charts and settled in at number 20. October saw the band introducing Quadrophenia to British audiences with a ten-date tour. Technically, this tour was unlike anything the band had ever undertaken as audio tapes were used in conjunction with the band's live playing to give audiences a more accurate and real feel for the album. These tapes would cause much grief and aggravation for the band as on many occasions they failed to operate on time, if at all.

Quadrophenia was released in November and a twelve-date North American tour was scheduled. The Who were itching to get back on the road and anxious as to how audiences would respond to their new material as it was far removed from their last work, 1971's "Who's Next". The North American tour was full of the usual wanton destructiveness and debauchery that The Who had become famous for. Massive quantities of alcohol (and various other assorted substances) and huge hotel damage bills had become, by this time, par for the course.

December 1973 saw the band moving eastward as the tour was drawing to a close. December 8^th The Who was booked to play Montreal's Forum, a fifteen thousand seat hockey arena that had hosted many of Britain's most popular groups. With the Quadrophenia album and tour doing very well, MCA hired a luxury suite at one of Montreal's swankiest hotels, The Bonaventure. The Who never really liked the official "meet and greet" parties they were forced to attend while touring but begrudgingly showed up to shake hands with the record label's Montreal brass nonetheless. After the stuffy affair was over, the band decided they would continue the party ; only now it would be in true Who fashion.

Keith Moon (who else!) kicks off the merrymaking by displaying his artsy side and knack for "destruction with a flair". He proceeds to remove an expensive wall mounted painting from its frame, and replaces it with a healthy spraying of an assortment of condiments including ketchup and mustard. This proved to be the catalyst that began an all out frenzy of total hotel room annihilation. The other party participants, including Townshend, Entwistle and a number of road personnel, immediately set upon the luxurious 13^th floor suite performing an unsolicited and unauthorized interior re-decoration. The usual hotel décor was rearranged; drapes torn and stripped off their track, mattresses flipped and a wide array of alcoholic beverages were spewed throughout the entire suite. With the room's expensive, thick-shag carpet now alcohol- soaked and a combination of mustard and ketchup streaming down the walls, the room resembled an earthquake disaster area.

The debauchery however was far from over as the high spirited trickery began to take on lunatic proportions. Moon and Townshend set their wide-eyed gaze on a large marble table sitting untouched and remarkably unscathed in the middle of the room. With Keith at one end and Pete at the other, the table was rammed repeatedly into the wall resulting in a large, gapping hole. To the left of this wall was a floor- to- ceiling sealed window overlooking the hotel's indoor swimming pool. With help from a handful of roadies, the table was heaved through the window plunging furiously thirteen stories and splashing down smack into the middle of the pool!

All this revelry must have made the boys a wee bit tired as they all subsequently retired to their rooms. Amazingly, due in part to the late hours, no one realized what havoc the cast and crew of The Who had inflicted until a hotel security guard had come by to shut the lights and doors. The rampage uncovered, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (yes the same Mounties that always get their man!) were called in. All four members of The Who and ten members of their road crew were roused from bed and arrested at gunpoint! One of the biggest rock bands ever was now on its way "downtown" to enjoy unaccustomed and quite primitive lodging courtesy of the Canadian government!

While waiting in the "mug shot" line, it's reported that Moon leaned over the counter, and with his big brown eyes and in a serious, aristocratic tone, addressed an officer, "Yes, I believe I booked a suite".

Luckily, the police seem to have been good natured about the incident and even played Who music throughout the early morning hours until the band and crew were finally released on $6,000 bail.

Just another day at the office!

Quadrophenia is The Who at their most symmetrical, their most cinematic, ultimately their most maddening. Captained by Pete Townshend, they have put together a beautifully performed and magnificently recorded essay of a British youth mentality in which they played no little part, lushly endowed with black and white visuals and a heavy sensibility of the wet-suffused air of 1965.

The hero of Quadrophenia is Jimmy, a young motor-scooted Mod in the throes of self-doubt and alienation. Unlike Tommy, to whom he's destined to be inevitably compared, Jimmy is no simplistic parable or convenient symbol. His loner qualities set him apart from both friends and foes, and though he's more than willing to be led, somehow even that security seems to elude him. Torn between identities, Townshend has gifted him with four, all competing for top seed in Jimmy's confused psyche. In one he is forceful and determined, a master of his fate; another finds him full of brazen daring and rollicking jingoism; yet another softens and romanticized his nature, giving him a quiet inner strength; and still another reveals him as insecure, searching, the promise of salvation granted and hovering over the next hillrise.

Such is Quadrophenia, schizophrenia times two, and Townshend maneuvers this conflict on several levels, each to noticeably good (if fairly evident) effect. Most important of these manifold hooks is the Mod generation out of which the Who sprang, and only secondary (though admittedly the most personally interesting) is the Who itself, four themes ("Helpless Dancer," "Bell Boy," "Is It Me?" and "Love Reign O'er Me") wrestling, congealing, splitting apart throughout the album. As for Jimmy, his frustration at being unable to resolve his separate selves suddenly overwhelms him, so that he smashes his scooter, flees to

Brighton on the shore, finally putting to sea in a boat with the vague aim of suicide. This is where we find him at the beginning of side one, lost amidst his flashbacks and disjointed memories, and this is where we leave him, on a note of spiritual uplift and transcendence, at the end.

The interior episodes where all this is hashed out are the most successful on Quadrophenia, impeccably outlined by Townshend and stunningly executed by The Who. Jimmy attempts to mesh with his family, his peer group, his girl, and yet remains an outsider, wondering why in his just-so clothes "the other tickets look much better/without a penny to spend they dress to the letter." Metting an old idol on the beach, now reduced to subserving as a local hotel bellboy, he is moved to remember: "Ain't you the guy who used to set the paces/riding up in front of a hundred faces?"

An effective moment, yet when judged against the broader scope of Quadrophenia it seems as if all Townshend has constructed is a series of such effective moments. It is his mastermind that has created the tour-de-force recording breakthroughs of the album, the realistic and panoramic landscape of pre-Carnaby Street England, arranged the setting so that each member of the band could give full vent to his vaunted and highly unique instrumental prowess. Indeed, it might easily be said that the Who as a whole never sounded better, both ensemble and solo, proving unalterable worth and relevance in an age that has long passed others of their band's generation into fragments of history.

But on its own terms, Quadrophenia falls short of the mark. Jimmy Livingston Seagull, adrift on a stormless sea, with only his shattered wings and sharded memories to keep him company ­ so close, and yet so far.

- Rolling Stone, Lenny Kaye, December 20, 1973

State Of Florida vs James Douglas Morrison, continued
"Ms. Clary, I am going to read from your sworn statement taken this past April." His tone switches from pleasant to stern as he stops to remove his glasses, 'Question' he begins, 'Were you able to actually observe his genital area when he dropped his clothes? The young lady leans forward in her seat, listening intently as Fink reads the statement.
"Do you remember your reply?" he asks.

"No" comes the soft response from the teen. Ms. Clary's expression changes immediately, she seems annoyed and flustered.

"Let me refresh your memory, you responded on April 8^th of this year, " 'Most of the time he was moving around' was your response."

Clary is clearly upset. Fink is unrelenting and unmoved by the young ladies sudden lack of composure and presses on, asking in a clearly sarcastic tone, " Has your memory improved suddenly over the past few months?"

Colleen Clary's voice begins to crack as she quietly responds "I don't know". The witness bows her head, turns to her right and begins to cry. A short recess is called. Morrison rises from his seat, taking notes as he looks at Clary facing the wall.
Court is reconvened fifteen minutes later, and Fink continues to find discrepancies between her replies on the stand and her previous sworn statement.
"Did you see Mr. Morrison place his hands in his pants?"
Colleen's answer, "I think so."
Fink once again reads from her statement and quotes her answer," 'I couldn't see' was your answer in April." His point made, Fink excuses the witness.

Next up to the stand is state witness number 4, Betty Racine, a policewoman in her mid-thirties who was on duty that night. After a series of short, seemingly well-rehearsed questions from McWilliams, it's Fink's turn.
"Did you hear profanity?" he asks.
Racine replies, "It sounded like, 'do you want to see my cock'."

Fink reminds the policewoman that in her deposition taken on June 2 she replied, "I was too busy, I don't really remember hearing any swearing." Fink is on a roll. Racine quietly fumes. Her credibility is dealt a fatal blow when she admits to having listened to an audio tape of the concert recently. Immediately aware of her faux pas, she stumbles, "I heard something…I wasn’t supposed to say…"

Her testimony is immediately stricken from the record. State prosecutor McWilliams shifts uneasily in his chair, he doesn't seem impressed.

As the day's proceedings draw to a close, some much needed levity is added to the proceedings with a humorous exchange between Fink and state witness number six, 22 year old Bobby Jenkins.

The Doors attorney asks a question regarding masturbation. The college student replies, "I believe the expression is oral copulation, sir." Eyebrows throughout the courtroom are raised.

Fink quickly asks, "Are you an expert on oral copulation?"
Without missing a beat, Jennings answers, "I don’t have a masters degree in it, no"
A good laugh is shared by most in the courtroom, including Morrison. The judge, also grinning from the exchange, calls a recess until tomorrow. Morrison and his entourage quickly leave the courthouse, avoiding the throng of reporters and their questions, except for one.
"What are you doing tonight, Jim?" yells one unseen reporter.
"I'm gonna have a couple of scotch and cokes and check out CCR at the Convention Center" replies Morrison aloud. He then quickly ducks into his limo for the ride back to the hotel.

. . . see ya next month!