If You Could Make One Trip Back In Time...

Mikegarveyblues

Cream Crackered
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Apr 30, 2012
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Just been looking at my music collection and realised most of it is from a bygone era. Mainly the 60's, 70's and some 80's. Things get a little thinner in the 90's and beyond. It's got me thinking...

So, imagine you had a one shot deal to go back in time. You can go back to any era you wish for as long as you wish but you may not influence history, only observe. Where would you go and what period in history?

I think id want to go back to about 1965 / 66 until 1970 and observe the birth and early days of some of my favourite bands. An obvious choice perhaps but I think i'd be in my element. I'm not sure i'd miss any of the trappings of modern life... Or maybe I would. Perhaps i'd appreciate them more?

A turbulent era with the cold war in full swing (Though a few years after the Cuban Missle crisis), Vietnam and many other events, but no more turbulent or dangerous than today if you think about it. There was also the moon landings, ladies in mini-skirts, and of course the music!

I'd need my memory wiped of course or I wouldn't get the same joy hearing these tunes for the first time:

65: I can't get no satisfaction (Rolling Stones)
68: White Room (Cream)

I'd want to be there when Hendrix blew Claptons mind!

Early Floyd, The Beatles, Woodstock, The birth of rock.... So many I could go watching bands every day and not scratch the surface!

Oh... And of course, if I can slip a few vintage instruments in my time capsule to sell when I get back all the better! :)

So, whare would you go and which period in time? Remember, you can only observe and it's a one shot deal.
 
It wouldn't be an era for me, it would be to go back and see Jeff Buckley, preferably before he got "famous" and was playing small gigs like at Sin-'e. No other artist has captivated me so much as Jeff and I would give up my golden time machine ticket just to see him once.
 
I'd liike to see Thin Lizzy live a couple of times - once with the Live and Dangerous lineup and once with Gary Moore.
 
If at all possible, I would go back to late 60's England...kick Yoko out of the studio, then head to a pub to catch the new band "Smile"...Brian May and Freddie ...great thread idea btw
 
I would go back to the late 70s through the early 80s in Hollywood. I would kill to see Van Halen playing backyard parties and then the Sunset Strip clubs. All of the 80s bands playing the Strip would be a dream for me to see- Van Halen, Dokken, Ratt, Mötley Crüe, LA Guns, Qiet Rot with Randy Thoads, etc.
 
I would give anything to hang with the entire entourage in the Estate in France that the Stones recorded "Exile" in, in the early '70's. Debauchery in every possible form, and an occasional attempt to record a tune. I'm not influencing history here....I'm just "observing" by participating!

I'd get to see poor young Mick Tayler get strung out by his older "mentors". I'd get to see Keef go upstairs every evening for a few hours to "put Marlin to sleep". I'd get to hang with the entourage of groupies, dealers, consumers and musicians. I'd get to see Bill Wyman's collection of photographs of 1,000's of women's bare breasts. I might even spend a few "quality hours" with Anita Pallenberg. I have a few ideas as to what I'd like to "share with her" circa that period of time in my life.

Yup...that's the single slice of life I'd be willing to just "observe"...... although if I could somehow "hang out" .....that would be more along my preferences.

If I can't interact at all...and I am forced to be only "an observer"....I will choose one of Pink Floyd's concerts circa late '60's.... to see Syd Barrett standing on stage with melted Mandrax oozing down his head like some surreal gel.....as he stands catatonic with Roger Waters, Rick Wright and Nick Mason trying to figure out what to do next.
 
Studio 54 would be a trip.

I was there. It WAS a trip.

From the drink boys (waiters) wearing silver short shorts, no shirt, and running shoes, to the absolutely gorgeous woman dancing next to me wearing only high heels, jewelry and a scarf, to the huge crowd doing the then-cool disco thing, but more free form, it was a hoot! I can't even describe what was going on in the bathrooms. But no one was evidently using them as intended.

We had gotten on "the list" to get in because my brother's girlfriend was a Time photo editor and I think she knew Rubell, or had participated in an interview of him, something like that.
 
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I'd use my time machine ticket to be in Rome from Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon until his assassination. There were a number of spectacular and historically significant events that shaped the world for the next 1500 years, and lots of public spectacles (Cleopatra's entry into the city comes to mind, for one) that would be fascinating to observe.

And can you imagine the music? It's well known that a diatonic scale was already in use by this time. Wouldn't it be cool to hear it?

I'm guessing it would sound nothing like the music they play in movies for scenes of these kinds of events!
 
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As far as the bathrooms were concerned...they were there for two (2) types of blowing.

Were you there when "The man in the moon with the spoon" would come down from the ceiling???

I don't remember that, but there was so much going on. It was like a circus. Frankly, I spent the entire night dancing next to the woman in the scarf, because she was pretty naked and she was gorgeous. So I was a little preoccupied.

Plus just walking up the long staircase to the bathroom was a trip unto itself. And even though there was a men's room, it was not just full of men. It was a party. Which was a little off-putting after you've had a lot to drink and need to, you know, actually use the facilities...
 
I would give anything to hang with the entire entourage in the Estate in France that the Stones recorded "Exile" in, in the early '70's. Debauchery in every possible form, and an occasional attempt to record a tune. I'm not influencing history here....I'm just "observing" by participating!

I'd get to see poor young Mick Tayler get strung out by his older "mentors". I'd get to see Keef go upstairs every evening for a few hours to "put Marlin to sleep". I'd get to hang with the entourage of groupies, dealers, consumers and musicians. I'd get to see Bill Wyman's collection of photographs of 1,000's of women's bare breasts. I might even spend a few "quality hours" with Anita Pallenberg. I have a few ideas as to what I'd like to "share with her" circa that period of time in my life.

Yup...that's the single slice of life I'd be willing to just "observe"...... although if I could somehow "hang out" .....that would be more along my preferences.

If I can't interact at all...and I am forced to be only "an observer"....I will choose one of Pink Floyd's concerts circa late '60's.... to see Syd Barrett standing on stage with melted Mandrax oozing down his head like some surreal gel.....as he stands catatonic with Roger Waters, Rick Wright and Nick Mason trying to figure out what to do next.

That's just the kind of debauchery i'd happily indulge in! :)
 
I would go back to the late 70s through the early 80s in Hollywood. I would kill to see Van Halen playing backyard parties and then the Sunset Strip clubs. All of the 80s bands playing the Strip would be a dream for me to see- Van Halen, Dokken, Ratt, Mötley Crüe, LA Guns, Qiet Rot with Randy Thoads, etc.



I,ll come with ya dude
 
Not music related, but I would hang at the Globe and catch all the openings of the Shakespeare plays, sitting next to the author.
 
I would go back to the late 70s through the early 80s in Hollywood. I would kill to see Van Halen playing backyard parties and then the Sunset Strip clubs. All of the 80s bands playing the Strip would be a dream for me to see- Van Halen, Dokken, Ratt, Mötley Crüe, LA Guns, Qiet Rot with Randy Thoads, etc.

I would be right with you Paul on this one.
 
Anyone else old enough to have gone to the original Woodstock.
I am and I did.
20 years ago, it was pretty cool.
Now, just means that your're really, really old.
Father Time spares no-one.
 
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