Jesus, was it it was 45 years ago...December 5, 1969?

Yeah, it was.

At this time, around 7pm California time, masses of them were arriving at Altamont. And, man, it was cold--and would drop to below freezing before dawn. It was pitch black. It was dry and smoky, and it was kinda eerie. And hella exciting. (Tho' no one would've used the term "hella" back then).



For many, a vibe of positive anticipation zizzed through the crowd--the STONES were coming, fer chrissakes!! For some, it was more nervous anticipation. For a few, a sense of foreboding--knowing how much there was to get set up--and how little time!

But people were getting it together, for the most part. The crews of volunteers hauled speakers and scaled scaffolding. Music blared out of the PA. Bonfires were lit, joints and jugs of California burgundy were shared, people welcomed their neighbors.

And eventually...Mick and Keith arrived. As Keith said about the night before Altamont, "It was fascinating. You could feel it in the air, that anything could happen."

.....................
Here is a special bonus feature pertaining to The Night Before Altamont. The whole documentary will be broadcast in 2015!

click here---> Recording: Night Before Altamont - Stanley Booth (27:44 minutes)

- swiss



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2014-12-07 03:10 by swiss.

All ears here, swiss!

- Doxa

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swiss
Stay tuned -- I'm aiming to release a special bonus feature *tonight* pertaining to The Night Before Altamont.

- swiss

Can't wait for that special bonus feature.

Right on! And I was just listening to a few boot LPs from various shows of the 1969 American tour.

Always nice to hear something new from that time.

Thanks, swiss! I am looking forward to it. You are probably the one fan whose passion for that show exceeds my own.



Greetings from the Jersey Shore.

I am pretty sure they spent that night getting wasted. I base this on the way Mick was swanning around the next day as seen on video. As The Stones were with the Grateful Dead in San Francisco (I believe) waiting for the helicopter that would whisk them away to Altamont.

(I hope I have my facts right about that vid. I have not seen it in a while.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-12-06 06:40 by triceratops.

Didn't Keith spend the night there?

Yeah swiss you've set the stage, I'm ready for the show.

I'm curious what has happened to the property since it closed down in 2008. Have you checked it out? Track houses and mini malls?


peace

As promised -- bonus track from "The Night Before Altamont" radio documentary The True Adventures of the Rolling Stones author Stanley Booth--reading all sections of his epic book pertaining to the night before Altamont.

A rare recording - brilliant reading!

click here---> Recording: Night Before Altamont - Stanley Booth (27:44 minutes)

Stanley tells about how, the night before Altamont, Mick and Keith headed to the site of the next day's concert in the middle of the night -- along with Ronnie Schneider (1969 and 1970 Rolling Stones Tour Manager), bodyguard Tony Funches, and filmmakers Albert and David Maysles - and encountered stage and lighting designer Chip Monck, Stones' road manager Sam Cutler, Grateful Dead Manager Rock Scully, and many more.

Most of us on iorr have read Stanley's book, but hearing him read from it is incredible. Hearing the details of the ride out there, Keith's quip about "The first act of violence," high-spirited kids gathering to party, the workers pulling together the intrastructure, and Mick and Keith being blown away by Altamont's vibe -- which reminded them of Marrakesh -- Keith so taken with the scene he spent the night there.

Stanley had just given me a stellar interview for "The Night Before Altamont." I asked on a whim if he'd mind reading--he most kindly obliged.

_________________
For those who don't know about the radio documentary I'm producing--description is below.

My aim was to broadcast "The Night Before Altamont" for the 45th Anniversary, but it will be released instead in 2015.

Description of The Night Before Altamont (radio documentary)
The Altamont Free Concert of 1969 has a place in late 20th century American cultural and musical history as an event envisioned as the "West Coast Woodstock," aiming to blend the best of Bay Area counterculture bands with the world-famous Rolling Stones. In fact, Altamont manifested as a tragic compendium of human errors that lead into the heart of darkness--marked most dramatically by the death of a young black man from Berkeley at the hands of a member of the Hells Angels.

While some may be aware of the Altamont concert itself, the story of the night before Altamont has not been told until now.

The dominant narrative about Altamont claims the event signaled the last gasps of 1960s idealism and the death knell of the American counterculture. One of the days "the music died," as referenced in Don McLean's song, "American Pie."

The thing is: cultural movements don't turn on a dime like that. Just 12 hours before the concert--on the night before Altamont--the counterculture was alive and well, marked by positive cooperative energy anticipating the next day's event, hundreds of volunteers pulling together the concert site, and thousands of kids camping out, gathered around bonfires, playing music, sharing jugs of wine and "good vibes."

The mood the night before night was so beautiful, in fact, that after members of the Rolling Stones visited the Altamont site Keith Richards spent the entire night there--remembered as strolling around the scene, cheering on the set-up crew. Keith remarked later: “It was fascinating. You could feel it in the air, that anything could happen."

Although some felt a sense of foreboding the night before Altamont, for many others, the night before Altamont was the yin to the yang of the Altamont Free Concert.

Completed interviews with the following--who were at Altamont the night before:

- Albert Maysles (Gimme Shelter/Gray Gardens director)
- Ronnie Schneider (Rolling Stones manager)
- Tony Funches (Rolling Stones bodyguard)
- Rock Scully (Grateful Dead manager)
- Stanley Booth (True Adventures of the Rolling Stones author)
- Sam Cutler (Rolling Stones road manager)
- Michael Lang (Woodstock organizer)
- Rhoney Stanley (wife of infamous acid king, Owsley Stanley)
- Grateful Dead and Bill Graham Presents tech, sound, and lighting crew volunteers
- Photographers and members of the Bay Area news media
- “Irish,” ever-popular recreational substances entrepreneur
- "Frank" with his bread truck stuffed with food and jugs of wine--around whose campfire Keith spent time the night before Altamont
- Various kids/Stones fans who camped at Altamont the night before

Am setting up final interviews with Michael Lydon ("The Rolling Stones Discover America" ), Chip Monk (Woodstock and Altamont stage and lighting designer), one of the Gimmer Shelter cameramen, and hoping for a short interview with Keith.

- swiss



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2014-12-08 04:29 by swiss.

This is the video mentioned by triceratops. It was posted here in 2010. This clip is the entire reason I knew there was a story around the night before Altamont -- so, thanks to Brown Moses for originally posting here.

SomeTorontoGirl - yes, KR spent the night out there, as you will hear Stanley tell about a bit in this recording. There are several accounts of meeting and hanging with Keith in the forthcoming "The Night Before Altamont" radio documentary (coming 2015) by Rock Scully, Tony Funches, and

Naturalust, the Special Feature is a bonus - not the main act yet The Speedway is...well...an abundance of tumbleweeds and skinny rabbits.

- swiss

Great stuff swiss!

That video clip can also be found on the GYYYO superdeluxe box set dvd.

Cool. I've always enjoyed reading and re-reading Booth's book on the Stones, and his take on Altamont.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-12-06 16:25 by nightskyman.

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Naturalust
Yeah swiss you've set the stage, I'm ready for the show.

I'm curious what has happened to the property since it closed down in 2008. Have you checked it out? Track houses and mini malls?


peace

Not sure when this was taken : (Picture taken by swiss)




Do a Bird's eye view and zoom in: [www.bing.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-12-07 16:21 by 2000 LYFH.

wow. Still looks like a good place for a Rock show. I imagine the skies were a bit bluer in 1969 though..

peace

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Naturalust
wow. Still looks like a good place for a Rock show. I imagine the skies were a bit bluer in 1969 though..

peace

That looks like a photo I may have taken -- but the landscape out there is so similar who knows?

The skies were actually quite smoky, by many accounts. There was some kind of agricultural burning going on (which I will discover more about in the year to come)!

If you haven't watched the brilliant GIMME SHELTER in a few years, this 45th Anniversary of Altamont tonight might be a good night to grab some popcorn, a refreshing beverage, some friends or snuggle-partners of choice, and take a gander!







Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-12-08 03:39 by swiss.

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swiss

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Naturalust
wow. Still looks like a good place for a Rock show. I imagine the skies were a bit bluer in 1969 though..

peace

That looks like a photo I may have taken -- but the landscape out there is so similar who knows?

The skies were actually quite smoky, by many accounts. There was some kind of agricultural burning going on (which I will discover more about in the year to come)!

Hi Swiss - yes that is your picture which I just gave you credit for (sorry). Would love to see any other pictures from the day. hbwriter (now gone) had some photos from the site (found one here half way down page) : [www.iorr.org]

Thanks swiss for sharing



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-12-07 17:06 by runaway.

I'd double check this if I were you, or whoever wrote it.

"The dominant narrative about Altamont claims the event signaled the last gasps of 1960s idealism and the death knell of the American counterculture ("the day the music died," as Altamont is referred to in Don McLean's song, "American Pie" )."

I have always read that the "day the music died" is a reference to the death of Buddy Holly

The song American Pie does indeed reference the Stones and Altamont, but it comes near after the end of the song. Eash verse ends with the phrase, "the day the music died", long before any reference to Stones/Altamont.

Unless one wants to interpret each verse that ends with "the day the music died" as each representing a different event ("day the music died").

see

[understandingamericanpie.com]

Lots to decipher in that song.

Cheers

right, the American Pie reference to the day the music died is not at all altamont. interesting stuff here tho, tho i will add i don't think there's much of a story to chase the night before.just a typical slapdash effort to throw up a stage while a bunch of hippies got high. i think the real story is in the days after, as the band goes all their own ways after conquering america.

seems the world is now talking altamont, just heard a feature in national public radio.

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bluegreenvinyl
seems the world is now talking altamont, just heard a feature in national public radio.

Glad that they picked up the fact that it was Altamont's 45th anniversary.

However, it's a rather unfortunate, slight, pedestrian, somewhat cynical piece.

NPR misspelled "Altamonte." And the "Listen, either those cats cool it, man, or we don't play" quote of Keith is attributed to Mick. And it feels quite tossed together.

As my grandmama always said, "Nature Abhors a Vacuum." So if better content wasn't put forth, conditions are ripe for superficial tripe

- swiss

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2000 LYFH

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swiss

That looks like a photo I may have taken -- but the landscape out there is so similar who knows?

The skies were actually quite smoky, by many accounts. There was some kind of agricultural burning going on (which I will discover more about in the year to come)!

Hi Swiss - yes that is your picture which I just gave you credit for (sorry). Would love to see any other pictures from the day. hbwriter (now gone) had some photos from the site (found one here half way down page) : [www.iorr.org]

hi there -- thought it looked familiar! I have a few handfuls of photos of Altamont from 2012. They're on another computer. Eventually I will post

them. When I was there, there was an abundance of tumbleweeds, and startlingly skinny rabbits darting out of brambles and across your path. (I remember wondering whether they were there 45 years ago...those bony weird rabbits?) Weeds 5-feet-high were growing between the bleacher seats.

Still, I hope to do a concert/rough-cut screening of Altamont 360° on-site, as an Event and fundraising, when the time comes.

- swiss

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barbequebob

Unless one wants to interpret each verse that ends with "the day the music died" as each representing a different event ("day the music died").

barbequebob, thanks for your note. That is exactly how I have interpreted it!

I'll change the language to be clearer:

The dominant narrative about Altamont claims the event signaled the last gasps of 1960s idealism and the death knell of the American counterculture. One of the days "the music died," as referenced in Don McLean's song, "American Pie."

- swiss

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bluegreenvinyl
right, the American Pie reference to the day the music died is not at all altamont. interesting stuff here tho, tho i will add i don't think there's much of a story to chase the night before.just a typical slapdash effort to throw up a stage while a bunch of hippies got high. i think the real story is in the days after, as the band goes all their own ways after conquering america.

LOL, bluegreenvinyl -- well said! "slapdash effort to throw up a stage while a bunch of hippies got high"

That's actually the point of "The Night Before Altamont." Altamont has been mythologized so heavily--and so negatively--hyperbolically characterized as The Death of Idealism in American. The End of Counterculture. And so on.

"The Night Before Altamont" is a light quirky radio piece--a glimpse at "time before time," or "history before history." What happens in those moments before an History happens. And--more to the point--if the Counterculture (as if there were only one Counterculture that could be extinguished) expired on December 6, 1969, wouldn't there have been some foreshadowing 12 hours beforehand? How could this purported cultural Black Hole of Calcutta been considered so "groovy," "far-out," compelling and cool to Keith and Mick that, upon encountering the scene the night before, they waxed poetic about how beautiful it was? Leading Keith to stay behind to drink in the vibes with bodyguard Tony Funches?

Don't agree that American Pie has nothing to do with Altamont--but I appreciate the feedback, and have changed the language to:

The dominant narrative about Altamont claims the event signaled the last gasps of 1960s idealism and the death knell of the American counterculture. One of the days "the music died," as referenced in Don McLean's song, "American Pie."

- swiss

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swiss

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bluegreenvinyl
right, the American Pie reference to the day the music died is not at all altamont. interesting stuff here tho, tho i will add i don't think there's much of a story to chase the night before.just a typical slapdash effort to throw up a stage while a bunch of hippies got high. i think the real story is in the days after, as the band goes all their own ways after conquering america.

LOL, bluegreenvinyl -- well said! "slapdash effort to throw up a stage while a bunch of hippies got high"

That's actually the point of "The Night Before Altamont." Altamont has been mythologized so heavily--and so negatively--hyperbolically characterized as The Death of Idealism in American. The End of Counterculture. And so on.

"The Night Before Altamont" is a light quirky radio piece--a glimpse at "time before time," or "history before history." What happens in those moments before an History happens. And--more to the point--if the Counterculture (as if there were only one Counterculture that could be extinguished) expired on December 6, 1969, wouldn't there have been some foreshadowing 12 hours beforehand? How could this purported cultural Black Hole of Calcutta been considered so "groovy," "far-out," compelling and cool to Keith and Mick that, upon encountering the scene the night before, they waxed poetic about how beautiful it was? Leading Keith to stay behind to drink in the vibes with bodyguard Tony Funches?

Don't agree that American Pie has nothing to do with Altamont--but I appreciate the feedback, and have changed the language to:

The dominant narrative about Altamont claims the event signaled the last gasps of 1960s idealism and the death knell of the American counterculture. One of the days "the music died," as referenced in Don McLean's song, "American Pie."

- swiss

if the hippies along with everybody else had just gotten high instead of drunk this event might be seen in retrospect as one of the greatest ever taking place at the zenith of all these bands careers and a free one at that.no good deed goes unpunished.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-12-08 06:13 by footlooseman.

8 Big Reasons the 1969 Altamont Festival was a Tragic Disaster
December 6, 2014 12:44 PM
By Matt Dolloff

“I think we expected probably something like the Hell’s Angels that were our security force at Hyde Park,
but of course they’re not the real Hell’s Angels, they’re completely phony.
These guys in California are the real thing — they’re very violent.” - Mick Taylor

> Altamont

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

Here's a list of media stories I located on the Altamont 45th Anniversary: here.

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footlooseman
if the hippies along with everybody else had just gotten high instead of drunk this event might be seen in retrospect as one of the greatest ever taking place at the zenith of all these bands careers and a free one at that.no good deed goes unpunished.

footlooseman,

That's a great theory! Except...part of the problem appears to have been suspect acid that flipped out an unusual number of Altamont attendees.

- swiss