REVOLUTION ’69 (OR WHAT CHARLES MANSON DID TO HIS DECADE?)
“One day, men will look back and say I gave birth to the twentieth century.” — Jack The Ripper
“ By and large, the past two generations have made such a colossal mess of the world that they have to step down and let us take over.” — Pete Townsend, guitarist of the Who
The Аmerican summer of the year 1969 must have been hot and odd. Just imagine the situation: movies like The Wild Bunch, Easy Rider and Midnight Cowboy are on screen, making both money and history at the same time, people are landing on Moon, President Nixon declares his “Nixon Doctrine” regarding the situation in Vietnam and the Rolling Stones’ spiritual leader Brian Jones left his own good looking corpse in his swimming pool at the age of 27. The latter event not only shocked the entire pop culture scene but marked the beginning of a series of dark incidents that spoke of the slow but inevitable death of a period of utopian dreams and non-stop euphoria. Or in other words, the flowers in the hair have just become to wilt.
Jones’ death is not the only event to disturb the music scene back then. The most unarguably popular rock act of the last ten years — The Beatles — felt some disturbance in their Force. Following the marriage of Lennon and Ono, tension levels between band members were raising. The previous Autumn they released their most provocative and experimental record to date that even hadn’t been appropriately named (just a plain white cover with the band’s name printed on). Thе double album consists of thirty songs and variety of moods and genres. Its eclectic nature is no less than striking for the average listener: baroque pop arrangements (“Piggies”) is followed by honky-tonk keys (“Rocky Racoon”), acoustic folk numbers (“Mother Nature’s Son”) finds their place next to energetic guitar riffs (“Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except Me and My Monkey”). The words, phrases or titles continue the Lennon-McCartney tradition of being sweetly vague, obviously sardonic, bizarrely hilarious or cottony tender (occasionally, all at the same time). At the time of its release (November 22, 1968) the LP was met with mixed critical reception following George Martin’s fears of not compressing the number of the songs into a one-part album.
Nevertheless, the sales are enormous, and nine weeks after the launch the White Album is still at the top of USA Billboard. Almost every young American hears the new Beatles’ record within a couple of months. On a bright day in mid-December same year, in a Californian house nearby Topanga Canyon, two hippie-like individuals both named Charles is visiting a friend of theirs who played this very record for them. Mesmerized by the sound of it, the elder one Charlie finds something more intriguing under the surface of pop-rock choruses and hazy production. He finds messages. His last name is Manson.
Son of Man
Charles Milles Maddox was born in the Autumn of 1934 to the 16-years old hooker Kathleen Maddox and an unknown father (registered for the records as the mysterious “Colonel Scott”). Soon after he adopted the “Manson” last name from her mom’s new husband. Little Charlie’s childhood wasn’t much lollipops and rainbows: his underaged mother was an avid alcohol abuser as her presence was depending on the criminal charges that were put on her name. Manson even claims that once she sold him to a waitress for a jug of booze just to wait for his uncle to get him back in a couple of days. Or that his only moment of sunshine in those days was the heartbreaking hug that she gave him after her jail release. Taking into consideration that Manson is an infamous compulsive liar, it is somewhat unclear that any of these tales are true to word. But even with that in mind, there’s no doubt that we’re talking in the Freudian language here. DNA or not, underaged Charles doesn’t keep a good citizen profile either and soon earns his own police record. Then comes the whole classic story. Burglaries at the age of 13, then prison. Then prison breaks (multiple). With the on-and-off relationship with his mother and ball-and-chain upbringing, Manson fits perfectly the picture of the troubled post-WWII youth with bipolar outbursts and very violent nuances. But don’t think about S.E. Hinton’s Dal Winston too much, try more of Anthony Burgess’ Alex. After some parole sentences and a jailbird romance with a young prostitute, in the summer of 1961, Charlie finally finds himself in United States Penitentiary at McNeil Island, Washington. There he befriends an elder guy with rough looks and dark past named Alvin Karpis (“Creepy” to his friends). Mr. Karpis was famous for being one of the leaders of the Barker-Karpis Gang — very popular 1930s fellows working in the robbing and kidnapping businesses. Although not a man that easily burst into tears Creepy soon take Little Charlie under his wing moved by the boy’s non-avid boyhood. He even gave him guitar lessons at Manson’s approach, citing young player’s “pleasant voice and a pleasing personality.” Charles shows some scene ambitions and pop music appreciation with the statement that he’s going to be even more significant than the then-rising British act going by the name of The Beatles. But for that purpose he’s going to need to start from somewhere and, as the legend goes, every huge thing in the Sixties starts precisely in San Francisco.
One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven…
By the time of the late 1950s, Haight-Ashbury is an underpopulated neighborhood in San Fran which slowly become a destination for the pseudo-bohemians and post-Beatniks in Northern California always looking for large spaces and low rents. But by the time of spring break in 1967 the whole district is now a Mecca for the anti-establishment subculture of the free West. Inspired by the infamous Timothy Leary speech at the Human Be-In event earlier this year, more and more young pilgrims are filling the place. Pot smoke is in the air, LSD is selling at each street corner, and even Hunter S. Thompson nicknamed the whole quasi-village “Hashbury.” In this haze of opiates, free love and anti-imperialist demonstrations people are in desperate need for а silver-tongued messiah with an open mind and bold visions in his head, a long-haired and barefoot neo-Jesus with a joint in his mouth. Someone with the talent to speak, so to say.
While he was in prison, Manson exposed himself to the studies of both Scientology and the enigmatic Process Church of the Final Judgment. The latter is a religious movement best known for his pretty unique ideology according to whom Jehova, Christ, Lucifer, and Satan are all equal in their share of universal deities. Or more in facts, that when the Judgement Day comes, Jesus Christ and his diabolical buddy with the horns will play “judge, jury & executioner” together. This super-eccentric theological group of individuals has initially been a branch of the Scientology tree, but after L. Ron Hubbard himself dubbed them as “suppressive” ones the connection between both organizations stayed rarely spoken. Founded by the lovers Robert DeGrimston and Mary Anne, P.C.F.J. has his most cathartic moment as an establishment when during their visit in a small Mexican village named Xtul during the time the severely brutal and devastating hurricane Inez hit the whole peninsula Yucatan. It was a three-day storm that never let the members of the Church leave the salt factory they’ve had to inhabit and where they’ve come up with an idealized doctrine (in the shape of Q&A) — “The Xtul Dialogues.” Only a quick look at these files leave the impression that they’re way more Christian-like dogmas for this macabre type of community — “love” is mentioned as “new code” and “total knowledge” and there’s an absolutely necessary recognition of God as a supreme being. This alongside theo-philosophical axioms in the style of praised A. N. Whitehead and mentions of the Freudian slip would be a perfect theory companion of Charlie’s then-latest favorite book — “How To Win Friends And Influence People” by Dale Carnegie.
Soon after he’s released from jail Manson directs his freshly free spirit right to the San Francisco Bay Area and it’s not that much of a time (begging and being a classic bum) when he already surrounded himself with people (happened to be mostly female) charmed them by the power of his words and his self-produced charismatic aura. Established as a local small-time spiritual teacher, in the same infamous summer of 1967, the old Little Charlie had been reborn. He is now a sensei of the Haight-Ashbury, a brand new guru of a yet-unnamed esoteric way of living. Crashing into an abandoned school bus, Manson and his few followers are crossing the state on full throttle reaching North at first and then South. There, they decide to grow some roots. Or, as just as they say in some places, to be a good American “Family.”
The Surfer and The Wizard
Despite the apparent monstrosity of the world-spread Beatlemania, the Liverpool foursome are not the only praised and loved act in the USA. A band of siblings coming from Hawthorne, California, The Beach Boys, has already met their own critical and public acclaim while making songs about surf, sun, and sex. And while the group’s primary driving force and eldest of Wilsons — Brian — is facing one of the pop music’s most legendary and effective self-observations, one of his little brothers thoroughly enjoy the dolce vita of rock’n’roll celebrity. His first name is Dennis.
Dennis Wison, widely considered as the most rebellious and non-conformist of the Boys, is, in fact, the only practicing surfer of “America’s band.” Thus, leading to a free-love lifestyle consisted of regular substance abuse and nonengaging intercourse. On a spring evening (or day), while driving his car on a Malibu roadway, curious Dennis picks two good-looking girls up as hitchhikers. Not once, but twice. The second time he drives them to his home, right there at Sunset Boulevard, where he lets them stay and do whatever they want. The thing that Dennis obviously doesn’t know is that the two young ladies, named Ella Jo Bailey and Patricia Krenwinkel, are members of the freshly-formed but modest Manson Family which by the time of the events numbered more than ten people with dominant female presence. Coming back home after a session at the recording studio surprised Dennis finds his own home populated by strangers and quickly finds the one responsible for the event — an odd but friendly fellow that the others call ‘Charlie.’ The drummer of Beach Boys is actually impressed with the countercultural philosophy and habits of the community and, above all, the artistic qualities of their leader. Coming in front of Wilson as not just a guitar player but also an unorthodox songwriter guru Manson finally meets some recognition by a true musician and in some time is introduced to people of the industry like Gregg Jakobson and Terry Melcher. The latter is genuinely fascinated by the Charles’ unusual approach to composing and the whole appearance of his entourage. He even offers him an album release and a documentary focusing on the Family. Some sources say that even Neil Young got some ear on Manson’ songs and describes him as a poet that has “something crazy, something great” in him. But sooner or later everyone around becomes aware of the explosive and non-predictable nature of Charlie. Even the ever admiring Dennis (who evidently referred to his new friend as a “Wizard”) is getting tired of his violent outbursts and non-stop talks about upcoming racial conflicts. Although, Wilson is still impressed with Manson’s artistic skills that he lets himself to rework one of his raw but striking compositions, “Cease to Exist,” and produce it as a separate Beach Boys track named “Never Learn Not to Love” — an act that sets Manson on fire.
Regarding his music legacy as inviolable and let down by the action of someone considered as a friend, Charles makes Dennis separate himself from the Family even though he has been taking care of their bills for food and medical treatment. The last and most reasonable thing Dennis does is to move out of his own house and never approach Manson again. But Charlie, as a man of his word, is convinced that the rock star should be aware of Manson’s intentions to him, so he left his housekeeper a simple message and another item to deliver to Mr. Wilson. While the message is somewhat unclear, the item is well known — a bullet.
It is believed that since that moment, Dennis Wilson and Charles Manson never encountered each other once again.
…All Good Children Go To Heaven
34°05ʹ38ʺN 118°25ʹ57ʺW. These coordinates are the exact location of a mansion placed in at the end of a dead-end street on Cielo Drive, Benedict Canyon, north of Beverly Hills. It is a French country-style house, located on 3 acres. Its structure is actually based on the original designed by Robert Byrd in 1942, with an eastern view and a surround of towering pine trees. Seems like a neat place for living and maybe that’s the reason a wealthy record producer like Terry Melcher would occupy the place with his girlfriend, the actress Candice Bergen, in the year 1968. Being one of the key figures in the Californian 1960s music industry, Melcher is famous for his work with acts in the scale of The Byrds and Paul Revere and The Raiders and his sense for new, fresh performers. Sometime after the summer of 1968 Melcher and Bergen leave the house which is already sold to the rising European director Roman Polanski and his young wife, Sharon Tate, an actress as well. It is a move believed to be motivated by a single incident — the fall out between Terry, Dennis, and Charles.
Moving his associates from abandoned film sets to unoccupied ranches in Death Valley, Manson, filled with anger and bitterness, never set the idea of making music free. Growing progressively, the Family is gathered by its leader at the New Year’s Eve of same 1968. There, Charlie speaks of three things — Music, War, and Future. To him, the last, freshly released album of The Beatles is not a just a pop record; it is a treasure chest of hidden lyrical messages directed at him and his followers, an audiobook of visions predicting the fate of civilization. Its prophetic information concerns an upcoming world war, an inevitable conflict between the white and black races with an already known ending. The role of the Family is to wait patiently the result of the events buried under the sand of the Valley, in an underground city, till the blacks apparently lose the battle blaming their incapability of ruling the humankind. It is a plan, a vision, and a biblical Armageddon all at once and Manson put a name on it front of the wide-eyed looks around — “Helter Skelter.” Combining the subliminal artifacts off The White Album with the fear-inducing Holy Bible’s Revelations of John, Manson makes something quite unique in the history of mass hypnosis — he interpolates religion with pop culture and presents it (relatively) reliable. It is all about “the four angels looking for the fifth angel to lead the people into the pit of fire… right out to Death Valley”. But that’s not all — the Family is charged with the cause of recording an album, a collection of songs that would set the apocalyptic events to start whenever the society hears them. For that purpose, at the beginning of 1969, they moved once again, this time in a yellow house in Topanga Canyon conveniently called by Manson “The Yellow Submarine.” There, in the mid-March, they expect Mr. Melcher to come by with the hope he would produce their upcoming record, but he never shows up. Furious, Charles goes up to the house where he knows Melcher should live in, right there at 10050 Cielo Drive. Welcomed by the current landlord Rudi Altobelli, whom Manson knows through his terminated friendship with Wilson, he is sent away with the pledge to not “disturb the tenants.” Manson comes back to the Family, sets them for one last time at Spahn Ranch, where the feverish preparations for Doomsday scenario occur in the next months: collecting topographic maps, marking an escape route to the desert, raising money through shady business schemes. As the tension rises, a couple of incidents take place: the stabbing of Gary Hinman by Bobby Beausoleil and his subsequent arrest after falling asleep in Hinman’ stolen Fiat. The date is August 6. The hot air of 1969' summer is already filled with paranoia and sense of macabre.
Meanwhile, The Beatles are at Abbey Road Studios where they record their new upcoming, eleventh album, expected to be released this Autumn. It is a series of sessions marked by the confrontations between the members of “the world’s most famous band” and is actually the last period of time when the four musicians are working together in a studio.
On August 8, Manson reportedly tells all the Family associates that “Now is the time for Helter Skelter”. The same night, he sends Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkle, Charles Watson and driver Linda Casabian to the former Melcher house to “totally destroy everyone in [it], as gruesome as you can.” There, the first three of them find the owner Tate, her friend Jay Sebring, the Polish screenwriter Wojciech Frykowski and his girlfriend Abigail Folger and they bump into the young student Steven Parent. In the early hours of August 9, the Family kills every last one of them, using knives or fire weapons, and leave the sign “PiG” at the front door, written in Tate’s own blood. Next night, the four executors plus Leslie Van Houten and Steve Crogan, accompanied by Manson himself, are taken to 3301 Waverly Drive. There, they find and kill in the same gruesome way the married couple of Pasqualino and Rosemary LaBianca. This time, the messages are more than one, including “Rise,” “Death to Pigs,” and “WAR” carved on Pasqualino’s abdomen.
Sharon Tate, stabbed 16 times to death, was expecting her baby son in two weeks. The unborn infant is later named Paul Richard Polanski, after his parents' fathers.
Pope In The Hills and The Mountains
The effects of this act of brutality explode around the Los Angeles area (and soon, the whole country) as a biological weapon of fear and horror-induced amazement. It is seen as a murder case of celebrity status, and many people are led to believe that it was aimed at the stardom of young and wealthy Tate. Some showbusiness figures are about to leave the town scared shitless while braver ones wear a personal gun with themselves whether they’re at the grocery or attend a funeral. After series of media speculations about the motives of the killers, the police manages to connect the two crime scenes and finds their accused ones when Atkins shares the valuable info to an inmate prisoner after being held for auto theft. It looks as it is a crime of the century: a nation in shock firmly convinced in the guilt of this demonic micro-society and their respective leader. Manson is one of the major sensations of the year, the mad exotic beast in the zany media circus around. It appears that the old saying that for becoming a God, you have to kill one is correct. The Family approaches their own glorious 15 minutes of adoration: the authorities let them record an album while they’re in custody (The Family Jams, 1970), a couple of Hollywood productions about the case are in production, even President Nixon speaks of America’s new antichrist as he hardly doubts his innocence. Charlie doesn’t forget to mention The Beatles’ influence in his defense speeches, the latter’s album is quoted in the courtroom, alongside the religious upbringing of Charlie by his good Christian uncle. Nevertheless, the testimonies of almost every each one of them are au contraire with these of other ones, and the stinky farce gets the picky audience annoyed. Apart from still being terrified by the blood-soaked events at Polanski’s residence, the people of America soon abandon the image of Manson and company as icons of the new terror and more and more get used to the realistic vision of them as a bizarre pseudo-hippie cult of human leftovers, kids with breakdowns guided by a narcissistic lunatic which doesn’t quickly draw the line between true and false. It is a whole new decade that rises in front of the modern world, and there’s not much of a place for contra-individuals with shady moral values. In this case, America doesn’t say “goodbye” to the Sixties with mumbling but with a shout above the blood-splattered floor in an empty house at the end of Cielo Drive. It is a sharp and painful cut between two ages, one obsessed with the goods that should be given and others charged with the consequences of its way to receive them.
