This is one of my old hardbacks and according to the flyleaf I bought the book at E bay on the Internet and finished the book the first time on We 9/29/04.
The book deals with the birth of Rock'n' Roll clubs on the Sunset Strip.
From the book's page at Amazon:
"Straight Whisky is the first book to chronicle all the music, magic and mayhem of the Sunset Strip. Includes rare photos and original interviews."
During the early part of the 20th century movie stars frequented the bars and restaurants along the strip. There was no sympathy for the 'wild and woolly' rock and rollers and they were allowed into these more staid clubs.
Lou Adler and John Phillips (MAMAS AND PAPAS) partnered with a guy named Henry Valentine to make a bar restaurant to cater to the needs of the new stars of the Rock World. Mario Maglieri was added to run the establishment on a day to day basis. This man had ties to the Chicago mafia.
The 'Whiskey A Go Go' was the place. This is where the concept of 'Go Go Dancing' with women in cages on stage was developed.
Then came The Rainbow, Over The Rainbow, The Troubadour, The Roxy, The Viper Room, The Masque, El Cid.
***In the late seventies and early eighties the VCR Revolution greatly enabled the popularity of Porn-On-Demand and it went through the roof. Then the porn stars began to party with the rock crowd on the strip. Then the parties went into cosmic overdrive.
Strange vignettes about the crazy stuff that went on at the clubs.
-Bowie got punched out by a crazed guy wearing a karate outfit
-The Doors are banned from The Whisky
-Steve Marriott might have started the place on fire. And years later he dies in a fire
-THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW premieres at The Whisky. The film failed until it was released and shown after midnight and then it became wildly famous.
-Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison appear to be lovers, and then she brains him with a whisky bottle.
Not a very deep book, but filled with anecdotes. I can read stuff like this all day long.
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