Woodstock

Attila

Shalom

You know the old saying "if you remember Woodstock ....you most probably weren't there" , Well here is a guy who was there and has photos to prove it, He is South African, David Marks... Woodstocker extraordinaire and writer of the song " Master Jack" which was a hit in SA and the USA, some ....er' 45 years ago....

The Story goes that he borrowed money to go to Woodstock and ended up working with the sound crew.......imagine that !!!!!

David Marks Background and a 3rd Ear Music Summary - 1960's to date

David Marks in the 3rd Ear Music Archives 2003 Underground at 19, Grootvlei Gold Mines, Springs 1963 Music Director, Producer & Archivist of 3rd Ear Music since 1970.

David Marks started his music career underground - literally speaking - writing & recording songs in the Gold Mines. He spent nearly 5 years in Welkom, Grootvlei, & Springs. Played bass for various Rock'n Roll bands - from Witbank Technical College in 1961 to the Free State Gold Mines until 1967. While working underground he wrote a number of songs that became international hits - most notably MASTER JACK, MR. NICO & HEY MISTER. His many bands included gigs with HARRY POULOS & DAVEY JAMES in Durban in 1967 & as a solo folk singer on the 3 month cycle (Cock-Tale Lounge & Bar Room Balladeer circuit) 1967 to 1969 - 4 Seasons, Totum & The Astra in Durban; Nite Beat & the Troubadour Jo'burg. read more http://www.3rdearmusic.com/index.html

Enjoy

[deleted]

The Story goes that he borrowed money to go to Woodstock and ended up working with the sound crew.......imagine that !!!!!

I just read a book on the festival. Apparently things were so chaotic (including a possible mass electrocution), but luckily people pulled together. I REALLY recommend the book"Young men with unlimited capital".

[deleted]

How cool is that, what a story to tell. Would love to meet him and hear what it was like.

I have the DVD, thats all I have... ?

Bob-Dubery

Viccy wrote
The Story goes that he borrowed money to go to Woodstock and ended up working with the sound crew.......imagine that !!!!!
I just read a book on the festival. Apparently things were so chaotic (including a possible mass electrocution), but luckily people pulled together. I REALLY recommend the book"Young men with unlimited capital".

Yes. There was a very wet night. I think the Friday. Only a small part of the stage was covered and thus guaranteed to be dry. Anybody with amps was taking a fairly large chance. This was the night that Melanie stepped into the spotlight and made a huge impression. The Incredible String Band had been scheduled for that spot, but by this time they were using electric guitar and bass. They considered doing an all acoustic set but decided to accept the offer to move their spot to the next afternoon. Melanie went on instead and was one of the hits of the festival and the movie. The ISB got no sleep and the next day got a spot between two loud rock bands and tanked.

OTOH there was Alvin Lee of 10 Years After who said something like "if I get electrocuted on stage in front of half a million people and that gets in the movie my record sales will go through the roof."

Attila

Nice one Bob, yep there is so much history made in one weekend, that lead to greater things,

and it all started with .....Two young New York venture capitalists, John Roberts and Joel Rosenman placed an ad in the New York Times
stating simply "Two young men with unlimited capital looking for interesting, legitimate investment opportunities and business propositions."9 The ad immediately caught the eye of Michael Lang, a self- identified hippie rock promoter who had just organized his first festival with moderate success in Miami. He and his partner, Artie Kornfeld were seeking financing to build a recording studio featuring all the latest technology in the Hudson River Valley town and bohemian enclave of Woodstock ............

I need to get a copy of the book Viccy

I have invited David to join and tell us his story ....... hope he does 8)

Squonk

I remember years ago comparing the artists that performed and the ones that got onto the Album.

@ Attila I noticed there was a band called Quill, who were very BIG in the states and especially the New York and Boston area.
They seemed to be known at that time but dissapeared after ther EVENT.

do you know much about them, Maybe David can shed some light on Quill

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In mass electrocution, I wasn't just talking about the performers. Here's the bit where the electrition phones them:

"..all the rain has washed away the dirt that was covering the main feeder cables, and it's starting to rain again. He says the crowd walking on the exposed cables has worn away the insulation......with all those kids being drenched and packed together the way they are, if the insulation goes, we're going to have a mass electrocution."

Bob-Dubery

Viccy wrote In mass electrocution, I wasn't just talking about the performers. Here's the bit where the electrition phones them:

"..all the rain has washed away the dirt that was covering the main feeder cables, and it's starting to rain again. He says the crowd walking on the exposed cables has worn away the insulation......with all those kids being drenched and packed together the way they are, if the insulation goes, we're going to have a mass electrocution."

Yowzer! I didn't know about that.

Woodstock was many things, including a shambles.

Attila

Squonk wrote

I noticed there was a band called Quill, who were very BIG in the states and especially the New York and Boston area.
They seemed to be known at that time but dissapeared after ther EVENT.

do you know much about them, Maybe David can shed some light on Quill

I see the all knowing ..all seeing great WIKI god has a story on them http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quill_(band) but as you say never really made it after Woodstock,

The article seems to attribute that to lost footage, that never made it to Woodstock the movie, along with 9 other artists that never made it big http://connecticut.metromix.com/music/essay_photo_gallery/the-10-lost-acts/1342999/photo/1342993

Bob could help out here better than I can

Bob-Dubery

Attila wrote The article seems to attribute that to lost footage, that never made it to Woodstock the movie, along with 9 other artists that never made it big http://connecticut.metromix.com/music/essay_photo_gallery/the-10-lost-acts/1342999/photo/1342993

Bob could help out here better than I can

I don't think so. I know about the ISB's missed chance through reading Joe Boyd's book "White Bicycles". Boyd was their manager and producer (and that book is one of the very best on the 60s and music in the 60s).

I'd not put Melanie in that list of "lost acts". She had big hits after Woodstock. Country Joe was pretty well known at the time, though forgotten now. So were and are the Incredible String Band - I think that many people listening to them now might find them so 60s it's embarassing, but I think they did some fab work. I also think they would have faded away anyway. By the time Woodstock came around they were past their best, less inspired.

Keira-WitherKay

yeah woodstock made a lot of bands...if i'm not mistaken..... it was Crosby Stills nash and youngs 1st gig ever .......... hehehe what a way to launch a career ....... but then who at the time would know that even so long after the event it would be a legendary festival.........

i do also remember hearing clips of the stage announcements warning people of the bad acid that was doing the rounds heheheh think it's in the movie????

but yeah hendrix doing star spangled banner musta been a highlight ........ but if i recall that was on day 3 and the crowd had thinned considerably and in one of hendrix's biography's there's mention of him not being happy with the fact that he was the headliner and played to hugely diminished crowd( no musical pun intended) and regrets that he shoulda chosen to play earlier

so everybody join in on the chorus .."1.... 2..... 3.... what are we fighting for ????????????" (think that was "country joe and the fish" wasn't it) and i thought Joan Biaz was legendary that festival ...........

peace and light
keira

Bob-Dubery

Keira WitherKay wrote but yeah hendrix doing star spangled banner musta been a highlight ........ but if i recall that was on day 3 and the crowd had thinned considerably and in one of hendrix's biography's there's mention of him not being happy with the fact that he was the headliner and played to hugely diminished crowd( no musical pun intended) and regrets that he shoulda chosen to play earlier

He actually played on the morning of day 4. He was supposed to headline the last night, but by that time Woodstock had gone substantially off schedule, so Hendrix played in the morning. A lot of people had gone home by then simply because they had to.

There were lots of scheduling problems right from the start. Richie Havens was sent on as the first act and played longer than scheduled because various other people had either not turned up or were not in a state to perform. The rain on the Friday night meant schedule changes. Then there was a revolving stage that was set up so that one act could be playing whilst the roadies set up for the next - but that broke down early on.

A very problematic festival in many ways.

Bob-Dubery

Bob Dubery wrote Country Joe was pretty well known at the time, though forgotten now. So were and are the Incredible String Band

OK so they're lost now. Doh! They were a biggish deal then, but that was then.

aubs1

Bob Dubery wrote He actually played on the morning of day 4. He was supposed to headline the last night, but by that time Woodstock had gone substantially off schedule, so Hendrix played in the morning. A lot of people had gone home by then simply because they had to.

"Star Spangled Banner" was simply awsesome!!!!! The movie (documentary), was also edited in such a way that it seemed people were leaving, or cleaning up, during his set, which really pissed me off a bit......!!!

I'm not too sure, but I also think Woodstock basically launched Santana into the spotlight, among others! And he is one of the probably handful of Woodstock veterans still at the top of his game today.......!!!

Bob-Dubery

aubs1 wrote
Bob Dubery wrote He actually played on the morning of day 4. He was supposed to headline the last night, but by that time Woodstock had gone substantially off schedule, so Hendrix played in the morning. A lot of people had gone home by then simply because they had to.
"Star Spangled Banner" was simply awsesome!!!!! The movie (documentary), was also edited in such a way that it seemed people were leaving, or cleaning up, during his set, which really pissed me off a bit......!!!

It wasn't edited that way, that's what was happening. The festival was running so late by then that Hendrix's spot was eventually on the Monday when everybody was supposed to be packing up to go home, the site was supposed to get cleaned up etc.

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There were lots of scheduling problems right from the start.

That's an understatement. Besides the fear of a riot if they stopped the music they also had to hire helicopters to ferry the musicians(traffic had been turned into a sea of stationary cars). And improvise a heli-pad at night for the helicopter to land in a sea of people and when it broke, organise people with flash lights. I'm going to say this again, I REALLY recommend the book 'Young men with unlimited capital'. I can't resist it, I'm going to have to put in another quote. It's a bit about the hippie communers that they flew in to help with general things like "pitching tents, building fires and tying knots.." among the campers.

"The head Hog Farmer, High Romney, a.k.a. Wavy Gravy, a jovial toothless fellow, proved to be a superb organiser, crowd soother, and stage announcer. Once the Festival began, he spent most of his time on stage, calming the crowd when it rained and telling them how beautiful they all were when the vibes were otherwise bad. He also told jokes, fairy tales and bedtime stories, holding that massive audience in the palm of his hand. To my mind he was the star of the show. He was invaluable."

aubs1

Well Viccy, you sound like a great story-teller, maybe you could just tell us the story with some beautiful acoustic guitar playing in the background, then we don't have to go out and get the book!! ? ?.......

Ok, just kidding as usual, will go and get the book, really sounds fascinating, thanx for the info, Viccy........ ?

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Don't tempt me, I've already read half of it to my unwillingly listening boyfriend. You might be able to find it in the library, that's where I came accross it.

Tokai-SA

If I'm not mistaken the PA used at Woodstock landed up in South Africa, Soweto I think...I think it was some sort of donation....that's what I'm told.

Jimi Hendrix 'Live at Woodstock' DVD awesome....even though for me his Isle of Wight "Machine gun" performance is his best ever, a masterpiece.

Squonk

Viccy wrote Don't tempt me, I've already read half of it to my unwillingly listening boyfriend. You might be able to find it in the library, that's where I came accross it.

"Library" - what an old and forgotten term. I dont even know the whereabouts of the Library in my area. Maybe I should make use of it!