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| The original? Macca, January 1967 |
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| Freddie Mercury briefly joins The Kinks, but seriously Ray Davies sports a stash April 1967 |
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| Denny Laine Deram Records promo photo, Spring 1967 |
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| Steve Marriott onstage Blackheath, July 1967 |
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| Charlie Watts Manchester September 28, 1966 for a "Daily Mirror" photo shoot. |
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| Carl Wayne of The Move, "Beat Instrumental" 1967 |
Mick Rowley of The Smoke, "Beat Beat Beat"
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| Francis Rossi of Status Quo 1968, Macca moustache and Steve Marriott barnett. |
5 comments:
Ray Davies of all people grew the 'tache first out of all those pictured. His was grown in February 1966 during his infamous breakdown - Davies has said that he slept for a week and "woke up with a moustache" - and he decided to keep it for a short period... have seen one photo of him onstage with it and there were one or two photo sessions before he thankfully got rid of it.
Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts were next around August... were seen on all the publicity and promotion of "Have You Seen Your Mother Baby" but were gone by the time the next single came out in January 1967.
The Beatles first public appearance with the moustaches appears to be the TV interview outside Abbey Road shot on December 20th. Not been able to find the transmission date but when that was broadcast, that was the first time the public at large saw their new image. Whilst there is no doubt many would have grown because The Beatles were wearing them, Ray Davies and the Rolling Stones members had already started the ball rolling paving the way.
Big Beatles fan Syd Barrett then grew a moustache in January 1967 which lasted for that month only, probably influenced by The Beatles.
Paul got rid of it first, followed swiftly by John in June 1967, but Ringo and George retained theirs. Paul grew a beard at the end of 1968 and again in late 1969 and once more in 1971. He last sported a moustache in 1974/1975.
I've always thought that Paulie looked rather smashing with that 'stache. However I'm grateful that Syd Barrett didn't keep his:
http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/61707807/Syd+Barrett+moustache+syd.jpg
My theory on the origins of the moustache craze is that around that time in London(1966) the fashion craze was for Victorian/Edwardian clothing & bric & brac (such as Lord Kitchner's famous recruitment poster). An example was the Crimean War jacket that Jimi Hendrix wore. The urge to have facial hair like the old days to match the clothes probably followed.
Also, on Ray Davies' 'stach, I've read that he grew it after he had his nervous breakdown in '66. Brother Dave had a beard in the early '70s which was a "shock to the system" to quote P.G. Wodehouse
I hadn't seen that pic of Marriott, I usually love a 'tache but oh Stevie nooo!
The Kinks photo here actually dates from April '66!
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