Richard Pryor about doing LSD
That’s why I don’t drink so much. Take acid, either. White dudes take acid. They do. They take acid and go see “The Exorcist.” They crazy. White dude gave me some acid once at a party, too, jack. And I thought I was crazy before I took it. It saned me right up.
Dude say: [nerdy white dude’s voice] “This is far out.”
I said, “What?”
Says: [nerdy white dude’s voice] “It’s far bleepin’ out.”
I took it, jack. “You’re gonna be trippin’!”
‘Bout twenty minutes later, I was at the party: “Hey, blood, what’s happenin’? [mimes one half of a complex handshake for two brothers] Everything is cool. White dude gave me some stuff I’m gonna be trippin’! You know, I ain’t goin’ no place without my luggage. Believe that!
Look at this, man! I can catch my hand!
[eyes bug out, mouth opens wide,a high-pitched squeal] Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! [suddenly the squeal becomes low-pitched and Pryor starts moving– and talking — in slow motion]
Uh oh. I’ve got to get out of here! [running in very slow motion across home base, another high-pitched squeal] Whaaaaaaaa![suddenly stops, clutches his chest, in a normal but panicked voice]
I don’t remember how to breathe! I can’t breathe! [opens mouth, bobs head] One, two, three. Ain’t nothin’ happenin’, man!”
[nerdy white dude’s voice] “Told ya it was far out!”
Hadn’t heard that bit.
My understanding is that black people didn’t do acid much (by the 70s?). Jimi Hendrix was considered an anomoly.
But the George Clinton/P-Funk crowd were black and did do acid. A member of his band recruited Fred Wesley from James Brown’s band giving him some acid. Fred essentially ‘got off the (tour) bus’ and told James ‘f-this!’ and signed up for the new party.
Also I’ve been led to believe that PCP (aka angel dust) was a problem in the black community (a different psychedelic high).