There’s lots of interesting archive stuff on iPlayer including this – which has the BBC Everyman documentary revisiting the hippy ideals of 1967 and seeing how they play out in 1978. The opener, with the hippy Cult member turned dead-eyed IT student is straight out of Scarfolk/Ghost Box and quite chilling. Then Vashti Bunyan crops up. Much talk of ‘Selling Out’ or ‘Copping Out’ which in my lifetime was always levelled at Punks – so it originated with the Hippies.
Great bit of 70s TV where they point a camera at something and and unlike today you’re not really being shoved in any particular direction but you’re given enough information to make your own mind up about what became of the ideals of 1967. The eyes and body language tell their own story. Lots of nervous shifting in seats and furtive glances…Felix Dennis for instance, mid-interview visibly seems to become jarringly aware of how far he’s moved from the land of Oz. Timothy Leary, strutting through NYC and waving at everyone like they’re an old acquaintance is priceless at the end.
And of all that in just 35 very watchable minutes.
Where Have All the Flowers Gone
Looks really interesting – thanks for the tip
Cheers for this. Leary at the end reminded me of Dick Emery’s ‘Hello honky tonks!’ character.
Interesting too, to see Felix Dennis somewhere between his Oz and ‘Did I mention the free wine?’ multi-millionaire selves. I bought most of those poster mags displayed on his office walls!
It’s a mighty long way from Rupert to Dido.