ABOUT the RESTORATION This New Digital Restoration Was Undertaken by the Criterion D
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
“California at that point was PRESENTS everybody’s idea of a new kind of place to find yourself . It wasn’t just the drugs, but the kind of music and the lifestyle that it began to represent.” —D. A. Pennebaker “Monterey was the purest, most beautiful moment of the whole sixties trip . It was a magical, pure moment in time.” —Dennis Hopper “Ralph Gleason and Bill Graham helped bring San Francisco and Los Angeles together. They were the musical ambassadors who really made the festival happen.” —Lou Adler On a beautiful June weekend in 1967, at the beginning of the Summer of Love, the first Monterey International Pop Festival roared forward, capturing a decade’s spirit and ushering in a new era of rock and roll. Monterey featured career-making performances by Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Otis Redding, but they were just a few among a wildly diverse cast that included Simon and Garfunkel, the Mamas and the Papas, the Who, the Byrds, Hugh Masekela, and the extraordinary Ravi Shankar. With his characteristic vérité style, D. A. Pennebaker captured it all, immortalizing moments that have become legend: Pete Townshend destroying his guitar, Jimi Hendrix burning his. ABOUT THE RESTORATION This new digital restoration was undertaken by the Criterion D. A. Pennebaker, Chris Hegedus, and Frazer Pennebaker. Collection with L’Immagine Ritrovata and Metropolis Post. The soundtrack was remastered by Eddie Kramer from the The original 16 mm A/B reversal was scanned in 16-bit 4K original analog 8-track tapes produced by Lou Adler and resolution. The restoration was supervised and approved by John Phillips. United States | 1968 | 78 minutes | Color | 1.33:1 aspect ratio | Screening format: DCP Booking Inquiries: Janus Films Press Contact: Courtney Ott [email protected] • 212-756-8761 [email protected] • 646-230-6847 JUNE 16: FIFTY YEARS LATER On June 16, 1967, the Monterey International Pop Festival in New York, London, and, predominantly, San Francisco, and kicked off a three-day celebration that brought together more which played an important role in defining a counterculture than thirty musical acts, both prominent and lesser-known, that still looms large in the American consciousness. Although resulting in a groundbreaking array of sounds and styles. the music industry has changed in the decades since, today’s Around one hundred thousand attendees descended on the political climate is turbulent once again, and the concept of Monterey County Fairgrounds, many of them disillusioned the “gathering”—the exchange of ideas in the name of social with the American government, consumerist values, and the change—is stronger than ever. Vietnam War. Janus Films is thrilled to rerelease Monterey Pop in theaters in The festival took place at the beginning of the Summer of a new 4K restoration to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Love, during which young people were inspired to congregate Monterey International Pop Festival and the Summer of Love. FOREWORD TO A PERFECT HAZE BY LOU ADLER The impetus to stage the Monterey commercial event, eventually decided and Stephen Stills hanging out; Procol International Pop Festival evolved one to leave the project, and we bought the Harum’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale” being night in 1967, at Cass Elliot’s house. Paul dates from him. John and Michelle, Paul played over and over; Michelle on the McCartney, John and Michelle Phillips, Simon, Johnny Rivers, Terry Melcher, phone, selling ads for the program book; Cass, and I were discussing, along with and I put up $10,000 apiece; with six John and me on the telephone, talking to other highly inspired issues, the general weeks to go, the Monterey International managers and potential acts. Alan Pariser perception of rock and roll, and that, while Pop Festival, a three-day nonprofit would stay on as a producer. Derek Taylor, jazz was considered an art form, rock and event, was becoming a reality. who personified the perfect English roll was continually viewed as a fad, a gentleman and had worked with Brian trend—and yet both were American-born We established a board of governors that Epstein and the Beatles, was our publicist. musical genres. consisted of Donovan, Mick Jagger, Paul Tom Wilkes was hired as art director. McCartney, Jim [later Roger] McGuinn, Not too long after that night, John and Terry Melcher, Andrew Loog Oldham, Alan Everyone agreed that the lineup of I were approached by Alan Pariser and Pariser, Johnny Rivers, Smokey Robinson, acts would represent all genres of the a promoter named Ben Shapiro, who Brian Wilson, John Phillips, and myself. immediate past, present, and future of wanted to hire the Mamas and the Papas contemporary music, and that all the acts to headline a one-day blues and rock The offices for the festival were on Sunset would be treated the same and have first- event at the Monterey fairgrounds. Later Boulevard, in the old Renaissance Jazz class travel and accommodations. that night—actually, at three o’clock in Club building. John, Michelle, and I were the morning—John and I had decided, totally consumed with the festival. We For the most part, everyone jumped on influenced by some heavy “California spent all the preceding weeks in the office very quickly, especially the LA groups like dreamin’,” that it should be a charitable or in Monterey. The festival’s office had a the Byrds and Buffalo Springfield. Phil event. Shapiro, who had envisioned a real buzz going through it: David Crosby Walden, Otis Redding’s manager, knew immediately that Otis would be right for to the change that was happening in the Monterey on June 16, 17, and 18 in 1967. Monterey and Monterey would be right world of pop music that the Monterey Pop As John Phillips put it then, “Let’s give for Otis. He had no doubts at all, before Festival would solidify. something back.” They are still giving back or after. Andrew Oldham suggested Jimi through the Monterey International Pop Hendrix. John contacted Paul McCartney, There must have been 1,500 requests Festival Foundation, the first rock-and-roll who raved about Hendrix and the Who. from news outlets and journalists to charitable foundation and event, which Simon and Garfunkel and the Mamas and attend. Derek Taylor handled people laid the template for Live Aid and Farm the Papas were committed. Soon we had graciously, even while telling them they Aid. At the conclusion of the festival, David commitments from the Butterfield Blues weren’t getting any press passes. David Crosby said, “I hope the artists know what Band and the Electric Flag. Ravi Shankar, Wheeler handled our security. The they have here, the power of it to do good. who had been signed by the original Monterey Police Department had their It’s an international force.” producer, and Hugh Masekela added to the own security, and the numbers employed international flavor of the festival beyond were overkill the first day because, in Chief The Monterey International Pop Festival the English acts. The festival was beginning Marinello’s mind, the hippies and the Hells was, and still is, about the music and to take shape. What was missing was Angels were the same. However, their the artists who had breakthrough representation from Northern California. numbers were lessened dramatically after performances there, and how much impact the first day of “music, love, and flowers.” they have had over these many years. It There existed a conflict. John and I being was the first major music festival. It wasn’t “LA,” and the type of business acumen that Our stage manager, Chip Monck, and his about the weather or traffic jams. It was we had developed, gave us a reputation crew, which included Al Kooper, were and will always be about the music. This for being slick—too slick, in the eyes amazing. It’s one thing to build a stage; book documents the influence of Monterey of the San Francisco groups and their it’s another to get thirty-two acts on and and just how valuable it was for all management. Andrew Oldham and I met off, changing instruments and keeping the concerned: the artists, the music industry, with Ralph Gleason, the very respected talent and the audience happy. It hadn’t and all those who play, sing, or listen to journalist of the San Francisco Chronicle, been done before. rock and roll. and he gave his blessing to the festival, as did Bill Graham. That opened the door for It was a lovefest from the opening chord Excerpted from A Perfect Haze: The San Francisco groups like Big Brother with of “Along Comes Mary,” continued by Otis Illustrated History of the Monterey Janis Joplin, the Airplane, and the Grateful Redding and his salute to what he called International Pop Festival, published by Dead to sign on, bringing an innovative and “the love crowd,” and ending in a cultural Santa Monica Press. © 2011 by Harvey fresh underground feel to the festival. explosion with performances by Janis Kubernik and Kenneth Kubernik. All rights Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and the Who. reserved. Reprinted with permission; not for The April 1967 debut of Tom Donahue’s republication. KMPX FM radio station, located in San And it is a source of pride to reflect on Francisco, added yet another dimension the artists that performed for free at ON MONTEREY POP BY D. A. PENNEBAKER It’s been fifty-some years since I first flew The music performances would be Marty Balin. They were singing a duet up to Monterey with Lou Adler and John recorded on 8-track recorders, which but only half, Marty’s half, got recorded.