Preparing for Show Time

Eric was finally able to get his bail down to one hundred dollars.  His friends in the jail helped him get the money up.  Good-bye jail.  Eric took a drive-away car back to the West Coast as his friends had already gone there.  He jumped into a Cadillac and headed west driving past a lot of cities where he had played engagements.  John Phillips asked Eric to be the lead guitar player for his group, the Mamas and Papas.  He would also be helping out with the banjo and the twelve string guitar.

Eric’s destination led him up to Lookout Mountain Drive, right off of Laurel Canyon.  “Welcome back, Eric.”  Welcome to show time and all of its accoutrements.  He couldn’t believe he was back playing music in Hollywood with one of the biggest groups going.

Eric was welcomed back in the midst of a huge argument.  There was something wrong with the group.  There was in-fighting and regrouping.  John moved in with Dennis at 1441 Woods Drive.  Eric slept in the side studio.

Eric first met the group’s producer, Lou Adler, at Woods Drive.  Lou came in all smiles, a far-out dude.  Lou came from an area in Los Angeles that produced a lot of talented people.  He went to school with them.  He grew up absorbing the music business.  It seems that there was a recording studio on every corner surrounding Fairfax High School.

Lou was one of the masters of the 45 r.p.m. record phenomena.  He could make hits by bringing out good back-up singers from the studios.  This was done with the help of Bones Howe, his recording engineer.  Lou could promote and sell those hits as well.  It was his expertise and Jay Lasker, senior member of Dunhill Records, allowed Lou full reign.

Lou wanted to fix Eric’s teeth as they were snags.  You needed to have Hollywood teeth to perform with a happening group.  Eric had an operation at the Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital performed by Dr. Sterling, orthodontist.  Eric then had a beautiful smile with the “going set” of teeth.  After being out for two or three hours, the nurse brought him a mirror and “my goodness . . . a Glen Campbell smile.”

Eric was also supplied with new clothes . . . Brioni suits and Gucci shoes.  Now it was time for Eric to get back to work.  He had a new Gibson semi-hollow sg 35 guitar.  There was a lot of rehearsing for the second album.  There was a lot of rehearsing the first album hits for the road shows.

There were three studio musicians at the rehearsals.  Hal Blaine was the best studio drummer.  He was a drummer for the big boys:  Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Tony Bennett and Dean Martin.  Joe Osborn played the bass.  He was a traditional picker who had all of the secret knowledge of every country and western player.  Larry Knechtel played piano.  He was a musical work-horse that helped other groups as well.  And of course, there was the Count, Peter Pilafian on electric violin.

Dolph Rempp and Ken Berry had just started Studio Instrument Rental on Santa Monica and Vine.  The group rented all of their special over-dub equipment from them.  They had the latest in electronic equipment to produce the sound effect the group needed.  The Mamas and Papas literally supported S.I.R. during their first year in business by being their best customer.

The road band consisted of Fast Eddie Ho from the Modern Folk Quartet and a friend of his from Chicago, Bobby Ray, on bass.  Stephen Sanders was the first road manager.  He messed up one time in Arizona.  He forgot his road managing duties and went off with a couple of young teenage girls into his limousine.  Someone walked off with Dennis’ bass and Eric’s guitar.  Another time in Cincinnati, Steve and the band missed the plane; and a private charter had to be brought in.  It was very expensive and Steve became on the group’s photographer after that.  Tad Diltz was the other photographer.

Lou gave Eric a small motor scooter that had belonged to actress Shelly Fabares (Lou’s wife).  Eric had never driven a motor scooter in his life.  He jumped on it with his sport clothes and Gucci boots to pick up an order from the Liquor Locker.  The brakes gave out and he went right through some hedges and into a swimming pool.  It was an actor’s pool and he was having a party.  The scooter’s oil was spilling into the water.  “Excuse me.  Here’s my phone number for repairs.  Glad I didn’t kill anybody.”

After the motor scooter incident, Lou gave Eric Bones Howe’s old white Alpha Romero.  He gave Bones a new one for bringing in the second album on time, under budget.

1441 Woods Drive was the party place.  John and Dennis rented this house from Mr. Belone, who was the maitre’d from the Hollywood L’Escala Restaurant.  Mr. Belone had to go to San Diego to open up the Half Moon Inn.  He rented out the house completely furnished down to the plastic flowers and dishes, on a three month lease.

Woods Drive was a bachelor’s pad.  John and Denny had these big Triumph motorcycles that they’d drive out to Malibu.  There were girls and drugs and a lot of macho.  They were “maintaining the trip”.  Eric’s studio was a bedroom overlooking the pool.  His duty was to mix drinks, welcome guests, and be an amusing part of the macho makeup.

He was the go-for who delivered the private invitations that John would single out for their acts at Elmer Valentine’s club, the Whiskey,  Lou was always in there.  Lou and Elmer had a partnership going on and they were buying up some units on the Strip.

There were many visitors to Woods Drive.  The pool was always maintained to a comfortable 80 degrees.  There was Cyrus Faryar, Chip Douglas, and Jerry Yester from the Modern Folk Quartet, Judy Collins, John Stewart and Nick Reynolds from the Kingston Trio, Martha Reeves from Martha and the Vandellas, and Donovan.  Donovan mortified (a good thing) the crowds at his first Los Angeles club engagement at the Whiskey.  He was backed by Sean Phillips.  They were number one on the charts at Woods Drive.

Night after night there was a music session at Woods Drive.  There would be Cyrus, Steve Mann, Peter Childs, Larry Knectel, Joe Osborn, and Larry Blaine.

One time Eric borrowed one of Mr. Belone’s suits from his closet.  He answered the door wearing it and it was Mr. Belone!

Eric's stage name was "The Doctor."