California Jam 1974 (festival)

California Jam (also known as Cal Jam) was a rock music festival co-headlined by Deep Purple and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, held at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California, on April 6, 1974. It was produced by ABC Entertainment, Sandy Feldman and Leonard Stogel. Pacific Presentations, a Los Angeles-based concert company headed by Sepp Donahower and Gary Perkins, coordinated the event, booked all the talent and ran the advertising. Don Branker worked for Leonard Stogel and was responsible for concert site facilitation, toilets, fencing and medical. It attracted 250,000 paying fans. The festival set what were then records for the loudest amplification system ever installed, the highest paid attendance, and highest gross in history. It was the last of the original wave of rock festivals, as well as one of the most well-executed and financially successful, and presaged the era of media consolidation and the corporatization of the rock music industry.



California Jam 1974 - INTRO:

On February 17th, 1974 an ad appeared in southern California newspapers announcing California Jam, a twelve hour rock concert to be held at the Ontario Motor Speedway located fifty mile by freeway from Los Angeles.

Several weeks before the event the anticipated audience was expected to exceed 100,000 people. A stage large enough to support the many tons of equipment and personnel of eight major rock groups had to be built from 500 sections of scaffolding, and covered with 23,000 square feet of plywood.

To support a 54,000 watt sound system capable of covering a square mile, four sound towers were erected to a total height of fifteen stories. To move all the stage equipment around, sections of the stage were built over 600 feet of railroad track.


A million watts of power were generated to light up everything from the stage to the parking lot. Six-thousand feet of temporary fence, a million and a half gallons of water, first aid centers, 1500 employees, artists, stagehands, ticket takers, security people, hot dog sellers all coming together to have everything ready for the morning of April 6th.

https://youtu.be/m5dHVpD4jVQ :

Audience Compilation / 1974 California Jam:

Camera shots of the audience at the Ontario Motor Speedway, drawn from the four 1974 California Jam broadcasts: 

https://youtu.be/tj9uH3iUp48 :

8mm film / California Jam 1974 / Ontario Motor Speedway:

Ten minute 8mm film of the 1974 California Jam. Filmed by Blair White over a three day period, April 5th, 6th, and 7th at the Ontario Motor Speedway. Blair worked as stage manager on the "In Concert" series for ABC television. At the California Jam Blair White helped roadies expedite sound gear on-and-off the two stages used at the Jam for the first seven acts, ELP had their own stage. In moments between this three day work cycle, Blair aimed his 8mm camera and captured amazing slices of the California Jam, showing what it was like during those three days with ABC at the Ontario Motor Speedway. 

https://youtu.be/lV2KRoWv380

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Saturday, April 6, 1974

Performers: 

Acts that performed at the festival in order of appearance:

* Rare Earth
* Earth, Wind & Fire
* Eagles
* Seals and Crofts
* Black Oak Arkansas
* Black Sabbath
* Deep Purple
* Emerson, Lake & Palmer


Rare Earth:

setlist (incomplete):

- I Just Want to Celebrate
- Hey Big Brother

https://youtu.be/a5LIDNbFadU :

https://youtu.be/Wne6z05rWH4 :

Earth, Wind & Fire:

setlist (incomplete):

- Keep Your Head to the Sky
- C'mon Children
- Time Is on Your Side

https://youtu.be/e1FvkElSXDc :

https://youtu.be/bKZ7O8202gU :

Eagles:

setlist:

- James Dean (with Jackson Browne)
- Midnight Flyer (with Jackson Browne)
- Already Gone
- Take It Easy

(no videos on YouTube)

Seals & Crofts:

setlist (incomplete):

- Windflowers
- The Gate
- Unborn Child
- Ruby Lee & Billy Lee
- Ridin' Thumb
- Standin' on a Mountain Top
- High on a Mountain
- Diamond Girl
- Hummingbird
- The Fiddle Song

https://youtu.be/Q97QecyanZw :

https://youtu.be/JtNSyJdijpc :

https://youtu.be/Bigqpv0vWnc :

Black Oak Arkansas:

setlist (incomplete):

- Up
- Mutants of The Monster
- When Electricity Came to Arkansas
- Dixie
- Jim Dandy

https://youtu.be/lOZ__idpmNk :

Black Sabbath:

setlist:

- Tomorrow's Dream
- Sweet Leaf
- Killing Yourself to Live
- War Pigs
- Snowblind
- Sabbra Cadabra (with Jams),  Guitar Solo,  Drum Solo
- Sometimes I'm Happy
- Supernaut
- Iron Man
(with "Sabbra Cadabra" reprise)

Encore:

- Paranoid
- Embryo
- Children of the Grave

https://youtu.be/UogPgnYoJ0M :

https://youtu.be/lff9H_Nrx4A 

https://youtu.be/LlEjafWIq_c?list=RDlff9H_Nrx4A 

https://youtu.be/P7V3pEGZz64?list=RDlff9H_Nrx4A :

Deep Purple:

setlist:

- Burn
- Might Just Take Your Life
- Lay Down, Stay Down
- Mistreated
- Smoke on the Water
- You Fool No One
- (excerpts of Lazy and The Mule are performed)
- Space Truckin' (includes Mandrake Root instrumental jam which includes Richie      Blackmore smashing his guitars and set)

https://youtu.be/mttKiO9Up14 : 

Emerson, Lake & Palmer:

setlist:

- Hoedown (Aaron Copland cover)
- Jerusalem (Sir Hubert Parry cover)
- Toccata
- Tarkus
- Take a Pebble
- Still… You Turn Me On
- Lucky Man
- Piano Improvisation (including Tiger in a Spotlight)
- Karn Evil 9

Encore:

- Pictures at an Exhibition (Modest Mussorgsky cover) (excerpts)

https://youtu.be/ThLDMI_-wO4 : 

=================================================================

Ritchie Blackmore discussing the California Jam in 1974 (Part 1).

https://youtu.be/2dUsL9Q6EJw :

Ritchie Blackmore celebrating The California Jam (Part 2) :

https://youtu.be/3fFlvPYpdNI :

Jon Lord and Glenn Hughes talk about their experience, and what it was like at the1974 California Jam.

https://youtu.be/Lap_MTfuh6g

Sources: YouTube, several internetsites

The Rolling Stones - Rock of Ages (documentary)

The Rolling Stones are as well known for their music as they are for each band member's highly public and often troubled personal journey. 
Pioneering a gritty blues-based style of rock & roll in the 60s, the Stones gathered fans and momentum alike with front man Mick Jagger's unique blend of macho showmanship and camp irony attracting plenty of attention.

https://youtu.be/GLEdmsxUd4A :

Huis (prog rock / Canada)

Huis ("home doors" in french, and "house" in dutch) is a five member musical project officially formed by Pascal Lapierre and Michel Joncas at the end of 2009, after an oustanding and inspiring trip in the Netherlands. 
At that time, they decided to put on tape (read hard drive!) some ideas they had in mind since a long time. Over time, three other talented musicians, William Régnier, Sylvain Descôteaux and Michel St-Père, joined the band, each one bringing a special touch to Huis’ sound.

In 2014, the band released his first album, Despite Guardian Angels.

After receiving rave reviews for Despite Guardian Angels, the group began to work on the second album, Neither in Heaven, released in April 2016.

In the fall of 2014, keyboardist and founding member, Pascal Lapierre, had to leave for family reasons. Benoît Dupuis (Mystery) came replace him temporarily for the following months. In October 2015, Johnny Maz officially joined the band as keyboardist.



Musicians:

Sylvain Descôteaux - vocals
Michel St-Père - guitars (also former of the band Mystery)
Pascal Lapierre - keyboards
Michel Joncas - bass, bass pedals, keyboards

William Régnier - drums, percussion

Guest musicians:

- Sylvain Gagnon: piano on "Oude Kerk" 
- Mark Vermeule: gitar solo on "Oude Kerk" 


Discography:

- Despite Guardian Angels (2014)
- Neither in Heaven (2016)



Beyond the Amstel: https://youtu.be/XIk3qP1ibBY :

Memories: https://youtu.be/eHKi5-T11TY :

Synesthesia: https://youtu.be/kbA95B55S70 :

Crosby Stills Nash & Young (documentary)

https://youtu.be/PeEWMnRcrTY :

Cosmograf (prog rock / England)

Biography:

Cosmograf is a progressive rock project lead by Robin Armstrong, a multi instrumentalist musician from Waterlooville, England.  The Cosmograf sound is rooted in 70’s classic rock with a contemporary and progressive twist with obvious influences from classic progressive rock such as Pink Floyd, Yes and Genesis, but with more contemporary flavours from bands such as Porcupine Tree, Muse, and Radiohead.

Robin plays guitar, keyboards, bass and drums, sings, and records, producing himself and fellow collaborating musicians, in his own self built music studio ‘The Trees’. 

Cosmograf tracks feature guest musicians from the progressive rock community performing and contributing to each album.

Captivated as a teenager by Deep Purple’s fusion of Heavy Rock with Baroque intros and lead lines, Robin often utilises a blend of classical music and contemporary rock music to provide a fusion of progressive rock that polarises audiences and demands attention.


Cosmograf albums are built around concepts - Conceptual Progressive Rock allows the freedom to span genres, stop and start in different tempos, with the inclusion of relevant soundscapes and effects to build the story.  This creates a musical freedom far beyond the commercial rules and constraints of a disposable 3 minute pop song.


Discography:

- Freed from the Anguish (2008)
- End of Ecclesia (2009)
- When Age Has Done Its Duty (2011)
- The Man Left In Space  (2013)
- Capacitor (2014)
- The Unreasonable Silence (2016)


 The Man Left in Space: https://youtu.be/VAADmb1-mO8 :

Focus - Hocus Pocus (Best Live Performances, 1973)

Hocus Pocus (1973):

https://youtu.be/g4ouPGGLI6Q

Dutch prog-rockers Focus giving a breathtaking performance on NBC´s Midnight Special.

Thijs van Leer - Vox, Flute, Organ
Jan Akkerman - Guitar 
Bert Ruiter - Bass
Pierre van der Linden - Drums

Airbag (epic rock, neo prog rock / Norway)

Biography:

Airbag’s music is perhaps best described as scenic, epic rock or, as legendary Classic Rock Magazine said: “Reminiscent of a late-nite, laid-back Pink Floyd”. Airbag’s  hugely successful album releases has gained the band a solid following and reputation among both fans and the press.

After having played in different projects together, Airbag was formed in 2004 by five classmates from Oslo, Norway. The band recorded their first EP, Come On In, the same year, followed by Sounds That I Hear (2006) and Safetree (2008). Although recorded for promotional use, the EPs were offered for free on the band’s website and got over 230.000 downloads within just a few months. The networking paid off and Airbag signed with Norwegian label Karisma Records in August 2008.

Airbag’s debut album, Identity (2009), featured remixed versions of most of the songs from the Sounds That I Hear and Safetree EPs. The album exceeded all expectations and was received with rave reviews, – peaking with the single Colours at top 3 on Polish radio in early 2011.
The second release, All Rights Removed (2011), saw Airbag moving in a more conceptual direction with long, epic pieces and dramatic instrumentation. The album comprises six thematic songs, including the 17-minute live favourite Homesick (part I-III). The release was also the first with Henrik Fossum on drums. All Rights Removed received six Best Prog Release of the Year 2011 awards and numerous top-ranking listings.

The Greatest Show on Earth (2013), Airbag’s third release, showed a darker side of the band, with lyrics dealing with the destructive forces in our society. This was also underlined by heavier guitars and dramatic arrangements. The album soon became a fan favourite and was once again received incredibly well by the press.

Airbag’s fourth album Disconnected was released in June 2016. ‘Disconnected’ features six songs with a common theme - from the opening track to the thirteen-minute long title track, the listener is taken on a sonic journey of lush soundscapes and arrangements, underlined by soaring guitars and soulful vocals.


Airbag has also become a solid live-act playing at several major festivals, including Night at the Prog and Cruice to the Edge, and shared the stage with bands like Anathema, Yes, Pineapple Thief, Riverside, RPWL and Gazpacho. Airbag also opened up for Marillion on their Scandinavian tour in 2012.



Current members:

Asle Tostrup (vocals) 
Bjørn Riis (guitars, vocals)
Jørgen Hagen (keyboards)
Anders Hovdan (bass) 
Joachim Slikker (drums)

Former member:

Henrik Fossum (drums)



Discography:

EPs:

- Come On In (2004)
- Sounds That I Hear (2005)
- Safetree (2007)

Albums:

- Identity (2009)
-  All Right Removed (2011) 
- The Greatest Show on Earth (2013)
- Disconnected (2016)


Broken: https://youtu.be/Xj2AFf_J6mM :

Homesick : https://youtu.be/SFufM1Zv4PU :

SONG OF THE DAY / Greg Kihn - Remember

"Remember" from the album Next of Kihn (1978) 

(Studio album by singer/songwriter Greg Kihn. It was the third and last album to be released under the name Greg Kihn before the group changed into The Greg Kihn Band in 1979).



Remember: https://youtu.be/1ilnh6RfvYQ 

Lyrics:

Silver bird takes off in the night
Another's coming in
In every window a light
As every night begins

One thing stays on my mind
As I look back over time
I guess it just couldn't last
I feel it's fading fast

Do you - remember?
Do you - surrender?
Do you - (whoa) remember how it feels?

If it all comes back on me
I won't run and hide
Sometimes all you got left
Is your empty pride

But nothing, nothing
Will ever be the same
Some of the best things fade
Some of the worst remain

But I can't turn back the tide
Or show you something inside
Or help you out when you fall
If I can help you at all

Do you - remember?
Do you - surrender?
Do you - (whoa) remember how it feels?

Do you - remember?
Do you - surrender?

Do you - (whoa) remember how it feels?

Art and the sixties (documentary)

https://youtu.be/7anAtAgEpFs

The Hippie Movement (documentaries)

Something's Happening a.k.a The Hippie Revolt 1967

A documentary chronicling the "youth movement" of the late '60s on Los Angeles' Sunset Strip and San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district.

https://youtu.be/hFNo-w_3LJU




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Report from the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco, the centre of the new hippie movement

This is the new avant garde left bank area of San Fran which has evolved over the past number of years, the last 18 months has seen tremendous increase of so-called hippies who have invaded and live in this area. 
This is a protest against middle and upper class people of San Fran, it is a belief of the people that we the middle class have done a very poor job in running our government and our way of life.

https://youtu.be/tSaAEtGBbMo

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San Francisco diggers (full documentary)


https://youtu.be/Uv8Kn3KXBMQ