Midnight Confessions at ‘the sad cafe’

In the late Sixties, into the early Seventies, the “Club Scene in So. Calif. was thriving. World Class venues like “The Whisky au, go, go “The Hullabaloo Club, “The Trip, Pandora’s Box” “Bito Lido’s” “London Fog” and “The Roxy” with its adjacent “Super hang” bar and grill, “The Rainbow Room! If you even thought of playing guitar, you had to drop into The Rainbow room, have a slice of their “World Famous Pizza and hang out with the real world of “Rock Royalty….

However, it’s the club that’s away from the traffic crunch of “The Sunset Strip” that enjoy’s the longevity, legends and infamous notoriety more than any other nightspot in L.A. Or the world…Doug Weston’s Troubadour! You surely know the story. The club opened in the late 50’s as a coffee-house that gradually grew into a folk music venue. But in the Sixties, The Troubadour moved to its current location on Santa Monica Blvd. and immediately became thee venue for the surge of music both locally and internationally that was taking the 60’s by storm.

From “The Laurel Canyon Mafia, James Taylor with Carol King to Elton John, Comedians like Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, and A Banjo playing Steve Martin. But! The Troubadour soon became famous for what was happening off the stage as well as on. The troubadour is where Lenny Bruce was thrown off the stage and arrested on “obscenity Charges” for using the word “Schmuck” on stage..There was the night comedian George Carlin was having a very bad night, the crowed was booing, when club owner Doug Weston walked on stage, turned around, bent over, pulled down his pant’s Screamed “Kiss my Ass” and closed the club!….No apologies, or of course refunds. The troubadour was where Elton John made is American debut. Far from a “Household” name, Elton sold out 3 nights and shut down Santa Monica Blvd, with his busses and throngs of die-hard fans. There was the night Steve Martin was unhappy with the sound, or temperature in the room. So Steve put an arrow through his head, invited the FULL house to go outside and join him on Santa Monica Blvd. where he did his entire show! HOWEVER, the most notorious event that ever happened at “The Troub” was the night John Lennon and Harry Nilsson dropped by the club and proceeded to get completely trashed. As the party ensued a very drunk John Lennon tied a woman’s tampon to his head. A very agitated waitress grabbed Lennon by the arm and asked him to leave the club, when Lennon barks “Do you know who I am”? The waitress snapped back with “YES, your some asshole with a Tampax on your head”! YEAH, YEAH, YEAH…Good times at The Troub!

But, perhaps the most interesting twist Doug Weston introduced at his club was “Hoot Nite Monday’s” today you’d call it “Open Mic Nite” Every other club in town was “Dark Monday’s” club speak for “We’re closed Mondays’.

But, Weston opened The Troubadour on Monday nights to anyone who wanted to perform on his stage. If you could sing, play, or tell a good joke. You could get on The Troubadour stage, usually to an audience of a couple dozen patrons at most. However, as it was the only bar in town that was open on Monday night. The large bar that lead to the showroom was teaming with thirsty “Wanna bee’s” and more. Many, killing time till it was their turn to take the stage, but mostly locals and drifters looking for a drink and place to hang and collaborate with either musically or whatever…As word and popularity of what was going on in The Troubadour bar on Monday nights grew, the clientele enjoyed a distinctive up tick. The bar was jammed with the artists “Movers and Shakers of the music industry. On any Monday night, a quick glance around the bar, you’d find Tom Waites sitting at his regular corner stool, nursing a glass of whisky with his “Ole 55 parked in the alley. Linda Ronstadt “The Queen of Hearts” would burst into the bar, on some kind of mission, alway’s nervous, curiously scanning the bar for someone or something.

Grabs a glass of something which she sips through a straw and then she’s gone. Henley was there as was Frey, but not together

The Eagles were still a few years away. First they had to join Ronstadt as HER back up band.The past, present and future of pop music were all drinking and plotting in ” The Sad Cafe”, The Troubadour Bar.

It was Don Henley who nicknamed the club “The Sad Cafe” He and Glen Frey chronicled their times and experiences at the club in their song of the same name, which can be found on their late 70’s album “The Long Run”

But, one summer Monday night something spontaneous and incredible happened!… Our old friends Rob Grill, Joel Larson and Warren Entner from “The Grass Roots,” fresh off a string of huge top 40 hits….”Two Devided by love” “Sooner Or Later” “Heaven Knows” and their double platinum monster “Midnight confessions” took a break from constant touring and opted for some downtime in their homes in West L.A. All mere blocks from “The Sad Cafe”

The three Roots were Monday night regulars in the bar, commandeered a large table in the corner, drinking and singing! Yes…..Singing! But they were singing “Doo Wop” The Sad Cafe, The Grass Roots and Doo Wop provided me with the best Summer and musical night of my life.

One Monday, The Roots were settled in the corner Rob and Joel, finger poppin and Doo whopping their way through the Doo Wop classic “So Fine” I wasn’t invited but at the chorus, I leaned in and added a deep third part. At 22 years old, I was barely 5′ 6″ and was pushing 120 pounds from the low side. But I had been gifted with a “Basso Profundo deep voice that blended perfectly with the Alto Sopranos of The Grass Roots. The Roots heard this sound coming out of this kid and thought it was the funniest thing they’d ever seen and heard. Monday after Monday, there we were, holding court and performing the best a capella Doo Wop this side of a Brooklyn “Stoop” Soon the bars clientele would join in. Tom Waits shuffled over one night, sat down and tried to growl his way through “Gonna Find Her” but we were too happy for Tom so he moved on…J.D. Souther sat in one night. We were paralyzed! Randy Meisner leaned in a couple of times and it was like the gates of heaven opening…Glen Frey sat down one night….”Fuh getta bout it” One evening Senator Al Franken ( Yes that same Al Franken) sat in. In the early Seventies, Al was a stand up comedian and showed up every Monday to work on his act. He took a break grabbed a drink and joined the chorus.

Forget about his politics The Senator CAN NOT SING…

But it was our final Monday night that was the most fun and poignant. Midway through “Our second set” Rob, Joel and I decided we should go out for chilli dogs! We know you’ve been there. We all got in the car and headed down Santa Monica Blvd. to “Pinks” hot dogs, thee best chilli dog stand in L.A. And only 5 minutes from the Troub. On our way we see a vision! It’s a classic Mid 50’s Candy Apple Red Mercury Cruiser, complete with Fuzzy dice hanging off the rear view mirror and hydraulic jacks bouncing it up and down Santa Monica Blvd. with the radio blasting some Latin music station. But wait here’s the most incredible part, as we pulled along side we saw that the cars owner had air brushed something on the rear side windows ( that was a thing in certain communities in L.A. Back in the day) He had painted each rear window with the words “Midnight Confessions”……Rob and Joel saw the windows of this “SHORT”emblazoned with the title of their last monster hit and they went insane, laughing hysterically, jumping out of the car and hoping on the back of the Mercury. This was a photo-op gift from God and The Roots weren’t going to miss it…

Meanwhile, inside the Merc are four kids, who are clearly out of their neighborhood, out of their league and are at once, terrified, confused and really pissed off!

Four young latino’s barely old enough to drive on a “Joy Ride” through Beverly Hills. When out of the blue a car full of “Long haired white dudes pulls up and in an instant they’re hanging and posing on this beautiful car screaming and singing”Midnight Confessions” snapping off pictures, while the Merc driver is going crazy swearing he is going to kill all of us. But! Before anything serious developed the Merc driver hit the gas and sped off, throwing everyone to the ground and taking Robs new “Ray Bans” along for the rest of the joy ride….As we dust ourselves off it’s agreed that we should head back to the troubadour, have a nightcap, assess any damages and sing a couple tunes!

Back at The troubadour, we settle in…Good news, our table is empty! Bad news, so is the Bar! But for one lone customer. “Linda is at the bar, looking nervous and sipping a drink through a straw. The Roots and I begin a soft, well tuned version of “Bye Bye Love” “Queen Linda looks up and over, and in a moment OMG! Our Queen is moving towards our table. Like a gossamer vision, she drifts up to our table, and as she surveys the faces, a look of disappointment comes over her Angelic face….”Pardon me”, sez The Queen “I thought I heard someone I know”…Whoa?….Who?

With that, Linda Ronstadt turns around and walks away. As the moment unfurls Rob Grill, at first, laments his lost Ray Bans, but then, leans over to me and say’s “Ya know Rick, the only good thing about watching Linda Ronstadt walk away from your table is WATCHING Linda Ronstadt walk away from your table…

A Sad Cafe Indeed…

However, somewhere there is a photograph of a blurry red quarter panel, with distorted images of Ray Bans and Grass Roots with multiple arms and legs in the air and if you look real close you can see the words “Midnight Confessions” stretched across a car window while deep in the background you can see the dim glow of neon guiding you to Doug Weston’s “Sad Cafe”

How about you?….Have you ever been there? Do YOU have a story?

To hear more about The Sad Cafe and “The corner table”, enjoy this great interview with The Queen herself, Linda Ronstadt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14 Comments

  1. I love this. So visual and fun. And what a vivid memory! I frequented often with former BF Fast Freddy Vogel but probably didn’t have as much fun as you clearly did. I remember seeing Carly Simon and was super impressed. Many great artists. No cool stories from me however. I love seeing it all through your eyes. Wonder why Linda Ronstadt was so nervous. We’ll never know. Makes me melancholy for that time. Unlike you, I didn’t realize how incredible it was when I was living it. And how did I not know about you and Doo Wop?

    • Hey John, really glad you enjoyed the piece!…..But I gotta tell you, you didn’t need to drink to have a great time at that table…However, you did need to sing!
      That said, in my life experience I’ve learned that one usually leads to the other…
      Thanx for joining in the conversation John, don’t be a stranger!
      Rick

  2. notes on the “Henley” shirt!!! Well it has NOTHING TO DO WITH DON HENLEY!!! I thought it did!??? It originated from a English town called: “Henely-on-Thames”. The shirt [it is an undershirt] was originally a “uniform shirt” for the local rowing team. It was first worn in 1839 for the “Henley Royal Regatta”!!
    Fast forward more that a century and Ralph Lauren saw it and bought the rights and marketed it under his brand as the “Henley” shirt!!!
    Don Henley like them as do I so we wear them!!
    that’s all folks
    the wood

    • Mr. Wood…Thank you for solving the mystery of “The Henley Shirt”
      It’s A XMAS MIRACLE! I think I’ll head out and get a few…OR… if your so inclined, I wear a large. Xmas IS coming ! ?
      Shoe

  3. One [OF A 1000 MEMORIES] I HAVE OFTEN IS SEEING AND LAUGHING MY BRRAINS OUT WITH STEVE MARTIN [he HAD grey hair back then] and THEN the “Nitty Gritty Dirt Band” comes on stage and I loved the music!! Then I was surprised when Steve Martin gets up on stage and BURNS UP HIS BANJO — just SMOKIN’ it with the Dirt Band —WOW WHAT A SHOW!!!! I HAD NO IDEA Steve played a banjo!!! His musical contributions today are fantastic!!!!
    the wood

    • Hey Wood, you said iit, at the very least “1,000 memories” and so many with YOU…Yeah back in the day Music ewas a large component of Steve Martins act. Did you know he has a Broadway show? A local company opened up here in L.A. About a month ago…..I’ll check it out and report in!
      Shoe

  4. Dear Sir or Madam ( your name shows up as Anonymous ) thank you for the kind words….
    Have you ever been to The Troubadour?
    Got a story?…
    Rick

    • Hey brother, thank you! I’m blessed with some great memories of that “Sad Cafe” I gotta believe you’ve got a few of your own as well?…..
      Brother “R”

  5. I’ve been tryin’ to remember the name of a particular hot dog joint back in the days of hangin’ out in Hollywierd and YOU JUST SAID IT: “PINKS”!!! WOW Rick just the tip of an iceberg that WILL NOT EVER EXIT MY MIND!! The Troub’ oh yea where is anyone begin? ANYONE who made Monday night at the Troub one of the biggest part of their agenda in the 60’s and 70’s??? About 2 years ago I was watching PBS during one of their fund raising drives and they were running a segment on 60’s — 70’s music in L.A. and the center piece of the documentary WAS THE TROUB’!!!! I called my wife to the T.V. and I kept exclaiming look, look, look this is where I spent every Monday with Rick!!!
    As I read your look back at those times in Hollywood and all those clubs you described I just felt so much gratitude that I was able to be a very up and close witness to the birth of what is today labeled “Classic Rock”!!!! Just what I did not see and hear would be a much easier list to compile than a list of WHAT I DID SEE AND HEAR!!!
    FROM MY FRIENDSHIP WITH YOU “SHOE” a whole world was opened up!!! My races now to put all these events in some sort of linear order [IMPOSSIBLE!!! While WRITING THE PREVIOUS THOUGHT images of my time in Topanga jammed their way in!! All those Troubadour Monday nights are FLASHING AND FLASHING across my key board!!
    Matt–Jimmy Buffett he just came into the scene in my brain!! Jackson Browne’s brother “Severen” [sp???] remember those performances. Elton with the little cap at the piano all by himself and Rick you wore a cap like that for a LONG TIME!!! WOW!! Rick you worked through that room — the bar, the showroom, the light and sound room everywhere!! You were so connected to what was to become what was never to become — lost dreams and realized dreams!! But for everyone who walked through that door and the doors of the Whiskey, the Rainbow Room, Gazarra’s, The Hullabaloo Club, The Roxy: EVERYBODY became a winner because although non of us knew it but we were walking through, witness to, and participating IN THE ABSOLUTE PLATINUM YEARS OF what was to become the remembered, creative, moving, time in rock and roll history — NEVER TO BE REPEATED AGAIN; at least in THIS VERSION OF THE UNIVERSE AND THIS VERSION OF REALITY!!!
    Thanks Rick for this MIND NUMBING EXPERIENCE!!!
    P.S. No one on this planet can watch a movie, see a T.V. show, suffer through a commercial and NOT HEAR ONE OF THOSE SONGS from 50 years ago!!! Relevance my good friend ….. RELEVANCE EVERLASTING!!!

    • Hey Wood, thanx for this piece! Your words really help galvanize our collective memories.
      The Troubadour was Thee place to be any night of the week, but Monday nights most folks just showed up to let their hair down, see some friends and have a laugh…
      I can recall so clearly, Glen Frey ( at this point he was in a band called “Longbranch Pennywhistle ) showing up every Monday night with a new guitar, which he shared with everyone…
      Monday nights….Just good times…
      Rick

  6. W O W *That* is one sweet song of an article, Rick. Thank you for painting the picture, sharing your LOVE of The Troubadour and those gifted souls (some still with us, others now departed) who graced the space with creativity, chaos and joy. You’ve now added another layer, to your legendary rock n roll status with your Monday night Doo Wop tales. (For the record, I’m a BIG Rob Grill fan, nice to know you guys made classic sounds together). Yeah, man, a lot of history went down in that place. GREAT LA Story!

    • Hey Jimmy, as alway’s, it’s great to have you weigh in. I’m not surprised to hear that you were a big fan of Rob Grill. I have come to believe that you and I are musical brothers separated at birth….
      I feel blessed to have called Rob my friend…..He was such a great guy! Matinee idol good looks, a voice designed perfectly for Top 40 radio, and an incredible and wicked sense of humor. Furthermore, Rob was an avid “Fresh Water Fisherman” I was a lover of Ocean fishing, One summer we spent alternate weekends fishing together, Rob schooling me on the joy’s of lake fishing, I’d teach him about ocean fishing…Lot’s of Beer, laughs and “Tall Tales…
      Unfortunately, we lost Rob in 2011. Way too early…
      Thanx Jimmy…
      Rick

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