LSD and Its Impact on Music and Fashion

Introduction

The changes that came about, during the 1960s, in music, politics, religion, moral values, drug use and fashion are mostly linked to a group of young people that were called hippies. But who were the hippies and where did they come from? To answer that we have to look back at the previous decade.

By the mid-1950s, America had become very prosperous and was becoming an almost classless society, in that most of the population in the United States, with the exception of the very rich, could be considered middle class (Stevens, 1988). However, uniformity and conformity were the rule in 1950s America. Even homes being built in suburban areas began to have a sameness, being built from the same blueprint. Individuals were expected have specific roles and to behave in a specific matter dictated by society norms. Men were dressed in the same suits, commuted to work, and were the breadwinners in the family. Women were wives and were expected to be the homemaker and to take care of the children. Television was part of every family at this time as well, which reinforced social behavior and conformity. In 1962, Malvina Reynolds would write a song, “Little Boxes” that was a satire of life in suburban America.

However, this set the stage for change. Not everybody wanted to live in 1950s America. Changes were occurring on several. A small rebellious group of young people emerged in the mid-1950s that were referred to as Beats They were mostly based in New York, in Greenwich Village and San Francisco, in North Beach. They would challenge the norms of 1950s society. They believed in free love, used drugs, usually marijuana. Men wore their hair long and had beards, dressed in black with black tam. Women also had long hair. Congregated in coffee houses for poetry readings and listened to jazz. Some members of the beats, such as Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg would become very popular and would gain followers who were called beatniks. They were distinctly different from the beats. Beatniks were much younger and were of a later generation, being borne during WWII or after. Members of the beats either served during the war or were at least of an age that they could have participated in the war.

Some of the members of this beat generation would also be part of the Hippie movement of the 1960s. Among the most well-known was poet Allen Ginsberg and Neal Cassady who would be the basis of the main character in Jack Kerouac’s novel, “On the Road” and also featured in Ginsberg’s poems and in literature by other writers. Others, such as Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs did not agree with the goals of the hippies and wanted no part in their movement. Many beat members even looked down upon the hippies as being only poor imitations of themselves. Originally, the 1960s' subculture did not have a name for themselves, and were only later mockingly referred to as hippies (junior grade hipsters) by members of the beat generation (Perry, 1984).They saw them as lacking in intellect and interested only in sex, drugs and rock n roll. Regardless of what some of the beats thought about them, the young people of the 1960s that became the hippies were greatly influenced by the beats i.e. free love, drugs, non-conformity, etc., but also had some notable differences. Where the beats kept a low profile and wore dark clothing and was into jazz, and were against political actions. In fact, this was one reason why Kerouac and Burroughs wanted nothing to do with hippies. Also, they did not like rock music. Hippies on the other hand, loved the notoriety they came about through the media, wore brightly colored clothes and was into rock music, but many were also politically active.

The hippies were based in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury District, with many being drop outs from nearby San Francisco State College. As interest in the life style and the music scene continued to increase, young Americans from all over the country began moving into the Haight-Ashbury District, and by June 1966, approximately 15,000 young people would be living in the district. Among the residents of the Haight-Ashbury were local bands, such as Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead and Big Brother and the Holding Company, featuring Janis Joblin that would one day gain national recognition.

Stevens (1988) described hippies as the sons and daughters of white middle-class America. They were young people, 15-25 years of age, who literally dropped out and wanted nothing to do with the adult culture of their parents' generation. They viewed their parents and others of their generation as being corrupt and having too much power over their lives. They resented the "powers" that controlled their lives and referred to them as an entity that named The Establishment, Big Brother or The Man. The gathering of the hippies, in the Haight-Ashbury District, of San Francisco during the 1960s was a celebration of their rejection of the values of their parents' generation and was to be the first step in building a new society. Although they had rejected the society and culture in which they were borne, they adopted a life style that embraced eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism, communal living, advocated sexual freedoms, vegetarian diets and organic food, and promoted the use of psychedelic drugs. The use of LSD was to play a central role in the changes that would be made to build a new society. Some hippies were also active in the civil rights movement, their opposition of nuclear weapons, the Vietnam War. Again, this differ from the beats who were apolitical. According to Stevens (1988), hippies saw themselves as an experiment in evolution, where LSD would be the key that would open the door for the "smart monkey" that would evolve ourselves forward into the next advanced plain of evolution. Some hippies even claimed LSD was a gift from God that would save the world from nuclear disaster. However, to credit hippies and LSD as the driving forces responsible for the social changes that occurred during the 1960s would be a disservice to those that came before.

One comment that I wish to make here is that I do not wish to leave the impression that the beat generation and the hippies were the only young people ever to rebel against the values of their parents or society's values. Each generation, in their youth, have rebelled! The following quote was one that I heard in one of my classes, way back when I was in high school:

"The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers."

This quote applies today, as much as it did when I was in high school. However, it did not originate at that time. Who is credited for the above statement about young people? It is actually uncertain who made the statement, but it is most often attributed to Socrates (469-399 B.C.). What sets the beat generation and hippies apart is the extent to which they carried out their rebellions. Thus, it is the magnitudes of the rebellions of the beats and hippies that have given them the notoriety that they even now have that sets them apart from other generations of young people.

Whether you think the legacy of the hippies as being good or bad, their influence can be seen throughout our society, today. We have greater freedom of expression to voice dissent, selection of alternative life styles and sexual preference and tolerance of drug use. Our eating habits have changed as a result of the popularity of natural food stores that carry herbal remedies, and diet supplements. Men with mustaches, beards and long hair are now commonplace where they were once frowned upon, during the 1950s and early 1960s. And of course their influence in music, art and fashion, which is today’s topic.

Impact on Music

Following Hofmann's discovery of the properties of LSD, by Hofmann, in 1943, its early utilization was initially limited to the medical profession in treatment of psychiatric disorders (Hofmann, 1980 Chapter 4), and in research to understand the etiology of schizophrenia since LSD induced symptoms of the latter (Dyck, 2005). The CIA also was investigating the possibility of using LSD as a possible speech-inducing drug (Lee & Schlain, 1985). However, by the mid 1960s, widespread use of LSD, as a recreational drug had occurred. This was largely due to the efforts of Timothy Leary, on east coast, who became its biggest advocate, espousing the spiritual benefits of the drug. At the same time, Ken Kesey and Chandler Laughlin, on the west coast, also advocated LSD usage, but as a recreational drug rather than as a means of becoming more spiritual and would figure prominently in the start of psychedelic music or what would be popularly referred to as acid rock. This new genre of music that came about at this time can be described as a musical attempt at recreating the LSD experience attained by users while on the popular drug.

Acid Rock Begins

Ken Kesey (Fig. 2) is best known as an American author, who wrote One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, but was also a member of the counter-culture who became an LSD advocate. Prior to Kesey's introduction to drug, he would seem to be an unlikely advocate of LSD. He was the typical All American athlete, who neither smoked nor drank. In 1959, Ken Kesey was a graduate student, in Creative Writing, at Stanford, with aspiration of being a member of the 1960 Olympic wrestling team. However, the latter ambition would never be realized. That year, Kesey would volunteer for drug testing experiments at the Menlo Park Veterans Hospital. However, it would later be discovered that the drug testing experiments were funded by the CIA's Project MKULTRA, for the purpose of finding a mind control drug for interrogation purposes. He would later take a job at the hospital, during the night shift, in order to gain access to to the LSD and began sharing the experience with his friends. Kesey describes his participation in the drug testing experiments here. It was during this time that Kesey was inspired to write One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. With money earned from his first novel, Kesey moved from Palo Alto and bought a home in La Honda, California. There he began his own experiments with LSD, during parties, that he called "acid test", where people attending would take LSD, sometimes without their knowledge. The "tests" were carried out in an environment with rock music being provided by the Grateful Dead and various psychedelic special effects using strobes and fluorescent paint. Kesey saw these parties as a means for individuals to confront their fears while under the influence of LSD. Kesey would continue to expand his acid tests to public venues, during rock concerts, at Longshoreman's Hall, Avalon Ball Room, or concerts put on at Bill Graham's Fillmore West. The Grateful Dead would be one of the first of the Acid Rock bands to perform in these venues in San Francisco.

Following Kesey's second novel, "Sometimes a Great Notion", in 1964, a group of people that would be called the Merry Pranksters, with whom he lived communally, celebrated by taking a road trip in a psychedelically painted school bus named "Furthur" and to visit the World's Fair that was in New York that year. Along the way they promoted the use of LSD, which was legal at that time, and offered it to anyone who was willing to try it. They were said to have turned on numerous people during this trip. In addition to promoting LSD, the Merry Pranksters dressed in what was viewed then as outrageous clothing and music, and its membership included Neal Cassidy, a member of the beats that would form the link between them and the hippie's life-style that would later develop, in the Haight-Ashbury, in San Francisco.

Chandler Laughlin (Fig. 3) was instrumental in merging folk music, a popular genre of music during the late 1950s and 60s, to acid rock music. At the about same time that Kesey and his Merry Prankster were hosting the acid parties, in 1963, Laughlin would also establish a communal family composed of approximately 50 people that came together to participate in an all-night, traditional Native American peyote ceremony that combined the psychedelic experience with Native American spiritual values. In 1965, with his communal family, Laughlin refurbished a saloon, in Virginia City, Nevada that he called The Red Dog Saloon. It was here that he began his own version of the acid test that he called the red dog experience. While Kesey began with only one band, The Grateful Dead (Fig. 4) Laughlin had several unknown bands, such as Big Brother and the Holding Company (Fig. 5), Jefferson Airplane (Fig. 6), The Charlatans (Fig. 7), The Sons of Champlin (Fig. 8) and Quicksilver Messenger Service (Fig. 9). Also, the first light shows would be put on at these events. Concert attendees often came with what could be described as outrageous and seemed to be in costume rather than in regular clothing. Also, the concerts were far different than those previously hosted. Concerts at that time had a set list of songs that they would perform. Usually, it would be a hit song or two that they had and and an upcoming song. Thus, they were given a set amount of time that they were on stage. The audience was segregated away from the performers The red dog experience had, for the first time, gave what what is referred to as "free form concerts" where just about anything goes. There was no set list of songs that they performed. The band could perform whatever they wanted and for as long as they wanted. The audience could interact with the band and there was no segregation between audience and the band.

LSD was an integral part of these free form concerts, whether they were held as acid tests or the red dog experience. However, by the mid 1960s, Sandoz Chemical withdrew LSD from the market. A new source of LSD was needed and filling the need was Owsley Stanley (Fig. 10) and Melissa Cargill, a chemistry major at the University of California, at Berkley, who became part of the psychoactive drug scene in 1963. Owsley will forever be connected to the Grateful Dead, as their manager, music producer and engineer. He is famously known for developing special audio components and sound systems required for concert tours for the "Dead." However, he is probably best known for being the first person to be able to mass produce large quantities of LSD. Between 1965 and 1967, Stanley produced more than 1.25 million doses of LSD (Wikipedia-Owsley Stanley 2011) and was the provider for Kesey's Acid Test and Laughlin's Red Dog Experience, and later for their San Francisco concerts.

After returning to San Francisco, some participants of the the red dog experience came to San Francisco and formed a collective called The Family Dog. On October 16, 1965, they hosted the first San Francisco psychedelic concert that was named "A Tribute to Dr. Strange" that was attended by an audience described as approximately 1000 of the Bay Area's original hippies. While the hippies may not have contributed to the start of acid rock, they would initially be the primary audience. The Family Dog would host two more concerts before the end of the year and the following year would host a three day concert, January 21-23, 1966 that would be attended by approximately 10,000 people, with thousands turned away each night. This concert was called "The Trip Festival" and was hosted by Ken Kesey, with fellow prankster Stewart Brand, Owsley Stanley and others.

By October 6, 1966, a law was enacted that banned the use of LSD. The following year, on January 14, 1967, a historic event was a rally called, the "Human Be In" would take place. It was an event that featured the bringing together of the different philosophies of the youth counter-culture movement; those from Berkley, who believed change could only be accomplished through militant means to oppose the Vietnam War and those from San Francisco, who were apolitical and believed that peace could be achieved through peaceful protests. The rally was also an event that promoted the ideals of the hippie philosophy, with invited speakers that included Timothy Leary, who would for the first time use the phrase "turn on, tune out and drop out" for which he is famously known. However, comment on his lack of support for the anti-war movement was not well received. Various San Francisco groups provided the music and despite it being illegal, LSD was made available by Owsley Stanley.

The Rise of Psychedelia and Other Genre of Music

Although psychedelic music or acid rock was now becoming increasingly popular, in San Francisco and surround areas, largely through the efforts of Ken Kesey's acid parties, and Chandler Laughlin's red dog experience and concerts put on by the Family Dog, much of the music initially could not be heard on radio nor were the bands on television. Much of this was in part due to the radio stations refusal to air any music other than what they believed their listeners wanted to hear, and the record companies that had the bands under contract and wanted to promote only those songs that they felt would become most popular. Censorship also played a role in what could be aired.

In order to can appreciate what was happening during the early 1960s, you will have to understand how music was selected to be played on radio at that time. Before the late 1960s, radio stations and record companies had almost total control as to what music was aired. Young people at that time that wanted to listen to "pop music" had one to several AM radio stations that they could listen to. These stations were largely segregated into distinct genres, e.g. soul, rhythms and blues and Top 40s. The latter having the largest, national young audience. However, what was allowed air time would only be select cuts, usually only one, from each vinyl album that the record companies believed would sell records. These selected cuts were sold as vinyls that contained two cuts, one was the "A-side" that would be promoted and the "B-side" that usually no one ever listed to and was often not worth listening to. These were the so-called 45s vinyls. However, it was often true that even the remainder of an entire vinyl album was not worth listening to. By putting out their albums in this way, the music companies that had the bands under contract, were maximizing the profits. This formula was still being used until recently with the onset of iTunes, Rhapsody and other online music vendor that allowed you to purchase individual cuts from a compilation of music on a CD. Top 40s stations also restricted playing times of their songs to less than 3 minutes. If they were longer, they were edited into a shorter format. The Top 40s radio stations also had the annoying habit of talking through the beginning and ends of the songs they were airing and even starting commercials before the song had ended. However, for those groups that wanted more artistic freedom, and also wanted to have all of their music reach their fans, became disgruntled. During the 1960s, there was, initially, only one group that was given an exception. That group was the Beatles. As their career progressed and their popularity continued to rise, radio stations began playing all of the cuts on their albums.

This changed in 1967, Tom "Big Daddy" Donahue (Fig. 11), who was one of the disc Jockeys, at station KYA, in San Francisco, tired of all of the restrictions that are mentioned above, believed that there were a lot of talented band out there that were worth listening to that never received air play and that there were albums that had more than just the promoted cut that should also have air play, and that the station should not restrict the genre of music that is aired. Of course this met with great resistance each time Donahue approached a station with his ideas. After Donahue was unable to find an AM station that would try his suggestion, he eventually started to look in what he thought were the less desirable FM stations. At this time, the FM stations had a small listening audience and mostly aired classical music and foreign language programs. He finally found a Spanish language station, KMPX, that made available to him their 8:00pm to midnight time slot and agreed to his term as to how the time slot would be aired. Donahue discussed with the station owner how he wanted to do the shows. Some of what was discussed included no catchy jingles for promoting the station, no talk-overs while music was playing, no air time for pop singles from the "top 40s" stations. Advertisements would only be done for local businesses serving the local hippie and Haight-Ashbury communities. This would be the beginning of America's "underground radio" that basically did not have a planned scheduled, but instead had a "free form" format where the disc jockey was able to play whatever genre of music that he/she wanted and could play entire albums, uninterupted by commercials. The station also gave play time to the emerging San Francisco bands and to any genre of music that they deemed "good music". By word of mouth, KMPX soon began to pick up a larger audience until they began competing with the top 40 AM stations. This forced many policy changes for those stations, but their popularity continued to wane with their young audience, as KMPX became more popular. In four short months, after the foreign language contracts expired, KMPX would go to a full time schedule with the new format. With the success of KMPX, soon more underground FM stations were started, at first in California, but eventually would spread throughout the country. This changed the listening preference of young people who went from only Top 40s rock to other genres that included, rhythms and blues, jazz, country-western and folk.

Tom Donahue died of a heart attack in 1975 and in 1996 was elected into the rock n roll hall of fame. He was one of the three disc jockeys to be given this honor.

The End of an Era

Later in 1967, during spring break for high school and college students, hordes of young people began to converge on San Francisco to attend what would be known as the "Summer of Love." By the time the Summer of Love was in full swing, there was an estimated 100,000 of young people, from around the world that came to attend the hippie experience. This would be a major event that would be covered by all of the news media. However, it would also essentially signal the end of the hippie movement. With the rapid increase of young people moving into the Haight-Ashbury, the neighborhood soon began to deteriorate. With the over crowding that occurred, homelessness, drug problems and crimes began to be common place and on October 6, 1967, a mock funeral was held for "The Death of the Hippie." However, by this time, the San Francisco groups had become established as national and international rock stars, but acid rock bands began to form elsewhere as well. The music would had also advocated the philosophy of the hippies and was communicated throughout the world through the music that emerged from San Francisco.

Acid Rock Groups Beyond San Francisco

Eventually acid rock groups would be formed elsewhere. As in the case of the numerous San Francisco groups that had formed, some had moderate to no success at all. However, some would become legends in rock music, such as The Doors (Fig. 11), Jimi Hendrix (Fig. 12) and Cream (Fig. 13).

The Doors

"If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite." This is a quote from the introduction of Aldous Huxley's book, The Doors of Perception, which Huxley had quoted from William Blake's 18th Century poem, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell. Huxley's book would become an inspiration to Jim Morrison, in naming his rock group, The Doors, after Huxley's book, which detailed his experiences while under the influences of mescaline. Ray Manzarek tells how the group got its name.

The members of The Doors included Jim Morrison (vocal), co-founder Ray Manzarek (keyboard), John Densmore (guitar) and Robby Kreiger (drums). The Doors blend of blues, classical, Eastern music, and pop, combined with Morrison's rich, chilling vocals and sonorous voice, and the very dark and sinister aspects of his music writing/poetry of psychedelic experience created a unique sound that would make them of the most influential and popular groups of the 1960's. This would occur despite the controversies that would surround Morrison from their first recording session and later. Following the completion of the recording of what would be their greatest hit, Light My Fire, Morrison broke into the recording studio and hosed it down with a fire extinguisher. Why? John Densmore explains. Morrison would later become the only rock star to ever be arrested, on stage, during a concert. He was tried and convicted of lewd and lascivious behavior after exposing himself on stage. This incident would remove The Doors from certain concert venues. Morrison would also have the distinction of being the only rock star to be forever banned from The Ed Sullivan Show for not omitting the use of the word "Higher" in their performance of Light My Fire. Ray Manzarek recounts the story on the YouTube video below. Despite this The Doors popularity did not wane. They would continue to make recordings that were both artistic and popular until Morrison left the group in 1971.

After leaving The Doors, Morrison gave up performing, and moved to Paris, France, in order to pursue writing his poetry. He had already published a book of his poetry the previous year. However, Morrison died shortly after moving to Paris. An autopsy was never carried out on his body and many have assumed that he died of substance abuse. Yet, more than 40 years after his death, The Doors and their music appear to be as popular as they were during the 1960's.

Jimi Hendrix

The Jimi Hendrix Experience was a group that played R&B and soul and combined it with psychedelia. Hendrix would become a legend during the late 60's, for his innovative guitar playing. His innovations expanded the role of the electric guitar, as well as the sounds that could be produced. During the early 60's Jimi Hendrix played guitar for R&B artists such as Little Richard and The Isley Brothers. However, he did not feel that his talents were being used, optimally, and embarked on a solo career. Hendrix was playing in New York, when he was discovered by Animals bassist Chas Chandler, who became his manager and convinced him to move to London. In 1966, he formed his trio, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, which included drummer Mitch Mitchell and bassist Noel Redding, and released their first album: Are You Experienced? This was not only a critically acclaimed album, but an amazing one since prior to this time, Hendrix could not read or write music, rarely sung and apparently never wrote songs. However, his singing and composing would both become overshadowed by his innovations in guitar playing. Are You Experience? contains some of his signature tunes: Purple Haze, Hey Joe, The Wind Cries Mary, and Foxey Lady. He was a dazzling performer with the guitar. He played it behind his back, with his teeth and even set the guitar on fire.

Cream

The British group Cream was composed of Eric Clapton (lead guitarist), Jack Bruce (bassist) and Ginger Baker (drummer). The trio that formed in 1966 and were together for only two short years and released 4 albums, but were considered to be "the greatest power trio of all time". Even after 45 years, there continues to be numerous compilations and live albums that are released. Their second and most popular albums, Disraeli Gears, was recorded in New York during their first tour in the United States. This psychedelic influence was attributed to Jimi Hendrix. Disraeli Gears included their now classic Sunshine of Your Love, which is still the most recognizable guitar licks of all time.

The Beatles: An Example of LSD Usage By An Established Pop Group

With the rise of acid rock, LSD usage began to occur in established groups that had previously not used LSD. That this had occurred could be see in changes in their music.

The Beatles began as a pop group in the early 60's and maintained their presence through the psychedelic era until the members, due to creative differences, as well as other conflicts, parted company and pursued their individual careers. In following their career, changes in the direction of their music began to take place as they began taking LSD.

The Beatles were already a group that was immensely popular by 1962. However, they would be classified at that time as a pop group, albeit a pop group with a new look and sound. When they first appeared in the United States, there was always the mention as to the length of their hair because it was thought to be too long. However, if we look at pictures of them during the late 60's their early look is almost conservative.

The Beatles began experimenting with their music in 1965, when members of the group began to take LSD and a radical change in their music could be heard with the release of their Revolver album. There was little doubt with the release of this album that the music was inspired by LSD. The album cover mostly line drawn, in the psychedelic art style.

The most controversial part of the album, however, would be the last cut, Tomorrow Never Knows. The beginning of the song, "turn off your mind, relax, and float downstream..." was taken from the introduction of the book, The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead, by Timothy Leary, Ralph Metzner and Richard Albert. This would be The Beatles first effort into psychedelic music and was not their last. This was followed by the double-sided hit, Strawberry Fields, Forever and Penny Lane, and in 1967 by what is often regarded as the best album ever recorded, and the inspiration for all the music that was to follow, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Although it has now been over 40 years since the release of this album, it is still amusing to find that there is controversy concerning Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. When it was released, it was believed, and there are those that still believe that because hidden in the title of the song are the initials "LSD", that it was a composition inspired while under the influence of that drug. However, John Lennon has offered an explanation that was contrary to this belief, and it has been an answer that he had not changed up to the last interview that he granted for Playboy Magazine. This story is retold here by former Beatle Paul McCartney.

Few groups, of any era, have ever had the success, artistically and financially, as The Beatles.

LSD and the Creativity of Psychedelic Music

LSD had an enormous effect on popular music during the 1960s. Rock music during the early 1960s was perceived as being formulae and simplistic. Their sentiments are described here by David Quanta, narrator of the BBC documentary History of Psychedelia. Inspired by their LSD experienced, musical groups began making their musical compositions more complex, and added more sound effects to their music. The following are examples as to what was done to achieve these effects in their compositions.

• • Donovan describing his composition and recording of Sunshine Superman.

• Paul Kantner of the Jefferson Starship (nee Jefferson Airplane) description of the making of their second album, After Bathing at Baxters, while under the influence of LSD.

• Joe McDonald of Country Joe and the Fish explaining their uses of special effects in composition.

A popular question that always comes up is whether LSD may have inspired a particular composition or performance during a concert, while under the influence.

• The Grateful Dead and would be among the many San Francisco groups in the 1960's who were regular LSD users. Unlike many of their contemporaries, The Grateful Dead believed that LSD enhanced their performances.

• Ray Manzarek tells the story on a YouTube video about the Doors first live performance of the long version of "The End" at the Whiskey a Go Go, in which Jim Morrison apparently made up the lyrics while he was high on LSD.

• However, Dr. Gordon Claridge, Professor of Psychology, of Oxford Brooks University disagrees with the notion that creativity is enhanced while under the influence of LSD. Donovan, a composer and performer of psychedelic music, during the 60's, reiterates the same sentiment.

Acid Rock Was Not Immediately Allowed on Radio

During the 1960s, pop music - music that is commercially recorded to appeal to a teen audience was controlled by the music industry at this time and had been so since the 1950s. Only music on play lists produced by the music industry were allowed play time on AM radio, where pop music was played at the time. The success of a song and the group performing it was at the mercy of the music industry and the radio stations that played the music. In order for a song to be aired, it needed the approval of the music label that had the group under contract. Approved music were mostly simple and formulae and it also had to conform to other criteria. For example, they could not be more than 3 minutes long and lyrics must not be offensive, according to society's standards. Thus, few acid rock music was allowed air timed. Those that were allowed on radio were reduced from their original length to a shortened version. Serious recording artists were unhappy with these restrictions, but there was little that they could do. However, this would change in 1967.

In 1967, the first "underground" FM rock station began to air, in San Francisco, that would be different from any other of its time. Tom Donahue, an AM disc jockey, and one of my favorite disc jockey at the time, wanted to do something that was unique. While listening to albums of various recording artists, he felt that there were many cuts on the albums that should also be played on radio and not just the single song selected by the groups' recording labels. He also wanted to play other genre of music not played on the popular top 40 hits such as blues, jazz and folk. However, he was unable to gain approval for such a radio show at the radio station where he was employed nor other AM stations. He then began looking at the less desirable FM stations. At this time, FM stations were mostly classical music or foreign language stations. He would finally get an opportunity on a foreign language station and was given the 8:00 PM to midnight time slot. The relaxed atmosphere, the lack of jingles, no talk overs, the playing of album cuts and playing all songs in their entirety was very popular and the listening audience began to grow. This concept would soon spread nationally and would eventually offer opportunity in various genres of music, not just acid rock. Today, the FM stations now are the pop music stations and the AM the less desirable stations.

In addition to bringing acid rock into the mainstream, the underground FM radio stations also exposed the listening audience to genres that did not have a large following, resulting in the recognition of many great musicians in the blues, jazz and folk genres.

The End of an Era

Following Sgt Pepper, the Beatles would undergo another abrupt change. In late 1967, in a news conference, The Beatles renounced the use of drugs and became the disciples of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi hoping to find truth and the meaning of life. Other groups and celebrities, such as The Beach Boys, Donovan and actress Mia Farrow abandoned LSD and/or other drugs entirely and became disciples of the Marahishi Mahesh Yogi. The Marahishi is credited with beginning of "popular" transcendental meditation. Unfortunately, they were to be disappointed. Starting with the Beatle, these celebrities would eventually leave the Maharishi due to contradictions between his actions and teachings. However, the abandoning of LSD and other psychedelics would be embraced by many who would look for spirituality in Eastern religions, or Christianity.

End of the 60s

Dennis McNally, biographer of the Grateful Dead, believed the end of the 60's was symbolized by the tragedy at the December, 1969, Altamont Concert. A summary of the Altamont tragedy can also be read here. On a lighter note, Joe Boyd, producer for Pink Floyd, gives his opinion on the end of the 60's.

Fashion Changes

The hippies not only played a major role in the popularity and evolution of acid rock, they also change the fashion world. The hippies rejected what was then the values and standards of our society during the 1960s. Some of these changes was influenced by LSD use, but others arose in parallel and was not directly or may not have been related to LSD usage. The most obvious difference that could be seen in someone who was a hippie was their clothing as well as hair style. For men, the latter was not something new and unique. The men typically would wear their hair long and had unshaven facial hairs. By the mid-60s when the hippie movement began to establish itself, The Beatles had already ushered in the era of long hair for men in the early 1960s. While extensive amount of facial hair was not common place, it was not new. However, facial hair was not a trend followed by all male hippies. However, the clothing worn were very different and unique or at least rare in our society during the 60s and would change the way in which we dress.

Prior to the hippies, clothing for young people was non-existent. The clothing that children and young people wore were basically the same as that of their parents, just in a smaller size. During the hippie movement, in order to establish their own identity, clothing was one of the means that was selected to separate themselves from their adult counter part. This change initially began with the Ken Kesey and his Merry Prankster and by audiences at the Red Dog Saloon, during Chandler Laughlin's red dog experience. This new way of dressing continued with the move to San Francisco. There were various sources where clothing could be picked up. One of the sources for clothing, were really costumes. On February 16, 1963, the Fox Theater in San Francisco closed and would later be demolished, sold off their costume stocks that were purchased by hippies. Other sources included those from second hand clothing stores and clothing from Eastern cultures.

Commercial clothing manufacturers soon realized that there was a market that they had not previously tapped and began designing and marketing clothing for young people. These new styles were initially awful, in my opinion, but over time they improved and evolved into clothing that young people wear today. The trend of designing for adult fashion for the masses now has been reversed, clothing are often designed for young people, with modifications they would also be fashion that adults would wear. There are still, however, suits for adult men and women for special occasions.

Terms of Interest

Acid Rock: Also referred to as psychedelic music. Refers to music that attempts to recreate an individual's visual and audio experiences while under the influence of LSD.

Acid Test: Party hosted by Ken Kesey and his Merry Prankster, where people gathered and experienced LSD with music and special lighting effects. Prelude to "free form concerts"

Beat Generation: Group of bohemian young people, also referred to as beats and beatniks, during the late 1940s and 1950s. Forerunner of the hippies with similar attributes, i.e. rebelled against society's values, drug use, sexual freedoms, etc.

Chandler Laughlin: One of the prominent advocates of LSD in the Western United States and owner of Red Dog Saloon and host of Red Dog Experience.

Hippies. Counter culture group of the mid 1960s that rebelled against society's value. Advocate of sexual freedom, communal living, antiwar, LSD usage, and many other moral issues. Accused of being poor imitations of the beat generations by members of that generation.

Ken Kesey: One of the prominent advocate of LSD in the Western United States. Also, famous author. His most famous novel being One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and host of acid test.

Merry Pranksters: Group of people that were part of Ken Kesey's entourage in communal living as well as the group that toured the country in his bus to promote the use of LSD and other psychoactive drugs.

Owsley Stanley: Grateful Dead manager, music producer and engineer. Also known for developing special audio components and sound systems required for concert tours for the "Dead." However, probably best known for being the first person to be able to mass produce LSD in large quantities.

Tom Donahue: Radio disc jockey responsible for the start of the "underground FM radio stations" and the "free form" formats that disc jockeys employed when airing their show.

Red Dog Experience: Chandler Laughlin's version of Kesey's acid test.

Questions of Interest

1. Whose lifestyle did the hippies emulate?

2. Who were the hippies and what did they have to do with acid rock?

3. What is acid rock?

4. In what way did LSD and hippies influence pop/rock music and music in general?

5. Who are the two individuals most responsible for the start of acid rock?

6. Acid rock did not become popular until the start of “underground FM radio stations. Why?

7. What was the Acid Test or the Red Dog Experience?

8. What name is the band Warlock better known as?

9. Does creativity of acid rock composition occur while under influence of LSD or after its over?

10. What kind of clothing did young people wear prior to the hippie movement?

Literature

Hofmann, Albert 1980. Use of LSD in Psychiatry. In: LSD, My Problem Child. Chapter 4. McGraw-Hill Book Company. New York.

Dyck, Erika 2005. Flashback: Psychiatric Experimentation with LSD in Historical Perspective. Can. J. Psychiatry 50: 381-388.

Lee, M.A. and B. Shlain 1985. Acid Dreams: The Complete Social History of LSD: The CIA, the Sixties, and Beyond. Grove Press, New York. 343 pages.

Perry, C. 1984. The Haight-Ashbury: A History. Random House, Inc., New York.

Quantick, D. 2003. "The History of Psychedelia." BBC Radio 2. BBC, May 3 and 10, 2003/May 3 and 10, 2003. British Broadcasting Corporation. 23 October 2011. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/r2music/documentaries/psych.shtml>.