Three Days of Love, Peace, & Music
In the Catskill Mountains of New York State, in the western part that is more gentle rolling hills, green pastures, and quiet lakes than rugged peaks, lies the town of Woodstock. It had for years been a get away for artists, bohemians, and musicians. When
Artie Kornfeld and
Michael Lang, wanted to build a 'studio in the woods' in Woodstock, they turned to New York City promoters Joel Rosenman and John Roberts, who'd financed Media Sound, a large Manhattan studio. The promoters weren't excited about the idea, not really buying into the idea that enough musical artist frequented the place to make a studio work. They countered with the idea of a musical festival first to test the waters.
By the time a place was secured, it was far from Woodstock itself, but on a farm owned by Max Yasgur outside Bethel, NY. But the name stuck. Somehow Artie and Michael drew some of the biggest names to participate and that turned it into a bandwagon. The three days were Friday the 15th, Saturday the 16th, and Sunday the 17th. But things ran so long it ran into the daylight morning hours of Monday the 18th. Kids from all over the country, not just the region, made their way to Woodstock. Some hitch hiked, soon to be picked up by other kids heading there, recognizing they were of the same 'tribe' by dress, attitude, and demeanor. The 'tribe' was Hippies.
Kids who didn't have tickets arrived and it was sold out. So they went around to the back of the site and climbed the fence. Soon the fence was knocked down. Rosenman and Roberts didn't like that. They were interested in a return on their investment. But Michael and Artie were into the scene. Michael thought it was cool, it was a happening, an event beyond their control. He gave orders to not put the fences back up. By the time the first act opened on Friday night there were 400,000 Hippies gathered in the farm. When it rained the huddled together and danced in it. When some were hungry others fed them. The police there to keep order turned a blind eye on the rampant drug use, mainly Marijuana and LSD.
In the early hours of Saturday morning across the nation a week before, still prime time Friday in New York State, a small band of phony Hippies- they had the drugs and sex and rock and roll with long hair, granny dresses, and beards, but none of the love and peace- attempted to kill to start a racist end of the world war. They'd affect the consciousness of the nation to declare the Summer of Love was dead. But at the exact same moment but a week later folkie Tim Hardin was on stage at Yasgur's farm singing "If I had a Hammer" and 400,000 hippies filled with nothing but love, peace, and music (well, and a lot of wine, weed, and acid too) sang along. The nation noticed, but still declared the Summer of Love was done.
Different acts had different ways of relating to the festival. Some came in from wherever they were before just before their performance and then left. Others arrived the day of and were in the crowd the whole time. One, John Sebastian of the Loving Spoonful, wasn't even scheduled to perform. When on Saturday an act was delayed in setting up, having seen him, Michael called him up. He played several songs spontaneously with just a borrowed acoustic guitar and wowed everyone with his "Darling Be Home Soon."
Other acts had staging areas nearby. Joe Cocker and the Grease Band, with Dutch Egmond, chose Poughkeepsie, an hour and a half away from Yasgur's farm. They were scheduled for Sunday at 2 pm. Before he canceled, John Lennon and Dirty Truth, were going to stage themselves in New York City and arrive just in time for their scheduled performance at 7:00 pm. Instead John arrived much earlier. It was a two and a half hour trip from the island of Manhattan and normally John was a late riser. But after a week in bed he and Yoko were anxious to get up earlier and be on their way. They were on the road before 8 and arrived at the farm at 10:30. When the security saw it was John Lennon and Yoko One in the limousine with a little girl, they waved them in to go behind the stage.
"Naw, we want to sit with the crowd, you know. Today we're just fans."
John may have thought they were just fans, but the fans didn't. The front of the audience was claimed, had been for days. But people moved back to give them a place at the front. It had rained the night before, so Yoko had brought a big plastic table cloth for a banquet table and then several blankets to put over it. (She also brought umbrellas, which were needed as it did rain again.) Soon John and Yoko were happily visiting with the Hippies around them. One of them handed him a guitar and he refused, "I'd rather listen to you, friend."
Kyoko found other children to play with. There were a lot there. When someone passed a joint around, John said, "I don't mind if I do."
"I heard you were a born again Christian now?" A girl asked.
"I'm a born again
me." He took a big draw and passed it on.
"So, you're not a Jesus Freak?"
"I'm a Justa Freak."
John had asked to be told when George and his party arrived with Joe and the Grease Band. Lang himself came to tell him. As they walked to the back of the stage, he said quietly, "Man, this is wild. I didn't know that he was with the Grease Band. So we get one of you here after all."
Lang's biggest disappointment was when Lennon had cancelled. But he knew he still had the Who, the Airplane, and Hendrix, who was scheduled to close the event. (He had no idea it would be so late when that happened.)
"I think you got all of us. But only Dutch and Rich are going to be up there. Paulie and me, we're just his two biggest fans today."
"Heavy, man, just to watch him play guitar in the back."
"You don't know? He's going to finish the set."
Lang's eyes got enormous. "No, I didn't."
The private area behind and below the stage included a large tent, plenty of food and drink, and several forklifts and cranes. The stage was up high and it was easier to get equipment up there that way. Lang had gotten the notice that the Cocker entourage was entering by his walkie talkie and he and John were standing there waiting as they drove up in a fleet of two limousines, a bus, and a U-Haul.
George was in one of the limousine with Pattie and the Starkeys. He saw John standing there in his white suit, his auburn long hair blowing in the gentle wind, the sun shining off his glasses. "It's John."
"It's his surprise," Rich said. "He came from New York City to listen to you. Just like Paul and me."
The limo pulled up to the tent and John sprinted, with a kick and a jig, to it and opened the door. "Mr. Harry Son, we have a green room waiting for you. The tea is hot and the biscuits are sweet and the girls are fresh. Not as pretty as these two lovelies." He bowed to Pattie and Maureen.
"Come here, you old wanker." George said and grabbed him and hugged him. They were still hugging when Paul walked up. The other limousine was right behind and he, Maggie and Jackie, and Joe and his girlfriend, were in it.
"All Together Now!" He said.
"One Two Three Four, can I have a little more?" Rich sang.
"Yes!" John pulled away and gave Rich and then Paul a hug.
"That's what a little help from my friends means," Joe said to his girlfriend.
That was the last song of Joe's set that day, eleven songs.
