Mayfair (Part 3)

Sir Michael Jagger, Street Fightin' Man

Grosvenor Street

Casanova Club No.52

During a set here in late 1963, Robert Wace, guest vocalist with (and manager of) up-and-coming R&B group the Ravens, accidentally knocked two of his front teeth out with the microphone during a performance of Buddy Holly's Rave On. The group's guitarist Ray Davies took over the vocals in his place. It was the first time that Davies, who was self-conscious about his voice, had sung in public. Shortly afterwards, the Ravens changed their name to the Kinks and went on to become one of the most successful British bands of the decade.

Grosvenor Square

On 17 March 1968, Grosvenor Square was the scene of a massive anti-Vietnam War demonstration – the largest and most violent of three that took place in the square that year. Among those attending was Rolling Stone Mick Jagger, who rode to the event in his Bentley. On arrival – or so the story goes - Jagger jumped out of the car, linked arms with demo leaders, posed for photographs, then got back into the limo and sped away. 

Later, back at his Cheyne Walk mansion, Jagger scribbled down the lyrics to Street Fighting Man, a brilliant but cynical ‘call to arms’ that laments the lack of revolutionary action in London (… in sleepy London town/There ain’t no place for a street fightin’ man), presumably with the almost-revolution that was occurring on the streets of Paris around that time in mind.

Jagger’s presence on the demonstration was duly noted by agents of the US State Department and CIA, who opened a file on this “dangerous” subsversive. Thirty-six years later, Jagger, the dangerous subversive, is now Sir Michael Jagger, knight of the realm.

American Embassy Library No.1

The library played a crucial role in providing British r&b and skiffle fans with access to American blues music during the late Forties and early Fifties via its Library of Congress record department. According to skiffle king Lonnie Donegan (interviewed in the Observer) the library boasted “thousands of ‘ethnic’ records. That’s where I first heard Muddy Waters.” In 1960, the Embassy moved across the square to a new modern building. No.1 is now home to the Canadian High Commission.

Europa Hotel No.44

The Byrds stayed here during their unhappy British tour of August 1965. After a reception at the Savoy Hotel following their arrival on the morning of 2 August, the Byrds headed back to the Europa where they smoked “several joints” and gazed at their collection of crystals and coloured cubes. Towels were heaped at the bottom of the door to prevent the whiff of marijuana escaping into the corridor. In an interview with Byrds biographer Johnny Rogan, roadie Bobby Hamilton recalled the group as being decidedly “otherwordly”. “They floated out of the hotel, floated into the car, floated on stage, floated off stage, floated back to the hotel, shut the bedroom door and that was it. It was reefers from day one. You could never socialise with them.”

“The dope smoking was chronic,” press agent Derek Taylor (formerly with the Beatles) told Rogan. “And we were taking purple hearts (speed), which I bought from some bloke who came up from W10.”

The group finally checked out of the hotel on 19 August and flew back to the USA. It was the only British tour by the group’s original line-up. 

The Europa is now the Millenium Hotel.