FIRST AND FOREMOST, I would like to thank Ben Schafer, my editor of long standing at Da Capo Press and fellow aficionado of beatnik literature, who gave me the go-ahead to write this book. My thanks also go to Kevin Hanover who came up with a title that I liked more than my own.
As always, I would like to thank all those who were kind enough to make the time to speak to me concerning the Rolling Stones’ 1971 tour of Great Britain. In alphabetical order, they are Lady Elizabeth Anson, Jeff Dexter, Alan Dunn, Chip Monck, Noel Monk, David Noffsinger, Jerry Pompili, Jim Price, Jeff Stacy, and Tony Smith.
For his invaluable help in finding information about The Big Apple in Brighton, I would like to thank Robert Allan. For helping me sort out exactly what happened in Belfast in the spring of 1971, my thanks to Joe Stevens.
For being a lifelong pal and going through his archives for me, I would like to thank Phil Franks, whose excellent website, the Philm Freax Digital Archive, is a treasure trove of information about the underground scene in England during the early 1970s.
For providing me with the wonderful photograph of Ian Stewart and Mick Jagger, I would like to thank Will Nash. Anyone interested in his remarkable book about Ian Stewart can contact Will at info@out-take.co.uk. I would also like to thank the great Chip Monck for providing me with photographs from his own extensive archive.
For directing me to the Daily Mirror archive, where I was astonished to find a photograph of myself from the 1971 tour I had never seen before, my thanks to Adam Cooper. David Scripps at the Mirrorpix Archive made it possible for me to use these photographs in this book. Thanks as well to Peter Everard Smith for the photo of the Stones performing at the Roundhouse in London that graces the cover of this book.
Closer to home, I would like to thank Chris Cochran, who kept me working through his computer magic. For their friendship and never-ending support, I would like to thank Jeffrey Greenberg, Paul Goldman, and Janice and Brian Higgins.
My gratitude for all they did for me goes to Dr. David Dansky, the incredible human heavy metal beat box machine also known as Dr. Scott Smith, Dr. Jeremy Silk, Ryan Vereker, and all the nurses and incredibly caring staff at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula.
As always, I could not have written this book without Donna, and I thank her for sticking with me through some truly hard times. I should also like to send special love to Sandy and Anna.
If you will permit me, I should like to add one final thought. Whether we know it or not, we are all closing by secondary intention. Along the way, the least we can do is try to shed some light on the process.