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The trip on The France was . . . a trip. We took about a pound of dope along with us, fuel for the trip and "prezies"
for our British buddies, plus a 35 mm movie camera to document the adventure. But, in our zest to score the weed,
we forgot to get any film for the camera. So, I end up documenting the voyage by taking imaginary movies. Hey, the
whole thing's a lot like my life at the time. Lights ! Action ! But the camera's empty. The trip takes about a week
and the whole way we're treated like royalty, so we're feeling very cocky indeed by the time we dock in England.
Michelle and Cass stuff the dope into their underwear and we get ready to go ashore, but, as we're about to disembark,
the purser takes us aside and says: "I say chaps, do you know that Scotland Yard has confiscated your passports?"
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Ahhhhh! The girls have all the dope shoved down their bras. They bolt for the washroom and flush like mad, terrified,
crying. It was awful. When we finally go down the gangplank, the Bobbies arrest Cass. She's charged with stealing a
blanket and skipping out on a hotel bill on the last trip to London. She was guilty. She gave the money to her boyfriend
but he put the money in his pocket instead of paying the bill. So, now she's busted. Michelle, who is by now great with
child, goes crazy - screaming obscenities at the Bobbies, but it doesn't matter. They take Cass into custody and on the
train to London, they strip search her three times.
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The next day the world press was on hand to watch Cass plead guilty and pay the fine. It took less than an hour,
but the experience left Cass pretty churned up. Despite all this, the record company had planned a party so Cass,
being Cass, said: "Why not, let's have a party". After awhile I staggered back to my room leaving Cass flirting with
Mick Jagger. Then about an hour later - I open my door : "That's it, fuck him!" She was just standing
there talking to Mick and John came up and it probably didn't matter what he said. He put her down in front of everybody
and after all she'd been through. "That's it ! I'm out of here! I'm through", and she splits. We cancel the
Royal Albert Hall and go our separate ways. "Sorry, but Cass has quit the group."
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But Cass can't quit the group. And the group has a contract for two albums a year and the group is six months behind.
So, the record company has to release a greatest hits package, Farewell To The First Golden Era to fill in the gap
while we record The Papas and The Mamas. The album comes out and does "OK", but by then the record company is fed up.
John and Lou are now into making movies - not music, and Michelle had taken their baby, Chynna, and moved to Malibu.
And my mansion? There were people pitching tents in the living room. Drug-addled hippies, freaked out folkies, giant
hammocks full of groupies. I'm buying one-way tickets to Paris and giving them to total strangers just to get them out
of my house. I've got three English sheep dogs crapping all over the place and I'm in the middle screaming louder and
louder. Blowing out my voice. Hey, just another hazy day in La La Land.
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