Editing Sun Ra (section)

===California and world tours (1968–1993)===
[[File:SunRa in 1992 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Sun Ra at the [[New England Conservatory of Music]], February 27, 1992]]

In late 1968, Sun Ra and the Arkestra made their first tour of the US West Coast. Reactions were mixed. Some [[hippie]]s accustomed to long-form psychedelia like the [[Grateful Dead]] were entranced and enthralled by the Arkestra, others merely bewildered. San Francisco was friendly to avant grade jazz from the early 50s and quickly welcomed Sun Ra's music.  By this time, the performance included 20–30&nbsp;musicians, dancers, singers, [[fire-eater]]s, and elaborate lighting. John Burks of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' wrote a positive review of a [[San Jose State College]] concert. Sun Ra was featured on the April 19, 1969 cover of ''Rolling Stone'' magazine, which introduced his inscrutable gaze to millions. During this tour, Damon Choice, then an art student at San Jose, joined the Arkestra and became its [[vibraphonist]].{{cn|date=February 2024}}

Starting with concerts in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom in 1970, the Arkestra began to tour internationally. They played to audiences who had known his music only through records. Sun Ra continued playing in Europe almost to the end of his life. The saxophonist Danny Ray Thompson became a ''[[de facto]]'' tour and business manager during this era, specializing in what he called "no bullshit [[Cash on delivery|C.O.D.]],"<ref>Szwed (1998), p. 273.</ref> preferring to take cash before performing or delivering records.

In early 1971, Sun Ra was appointed as [[artist-in-residence]] at [[University of California, Berkeley]], teaching a course called ''The Black Man In the [[Cosmos]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sensitiveskinmagazine.com/professor-sun-ra |title=Professor Sun Ra – Berkeley Lecture, 1971 |date=8 May 2011 |publisher=Sensitiveskinmagazine.com |access-date=2013-05-20}}</ref> Few students enrolled, but his classes were often full of curious people from the surrounding community. One half-hour of each class was devoted to a lecture (complete with handouts and homework assignments), the other half-hour to an Arkestra performance or Sun Ra keyboard solo. Reading lists included the works of [[Madame Blavatsky]] and [[Henry Dumas]], the [[Bardo Thodol|Tibetan Book of the Dead]], [[Alexander Hislop]]'s ''[[The Two Babylons]]'', [[Oahspe|The Book of Oahspe]], and assorted volumes concerning [[Egyptian hieroglyph]]s, [[African American]] [[folklore]], and other topics.{{cn|date=February 2024}}

In 1971, Sun Ra traveled throughout Egypt with the Arkestra at the invitation of the drummer [[Salah Ragab]]. He returned to Egypt in 1983 and 1984, when he recorded with Ragab. Recordings made in Egypt were released as ''Live in Egypt'', ''Nidhamu'', ''Sun Ra Meets Salah Ragab'', ''Egypt Strut'' and ''Horizon''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Westergaard |first=Sean |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-in-egypt-vol-1-mw0001407038 |title=Live in Egypt, Vol. 1 – Sun Ra : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |website=AllMusic |access-date=2013-05-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Loewy |first=Steve |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/sun-ra-arkestra-meets-salah-ragab-in-egypt-mw0000672699 |title=Sun Ra Arkestra Meets Salah Ragab in Egypt – Sun Ra : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |website=AllMusic |access-date=2013-05-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Planer |first=Lindsay |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/horizon-mw0001333132 |title=Horizon – Sun Ra : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |website=AllMusic |date=1971-12-17 |access-date=2013-05-20}}</ref>

In 1972, San Francisco public TV station [[KQED (TV)|KQED]] producer John Coney, producer [[Jim Newman (Dilexi Gallery, Other Minds)|Jim Newman]], and screenwriter Joshua Smith worked with Sun Ra to produce an 85-minute feature film, entitled ''[[Space Is the Place]]'', with Sun Ra's Arkestra and an ensemble of actors assembled by the production team. It was filmed in [[Oakland]] and [[San Francisco]]. A 1975 show concert by the Arkestra in Cleveland featured an early lineup of [[Devo]] as the opening act. On May 20, 1978, Sun Ra and the Arkestra appeared on the TV show ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' (S3 E20).{{cn|date=February 2024}}

In New York City in the fall of 1979, Sun Ra and the Arkestra played as the "house band" at the [[Squat Theatre]] on 23rd Street, which was the performance venue of the [[avant-garde]] Hungarian theater troupe.<ref name="Boch 2017 268">{{Cite book|last=Boch|first=Richard|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/972429558|title=The Mudd Club|publisher=[[Feral House]]|year=2017|isbn=978-1-62731-051-2|location=Port Townsend, WA|pages=268|language=English|oclc=972429558}}</ref> Janos, their manager, transformed the theater into a nightclub while most of the troupe was away that season performing in Europe. [[Debbie Harry]], [[The Velvet Underground]]'s [[John Cale]] and [[Nico]] (from [[Andy Warhol]]'s Factory days), [[John Lurie]] and [[The Lounge Lizards]], and other pop and avant-garde musicians were regulars. Sun Ra was disciplined and drank only club soda at the gigs, but did not impose his strict code on his musicians. They respected his discipline and authority. Soft-spoken and charismatic, Sun Ra turned Squat Theater into a universe of big band "space" jazz backed by a floor show of sexy Jupiterettes. He directed while playing three synthesizers at the same time. In those days, "Space Is The Place" was the space at Squat.<ref name="Boch 2017 268"/>

The Arkestra continued their touring and recording through the 1980s and into the 1990s.