Houston In The 1970s

[icepickphil]

These were given away by Houston station KAUM in around '72. I used to have this also except it was a full sized wall poster. It picked it up a record store in Sharpstown mall for free. They also had bumperstickers and apparently 5x8 cards.

I never knew what these cards were for. Postcards? The original is 5x8.

[TJones]

I wonder if I could find some Duane Allenson art around town now. Maybe on Ebay, or something, or if anyone has any Allenson art they would like to part with ?

btw, Duane is the one who did all the Family Hand art.

Edited September 9, 2006 by TJones

[Croberts]

The poster from the "Rock Jubilee" at the Coliseum on Oct. 5 (1969) brought back memories. My wife and I attended that show (Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Byrds....), it was shortly after Woodstock.

I was there too. They used the sound system from Woodstock, and it was late arriving so the concert was delayed many hours. Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters were there and circulated amoung the audience keeping us entertained. That was the first time I saw Wavy Gravy.

I did not see the poster from the second similar concert, which featured quicksilver, john mayall, a third band I dont remember and the greatfull dead. At that concert there was a minor riot when the dead broke into love light, and the crowd rushed the stage. The police were beating heads, and the drummer from the dead got involved. They cleared the auditorium but before the dead left stage they said "we will be back when we have a place of our own," hence the name of the later club "Of our Own"

[roym]

Thanks for all the great photos and ads!! Great thread!

:)

[Guest danax]

I had a Quadrophonic stereo around then. 4 speakers designed to be hung from the wall. Heavy, man.

[TheNiche]

I have moved all of the 70s in Houston pictures to an external Web server. You can access them by going here:

1970s in Houston

How did I not come across this thread before??? Great artwork! The KAUM psychedelic bird is is just mind-melting. And the flaming eye behind it is also awesome.

[Ol' SEHouston Girl]

Did anybody else get caught up in this in 1970? The board, probably fearing a mandate for federal forced busing, gerrymandered the high school districts and even if you were a senior, you had to attend the school in your new district. If you were a senior, though, any position or honor you'd gotten back at the old school had to be given to you at the new one. Therefore, Milby had a ton of cheerleaders that year and it seems that Jones had only 4. Many schools had double heads of pep squads, multiple football captains (before that became the norm), you name it. Our family was redistricted from Sterling to Milby and fed up with it all, I graduated from high school after my junior year.

The policy caused all kinds of problems. Many families moved or at least rented apartments in the old district so their kids could attend school with their old friends. HISD was then in the position of having to try to find out who was lying and they did, too...many students were "outed" and sent forcibly to their new schools. There was white flight and black flight.

Within maybe 5 years, the whole composition of HISD had changed. Many families simply moved outside HISD (to Pearland, Alvin, etc.) and re-established their lives there. When I think of "policy failure", I'll always remember that horrendous HISD one.

[VicMan]

Yeah - It's one thing to make schools adopt magnet programs and then select the kids who attend - It's another to actually force a family to move its child into a new school even if the family's student is already attending another school.

I want to re-draw school district boundaries, but I would always put a clause like "If you are rezoned to a new school, you may still attend your old school, but you must enter the newly-zoned next-level-up school if you are in elementary or middle school" in any proposition.

[icepickphil]

This was the HISD following the federal mandate of forced public school integration? Some cities responded to the mandate more quickly than others. In Boston I think there were riots about this - - the forced busing. Some cities just ignored it.

I was a student at TH Rogers Jr. High at the time and the demographics of the school changed significantly from '70 to '71. Many more black students and teachers in '71. I have no idea what part of town they were bussed in from.

Did anybody else get caught up in this in 1970? The board, probably fearing a mandate for federal forced busing, gerrymandered the high school districts and even if you were a senior, you had to attend the school in your new district. If you were a senior, though, any position or honor you'd gotten back at the old school had to be given to you at the new one. Therefore, Milby had a ton of cheerleaders that year and it seems that Jones had only 4. Many schools had double heads of pep squads, multiple football captains (before that became the norm), you name it. Our family was redistricted from Sterling to Milby and fed up with it all, I graduated from high school after my junior year.

The policy caused all kinds of problems. Many families moved or at least rented apartments in the old district so their kids could attend school with their old friends. HISD was then in the position of having to try to find out who was lying and they did, too...many students were "outed" and sent forcibly to their new schools. There was white flight and black flight.

Within maybe 5 years, the whole composition of HISD had changed. Many families simply moved outside HISD (to Pearland, Alvin, etc.) and re-established their lives there. When I think of "policy failure", I'll always remember that horrendous HISD one.

[TheNiche]

http://www.rokyerickson.net/flash/ <--- CLICK HERE TO HEAR THE MUSIC OF THE 13TH FLOOR ELEVATORS

While I was with family over the holidays, my dad, grandparents, and I were all in the living room talking, with the TV on in the background. A Dell commercial to the tune of 'You're Gonna Miss Me' came on and everybody just shut up. My dad was Roky's childhood friend, you see. So reminicing ensued.

My dad related a couple of childhood experiences. On one occasion, he and Roky got in serious trouble at school because they decided on a whim to roll to class...on the ground. No reason. On another, Roky got in trouble with my grandmother because she gave him a hot dog...to eat...which he promptly placed over his crotch with one hand and vigorously yanked at with the other.

My dad also told me about the truth of Roky's arrest and sentence to Rusk. Evidently, he was out of it prior to Rusk...frankly he was never quite all there, but he'd just deep fried himself during the success of 13th Floor Elevators. By the time that he got back to Austin from SF, he wasn't the same. Nuts. He was making quite a few folks uncomfortable at that point, but when he started mindlessly going through peoples' mailboxes and trying to cash checks that weren't addressed to him, that was just the federal offense that they needed to haul him in. That was what sent him to Rusk...and he was out of it before he got there.

My dad's opinion is that the widespread story of the marijuana bust was bogus because not only were those laws just not enforced at that time, but because it served as a nice cover for the fact that Roky was already nuts. What better story for a record label to tell its hippie fan base than that Roky had been made a martyr by the man, all over the measly matter of a single innocuous joint? Contrast that with what would've happened to the fan base and record sales if he'd been found to be a petty thief gone off the deep end? Or for that matter, to Roky's support group that has stuck with him after his release from institutionalization? Would they hold such deep respect and admiration for him if they knew the simple truth?

He also spent a full day with Janis Joplin before she made it big with the Holding Company, but he didn't want to go into that except to say that her on-stage persona was pretty much the same as the off-stage persona.

[isuredid]

[icepickphil]

Thanks for this. When did this article appear in the Post? There was also a jazz club down there in the early 70s called La Bastille.

I remember driving down to Old Market Square while in high school during the spring of '75 and the hippie scene was basically gone. Interesting that it came and went so quickly...

[icepickphil]

Houston Blacklight and Poster Co.

peel off sticker

business card

[isuredid]

Houston Blacklight and Poster Co.

peel off sticker

business card

From the basement of 102 San Jacinto

[Vertigo58]

Wow! Thanks... those are awesome!

A friend told me that prior to the 70's Houston was quite a mecca for the psychedelic scene before moving on to places like San Francisco. The 13th Floor Elevators led the way and apparently HPD and others made sure that, their crowd were gently (and not so gently) forced on their way to new meccas. It's nice to see that some of them stayed behind!

As a long time Houstonian, I wanted to add a dash of memory to circa 1966-69. I recall as a elementary school kid we were the Houston version of the Brady Bunch. I recall our school supplies we Peter Max pencils/tablets. I had a Yellow Submarine lunch kit. We were pretty much pop-culture 60's and didnt even know it. On Sunday afternoons my parents would take us to Herman Park for birthday parties and the zoo. I recall on an occasion we drove slowly past "Hippie Hill" as it was called. (Miller Outdoor Theater was new) and the proper name. There was a demonstration going on but us kids only knew it as a bunch of long-haired hippies and beatniks carrying signs. Many of the girls looked like Twiggy & Grace Slick from The Jefferson Airplane. My parents were the typical "Beaver Cleaver" parents and my mom told my dad just keep driving slowly and don't look at them. We were really excited though and I remember there were some of the long-haired guys on top of the Sam Houston statue waving to everyone below. My dad said kids raise your windows & don't look at them they are just a bunch of stoned freaks! This was apparently around the time Manson and his family had given most hippies a bad name. The protest must have been Vietnam War related. Wow, at least I can say I experienced 1st hand!

Peter Brady

[terrbo]

Greetings y'all from a newbie to this group.

I partied hearty in Montrose in the 70's.. used to hang at Theodore's all the time.. and would walk from Theodore's (Mason and Westheimer) a few blocks down Westheimer to Houlihan's.. Was pretty wild and crazy back then.

Moved to Montrose shortly after Old Quarter closed (or was about to), November of '76.. and heard talk of Sand Mountain, but never went.. and am told it was probably near its end by the time I moved to the 'Trose. Am interested in hearing about Sand Mountain if anyone went.

Also... this guy I lived with back then for several years.. went to this funky little club called Rosewater's once or twice.. but I can't for the life of me remember where in Montrose it was located.

There was this funky little bar on Westheimer, I kept hearing about but never went to. There's a fabulous article in the archives of Texas Monthly that mentions this club, but I don't have access here at work. They mention Rice professors practically having classes there?

Went to Damian's maybe once.. can't remember location of that either.. for some reason I want to say somewhere near River Oaks Theater?

Biker bar called the Little Hut, I think on Alabama, went there a few times.

And.. being was also a regular "bar fly" at this progressive country live music venue called Diamond Head, I believe on Rice.. in the Village. And they had these Country Sunday shows that lasted all day, starting at 12 Noon. And went to 1 or 2 at this bar called the Beer Barn.

Anyone remember any of this?

later!

[Fringe]

I used to hang out at Damian's a lot. It was right behind the River Oaks Theater. It's where I mastered the game of Pong!

Trying to get my own memories of Houston in the 60's and 70's up on my web site, especially the music scene:

http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~tannahil/index.html

Edited March 1, 2007 by LunaticFringe

[icepickphil]

You've got a great site with some cools scans. I'll add a link to it from my site...

1960s Texas Music

I used to hang out at Damian's a lot. It was right behind the River Oaks Theater. It's where I mastered the game of Pong!

Trying to get my own memories of Houston in the 60's and 70's up on my web site, especially the music scene:

http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~tannahil/index.html

[Fringe]

Thanks. I have a link to your site on mine. Great site. I just noticed the link you had for Josefus. Blew me away. Never knew it existed. They were one of my favorite bands. Still have their 1st lp. I think I saw them at Of Our Own about 50 times.

[IHB2]

heard talk of Sand Mountain, but never went.. and am told it was probably near its end by the time I moved to the 'Trose. Am interested in hearing about Sand Mountain if anyone went.

Sand Mountain was a coffeeshop in a house on Richmond Ave. with music on the weekends. Among the regulars there in the late 60s were Guy Clark, John Vandiver, Townes Van Zandt, and Jerry Jeff Walker. performing stage was in the front room, but musicians were hanging around there all the time. if you dropped by on a weeknight with your guitar you might find yourself sitting on the floor in what was once probably the dining room of the house in a guitar pull with one or more of the above musicians.

when Sand Mountain closed Anderson Fair opened and kinda picked up the Sand Mountain vibe, but when Sand Mountain closed it was the end of a scene I still miss 40 years later..

[Earlydays]

Sand Mountain was a coffeeshop in a house on Richmond Ave. with music on the weekends. Among the regulars there in the late 60s were Guy Clark, John Vandiver, Townes Van Zandt, and Jerry Jeff Walker. performing stage was in the front room, but musicians were hanging around there all the time. if you dropped by on a weeknight with your guitar you might find yourself sitting on the floor in what was once probably the dining room of the house in a guitar pull with one or more of the above musicians.

when Sand Mountain closed Anderson Fair opened and kinda picked up the Sand Mountain vibe, but when Sand Mountain closed it was the end of a scene I still miss 40 years later..

When my wife and I were dating in the mid 60's we used to go regularly to Sand Mountain....and La Maison.

[isuredid]

There was this funky little bar on Westheimer, I kept hearing about but never went to. There's a fabulous article in the archives of Texas Monthly that mentions this club, but I don't have access here at work. They mention Rice professors practically having classes there?

Could the funky bar on Westheimer have been Prufrock's?

[terrbo]

Could the funky bar on Westheimer have been Prufrock's?

That's the one. I heard people talking about it while I was partying near by at Theodore's or Houlihan's, but never went.

also!!! I have this Houston music discussion group (which I've been neglecting lately).. and I posted this kind of lengthy article about Prufrock's and Montrose area.. that I just love.

Don't know if anyone has posted this before (apologies if someone has), but this is a pretty good article:

This is from Texas Monthly April 1973

[Earlydays]

A very good article...it captures the mood and spirit of Montrose.

I graduated from UST in 1968 and saw it all first hand.

[isuredid]

Does anyone remember a place in Montrose where someone had built a sort-of beer garden in their yard. It had a sign that said "Frank's Radio Garden" and there were some picnic benches and , I believe, an old short wave or multiband radio. There was a soft drink machine that was loaded up with beer and you could walk up, or skate up, and put your money in the beer machine, get your beer and sit at the picnic tables, etc. I am sure it was short lived because of the obvious reasons...but only in Montrose could such a thing happen in the first place.

[terrbo]

Does anyone remember a place in Montrose where someone had built a sort-of beer garden in their yard. It had a sign that said "Frank's Radio Garden" and there were some picnic benches and , I believe, an old short wave or multiband radio. There was a soft drink machine that was loaded up with beer and you could walk up, or skate up, and put your money in the beer machine, get your beer and sit at the picnic tables, etc. I am sure it was short lived because of the obvious reasons...but only in Montrose could such a thing happen in the first place.

sounds very cool. what year was this place around?

Off topic somewhat because it's the Heights.. but this beer garden I went to a few times in the part of the Heights I lived in, in early 80's.. was a place called Scholz (sp?) Beer Garden. Went there once and there was live music. Nice picnic tables all over the place.. the whole place was a smoking section (as opposed to "soon" here).

[devonhart]

"Then Jim Love moved in. [Jim Love is a Houston sculptor who had hair down over his shoulders back when long hair was the exclusive

property of women "

In the late 50's, we lived in Montrose on Vermont, my Dad became a regular at a bar called "The Little Hut" or "The Hut." I remember he had a friend named Jim Love and he showed us a metal sculpture. Anyway, we moved to the burbs in '61, but my white collar, Dad continued to go to "The Hut," while it gradually became a Hippie Bar during the 60s.

My Dad would invite these long-haired dudes and dudettes for New Years to our suburban home. A lot of them were hardcore drinkers, pot smokers and Lord knows what else. I guess because my mom met these folks individually over the years, she had no problem with these long-haired, bearded folks.

I was probably the only teenager in the neighborhood, whose Dad had friends no other parent would approve of.

[Earlydays]

"Then Jim Love moved in. [Jim Love is a Houston sculptor who had hair down over his shoulders back when long hair was the exclusive

property of women "

In the late 50's, we lived in Montrose on Vermont, my Dad became a regular at a bar called "The Little Hut" or "The Hut." I remember he had a friend named Jim Love and he showed us a metal sculpture. Anyway, we moved to the burbs in '61, but my white collar, Dad continued to go to "The Hut," while it gradually became a Hippie Bar during the 60s.

My Dad would invite these long-haired dudes and dudettes for New Years to our suburban home. A lot of them were hardcore drinkers, pot smokers and Lord knows what else. I guess because my mom met these folks individually over the years, she had no problem with these long-haired, bearded folks.

I was probably the only teenager in the neighborhood, whose Dad had friends no other parent would approve of.

The Hut was popular with the students at UST....

[isuredid]

sounds very cool. what year was this place around?

This would have been in the late 1970s

[terrbo]

The Hut was popular with the students at UST....

I went there once.. in the mid-70's or so.. before '78.. and I considered it kind of a biker bar. Wasn't it on Alabama?