By Karalynne and Laurayne
Hi, Hippies! This is Laurayne, coming to you from Teenybopper Heaven, California (commonly known as Hollywood) . . .
Karalynne and I made it out to the opening of the Savoy Lighthouse in Glendale, where action is supposed to have picked up where the Strip left off. Celebrities in the crowd were . . . well . . . uh . . . Anyway, Kim Fowley was there! Upstairs from that “happening,” at Glendale’s famed Ice House, Lee Mallory was soft-talking the full house into adoring him. Karalynne and I got his autograph. He is a combination of about 500 of the cutest singers around and his backing musicians are all artists on their own.
Are you ready for High Priest George Olliver of the Mandala? He is billed as the king of soul. Would you believe the Prince of Put On? Very professional and tight act, but a little hard to swallow . . .
Gene Clark has made a film to promote his single “Echoes,” which is selling well but not getting the air play it deserves. And, as if worrying about his single and new album weren’t enough, Gene was shocked to discover that $2,500 worth of instruments was stolen from his house in Laurel Canyon.
During the Buffalo Springfield’s last stand at the Whisky, Monkee Peter Tork (Karalynne’s fave) joined Steve Stills in a ditty called “Alvin the Alligator.” The two are old friends from New York. As a matter of fact, it was Steve who suggested to Peter that he try out for the role of a Monkee.
San Francisco’s Jefferson Airplane flew down (pun) for a gig at the Whisky a Go Go. Signe Anderson is pregnant with her second child, so Grace Slick, formerly with the Great Society, has filled in as female lead vocalist. Her voice is as good as Signe’s, but it doesn’t blend as well with Marty’s. Co-billed with the Airplane was the Peanut Butter Conspiracy, who will have to smooth out the rough spots before they start to spread . . .
Brian and Marilyn Wilson celebrated their second wedding anniversary with a Beach Boy party . . .
Drake Levin, my very favorite former Raider, has a single out, which he produced, even! It’s called “The Road to Mexico” and it’s really a groove. (One long continuous groove . . . you put it on a record player and it goes round and round . . .) Drake sat in on a few Raider sessions when Fang was sick with tonsilitis [sic]. His hair is growing and he has let his sideburns grow . . .
Ian Whitcomb has sideburns too . . . on a thin, blond, beautiful Englishman they look positively FAB!!
Speaking of Brian Jones . . . what ever happened to the Stones? Their last single wasn’t anywhere near par and they’re overdue for another. Maybe they will return to their original blues bag, which gave us some all time steamers like “Everybody Needs Somebody,” “Little Red Rooster,” “Down Home Girl” . . .
There has been a rash of songs (on the Measle label?) about the Sunset Strip “Peaceful Demonstration” situation . . . One by Terry Randall, a poorly written thing by Sonny, and a beautiful song called “For What It’s Worth,” by the Buffalo Springfield . . .
At the Whisky last week, Erik Jacobsen stopped by our table to brag about the Spoonful’s new album and single. I’m still having trouble breathing after hearing Joe sing “Full Measure,” and Karalynne has been dancing around to the tune of “Voo Doo in My Basement.” Erik also told us about a new group he is producing, called the Sopwith Camel. They have a record called “Hello Hello,” which is one of the sweetest and most huggable sounds we’ve heard since early Sebastian . . .
Local stations are finally picking up on Keith’s new release, “98.6.” I know someone who would like to pick up on Keith . . . He was in town recently, and besides being a beautiful blue-eyed boy, Keith has a tremendous sense of humor. He says that soon all the weird names will have been used, and groups will call themselves “Mort” and “Sam” . . .
Neil Diamond was in town to do a few gigs at local clubs. We only caught a glimpse of him as he ran screaming from our groupie grasp, but our editor has been seen having coffee with him at the greasy spoon, the grimey fork, the tarnished knife . . .
At Hoot Nite at the Troubador, we fell in love with a new group . . . The Youngbloods. Banana looks like a young Zal Yanovsky with the widest dimpled grin we’ve ever seen. Celebrities in the crowd . . . Terry Kirkman and Russ Giguere of the Association (Terry says there has been a delay in the production of their book, “Crank Your Spreaders,” but that it will be out within a month.), the bass player for the Daily Flash and the former female vocalist with Big Brother and the Holding Company . . .
Is Dr. West too late with his soft, Spoonfully sound of “The Eggplant That Ate Chicago”? Seems that the sound today is a little more footstompier, rather than finger-popping . . .
Is My World Not Falling Down Dept. . . . Bob Dylan has a Mustang???
Seems that Don Ciccone, formerly of the Critters, has made his break from the group and is working with the Innocence. He wrote their recent hit, “There’s Got To Be a Word,” as well as the Critters’ “Mr. Dieingly Sad.” It’s nice to see that talent is appreciated . . . said Bob Lind . . . to Gene Clark . . . at a party for Tim Hardin . . .
Word has come from Chicago to watch out for a new singing duo, Bobby and Dave . . .
Stones writing team Jagger and Richard have just signed a new three-year publishing deal which will guarantee them $1,000,000. The group was voted the top American record sellers of 1966, according to a tabulation of the leading American trade paper annual polls . . .
In the These Have Got to be Drug Songs Department: “Under My Skin” by the Four Seasons, “I’ve Got the Feeling” by Neil Diamond, “Green Grass of Home” by Tom Jones, “Sugar Town” by Nancy Sinatra . . .
Sonny and Cher have been signed to star in their second full-length feature film, to be called “Ignaz”.
More on Keith (for instance . . . ) . . . He brought his friends and fellow Mercury artists the Blues Magoos to the TeenSet office. They are all very tall (or was it because I was sitting?) and cute.
Preceding the Turtles’ Christmas engagement at the Whisky, the Buffalo Springfield sat in for a two-night gig. In the packed house (at last!) were Sonny and Cher, Peter Tork, David Winters, Gary Lewis (home for Christmas), Peter Fonda, several members of the Standells, Love, Turtles and David Crosby of the Byrds. Many had just returned from the giant concert sponsored by radio station KBLA in Santa Monica, where Love did a fantastic jazz-rock concert and Peter surprised many fans by appearing on behalf of his friends, the Buffalo Springfield.
Christmas vacation has brought many high-schoolers to the Strip and taken many pop stars from it. Davy Jones, Jeremy Clyde, Ian Whitcomb and many others have returned to England for the holidays, while San Francisco and New York will welcome a return engagement from many of their wandering children . . .
Think it’s time we stop . . . (yeah!)
