The Marrakech Express, which runs from Tangiers to Morocco‘s cultural capital, became a popular hippie route during the 1960’s, as young westerners began to crave the experiences of more exotic locations. However, it was Graham Nash of Manchester band The Hollies, who gave the city greater prominence after writing about his journey onboard the train in 1966. The song became a big hit for Nash’s next group, Crosby Stills & Nash in 1969, after he’d quit Northern England for the sunnier climes of California. It’s a brilliantly catchy track which catches the spirit of 60’s Morocco, with Nash beautifully recalling the colours, sights & sounds of his journey.
Tangiers, to the North, had already gained notoriety by becoming a hotspot for the beat generation, so it was no surprise that the wonders of Marrakesh would eventually attract attention from the western pop scene. By the late 1960’s, Marrakech had become the hip place for London’s hoi polloi, as Yves St Laurent, The Beatles & the notably the Rolling Stones amongst others all swarmed to the city. Keith Richards once said of Morocco – ‘We enjoyed being transported……you could be Sinbad Sailor, One Thousand and One Nights. We loved it’. Yves St Laurent also developed a real love for the city, buying a house & the stunning Majorelle gardens here – these blue parks later becoming the home to his ashes. However, it was John Paul Getty and his wife Talitha who were at the very heart of the circle & this iconic photograph by Patrick Litchfield on their roof, overlooking Marrakesh & the Atlas Mountains, perfectly summarised this glamourous scene.
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