Court, Paul McCartney, and Psychedelic Colors, 1967
Behind the Photo #8
In this photo, I’m being photographed by Paparazzi while taking a smoke break before my second court appearance following my 1967 arrest with Brian Jones.
Raids, Crooked Cops, and Court, 1967
On May 11, 1967, at the West London Magistrates Court, Brian Jones and I found ourselves in quite a situation. It all began after a raid on Courtfield Road in Kensington. That day was one of the biggest events, with hundreds of people and photographers swarming the area.
It was Paul McCartney's idea for us to wear iconic clothing as opposed to traditional suits. He always encouraged us not to pretend to be someone we weren't. Not to cater to the establishment and to just go out and be outrageous.
Brian was much more despondent, saying, “They're too strong for us," while Paul insisted that you've got to stick it to them and say, “We're not guilty, but even if we were, what are you arguing about?”
At the time, Paul was waging a campaign that the drug policies were all wrong, which got him into real trouble because of an interview he did with a Sunday paper in which he said he was taking psychedelic drugs.
That interview completely flipped out the establishment, leading them to label him as "Paul McCartney, BF," short for "bloody fool." That was the first crack in the Beetle's invincible armor, which eventually got Paul busted.