Dr. Robert

And The Beatles role in those 5 years were larger
than anyone else except political leaders such as
President Lyndon B Johnson and Soviet dictator
Krushev.

And actually, in terms of actually leading people,
The Beatles were more powerful than either of
these two. Perhaps only Chairman Mao tse Tung in
China mobilized more youth energy -- through the
Cultural Revolution (which convulsed China in
1964-1969, and which the Chinese are still
reacting against today, so my 5 year theory
applies to China as well although for different
reasons than most of the rest of the world).

And for not having any political or military power
at their disposal and for worldwide reach and
influence, The Beatles were the undisputed leaders
of those 5 years, certainly of the youth of the world --
almost everyone outside China, where Mao and the
Communists could pretty much limit their exposure
to "decadent capitalistic" music.

As The Beatles kept growing their hair, we
accepted longer and longer hair. We were just
about 1 year of hair growth behind them. By the
late 1960s, it was hard to be a cool guy without
long hair.

It was not nearly so obvious in the early years,
but The Beatles in private were also ahead of us
in another important way -- drugs.

I've read that even then Paul and John did speed
together to write all their songs. And probably
just to keep themselves going in those
Beatlemania years when they got maybe one hour
of sleep a night.

I don't know when they started smoking weed,
but it probably did take long after they became
rich and famous and were partying with the
hippest in London etc.

I'm not sure of the date they first took LSD.
As I recall the story, it was Paul, George and
John club hopping together.

At one club, they met a friend with a dentist --
Dr. Robert -- who gave the three Beatles their
first hits of acid.

For those who don't know -- it takes about 30
minutes or so after you drop a hit of acid
before you start feeling the effects. More, if
you have a full stomach.

So, about 20 minutes after taking the LSD, the
Beatles were bored and decided to leave the club.
Their friend and Dr. Robert were horrified.
They knew that in about 10 minutes, the Beatles
were going to start having strong, vivid
hallucations -- NOT a good shape to be driving
in, especially the first time you are under the
influence of LSD-25.

So they begged The Beatles to stay at the club,
but when you're rock stars at the top of the world,
you don't have to listen to anybody else and
so you don't.

The Beatles left in their expensive sports cars
to drive to another club.

Their friend and Dr. Robert followed right behind
them -- mortally afraid that Paul, George and
John would have an accident, maybe die, it'd be
discovered that they took LSD just before driving
away -- and the friend and Dr. Robert would
become known as the villains who killed off 3 of
the Beatles with LSD.

So they followed, hoping to help following any
accident.

Fortunately, John, Paul and George could handle
their acid even the first time. Nobody was hurt
and Dr. Robert is immortalized in one of their
songs.

Innocents Abroad