It's a contradiction in terms my brothers and sisters. This week brings the 40 anniversary of the both the Summer of Love and the '67 Detroit Riots, started when a few White Police officers raided and after hours 'blind pig' owned and operated in the black community. While in San Francisco, Laural Canyon and Ann Arbor, the hippies where preaching harmony, in Detroit we were putting out fires. Some have never gone out.
There I was, driving into the black neighborhood to pick up my black lead singer(s) for band practice and they would have to lay down in the back seat till we got to my all white and then racially segregated suburb of Detroit. Talk was "if them riot boys (blacks)cross over Southfield road...we'll (white boys)be waiting for 'em to drive 'em back (by shooting them)". How crazy was that! Here was Peace and Love and Monterey Pop, counterculture and drug experimentation, Viet Nam protests, and ongoing civil rights demonstrations... and Ravi Shankar.
I myself joined the MC5 and John Sinclair as a member of the White Panther Party, and sat to listen to Reverend John J. Crawford ask..."You have 2 things to decide Brothers and Sisters! Are you gonna be the PROBLEM...or are you gonna be the SOLUTION? The choice is yours!" I chose the later, and still consider myself a child of the sixties and peace and love. Whereas Detroit has never really recovered with still many burned out homes and delapidated houses and neighborhoods, the "Flower Children" are still here. Older, wiser, but more committed than ever. Both instances changed the world, and the music reflected that.
Below, I've listed some music and groups that either were born of the generation, or formed it. Either out of changing times and revolution, or by experimentation and freedom of expression. Both, were valid. And it changed our world forever for the better.
From the Top Ten of '67
The Beatles, "Penny Lane" b/w "Strawberry Fields Forever",
Aretha Franklin, "Respect",
The Rolling Stones, "Let's Spend the Night Together" b/w "Ruby Tuesday",
The Who, "I Can See For Miles",
Jackie Wilson, "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher",
Sam and Dave, "Soul Man",
The Doors, "Light My Fire",
The Buffalo Springfield, "For What It's Worth",
Procol Harum, "A Whiter Shade Of Pale",
Otis Redding, "Try A Little Tenderness",
Sgt Pepper-Beatles,
Days of Future Passed-Moody Blues,
Are you Experienced?-Jimi Hendrix
We were introduced to the music of the Ravi Shankar, Beatles, Byrds, the Four Tops, the Doors, Donovan, James Brown, the Who, Monterey Pop, Mothers of Invention, McCoy Tyner, the Yardbirds, Beach Boys, Moby Grape, Love, Aretha Franklin, Richie Havens, Jefferson Airplane, Easy Beats, Monkees, Hollies, Left Bank, Velvet Underground, Tangerine Dream, Sam & Dave, Supremes, Otis Redding, Pink Floyd, Scott Walker, Wilson Pickett, Rolling Stones, Cream, Buffalo Springfield, Captain Beefheart, Traffic, Janis Joplin, Country Joe & the Fish, Joan Baez, Tim Hardin, Moody Blues, Procol Harum, Tim Buckly, Bob Dylan, Incredible String Band, Arlo Guthrie, Small Face, Jeff Beck, Soft Machine, Dan Hicks, Roland Kirk, Archie Shepp, Phil Ochs, The Electric Prunes, Charlie Musselwhite, Commander Cody.
It was an amazing time on both fronts. The fires in Detroit smoldered into history, as the fire on Hendrix's Stratocastor at Monterey Pop burned bright. Both events left people in attendance in awe. No one had seen anything like that before, and probably not since. It was changing times, and for the most part, dawn of a new day and a newer generation. The kids today have no concept of what we went through in the "Summer of Love" while the Detroit Riots had the "Motor City Burnin'". As we banded together into new groups of Hippies and White and Black Panthers, we all learned to recycle by reading Mother Earth News. Sure, we segregated into our little groups of war protesters and draft dodgers, soldiers and revolutionaries, but we all were getting the same message. The more we pulled apart, we began to see a common need to unite. And, it's still happening now. Even though it's taken some 40 years, it may still take awhile longer to get it together in harmony and peace.
So, remember those who made the music that changed the world, who fought and loved, grew and protested, so you could have the life you enjoy now. "Come on people now...smile on your Brother! Everybody get together...and Love one another... right now!" (Buffalo Springfield)
Love, Peace 'n Light friends. Ohm.........Ohm.............Ohm......................
*Special Thanks: Team Detroit, Hurricane Shelter, La Grizzy, Sonja Paris, Larry Patterson & Treasure Island Gold, Ralph Terrana & Soulful Detroit Forums, and of course...."Lucky" the Wonder Dog!
email me at: duanethomas@johnnyandthehurricanes.com
