The Summer of 1972. I was experiencing one of the greatest Summer's of my short sweet life! Puberty had visited us all that year and our hormones were raging!!!! GIRLS were on my mind. This was the year of dance parties and make out sessions!!! Hikes in the woods with sandwiches and blankets. Long phone calls under the bed and sitting outside talking till midnight!
At school, I met a kid whose family had moved to Illinois from Pittsburg. They were living on Daycor Divide which was the street directly behind my house. Tracy was his name if I remember correctly and he was a hell of an artist... even as a 7th grader. He had two older brothers and I met them that Summer.
In 1972, I was an innocent kid with no knowledge of the real world. Just a 13 year old who had never seen a hippy in person…only on television. Shows like Laugh In, The Monkees, Dragnet and the Mod Squad were my only glimpse into hippydom at the time. Plus, the midwest had always been about five years behind the national trends so we were a bit late to the grooviness. Little did I know, I was about to meet my first hippies in Tracy’s basemen.
They must have been around 16 and 18 and both had beards with shoulder length hair. They wore bell bottom blue jeans and no shirts. It WAS hot that Summer and many people still did not have air conditioning in their homes, but I have the feeling this was how they dressed in any weather.
It appeared that at least one of them lived down in that dark, dank basement since there was a mattress on the floor. On the walls were several black light posters with others of famous rock stars of the day like Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and Frank Zappa. On the floor was the largest collection of vinyl records I had ever seen!!! They were both very laidback and included us in their conversations as they played record after record. I don't remember any dope smoking but they were probably high. My friend told them that I was learning to play guitar and was a fan of the Beatles. I had actually only received my first Beatles record the Christmas before, so I was still very unfamiliar with most of their stuff.
After learning that I was a music fan, they began to go through their record collection and share records that I needed to own. There were many!!! The first King Crimson LP with the big trippy face on the front, Leon Russell and The Shelter People, Led Zeppelin's fourth record and many more!!! Soon the conversation turned to John Lennon and one of the hippy brothers asked if I'd ever heard John's LIVE PEACE IN TORONTO? I said no and he proceeded to play both sides. The first side was amazing with Eric Clapton playing lead guitar as the band tore through old 50's rock n roll songs. The second side was just bazaar with YOKO ONO screaming with feedback. But, they listened to it in its entirety. Soon, The Beatles White Album appeared and one of them asked if I'd ever heard it. I replied no and they BOTH looked at each other like I needed to be initiated immediately.
The hippy brothers proceeded to play ALL FOUR sides of the White Album...all 30 tunes including REVOLUTION # 9. I was both thrilled and TERRIFIED!!! It was like no other Beatles record I had ever heard!!!! I decided right then and there that I NEEDED this album... so I began my own GO FUND ME of the times. I placed a coffee mug on the dresser of my room and told my parents that I needed to earn enough money to buy this special record by the
Beatles. As I remember, It took several weeks before there was much in that small coffee cup.
I don't think I had any allowance or anything up to that point but from then on, I made a little money each time I'd mow the grass. It was probably $1.50 - $2.00 per mow but it was something!!!
In the weeks while I was saving for this elusive album, I played baseball for our Grade School team, The Monroe Flyers. I had been playing organized baseball now for the past several
Summers...... Minor League, Major League and for the Summer of 72', Pony League... where I actually made the ALL STAR TEAM!!!! On an away game, I was waived in to home from first base on a long ball and BROKE MY LEFT LEG during the slide. I was out!!!
The left corner of the plate at Oak Grove was sticking out of the ground as my metal cleats dug into the plate and the rest of my body continued in motion. OUCH!!!! Terrible pain!!!!
After being driven home and put on the couch, my mother kept telling me it was most likely a bad sprain. By this time in 8th grade, I was already taller than my Dad, but he would lift me at least 5 times that night to go to the bathroom. It was an ordeal and very painful as that bone would dangle and separate. I came home the next day with a cast up to my left hip, and told my Mom, "some sprain Mom."
Maybe they felt sorry for me but after about a week, Dad said he would take me to Co-op records on Main Street and I could buy the White Album with my lawn mower money. I'm sure Dad pitched in any remainder needed. It was $7.99 with out tax...on sale. Dad mentioned that Co-op was an interesting place. He said two long hairs were drinking Boonesfarm wine while they were working. I didn't care, I had my record!!!!
I had not yet converted my bedroom to the vibrant ORANGE color until graduation the following May, so I listened to my copy of the WHITE ALBUM, in a light green bedroom with Minnesota Viking posters on my wall on a record player about two steps up from a close and play......I was mesmerized. There was so much music between those four sides. A Double album!!! The songs just unfolded with each repeated listen. As the album played on, the songs began to get darker....Helter Skelter???? Whoa!!! What the heck was that? Long Long Long creeped me out with that eerie organ and vocal at the end....and then there was side four!
Side four stared out pleasant enough but by the time Cry Baby Cry would play, the shadows on the wall would appear longer and look more sinister! Soon, Revolution # 9 would begin and it was the equivalent of being dared to walk through a haunted house alone. That song was NOT a fun listen but I listened to it every time. Finally, Goodnight would play, and bring me out of the nightmare. Almost 50 years have past, and the WHITE ALBUM is still one of my go to records.
At twelve o'clock a meeting round the table For a seance in the dark With voices out of nowhere Put on specially by the children for a lark
Cry baby cry Make your mother sigh She's old enough to know better So cry baby cry
John Lennon 1968
Just another tale from THE ORANGE ROOM.
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