Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Stayin' Alive

I spotted this image of a 'Big' Healey and it instantly catapulted me back to those adolescent years. Not only did one of my good buddies terrorize the streets around our High School in one, but he took me with him as a witless accomplice. Check out the image of the Village Purple Onion Discotheque that was at 135 West 3rd, Street, Greenwich Village.

I'm betting that it's the early to mid 70's in New York City with the go-go dancers perched on the car. I can just feel the beat of the Bee Gees and Donna Sommers vibrating my inner ear drums, the sparkle of the disco ball and see the shimmer coming off the polyester wear.

Come to think about it, maybe the girls were the pit crew for this hard driving racer. Let's hear it for good old British Iron.

 Jimi Hendrix rocked the Onion in the photo below a few years earlier most likely around 1966.

Jimi on the left with Nate Edmonds on the organ, Curtis Knight center guitar, Marion Booker hammering the drums, and Napoleon Anderson with the bass.

A comment is worth the click.

7 comments:

  1. it's more like late 60's, hair style is a dead giveaway, besides the word go go was just about phased out by the mid 70's

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  2. Hello -- I actually live in this building and am researching its history. I would love to get a higher res file of the go-go photo if possible. Do you know where it came from?

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  3. I played at The Purple Onion in late 1967 with Bougalieu, from Albany. It was owned by Profaci family goon Crazy Joey Gallo. They made us play 6 sets a night, and we only had enough material for 4 sets, so we repeated a lot of tunes over the course of the night. The house booker was Fat Sal DeGrand, who had a pinky ring that had diamond chips reading "10%". He told us to stay in the kitchen between sets and not mingle with paying customers. Fat Sal sez " Youse guys lose the fuzztones. I'll Buy yez some suits, take a little out every week, ya won't even miss it"

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  4. Nathan,
    I have that photo, it is of my dad. You can email me at brianwalsh93@gmail.com if you still want a high res copy.
    Brian Walsh

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