John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, 1974

My Night with Gala Dali

The Spanish castle magic was not to be

Gala and Salvador Dali, (Flickr Yvonne Esperanza)

“You are artists?”

“Yeah, I guess you could say that.” I managed, in a neutral tone, already losing interest. “Maybe you have heard of him,” she intoned. “Salvador Dali?” I looked at this woman for the first time, directly, and my own Russian background from two generations back saw something in those eyes that went deep and yet, I somehow didn’t believe what she had just said. It wasn’t until I later asked the hotel concièrge who this woman was and heard his incredulous answer, “But you didn’t know, señor? that is señora Dali.”

SECOND MEETING WITH GALA DALI

The hotel staff seemed genuine when they said it was Salvador Dali’s wife, Gala. Why should they joke about it? It would be a matter of national pride, would it not? So, although at that age, I had no idea about Gala and her history, even I had heard of Salvador Dali.
We had at least an hour before the gig, so I asked the concièrge what room she was in and headed up to see her. After all, she had engaged me in conversation, for whatever reason, so I doubted she’d be bothered by a visit from a 27 year-old rock musician. I suppose today, her whereabouts would be shrouded in secrecy, but at that time I was told her room number and that she was in it.

THIS SPANISH CASTLE MAGIC WITH GALA DALI WAS NOT TO BE (ALAS!)

The gig was in some large venue, I’d say a few thousand people and the cigarette lighter thing at the end. Impressive. No Gala before the gig, none after. Well, when I invited her, I thought she wouldn’t show, so I wasn’t surprised. When you play music in front of thousands of people who make a huge light show of tiny flames at the end, you don’t think about some middle-aged lady you’d invited on a lark to stop by, anyway. Several of us went to hang out with some people we had met at the concert, and here’s where things got foggy. A lot of drinking went on, no drugs, not that alcohol isn’t a drug, but my recollection of how things happened is gone. Some of the highlights have stayed with me all these years.

“But if you rich… I no pay taxi!”

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Former touring sideman, now active in composing, playing and recording my own music and helping other artists distribute their music on the Each Hit Music label

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Randulo

Former touring sideman, now active in composing, playing and recording my own music and helping other artists distribute their music on the Each Hit Music label