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San Francisco International Pop Festival
Alameda County Fairgrounds, CA, USA
26 October 1968
Mad River, Rejoice, The Everpresent Fullness,
Lee Michaels, Iron Butterfly, and Jose Feliciano
01. Taper's Comments/Stage Announcements/Introduction to Mad River
02. Mad River - unknown
03. Rejoice - unknown (cut)
04. Rejoice - unknown
05. The Everpresent Fullness - "Golden Gate Park"
06. Stage Announcements/Introduction to Lee Michaels
07. Lee Michaels - unknown (fragment)
08. Iron Butterfly - unknown
09. Unknown Drumming/Taper's Comments
10. Jose Feliciano - "Star Spangled Banner" (cut)
11. Jose Feliciano - "Hi-Heel Sneakers"
12. Iron Butterfly - "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"/Stage Announcements
Total Time: 32:40
Audience Tape. Reel > CDR (from master) > FLAC
Sound Quality: (B) I believe that this is a 2nd gen tape.
This is an interesting, if not pretty raw, audience tape, recorded during the first
day of the two-day San Francisco International Pop Festival. It does not make
for the best listening, because many of the tracks are mere fragments of songs
and the taper speaks throughout.
Nevertheless, I am thankful to whoever taped these performances, because it
is a small, but important document of a fascinating time and place. To be sure,
despite its flaws, it is a good sounding recording for its time. Further, it is
interesting because few studio recordings of Rejoice and The Everpresent Fullness
exist, let alone live tapes. Mad River is likewise underrepresented in tape trade
circles. And, finally, the Lee Michaels track, a mere one minute or so, is to my
knowledge the oldest live recording that exists of his work. The best preserved
tracks are from Iron Butterfly and Jose Feliciano, so this tape would certainly be
of interest to their fans. Please let me know the names of the songs.
While researching this upload, I found a Billboard Magazine article from
26 Oct 1968, in which the writer claims that this entire two-day festival was
being officially recorded by "McCune Sound Co. of San Francisco" and that the
festival's organizers planned a release of the music. To my knowledge an album
never came of this (though there was an album released called S.F. Int. Pop Festival,
I don't believe it had anything to do with this festival). Does anyone know
if soundboards exist?
Part 1-http://sharebee.com/809ba11f
Part 2-http://sharebee.com/b0575e89
20 comments:
Now this is indeed a rarity. First a correction, after consulting people who know a lot about this time period and this festival I've been told The Everpresent Fullness had split up a long time before Oct 1968, so would not have been at this festival. The track "Golden Gate Park" was a single released by the band Rejoice, so this is their 3rd track on this recording.
Yes it would be wonderful to find out that soundboards exist somewhere so I'm currently making some enquiries. I contacted McCune Sound, who are still in existence, and had a reply from Sara McCune to say that the tapes were handed over to the promoter at the time. There were two promoters, Bill Quarry (Teens N Twenties) and Ron Roupe (manager of the Chocolate Watchband). I'll try to contact these people, Bill Quarry is I believe still alive, and if I hear any further news let you know.
Anthony Harland
Thanks for the info Anthony!
I created this FLAC file and wrote the comments, and I realized the mistake later on regarding the band Rejoice. Mr. Harland is indeed correct. I also appreciate his effort to track down the soundboards.
If anyone is able to locate the soundboards or would like to discuss the music captured on the tape, please contact me at
surra36644@mypacks.net
Thanks,
Joe Villa
Thanks so much for this-- very interesting! The only thing I can add in case anybody missed it is that the unknown Iron Butterfly track is called Are You Happy, from the Inna-Gadda-Da-Vida album.
Thanks again for the fun stuff!
Rob Meador
(http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Loading%20Zone.htm) The group The Loading Zone apparently appeared on the 27th at the festival, per the link provided here. The page also includes a scan of a different poster for the festival. This one had to have been pretty well-attended, I'd guess, but it somehow slipped into obscurity. (And where are the audio tapes of the huge Goose Lake Festival in MI? I was given a clue of who to reach re: the film shot at Goose Lake. Have yet to follow it up. Talked to someone who was on the camera crew at that particular festival).
In reference to the first, unnamed responder, indeed, the band name "The Everpresent Fullness" is nowhere to be found on the other poster for the event, found on the page I just mentioned for The Loading Zone, who are named on the poster. Actually, the only other band name on the poster that I did not know is Rejoice. Actually a pretty good lineup of acts, too.
this festival according to my father was awesome, in that time people was a little bit more "pacific", in our time you can go to something similar without found a problem with someone for nothing.
I was 17 in 1968 and this was my Woodstock. I attended day two. The Chambers Bros were top bill that day, played last and a long set (or 2). They probably played all their songs from the (7?) albums they had out to that point. I am not sure why they are not as well known now. Very big at the time. I believe the tickets have some incorrect info as to which groups played on each date. I remember seeing Canned Heat and that they were drinking wine. A rumor was that someone put reds (seconal) in their wine. They didn't put on their best show and looked like they were falling down. I loved Deep Purple and Procal Harem. The poster I see now going for $100 + was given out free to all the crowd. The crowd was great sharing food, pot, wine. Nice outdoor atmosphere.
Dennis from Napa says:
This was the first rock concert I ever attended. I was 15, living in Napa, and a big fan of Iron Butterfly at the time. They were the main reason I wanted to go. Somehow I talked my mom into taking me! We drove down there in the family station wagon, and even spent the night there, sleeping in the car, between shows. My mom spent both days sitting up in the grandstand, meeting other parents who were there. I went down in front of the stage and hung out there with all of the dope smoking hippies. I was so young and innocent. It was great! Can you imagine a housewife today, taking her teenager to a two day rock festival, and turning him loose to just disappear into the crowd for hours on end?
While I was there for Iron Butterfly, the biggest impression on me was made by Jose Feliciano, which surprised me. I wasn't particularly interested in him or his music, but he blew the place apart! I remember that the Chambers Brothers were fantastic, too. Actually, I was impressed with every single band over both days.
I've been poking around on the web, trying to find an accurate, complete list of the bands that performed. As someone else has said, I'm quite sure that The Everpresent Fullness was not on that bill. One band I'm pretty sure was there, but I've seen no other mention of, was Aum.
This is who I've been able to come up with:
Lee Michaels
Buddy Miles Express
Eric Burdon & the Animals
Canned Heat
The Grass Roots
Deep Purple
Procol Harum
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Iron Butterfly
Jose Feliciano
The Chambers Brothers
Rejoice
Mad River
Johnny Rivers
Aum
Fraternity Of Man
Loading Zone
Womb
Mike and Dennis: I was in my Senior year at Amador HS, right down the street and was there both days. There were a few more bands there that I recall:
-Moby Grape (They had a 12 foot tall Amp with their name at the top)
-Big Brother & the Holding Company [with Janis Joplin] (I'll never forget her shreiking voice "Take another pice of my heart, oh baby!")
-The Jimi Hendrix Experience (His guitar scratching and wah-wah pedal and TEMENDOUSLY LOUD songs were painful to the ears)
-The Who (I'm pretty sure they were there, but just played 3 songs - one was a 25 minute "Magic Bus" rendition)
-Santana (again, I'm not positive, but they also played only 3 or 4 extended songs)
Like Mike Moore said - this WAS our woodstock, but the 2nd day, there was a riot outside with cops, people trying to break in (no tickets were available), but the Cops just make a line to keep people from rushing the fence and climbing over. Many people just ran around them and climbed the fence, but it probably wasn't more than 500 people.....
I'm sure there were a few more bands too, but it's just too long ago to remember.
Plus - I downloaded #1, -but #2 is missing -- Can someone get me a copy? I'll pay for it!
Please let me know at mem160@yahoo.com - it would be great to hear this concert again!!!!!
Thanks - Mike Marx
yeah according to someone that were in this event, in other words my mom, this was one of the best in the history of this kind of festivals, inclusive she told me that was a real crazy!!!
botabresgreetings, just found this site, see newport pop festival, wikkipedia, i was one of the principle promoters of this show as was my father, al schmidt, along with alfie zanner, rich rominello (manager of the beau brommels), as well as quarry and roupe. i am working on a web site for the show as well as for the newport pop festival, i can be reached at nobullschmidt@hotmail.com or at garyschmidthappens.com am working on the sound tract, trying to locate it for the project, some brief answers to questions; the album later released was released by alfie zanner and was not music from the show; the show had an attendance of around 40,000 per day; lee michaels, loading zone, and the womb did play that were not billed on the poster, i am pretty sure the other acts that are not on the poster did not perform we did throw a couple of acts on for no pay, all acts on the poster did perform; yes bill quarry is still alive i talked to him last week (google teens and twenties or bill quarry rock promoter)(he has an :East Bay Garage Bands book out); point of interest; i owned and operated the odyssey room in sunnyvale from 1969 through 1989 many great ntimes and shows - see odyssey room revisited . com
i was a new draftee at this time and went to the festival. The first night we and what can only be called "hippies" all shared, but we had nothing as good as the dope that was being passed around. We talked about the war, of course, and everything else. Us in our buzzcuts.
The first day of music (I would like to see an actual playlist for both days) was incredible. We woke to Janis on the fairground loudspeakers, and it only went up from there. Near the end of the second day, Stevie Wonder, amazingly, had the crowd in his pocket
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Hi, does anybody know if the tapes for the festival as mentioned before ever surfaced???
Hello all! I’m Michael Patrick Moore. I was the 17 year old drummer for Rejoice! That festival was quite the eye opener for me. Born in SF I was able to attend many shows at Fillmore and Winterland during my high school days. But, that festival had a nice vibe to it. Very open. I had a blast. Would love to get a copy of whatever recordings might be available. Definitely days of my youth. A few years after Rejoice I became the drummer for Butch Whacks and the Glass Packs and saw many of the same musicians again while touring!
A little foot note: Golden Gate Park was our( Rejoice!) first single on the Dunhill label. Never heard of that other band that was listed as playing it. MPM
Anthony .....you’re very correct regarding the Rejoice song, Golden Gate Park. I was the drummer. I too would lime to get a listen to the tape!
MPM
Joe ..... I can tell you that it was a fun weekend. Although I only performed the one day, I attended both days! Having an “All Access” backstages pass made it all the more enjoyable!
MPM
Gary Schmidt
At the age of 26 I was one of the principle promoters of this show. I can be reached at nobullschmidt@hotmail.com
I also co produced the Newport Pop Fedtival at the Orange County Fairgroungs on August 3rd and 4th of the same year and owned and operated The Odyssey Room in Sunnyvale from 1969 until 1989. In addition I owned and operated The Reindeer Lodge on the Mt.Rose Highway just outside of Reno from 1972 until a couple of years ago when the roof collapsed in a heavy winter storm and I tore the building down.
Please send me your stories !!
I will respond to all.
Thanks to all for the Music and Memories
Gary “No Bull” Schmidt
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