The mysterious Paul Jay Robbins

[Cam Mott]

I don't know much about him and I'm surprised there isn't more about him in the record.

I probably should tidy this up but here it is a cut & paste from a cut & paste from an e-mail correspondence from Michael Vosse in 2001.

"Paul Robbins was a lovely person.... still is I assume.
A very bright man, sort of young stoner professor type, gregarious and
hospitable...
with all the mellow sensibilities of your prototype hippie but as on the
move
as any New Yorker one might summon to mind.
Paul got a lot done. Wrote for the LA underground press, did radio, was
an Active
political activist, studied a wide variety of things in depth, was
extremely well read,
and so on. A pretty honorable fellow.
His then wife Trina was a total dynamo, artist, Hostess Supremo, very
funny and
warm and her hashish cookies were legendary.
Later when they split up, and P was going out with a terrific teen
beauty
hippie-girl-from-marin, Paul and I did some great road trips up to Big
Sur and the Bay
Area. Brian and Paul didn't hook up until the post-Trina era... too bad,
Brian would
have loved her (or been scared shitless of her... not sure),
- ok one aside here, 'cause this brings back such good memories, when
Brian had just
had the renovations completed at his house, and the arabian Tent room
was finally
ready, a stunningly sexy girl who was on-the-lam was staying at Paul's
because she
was a friend of the Marin Cutie girlfriend. Ok anyway I was in the damn
Tent
Room, dying to get outta there ( the contractor or decorator apparantly
did not factor
in the need for humans to breathe.) and drove over to see Paul who was
out with his
squeeze and this girl was there, just hanging. Anyway that chance
meeting led to
some mutual infatuation and so forth. Her name was Girl, no sh*t (and no
not mountain girl). We had a good time and my visits to her
in SF were when I met all the Bay Area rockers and got the inklings I
might belong
up here. She plugged me into that whole scene.
A bunch of lifelong friendships developed and big influences etc... and
it
probably wouldn't have worked out that way had it not been for knowing
Paul
and if that Tent Room party hadn't been so boring - not to mention it
was literally
suffocating in there.
Anyway, that must qualify as gossip. f*** me.

Paul certainly talked with Brian about spiritual matters. I think that
aspect of
Paul is what most attracted Brian's interest. I couldn't begin to recall
anything
in particular discussed, though eastern theology was in the mix.
Brian was quite atuned to or at least receptive to the spirituality of
things,
actions, people, sounds. He was not a big reader, and Paul was, and I'm
sure
Paul was a great source of intellectual understanding of these weighty
matters
for B. And Paul was as impressed with Brian's musical achievements as
anyone
who as anyone else who has written about him.
Paul absolutely looked the part of "the hippie" long hair beard, mellow
attitude
and loved to get high. And I believe some of the charicatures of our
little
'posse' are based on very superficial glimpses at Paul... as this that
or the other
of the BB's wandered in. Ironic because Paul
was never one who leached off anyone else, he was much more the guy
who let everyone stay at his house, eat his food, smoke his pot, etc...
a giver. But I even heard some of the muttering and it's all so wrong
wrong wrong.
Paul was not a negative influence on Brian. Just the opposite.
He helped Brian understand the actual ingredients of some widely diverse
intellectual/religious/social disciplines. Like a tutor of sorts.
I am not meaning to pick at scabs, but, you know, sometimes (often)
people who have turf to protect tend to project their own sh*t on folks
who appear to be getting too close to their little grail.
anyway, Paul was ok."

[Cam Mott]

I guess no one else is that curious about Robbins.

[Lee Marshall]

Sorry Cam.  I got nuthin'.  All I can do on this one is read...and learn.

I know it sucks to be ignored...but then the thread'll catch fire and off it goes.  Weekends are slow.

[bgas]

Hard to add anything to a thead, when there's almost zip to be found on a guy

[Cam Mott]

The guy’s a ghost.

Figuratively I mean, not literally I hope.

It looks like today you can find much more on his ex-wife Trina. Somebody ought to contact Trina for info, like is Paul still alive, etc..  It would be great to get him on the record.


Here is what I have from a decade and a half ago but not sure how true and many of the sources are probably defunct by now. Edit: added some

“Twelve Haikus”: paperback: Paul Jay Robbins; 14 printed leaves; 400 numbered copies; 1958

“Sweets To The Sweet”: short fiction:  The Magazine of Science and Fantasy Fiction, August 1963

“Bob Dylan as Bob Dylan”: interview: Los Angeles Free Press, September 17 and 24, 1965

"Lysergic A Go-Go": interview: Los Angeles Free Press #71, November 26, 1965

“Number Nine”: single: Van Dyke Parks, MGM 13441, Robbins wrote/translated lyrics, late 1965

“Andy Warhol and the Night on Fire”: article: Los Angeles Free Press, p. 12; May 13, 1966

Film critic: radio: KPFK 90.7, 1966

“Radio Free Oz”: variety show: radio: KPFK 90.7, Co-host of this Firesign Theatre pre-cursor, July 24, 1966 (leaves September 1966)

"Song Cycle" - Van Dyke Parks: vocals: album: Warner Bros., WS 1727; 1967

"The Black And White Of It Is Blues" - Joanne Vent ‎: liner notes: album: A&M, SP 4165; 1969

“Rank Strangers” – Rank Strangers: executive producer: album: Pacific Arts, PAC7-112; 1977

I also made a note about the November 16/17 1966 “vegetable skit” session with Hal Blaine, wondering if a “Paul” in attendance could be Paul Jay Robbins. Isn’t a “Paul” mentioned along with “Hal”, “Michael”, “Terry”, “Peter”, and “Mar”?


Off topic: with the “vegetable skit” notes I had a correspondence from Hal Blaine and he mentioned he had a “log” he could check regarding sessions. That should be handy for his biographer and might yield some fascinating tidbits in the future. (fingers crossed)

[rn57]

Well, Robbins does not seem to be dead. Intelius.com shows two men named Paul Jay Robbins in this country, one 76 and living in Long Island, the other 78 years old and apparently in Culver City according to the online white pages. Robbins was 21 when that Haiku book was published in '58 so the CC guy is probably him.  

Trina Robbins is a famous comics artist, who can easily be contacted via her site and blog, but since she divorced PJR in '66, no telling whether she'd know anything about what he's done since then.

And the fact is, it's curious that Robbins dropped so completely out of sight after the '60s. (Apart from that '78 album by Rank Strangers which was a post-Kaleiidoscope Chris Darrow band.)  I dunno, maybe he became a shrink on the Westside or somethin'.

[guitarfool2002]

This brought up a point that has been striking me more frequently than before...About a decade or so ago, after I had already gone "all in" with Smile researching, collecting, arguing, etc, I had notebooks and photo files full of JPEGS and scans, and saved emails and chats with others who knew, etc. Recently whenever a Smile chat comes up, I start remembering how much of that I forget! Example: The writer Paul Williams who founded Crawdaddy and also had Cheetah! in 1967 passed away a few years ago, and I realized how much my mind triggered on the name "Paul" and I got Williams and Robbins confused whith what they did and who they were relative to Brian Wilson and the years 66-67.

It's a slow process of trying to sort things out, so a topic like this helps!

Related to that, I *know* I had color, somewhat high-resolution copies of these two photos I'm posting, but for what it's worth I can't remember or simply can't find the damn things. So I'm adding scans of what appeared in LLVS just for the thread, as well as a screen capture of Paul Jay Robbins appearing in Inside Pop, so anyone unfamiliar knows who he was and what he looked like in 66-67.




There is frustratingly little firsthand info to go on, but some can be pieced together. Vosse's memories are terrific as usual, thanks for sharing them here!

- Robbins' name is mentioned in the Vosse Teen Set piece, when Brian describes wanting to film a companion video for his "Barnyard" music featuring chickens wearing tennis shoes. He says we'll film it "at Paul Robbins' pad". Obviously Vosse writing the piece and around that time being the supposed head of film at the nascent Brother organization still being formed, he could make that happen.  

- Robbins' appearance in Inside Pop goes a bit beyond what was ended up in the program itself. CBS News had the crew there under Oppenheim's direction filming all the interviews, etc. They were there with Brian and filmed what they did, but at one point during those filming sessions there was word of the Pandora's Box demonstrations, which soon got labeled "The Sunset Strip Riots". CBS News captured some firsthand footage of that as it was originally playing out, again having been there filming Brian among others and getting tipped off by those who were surrounding these interviews who would be directly involved.

One of those who got beaten up by the police as the demonstrations escalated and became violent was Paul Robbins. In the aftermath, as one of his friends and a good friend of those around him like Vosse and Anderle had been injured in the melee by the police, Brian sent "representatives" to the following protests and events to show support for the kids protesting and the whole scene in general, which originally centered on curfews and police enforcement of those curfews regarding underage kids on the Strip. So Robbins was a firsthand participant whose associations with those CBS was filming could possibly have led to CBS News cameras getting a scoop on what was happening and filming it.

- Robbins is of course seen in the Smile photos above at Western, I'll need to listen to the Vegetables skits again to check on the name-check.

- Robbins' ex-wife Trina had posted years ago on a vintage LA website/board, as far as present day it could be researched if she's still a presence online. She and Paul split up in '66, before Smile came along, so unfortunately as a firsthand eyewitness she may not be able to give the kind of info we think, since she wasn't there during the Smile era but may have heard stories from others in the scene.

She said in the modern update that she knew a lot of the players in the 60's scene, and had designed and made clothing for various musicians like Mama Cass, and was close with Van Dyke Parks among many others. I'm sure an interview with her would be fascinating, with or without Smile connections.

- Robbins was a published author as Cam noted above, but from what I remember reading or hearing he was also somewhat close with Bob Dylan around 65-66, which was probably the time period when the most historical and interesting events were surrounding and happening to Dylan, and some would say changing the face of rock/pop music.

I don't know or recall enough to say if it was a chicken-or-egg situation for which came first, but factor in how Dylan surprisingly switched labels at one point around this time and left Columbia which had a lot to do with David Anderle. Then factor in Robbins' connections with Vosse, Anderle, etc...and add in his closeness with Dylan, it's another example of how intertwined and connected some of the history and these individuals can be when you trace the lineage.

I wish I had more to add, and especially wish I could have remembered where I had those higher-quality color photos of Brian and Paul Robbins, but if I find them I'll add them in. Or perhaps someone else has them.  

[Cam Mott]

One of those who got beaten up by the police as the demonstrations escalated and became violent was Paul Robbins. In the aftermath, as one of his friends and a good friend of those around him like Vosse and Anderle had been injured in the melee by the police, Brian sent "representatives" to the following protests and events to show support for the kids protesting and the whole scene in general, which originally centered on curfews and police enforcement of those curfews regarding underage kids on the Strip. So Robbins was a firsthand participant whose associations with those CBS was filming could possibly have led to CBS News cameras getting a scoop on what was happening and filming it.

I think I saw some source claiming Robbins was a member of some organization involved with the Sunset Strip situation. Like the FAPT or something?

Edit: How about the CAFF (Community Action for Facts and Freedom Committee)

http://journals.hil.unb.ca/index.php/LLT/article/viewFile/5848/6853

[Cam Mott]

Well, Robbins does not seem to be dead. Intelius.com shows two men named Paul Jay Robbins in this country, one 76 and living in Long Island, the other 78 years old and apparently in Culver City according to the online white pages. Robbins was 21 when that Haiku book was published in '58 so the CC guy is probably him.  

Trina Robbins is a famous comics artist, who can easily be contacted via her site and blog, but since she divorced PJR in '66, no telling whether she'd know anything about what he's done since then.

And the fact is, it's curious that Robbins dropped so completely out of sight after the '60s. (Apart from that '78 album by Rank Strangers which was a post-Kaleiidoscope Chris Darrow band.)  I dunno, maybe he became a shrink on the Westside or somethin'.

Maybe someone could find out from Trina if she can put us in touch with Paul.

[rn57]

CAFF (Community Action for Facts and Freedom) was an interesting organization. It was founded by Byrds manager Jim Dickson and Derek Taylor, and among its leading supporters, besides Robbins, were Michael Vosse and David Anderle; Lance Reventlow, son of Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton; Sal Mineo; Elmer Valentine, co-owner of the Whisky A-Go-Go....and Bob Denver. Yes, Gilligan (though channeling his Maynard G. Krebs persona in this context I guess).

Another person much involved with it was Elliott Mintz....who was working at KPFK the same time Robbins was.  Elliott has a bit of a knack for keeping in touch with people so he might know something about what Robbins has been doing all this time, if anything.

[Cam Mott]

Another person much involved with it was Elliott Mintz....who was working at KPFK the same time Robbins was.  Elliott has a bit of a knack for keeping in touch with people so he might know something about what Robbins has been doing all this time, if anything.

Make it so.



Please.

[rn57]

Interesting thing about Robbins is that when his name is put in abebooks.com's seach, it turns out he was a contributor to the Playboy-imitation girlie magazines published by American Art Agency out of North Hollywood at the start of the Sixties - such as Tonight, Showcase, and Cocktail. One of his pieces was an article about jazz saxophonist Dexter Gordon.

[bgas]

The guy’s a ghost.

Figuratively I mean, not literally I hope.

It looks like today you can find much more on his ex-wife Trina. Somebody ought to contact Trina for info, like is Paul still alive, etc..  It would be great to get him on the record.


Here is what I have from a decade and a half ago but not sure how true and many of the sources are probably defunct by now. Edit: added some

“Twelve Haikus”: paperback: Paul Jay Robbins; 14 printed leaves; 400 numbered copies; 1958

“Sweets To The Sweet”: short fiction:  The Magazine of Science and Fantasy Fiction, August 1963

“Bob Dylan as Bob Dylan”: interview: Los Angeles Free Press, September 17 and 24, 1965

"Lysergic A Go-Go": interview: Los Angeles Free Press #71, November 26, 1965

“Number Nine”: single: Van Dyke Parks, MGM 13441, Robbins wrote/translated lyrics, late 1965

“Andy Warhol and the Night on Fire”: article: Los Angeles Free Press, p. 12; May 13, 1966

Film critic: radio: KPFK 90.7, 1966

“Radio Free Oz”: variety show: radio: KPFK 90.7, Co-host of this Firesign Theatre pre-cursor, July 24, 1966 (leaves September 1966)

"Song Cycle" - Van Dyke Parks: vocals: album: Warner Bros., WS 1727; 1967

"The Black And White Of It Is Blues" - Joanne Vent ‎: liner notes: album: A&M, SP 4165; 1969

“Rank Strangers” – Rank Strangers: executive producer: album: Pacific Arts, PAC7-112; 1977

I also made a note about the November 16/17 1966 “vegetable skit” session with Hal Blaine, wondering if a “Paul” in attendance could be Paul Jay Robbins. Isn’t a “Paul” mentioned along with “Hal”, “Michael”, “Terry”, “Peter”, and “Mar”?


Off topic: with the “vegetable skit” notes I had a correspondence from Hal Blaine and he mentioned he had a “log” he could check regarding sessions. That should be handy for his biographer and might yield some fascinating tidbits in the future. (fingers crossed)

Here's  some of things I was able to find:  

Dylan as Dylan:  http://www.interferenza.com/bcs/interw/65-nov08.htm

Somthing on > Two cents further into poetics <, so you can call and offer to pay for transcribing an old reel of tape:  http://www.pacificaradioarchives.org/recording/bb5001

a snippet about Lysergic A go go:   http://tinyurl.com/o9szjg4  

a snippet from the book > In Praise Of Barbarians < referencin Paul, Pandora's Box and the riots: http://tinyurl.com/pvjoax9  

a 1965 mention from Firesign Print ( http://www.firezine.net/faq/fst-disc-5.html ) :  
>>  DAVID OSSMAN
1965
"FIVE AMULETS FOR TRAVELING" - (P) - Ossman's poem was hand printed by Paul Jay Robbins, wax sealed, and offered for sale at the Renaissance Faire, in CA.  <<

Fiction pieces in these  Mags:
Showcase Vol 1 # 2, >>  Four To Go <<  
Showcase Vol 1 #4  >>"I Made Four Bucks Last Night - inside a jazz club with Dexter Gordon and others  <<
Tonight    Vol 1 # 7  >>  The Anatomy Of Sex <<
available for purchase here: http://www.alta-glamour.com/cgi-bin/glam/process.html?id=5cVAbukf

 in: Cocktail  Vol 2 # 2 ( 1961 )   seen here:    http://www.vintagesleaze.com/mags-parliament-60s-cocktail-2.2.html


This site has an address and email for Trina( can't vouch for their current status) :    http://www.encyclopedia.com/article-1G2-3432300030/robbins-trina.html

[rn57]

That email for Trina Robbins at encyclopedia.com probably is current, since she put it in an entry in her blog less than a year ago.

The Paul Jay Robbins in New York is a financial services guy, pretty definitely not the PJF being discussed here.  If PJR really is in Culver City, it might help explain how he's kept such a low profile.  I've been in CC a bunch of times and though it is quite busy in the daytime, with Sony Entertainment and all that, by night it's pretty much a place you just drive thru.  Of the couple hundred Angelenos I know personally, just one or two have ever lived there.

(Although I think McCabe's Guitar Shop is only about a half-mile west of the CC line - so maybe Van Dyke might've spotted Robbins in the crowd at one of his gigs there.)

[bgas]

.

[Smilin Ed H]

Wow! THE Trina Robbins!

[stack-o-tracks]

Y'know, PAUL JAY ROBBINS has the same number of letters as one PAUL VON MERTENS, wondering if there's a connection.






*Waits for condescending post by one AGDICK telling me how much of an idiot I am.*

[Cam Mott]

I'm guessing he published more for LA Free Press than we are showing. Any ideas on how to access that or his other published work?

[bgas]

I'm guessing he published more for LA Free Press than we are showing. Any ideas on how to access that or his other published work?

Try here:  http://losangelesfreepress.com/

couple of references in this book:     http://tinyurl.com/mdubs95

and if you want the ones I posted above( Cocktail, Showplace, etc) I'm guessing you'll have to buy the mags, unless you can find someone that admits to owning them and will copy..

oops, forgot this quoted reference:  http://markspoelstra.net/publicity.html

[bgas]

you can pick up a book with Sweets to the Sweet   on ebay for about $5, here:  http://tinyurl.com/p8akgta

and another early Men's mag ( Bonanza)with a piece, those it's $50, here:  http://tinyurl.com/pek62tm

[WWDWD?]

I'm more interested in Faul Jay Robbins.

[stephanpickering]

I guess no one else is that curious about Robbins.

Shalom & Boker tov, Cam...your subject thread was sent to me yesterday...in my first 1971 book on Shabtai Zisel / 'Bob Dylan' I printed Paul's 27 March 1965 Santa Monica interview, printed in the Los Angeles Free Press 10, 17, 24 September 1965 with Paul's introductory and closing paragraphs. Paul conducted the interview on the afternoon of 27 March...they left together, Paul carrying Shabtai/Bob's guitar, and went to the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium for the concert performance...the interview itself (taped) was slightly over 90 minutes... I printed the complete interview in my first book on Shabtai/Bob in 1971, including the introductory paragraph, and a concluding paragraph. Jonathan Cott in 2006 printed the interview text, but omitted the opening/closing paragraphs.  I had talked with Paul sometime in 1970 about  this interview (if memory serves, he still  had the tape). I lost track of him, and have never been able to locate him. At KPFK, in June 1966, he started 'Radio Free oZ' with Peter Bergman (who perished from cancer 9 March 2012). In September 1966, Paul left. Mr Bergman joined in September or November 1966 with  Phil Proctor, David Ossman, and Phil Austin (who perished from leukemia 18 June 2015), creating The Firesign Theatre.       

Paul's March 1965 interview remains one of the most insightful ever conducted prior to Jonathan Cott's brilliant two interviews. It is a pity more information (including contact data) has not surfaced. Paul was a cogent social commentator.

Kol tuv/be well...Stephan
                                                                             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
STEPHAN PICKERING / חפץ ח"ם בן אברהם
Torah אלילה Yehu'di Apikores / Philologia Kabbalistica Speculativa Researcher
לחיות זמן רב ולשגשג

[Chocolate Shake Man]

After looking at the pictures of him above, I thought maybe it was the same guy who asked Dylan about the Highway 61 cover at this press conference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guOaI6_cF10

After watching the video, I'm less sure but I thought I'd paste it anyway, particularly after learning about his interviews with Dylan.

[stephanpickering]

Shalom & Boker tov...this was the KQED press conference  3 December 1965, and, having re/watched it earlier today, I think it was Paul asking the questions.  When I had my conversation with Paul in 1970, he and I discussed KQED . I was there, and, a few days later at City Lights, was across the street when Robbie Robertson, Mike McClure, Reb Ginsberg, and Shabtai/Bob were photographed by Dale Smith and Larry Keenan. I did not attend (but, to be sure, have heard) Santa Monica 27 March 1965, and saw the Bay Area and LA area 1965 concerts with The Hawks. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
STEPHAN PICKERING /  חפץ ח"ם בן אברהם
Torah  אלילה  Yehu'di Apikores / Philologia Kabbalistica Speculativa Researcher
                              לחיות זמן רב ולשגשג

THE KABBALAH FRACTALS PROJECT

[AndrewHickey]

- Robbins' ex-wife Trina had posted years ago on a vintage LA website/board, as far as present day it could be researched if she's still a presence online. She and Paul split up in '66, before Smile came along, so unfortunately as a firsthand eyewitness she may not be able to give the kind of info we think, since she wasn't there during the Smile era but may have heard stories from others in the scene.

She said in the modern update that she knew a lot of the players in the 60's scene, and had designed and made clothing for various musicians like Mama Cass, and was close with Van Dyke Parks among many others. I'm sure an interview with her would be fascinating, with or without Smile connections.

Yep, Trina Robbins was *very* involved in the LA music scene, but after she split up with Paul she moved to New York, and didn't come back to LA until February 1968 -- when she actually stayed with Van Dyke and Durrie Parks, and was dating Paul Williams.
(I know this because I wrote a thing a while back about Ladies Of The Canyon by Joni Mitchell, and Robbins is one of the "ladies" in that song -- information comes from http://jonimitchell.com/library/view.cfm?id=1864 )