"A "hippie" club in Columbus, Georgia during the late '60s and early '70s. It was owned and operated by Buddy Cunningham and Robert (Bob) Piper.
Arnold Bean was functionally the house band, although Mosaic Sunshine and other bands also performed there regularly.
Columbus, Georgia is next to Ft. Benning, so many of the young people who were regulars at the Toadstool were children of men serving in Viet Nam.
This created a unique atmosphere where people were participating in a culture against the war, but at the same time feeling family loyalties to people serving in the war."
back wall of the TOADSTOOL
after the building was torn down
cover of SUNDAY MAGAZINE
LEDGER ENQUIRER
with article about
TOADSTOOL
*********************************
Quoted from JAY VAQUER's bio website
"1968-Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and Cream, were the major musical
influences of Jay's new band called FANE with Manfred Rackow on bass
and Steve Swenson on drums. By now, the underground hits of yesterday
were becoming today's hits and this band worked a lot of night club
dates for dancing until they helped construct The Electric Toadstool,
a psychedelic night club. Fane would walk in at nine o'clock and play
Crossroads for 45 minutes, and then take a break. Improvisation with
a power trio was nearly a religious experience when the crowd and
musicians linked into the same trip. Jay wanted to take the band to
California but they were full time students and if they dropped out of
college, or failed , they would be sent to the war.
1969-Jane Duboc came to the USA from Brazil for Jay's sister Gloria's
wedding to Manfred Rackow . Jane and Jay get married at the Russell
County courthouse. After changing his major a few times, Jay is in his
senior year of college and Vietnam is on the horizon. Jay's musical
tastes shift more towards the Allman Brothers, Brian Auger and heavy
jazz fusion. Jane becomes the vocalist in FANE and John Aiken is added
on Hammond Organ. This group became an immediate success at the
officer's club and played mainly at Fort Benning."
Anyway, you can follow the whole weird story at Jay's website:
http://www.jayvaquer.com/bio1.html
*****************************************************
I didn't remember that there was Hollis Williams art on the cover of the Ledger-Enquirer's Sunday magazine. That must have been the coolest cover thay ever had!
ReplyDeleteI do know how to spell "they".
ReplyDeleteI remember the Toadstool fondly and being downtown at that time was a great experience. I can't remember if the head shop we all frequented was inside the Toadstool or not but it was where I got my exotic print rolling papers. The headquarters for the McGovern campaign was just around the corner or very near it and I worked to keep Nixon out of the Whitehouse but the bastard won by one of the widest margins in US history. After he was elected I thought I'd never see it get that bad again but we got George W and who knows what we'll get if Obama's term causes a Republican Nazis backlash next time around.
ReplyDeleteCanada looks better all the time and all our hard work of the 60's and 70's looks somehow futile now. Watching American politics these days is like watch your dog die a slow death.
Hey Hollis!
ReplyDeleteWant a "take" on the 'Toad from one who was there, trodding the boards, thumping the bass in Arnold Bean???
Dig my Playgrounds Magazine article (from Jan 96 issue - vol 2 issue 1)-- I'll FAX it to you if you can't access their archives.
Nice work on the book, by the way!
PEACE!
Gary Burnette
gcburnette@aol.com
Stunning bit of history, thanks!
ReplyDeleteHollis Rodney Williams, artist of Electric Toadstool's "Captain America" wall art...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.hardawayhawks686970.com/class_profile.cfm?member_id=980122
My dad...Goose Goodrich used to play the toadstool. My mother Debbie Riddle was alwyas there..I have heard so many cool stories about the toadstool...wish I could have seen it.
ReplyDeleteAre GOOSE and DEBBIE still around? on Facebook maybe?
DeleteAnyone have any pictures from Nickels Alley...? Reach me at nickelsalleyrecording@gmail.com would really appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteBillboard - Jun 10, 1972 - Google Books Result
ReplyDeletebooks.google.com/books?id=qkUEAAAAMBAJ...
Vol. 84, No. 24 - 184 pages - Magazine
Mixers & Re Mixers Fran* B Gowan Sir Francis Phair. Robby B Gowan No of engs 3 mixers & re mixers 2 Hourt: By appointment Closed New Year s Christmas ...
Amazing, a New York Times write-up on the Electric Toadstool has surfaced, from Thursday July 9th 1970, in the Palm Beach Post, Florida:
ReplyDeletehttp://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1964&dat=19700709&id=p5BGAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JCsNAAAAIBAJ&pg=797,3529000
Or a shorter link:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=p5BGAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JCsNAAAAIBAJ&pg=797%2C3529000
"There aren't many hippies raised in an Army community..." -Col. James Kiersey
"...22 year old Stephen Cunningham, whose father is a General in Vietnam. Last year Stephen and a friend opened The Electric Toadstool, and establishment in north Columbus dedicated to music that "may be loud but is soothing to the ear and has meaning behind it." He does not consider his appearance, shoulder length wavy blonde hair and a modest beard and sideburns, to be a revolt.
"The door has never been closed" on his music establishment, said Stephen Cunningham, who opened The Electric Toadstool for young who wanted to hear meaningful music.
Hi Hollis – stumbled across some old recordings I have of the Electric Toadstool from 1969 when I was playing there with Mary’s Grave ( later to become Fane.) I am John Smith (Hammond C3) keyboard musician who came back to Columbus from playing on the road to go to back to college. I met Gay(Jay) Vacquer, Steve Swenson, Manfred Rackow where they had formed Mary’s Grave and joined up with them. I introduced several jazz rock tunes to the group (Brian Auger and the Trinity) and others. We worked up Allman Brothers, Iron Butterfly and many other underground popular groups of the day. Jay and Jane got married across the river in the JP office, sort of an impromptu moment and asked me to come along as witness to the ceremony. Shortly after Jane began to sing as lead vocalist for more experimental jazz progressive sound, Bill French joined the group as percussionist replacing Steve (got married and moved to the Athens Ga. area.) Jay and Jane went onto Brazil with Bill as percussionist due to Jay’s low draft number from the lottery. He produced a son and an album “Morning of the Musicians” (RCA) which he gave a copy to me when he came back to Columbus brief visit. I went on to play R&B, soul and Jazz with the Corvettes out of Tuskegee Alabama and then studio work.
ReplyDeleteI remember Arnold Bean fondly. An Excellent group with great material and a must see at the Toadstool. John Aiken was their keyboard person as well as Gary, their bass musician. They always had great fun performances, lots of electric energy and amazing material. Herb (drummer really solid) and Mike great guitar – many good memories.