The Trip Continues . . . Expand Your Mind
visit classicrockpage.com

May 2000 - Issue 8

Ever Heard Of . . .
Obscure Band Feature:
Jason Crest

Golden Nugget
How Much is it Worth?
Collectors feature:
Ambrose Slade &
Booker T. and the MG's

Picture This . . .
Led Zeppelin forms their own record label - Lavish LA party and "The Battle of Good Eats!"

Trippy Trivia
Test your Rock & Roll
knowledge for a chance to WIN great music CDs!

New Classic Rock
Feature Band:
Schluff Jull

Our Resident Hippy
Remembers . . .
Real life stories from
the 60s and 70s.
Subscriber Contribution
Thanks Felix!

F

Jason Crest ... Ever heard of 'em?

Original Personnel:
Terry Clarke - vocals
Terry Dobson - guitar
Ron Fowler - bass
Roger Siggery - drums
Derek Smallcombe - guitar

Picture this... Following in the footsteps of fellow British super-bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin found themselves in the middle part of the decade with both the financial means and industry influence to launch their own record label. Although 1974 was one of the few years in the group's history that did not see the band functioning as usual- no album release, no crisscrossing of the Americas in their private luxury party-plane while playing to stadium-sized audiences- things in the Zeppelin camp remained active. Work continued throughout the early part of 1974 on what would be the premiere release on their Swan Song label, the benchmark hard rock album, Physical Graffiti. An inquisitive reporter asked guitarist Jimmy Page about the band's lack of output during this period,  Page dryly responded , "1974 didn't really happen. 1975 will be a better year." 

The band's original contract with Atlantic Records had expired in December of 1973 and in January of the following year, band manager Peter Grant and Atlantic Records chief Ahmet Ertegun held a press conference to announce the formation of the group's own record label. Ertegun stated at the conference, "It's a good investment both in terms of money and artistic satisfaction. They wanted to build something of lasting financial value, and they can also help the music of others be heard." Indeed, the group's philosophy regarding their own record label was one that would see the band discover, sign and support a roster of musical acts, rather than just being a vehicle to support their own creative output. When Robert Plant was asked to comment on the group's approach to operating the label he said, "The people involved with us who will be on the label- Maggie Bell, The Pretty Things, Bad Company, except for Paul Rogers who was big before with Free, were all with record companies who didn't do very much for them. We're going to try and pull it off for them, and that's what this record company means to me."

Of course, a party would be in order to officially christen the label's creation. What else would suffice for the world's most successful and decadent rock band other than throwing a lavish party at one of America's finest hotels in the city that served as the epicenter of mid-seventies rock and roll opulence; the Bel Air Hotel in Los Angeles. Complete with a flock of full-grown swans frolicking throughout the posh grand ballroom, and an eight course meal with open bar, this extravagant evening of merriment would set the band back more than a few greenbacks. As the early hours of the following morning dawned, the hotel management would find themselves pulling out its hair, their security staff would have its hands full, and the maintenance crew would more than earn their day's wages. 

As 7:00 PM rolled around, the 150 invited guests began arriving in a parade of black stretch-limousines. The guest list was comprised of a somewhat curious mix of celebrities. The upper level of the rock and roll hierarchy was represented by the likes of Bill Wyman and Keith Moon, while some of the more unusual attendees included Marx Brother Groucho and ex Monkee Micky Dolenz. While majestic white swans slowly paddled their way through mini "lakes" put together especially for the party, the alcohol flowed and drugs began flying all over the room. Joints passed freely amongst the various guests and Richard Cole, longtime tour manager for the group, recounts in his book "Stairway To Heaven", "I took a plate and poured my bag of coke on it. 'Hors d'oeuvres, anyone?', I said, extending the platter under the noses of the band members. We were behaving like little kids sneaking candy when no one was looking. Huddled in a corner, we snorted the drug right off the plate, with Jimmy, Bonzo and I monopolizing most of it".

Considering that many of the invited were accustomed to trashing hotel rooms and thought nothing of heaving a twenty-inch television set out a fifteenth floor hotel room window, the proceedings had remained relatively civil, and the guests, besides gobbling up various platter contents in different corners of the ballroom, were on their best behavior. The evening, however, was far from over. As the soiree drew to a close, all who remained were far from sober and not quite ready to go home. Repeated pleas from hotel management requesting an end to the affair went unheeded. Ultimately, the countless supplications did draw a response from the remaining guests, in the form of a  barrage of well-aimed dinner rolls making direct contact with the head of the hotel manager. Almost immediately, the cloud of impending tomfoolery that hung over the evening seemed to burst and a downpour of dinner rolls began raining down on the unfortunate manager. As the yeast-battered hotel representative beat a hasty retreat and scurried off through the nearest exit,  the group's object of hostility no longer there, the guests turned their attention on each other. A full fledged food fight was well under way by the time hotel security was dispatched. Bread rolls continued taking flight until someone discovered the untouched arsenal disguised as the dessert table! Now, high-calorie missiles rocketed through the air. Cakes, fruit and even dinner plates were thrown and smashed in the final minutes of this spontaneous spree of debauchery. A war-like din could be heard by hotel security as they rushed down the corridor towards the ballroom. Hoots and hollers could be heard accompanied by the crash of fine china as it hit the floor and shattered. The security team arrived just as the combatants had gown tired and run out of ammunition. As they opened the doors to the ballroom, they were stunned by the scene that greeted them. Partygoers covered in whip cream as direct hits were registered via friendly fire. The remnants of what was, until a few minutes prior, fine China, littered the floor while the walls of the elegant banquet room were smeared with pieces of Black Forest cake and exploded pieces of fruit! 

The offending revelers were quickly escorted through the debris and off the premises. Although no criminal charges were laid, the hotel administration quickly went to work on taking inventory and tallying up the cost of the party's swan song . The cost of the party? Ten thousand dollars. The last minute food fight? Three thousand dollars. Peter Grant, all in the name of a good time, was more than happy to pay the bill. This incident affectionately became  known as "The Battle of Good Eats!"

The following story is a subscriber contribution from Felix.  He receives a classicrockpage.com t-shirt for his wonderful recollection. Thanks Felix!  If you've got a story you'd like to share, please send it along.
If we use it in an upcoming issue, we will send you a classicrockpage.com t-shirt!

Hello to all!

Copenhagen, Denmark - In the early 60's we grew up in the countryside of Denmark listening to a station in Luxembourg since Denmark radio was boring. Radio Luxembourg was a so-called pirate station due to the fact that it played commercials, back then, that was unheard of, and would offer all the latest British invasion music and later some USA stuff. There was nothing like sitting in front of the radio in the evening at a friends place and waiting to hear the Beatles's latest record then The Who, The Dave Clark Five, The Searchers, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Donovan, Rolling stones and on and on.

Then came the long hair, and all the fun with that, and all of a sudden left handed cigarettes wrapped in (fake) dollar bills. When Bob Dylan got to be known a whole new energy was exposed and funny pipes with some potent tobacco to smoke. Boy, even Dusty Springfield started to sound good. We lived in the country at that time and we where a tight group of friends who eventually decided to form a commune (does anybody remember those?) and a productive one at that. It was almost 40 years ago and my brother still runs a successful leather shop in Copenhagen that started from that. We had a workshop in the commune and we produced leather goods such as belts, ladies' bags, and men's clogs and sandals with all kinds of intricate designs. Whenever there was a live concert we where there and we where very successful. We called ourselves the leathersmiths. Eventually we ended up in Copenhagen where we opened a shop. I would stand on what is called a pedestrian street, full of tourists, holding a sign and some samples and telling all the people how to find us. Boy, I have never met so many Americans in my life. There was this Canadian girl though, but that is another story. It was heaven standing there all day and meeting all those beautiful dark-haired American girls. Don't forget, most of us Danes are blonds. All the new words we would learn, came from the American boys, such as shit, love, joint and the list goes on. LSD, phew........ mescaline, black nebalese, marianna (marijuana) expanded the horizon and got a lot of people together. We where very fortunate due to the fact that you could walk down the street with your chillum, pipe or joint in your hand and never be bothered. Denmark is a very open minded country. At the free park concerts, where the girls would be bare-chested, the air would be filled with a golden aroma. Boy, I'm getting stoned writing about this. (I stopped inhaling a long time ago). I lived in a couple of communes where one of them had more females than males. Just use your imagination.

Peace, maaan.
Felix. (That was the only name people knew me as, even the police)

Brian Jones Arrested...Again - continued

According to sources, Jones spent the evening prior to his arrest at London's Olympic Recording Studios as the band convened to continue work on their next album which is rumored to be a grand departure from the Beatles' influenced and lavish symphonies of their "Satanic Majesties Request" album released last November. Jones' next court appearance is scheduled for June 11th. A statement released late yesterday by Rolling Stones fan-club secretary Shirley Arnold read, "While Keith Richards is away in Vienna, Brian will retreat to Keith's country home in West Wittering in order to rest and get away from the scrutiny of the police." 

Ed's Note: According to Bill Wyman's autobiography "Stone Alone", the songs recorded by The Rolling Stones the night prior to Brian Jones' arrest were "Silver Blanket", "Stray-Cat Blues", "Still a Fool", and "No Expectations". The album they were working on at Olympic Studios was, of course, "Beggars Banquet", which was released in the US in November of 1968 (in the UK December '68).

On May 12, 1968, just eight days before his second drug related arrest, Jones gave what would be his last live performance ever when the Rolling Stones decided to give a surprise performance in front of 10,000 people at the New Musical Express Poll-Winners Concert at the Empire Pool, Wembley (England) to premiere their forthcoming single, "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (this was the single found in Jones' bedroom drawer). Also performing at the annual awards show that evening were Status Quo, The Herd, Amen Corner, Dusty Springfield, Cliff Richard and Love Affair. This would be the band's first stage show in Britain in two years.

Immediately upon its release on May 24th, "Jumpin' Jack Flash" caused quite the stir. Derek Johnson of the New Musical Express wrote, "The Stones have a unique flair for taking a basically simple formula and turning it into a miniature epic. It's a disc that's pungent, galvanic, insistent, utterly compelling and vital." The single, released on the Stones compilation album "Through The Past Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2) made it to #1 in the UK and #3 in the US.