Led Zeppelin 1969

I came across this video today and I felt that I had to share it.  It is one of Led Zeppelin's first performances and I found it interesting for a number of reasons.  It is always fun to look at early historical performances by bands who would later become legends, but if you watch this video you will notice some really interesting things that surprised me.

The first thing I noticed was that Jimmy Page was playing a Fender Telecaster. Obviously, his classic collection of Gibsons had not become his main staple yet, like his Gibson Les Paul, Gibson SG or his infamous Gibson Double Neck SG.

If Jimmy Page playing a Telecaster with Led Zeppelin was not surprise enough, I then noticed John Bonham's drum kit. All he had was a bass, high hat, 2 cymbals, 2 toms and a snare. Quite a minimalist beginning for someone who would become known for his elaborate and expansive sets of drums.  Unfortunately, the camera never pans to John Paul Jones in a way that I can identify his instrument.

Enjoy this rare look into the humble and minimal beginning to one of Rock's great all time legends.  Enjoy.

46 Years Ago... Woodstock at AWT

This weekend marks the 46th Anniversary of the original Woodstock Music & Art Fair in Bethel, NY.  It is now an established tradition that we live the Woodstock experience for the weekend each year on the anniversary.  Sure there are microbuses and porta potties.  There is garbage and brown acid.  There is mud and then there is…  THE MUSIC!  The music is what it is all about.  DJ Sue has collected recording of this concert for decades.  This weekend, she will present 21 hours of the concert (about 84% of the known material) in its proper historical order.

If you missed the original in 1969, this might just be your best chance to experience the original Woodstock in cyberspace with us at AWT.  A number of people who attended last year said that in a way they now felt like they were there.  Below, you will not only find the times, but I have printed the entire sit list for this weekend.  Furthermore, if you scroll past the massive set list, you will find interesting moments you will hear this weekend, like when the Dead blow their amplifiers or Pete Townsend of the Who hits Abbie Hoffman over the head with his guitar.  Each even is explain and an approximate to the minute time that you will hear it this weekend.  Furthermore, if you scroll past the massive set list, you will find interesting moments you will hear this weekend, like when the Dead blow their amplifiers or Pete Townsend of the Who hits Abbie Hoffman over the head with his guitar.  Each even is explain and an approximate to the minute time that you will hear it this weekend.

So pack up your car or micro-bus.  Drive as far as you can down the SL Thruway, then abandon your car and hike the rest of the way to a Woman’s Touch.  When you get here, the chain link fence is down on the west side of the concert field.  It’s a free concert.  Roll out your sleeping bag and enjoy the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair, an Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music.

Concert Times (all times in SL time)

Friday, August 14

4:00 - 7:30 PM

Saturday, August 15

11:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Sunday, August 17

7:30 AM – 2:15 PM

7:00-9:30 PM

Here are the set lists for this weekend.  Bands and artists with an asterisk (*) in front of their name, denote that we have their complete set.  No song is missing.

Friday, August 14, 4:00-7:30 PM

Richie Havens

High Flying Bird
I Can't Make It Anymore

With a Little Help From My Friends
Handsome Johnny

Strawberry Fields/Hey Jude
Freedom (Motherless Child)

Sweetwater
Motherless Child

Look Out

What’s Wrong
Two Worlds

Why Oh Why

*Bert Sommer
Jennifer

The Road to Travel

I Wonder Where You Be

She’s Gone

Things Are Going My Way
And When It's Over

Jeanette

America

A Note That Read
Smile

Tim Hardin
How Can We Hang On to a Dream?
If I Were a Carpenter
Simple Song of Freedom

*Ravi Shankar
Raga Puriya-Dhanashri/Gat In Sawarital

Tabla Solo in Jhaptal

Raga Majh Khamaj

Melanie
Momma Momma
Beautiful People
Birthday of the Sun

Arlo Guthrie
Coming into Los Angeles
Wheel of Fortune
Walkin' Down the Line
Every Hand in the Land

Joan Baez
Joe Hill
Sweet Sir Galahad
Hickory Wind
Drug Store Truck Driving Man (duet with Jeffrey Shurtleff )
I Live One Day at a Time (duet with Jeffrey Shurtleff )

Swing Low Sweet Chariot
We Shall Overcome

Saturday, August 15, 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Quill
They Live the Life
That's How I Eat

Driftin’

Country Joe McDonald
Donovan's Reef

Flying High
The "Fish" Cheer/I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag

*Santana
Waiting
Evil Ways
You Just Don't Care
Savor
Jingo
Persuasion
Soul Sacrifice

Fried Neckbones and Some Home Fries

*John B. Sebastian
How Have You Been
Rainbows All Over Your Blues
I Had a Dream
Darlin' Be Home Soon

Younger Generation

The Keef Harley Band

Spanish Fly

The Incredible String Band
The Letter

This Moment
When You Find Out Who You Are

Canned Heat
I’m Her Man

Going Up the Country
Leaving This Town
Woodstock Boogie

On the Road Again

Mountain
Blood of the Sun
Theme for an Imaginary Western
For Yasgur's Farm

Beside the Sea
Southbound Train

The Grateful Dead
Mama Tried
Dark Star
Turn on Your Love Light

*Creedence Clearwater Revival
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
Night Time Is the Right Time
Keep on Chooglin’
Susie Q

*Janis Joplin
Raise Your Hand
As Good As You've Been to This World
To Love Somebody
Summertime
Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)
Kozmic Blues
Can't Turn You Loose
Work Me, Lord
Piece of My Heart
Ball 'n' Chain

*Sly & the Family Stone
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
Heaven and Hell
I Can't Explain
It's a Boy
1921
Amazing Journey
Sparks
Eyesight to the Blind
Christmas
Acid Queen
Pinball Wizard w/ Abbie Hoffman incident
Do You Think It's Alright?
Fiddle About
There's a Doctor
Go to the Mirror
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

Sunday, August 17, 7:30 AM – 2:15 PM

*Jefferson Airplane
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 and Me and Pooneil
Come Back Baby
White Rabbit
The House at Pooneil Corners

*Joe Cocker
Dear Landlord
Something Comin' On
Do I Still Figure in Your Life
Feelin' Alright
Just Like a Woman
Let's Go Get Stoned
I Don't Need a Doctor
I Shall Be Released"
Hitchcock Railway
Something to Say
With a Little Help from My Friends

Country Joe and the Fish
Rock & Soul Music
(Thing Called) Love
Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine
Summer Dresses
Silver and Gold

Love Machine
Rock & Soul Music (Reprise)

Ten Years After
I’m Going Home

*The Band
Chest Fever

Don’t Do It

Tears of Rage

We Can Talk

Long Black Veil

Don’t Ya Tell Henry

Ain’t No More Cane

This Wheel’s on Fire

I Shall Be Released
The Weight
Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever

*Johnny Winter
Mama, Talk to Your Daughter
Leland Mississippi Blues
Mean Town Blues
You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now / Mean Mistreater
Can't Stand It (with Edgar Winter)
Tobacco Road (with Edgar Winter)
Tell the Truth (with Edgar Winter)
Johnny B. Goode

Blood, Sweat & Tears
More and More

Something Comin On

Spinning Wheel

You've Made Me So Very Happy

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
Blackbird
Guinnevere
Marrakesh Express
4 + 20
Sea of Madness
Wooden Ships
Find the Cost of Freedom

Sunday, August 17, 7:00-9:30 PM

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
No Amount of Loving
Driftin'
Love March
Everything's Gonna Be Alright

Sha-Na-Na
Get a Job

Teen Angel

Wipe Out

(Who Wrote) The Book of Love

Duke of Earl
At the Hop
Get a Job (reprise)

*Jimi Hendrix
Message to Love
Hear My Train A Comin'
Spanish Castle Magic
Red House
Mastermind
Lover Man
Foxy Lady
Jam Back at the House
Izabella
Gypsy Woman/Aware of Love
Fire
Voodoo Child (Slight Return)/Stepping Stone
The Star-Spangled Banner
Purple Haze
Woodstock Improvisation/Villanova Junction
Hey Joe

Notable Incidents You Will Hear This Weekend (All times are in SL time this weekend.)

Arlo Guthrie’s Microphone (Friday, 6:58 PM)
Arlo Guthrie starts off his set with Coming Into Los Angeles but there is just one problem.  You can’t hear the vocals.  There was trouble with his microphone and it wasn’t until about a minute into his first song that the engineers fixed the problem.  You can barely hear him singing, probably through the microphone set up to pick up his guitar.  Despite the problem, this song did make the movie and the first soundtrack album released in 1970.  The song was begun in the middle, after the solo, going into the refrain.  Thus, the flawed part was edited out and only the second half of the song is used.  We will hear it in its entirety, failure and all.

Country Joe McDonald Stalls for Time (Saturday, 11:21 AM)
Joe McDonald was the front man for the band, Country Joe and the Fish.  After Quill finished their set, Santana was not ready to take the stage for theirs.  McDonald was reluctantly recruited to go on stage and do a few songs solo to placate the crowd.  He was not prepared to go on alone so he used the excuse that he had no guitar.  One was located backstage, so he then used the excuse that he had no guitar strap.  A piece of rope was tied to the guitar and he had run out of excuses.  Joe McDonald improvised a solo set and it included one of the most memorable moments of the weekend.  (5:59 PM) He got the crowd worked up.  “Give me an F…  Give me a U…  Give me a C… Give me a K…  What’s that spell? [FUCK] What’s that spell? [FUCK]…

Yeah, c’mon on all you big strong men,
Uncle Sam needs your help again.
He’s got himself in a terrible jam
way down yonder in Vietnam,
so put down your books and pick up a gun.
We’re gonna have a whole lot of fun.
And it’s 1, 2, 3, what’re we fighting for?
Don’t ask me, I don’t give a damn;
next stop is Vietnam.

Part way through the song he addresses the crowd. “Listen people, I don't know how you expect to ever stop the war if you can't sing any better than that. There's about 300,000 of you fuckers out there…”

Joe McDonald, borrowed guitar and rope

Bob Hite of Canned Heat has to Pee (Saturday, 1:00 PM)
Canned Heat took the stage and lead singer, Bob Hite, announced to the crowd, “…There is only one thing I wish, I sure gotta pee!”  It was a direct reference to the lack of adequate sanitary facilities at the concert.  It should also be noted that just before introducing them, Chip Monck, the emcee, remarked about how well they were holding up with the help of the US Army.

The Grateful Dead are Delayed (Saturday, 1:52 PM)
The Grateful Dead were supposed to take the stage after Mountain.  Well, several things kept that from happening. First, the switching between bands was supposed to be facilitated by a turntable type stage.  While one band was on stage (in front), they could be setting up the next one backstage.  The mechanism failed and they had to manual set up the Grateful Dead’s stage.  Furthermore, the stage had flooded due to rain and this was causing all sorts of grounding issues and there were safety concerns.  While there was time to kill on stage, Jerry Garcia, along with Joe McDonald, addressed the crowd and gave their advice about the bad acid that was going around.

The Grateful Dead at Woodstock

The Grateful Dead End Early (Saturday, 3:15 PM)
The fear about the water and electrical systems may have been well founded. As they ended a monster rendition (over 37 minutes long) of Turn on Your Love Light, a loud bang can be heard as they blew their stage amplifiers and had to end their set early.

Abbie Hoffman Crashes the Stage on the Who (Saturday, 6:11 PM)
Abbie Hoffman was a notable 60’s activist and radical who was always controversial and often in trouble with the law.  Between Sly and the Family Stone and the Who, Hoffman had addressed the “politics of the situation” with an angry rant (7:38 PM) about the plight of John Sinclair, manager of Detroit rock band, the MC5.  Sinclair was serving a ten year prison term in Michigan for possessing two joints of marijuana.  After the Who was part of the way through their set and tuning their instruments, Hoffman crashed the stage, taking the microphone from Roger Daltry.  He began another stoned rant about Sinclair saying, “I think this is a pile of shit while John Sinclair rots in prison.”  Pete Townsend then attacked Hoffman, hitting him over the head with his guitar.  Townsend can plainly be heard saying, “Fuck! Off my fucking stage!” The Who then went on to Pinball Wizard.

Breakfast in Bed for 400,000 (Sunday, 9:09 AM)
Sunday morning, after Jefferson Airplane had finished their set, Hog Farm leader, Wavy Gravy (Hugh Romney), took to the stage and addressed the crowd.  “What we have in mind is breakfast in bed for 400,000.”

Max Yasgur Addresses the Crowd (Sunday, 9:12 AM)
When the original location for the festival fell through, weeks before the concert, Max Yasgur, a local dairy farmer, made his 600 acre farm available.  It was only fitting that he got his few minutes of fame and got to address the crowd.  An older looking man, who looked very out of place, wearing black plastic rimmed glasses, took the stage.  There was no less hip person in the place, yet he sang the praises of the concert attendees.  It was another wonderful Woodstock moment.  Joe Cocker took the stage after him and dedicated his first song to him. “And we’re going to do this um this little number to start off with, the title suggests that farming guy who just came out, did you see that nice little bloke…"

Max Yasgur

Yasgur would later be immortalized in Joni Mitchell’s classic song, made famous by CSNY, Woodstock.

I came upon a child of God,
He was walking along the road
And I asked him, "Where are you going?"
And this he told me...

I'm going on down to Yasgur's Farm,
I'm gonna join in a rock and roll band.
I'm gonna camp out on the land.
I'm gonna get my soul free.

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young are Scared Shitless (Sunday, 1:50 PM)
Although all four were seasoned concert performers with other bands, this was only the second time that CSNY had played in front of people and the crowd happened to be 400,000.  After finishing their opening number, Suite: Judy Blue Eyes, Stephen Stills admits, “Thank you, we needed that.  This is the second time we've ever played in front of people, man. We're scared shitless."

Emcee, Chip Monck, Closes the Festival (Sunday, 9:21 PM)
Chip Monck was the voice of Woodstock.  His voice filled the void between sets with announcements, messages, directions and warnings about the brown acid.  He worked relentlessly all three days.  The thing is that he was hired to build and operate the stage lighting for the event.  After he designed and built it, the location of the concert changed and the stage was built to different specifications to accommodate the new space.  The new roof over the stage was not compatible with the lighting design Monck had worked ten weeks building.  There was actually no stage lighting at Woodstock.  Only follow spots, operated from those towers that ironically Monck kept warning people about all weekend long.

Michael Lang realized at the last minute that he never hired an emcee, but there was Chip Monck, a man he had already paid $7000 and who no longer had a function.  Thus, Woodstock became the only concert in history to have the lighting director supplying some of the most famous quotes.

Jobriath

In 1971, Marc Bolen of T. Rex donned satin, sequins and glitter and Glam Rock was born.  Later that same year, David Bowie took on his “Ziggy Stardust” persona and Glam Rock became main stream.  Other acts would soon follow like Gary Glitter, Roxy Music and Sweet.  Each had their own style of “over the top” costumes, makeup and hair, often taking a more feminine or androgynous flair.  There was just one issue; none of these acts were from the United States.  That would all change in 1973 with Jobriath.

He was born in Philadelphia in 1946 and learned to play the piano at an early age.  In the 60’s, he was drafted into the Army but soon deserted, changing his name to “Jobriath Salisbury” and moving to California. It was there that he starred in the West Coast production of HAIR.  In 1969, he left the production and started a band called “Pidgeon,” which released one album.  The price of his public visibility was that the Military Police finally caught him and he was consigned to a military psychiatric facility for a period of time.

In 1972, a demo tape that had been floating around found its way to music promoter Jerry Brandt.  Brandt was involved in many facets of the music industry and owned both the Ritz and the Palladium.  He finally located Jobriath in California where he was supporting himself as a gay prostitute.   Brandt was able to sign him for half million dollar contract for two albums with Elektra Records.  At the time, it was largest bonus ever paid to sign an artist.

Jobriath was billed as America’s answer to David Bowie and many industry experts predicted he would be even bigger.  Probably no other debut was as hyped up as much as Jobriath, with the exception of the Beatles coming to America.  There was a giant four story billboard in Times Square depicting Jobriath and his upcoming album.  There were full page ads in major publications, including Rolling Stone and the New York Times.  His manager was fond of saying, "Elvis, the Beatles, and Jobriath.”

Jobriath was the biggest thing in music and he hadn’t even released his record yet.  There were grandiose plans announced for a European tour to promote the new album opening at the Paris Opera.  When the album finally hit the market, the critics praised it.  Rolling Stone said he had “talent to burn.” So, why are most of you wondering why you have never heard of Jobriath until now?  It’s because no one bought the record.  Sales were so horrible that the shows in Europe were cancelled.  It was one of the biggest failures ever in the industry, selling less than 50,000 copies.  When the second album was released the following year, this time without any hype, Rolling Stone did even bother to write anything about it.

Why did this happen?

Some, including Jobriath himself, have blamed his manager, Jerry Brandt.  Brandt was so focused on promoting his own ego in discovering the next Beatles or next Elvis that he failed to actually do what was best for his client, Jobriath, who he had signed to a ten year contract.  Others have looked to his increased drug and alcohol use, which certainly would have contributed to future failure but couldn’t be blamed for his debut flop.  The same can be said for his questionable mental health.  Sometimes you hear that in the months leading up to the album’s release that Marc Bolen declared that “Glam Rock is dead.”  Did that put sort of a whammy on things?  While all of these may have been true and contributed, there is one reason that stands way out.

Jobriath was the first openly gay recording artist.  Freddie Mercury was still in the closet.  Elton John, who was proving that Glam Rock was not dead with his ever increasing flamboyance, wouldn’t admit to being bisexual for a few more years.  And Liberace was “crying his way to the bank,” having successfully sued two major publications for libel because they insinuated that he was a homosexual.  While today no one would think twice about an openly gay recording artist, it was a different world in 1973.  It was a time when a major recording artist, Anita Bryant, when she wasn’t pushing orange juice on TV (“Come down to the Florida sunshine tree…”), was leading the Rally for Decency against the likes of Jim Morrison and the Doors for their onstage behavior.  A few years later Bryant would lead an anti-gay movement to save our children from recruitment into the sinful life of homosexuality.  In 1973, being gay was a dark, dirty, shameful secret.  Reaching into a record bin and examining or purchasing such an openly gay item would fill most people with dread about guilt by association.

It wasn’t just the fact that he was gay.  He seemed to take great satisfaction in sticking it in the public’s face.  He described his plan for the Paris Opera debut show as him being dressed as "King Kong being projected upwards on a mini Empire State Building. This will turn into a giant spurting penis and I will have transformed into Marlene Dietrich."  All of this ultimately led to him being booed off stage to the taunts of “faggot” when he played Nassau Coliseum in New York.  The band cancelled shows in many cities because it was deemed too dangerous to perform.  It appeared that people were buying tickets just to taunt him.

Only two years into his contract with Brandt, Jobriath announced that he was leaving the industry.  He tried restarting his acting career but too much damage had been done.  He finished out his days as a cabaret singer in a restaurant until his death in 1983.  Along with being the first openly gay recording artist, he was one of the first recording artists to die of AIDS.  His death came one week after his ten year contract with Brandt had expired, freeing him to pursue music again in a more accepting society that would buy albums by Boy George and the Village People.

Brandt went on to other things.  He was the moving force behind the designer jean craze of the late 70’s.  He never said much about Jobraith but in the 90’s he did say that “he was an alcoholic asshole.”  In a rare interview after his musical downfall, Jobraith said about his manager, "Mr. P.T. Barnum Brandt was so busy getting his name on posters and buses, he neglected to get me on tour or my album played." There was obviously no love lost between the two.

Tonight I’ll play a mini set of tunes from both of his albums during my regular show from 7-9 PM.