Francisco music scene. As well as enjoying those heady times, she was in a documentary that was selected to be viewed at the Cannes Film Festival in 1969. A picture of her walking with friends on San Francisco’s famous “Hippie Hill” hangs in Cleveland, Ohio’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, freezing forever that moment in time.
As if all of this weren’t enough excitement in her life at the time, Loui Malone also got to see and meet The Yardbirds in Ruidoso, New Mexico on September 7, 1966. In this interview, Malone recounts that fascinating experience and piece of popular music history. She also saw Led Zeppelin on the band’s First U.S. and Canadian Tour when the group debuted at the Fillmore West in San Francisco, California, on one of the nights between January 9 and 12, 1969.
REDDON:
Hi, Loui! After emailing back and forth, it’s great to speak to you. Thanks very much for permitting me to interview you. I’ve really been looking forward to this for quite some time.
MALONE: Hi, Frank! Nice to talk to you. I’m glad you’re so interested in my recollections. That was an amazing piece of my life. It’s gratifying someone else has some interest in this very special era gone by.
REDDON:
My interest is more than a passing one, I guarantee you that. Let’s start by having you talk about your experience with The Yardbirds in Ruidoso, New Mexico. Please correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems like a rather remote place to see them.
MALONE: No, that’s right. Although Ruidoso is very beautiful, it’s not a place where you might expect to see a group like The Yardbirds. Ruidoso is two hundred miles south of Albuquerque, New Mexico, which most people are familiar with. It’s also sixty miles west of Roswell. Ruidoso actually means “noisy waters”. It’s a tourist town - a skiing town in winter and a nice summer spot for recreation and historical points of interest and natural beauty. It has many amenities for enjoyment there, year round. A racetrack called Ruidoso Downs is quite an attraction because of its quarterhorse racing.
Ruidoso brought in a few bands but not many because it’s a relatively isolated place. I do recall that another British band, Paul Revere and The Raiders, came through but not a great many artists toured through Ruidoso.
REDDON:
I’m familiar with Roswell because of all the UFO sightings associated with it, right?
MALONE: That’s right. Roswell is the UFO place! I was a big Yardbirds fan about 1965-66. They were always my favourite and I couldn’t believe they were coming to Ruidoso. My friends had a local band called The Bossmen. They were to be the warm-up band when The Yardbirds were scheduled to play here at the Ruidoso Convention Center. It was probably in 1966 or 1967. The night before The Yardbirds were to perform, the hot water heater/boiler or whatever, blew up! The damage was extensive enough to cancel the concert. They needed to find another place to hold the concert and in a big, BIG hurry!
The Bossmen were actually in charge of a place in Ruidoso that served as a local haunt for a night club/music venue. It was called “The Hut”. It was owned by some buddies of theirs in Roswell, but The Bossmen were running The Hut for them. So, between my friends in The Bossmen, some others and the promoters of The Yardbirds, they decided to play at The Hut. Ironically, it was right across from the Ruidoso Police Station!
REDDON: Yup, I get the picture!
MALONE: Yeah, it was quite amusing. The Bossmen played at The Hut regularly. It was a very popular place for the kids in town to hang out for music and a fun night out. The Hut wasn’t a big place, by any means. It had high wooden roof rafters and wooden floors; yet it had an innate charm that translated into a cozy atmosphere you might find at a smaller music club. I think it was originally a roller rink, the way it was built. The best way to picture it is like an old gymnasium. A bunch of us set about cleaning The Hut up, to get it ready for where The Yardbirds were now going to play all of a sudden, the very next night.
We worked like crazy people all night and managed to get it ready, with next to no notice. It’s a fond memory and we all had a good time doing it. We knew it was going to be an amazing concert in a most unlikely place, so that kept us cleaning like mad as well. We couldn’t believe this was going to happen. My favourite group - The Yardbirds - playing in my town and I was helping to make it possible! We didn’t know how many people were coming but we knew there would be a lot of them.
Since The Bossmen were heavily involved with The Yardbirds coming to Ruidoso in the first place, they took on the many tasks that aren’t always thought of, as you hand your ticket in to go see a show. It’s easy to forget how much planning is involved by all concerned: musicians, promoters, venue staff, etc. It all comes together. The preparation that goes into bringing a group to any place, anywhere is lots of fun and provides a real education in the process. We found that out when we cleaned up The Hut the night before! We divided up the duties that we could take care of. Since I had my Dad’s big car, I was put in charge of meeting The Yardbirds at the airport and then picking them up from their hotel to take them to the concert.
REDDON: Thank heavens Dad had a big car, eh?
MALONE: Yeah, you’re not kidding! That was about the best job and I got it. I don’t recall what hotel they stayed at but I do remember picking them up. It was a real thrill. There I was, picking up my favourite group from the airport and chauffeuring them around. How cool was that for a teenager?
REDDON: I know, that’s too much. You must have been thrilled to pieces.
MALONE: I surely was! When I picked The Yardbirds up at the airport for their appearance at The Hut, it still sounds funny after all these years but it’s a very fond memory. They all seemed like very nice guys. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed chatting with them. It was quite the experience. I don’t know if this means anything to you but this is the way it was. Jeff Beck was sitting next to me in the front seat in the middle and Chris Dreja was in the front seat passenger side, next to Beck. Jimmy Page and the others were in the back seat. We all talked on the way to the concert. Jeff Beck offered me a stick of Doublemint gum!
REDDON:
I remember that gum! There used to be television commercials with pairs of twins and stuff with the goofy jingles.
MALONE: Yes! I also noticed that Jeff Beck had a big hickey on his neck. I razzed him about that and he took it very well!
Once we got to The Hut, The Bossmen went on first. Then The Yardbirds played. The place was packed and there were tons of people out in the street trying to hear what was going on. I don’t know if they had tickets because of the spillover from a larger venue but no one was causing trouble. All the security concerns about big concert events over the years that have occurred…we never gave them a second thought. It wasn’t even in the equation. It was a different time back then. Everybody was dancing and having a great time wherever they were.
There weren’t any crowd problems inside, either. There wasn’t any organized seating, really, inside The Hut. That’s the way it was in those days. Everybody was there for a hassle-free night of great music, thanks to The Yardbirds. They were incredible. It’s one thing to hear their records but when they’re playing and jamming as they go along on the songs you already know from the recorded versions, it’s a whole different experience. And that’s what they did. They jammed a lot on most of their numbers that night. I don’t recall what songs they played exactly but they played all their hits and then some. The concert was about two hours. Page was so loud, as was the rest of the band, but they sounded great!
