Welcome to Team DFH's Freaky Friday weekly music series.
Because Team DFH operates more or less like a herd of cats, we’re here at roughly 9PM Eastern, every week. So take off your shoes, plop down on that beanbag chair over there, let your hair down, maybe light up a fattie, and get some groovy on.
In the mid to late 1960's the San Francisco Bay area was a center to a musical and creative confluence that forever changed the landscape of American culture.
The music that was created in this period combined elements of folk, blues, soul, jug band, jazz, pop--- but the result cannot be categorized so easily.
In the 1950's the Beat poets and writers like Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti visited often or made San Francisco their home, the music that was created later in the sixties had a philosophical kinship to those writers.
Not to overstate the synergistic effect of the use of psychedelic substances such as LSD and Mescaline, the experience while under their influence was a major part of the direction and zeitgeist of those years.
Ken Kesey's Acid Tests, which started in 65', gained the Grateful Dead an appreciative following.
Tickets $2.00--pretty good deal I'd say. Pretty sure that's Allen Ginsberg in photo.
The first Human Be-in, which happened on January 14, 1967, had The Dead as well as Jefferson Airplane and Quicksilver Messenger Service playing.
Human Be-In poster:
The Dead likely played "Viola Lee Blues" at the Be-In-- from their first album:
The Jefferson Airplane released the album Surrealistic Pillow in Feb. 1967. It was the first truly psychedelic rock album to make the top ten nationally. It is simply a timeless album, sounds as vital now as then.
Embryonic Journey:
No diary on the Bay Area music history would be complete without mentioning Bill Graham. He became a music promoter and with his Fillmore Auditorium concerts he often had a rock act paired with an older established blues act such Albert King. Graham loved and was passionate about music; he as much as anyone can be credited with making things happen in a positive way.
Country Joe & The Fish best exemplified the blending of political activism and music of the Bay Area bands.
At Woodstock:
Quicksilver Messenger Service was a staple at many shows and happenings. They never became as well known outside of the Bay Area as other bands.
"Mona"---from Quicksilver's "Shady Grove" album:
Most People do not associate Sly & The Family Stone with the San Francisco music scene but in 68' and 69' they blossomed. The lyrics of Stand! as much as any song, sum up the values of that place and time.
Stand!:
Peter Coyote was a founding member of the
Diggers in the mid-late 60's in San Francisco. As he tells the tale of the Free Store, the common DNA with today's Occupy movement is apparent.
I chose to hi-lite just a few bands, there were many bands during that time, here's a list of many of the bands and groups:
# Grateful Dead
# Jefferson Airplane
# Quicksilver Messenger Service
# Country Joe and the Fish
# Big Brother and the Holding Company
# The Great Society
# Sopwith Camel
# Santana
# Sly and the Family Stone
# Malo
# Moby Grape
# It's A Beautiful Day
# Blue Cheer
# The Flamin' Groovies
# We Five
# The Beau Brummels
# The Mojo Men
# The Charlatans
# Steve Miller Band
# Sons of Champlin
# Mother Earth
# Hot Tuna
# New Riders of the Purple Sage
# Kozmic Blues Band
# The Mystery Trend
Furthur....
Please share music vids or links of any band that is in alignment with the music of that era---many current bands would qualify, they can be from anywhere and anytime.. Cheers....