Sibylla's

Last updated

Sibylla's was a nightclub in the West End of London that operated from 1966 to 1968. It was located at 9 Swallow Street, on the edge of Mayfair and close to Piccadilly Circus. [1] The club's launch on 22 June 1966 was attended by many artists and celebrities, including the Beatles, members of the Rolling Stones, Michael Caine, Julie Christie, David Bailey and Mary Quant. Like the Ad Lib and the Scotch of St. James, the club was a popular meeting place for rock musicians and other artists until trends changed in the London scene.

Contents

Sibylla's was conceived as an exclusive venue for leading figures in the Swinging London era. Its major shareholders and owners were advertising copywriter Kevin Macdonald, photographer Terry Howard, and property developer Bruce Higham, while baronet and champion horse rider William Pigott-Brown provided much of the finance for the venture. George Harrison of the Beatles was given a shareholding in the club, in return for the publicity his association would bring, and disc jockey Alan Freeman was also a shareholder. The club's interior was designed by David Mlinaric. Since Sibylla's closed, the site has continued to be a nightclub location.

Concept and launch

Part of the archway marking the southern end of Swallow Street (on Piccadilly). The site at number 9 had been home to nightclubs for over 50 years before Sibylla's. Swallow Street.jpg
Part of the archway marking the southern end of Swallow Street (on Piccadilly). The site at number 9 had been home to nightclubs for over 50 years before Sibylla's.

In their plan for the club, Kevin Macdonald, Terry Howard and Bruce Higham conceived of a meeting place for the elite of Swinging London. Higham said the clientele they envisaged "[have] a kind of self-confidence, an awareness, which they transpose to their environment". [2] As a great-nephew of newspaper proprietor Lord Northcliffe, MacDonald was from an aristocratic family, yet his interest was in establishing an elite that was not governed along lines of social class. [3]

Sir William Pigott-Brown, a baronet, provided half the funds for the venture. [4] Guinness heir Tara Browne was another of the financial backers. [5] George Harrison of the Beatles, a friend of Howard, was given a 10 per cent shareholding, on the understanding that his name could be used to attract publicity, and disc jockey Alan Freeman was also a stakeholder. [6] [nb 1]

The site at 9 Swallow Street, on the eastern edge of Mayfair, had been a nightclub venue since 1915. [1] The building's new interiors were designed by David Mlinaric, who said at the time that his concept was to give the club "a feeling of under-decoration" to match contemporary fashions in clothes design. [8] Macdonald, Howard and Higham named the venue after Sibylla Edmonstone, [9] [10] a London socialite and the granddaughter of American entrepreneur Marshall Field. [8] The club was run under the company name of Kevin Macdonald Associated Ltd. [11]

Sibylla's was launched with a private party held on 22 June 1966. [12] One of the three owners declared that the club was "the first Classic London Discotheque". [13] Among the guests were the Beatles, who had just finished recording their Revolver album that day. The full guest list was later published in Queen magazine and included Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones; actors Michael Caine, Julie Christie and Jane Birkin; and fashion figures such as David Bailey, Mary Quant and Michael Rainey. [6] Writing in Queen, television presenter Cathy McGowan said that "A more glittering line up of guests could hardly be imagined." [14]

Popularity and decline

Carnaby Street, c. 1966. The owners of Sibylla's sought to attract only the most elite figures from the burgeoning Swinging London cultural scene. Londons Carnaby Street, 1966.jpg
Carnaby Street, c. 1966. The owners of Sibylla's sought to attract only the most elite figures from the burgeoning Swinging London cultural scene.

In his book on 1960s London, Shawn Levy states that, in their policy for Sibylla's, Macdonald, Howard and Higham allowed exclusivity based on "hipness" to replace the old class divisions of "breeding, schooling and wealth". Levy adds, "Of course, it worked", as 800 of the people they contacted agreed to become members of the club, at an annual fee of around £8. [15] Along with the Ad Lib and later the Scotch of St. James, the club was a popular meeting place for rock musicians such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. [16]

Speaking to journalist and author Jonathan Aitken in 1966, Macdonald said that Sibylla's represented the classless society of Swinging London. He said that he and his co-owners had brought together "the new aristocracy in Britain … the current young meritocracy of style, taste and sensitivity", namely: "the top creative people; the top exporters; the top brains; the top artists; the top social people". [17] [nb 2] According to MacDonald, in its "marrying up" of working-class artists and photographers with members of high society, Sibylla's was the realisation of the psychedelic aesthetic, a trend that had emerged in contemporary music that year. [19]

The club's manager was Laurie O'Leary, who had previously managed Esmeralda's Barn, a nightclub in Knightsbridge owned by the Kray twins. [20] The musical acts who performed at Sibylla's included Jokers Wild, a band featuring future Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, [21] and were booked through an agency owned by the Krays' elder brother, Charlie Kray. [20] Freddie Foreman, a convicted associate of the Kray twins, later wrote that, despite the restrictive door policy at Sibylla's, "I always welcome at the club" due to O'Leary's presence. [20] [22]

In October 1966, Macdonald, who was suffering from depression, died after jumping from a rooftop in west London. Author Steve Turner describes him as an early casualty among London's psychedelic drug users, at a time when the full psychological effects of LSD were not widely known. [23] According to cultural historian David Simonelli, MacDonald's suicide was indicative of the downside of "the changes in British society and its sociocultural image" in the psychedelic era. [24] Tara Browne, who was a regular at the club in the company of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, [25] died after crashing his sports car into a parked van in December 1966. [5]

In 1968, O'Leary left Sibylla's to manage the Speakeasy Club, which had become the new night spot for musicians and record industry executives. [26] Sibylla's closed that same year, as a result of what Levy terms "the vagaries of fashion among its In Crowd membership". [27] Following its closure, 9 Swallow Street continued to be a nightclub venue. [1] On 24 October 2016, the Aristocrat opened on the site, [28] applying a restrictive door policy that, according to GQ magazine, outdoes all rival local clubs. [29]

Notes

  1. ↑ Advance reports stated that Harrison and Freeman were co-funding the club. [4] Harrison merely lent his name to the project, however, and was not an investor. [7]
  2. ↑ Writing in the Daily Express that year, Robin Douglas-Home, a Scottish aristocrat, recognised that London's "privileged class" was now "actors, pop singers, hairdressers, and models". As a contrast with the previous norm, he added: "If a 14th Earl with a grouse moor and George Harrison with [his wife, the model] Patti Boyd walked together into a restaurant and there was only one table left, who would be given the table? Well – if the head waiter had any sense – obviously George and Patti." [18]

Related Research Articles

<i>Rubber Soul</i> 1965 studio album by the Beatles

Rubber Soul is the sixth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. It was released on 3 December 1965 in the United Kingdom on EMI's Parlophone label, accompanied by the non-album double A-side single "Day Tripper" / "We Can Work It Out". The original North American release, issued by Capitol Records, contains ten of the fourteen songs and two tracks withheld from the band's Help! (1965) album. Rubber Soul was described as an important artistic achievement by the band, meeting a highly favourable critical response and topping sales charts in Britain and the United States for several weeks.

<i>Revolver</i> (Beatles album) 1966 studio album by the Beatles

Revolver is the seventh studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. It was released on 5 August 1966, accompanied by the double A-side single "Eleanor Rigby" / "Yellow Submarine". The album was the Beatles' final recording project before their retirement as live performers and marked the group's most overt use of studio technology to date, building on the advances of their late 1965 release Rubber Soul. It has since become regarded as one of the greatest and most innovative albums in the history of popular music, with recognition centred on its range of musical styles, diverse sounds and lyrical content.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cultural impact of the Beatles</span>

The English rock band the Beatles, comprising John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, are commonly regarded as the foremost and most influential band in popular music history. They sparked the "Beatlemania" phenomenon in 1963, gained international superstardom in 1964, and remained active until their break-up in 1970. Over the latter half of the decade, they were often viewed as orchestrators of society's developments. Their recognition concerns their effect on the era's youth and counterculture, British identity, popular music's evolution into an art form, and their unprecedented following.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swinging Sixties</span> Youth-driven cultural revolution centred in London in the 1960s

The Swinging Sixties was a youth-driven cultural revolution that took place in the United Kingdom during the mid-to-late 1960s, emphasising modernity and fun-loving hedonism, with Swinging London denoted as its centre. It saw a flourishing in art, music and fashion, and was symbolised by the city's "pop and fashion exports", such as the Beatles, as the multimedia leaders of the British Invasion of musical acts; the mod and psychedelic subcultures; Mary Quant's miniskirt designs; popular fashion models such as Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton; the iconic status of popular shopping areas such as London's King's Road, Kensington and Carnaby Street; the political activism of the anti-nuclear movement; and the sexual liberation movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pattie Boyd</span> English model and photographer (born 1944)

Patricia Anne Boyd is an English model and photographer. She was one of the leading international models during the 1960s and, with Jean Shrimpton, epitomised the British female look of the era. Boyd married George Harrison in 1966, experiencing the height of the Beatles' popularity and sharing in their embrace of Indian spirituality. She divorced Harrison in 1977 and married mutual friend Eric Clapton in 1979; they divorced in 1989. Boyd inspired Harrison's songs "I Need You", "If I Needed Someone", "Something" and "For You Blue", and Clapton's songs "Layla", "Bell Bottom Blues" and "Wonderful Tonight".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taxman</span> 1966 song by The Beatles

"Taxman" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1966 album Revolver. Written by the group's lead guitarist, George Harrison, with some lyrical assistance from John Lennon, it protests against the higher level of progressive tax imposed in the United Kingdom by the Labour government of Harold Wilson, which saw the Beatles paying a 95% supertax. The song was selected as the album's opening track and contributed to Harrison's emergence as a songwriter beside the dominant Lennon–McCartney partnership. It was the group's first topical song and the first political statement they had made in their music.

<i>A Collection of Beatles Oldies</i> 1966 compilation album by the Beatles

A Collection of Beatles Oldies is a compilation album by the English rock band the Beatles. Released in the United Kingdom in December 1966, it features hit singles and other songs issued by the group between 1963 and 1966. The compilation served as a stopgap release to satisfy EMI's demand for product during the Christmas period, since the Beatles had only begun recording Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the follow-up to their Revolver album, late the previous month. It was the band's first official greatest hits collection, although the Beatles had no involvement in the album.

The Speakeasy Club, also known as The Speak, was a club situated at 48 Margaret Street, London, England, and served as a late-night meeting place for the music industry from 1966 to June 1978. The club took its name and theme from the speakeasies of the American Prohibition era. The club was owned by Iraqi-born entrepreneur David Shamoon, along with Blaises and The Revolution Club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paperback Writer</span> 1966 song by the Beatles

"Paperback Writer" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. Written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership, the song was released as the A-side of their eleventh single in May 1966. It topped singles charts in the United Kingdom, the United States, Ireland, West Germany, Australia, New Zealand and Norway. On the US Billboard Hot 100, the song was at number one for two non-consecutive weeks, being interrupted by Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rain (Beatles song)</span> 1966 song by the Beatles

"Rain" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, released on 30 May 1966 as the B-side of their "Paperback Writer" single. Both songs were recorded during the sessions for Revolver, although neither appear on that album. "Rain" was written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. He described it as being "about people moaning about the weather all the time".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Won't See Me</span> 1965 song by the Beatles

"You Won't See Me" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1965 album Rubber Soul. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. As with songs such as "We Can Work It Out" and "I'm Looking Through You" from the same period, the lyrics address McCartney's troubled relationship with Jane Asher and her desire to pursue her career as a stage and film actress. The Beatles recorded the song during what author Mark Lewisohn describes as a "marathon" final recording session for Rubber Soul, to ensure the album's pre-Christmas release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Think for Yourself</span> 1965 song by the Beatles

"Think for Yourself" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1965 album Rubber Soul. It was written by George Harrison, the band's lead guitarist, and, together with "If I Needed Someone", marked the start of his emergence as a songwriter beside John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The song's lyrics advocate independent thinking and reflect the Beatles' move towards more sophisticated concepts in their writing at this stage of their career. The song has invited interpretation as both a political statement and a love song, as Harrison dismisses a lover or friend in a tone that some commentators liken to Bob Dylan's 1965 single "Positively 4th Street". Among musicologists, the composition has been recognised as adventurous in the degree of tonal ambiguity it employs across parallel major and minor keys and through its suggestion of multiple musical modes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eleanor Rigby</span> 1966 song by the Beatles

"Eleanor Rigby" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1966 album Revolver. It was also issued on a double A-side single, paired with "Yellow Submarine". Credited to the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership, the song is one of only a few in which John Lennon and Paul McCartney later disputed primary authorship. Eyewitness testimony from several independent sources, including George Martin and Pete Shotton, supports McCartney's claim to authorship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tomorrow Never Knows</span> 1966 song by the Beatles

"Tomorrow Never Knows" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written primarily by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released in August 1966 as the final track on their album Revolver, although it was the first song recorded for the LP. The song marked a radical departure for the Beatles, as the band fully embraced the potential of the recording studio without consideration for reproducing the results in concert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Jay Way</span> 1967 song by the Beatles

"Blue Jay Way" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. Written by George Harrison, it was released in 1967 on the group's Magical Mystery Tour EP and album. The song was named after a street in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles where Harrison stayed in August 1967, shortly before visiting the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco. The lyrics document Harrison's wait for music publicist Derek Taylor to find his way to Blue Jay Way through the fog-ridden hills, while Harrison struggled to stay awake after the flight from London to Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She Said She Said</span> 1966 song by the Beatles

"She Said She Said" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1966 album Revolver. Credited to Lennon–McCartney, it was written by John Lennon with assistance from George Harrison. Lennon described it as "an 'acidy' song" with lyrics inspired by actor Peter Fonda's comments during an LSD trip in August 1965 with members of the Beatles and the Byrds. "She Said She Said" was the last track recorded for Revolver. Due to an argument over the song's musical arrangement, Paul McCartney walked out of the studio during the song's recording.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Good Day Sunshine</span> 1966 song by the Beatles

"Good Day Sunshine" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1966 album Revolver. It was written mainly by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. McCartney intended it as a song in the style of the Lovin' Spoonful's contemporaneous hit single "Daydream". The recording includes multiple pianos played in the barrelhouse style and evokes a vaudevillian mood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doctor Robert</span> 1966 song by the Beatles

"Doctor Robert" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. It was released in 1966 on their album Revolver, apart from in North America, where it instead appeared on their Yesterday and Today album. The song was written by John Lennon, although Paul McCartney has said that he co-wrote it. The Beatles recorded the track in seven takes on 17 April 1966, with vocals overdubbed on 19 April.

<i>The Family Way</i> (soundtrack) 1967 soundtrack album by the George Martin Orchestra

The Family Way is a soundtrack album composed by Paul McCartney, produced and arranged by George Martin, and credited to "the George Martin Orchestra". Released on Decca Records in January 1967 under the full title The Family Way , it is the soundtrack to the 1966 film The Family Way, directed by Roy Boulting and starring Hayley Mills. It consists of Martin's arrangements of music composed by Paul McCartney of the Beatles especially for the project. The record was preceded by a non-album single, again credited to the George Martin Orchestra, issued on 23 December 1966 by United Artists Records and comprising "Love in the Open Air" backed with "Theme from 'The Family Way'".

The Ad Lib Club was a nightclub on the fourth floor of 7 Leicester Place over the Prince Charles Cinema in London's Soho district. It opened in February 1964, and closed in its original location after a fire in November 1966. The owner, Brian Morris, unsuccessfully tried to reopen the club in Covent Garden. The club was noted for its R&B and Soul music.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Du Noyer 2010, p. 101.
  2. ↑ Levy 2003, pp. 217–18.
  3. ↑ Simonelli 2013, p. 99.
  4. 1 2 KRLA Beat staff (25 June 1966). "George's Club". KRLA Beat . p. 1.
  5. 1 2 Telegraph staff (22 June 2012). "Nicky Browne". The Telegraph . Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  6. 1 2 Turner 2016, pp. 327–28.
  7. ↑ Turner 2016, p. 327.
  8. 1 2 KRLA Beat staff (25 June 1966). "George's Club (continued)". KRLA Beat . p. 6.
  9. ↑ Turner 2016, p. 329.
  10. ↑ Levy 2003, pp. 218–19.
  11. ↑ Harry 2003, p. 58.
  12. ↑ Turner 2016, p. 650.
  13. ↑ Levy 2003, p. 217.
  14. ↑ "Give us this day our daily bird #3 – Sibylla Edmonstone". Snap Galleries. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  15. ↑ Levy 2003, p. 218.
  16. ↑ Du Noyer 2010, pp. 100–01.
  17. ↑ Turner 2016, pp. 329–30.
  18. ↑ Turner 2016, pp. 330–31.
  19. ↑ Simonelli 2013, pp. 99–100.
  20. 1 2 3 Turner 2016, p. 328.
  21. ↑ Blake 2008, p. 106.
  22. ↑ Foreman 2007, p. 78.
  23. ↑ Turner 2016, p. 532.
  24. ↑ Simonelli 2013, p. 120.
  25. ↑ Du Noyer 2010, p. 107.
  26. ↑ "Tour Manager". laurieoleary.co.uk. 15 March 2017.
  27. ↑ Levy 2003, p. 220.
  28. ↑ "Aristocrat: The Elite's Club". The Handbook. 21 October 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  29. ↑ Halls, Eleanor (10 February 2017). "Aristocrat Nightclub Brings Laid Back Chic to Mayfair". GQ . Retrieved 16 March 2017.

Sources

Further reading

51°30′34″N0°08′15″W / 51.5094°N 0.1376°W / 51.5094; -0.1376

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.