Today is the anniversary of Day 2 of Woodstock. As stated yesterday, my initial plan was to share an old Ted Tocks feature discussing an artist and a Woodstock performance from 54 years ago.
But then…
I thought I would go all in and spend three days celebrating the festival that changed music history.
In taking you back over five decades I will do everything I can to keep the words to a minimum and the music to a maximum. I will walk you through today’s performing artists in order, while sharing their setlists for reference. From here I will link any Ted Tocks features that have offered a song performed at the festival.
If I have not featured the artist on Ted Tocks Covers, I will grab a set highlight and share that song in order to give you a taste.
Hopefully it will be a fun trip. No brown acid here. Just a ton of amazing music that will take us back to a time where ‘FREEDOM’ was not just another word co-opted by a bunch of people who don’t even know what it means.
Day two began as the Boston based band Quill took the stage. Admittedly, I don’t know much about this act, but a brief bit of research let me know that Woodstock creator Michael Lang brought Quill into the fold to perform a mini set, but they were also hired to do a short promotional tour in the area to generate local goodwill toward the festival. The band members lived with Lang and the crew that was hired to build the Woodstock infrastructure. One of their primary roles was to provide entertainment for the entourage, performing mini concerts. Quill also pitched in as part of the crew.
A little known fact…
Remember Cliff from Cheers? He was played by John Ratzenberger. Well as it turns out he was among the many who took time and lent his skill to build the Woodstock stage. Here is one of his thoughts on the way Woodstock should be remembered for bringing people together like never before, or since.
This isn’t the Democratic party of our fathers and grandfathers. This is the party of Woodstock hippies. I was at Woodstock–I built the stage. And when everything fell apart, and people were fighting for peanut butter sandwiches, it was the National Guard who came in and saved the same people who were protesting them. So when Hillary Clinton a few years ago wanted to build a Woodstock memorial, I said it should be a statue of a National Guardsman feeding a crying hippie.”
John Ratzenberger
Anyway, here is Quill’s Woodstock set.
- They Live the Life
- That’s How I Eat
- Driftin’
- Waiting for You
‘They Live the Life’ was the only song from the set list that made it onto their self-titled debut album. This would be their only album. The other three songs they performed on this day did not make the recording. Listen to ‘That’s How I Eat’. This is really good.
The role of the early acts at a festival is to get the crowd on their feet and pave the way for the progression of music that will follow. It can be a thankless task. Country Joe McDonald was slated to play day three with his band The Fish. He was well known on the west coast music scene, and making an impression nationally. As he was sitting side stage with Woodstock MC and producer, John Morris he saw an opportunity. While the stagehands were removing Quill’s equipment and setting up for Santana, McDonald asked if he could play. Morris reluctantly agreed. Country Joe played eight songs to a generally passive audience.
- Janis
- Donovan’s Reef
- Heartaches by the Number
- Ring of Fire
- Tennessee Stud
- Rockin’ Round the World
- Flying High
- I Seen a Rocket
McDonald was a little disheartened by the subdued response to these songs. It was here that the whole tone for the day shifted. He had an idea. Briefly he consulted his road manager to see if it would be okay to play his showstopper, The ‘Fish” Cheer/I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag’.
The cynical response was;
Nobody’s listening to you, so what difference does it make?”
Tour Manager
Country Joe took centre stage and yelled;
Gimme an F! Gimme a U! Gimme a C! Gimme a K! What’s that spell? What’s that spell? What’s that spell? What’s that spell?”
Joe McDonald
Talk about taking command of your audience.
Yet another defining moment for Woodstock. It also came to define Country Joe and the Fish’s career, which is bittersweet because this song is not necessarily reflective of their music.
It still stuns me to say that Santana’s unveiling to the world occurred at Woodstock. It was upon Bill Graham’s insistence that Michael Lang gave them a spot, on Saturday’s bill. Fortified with a nice dose of mescaline Carlos Santana blew the minds of half a million music lovers. I can’t even imagine what this must have been like. Let’s call it a spiritual awakening.
Once again, due to traffic congestion issues, organizers were having trouble getting the bands in for their allotted time.
There’s been a change in the schedule. You have to go on now.”
Michael Lang
- Waiting
- Evil Ways
- You Just Don’t Care
- Savor
- Jingo
- Persuasion
- Soul Sacrifice
8. Fried Neck Bones and Some Home Fries
Drummer, Michael Shrieve later recounted what it was like for he and his bandmates;
But what I noticed, like getting up there and playing was, it was like standing at the ocean. As far as you could see, except for the horizon, was people. So in my mind it felt like, Wow, this is like being at the ocean, since I was an ex-surfer, I guess. And it was sort of, you know, this is just like the ocean, except it’s people.”
Michael Shrieve
One more act that was pressed into performing with little advanced notice was John Sebastian. Through his years as leader of the Lovin’ Spoonful’, Sebastian was prominent in the music scene. Woodstock promoter Chip Monck saw him standing around backstage, talking to his friends, and he said,
We need somebody to hold ’em with one acoustic guitar, and you’re elected,”
Chip Monck
Armed with a guitar borrowed from Tim Hardin; wearing a patented tie dye t-shirt and rolled up jeans, Sebastian addressed the audience with a heartfelt mini set of music and stage banter.
- How Have You Been
- Rainbows All Over Your Blues
- I Had a Dream
- Darlin’ Be Home Soon
- Younger Generation
This is perfect.
Come and talk of all the things we did today
John Sebastian
Hear and laugh about our funny little ways
While we have a few minutes to breathe
And I know that it’s time you must leave”
This was special. Remember, he was just killing time.
You’re all beautiful. Good bye”
John Sebastian
And just like that, he was gone.
Another band that got caught up in the maelstrom of scheduling adjustments on this day was the Keef Hartley Band. They were standing side stage when Santana stepped up and drove the crowd into a frenzy. Momentarily they were freaked out with the possibility of trying to follow Santana’s act, but they were relieved when John Sebastian settled the euphoric audience down. Due to issues between management and the Woodstock promoters, the Keef Hartley Band was not filmed, and the recording of their set was not permitted to be used on the eventual soundtrack album. Consequently, their set has drifted into obscurity, which was an opportunity missed for this talented blues rock ensemble that had evolved out of the John Mayall music mill.
- Spanish Fly
- Think it Over
- Too Much Thinking
- Believe in You
- Medley: Sinnin’ For You/Leavin’ Trunk/The Halfbreed/Just to Cry/Sinnin’ For You
Please enjoy ‘Believe in You’ from their album ‘The Battle of the North West Six’.
Moving into the late afternoon, the jigsaw puzzle of slotting the acts in continued.
The Incredible String Band were initially supposed to play on Friday night as part of the folk presentation. When the rain began to fall, the group notified the organizers that they would not play in the wet conditions. The band was concerned, seeing as they had recently begun to use electric pickups and they feared electrocution. Initially, this alternative slot may have appealed to this psychedelic folk act out of Scotland, but as the tone for the day had been set by Santana, the Incredible String Band’s set fell flat, but they tried.
This is all interesting because you begin to get a sense of the logistical nightmare it becomes for organizers to arrange the lineup of acts, and maximize the overall experience for both musicians and attendees.
Next up is Canned Heat. Let it be said that from my perspective, they picked up where Santana left off. On this day, they brought a new sense of energy to the massive crowd during a performance that took their name to greater heights. A fascinating note about this set is the fact that, guitarist Harvey ‘The Snake’ Mandel had only joined the band two weeks previous. He had replaced Henry Vestine.
After MC, Chip Monck introduced Canned Heat, singer Bob ‘The Bear’ Hite took the mic and stated;
We’re just going to play a little blues.”
Bob ‘The Bear’ Hite
And that is exactly what these blues disciples did.
- I’m Her Man
- Going Up the Country
3. A Change is Gonna Come/Leaving This Town
4. Rollin’ Blues
5. Woodstock Boogie
6. On the Road Again
Canned Heat played as the sun went down and essentially, they let the crowd know that the music would carry on until the dawn of the next day. Their John Lee Hooker boogie/blues style was just what the audience needed. Many who were there have stated emphatically that the Canned Heat set was definitely among the best of this three-day extravaganza.
Naturally, Going Up the Country’ became somewhat of a Woodstock anthem.
I’m going up the country
Alan Wilson/
Baby, don’t you wanna go?
I’m going up the country
Baby, don’t you wanna go?
I’m going to some place
Where I’ve never been before”
To this day, ‘Going Up the Country’ exists as a ‘Woodstock’ theme song, right up there with Joni Mitchell’s generational observation made famous by Crosby Stills Nash & Young. More on them later.
If Canned Heat was boogie-blues then Mountain represented high octane three-piece electric blues mayhem. The upstate New York venue was perfect for Mountain because on the East Coast scene they were projected to be the next big thing.
- Blood of the Sun
- Stormy Monday
- Theme for An Imaginary Western
- Long Red
- Who Am I But You and the Sun (for Yasgur’s Farm)
- Beside the Sea (written by Bert Sommer – See ‘Freedom’)
7. Waiting to Take You Away
8. Dreams of Milk and Honey
9. Guitar Solo
10. Southbound Train
Their set at Woodstock left the crowd screaming for more. Everyone in attendance knew they were on the verge of stardom. Unlike previous acts that were left out of the movie and off the soundtrack album, this omission had little effect on Mountain.
40 years after performing at Woodstock, guitarist Leslie West returned to play a concert at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. The show was briefly interrupted so he could take his wedding vows. He married his fiancée. Jenni Maurer. When the ceremony was over, he put a stamp on the moment by belting out ‘Mississippi Queen’.
For a taste of the evolution of Mountain, please enjoy this Ted Tocks post featuring ‘Mississippi Queen’.
If Santana, Canned Heat and Mountain offered career defining sets, the Grateful Dead may have unwittingly presented one of their worst.
This could be forgiven because over a thirty year span this band played over 2300 shows.
There was a combination of circumstances at play. The band’s innovative sound engineer Owsley ‘Bear’ Stanley was not at all happy with the sound system so he took it upon himself to make some adjustments. In retrospect, this was not a good plan. Jerry Garcia’s memories of Woodstock tend to focus on him playing notes on the guitar which created electrical parks from his fingertips. It may seem magical, but ‘Captain Trips’ was actually dealing with a multitude of mini electrocutions brought on by Owsley’s alterations. Fortunately, Stanley was a noted chemist, who brought enough of his celebrated LSD with him to supplement every band and crew member who set foot near the stage.
- Saint Stephen
- Mama Tried
3. Dark Star
4. High Time
5. Turn on Your Lovelight
As much as the Grateful Dead have denounced their Woodstock set, the version of this Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland classic has been recalled in a positive way. Keyboard player Ron ‘Pigpen’ McKernan rose to the occasion, and the 40 – minute jam really got the crowd moving before the Dead left the stage and opted not to play an encore.
Collectively, the band labeled the performance a disaster, and to a member agreed not to have their set included in the movie or on the album soundtrack.
Depending on who you talk to, Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Woodstock set was either mediocre or really good. John Fogerty felt the performance suffered from the fact that the Grateful Dead had induced the half a million people into a coma, while his brother Tom and the other band members felt their set that offered hit after hit was really strong and appreciated by the crowd as the clock wound its way between 1 and 2 am into day three of the festival.
From a commercial point of view, CCR was likely the biggest attraction at Woodstock. They were riding a wave of popularity and their run of hit songs were receiving constant radio play.
Their set list spoke to their popularity.
- Born on the Bayou
- Green River
3. Ninety-Nine and a Half (Won’t Do)
4. Bootleg
5. Commotion
6. Bad Moon Rising
7. Proud Mary
8. I Put a Spell on You
9. The Night Time is the Right Time
10. Keep On Chooglin’
11. Suzie Q
By the time Janis Joplin hit the stage at 2:30 she was deep into a day of partying. Partially because she was enjoying the camaraderie back stage and also because the half a million people who were anticipating her performance had evoked a deep anxiety within the unpredictable artist.
Joplin’s set was propelled by her new band which had been dubbed the Kozmic Blues Band. Fresh off recording the album ‘I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama’ in June, Janis unveiled some new material and worked hard at building a connection with the crowd. Her star power roused a positive response despite the early/late hour.
- 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
This hit from ‘Cheap Thrills’ would be her first encore, inspired by the enthusiastic audience response. Interestingly, Joplin offered a rearranged version for the Woodstock crowd. Bold!
10. Ball and Chain
Janis Joplin closed with this popular cover of a Big Mama Thornton classic. Because with Janis it was always about remembering the blues.
Imagine being on a bill and taking the stage at 4 am? This was the mission that awaited Sly and the Family Stone and they were up to the task.
They delivered a message of unity.
There is a long hair
Sylvester Stewart
That doesn’t like the short hair
For being such a rich one
That will not help the poor one
Different strokes for different folks
And so on and so on, scooby-dooby-dooby
We got to live together
- M’Lady
- Sing a Simple Song
- You Can Make It if You Try
- Everyday People
5. Dance to the Music
6. I Want to Take You Higher
7. Love City
8. Stand!
Don’t ya wanna get higher?
Sylvester Stewart
I wanna take you higher”
Sly and the Family Stone were huge for about a year before they hit the Woodstock stage, but they were catapulted to another level for an extended period following this performance which some impartial festival attendees called the best of the three-day experience.
It took an all-night negotiation for Woodstock production manager John Morris to iron out an appearance deal for Pete Townshend and The Who to perform at Woodstock. It wasn’t about the money.
The Who received $6250 to play Woodstock. As much as Townshend is known for his cynical outlook, even he saw the opportunity to perform the band’s new rock opera ‘Tommy’ before an audience of significant size.
By the time The Who took the stage they were in a foul mood. Displaying their best English manners, they had arrived early Saturday afternoon in order to settle in backstage before their allotted 9:30 time slot. As we all know, they did not take the stage until Sunday at 5:30 am.
John Entwistle was philosophical
God was our lighting man.”
John Entwistle
Pete Townshend was frothing at the mouth. He set the tone immediately by kicking cameraman Michael Wadleigh as he was lying on the stage setting up for a shot.
Keith Moon was ready to let the thunder down as dawn greeted the awaiting throng.
And Roger Daltrey was the living embodiment of Tommy himself. The gorgeous, chiseled rock god stood before the adoring masses, waiting to take them away on amazing journey.
Sickness will surely take the mind
Where minds can’t usually go
Come on the amazing journey
And learn all you should knowHis eyes are the eyes that
Pete Townshend
Transmit all they know
Sparkle warm crystalline glances to show
He is your leader
He is your guide
On the amazing journey
Together you’ll ride”
This was music and magic in its finest form.
- Heaven and Hell
- I Can’t Explain
3. It’s a Boy
4. 1921
5. Amazing Journey
5. Sparks
6. Eyesight to the Blind
7. Christmas
8. The Acid Queen
9. Pinball Wizard
10. Do Yo Think It’s Alright?
11. Fiddle About
12. There’s a Doctor
13. Go to the Mirror
14. Smash the Mirror
15. I’m Free
16. Tommy’s Holiday Camp
17. We’re Not Gonna Take It/ See Me Feel Me
18. Summertime Blues
19. Shakin’ All Over
20. My Generation/Naked Eye
Jefferson Airplane was slated to end day two of Woodstock somewhere around midnight and as it turned out, they did not even hit the stage until 8 am. Through it all the band was completely unphased. By all reports, they tore through an inspired set as if they were playing a typical show at Bill Graham’s Filmore West in San Francisco.
Grace Slick took the stage with a carefully worded, yet appropriate message.
Alright friends, you have seen the heavy groups. Now you will see morning maniac music. Believe me, yeah. It’s a new dawn!”
Grace Slick
- The Other Side of This Life
- Somebody to Love
3. 3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds
4. Won’t You Try/Saturday Afternoon
5. Eskimo Blue Day
6. Plastic Fantastic Lover
7. Wooden Ships
8. Uncle Sam Blues
9. Volunteers
Look what’s happenin’ on the streets
Got to revolution, got to revolution
Hey, I’m dancin’ down the street
Got to revolution, got to revolution
Ain’t it amazing all the people I meet
Got to revolution, got to revolutionOne generation got old
Marty Balin and Paul Kantner
One generation got sold
This generation got no destination to hold”
Hey America! Wake up!
10. The Ballad of You & Me & Pooneil
11. Come Back Baby
12. White Rabbit
When logic and proportion
Grace Slick
Have fallen sloppy dead
And the White Knight is talking backwards
And the Red Queen’s off with her head
Remember what the dormouse said
Feed your head
Feed your head”
13. The House at Pooneil Corners
And with that, the curtain fell on day two of Woodstock.
Day three would begin just five hours later…
Stay turned on and tuned in.
Definitely do not drop out.
Ted Tocks Covers 