Woke up, it was a Chelsea morning,
and the first thing that i saw
Was the sun through yellow curtains,
and a rainbow on the wall
Blue, red, green and gold to welcome you
crimson crystal beads to beckon...
i have hopped from the Empire Hotel in Regina to the Chelsea in New York,
from
'sitting on my groceries' to 'if only you will stay...'
1750
Chelsea estate built
Captain Thomas Clarke, a veteran officer of the French-Indian Wars gave the
name of Chelsea to his country-seat--an estate on the shores of the Hudson,
two and three miles north of the town of New York. It was on 23rd between 9th
& 10th Avenues.
1884
Chelsea Hotel built
Hotel (then a co-operative apartment building) built by George M. Smith and
designed by architects Hubert, Pirsson & Co. It was the tallest building in
New York until 1902.
Mark Twain was a frequent guest.
O.Henry. Edgar Lee Masters.
Trotskyites. Thomas Wolfe. Willem de Kooning...Edith Piaf...Diego
Rivera...Tenessee Williams...
Arthur Miller writes After the Fall here and concieves a daughter (might as
well)
1952...Dylan Thomas moves in.Dies after heavy drinking at White Horse
Tavern...
"Dylan Thomas lived and laboured here...and from here sailed out to die..."
(on hotel plaque)
Sir Arthur C. Clarke moves in ('56)
'63...Warhol circle moves in
64...William Burroughs...
Dylan writes "Sad Eyed Lady" at the Chelsea
and later has a baby while staying here
leonard cohen...gregory corso
warhol's film ('66) Chelsea Girls
jimi hendrix...janis joplin, lover and subject for cohen's "Chelsea Hotel" ("I
remember you well, in the Chelsea Hotel" - the rest is censored, except the
fact that originally that nite, joplin was lookin' for kristofferson and cohen
was lookin' for bardot)
dennis hopper
JONI WRITES CHELSEA MORNING WHILE STAYING HERE...
Vladimir Nabokov
Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side" inspired by his Warhol friends here and his
"Chelsea Girls" about rooms 115 and 506...
Bobby Neuwirth stays here and meets Patti Smith...
Sam Shepherd stays here and gets involved with Patti Smith...
Donald Sutherland...
Sid Vicious and his vicious story...
"it was a shithouse in '78...now its fixed up again" one resident explains
rooms start at $135. a nite ...
says a spanish writer:
Their beds have been weakened by the inexpressible nocturnal customs of Jimi
Hendrix, Frank Zappa, Keith Richards, Buddy Thousands, Rum Wood, The Grateful
Dead, The Beach Boys, Procol Harum, Country Joe & The Fish, Pink Floyd and the
Allman Brothers. Bob Dylan wrote several of his songs in the A17 room, until
today never has wanted to occupy another one; a group of students has
speculated on the possibility that the neon signboard falls exactly on its
window, the inspiration that illuminates the teacher.
i'd be all day researching the chelsea any longer...why don't you jomdlers
help out, esp. you burnt worms of the big apple...
Lead Foot Melvin
