Painted Black by Greg Kihn

Someone had invited a King’s Road flower child named Nicky Cramer, and he drove up with Robert. Nicky was a space cadet and why anybody would have invited him was a mystery. Tony Bramwell, an associate of the Beatles and friend of Mick Jagger’s, plus photographer Michael Cooper also made the trip.
    Redlands was Keith’s country estate with plenty of bedrooms with a huge dining hall and grand living room.
    Keith’s usual driver, Tom Keylock, was ill, and somehow Skully got the job to drive down to Redlands. He’d been hanging around the Stones office lately, looking for a way to ingratiate himself and put him next to the Stones.
    â€œDrive Keith? No problem,” he said cheerfully.
    Keith’s entire entourage stopped at Abbey Road Studios before they left London to witness the Beatles recording a brilliant new song called “A Day in the Life.” Buzzed from the genius of the song and several joints, Keith led the throng into the night feeling creative and exultant.
    Skully invited Acid King Leon Silverman to ride with them, which pissed Keith off. However, once he saw the contents of Leon’s briefcase, he changed his mind. It was an apothecary of recreational drugs, including huge amounts of purple haze.
    They arrived at Redlands around midnight on Saturday. After building a roaring fire in the huge Tudor fireplace, they set about exploring the contents of Acid King Leon’s briefcase. Keith was particularly keen to try the purple haze.
    They sat around the cozy fire and rolled joints. Keith pulled out his guitar and played. He strummed his vintage Gibson Hummingbird acoustic. The same chords that would eventually become the song “No Expectations.” The chords were sad, yet beautiful. Keith’s guitar playing could hover on the edge between feelings. He had the ability to make you hear what he didn’t play, along with what he did. Everyone in the group was mesmerized by his playing. He played far into the night.
    The next day, Keith woke up around noon and found Acid King Leon already up. Leon suggested a magical mystery tour of Sussex in his minivan, including a trip to the beach. Most of the guests went along, happily tripping through the countryside. Leon dispensed the purple haze freely. Before long, the entire group was flying.
    They returned to the house after dark. Everyone was tired and feeling mellow after a long acid trip. Robert Fraser’s servant, Mohammed, made dinner. George and Pattie Harrison left to return to their house in Surrey. Marianne went upstairs to take a bath. She was the only one who hadn’t brought a change of clothes, so after the bath she wrapped herself in a large fur rug and came downstairs just as Keith put on Bob Dylan’s latest album—the masterpiece double album Blonde on Blonde . Someone noticed a face peering through the window.
    â€œIt’s probably just a fan,” Keith said. The doorbell rang.
    â€œLet’s be quiet and maybe they’ll go away.”
    Shortly after George and Pattie left, Keith heard knocking at the door. He looked through the peephole and saw a group of twenty uniformed dwarves dressed in blue with shiny metallic bits and helmets. Keith swung open the big front door and invited them in with open arms.
    Flying on acid, Keith said, “Wonderful attire! Am I expecting you? Come on in, it’s chilly outside.”
    In stepped Chief Inspector Gordon Dimely.
    â€œI have a warrant to search this premises,” he said curtly.
    Keith was so high, he didn’t realize it was a bust.
    â€œYes, yes,” he said, “Come on in and we’ll read it by the fire.”
    The police searched everyone. Policewomen searched the ladies. Marianne ran upstairs wrapped in her fur rug and let it drop just as she got to the top step.
    â€œSearch me first!” she squealed.
    Acid King Leon Silverman’s briefcase was sitting on the table in plain view. One of the cops asked about