Nel 1967 Radio London era la radio piu' ascoltata dai giovani inglesi.
Contrariamente alla BBC, radio nazionale, era in grado di proporre
una musica nuova, che si faceva strada allora, frutto di una generazione
di artisti che incominciava a sperimentare nuove vibrazioni e predicava
uno stile di vita lontano anni luce dagli stereotipi della cultura formale e
bigotta radicata nella realta' britannica. Esponenti di spicco, oltre ai
Beatles ed ai Rolling Stones, erano i Pink Floyd, i Soft Machine, Jimi
Hendrix, i Traffic, ed una miriade di gruppi piu' o meno sconosciuti,
capaci di interpretare musicalmente, in modi sempre piu' convincenti,
il nuovo verbo. Le chitarre si fanno piu' distorte, le tastiere piu'
penetranti, i testi mutano soggetto, da amore e baci si passa a
tutt' altri argomenti, di attualita', mitologia, politica, intimita' spirituale,
liberta' in tutte le sue forme, anche sessuale.
Radio London, insieme a Radio Caroline, si avvaleva di una schiera di
DJ che diffondevano non solo i brani di classifica, ma anche proposte
coraggiose e di avanguardia pop. E' il caso di John Peel, che con la
sua Perfumed Garden, in onda nelle ore notturne, usciva completamente
dai canoni della trasmissione radiofonica, inviando nell' etere la cultura
psichedelica del momento con letture di poesie, lunghe suite di
allucinata musica West Coast e via dicendo.
Nasce il mondo della stampa alternativa, dei movimenti pacifisti,
del cinema e del teatro autoprodotti; anche la moda subisce il fascino
di influenze ora orientali ora vittoriane, ora cosmiche. Aumenta a
dismisura la diffusione di droghe leggere e allucinogeni fra i giovani,
che scoprono di essere loro i protagonisti di questo nuovo corso.
Mai come allora gli adulti persero autorita' nell' establishment, mai
come allora il mondo giovanile occidentale ha trovato un denominatore
comune.
Nel giro di un anno tutto era finito: le radio pirata decretate illegali,
le nuove idee inghiottite dal mercato e i giovani a lottare nelle
universita' e nelle fabbriche, spesso a mano armata .
The UK summer of Love chronology
3 / 66
Londons Marquee Club begins the Spontaneous Underground,
a Sunday afternoon psychedelic groove with Pink Floyd as members
8/66
Revolver released. The seventh Beatles LP contains the
song Tomorrow never knows inspired by the Timothy Leary's
book The Psychedelic Experience
10 / 66
A benefit show at the Roundhouse for the launch of the underground paper International Times features Pink Floyd and The Soft Machine (15th). Paul McCartney attends, dressed as an arab. The Creation play "Painterman"
12 / 66
15th : The Speakeasy club opens and The Move
headline the first night
On the 22nd of December, Pink Floyd played
the first of of 11 gigs at The Marquee Club
UFO opens at tottenham court road
on 23rd Pink Floyd + Soft Machine
cream - I feel free
donovan - sunshine superman
jimi hendrix - hey joe
move - night of fear
1 / 67
24th of january first gig of Jimi Hendrix at Marquee
attack - try it
spencer davis group - I' m a man
rolling stones - let' s spend the night together
wimple winch - rumble on mersey square south
2 / 67
"The Carnival of Light Rave," an event held at the
Roundhouse Theater Jan. 28 and Feb. 4 for which Paul Mc Cartney
created the famous track
beatles - penny lane / strawberry fields forever
donovan - mellow yellow
john' s children - just what you want
poets - wooden spoon
smoke - my friend jack
soft machine - love makes sweet music
3 / 67
jeff beck - hi ho silver lining
jimi hendrix - purple haze
pink floyd - arnold layne
4 / 67
15th Brighton Festival
14th hour technicolour dream is held at Alexandra
Palace the night between 29th and 30th
purple gang - grannie takes a trip
who - pictures of lily
yardbirds - little games
5 / 67
12.5.67 radio london plays sgt. pepper
John Peel' s Perfumed Garden begins
last in the series of "Caroline Countdown of Sound"
was broadcast on Sunday 21st May
jimi hendrix - the wind cries mary
john' s children - desdemona
kinks - waterloo sunset
procol harum - a whiter shade of pale
tomorrow - my white bicycle
traffic - paper sun
6 / 67
attack - created by clive
cream - srange brew
pink floyd - see emily play
small faces - here comes the nice
syn - grounded
7 / 67
The International Love-In Festival is held at Alexandra Palace in London ( 29th )
beatles - all you need is love
jeff beck - tallyman
dave davies - death of a clown
wiston's fumbs - snow white
8 / 67
The Middle Earth club opens in London's Covent Garden
Floyd's LP piper at the gates of dawn released
Saint Tropez love-in
Sunday 6th, last Radio London Fab 40
animals-burdon - good times
dantalian' s chariot - mad man running through the fields
flowerpot men - let' s go to san francisco
jimi hendrix - burning of the midnight lamp
herd - from the underworld
move - flowers in the rain
orange bicycle - hyacint threads
our plastic dream - encapsulated marygold
rolling stones - we love you
small faces - itchycoo park
traffic - hole in my shoes
9 / 67
fleur de lys - I can see the light
hollies - king midas in reverse
idle race - imposters of life' s magazine
kaleidoscope - flight from ashiya
marmalade - I see the rain
nirvana - pentecost hotel
renaissance - mary jane
syn - flowerman
tomorrow - revolution
zombies - friends of mine
10 / 67
accent - red sky at night
blossom toes - what on earth
eric burdon - san franciscan nights
creation - life is just beginning
donovan - there is a mountain
family - scenes through the eyes of a lens
kinks - autumn almanac
who - I can see for miles
11 / 67
beatles - hello goodbye
bunch - looking glass Alice
dave davies - Susannah�s still alive
moody blues - night in white satin
pink floyd - apples and oranges
pretty things - defecting grey
smoke - have some more tea
12 / 67
The last major underground event of the year is
Christmas On Earth Continued, billed as an All-Night
Christmas Dream Party and held in the vast
London Olympia on the 22nd
The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour is screened by BBC1
on Boxing Day
art - supernatural fairy tales
paper blitz tissue - boy meets girl
tintern abbey - vacuum cleaner
traffic - here we go round the mulberry bush
soundtrack released
