The late 60s in the USA, at the time of the great upheaval. Dreams of another, better world flourished. At the same time, the presence was violent like never before. The country became embroiled in Vietnam in a bloody war, and internal political tensions between the state erupted in power, and the rebellious youth more and more often in violent clashes. In the midst of a confused man who made his own rhyme on things: Charles Manson was.
To the center of the counter-culture developed in the second half of the ‘ 60s California. The young people created a new life style that was marked by the rejection of the consumer society and the Opposition to the Vietnam war. Symbol of this new culture, long hair, rock music, the use of consciousness-expanding drugs such as LSD and free love. The preferred form of life was the commune. After his release from prison, he was attracted to Charles Manson in 1967 on the West coast. He first moved to the epicenter of the new movement, in the Hippie district of Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco. He was 32, much older than the majority of the mostly young people drop-out.
His age, his life experience, as well as his manipulative character helped him, and soon his own group of hosts, called “The Family”. The members were not only considerably younger, it was mainly women that Manson has joined, who appeared as a Guru and his followers with Sex and drugs to heel.
Charles Manson looked like a Hippie
outwardly resembled the Manson Family, with their long hair and free love practitioner, life with hundreds of other municipalities that had formed in that time in California. But this was wrong. Because even Charles Manson looked like a Hippie, he represented ideologically, however, contrary positions. He was a racist, a Bouncing, believed in the Superiority of the white race, and prophesied for the year in 1969, a bloody race war. The, he believed, would win the African-Americans, but because of the “slavish nature of their race” you would be unable to lead himself and would him, Charles Manson to determine the new ruler of the world. The 1969 onset of a series of murders had to be a trigger for the purpose, “to show the stupid Black how to kill White” – to the predicted race war.
So all this sounds crazy: It is this crude ideology, fed from many bits and pieces of pop culture of that time, to make Charles Manson a significant figure, and his long-lasting influence explain. A special role the Beatles took: the time of his imprisonment, the Band conquered America – Manson was a fanatical Fan and wanted to be a pop star. He began to practice excessive guitar and writing Songs.
In all further Considerations, the Fab Four played a significant role As he held the musician for the four angels of the Apocalypse. The state prior to the upcoming race war he called to one of their Songs “Helter Skelter” and believed in listening to a message out. “Healter Skelter” – accidentally-misspelled – had members of the Family in 1969, lubricated with the blood on the refrigerator of one of the murder victims. 20 years later to U2 singer Bono took on the Album “Rattle and Hum” an honor to the rescue: “This Song Charles Manson stole from the Beatles,” announced the Irishman his Version of “Helter Skelter”. “We steal it back.”
contact with the Beach Boys music festival Fenomenbet Woodstock: Ten myths about Love & Peace By Carsten Heidböhmer
Yet Manson of pop culture, came closer. He befriended Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys – the Band stand like no other for the innocence of American pop culture. The mass murderer-written Song made it on an Album of the Band: “Cease to Exist” appeared under the title “Never Learn not to Love” in 1969 on the LP “20/20”. Dennis Wilson had revised the Song, and Manson in particular, not mentioned, which angered these awful. He even threatened with the kidnapping of Dennis Wilson’s son.
How seriously to take this was, was short in Manson’s acquaintance with Terry Melcher, son of actress Doris Day. The well-known producer had declined after the initial interest, to publish Manson’s Songs. In the summer of 69, he had to lie low for a time – out of fear of the mad commune.
The committed his most famous murder in the house, in the Melcher, until recently, had lived. Now, the actress Sharon Tate, wife of Director Roman Polanski lived there. In the night of the 8. August 1969, invaded members of the Family on Manson’s behest in the house and murdered the heavily pregnant wife and four friends.
Manson sealed the end of the counter-culture
It was this fact, which was henceforth the image to superimpose a counter-culture. You took it as a long-haired, kiffende Hippies true, the heard peacefully together rock music and of a better world dream. Instead, the movement was perceived, suddenly, as something Dark, Dangerous. There were more Hippies and communes, but the innocence was gone. Distrust was widespread among people who previously had their doors open for anyone. Manson has contributed a large part to the fact that the dreams of a different America volatilized quickly.
The reverberations of this shift can be seen in Don Siegel’s 1971 arisen Thriller “Dirty Harry”. The shown there crimes go back to the real model of the Zodiac-Killers – but it is characterized as a pupil of the counter-culture. Without Manson would not have been possible.
well-Known Bands covered his Songs
Even after his arrest and conviction, Charles Manson remained an influential figure. In 1970 debut LP “Lie: The Love and Terror Cult appeared”, the shooting of the years 1967 and 68. Over the years, Songs have been covered to this album again and again, from well-known Bands. A bit of Gun N’Roses, the Lemonheads and Marilyn Manson, who bears the memory of the mass murderer in his name.
Whether novels, films or Songs – again and again, artists have grappled with the events of the summer of 1969. Most recently, the American TV series “Aquarius dealt” with David Duchovny Charles Manson and his Family.
All the shows: half A century later, the deeds of the mass murderer still pulling people in its spell. Manson’s death on the 19. November 2017, a few days after his 83. Birthday, is expected to change very little.
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Until today, Woodstock is the greatest music festival of all time – musically brilliant, of a peaceful and unkommerziellen spirit. The truth is, however, somewhat different.
Carsten Heidböhmer
