Category Archives: The Who

ON THE TURNTABLE: November of 1967

01 Thursday Nov 2018

Posted by in #WhiteBoyBlues, Arthur Lee, BigBrotherHoldingCo., blue eyed soul, Cream, Creedence, Dr. John, DYLAN, Elektra Records, Eric Clapton, Golden Age of Radio, Grateful Dead, Jeff Beck, Jefferson Airplane, Kevin Patrick, LOVE, Michael Bloomfield, Neil Young, Otis Redding, Rock music, rock music trivia, Steve Winwood, The Beatles, The Byrds, The Doors, The KinKs, THE MOTHERS of INVENTION, The radio, The Rascals, The Who, Ticket Stubs, Traffic, Uncategorized, Vinyl Records, Zappa

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ON THE TURNTABLE: In November of 1967 I was purchasing mostly albums, having drifted away from single (45rpm) releases.This change in my purchasing, as well as the purchases of like minded teens listening to the same current music, was due in part, a large part, by one singular event; that being the change in FM radio broadcasting.

(A brief history thanks to Allen Sniffen) In 1966 the Federal Communications Commission ruled that major market FM radio stations could no longer simulcast their AM sister stations.  FM had to become separate with individual programming.  This was deemed necessary to allow FM to grow and develop its own audience.  The ruling put radio station owners in a bind.  They needed to come up with new formats for these weaker and less desirable stations. Since FM was more difficult to receive,  its universe of potential listeners was much smaller… and so was its billing.  The new formats therefore had to be both different and relatively inexpensive to program. It was in that environment that RKO General Broadcasting launched its new WOR-FM  (98.7Mhz) “Hot 100” format on July 30, 1966.  The name is deceiving because, in fact, it was the first progressive rock station in the country.  It marketed itself as stereo as a way to distinguish itself from AM radio.  The problem was that many of the records played by the station were not in stereo.  While it was true that most record albums were stereo, singles were not.  Since the singles came out before the albums, much of the new music it was breaking was in mono.

So to me as a 14 year old, my listening experience changed overnight, well actually after purchasing an AM-FM radio which did not exist in my house.The newly staffed WOR-FM hired some of NYC’s hottest “Top Ten” dj’s, specifically MURRAY“The K”(Kaufman) from 1010 WINS, SCOTT MUNI from 570 WMCA and later 770 WABC, and ROSKO, the coolest sounding person on the radio, anywhere. Murray The K appeared to be the draw for WOR-FM and the “new” MURRAY was a 180 degree departure from what I was familiar with while listening to him on 1010 WINS (AM). This was not “Top 40” jive talking any longer, as a matter of fact it was a “cool” MURRAY, one who it has been claimed broke the song  “Society’s Child” in the Summer of 67 (because it should be heard), as well as PROCOL HARUM’s “Whiter Shade of Pale” simply because HE “liked it”.AND Murray  was famous in the area  for his holiday stage show extravaganzas, the last which brought THE WHO and (as billed) THE CREAM to NYC for the first time, Easter of 1967. My buddy went and raved about those two bands.

But WOR-FM was a short lived experiment as program directors tried to rein in the playlist, to the chagrin of the radio hosts. Murray was fired in September of 67 despite having the highest rated FM program in NY, even higher than most AM shows. During his short tenure at WOR-FM “The K” attracted not only a large audience but in the audience advertisers found a different demographic, a newer demographic,that being a more mature college aged kid and with this newer, older audience the station drew in record companies as their advertisers. Record companies had found the station (WOR-FM) was highly valuable at influencing sales of rock albums especially new artists and groups like Cream, The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, and The Jimi Hendrix Experience, acts which were having their records played and /or being introduced.

At WOR-FM (October 1967)with a new tighter playlist ROSKO quit while “on the air”. He was soon found (October 30,1967) hosting the 7PM to midnight program at the “all girls dj’s” of WNEW-FM 102.7 FM. WNEW-FM was at that time a MOR station with an entire staff of female Dj’s, a unique experiment at the time. But at the 7PM hour Rosko had a free hand to “do his thing”. JONATHAN SCHWARTZ (10AM- 2PM) was added on November19, and a few days later SCOTT MUNI (2-6PM) joined the staff. ALLISON STEELE  later dubbed “The Nightbird” (2AM-6AM) was held over from the formerly “all girl” staff and WNEW-FM took off.

Note: a few years later the line up included John Zacherle and Pete Fornatale with Vince Scelsa added on weekends.

So all this AM/FM babble is the background to my “new” listening experiences which in turn changed my record purchases from TOP 40 hits (45RPM) to albums.

During that November I purchased “Love Forever Changes”, my first LOVE lp, their third and final collection. I picked up  CREAM’s “Disraeli Gears” (did not have “Fresh Cream”) and spent hours looking at the cover while trying to decipher the meaning of “SWLABR”. Incidentally, the album was recorded (May 1967) following the nine days of CREAM being part of MURRAY THE K’S “Music In The Fifth Dimension” series.

Murray The K’s Music In The 5th Dimension | RKO 58 St Theater (28 shows over nine days and nights) featuring:

Mitch Ryder & Detroit Wheels, Wilson Pickett, The Who, Hardly-Worthit Players, Cream, Blues Magoos, The Blues Project, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Jim & Jean, Mandala, The Chicago Loop, Phil Ochs, Simon & Garfunkel, The Young Rascals

(udiscovermusic.com)When both The Who and Cream made their live debut in America, it could hardly have been any less auspicious. It happened for both of them on 25 March 1967 at the RKO Keith Theater on 58th and 3rd Ave in New York City. The shows were redolent of the old 1940s variety shows with a bill packed with artists that actually began at 10 o’clock in the morning and ran all day with a movie thrown in for good measure. All the artists on the bill played five shows a day and it was grueling; the whole thing was promoted by New York’s legendary DJ, Murray the K.

The Who and Cream, or The Cream as they were billed, were well down the bill. Headlining were Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, Wilson Pickett, with Buddy Miles was on drums, The Hardly Worthit Players, The Mandala, the Chicago Loop, Simon & Garfunkel, Jim & Jean, Phil Ochs, The Young Rascals and The Blues Project, Al Kooper’s band.

My next album was “Buffalo Springfield Again” their second album (my first) followed by JEFFERSON AIRPLANE’s  “After Bathing at Baxters”. “Surrelistic Pillow” was a man stay on my turntable before this collection was released on November 30,1967. This was departure and I loved that band. By the end of the CHRISTMAS release season I also had Hendrix’s “Axis As Bold As Love”, Dylan’s “John Wesley Harding” and an album I still love “The Who Sell Out”. Times surely had changed and so did my record collection.

Recently, I checked the files for purchases I made when I was 16 years old in 1968. Not surprisingly, those discs were all receiving heavy rotation on WNEW-FM: “Super Session”-Bloomfield,Kooper and Stills, The Airplane’s “Crown of Creation”, Jeff Beck’s amazing “Truth”, Big Brother and The Holding Company’s “Cheap Thrills”, Traffic’s second album, The Doors “Waiting For The Sun” and a fav of mine The Small Faces “Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake”. Also included were:Dance To The Music,We’re Only In It For The Money, The Notorious Byrds Brothers, Anthem of The Sun, Child Is The Father To The Man, Odessey and Oracle, SweetHeart of The Rodeo, The Village Green Preservation Society, Wheels of Fire, Dr John’s GRIS GRIS, Electric Ladyland, Beggar’s Banquet, Music From Big Pink and of course THE BEATLES akaThe White Album.

 

TICKETS TORN IN HALF: The Who @ Fillmore East Performing “TOMMY” October 25, 1969

25 Thursday Oct 2018

Posted by in Fillmore East, Rock music, The Who, Uncategorized

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OCT 25, 1969: It has only been about 5 months since their last performance at FILLMORE EAST but 5 months in 1969 was an eternity for a rock band. Scheduled as THE WHO “TOMMY” @ FILLMORE EAST for Six nights, just THE WHO, no opening act and – WOW was this loud as THE WHO brought their own sound system, all 45 speaker cabinets worth cluttered the stage to premier their rock opera TOMMY, mixed in with a few hits and misses. First time a band played FILLMORE EAST midweek and for 6 consecutive days AND allowed to use their own PA.Two sets with an intermission between.  Keith on UNION JACK Premier drums. WOW/LOUD/UNBELIEVABLE is all I wrote in my notebook after the show.

 

TICKETS TORN IN HALF: THE WHO- SEPTEMBER 13, 1979 @ MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

13 Thursday Sep 2018

Posted by in #WhiteBoyBlues, Madison Square Garden, Rock music, The Who, Uncategorized

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Sept 13,1979: THE WHO@ MSG. My fourth visit with the band.THE WHO did not tour the US since 1976 and now they were a five piece unit with KENNEY JONES (Faces) on the kit for the deceased KEITH MOON and RABBIT on keyboards. The band also  added a three piece horn section on select numbers. In my opinion, even though I throughly missed MOON, I felt that THE WHO made a triumphant return to the NY stage playing a 22 song set plus encores.

 

TICKETS TORN IN HALF:September 9,1969-The MC5/The STOOGES/DAVID PEEL and the LOWER EASTSIDE@PAVILION

09 Sunday Sep 2018

Posted by in #WhiteBoyBlues, blue eyed soul, Creedence, Elektra Records, Jac Holzman, jazz-rock, MC5, Rock music, Stooges, The radio, The Who, Ticket Stubs, Uncategorized, Vinyl Records

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TICKETS TORN IN HALF:September 9,1969- The MC5/The STOOGES/DAVID PEEL and the LOWER EASTSIDE@PAVILION

Certain events open your eyes to new avenues, sometimes those avenues are not too brightly lit, while other times its like walking down Broadway. This show was a bit of both.This was two weeks AFTER Woodstock and it showed how the musical landscape could/would rapidly change in the blink of an eye.

With only one full day of my senior year of high school under my belt I needed a rest so I took the afternoon off from work and travelled back to The Pavilion grabbing tickets at the door to see The MC-5, The Stooges with David Peel and The Lower East Side. These bands, two from Detroit, and Peel from NYC,were not my usual fare of British blues bands or San Franciscan hippies. These guys were what has been called “radical chic”. After seeing a TV news segment about The Stooges I knew that this band intrigued me and I should make an attempt to see them LIVE whenever they hit town. This particular show was enlightening to say the very least. It started late, finished later, and the crowd, not as dense in population as the Led Zeppelin show a week earlier in the same venue, can best be described as “crazy”, made up of mostly drunken guys,who were also very high and a bit dirty, so my outfit for the evening did NOT fit in. But, did I fit in either? That was the question.

The Stooges had a nice droning sound with a lead singer with….ah, charisma? Eventually he had no shirt and pants that barely stayed on his hips while shaking his skinny ass toward the crowd. His performance had every one’s attention…I WANNA BE YOUR DOG, 1969 OKAY, What were they doing? What were they saying? I didn’t exactly know what was happening musically but I knew this was different, very, very different.

The stars of the evening,The MC5 was awesome, almost in the way The Who did it for me a few months previously. These guys were loud, fast, riotous, revolutionary, all with a coordinated choreography. The dance steps were just as amazing as the music was loud. I took something away from this show… on the car ride home I heard a new Creedence song on the FM radio and thought to myself, “What is that shit?”, yeah, The 5 and Stooges helped steer me in new direction; guitars, bass and drums…loud and louder if possible, and the lead singer doesn’t necessarily need to know how to sing. Who needs love songs anyway? And I needed to skip school the next day.

ROCK’S IN MY HEAD:CHAPTER 32-Senior Year (Part 2)

04 Tuesday Sep 2018

Posted by in #WhiteBoyBlues, EdSullivan, Fillmore East, Rock music, The KinKs, The Who, Ticket Stubs, Uncategorized, Vinyl Records

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ROCK’S IN MY HEAD:CHAPTER 32-Senior Year (Part 2)

The KinKs was one of my favorite bands from the early British Invasion days. They had not played live in the USA in quite some time so this show scheduled for October 18,1969 at FILLMORE EAST was a “must see” for me. From the very first time I heard YOU REALLY GOT ME on my small transistor radio I knew these guys were different. We even played that tune with THE TRIANGLE my doomed band of yesteryear. So when the opportunity to see The KinKs live became a reality I jumped at the chance. But this night was not my usual fare of two or a large group as my girlfriend requested another couple attend with us, so two tickets became four, balcony seats left side of stage, not too shabby a view.

The Bonzo Dog Band opened the show. While the crowd waited for their “hit” URBAN SPACEMAN, we were treated to some of the best comedy, music, and visuals I had ever seen (in my limited experience). Just sheer joy, I laughed hysterically throughout their entire set. The singer pretending he was urinating on the light show, the silly hats they wore, the large eyeglasses, and hundreds of props. They were GREAT. Needless to say I purchased two Bonzo albums the next week.Then the amazing KinKs were introduced. Even though it was a short set and one without their pianist who as Ray Davies said, “cracked his skull” so Ray played piano for a few tunes. Overall, it was a fabulous set. Upon leaving the show I remember thinking, ahhh The KinKs and The Who, two of my favorite bands, all I need is The Stones and The Beatles. BTW SPIRIT, the headliners, hit the stage after The Kinks and were decent but Randy California is NOT Raymond Douglas Davies by any stretch of the imagination. So tonight it was The KinKs.

It was about this time when my homeroom teacher questioned me about some teachers(guidance) opening my locker before school that morning. Puzzled I said I did not know. As I retrieved my books for morning classes a Guidance Counselor, not mine, arrived and asked me to come with her. In her office she asked me if I was selling “pot”(her word). I was taken aback. She followed up with a question regarding me smoking “pot”. At first I did not answer and requested she call my father to come to school. She appeared confused by my request, hesitated for a second and said that calling my father would not be necessary as she was trying “to help” me. Knowing there was nothing in my locker or on my person I said “NO, I was not selling pot” to her first question. She asked why kids would meet me at my locker some mornings, to which I said “cassettes”. She was bewildered it seemed, so I took her to my locker and showed her a stack of about 10 cassettes I had placed there that morning. She had no idea what cassettes were so I explained their function. She led me to class. I never heard another word about the incident until a follow-up question, by a different teacher, a few months later.

ROCK’S IN MY HEAD- CHAPTER 29: WOODSTOCK

15 Wednesday Aug 2018

Posted by in Albert Grossman, Bethel Woods, Canned Heat, Creedence, CSNY, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, John Sebastian, Rock music, rock music trivia, Ten Years After, The Grease Band, The Who, Ticket Stubs, Uncategorized

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ROCK’S IN MY HEAD- CHAPTER 29: WOODSTOCK

Joni Mitchell did not attend WOODSTOCK. Her agent DAVID GEFFEN in his ultimate wisdom thought it would be best for her to remain in the CHELSEA HOTEL in Manhattan resting up for her appearance on the DICK CAVETT television show the following Monday night. The afternoon of the Cavett taping, surprise, many of her friends, those who performed during the legendary weekend arrived to sit in on the taping.They were David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Jefferson Airplane.

In the months and years that followed the giant festival, it would be the “Woodstock” song that Joni Mitchell had written about the gathering which she composed on the basis of reports from her then boyfriend Graham Nash, plus what she saw on television.

I didn’t go to Woodstock, thought about it and planned to go with 3 friends but decided against it at the last minute. I never regretted giving the tickets away. No doubt the music was amazing but I enjoy the modern convinces of food, bath, etc. Festivals are not made for me, or me for them. I’d much rather be in a small club seeing a few bands then be in a large, muddy field hearing (might not be seeing) many, many groups. However, The WOODSTOCK MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL was a pivotal moment in history circa 1969.

As a historian I studied who played and when they played, what they played, how much they were paid, the weather they played in, the traffic problems in getting the artists to the stage,as well as the hundreds of filed news reports which later documented the financial dilemma of the festival ,and ultimately,information regarding the movie. So here goes, whether you want it or not…

Originally the promoters established a cap set at $15,000 per artist (band) to perform, except Hendrix ($18,000) which was a story unto itself.

After being denied permits for the original site (Wallkill, NY), which was near WOODSTOCK (hence the name)  the promoters of the festival found a good soul of a farmer located in BETHEL (White Lake),NEW YORK (43 miles away from original site) named MAX YASGUR who received $10,000 to lease the land (damage estimate to his fields was over $50,000).

Ticket prices were advertised as $6.00 a day (single day tickets) or $18.00 for the entire weekend (Friday, Saturday, Sunday). Prior to the event 186,000 tickets were (reportedly) sold. (My math: tix sales $3,348,000…band fees $139,825)

Looking years hence, one “bargain” group for the festival would be SANTANA, paid a measly $750.00 as they were unknown act managed by Bill Graham. And then there was IRON BUTTERFLY for not showing up to collect a $10,000 fee, which was a hefty price to pay a band on a sharp decline. The WOODSTOCK movie would have been 4 hours longer if IB showed up and played IN A GADDA DA VIDA.

The first band to agree to perform, and given a hefty fee ($10,000) as well as being offered a prime spot in the line up, was CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL. Until that agreement the promoters found it difficult to find any band to perform. Once CCR was announced the other “big named” acts signed up. A note of importance: CCR under the leadership of John Fogerty refused to be taped for the movie and Fogerty bitched about the GRATEFUL DEAD “putting the crowd to sleep” prior to CCR hitting the stage.

Friday Aug.15th- THE LINEUP

Richie Havens 5:07 pm – 7:00 pm

Swami Satch 7:10 pm – 7:20 pm

Sweetwater 7:30 pm – 8:10 pm

Bert Sommer 8:20 pm – 9:15 pm

Tim Hardin 9:20 pm – 9:45 pm

Ravi Shankar 10:00 pm – 10:35 pm

Melanie 10:50 pm – 11:20 pm

Arlo Guthrie 11:55 pm – 12:25 am

Joan Baez 12:55 am – 2:00 am

Richie Havens ($6000) 5:07-7:00PM

Richie Havens opened the festival with a rousing performance. He was asked to continue playing by the promoters as other acts were delayed due to the traffic problems, the roads leading into the small upstate New York town and the major highway feeding it were at a virtual standstill. Knowing he had run out of tunes, Havens improvised a tune he called “FREEDOM” which is actually an old spiritual known as “MOTHERLESS CHILD”.

From The Prison

Let’s Get Together

From The Prison (reprise)

Minstrel from Gault

I’m A Stranger Here

High Flying Bird

I Can’t Make It Anymore

With A Little Help From My Friends

Handsome Johnny

Strawberry Fields Forever/Hey Jude

Freedom (Motherless Child)

Next up was SWAMI SATCHIDANANDA (7:10-7:20PM) who offered his blessing to the masses in the audience.

SWEETWATER ($1,250) (7:30-8:10) Actually Sweetwater was scheduled to open the festival but were stuck in traffic and had the pleasure of an additional stop requested by NYS Troopers. These conditions slowed their arrival to be the first ACT to perform but they were the first BAND to play and what do they open with one might ask:

 

Motherless Child.

Look Out

For Pete’s Sake

Day Song

What’s Wrong

Crystal Spider

Two Worlds

Why Oh Why

Let The Sun Shine In (from Hair)

Oh Happy Day

BERT SOMMER (fee unknown)was “the hair” from the Broadway play HAIR. Bret was once a member of THE LEFT BANKE before landing on The Great White Way . He penned a few tunes for The Vagrants (Leslie West’s band of old). Bret on his own( with a few side men) offered a ten song set.(8:20-9:15)

Jennifer

The Road To Travel

I Wondered Where You’d Be

She’s Gone

Things Are Going My Way

And When It’s Over

Jeanette

America (Simon Garfunkel tune)

A Note That Read

Smile

TIM HARDEN: ($2000) 9:20- 9:45 plays a very short set. As short as it was it was a great set of tunes. Mr. Harden was overwhelmed, reportedly due to his heroin addiction and his fear of performing, after seeing the massive crowd out front.

(How Can We) Hang on to a Dream

Susan

If I Were a Carpenter

Reason to Believe

You Upset the Grace of Living When You Lie

Speak Like a Child

Snow White Lady

Blues on My Ceiling

Simple Song of Freedom

Misty Roses

RAVI SHAKAR ($4,500) played for about a half hour (10:00- 10-35) and I can’t really spell the ragas he played but he played three.

MELANIE: ($750)  plays at 10:50-11:20 in place of THE INCREDIBLE STRING BAND who refused to play in the rain. Hmmmm, strange, an acoustic ensemble afraid of the water. So MELANIE steps up and offers the following set list:

Close to It All

Momma Momma

Beautiful People

Animal Crackers

Mr. Tambourine Man

Tuning My Guitar

Birthday of the Sun

ARLO GUTHRIE:($5000)11:55- 12:25AM

Coming into Los Angeles

Wheel of Fortune

Walking Down the Line

Arlo Speech: Exodus

Oh Mary, Don’t You Weep

Every Hand in the Land

Amazing Grace

JOAN BAEZ: A pregnant Joan Baez was paid $10,000 bucks to close out  Day 1 aka The Folk Segment.

Oh Happy Day

The Last Thing On My Mind

I Shall Be Released

Story about how the Federal Marshals came to take David Harris into custody

Joe Hill

Sweet Sir Galahad

Hickory Wind

Drug Store Truck Driving Man

I Live One Day at a Time

Take Me Back to the Sweet Sunny South

Let Me Wrap You in My Warm and Tender Love

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

We Shall Overcome

Saturday Aug. 16th  DAY TWO SCHEDULE

Quill 12:15 pm – 12:45 pm

Country Joe McDonald 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Santana 2:00 pm – 2:45 pm

John Sebastian 3:30 pm – 3:55 pm

Keef Hartley Band 4:45 pm – 5:30 pm

Incredible String Band 6:00 pm – 6:30 pm

Canned Heat 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Mountain 9:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Grateful Dead 10:30 pm – 12:05 am

Creedence 12:30 am – 1:20 am

Janis Joplin 2:00 am – 3:00 am

Sly & Family Stone 3:30 am – 4:20 am

The Who 5:00 am – 6:05 am

Jefferson Airplane 8:00 am – 9:40 am

QUILL (12:15- 12:45)

They Live the Life

That’s How I Eat

Driftin’

Waitin’ for You

COUNTRY JOE McDONALD – solo (1:00- 1:30PM)

Janis

Donovan’s Reef

Heartaches by the Number

Ring of Fire

Tennessee Stud

Rockin’ Round the World

Flying All the Way

Seen a Rocket

“Fish” Cheer / I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-To-Die Rag

SANTANA ($750) 2:00- 2:45PM

Waiting

Evil Ways

You Just Don’t Care

Savor

Jingo

Persuasion

Soul Sacrifice

Fried Neckbones And Some Home Fries

JOHN SEBASTIAN ($1000) 3:30- 3:55PM

John Sebastian was there as a spectator, one allowed to pitch a tent in the backstage area. When the managers realized they had a huge time lapse after SANTANA they asked Sebastian if he would sing a few ,offering to pay him $1000.00  Before that moment he had no intention of performing but said okay. With no true (rehearsed) set list and a BORROWED guitar he hit the stage, loaded as all get out in his tie dyed outfit. One thousand bucks for a five song 25 minute set. Not too shabby, and a great way (after the movie) to revitalize his career.

How Have You Been

Rainbows All Over Your Blues

I Had A Dream

Darlin’ Be Home Soon

Younger Generation

KEEF HARTLEY BAND: (4:45-5:30) ($500.00)

The first question most ask is: WHO?. KEEF Hartley was a drummer of some renown having taken the drum throne in RORY AND THE HURRICANES when RICHARD STARKEY  aka RINGO STARR left for greener pastures. KEEF later joined forces with JOHN MAYALL playing drums on Mayall’s solo endeavor THE BLUES ALONE.  At Woodstock , their FIRST American gig, KHB performed as a Big Band complete with horns, ala Blood Sweat and Tears.

Spanish Fly

Think It Over

She’s Gone

Too Much Thinking

The Halfbred

Believe In You

Rock Me Baby

Medley: Sinnin’ For You, et al.

THE INCREDIBLE STRING BAND (6:00-6:30)($2250.00) Imagine you are the acoustic ISB at Woodstock,it’s late Saturday afternoon and you are called upon to perform for a crowd that is in PARTY mode. Good luck, especially since you refused to play Friday night in the rain.Karma is a bitch.

Invocation (Spoken Word)

The Letter

Gather Round

This Moment

Come With Me

When You Find Out Who You Are

It’s early Saturday evening and everybody is here. It’s time to BOOGIE. Hey, after The Incredible String Band you could get thunderous applause for tuning up for an hour and get the crowd going.

CANNED HEAT 7:30-8:30 ($6500)-  to me this is a huge fee to pay the band as Harvey Mandell replaced Henry Vestine on guitar only a few days before.

I’m Her Man

Going Up The Country

A Change Is Gonna Come/Leaving This Town

I Know My Baby

Woodstock (Refried Hockey) Boogie- (45 minutes long)

On The Road Again

MOUNTAIN: ($2000.00) (9PM-10PM)

Blood of the Sun

Stormy Monday

Theme for an Imaginary Western

Long Red

For Yasgur’s Farm (named later)

Beside the Sea

Waiting to Take You Away

Dreams of Milk and Honey > Guitar Solo

Blind Man

Dirty Shoes Blues

Southbound Train

THE GRATEFUL DEAD: (10:30-12:05) ($2500.00)

Rumor has it that this was one of the worst Dead performances. Mid show they stood without playing, just tuning up for ten minutes.

The Dead’s lifeless show pissed off John Fogerty who with Creedence was scheduled to go on next but The Dead put everyone to sleep, he said.

St. Stephen

Mama Tried

Dark Star

High Time

Turn On Your Lovelight (45 minutes)

CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL (12:30 AM-1:20 AM)($10,000) Crazy money but these swamp rockers were huge that summer.

Born on the Bayou

Green River

Ninety-Nine and a Half (Won’t Do)

Commotion

Bootleg

Bad Moon Rising

Proud Mary

I Put a Spell on You

The Night Time Is the Right Time

Keep on Chooglin’

Suzy Q

JANIS JOPLIN (2AM-3AM)$7,500

Raise Your Hand

As Good As You’ve Been To This World

To Love Somebody

Summertime

Try (Just A Little Bit Harder)

Kosmic Blues

Can’t Turn You Loose

Work Me Lord

Piece Of My Heart

Ball and Chain

SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE(3:30-4:20 AM)$7,000

M’Lady

Sing A Simple Song

You Can Make It If You Try

Everyday People

Dance To The Music

Music Lover

I Want To Take You Higher

Love City

Stand!

THE WHO (5AM- Sunrise 6:05)$11,200 (fee is questionable) Abbie Hoffman made a surprise cameo and met Pete’s boot.

Heaven And Hell

I Can’t Explain

It’s A Boy

1921

Amazing Journey

Sparks

Eyesight To The Blind

Christmas

Tommy Can You Hear Me?

Acid Queen

Pinball Wizard

*Abbie Hoffmann Incident*

Fiddle About

There’s A Doctor I’ve Found

Go To The Mirror Boy

Smash The Mirror

I’m Free

Tommy’s Holiday Camp

We’re Not Gonna Take It

See Me Feel Me

Summertime Blues

Shakin’ All Over

My Generation

Naked Eye

JEFFERSON AIRPLANE “Good morning people” 8AM -9:40 ($7500)

The Other Side of This Life

Somebody to Love

3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds

Won’t You Try / Saturday Afternoon

Eskimo Blue Day

Plastic Fantastic Lover

Wooden Ships

Uncle Sam Blues

Volunteers

The Ballad of You & Me & Pooneil

Come Back Baby

White Rabbit

The House at Pooneil Corner

Sunday Aug. 17th (Day 3)

Joe Cocker and The Grease Band 2:00 pm – 3:25 pm($1,375)

Jam (without Cocker)

40,000 Headmen (without Cocker)

Dear Landlord

Something’s Coming On

Do I Still Figure in Your Life

Feelin’ Alright

Just Like a Woman

Let’s Go Get Stoned

I Don’t Need No Doctor

I Shall Be Released

Hitchcock Railway

Something to Say

With a Little Help from My Friends

THUNDERSTORMS-DELAY

Country Joe and the Fish 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm($2500)

Rock & Soul Music

(Thing Called) Love

Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine

Sing, Sing, Sing

Summer Dresses

Friend, Lover, Woman, Wife

Silver and Gold

Maria

The Love Machine

Ever Since You Told Me That You Love Me (I’m a Nut)

Short Jam (instrumental)

Crystal Blues

Rock & Soul Music (Reprise)

“Fish” Cheer / I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-To-Die Rag

Ten Years After 8:15 pm – 9:15 pm ($3250)

Spoonful

Good Morning Little Schoolgirl

Hobbit

I Can’t Keep from Crying Sometimes

Help Me

I’m Going Home

The Band 10:00 pm – 10:50 pm($7500)

Chest Fever

Don’t Do It

Tears of Rage

We Can Talk

Long Black Veil

Don’t You Tell Henry

Ain’t No More Cane on the Brazos

This Wheel’s on Fire

I Shall Be Released

The Weight

Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever

Johnny & Edgar Winter 12:00 am – 1:05 am($3750)

Mama, Talk to Your Daughter

Six Feet Under the Ground

Leland Mississippi Blues

Mean Town Blues

You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now

Mean Mistreater

I Can’t Stand It (With Edgar Winter)

Tobacco Road (With Edgar Winter)

Tell the Truth (With Edgar Winter)

Johnny B. Goode

Blood, Sweat & Tears 1:30 am – 2:30 am ($15,000)

More and More

Just One Smile

Something’s Coming On

I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know

Spinning Wheel

Sometimes in Winter

Smilin’ Phases

God Bless The Child

And When I Die

You’ve Made Me So Very Happy

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young 3:00 am – 4:00 am ($5000)

Stephen Stills said, “This is the second time we’ve ever played in front of people, man. We’re scared shitless.”

(Set One – Acoustic)

Suite: Judy Blue Eyes

Blackbird

Helplessly Hoping

Guinnevere

Marrakesh Express

4 + 20

Mr Soul

Wonderin’

You Don’t Have To Cry

(Set Two – Electric)

Pre-road Downs

Long Time Gone

Bluebird

Sea Of Madness

Wooden Ships

(Encores)

Find The Cost Of Freedom

49 Bye-Byes

Paul Butterfield Blues Band 6:00 am – 6:45 am (fee unknown)

Born Under a Bad Sign

No Amount of Loving

Driftin’ and Driftin’

Morning Sunrise

All in a Day

Love March

Everything’s Gonna Be Alright

Sha Na Na 7:30 am – 8:00 am($700)

Get A Job

Come Go With Me

Silhuettes

Teen Angel

Jailhouse Rock

Wipe Out

(Who Wrote) The Book of Love

Little Darling

At The Hop

Duke Of Earl

Get A Job (Reprise)

Jimi Hendrix 9:00 am – 11:10 am($18000)

Message of Love

Hear my Train a Comin’

Spanish Castle Magic

Red House

Mastermind

Lover Man

Foxy Lady

Beginnings

Izabella

Gypsy Woman/Aware of Love

Fire

Voodoo Child- slight return

Stepping Stone

The Star Spangled Banner

Purple Haze

Woodstock Improv

Villanova Junction

Hey Joe

 

 

FEES:

Jimi Hendrix – $30,000 for two sets plus $2,000 for expenses. Note- There was a cap of $15,000 per artist at Woodstock so a deal was made for Hendrix to play two sets, an acoustic set and a set with his band.Actually he made $18,000.

Blood, Sweat & Tears – $15,000

Joan Baez – $10,000

Creedence Clearwater Revival – $10,000

The Band – $7,500

Janis Joplin – $7,500

Jefferson Airplane – $7,500

Sly and the Family Stone – $7,000

Canned Heat – $6,500

The Who – $6,250 (also reported at $11,200 but Variety claimed that number was inaccurate)

Richie Havens – $6,000

Arlo Guthrie – $5,000

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – $5,000

Ravi Shankar – $4,500

Johnny Winter – $3,750

Ten Years After – $3,250

Country Joe and the Fish – $2,500

Grateful Dead – $2,500

The Incredible String Band – $2,250

Mountain – $2,000

Tim Hardin – $2,000

Joe Cocker – $1,375

Sweetwater – $1,250

John B. Sebastian – $1,000

Melanie – $750

Santana – $750

Sha Na Na – $700

(photos and clippings may or may not be from WOODSTOCK. Just representations of artist which performed there.)

TICKETS TORN IN HALF: THE WHO/ LABELLE- AUGUST 1, 1971 @ FOREST HILLS TENNIS STADIUM, NY

01 Wednesday Aug 2018

Posted by in Rock music, The Who, Uncategorized

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August 1,1971: THE WHO/ LaBELLE @ Forest Hills in the fourth row center. My tape IS the bootleg out there, thanks to my buddy selling a copy I made for him, I didn’t agree to it at all. Who’s NEXT will be released shortly. This arena being a much larger than FILLMORE EAST and outdoors as well, the music was not as powerful as last time. Even though I was so close to the stage I could not feel the intensity in my chest and I needed that from THE WHO.

 

ROCK’S IN MY HEAD-CHAPTER 25: CAN’T EXPLAIN

30 Monday Jul 2018

Posted by in #WhiteBoyBlues, Albert King, Chuck Berry, Fillmore East, FillmoreEast,BillGraham, Rock music, The Who, Ticket Stubs, Uncategorized, Vinyl Records

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ROCK’S IN MY HEAD-CHAPTER 25: CAN’T EXPLAIN

After finding out how easy it was to obtain tickets for shows at FILLMORE EAST, I ordered two  seats for CHUCK BERRY and ALBERT KING, for the Friday night early show, June 6. I was especially looking forward to hearing Albert King live as I wore out his LIVE WIRE BLUES POWER album. The tickets arrived in record time.

When I attended the Zeppelin show I looked for where I would be seated for the Albert King show(fourth row aisle seat on the left) the following week. Too cool, really nice sight lines. Then it happened. At the  Led Zeppelin show, the stage announcement was made that an additional act would be added to the Albert King Chuck Berry bill, headlining now would be…. THE WHO. OMG… I was ecstatic…But How?

Actually, The Who had played the Fillmore East only two weeks prior to the Led Zeppelin show. During their performance that weekend a fire occurred in the adjoining building. A Fire Marshall, not in uniform, attempted to evacuate the premises of the Fillmore by taking the stage. Pete Townshend  The Who’s guitarist got into an altercation with the  “undercover” official. Townshend thinking that this guy was a nut job hit him and an arrest of Pete Townshend abruptly ended the show. So this new show, the one I had two tickets for was labeled as THE TRIUMPHANT RETURN OF THE WHO.

 

Their album which has been labeled a “rock opera” TOMMY was released only a few short days (May23) before this rescheduled performance and the songs from TOMMY were already in heavy rotation on the radio. So there I sat four rows back from  Albert King, he dressed to the nines in a dark suit, white shirt and tie, while playing a short but sweet set on his Flying V guitar,  BORN UNDER A BAD SIGN, PERSONAL MANAGER,AS THE YEARS GO PASSING BY and STORMY MONDAY.  I was amazed at his performance, his grace, and his size, the man was HUGE.

Chuck Berry, a rock and roll legend was up next doing what I found out years later was his traditional set list. It was nothing too outstanding for my eyes and ears except seeing him doing his duck walk. Chuck was a visual performer and closed with MY DING A LING a really stupid sing along song which I found embarrassing. He reappeared for an encore and was gone and forgotten by me almost that quickly.

THE WHO on the other hand was fantastic. I sat in awe the entire time, mouth opened kind of awe brought on by the sheer power of the band. Daltry, dressed in fringe was swinging his microphone, Townshend windmilling on the guitar, Entwhistle’s magical fingers running up and down the frets on his bass, and then Keith Moon on the kit, all amazing, and so very loud. CAN’T EXPLAIN, New TOMMY stuff, SUMMERTIME BLUES, MAGIC BUS, needless to say my very limited concert experiences just had a new threshold to beat and that would be… THE WHO. Live music to me became a real education and soon an obsession.

It was now the next to last week of June, school is almost out, and graduation for some of my friends is in a few days time when we get the news that one of my neighbors, a guy I played baseball with, a brother to a girl I went to school with since first grade, had been killed in Vietnam. My dad took this death particularly hard. As Dad prepared to go to my neighbor’s house to pay his respects we learned that another friend, an Altar Boy buddy of mine, the son of the local high school principal was also killed. Two deaths in one day, This town would never be the same. Dad was not so forceful in his pro Vietnam stance any longer. These deaths occurred only a few days after President Nixon announced the withdrawal of 25,000 troops from Vietnam.

ROCK’S IN MY HEAD-CHAPTER 23: AT SEVENTEEN

24 Tuesday Jul 2018

Posted by in heart broken, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, Madison Square Garden, Otis Redding, Rock music, rock music trivia, Scott McKensie, The Animals, The Doors, The Who, Ticket Stubs, Uncategorized, Vinyl Records

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CHAPTER 23: AT SEVENTEEN

They say it’s your birthday, It’s my birthday too, yeah

They say it’s your birthday, We’re gonna have a good time

I’m glad it’s your birthday, Happy birthday to you

What a way to celebrate my 17th birthday with two tickets to see THE DOORS on January 24, 1969 at Madison Square Garden. New brown corduroy slacks, brown boots, a new overcoat, with a few extra bucks in my pocket from my folks as a birthday gift and away I go. A new pack of Marlboro Reds, train fare, money for the food after the show at the diner, I was psyched to go to another live show. But on the train ride in, the “problem” soon reared its ugly head as I had a girlfriend who was more excited about seeing Jim Morrison and chatting with her friends about Jim Morrison on the train ride in and again on the way home than celebrating my birthday.

In THE GARDEN the stage was set in the middle of the arena and as the lights dimmed, The Staple Singers appeared first. Beautiful mood and music is the best way to describe what The Staples did. Even with a poor sound system their set was fascinatingly simple, elegant and spiritual. I was awestruck. After a rather extensive intermission, THE DOORS with a bass player (Harvey Brooks) appeared on stage, and adding a small horn section for a few tunes this being their Soft Parade days. According to The Doors faithful, this show, one of the band’s first attempts at an arena rock show, was one of their finest. That night included songs from The Soft Parade, as well as Tell All The People, Love Me Two Times, Spanish Caravan,Back Door Man, Light My Fire, Five To One and When The Music’s Over

The Doors were, to my limited live experienced ears, musically okay, but not what I had anticipated. I expected a great rock band. Jim Morrison was an idiot, or was it just me? Nah, he was an idiot, hindering an otherwise good band with his “poetry” and rants. One interlude by Mr. Morrrison was something about him sitting on a fence, “and boy, do my balls hurt”. Musically my night was made by really digging The Staple Singers and developing a true appreciation for what they did. They were one cool group with a smooth, unique sound. Needless to say the Staples did not fit into the conversation on the return trip home. And neither did my birthday which seemed to have been overlooked. So as the song goes, TURN OUT THE LIGHTS…

February 1969 a group of us went to see the film MONTEREY POP in the local movie house. It was a night of enlightenment for me. The Who fantastic, Otis Redding was the MAN, Big Brother and The Holding Company’s feedback guitars with Janis Joplin singing, Country Joe and The Fish, the harmonies of The Mamas and The Papas, the horns of Hugh Masekela, Jefferson Airplane and according to all my compatriots Jimi Hendrix was the star of the show and rightfully so. I took this movie experience more as a lesson in what I was MISSING, new horizons to be explored and I was excited, oh so excited to start the exploration.

At this time I am in a relationship with a girl, one who I had an on and off again kinda thing going for the last few months. We dated a bit in the spring and summer of 67, she being the one I listened to SGT PEPPERS at her house while playing whiffle ball. She was a bit of an athlete playing softball and a cheerleader at the local high school. We parted company at the start of the school year as I saw her being driven home by an older neighbor. They soon became an item as my Mom would have said. Cool. We saw each other at house parties and occasionally at Hullabaloo. Then we met up again in the spring at my buddy house where he was having one of his notorious bashes with bottles and bottles of alcohol sent to his house by a friend of ours who worked making deliveries for the local liqour store. George’s goal tonight was to get the girl who caught his eye to be his date for our school (not hers) Semi-Formal Dance, a semi-big thing. He needed the alcohol to get up the nerve I guess. Bingo, as I was smoking a smoke outside he ran out shouting “YES, She’s going”. Cool. The party proved to be another fun night, a classic with guys falling down, guys throwing up outside, girls laughing at idiot guys. The usuals, me being one, stayed back to clean up before his parents would arrive home which we figured to be about 2 AM. A few girls stayed also. Spotless. Now my “used to be” girl asked me to walk her home. At her door she told me what a great time she had and we should get together soon. She said, “Call me”. Confused? Oh boy was I. A few days later, I had new arrangements for the SEMI FORMAL SPRING DANCE of 1968.

So now you are up to date on my relationship status. The girl from the SUMMER OF 67, and me, as Mom did say, “were an item”. It’s now February 1969 and we are going to different high schools. Her older brother a recent graduate of University of Maryland with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration had volunteered for service in the U.S. Army, ultimately being sent to Vietnam. With a spare car in her family she would occasionally meet me up at my high school dismissal.

One day late February, she had no activities after school and arranged to pick me up. I would blow off work as we expected to go riding around in her car. I exited school from the usual side door, headed over to my favorite smoking area behind the buses for a quick puff.  Walking toward her car, my girlfriend’s best friend came out of the car and said, “Larry is missing in action”… My heart dropped.

The strange phenomena here is my Mother, only the night before said she was thinking about my girlfriend’s brother and hoped all was okay. Mom actually asked “Did your Mom hear from him lately?”

A few day later the soldiers came to her house to deliver the worst news, February 26, 1969, he was killed in action. A death in the family. I didn’t know what to do. We spent many of the next few nights secluded in my basement, seated quietly.

TICKETS TORN IN HALF: QUADROPHENIA @ Madison Square Garden- July 20,1996

20 Friday Jul 2018

Posted by in Madison Square Garden, Rock music, rock music trivia, The Who, Uncategorized

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July 20, 1996: QUADROPHENIA @ MSG Not billed as THE WHO but rather as Pete, John and Roger with a host of others performing QUADROPHENIA in its entirety for Six nights at the World’s Most Famous Arena. Gary Glitter, Billy Idol, a horn section, Zak Starkey on drums (that was a huge plus), and all my buddies to see  (for the fifth time) THE WHO (screw how they billed it) playing for the first time since 1989. An acoustic “Won’t Get Fooled Again” as one of the four encores and we got “Magic Bus” that night.