Woodstock Day 15: Blood, Sweat, & Tears

Formed in 1967, Blood, Sweat, & Tears played at Woodstock on August 18th at 1:30 am. At the time, their line-up consisted of David Clayton-Thomas on vocals, Bobby Colomby on drums, Jim Fielder on bass, Dick Halligan on keyboard and flute, Jerry Hyman on trombone, Steve Katz on guitar and harmonica, Fred Lipsius on alto sax and piano, Lew Soloff on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Chuck Winfield on trumpet and flugel horn as well. Their belend of jazz, psychedelic, soul, and R&B was a perfect addition to the musical diversity of Woodstock.

Clayton-Thomas singing at Woodstock.

In 1969, BS&T already produced two hit albums: Child Is Father to the Man and Blood, Sweat & Years both released in 1968. This allowed the band to choose from a bevy of popular and well-known songs and their set was well received. Most of their songs from the set were not taped and their performance wasn't included in the 1970 film Woodstock. However, their set was played flawlessly and with a lot of feeling. But sax player Lipsius felt that Woodstock was the worst gig that the band had played, claiming that Clayton-Thomas sang off key that night, which would have been the only time in the band's history that it had ever happened.

The band continued to be highly successful until their disbandment in 1981. However between Woodstock and the break-up, the band had so many incarnations that only one original member remained at the end. In 1983, the band restarted with Clayton-Thomas at the wheel until 2004. The band had an ever changing roster and still continues to change very often. Though active today, the band is very different than they were in the 60s and 70s, most likely due to lack of the influence of the original members.

The eponymous Blood, Sweat, & Tears album (1968).

BS&T put out some great hits: "Spinning Wheel," "More and More," "Fire and Rain," and "And When I Die." 1968's Blood, Sweat, & Tears was featured in the 2006 book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Website: http://www.bloodsweatandtears.com/

Woodstock Day 14: Bert Sommer

Bert Sommer played on Friday, August 15th as the third act for Woodstock at about 7:15 pm. Sommer was a folk singer and fit in quite well with the Friday line-up. He wrote a song called "We're All Playing For The Same Band" at and about the Woodstock Festival. The song peaked at #48 on the Billboard Hot 100. Sommer was active from 1967-1978.

Sommer performing the song "Jennifer" at Woodstock.

Sommer's performance was not included in the 1970 film Woodstock nor in the Woodstock album that was issued in the same year. If his performance had been included in either instance, his stardom could have been sealed as it was with other acts at the Festival.

Bert at Woodstock.

After Woodstock, he was a member of the baroque-pop group Left Banke. He co-wrote and sang on their hit "Ivy Ivy/Suddenly." He also played Woof in the original Broadway production of Hair and his hair is featured on the original playbill.

Sommer died in 1990 in Troy, New York at the age of 41 from a respiratory illness.

Woodstock Day 13: John Sebastian

John Sebastian, ex-member of The Lovin' Spoonful, played on Saturday, August 16th at 3:30 pm at Woodstock. Sebastian wasn't originally scheduled to play at Woodstock, but he took the best filler spot available. Sebastian was also high during his set so it very spontaneous and casually played. At the end of his set he had a funny comment: "Just love everybody all around ya and clean up a little garbage on your way out and everything gonna be alright." Clearly a mellow guy at an apropos venue and his set was highly memorable - I mean it's hard to forget a fully tie-dyed man.

Sebastian at Woodstock

Sebastian left The Lovin' Spoonful in 1968 and in the same year he composed the music and lyrics for the musical Jimmy Shine which premiered on Broadway. In 1970, Sebastian released his LP John B. Sebastian which featured him accompanied by various Los Angeles artists. In 1976, he had a #1 single, "Welcome Back," the theme song for the sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter. He is cited to be a major influence to many rock and blues rock artists.

Sebastian returned for Woodstock '94 and played harmonica for Crosby, Nash, Stills, and Young. (don't worry, I'll get to them too!) In 2008, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He's still fairly active today, mostly in the songwriting department.

To see what Sebastian is up to these days, visit his website: http://www.johnbsebastian.com/

Woodstock Day 12: Janis

At 2 am on Sunday, August 17th, Janis Joplin and the Kozmic Blues took the stage. Having made her name at the Monterey International Pop Festival in 1967 with her previous band Big Brother & The Holding Company, Joplin went solo in 1968. So obviously Joplin was up onstage at Woodstock with a full ensemble at her disposal. With the performance being so late, the set lacked Joplin's usual power and improv from her back-up band. Even with this, Joplin's performance was still a highlight of Woodstock.

Joplin's psychedelic Porsche.

The set consisted mostly of material from Joplin's first album I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama! (1969), the most popular of which is "Kosmic Blues." Of the set, her last two songs were the highlights: "Piece of My Heart" and "Ball and Chain." "Piece of My Heart" was a regular of Big Brother and The Holding Company and "Ball and Chain" was a Big Mama Thorton cover. "Can't Turn You Loose" was the only song that Joplin's ensemble sang.

Her set was included on At Woodstock (1993) and in the film Woodstock (1970) as they were recorded straight from the soundboard. Due to Joplin's insistence, her friend and ensemble member Peggy Caserta's vocals were not included in either recording due to an argument (Joplin blamed Caserta for allowing Joplin to shoot heroin before her set).

Joplin at Woodstock.

On October 4, 1970, Joplin died of a heroin overdose at the age of 27. Another member of the "27 Club"? We may never know. But Joplin made a huge impact on the music scene in the late 60s and her possible contributions could have continued to change the music world.

Woodstock Day 11: Quill - Not Just for Hedgehogs

As the first band on the 2nd day of Woodstock, Quill played from 12:15 to 12:45, though drummer Roger North maintained that they played 40 minutes - an extreme exaggeration given that Quill only played 4 songs with a total running time of 18 minutes. In their song "Waitin' for You," Quill handed out some percussive instruments to the crowd so they could participate. This kind of idea works well in clubs, not so much in a crowd of 500,000 people.

Quill at Woodstock

Ever heard of Quill? If you have, you probably went to Woodstock or you've got extensive musical knowledge. They were a Boston, MA psychedelic rock band that was active from 1967 to 1970. They produced one album entitled The Quill in 1970. Quill was hardly known before and after Woodstock. Due to technical recording issues, Quill's performance was excluded from the 1970 Woodstock film and their label, Cotillion Records (Atlantic), refused to promote the band.

Quill's line-up consisted of Jon Cole on vocals and bass, Dan Cole on vocals and percussion, Roger North on drums and percussion, Norman Rogers on vocals and guitar, and Phil Thayer on keyboard, sax, and flute. The week before Woodstock, Quill spent time entertaining stage crew, hog farmers, and festival workers at the local motel. They also played some local goodwill concerts at prisons, mental institutions, and halfway houses to help promote the festival and soothe community members.

Quill's audio performance of "Driftin'" at Woodstock.

It's not to say that Quill wasn't successful, though they did have one of the strangest tours in music history. Quill opened for The Who, The Jeff Beck Group, The Grateful Dead, The Kinks, Deep Purple, and Janis Joplin. They even got to jam with Jimi Hendrix backstage one night at Woodstock. If their performance had been included in Woodstock, it would have sealed Quill's success in the same way the movie had for other bands that performed, especially since Quill was so well received by the mad-clad teens. So go listen to The Quill and listen to their sweet sound.

Woodstock Day 10: Mountain

Mountain, a blues-rock band heavily influenced by Cream, played on August 16th at 9 pm. Their set at Woodstock was their fourth gig EVER! How cool is that?! Their line-up consisted of Leslie West on vocals and guitar, Felix Pappalardi on bass and back-up vocals, Norman D. Smart II on drums, and Steve Knight on keyboard. However, almost immediately after Woodstock, Smart was replaced by their roadie Corky Laing who ended up being a lot better than Smart (Fun fact: Laing is Canadian).

Though the band was well-recieved, Mountain's performance was excluded from 1970's film Woodstock. However, the recordings of "Blood of the Sun" and "Theme for an Imaginary Western" were included on the second volume of Woodstock performances (Woodstock II [1970]). In 1970, Mountain released Climbing! which contained "Mississippi Queen" (featured in the cult film Vanishing Point in 1971), one of the band's greatest hits which peaked at #21 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Mountain at Woodstock

After Woodstock, Mountain was established as a premiere 60s rock band. But the quintessential Mountain era called it quits in 1972. Laing and West have been performing since with a rotating door of additional members. The band is still active today and has quite a number of reunions. Check out "Mississippi Queen" - it's important to expand your musical palette.

For news and tour dates and history: www.mountainrockband.com
Twitter: @lwestmountain

Woodstock Day 9: Sweetwater

Originally, Sweetwater was supposed to the be the first act of Woodstock, but because they got stuck in the traffic jam they arrived late, and Richie Havens played in their slot instead. However, Sweetwater was still the first band to play at Woodstock.

Sweetwater, formed in 1968, was a psychedelic rock band hailing from Los Angeles. From 1968 to 1969, they toured with The Doors and opened for Eric Burdon & The Animals in 1968. At the time of Woodstock, the line-up consisted of Nansi Nevins for lead vocals and guitar, August Burns on cello, Albert Moore on flute and backing vocals, Alan Malarowitz on drums, Elpidio Cobian on conga drums, Alex Del Zoppo on piano, and Fred Herrera on bass.

Sweetwater at Woodstock.

For those who attended Woodstock, Sweetwater's set was found to be just so-so. Their jams weren't too special, the multi-vocal parts were chaotic sounding, and there were some strange solo parts (as heard in "My Crystal Spider"). However, the group was asked to come back for Woodstock '94.

In general, Sweetwater was a short-lived band. They produced only 3 albums (Sweetwater [1968], Just For You [1970], Melons [1971] ) and were only active from 1968 to 1971. In 1969, Sweetwater slowed when Nevins was severely injured in a car accident. Nevins experienced brain damage in the years following the collision and one of her vocal chords was permanently damaged. By 1994, half of the band had died of either natural causes or car accidents and only Nevins, Herrera, and Del Zoppo performed at Woodstock '94.

The view of Sweetwater from the crowd at Woodstock.

People only remember headliners at big festivals like this, so it's important to learn about the lesser known bands that were there too. It's Music History for a reason, not The Highlights of Music History - every artist and band had something to contribute and Sweetwater's contribution was supporting and working on the archetype psychedelic '60s sound.

Woodstock Day 8: Canned Heat

Canned Heat played on August 16th at about 7:30 pm and they barely made it to the gig. Two days before the Festival, their guitarist Henry Vestine left the band after he had an argument with bassist Larry Taylor at Fillmore East. Vestine was then replaced by Harry Mandel. Also, drummer Adolpho de la Parra complained about how they had no time to practice before the gig and left the band the same day, but not for long. Manager Skip Taylor gained access to de la Parra's locked room and helicoptered the band to Woodstock just in time.

Canned Heat while playing "A Change is Gonna Come/Leave This Town" at Woodstock

At the time of their gig, the line up consisted of Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson on guitar and harmonica, Bob "The Bear" Hite on vocals, Harvey "The Snake" Mandel (his third performance with the band) on guitar, Larry "The Mole" Taylor on bass, and Adolpho "Fito" de la Parra on drums. During jams Hite often refers to his bandmates by their nicknames (as heard in the song "Woodstock Boogie," a 30 minute jam from the Festival that was extended from a 6 and a half minute song called "Fried Hockey Boogie" off their album Boogie with Canned Heat [1968]).

They played their big hits at the time: "Going Up The Country" (which became the title track of the movie Woodstock, even though their performance was not shown) and "On the Road Again." While they were playing "A Change is Gonna Come," a man climbed up on stage. Instead of kicking him off, Hite shared a cigarette with him.

Canned Heat's line-up today: The Mole, Fito, The Snake, and Dale Spalding

By 1969, Canned Heat had already added a psychedelic element to their blues-rock band and their Boogie rock kept everyone dancing. But in 1970, Mandel and Taylor parted ways for a new band and started to the tear the group apart. In 1972, Canned Heat became shattered when Wilson committed suicide at age 27, just weeks before the deaths of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin (we'll investigate the "27 Club" later). Since then, Canned Heat has had a rotating door of members and yet is still active since their inception in 1965. Be sure to listen to their music, it's an excellent mix of blues-rock and psychedelic. They have so many excellent songs despite the nearly constant changes to the line-up.

For news and tour dates: www.cannedheatmusic.com

Woodstock Day 7: Melanie

Melanie Safka, professionally known as simply Melanie, performed at 11 pm on August 15th when The Incredible String Band refused to play during the rain. Melanie was included in the festival because she worked in the same office building as the Woodstock organizers and asked to be part of it.

Melanie Safka at Woodstock

Melanie had a short and extremely sweet set. During her set, the crowd lit candles to accompany her music and she ended up writing about this experience in the form of her hit "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)." It's a great tune and you can watch her perform it in 1970 below. Her song became a huge hit in the US, Canada, and Europe and was what really launched her singing career.

Mel had many hits including "Brand New Key" (featured in 1997's Boogie Nights and is colloquially known as "The Roller Skate Song"), "Beautiful People" (which ended up being a huge hit in the Netherlands), "Bitter Bad," and "What Have They Done To My Song Ma." She's an American folk rocker from Astoria, NY and became very musically active in 1967. Below is her playing "Birthday of the Sun" at Woodstock.

Melanie performing "Birthday of the Sun" at Woodstock.

In 1972, Melanie was awarded Billboard's #1 Top Female Vocal Artist award and became an official UNICEF ambassador. In 1973, Melanie started to pull back from the spotlight to start her family, but she still wrote and sang. She is still making music today and has recorded 34 albums to date.

Melanie's website: www.melaniesafka.com
Melanie's twitter: @melaniesafka

Woodstock Day 6: Creedence Clearwater Revival

Formed in 1967 by John Fogerty (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Tom Fogerty (rhythm guitar, vocals), Doug "Cosmo" Clifford (drums), and Stu Cook (bass and keyboard), Creedence Clearwater Revival took the Woodstock stage at 12:30 am on August 17th. They were the first headliner to sign up for the music festival.

CCR in 1968: (L to R) Tom Fogerty, Clifford, Cook, and John Fogerty

The name is certainly a unique one and it took a while for everyone to agree on it. The name has three major elements to it: "Creedence" was tip to their friend Credence Newball, "Clearwater" came from an Olympia Beer commercial, and "Revival" for the members' renewed committment to the band. A close second was "Muddy Rabbit" and I feel like music history could have been a lot different solely because of the name.

Their set was definitely a highlight of the festival, though John Fogerty wouldn't allow their set to be included in the film Woodstock or in the original soundtrack because he felt their performance was subpar. CCR'smusic is a radio staple even today and the music is primarily American folk-rock, country rock, and R&B (sometimes their music was called swamp rock).

Stu Cook playing on stage at Woodstock.

Their hits include "Proud Mary," "Born on the Bayou," "The Night Time is the Right Time," "Bad  Moon Rising," "Keep on Chooglin'," and many, many more including some covers like "Suzie Q," and "I Put A Spell On You." CCR knew how to write and play awesome tunes during their short run together. The band broke up in 1972 when John Fogerty decided to go solo and their last album Mardi Gras wasn't well received.

In 1993, CCR was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. They are ranked #82 in Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Woodstock Day 5: Ten Years After

An English blues-rock band, Ten Years After performed on August 17th at 8:15. Ten Years After was extremely popular during the mid 60s and early 70s and was known for their long guitar and drum solos. In 1969, the line-up consisted of Alvin Lee on guitar and vocals, Leo Lyons on bass, Chick Churchill on the organ, and Ric Lee on drums.

Leo Lyons on bass at Woodstock

Their set could have been world shaking, but due to humidity and sound issues, Ten Years After's performance went extremely awry with a lot of pause re-tuning guitars. Visual and sound recording went in and out during the performance and the only song recorded in full was their finale "I'm Going Home."

The band's name was chosen in November 1966, what was 10 years after Elvis Presley's enormous year of success in 1956 (Presley was an idol of Ric Lee). In 1967, their self-titled album debuted and in 1968, after touring the US and Scandinavia, Undead was released and brought with it their great song "I'm Going Home," the start of their stardom. Their performance of this song at Woodstock, though plagued with issues, catapulted them to celebrity status.

Alvin Lee with a watermelon at Woodstock. Why? Because he's a rock star.

In 1974, the band broke up after their release of Positive Vibrations. Ten Years After got back together in 1988 and still plays today (though Alvin Lee was replaced by Joe Gooch in 2003). Their hits include "Love Like A Man," "Hear Me Calling" (covered by British band Slade in 1972), and "I'd Love To Change The World," their biggest hit by far.

Website: www.tenyearsafternow.com

Woodstock Day 4: Joan Baez

Okay, I know it's not August 4th, but I fell a few days behind. My best friend from home is here and I should not have signed myself up for a project this big while on "vacation." So I'm gonna try to catch up quickly and sort of ignore that the days won't match up for a bit.

But back to Woodstock and today's hot topic: Joan Baez. She was 6 months pregnant during her 1 a.m. performance on August 16th. During her set, she talked about how her husband, David Harris, was arrested and imprisoned for 3 years because of draft-dodging (he also founded an organization that encouraged this behaviour). She was the last to perform on the first day of Woodstock.

Baez in 1963 performing at the March On Washington

Baez was considered the female counterpart of Bob Dylan and was an avid anti-war protester, especially through folk song. Though she does write her own songs, she's considered more of an interpreter of other musicians' works, both of past and present. She really started writing her own songs in the late '60s when her husband Harris turned her on to a more complex country rock style.

Her performance at Woodstock allowed her both a musical and political platform internationally and Baez was able to use her popularity for social protest. She is considered one of the most accomplished interpretive folksinger/songwriter of the 1960s.

Baez is still heavily involved in civil and human rights, gay rights, environmental causes, anti-war protests, and anti-poverty protests. In 2011, she was honored by Amnesty International by having the Joan Baez Award named after her for outstanding inspirational service in the global fight for human rights.

Woodstock Day 3: The Band

Hailing from Toronto, Ontario, The Band played on August 17th at 10 pm for just under an hour. At the time, The Band had only one album out, the cult favorite Music from Big Pink (1968). The album was named as such since they wrote music in a house that they had rented that they had affectionately named "Big Pink" in Woodstock, NY. They're a folk-rock band that was mentored and employed by Bob Dylan from 1965 to 1966.

"Big Pink" - The house that started it all!

In 1969, The Band consisted of Robbie Robertson on vocals and guitar, Rick Danko on bass and back-up vocals, Levon Helm on drums and mandolin and back-up vocals, Garth Hudson on sax and synth, and Richard Manuel on piano and organ.

They played seven of their eleven album songs, did a little bit of Dylan (for homage purposes), and closed with their hit "The Weight" which had been recently made popular in the film Easy Rider. They were not, however, included in the film Woodstock due to legal complications.

The Band on the way to the set to play at Woodstock

They've got some lovely tunes and a long discography (too long for this snippet in time, but perhaps another post). Though overlooked in music history, The Band, along with The Byrds, set the template for country and folk rock. Both Eric Clapton and George Harrison cite the band as a major musical influence. After taking a break from 1977 to 1983, The Band remained active until 1999 (the year that Rick Danko died).  They also played in Woodstock '94.

In 1989, The Band was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. The Band also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.

Twitter: @bobdylantheband

Woodstock Day 2: "It's A Bird!" "No, It's Jefferson Airplane!"

Grace Slick introduced the band with the words: "Alright friends, you have seen the heavy groups, now you'll see morning maniac music, believe me..."

The first of the San Francisco psychedelic bands to achieve mainstream and commercial success, Jefferson Airplane played at Woodstock on August 17th about 8 am, though they were originally scheduled as the headliner for Saturday August 16th. Their music is a mixture of folk, acid rock, and blues rock and it's definitely got a unique sound since they usually have two or three vocals at the same time. One of their great hits is "White Rabbit" which takes a lot of references from Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass while also referring to the hallucinogenic feelings derived from LSD and 'shrooms. Most artists in the psych rock genre used drugs as a mind-expanding social experiment, not just because they could.

In 1969, Jefferson Airplane consisted of Grace Slick for vocals, Spencer Dryden on drums, Paul Kanter and Jorma Kaukonen on guitar, Marty Balin on back-up vocals and guitar, and Jack Casady on bass. Slick was instrumental to their commercial breakthrough because of how well her voice worked in psychedelic songs and how well it complemented Balin's voice.

Jefferson Airplane, 1966 (Top Left to Bottom Right): Casady, Slick, Balin, Kaukonen, Kanter, and Dryden.

Airplane had some great hits like "Somebody to Love" (also off Surrealistic Pillow - the key album to The Summer of Love [yet another story to discuss at another time]), "Volunteers," "She Has Funny Cars," and "Today." A lot of their songs are quite good and all their albums are easy front-to-back listens.

The Airplane set at Woodstock

Around 1970, Jefferson Airplane started to lose steam and Paul Kanter formed the prototype for Jefferson Starship which, at the time, included Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann (all from The Grateful Dead), David Crosby, Graham Nash (from Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young), Grace Slick, and Jack Casady (from Airplane). However, the Airplane members were still playing in Jefferson Starship simultaneously until Airplane's official break-up in 1974.

So what's on today's to-do list? Go listen to Surrealistic Pillow and understand the beauty of Jefferson Airplane. You'll thank me later.

Woodstock Day 1: "What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been"

The lyrics are from The Grateful Dead's "Truckin'" off American Beauty, which was actually recorded in 1970 so it probably didn't show up at Woodstock. But The Dead were there and I think they're a great band to start off with. At Woodstock, The Dead played on Saturday August 16th at 10pm, but their set was cut short when an amp overloaded during "Turn Your Love Light On."

Fronted by lead guitarist Jerry Garcia, the line-up in 1969 consisted of Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann on drums, Bob Weir on rhythm guitar, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan on keyboard and harmonica, and Phil Lesh on bass guitar. Both Lesh and McKernan shared vocalist duties.

The Grateful Dead Bears - inspired by their manager Owsley Stanley whose nickname was, oddly enough, "Bear."

The Dead is known for their mix of blues, psychedelic (clearly a band influenced by LSD), folk, and long instrumental improvisation which earned them the label of "jam band." The Grateful Dead and Deadheads (those who followed The Dead from concert to concert) prefer their live albums to their studio albums since so much of the performance and improv was lost in studio. Their first show was at Ken Kesey's Acid Tests (with a tagline of "Can You Pass The Acid Test?"), which were parties that Kesey threw to promote the use of LSD (that's the abridged version at least). The phrase became famous after the publication of Tom Wolfe's The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test in 1968. Anyway, the Dead soon became a mainstay of the Acid Tests which helped them earn their popularity.

1976's Steal Your Face art is practically a logo for The Dead.

The Dead had some great songs like "Shade of Grey," "St. Stephen" (from the highly acclaimed Aoxomoxoa), "Dark Star," and "Sugar Magnolia." One of my personal favourites is "Alligator." It's a great 12 minute song about a sleepy alligator and it's best to listen to a live version since the jam is just so awesome.

There's just so much to The Grateful Dead it just cannot be covered in one post - I wrote a fairly long term paper in high school solely on the influence of LSD and drug culture on their music. They helped shape music and continued to popularize jam bands and the psychedelic genre. They're a household name when it comes to Classic Rock - you literally have to have lived under a rock to have never heard the words "Grateful Dead."

In 1994, The Grateful Dead was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. They are ranked #57 in Rolling Stone Magazine's Greatest Artist of All Time.

For everything Dead related: www.dead.net
Bob Weir's Twitter: @BobWeir
Mickey Hart's Twitter: @mickeyhart