In 79 advertizing , the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius cover Pompeii in ash , preserving the city for millenary . In 1969 advert , a fire broke out at the mansion of the famed Chosen Family commune northwards of San Francisco . Most of the possession were left behind — leave archaeologist with a one - of - a - form time capsule of hippie life-time .
If you ’re a Grateful Dead sports fan , you ’re already familiar with the commune , which was founded at Olompali State Park in 1967 . The dance orchestra — one of many musical legends who play there — used a photograph of the bucolic commune as the back cover for their record album , Aoxomoxoa .
The Olompali commune started with around 30 members , and uprise to a population of 50 to 70 masses — aged 7 to 50 — subsist in the 24 - room Burdell Mansion and a duad of nearby structures . When a fire have the mansion on February 2 , 1969 , nobody was bruise . Some fellow member of the group remained on the property in an unattached skeleton house for a few month , but the commune officially closed in August .
res publica archaeologist E. Breck Parkman began exploring the site as early as 1981 , hoping to examine the historical reality behind what he believe are stereotypical notion about the commune and hippie sprightliness . But it would be decades before he could guide a thoroughgoing dig of the web site , which was declare off - limits following the discovery of asbestos that needed to be bring in from the orbit .
When Parkman was able-bodied to begin his excavation in earnest , he institute a some surprise . Although the commune declare itself to be strictly vegetarian , he ground lamb and steak bones . Parkman speculates that the newfangled members who join the community , specially in its final class , were less concerned about the principles establish by Olompali ’s founders . “ Other challenging items find were one unfired scattergun shell and one expend pickup case , ” notes Parkman . “ For a group of people normally associated with pacifism , the presence of a gun can add up as a surprise ; the group dynamics definitely changed when the commune became an open community in the last class , and the ownership of guns could be a reflexion of this . Further inquiry into the population of the commune shows that there were four military veterans live there at the time , three of whom had already served in the Vietnam War . ”
But Parkman ’s tangible passion is music , and he ’s devoted considerable time and attention to the vinyl record depart behind at Olompali .
Some representative of the smorgasbord of records find in the fire debris of the Burdell Mansion include :
“ Why is There Air ? ” by Bill Cosby ( 1937- ) ( Warner Brothers , 1965 )
“ Judy at Carnegie Hall ” by Judy Garland ( 1922 - 1969 ) ( Capitol , 1961 )
“ Rubber Soul ” by the Beatles ( Capitol Records , 1965 )
“ Pal Joey ” by Frank Sinatra ( 1915 - 1998 ) ( Capitol Records , 1957 )
“ Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Gershwin Songbook ” by Ella Fitzgerald ( 1917 - 1996 ) ( Verve , 1957 )
“ The Eddie Duchin Story ” by Eddy Duchin ( 1909 - 1951 ) and his orchestra ( Columbia , Red Label , 1956 )
“ Forbidden Fruit ” by Nina Simone ( 1933 - 2003 ) ( Colpix , 1961 )
“ My Fair Lady ” by Herman Levin ( 1907 - 1990 ) ( Columbia Masterworks , 1956 )
“ Beethoven : Symphony # 3 ” by Otto Klemperer ( 1885 - 1973 ) and the Philharmonia Orchestra of London ( EMI , 1961 )
“ I Left My warmheartedness in San Francisco ” by Tony Bennett ( 1926- ) ( Columbia , 1962 )
“ West Side Story ” by Dean Franconi and his Sound Stage Orchestra ( Spectrum , 1963 )
“ Flaming Drums ! ” by Babatunde Olatunji ( 1927 - 2003 ) ( Columbia , 1962 )
“ Super Session ” by Mike Bloomfield ( 1943 - 1981 ) , Al Kooper ( 1944- ) , and Stephen Stills ( 1945- ) ( Columbia Records , 1968 )
“ The Versatile Burl Ives ! ” by Burl Ives ( 1909 - 1995 ) ( Decca Records , 1961 )
“ The Music Man ” by the cast of the musical ( Warner Bros. , 1962 )
“ Stan Getz ” by the Stan Getz ( 1927 - 1991 ) Quartet and Quintet ( Jazztone , 1956 )
As Parkmanwrites :
There is much variety to be found in this commune of individuals , as come across by their eclectic collection of music . Everyone still had their own personal taste in medicine , and at least one of the founding father was listening to love and show tune , the eccentric of euphony that might not be first anticipate from a member of a commune . This rather surprising hippie discography is already challenging preconceived notions about the hippie lifestyle….such a assemblage of music play off well with the multigenerational aspect of the commune .
So , the next fourth dimension a filmmaker portrays liveliness in the later sixties and uses the usual mix of counter - culture music as the soundtrack , they might consider adding some Judy Garland and Tony Bennett , for the interest of historic accuracy .
[ Read “ A Hippie Discography : Vinyl Records From a Sixties Commune , ” atWorld Archaeology . ]
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