Prince Stash : The John Robb interview (2020)

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL Also watch this great in depth interview with Gered Mankowitz about his photos of Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones    • Gered Mankowitz : The John Robb interview   Stanislas Kłossowski de Rola or Prince Stash was a key figure in the swinging sixties. Close friend of Brian Jones and the Stones he shared ideas, styles and drug busts with the band and also the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Syd Barrett and many others before exploring eastern mysticism and writing books on alchemy. He tells John Robb of his remarkable like and his new psychedelic ballet he is working on. 3:00 life during pandemic 5:00 currently writing a psychedelic ballet about 8th century Tibetan monk Tibbatibaba 5:00 opera will have Japanese dancers costumes and full Tibetan pantheon 8:00 music performed on an electric sitar plus glass slide 14:21 Chopin always felt he could improvise but could not recreate the music as good as the first time 16:50 whole of life is a journey seeking this spirituality - from the pysechdelic times from 1965 and first time taking with Christopher Jones the actor 18:08 in 1964 took a break from acting and joined Vince Taylor who he met in 1961on percussion 19:20 played with the RollingStones in Paris 1965 got to know Brian ad the bad introduced Brian to Anita Pallenburg 21:00 ‘one was very free with girls in those days…’ 22:00 getting busted for drugs with Brian Jones in 1967 was the authorities trying to decapitate the Stones and saw the descent of Brian into a Mandrax mess 23:36 Brian went to pieces ‘he was like a dying fire…’ 24:33 Brian not set upon by the band they tried to work with him until he couldn’t function any more…remember everyone was really young at the time 26:30 Brian was a symphony 27:30 In 1968 I went to India inspired by Govinda’s book, The Way Of The White Clouds. I could have been in a band and was about to get married but went east instead 31:14 interest in alchemy and wrote two books Alchemy: The Secret Art (1973) and The Golden Game (1988) 32:40 'I wore the mask of the playboy prince but my interests ran much deeper...' 33:30 …from Elvis to alchemy 35:00 Love of the blues and early Rolling Stones embraced that 37:00 went to Haiti and voodoo rhythms 41:00 do you paint in sound like your father Balthus painted with paint 41:30 playing with Vince Taylor and pushing him forward… if he didn’t flip out could he have been really progressive? big american tour planned as well. Vince fell to pieces in England due to unfortunate substances… 46:00 I remember Vince Taylor making up band names like Big brother and holding company before they even existed 47:20 Bobby Clarke - Vince Taylor drummer was the first use a double bass drum 47:50 I was offered a part in the Monkees when they first casted it ‘it looked promising until I saw the bland script’ 51:10 friends with Jimi Hendrix ‘I remember listening to acetates of Are You Experienced at his flat at this wild all night party… 54:00 what Hendrix was like as a person 55:00 the amazing style of dressing of Stash, Brian Jones and Hendrix 59:00 the famous 1967 drug bust of Stash and Brian Jones 60:00 my style was certainly not dandy it was more inspired by Les Incroyables from France in 1870 61:03 I grew up in Lord Byrons former Villa Diodati in Geneva where Frankestein and Dracula was written - it was an influence - Byron's wall coverings were still in the house 65:10 what was Stash’s role in the 60s scene 69:40 the Beatles asked him to cover A Day In The Life before Sgt Peppers came out 70:50 Roger Daltry taking the piss out of him potentially going to prison 71:10 on recording with the Beatles 72:20 Mick Jagger droped the master tapes and then they all got lost 73:20 the 1973 drug bust with Keith Richards 75:10 Keith Moon paid for his lawyer and costs ‘very generous’ and got him off the 1973 bust 76:30 Friendship with McCartney, Harrison and Lennon and even strange figures like PJ Proby 80:00 what was Brian Jones like as a persson 81:45 Brian Jones was an amazing musical talent - he was a perfectionist and could play anything - he had acute hearing 85:30 sad how bad he was physically in the autopsy 86:00 on the magic that Brian added to the Stones 87:00 Syd Barrett - Stash was there the fateful night of Syd’s acid trip that changed him 92:00 acid trip with Keith Richards and then goes to India - adventures in India and Nepal spiritual trip…and his return to research western 93:40 talks about author Gary Lachman )former Blondie Gary Valentine) writes amazing books on occult and spirituality.