DISQUS

Laughing Squid: Notorious LSD Chemist Owsley Stanley Gives Rare Interview | Laughing Squid

  • Jennifer Tharp · 2 years ago
    There's also a fantastic (and lengthy) profile of him in the current issue of Rolling Stone, which unfortunately does not appear to be published online.
  • Roy · 2 years ago
    LETS GET ONE FACT STRAIGHT, JIMI HENDRIX'S SONG PURPLE HAZE WAS WRITTEN BEFORE STANLEYS ACID, IN FACT OWSELY STANELY NAMED THE LSD AFTER JIMI HENDRIX'S SONG PURPLE HAZE. GeT ThE FaCtS WrItE........................
  • owsley stanley · 2 years ago
    This whole 'purple haze' thing is nonsense. I have no idea what Jimi meant by the line, nor when he wrote it, but i do know the acid at Monterey was not it.

    We called the purple acid tabs pressed specially to be given away at the Monterey Pop Festival: "Monterey Purple". Jimi did seem to enjoy it- he jammed all night long in the long shed after I was able to organise a guitar and restrung it for him...

    I cannot speak of acid today, but in our time, acid of this quality is not the kind of thing which would attract the term 'haze'. To call it that would have been misleading. it was CLARITY- squared.

    History, like all the past (and future) 'exists' only in the mind.

    Only the present exists.
  • owsley stanley · 2 years ago
    One more myth needs busting.

    I NEVER put doses on paper, it is no good for the purpose- it rapidly and unpredictably destroys the activity. I abhor the practice.

    Thus, there was never any 'bear blotter'. My material was first put up in caps and later, in tabs. Other than colours -white, blue or purple, no special markings of any kind were ever used on doses.

    The little bears we all know and love are a bit of original art by Bob Thomas, based on a traditional cast-typeface widgit found in certain fonts ( I have the original lead piece). They are marching around in a circle on the back cover-art for Bear's Choice album.

    NB- Marching, NOT dancing.
  • Scott Beale · 2 years ago
    Owsley, nice to meet you (at least virtually). I've added an update to the post as well as made some corrections in order to clear up any misconceptions. I went ahead and removed the entire reference to Hendrix's "Purple Haze". Thanks for setting the record straight.
  • Ted Rheingold · 2 years ago
    Wow! Just happy to be here....
  • mike · 2 years ago
    i believe the perple haze was a type of heroin at the time an old vet from vietnam told me this
  • shroomer9 · 1 year ago
    Hi Owsley.

    Back around 1971 or so in Burbank, California I did some very excellent grade LSD which everyone called "Christmas Acid" (no doubt due to the orange barrels and green barrels that were floating around at that time). I was told at the time that it was 'Owsley Acid'. I've always felt that these names were merely marketing aggrandizement. Is it true? What can you tell me about "Christmas Acid"?

    Also, the song, "Kid Charlemagne" by Steely Dan....was that in reference to you? Thanks in advance.

    Respectfully,
    --Allan--