Speakeasy Club
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The Speakeasy Club, 48 Margaret Street London W1, was a late-night haunt for the music industry from 1966 to the late 1970s. The club was managed by Laurie O'Leary (a lifelong friend of the Kray twins) from 1968 to 1977. Known in the business as "The Speak", it included a restaurant and music room.
Since the club was a regular drinking hole for record industry and artist agency executives, it attracted many bands who played for low fees in the hope of being spotted and who would form the basis of the emerging British rock scene as well as international bands touring the UK. Among such groups were The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, Pink Floyd (First appeared:19th September 1967, Deep Purple (First appeared 20th March 1969)), Mothers Of Invention (October 1967), Jimi Hendrix (19th Januarry 1967), King Crimson (9th April 1969), Bob Marley (May 1973 Catch a Fire Tour). The Who refer to the club, "Speakeasy, drink easy, pull easy", on their 1967 album The Who Sell Out.
According to Record Collector magazine (12/2006) Jimi Hendrix played Wild Thing with the V.I.P.s (later Spooky Tooth) for the first time in the UK in Speakeasy. He had been in London for less than a week. He arrived at London on the morning of 24 Sebtember 1966.
