When I was living in London in the late 1970s, I was invited to go to an “adult” party at Diana Dors’s house. I haven’t the foggiest idea what “adult” party meant in Diana’s home, but of course, I was a very curious young man at the time. I knew of her slightly, mostly that she was the British version of Jayne Mansfield, and that she made an album called “Swinging Dors,” which at the time, I never heard. Oddly enough, her arranger Wally Stott also arranged the classic Scott Walker recordings of the 1960s.
While in London at that time, I went to a pub called “The Blind Begger” on Whitechapel Road. I didn’t know at the time, but the pub is a well-known hangout for gangsters in the East London area. Ironically enough, it was also the original site that the Salvation Army started. I went in by myself to have a quiet pint of Brown Ale when a gentleman approached me by the name of Terry Denton, who started a conversation with me. He was a bit tight (drunk) but mentioned that he was going to a party at Diana Dors’s house, and he got a special invitation specifically from her. She told him that he could bring another gentleman to the house that night. Usually, I would say no, but for some odd reason, I was intrigued and decided to take up his kind invitation. I mentioned that I don’t know anyone in that world, and would it be still ok if I came with him to the party. He said, “no problem.” So off we went, and we found a taxi in the late night to take us to Berkshire, just outside of London.
Once we arrived, I was surprised regarding the house, not knowing what to expect once I got there. From the outside, it looked like a quaint, but decent sized home. Terry let himself in, and I stood behind him. He said to follow him in, and off I went into what I think was the living room. There were approximately 30 people there, with maybe more than half young girls. They all look like starlets of some sort, but I wasn’t clear if they were in the entertainment world or even women who are professionals in the party world. Terry immediately introduces me to a pair of sharp-suited gentlemen, who strongly resembled each other. One was called Ron, and the other I think, his name was Reg or something like that. Terry later told me that they are twin brothers. Eventually, I was introduced to Diana Dors herself. She was full-figured, had a beautiful face, although, at the time, she looked well-lived, if you get my drift.
She threw her arms around me and mentioned if I needed anything that I should help myself to whatever is out there. The way she said that to me, I wasn’t sure if she was talking about drinks, or what looks like drugs being passed around. Or perhaps it was the woman there! Terry took me by the arm to introduce me to a pretty brunette, whose name I can’t remember now. When I shook her hand, Terry told her that “Tosh here is an American, and he’s producing a film in London.” I gave a glance towards him, but he didn’t return the “look” to me. What I remember was her accent was strong. I could only make out every third for the fourth word from her lipsticked mouth.
Nevertheless, I was communicating with her, and Diana came from behind and took both of our hands and directed us to another room in the house. Once there, I realized we were in a bedroom, and a couple was going at it like stranded dogs in a dog park. I didn’t know what was happening… well, I did. But at the same time, I didn’t. The couple got out of the bed and went towards a full-length mirror. He started fucking her against the mirror.
Meanwhile, my heavily accented lass took me by the side of the bed, where she sat down and started to unzip my pants. She began to serve me a service that I didn’t expect would happen three hours ago. Afterward, after we finished, I lost her in the crowd at the party and noticed another room where I can hear a film projector going. I went in, and it was Diana, Terry, and the twin brothers watching hardcore porn film. I realized that the setting of this film was the bedroom that I just left. Obviously, she had a camera hooked up and more likely filmed me at the peak of my or “our” adventure.
I found myself back in my flat, in sort of a dazed state. Terry was kind enough to organize a ride back to London with the twins. They were polite, but I felt I shouldn’t say too much in their presence. I also felt that I witnessed something that shouldn’t be repeated or reported in a public forum. So let’s leave it at that.
"Jumpin' Jack Flash: David Litvinoff and the Rock n' Roll Underworld" by Keiron Pim (Jonathan Cape Vintage, ISBN: 978-0-224-09812-0)
For me, what is there not to love about this book? In 300 or so pages, I get a bit of Jewish London history of the East End, The Krays, The Rolling Stones, and a tale of an obsessive record / music collector who was also a criminal, Francis Bacon & Lucian Freud, London Soho night life, as well as one of the leading influences of the great film "Performance." Not only that, he was hired as an advisor for the film, and hinted that perhaps (or perhaps not) wrote some of the scenes for the film. David Litvinoff is a figure who very much lived in the shadows of other people. Yet, his presence, was greatly noted in the world of the Krays as well as to the world of Eric Clapton, Stones, and the swinging London 60s. Litvinoff, was an invented character (of sorts) who was the bridge between the criminal life of London and the world of rock n' roll with a side trip to the cinema. The author, Keiron Pim, did a fantastic job in putting together this biography that couldn't have been that easy.
I often dream of having an identical twin brother. As a child I used to play in front of a full-length mirror and pretended that the image was my twin. It wasn’t out of loneliness, but more fascinated with my image being reproduced, and therefore a double image of me. And now as an adult, I still have the same fascination with my image - especially when I walk by a mirror or a reflection off a store window. I never told anyone this, because this type of behavior is usually not looked upon as something healthy. Nevertheless it is something important to me at the very core of my being. The only twins I have ever met were two beautiful women, who often appear in numerous stage shows in Los Angeles and beyond. I once showed up at a meet-and-greet, at a comic book store, where they were promoting a video they made. I approached one believing it was the one that I knew quite well, but I was wrong, it was her sister. She caught my mistake and told me that "you got the wrong girl here." She was sweet about it, but I was embarrassed about my mistake. For some reason, I wanted to be above of such a common error, but I failed miserably.
I was bullied a lot of times in school, both in elementary and high school, and I try to imagine my twin brother there, fighting off the goons and saving me from disgrace, and knowing that he looked like me, I could feel stronger. This of course was a fantasy, but as the punches and hair-pulling happened, I imagine this throughout my beating. It made me feel better, and the thought of that image, I never cried. No matter how hard they hit me, or yelled insults. With my imagination, I felt stronger than them. It is probably why I’m a writer. It is probably why I’m obsessed with the Kray twins.
Reginald and Ronald were from East London, and they started off as amateur boxers, and I have read that they often boxed against each other. One can wonder if when they threw a punch onto the other, were they thinking they are brothers, or was it a punch toward their self-image. I can imagine throwing a punch at the mirror image of me, but I would just end up with a cut-up bloody hand. But here, you are infecting pain on one another. It must have been an intense boxing moment or two. Later on, they became the twin kings of London’s crime world. It has been reported that they could communicate without speaking to each other. Whatever this is quite true or not, it seemed to cause fear among their henchmen as well as their enemies.
Around the same time, Paul and Barry Ryan were making an appearance in the music world. Paul wrote the songs and him and Barry performed them. To my ears they sound like a weaker version of The Walker Brothers, but nevertheless seeing Barry and Paul on the same stage or even in photographs, unnerved me. I think due to the fantasy I had to become a singer. I couldn’t carry a tune if my (or your) life depended on it. But if I was a singer, I of course would want to have an identical twin brother on the stage with me. To look at each other while singing appears to be heaven. Nevertheless, I’m torn between the two twin brothers. I imagine that the Krays met the Barry twins, but I just wonder what their reaction would be like? They could go out socially, with Ronnie ganging up with Barry, and Paul can be with Reg. That, I think, would cause a spontaneous disturbance whenever they enter a nightclub or restaurant. But the truth in the matter, is that if I had a choice, I would prefer the Krays.
When I’m alone, I feel powerless. Yet, with an identical image with me, floating around yours truly, can be enticing and I imagine one would feel more powerful. The Krays are all about power. It’s not money or even a life of riches, but more of a show, or a theater performance. The Krays, even though they’re criminals, they are more of a performer than say the Ryan boys. They had a good understanding of “theater, ” and what it means to the people outside and inside their social circle. The fact that both of them were reportedly brutal, adds a certain amount of shine to their image. So being alone, bullied, and often feeling stupid. The Krays are immensely important to me. Reg, Tosh, and Ron having a night out.
When I was living in London in the late 1970s, I was invited to go to an “adult” party at Diana Dors house. I haven’t the foggiest idea what “adult” party meant in Diana’s house, but of course, I was a very curious young man at the time. I knew of her slightly, mostly that she was the British version of Jayne Mansfield, and that she made an album called “Swinging Dors, ” which at the time, I never heard. Oddly enough, her arranger Wally Stott, also arranged the classic Scott Walker recordings of the 1960s.
While in London at that time, I went to a pub called “The Blind Begger” on Whitechappel Road. I didn’t know at the time, but the pub is a well known hangout for gangsters in the East London area. Ironically enough, it was also the original site which the Salvation Army started. I went in by myself to have a quiet pint of Brown Ale, when I was approached by a gentleman by the name of Terry Denton, who started a conversation with me. He was a bit tight (drunk) but mentioned that he was going to a party at Diana Dors house and he got a special invitation specifically from her. He was told by her that he could bring another gentleman to the house that night. Normally I would say no, but for some odd reason I was intrigued, and decided to take up his kind invitation. I mentioned that I don’t know anyone in that world, and would it be still ok if I came with him to the party. He said “no problem.” So off we went, and we found a taxi in the late night to take us to Berkshire, just outside of London.
Once we arrived, I was surprised regarding the house, not knowing what to expect once I got there. From the outside, it looked like a quaint, but decent sized home. Terry let himself in and I stood behind him. He said to follow him in, and off I went into what I think was the living room. There were approximately 30 people there, with maybe more than half, young girls. They all look like starlets of some sort, but I wasn’t clear if they were in the entertainment world, or even woman who are professionals in the party world. Terry immediately introduces me to a pair of sharp suited gentlemen, who strongly resembled each other. One was called Ron, and the other I think, his name was Reg, or something like that. I was later told by Terry that they are twin brothers. Eventually I was introduced to Diana Dors herself. She was full-figured, had a beautiful face, although at the time, she looked well-lived, if you get my drift.
She threw her arms around me, and mentioned if I needed anything that I should help myself to whatever is out there. The way she said that to me, I wasn’t sure if she was talking about drinks, or what look like drugs being passed around. Or perhaps it was the woman there! Terry took me by the arm to introduce me to a pretty brunette, whose name I can’t remember now. When I shook her hand, Terry told her that “Tosh here is an American and he’s producing a film in London.” I gave a glance towards him, but he didn’t return the “look” back to me. What I remember was her accent was really strong. I could only make out every third for the fourth word from her lipsticked mouth.
Nevertheless I was really communicating with her, and Diana came from behind, and took both of our hands, and directed us to another room in the house. Once there, I realized we were in a bedroom and there was a couple going at it like stranded dogs in a dog park. I didn’t know what was happening… well I did. But at the same time I didn’t. The couple got out of the bed, and went towards a full length mirror and he started fucking her against the mirror. Meanwhile, my heavily accented lass took me by the side of the bed, where she sat down and started to unzip my pants. She began to serve me a service, that I didn’t expect would happen three hours ago. Afterwards after we finished, I lost her in the crowd at the party, and noticed another room where I can hear a film projector going. I went in, and it was Diana, Terry, and the twin brothers watching hard core porn film. I realized that the setting of this film was the bedroom that I just left. Obviously she had a camera hooked up, and more likely filmed me at the peak of my or “our” adventure.
I found myself back in my flat, in sort of a dazed state. Terry was kind enough to organize a ride back to London with the twins. They were polite, but I felt I shouldn’t say too much in their presence. I also felt that I witnessed something that shouldn’t be repeated or reported in a public forum. So let’s leave it at that.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
It took me awhile, but i finally found this book (thanks Alias East!) and like the pleasure of finding something that you really tried to find - the pleasure of the book even becomes more important, and sensual, to you. My interest in the photographic works of David Bailey is pretty much set in the 1960's. He's consistently fine, but the peak of his powers i feel is when he documented the faces of London. Or I should say the various 'Face" of London. That would include Mick Jagger, Jean Shrimpton, a very young Jane Birkin and various beautiful models of that period.
David Bailey and Jean Shrimpton
Michael Caine by David Bailey
Bailey had the East London street know-it-all, and its interesting he did a series of iconic portraits of the Kings of East London - The Kray Twins. The mixture of the visual arts, rock n' roll, filmmakers, fashion, and gangsters is a heady mixture and a dynamic cocktail. You got to find this book and buy it. Essential recording of London circ. 1960's and other ports of the world. But it is seen through the eyes of an East London lad.
Whenever I go to London I try to buy as many books i can on the Kray Twins. Some like to buy little Big Ben statues, but no, I buy Kray books. And at one time, there were at least a 100 or so books on the Krays. Books by the vicitims, the people who worked with the Krays, and even the bartender who served drinks to one of the victims of the Krays just before he got shot in the head. She wrote a book as well. In fact I suspect off subjects due to true crime catagory, there are more books on the Kray Twins. Why? Well they're fascinating in many interesting ways. Both are identical twins, one was gay the other straight, and they basically ruled the London crime world during hte 60's. Also they were psychotic and extremely dangerous pair of men. I wouldn't want to cross their path and make them unhappy. The Krays also wrote a series of memoirs while they were in prison. Francis Bacon has mentioned that he received a landscape painting by one of the twins via the mail. He commented that it's interesting that it was a landscape painting, considering that they didn't have a view of such land in their cell. Although their cells did have carpeting, and maybe even a wet bar as well. The Krays lived in high fashion all the time. This is one of many of Reggie Kray's book. i am not sure about it's history, but it is still fascinating to see how these guys work and what they think about. There is a certain amount of glamour in their lives, but you have to keep in mind the sickening violence that went with it as well. One day I like to do a critical essay on the books that were produced in the Kray's world. I think it would be fascinating to compare and chose ... and just basically think how the mass media has covered the Kray twins.
Spotlight on … Jacques Roubaud The Loop (1992)
-
‘Jacques Roubaud is a playful, puzzling, erudite, at times obscure, yet
at other times thoroughly moving “composer” (as he puts it) of poetry and
prose. ...
Happy Birthday Elliott Gould
-
Happy Birthday to one of the all-time greats and one of the coolest of the
cool Elliott Gould. From my 2019 New Beverly interview with Elliott Gould
about ...
Posts
