In July, 1964, The Five Beats and I were winning fans at every "sold out" performance and the future was looking so bright, that sometinmes, after shows that usually ended around three o'clock in the morning, and I was frequently invited to stay after the show for a past-midnight snack or early breakfast (favorites being Kurrywurst mit Kartoffelsalat or Bauerfrustuck), Currywurst is a sausage with length-wise sliced sausage filled with ketchup and sprinkled with curry powder, and potato salad on the side, or Farmer's Breakfast, an omelet made with cheese, bacon chips, and sprinkled with chopped pickles. With coffee and conversation, it was often early twilight when I hit the road, and since I'd arrives at dusk, it seemed like the sun justy couldn't wait to shine on me. Skeptics may not believe it, but at those latitudes, depending on how late I'd stayed and how spirited the conversation had been.
The posters depicted above are reduced, accurate reproductions of posters peeled off trees after the shows were over. I don't know why the two "Five Beats" posters show a small "f" in five, but I do know that we played several more gigs before we came to those two that are little more than badly worn scraps in my collection. What is less remarkable than my sudden rise to success, is how quickly it all came to an end. |
