13 Thursday Sep 2018
Posted in #WhiteBoyBlues, Madison Square Garden, Rock music, The Who, Uncategorized
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.
09 Sunday Sep 2018
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.
04 Tuesday Sep 2018
Posted in #WhiteBoyBlues, EdSullivan, Fillmore East, Rock music, The KinKs, The Who, Ticket Stubs, Uncategorized, Vinyl Records
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.
15 Wednesday Aug 2018
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.)
01 Wednesday Aug 2018
Posted in Rock music, The Who, Uncategorized
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.
30 Monday Jul 2018
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.
24 Tuesday Jul 2018
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.
20 Friday Jul 2018
Posted in Madison Square Garden, Rock music, rock music trivia, The Who, Uncategorized
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.
12 Thursday Jul 2018
On The Shelf: IN SEARCH OF THE LOST CHORD 1967 AND THE HIPPIE IDEA- DANNY GOLDBERG
Wow, name after name after…you get the idea. This document takes the reader behind the scenes for a comprehensive look at 1967 and as the title suggests, “the hippie idea”. The time line alone, for me, is the gem. Reagan is governor of California, the first Human Be-IN takes place, The first SUPER BOWL, Surrealistic Pillow is released, the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour hits the air. The Fugs’ ED SANDERS is featured on the cover of LIFE in an issue about HAPPENINGS. “Penny Lane/ Strawberry Fields Forever” is released.Adam Clayton Powell, Jr is denied a seat in Congress, as LBJ announces the draft lottery, and on and on. Names, dates, places, all fully researched, many sources quoted. Needless to say the history buff in me loved every word. All 280 pages.
(A review) 1967 was the year of the release of the Beatles’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and of debut albums from the Doors, the Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin, among many others. 1967 was also the year of the Summer of Love; the year that millions of now-illegal LSD tabs flooded America; Muhammad Ali was convicted of avoiding the draft; Martin Luther King Jr. publicly opposed the war in Vietnam; Stokely Carmichael championed Black Power; Israel won the Six-Day War; and Che Guevara was murdered. It was the year that hundreds of thousands of protesters vainly attempted to levitate the Pentagon. It was the year the word “hippie” peaked and died, and the Yippies were born.
09 Monday Jul 2018
TICKETS TORN IN HALF July 9, 2000: THE WHO @ Jones Beach
Let it be known that I loved THE WHO, especially live WHO. Noticed the past tense as in LOVED, now I just tolerate THE WHO or better yet,I tolerate what is left of THE WHO. My collection of first day issued WHO records ebbed early on, as in QUADROPHENIA,which I still don’t own. Let’s take the time machine back to some singles I bought in 1967. One on TRACK RECORDS even.“Happy Jack” b-side “Whiskey Man”, “Pictures of Lily”, “ I Can See For Miles”, then it was time for some albums (67) “A Quick One”, Christmas of 67 I got “Sell Out”, then (68)”Magic Bus On Tour”, and finally I picked up the first lp “My Generation”.In 69 I purchased “Tommy”, and picked up my favorite (70) “Live at Leeds”. “Who’s Next” came after seeing the band at Forest Hills the summer of 71. That is the last official WHO album I paid for. However, I did accumulate many Rareties, bootlegs from Fillmore East, Woodstock, Monterey Pop, Live at other venues, 30 Years of Max R&B, the 1st Singles Box Set, The Kids Are Alright, etc, etc.
My times with THE WHO -LIVE
JUNE 6, 1969: THE WHO/CHUCK BERRY/ ALBERT KING @ FILLMORE EAST 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). 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,bared chested, draped with a fringed vest while swinging his microphone, Townshend windmilling on the guitar, Entwistle’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 I 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.
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.
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.
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.
1982 THE WHO were on the road in their first attempt at a “FAREWELL” playing SHEA STADIUM with THE CLASH as the openers. I don’t do stadiums so I opted out even though all my friends were going with great seats. I sat at home listening to SHOOT OUT THE LIGHTS by Richard and Linda THOMPSON.
Jan 30, 1996: JOHN ENTWHISTLE @ Tramps w/ Godfrey Townshend ( no relation to Pete) on guitar. This was a fantastic night celebrating my 44th birthday with friends listening to THE OX rock this small but great venue.
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.
July 9, 2000: THE WHO @ Jones Beach Amazing, they are back.As a five piece. This being the last show of a very short US tour. Tonight, they did every song, that I wanted to hear. (“Can’t Explain”, “Substitute”, “Anyway, Anyhow Anywhere” and they including MAGIC BUS”) And being the last night Pete famously smashed his guitar at the end of “Won’t Get Fooled Again”.Followed by 3 encores.
May 22, 2004: THE WHO @ MSG This was a very short tour of the States consisting of stops in Boston and New York. My 7th time seeing what is labeled as THE WHO. I guess Pete has all rights to claim the name when he stands along side of Roger. Tonight they did all songs penned by Pete Townshend, except Mose Allisons’ “Young Man Blues” which was an encore. We arrived early to see an un-announced opening act The (New and Reformed?) NEW YORK DOLLS.
The Who: Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, with “Rabbit”, Zak Starkey, Simon Townshend, Pino Palladino
We sat in the very last row middle of MSG, so far back from the band but a delight.
Taken from Wiki:
Typical May/June set list[edit]
2″Substitute”
4″Who Are You”
6″Baba O’Riley”
8″5.15”
10″Eminence Front”
11″Drowned” (Townshend solo acoustic)
12″Naked Eye”
15″My Generation“/”Old Red Wine”
17″Pinball Wizard”
18″Amazing Journey”
19″Sparks”
20″See Me, Feel Me”
21″Magic Bus”
“Young Man Blues” (Mose Allison) (New York only)
