Video: Jim "Harpo" Valley of The Raiders Meets Dennis and Brian, December 1966

[guitarfool2002]

I just saw this video on YouTube and thought it was very interesting. Jim "Harpo" Valley of The Raiders attended a Beach Boys concert at the Seattle Coliseum, December 27 1966, and on the recommendation of Terry Melcher had a "gift" to deliver to Dennis Wilson. But Harpo unfortunately ran into some cops in the process...Then Harpo gets invited to hang out with Dennis, Carl, and Brian right in the middle of the Smile era, and got to experience Brian's tent and the sandbox at Brian's house.

Very interesting story, maybe Harpo can be persuaded to give some more info about these adventures?

For Ian Rusten: Perhaps consider adding some of this detail to your gigs website for the entry on this 12/27/66 Seattle show? Pat O'Day, who is listed on the poster you've reprinted on your site for the show, was one who had to save Harpo from the cops that day.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERtQ3crnSig

[Ian]

Interesting story…it was a fun and crazy time. Note that Terry M was already supplying dope to the Wilsons….In a 1970s interview Carl slammed Terry and Sly Stone for being a terrible influence on Brian’s addictions.

[guitarfool2002]

It also shows the kind of scene Laurel Canyon was in 66-67, "hey let's hang out and ride motorcycles" then go for a smoke session. Worth noting that the smoke out was hosted at Carl's house, so Carl wasn't an unwilling participant either. What's fascinating is also the small vignette of what hanging out at Brian's house was like in 66-67 before he moved, where Harpo mentioned Brian asking about spirituality and religion then holding court at the piano while 6 or 7 people were standing there listening to him play. It would be interesting but perhaps not difficult to piece together who at least some of those people at the house were.

It's interesting for me because you take that one vignette, shrink it down to the Smile era, then expand it again to Laurel Canyon in general and there was a lot more cross-pollination of musicians and ideas than I think a lot of people may realize even after multiple documentaries and histories about that time. I don't think many doors were locked until the Manson stuff literally imploded that whole scene. But just to think of how randomly some of these musicians could have come together to hang out and trade ideas (and a few J's too) is pretty amazing considering who was involved and how much great music they ended up creating.

[Lonely Summer]

One of the reasons Jim Valley left Paul Revere and the Raiders was Paul's objection to any kind of drug abuse. Paul feared any of the guys getting busted, and there go the fortunes of the band (as happened with the Lovin' Spoonful). Jim felt that "what I do on my own time is my own business". "Harpo" always struck me as the "peace and love and lovebeads" guy in the Raiders (although he was only with the band for one year), the Peter Tork of the group.
I doubt that Carl Wilson had any objections to pot smoking - I'm sure most of the Beach Boys, including Mike, indulged occasionaly. I'm talking late 60's/early 70's. Later on, Mike was strongly opposed to any and all drug abuse (but he still liked an occasional drink). Carl had his bout with drug addiction in 77/78, then cleaned up his act.