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Home , Flower power, Jimi Hendrix, Moby Grape, Monterey Pop Festival, Rock festival, Scott McKenzie

Up Front ’ Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club (1967) and White (1968).

By Brian Butko, Editor

June 1967: prelude to 1968

As dawned, the Beatles’ new album, History Center Chief Librarian Art Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, was Louderback recalls seeing some of the bands playing from every radio and turntable. By in Pittsburgh a week after Monterey, when he time the opened a few was 17: weeks later, the “Summer of ” was in full After catching the new Bond movie swing. The three-day was inspired by we went to see the Mamas and the Papas had already been released in 1967 such as with two opening acts, and Monterey, ’s annual festival but & Nico featuring Andy the Buckinghams. There was even a sur- Warhol’s iconic banana print on the cover. it was a concept not yet adapted to . prise guest, Scott McKenzie whose new Monterey was the first major , song “ (Be Sure to Wear And so the discord and disillusionment of bridging the gap between the more conservative Flowers in Your )” was a major hit. 1968 was set in motion during 1967’s idealized of the Mamas and Papas, the The amazing part of the evening was walk- . Even the tired of ing up to the Civic Arena. It was Sunday Association, and Simon and Garfunkel (much the relentless media attention, the co-opting night (date night) and all the men going to and commercialization of their ideals into just of it New York– based), and the new the show were dressed in sports coats and sounds of , , and the girls in dresses. another style. In October 1967, they held their the (out of San Francisco). While groups at Monterey like Moby own Death of mock procession Paul McCartney was on the festival’s board Grape, , and through Haight-Ashbury. Runaways were still but the Beatles’ music had become too complex offered up the new music of flower power and arriving, as were harder drugs and crime, and to perform live. Another board member was protest, an even edgier style was emerging out so the original hippies were beginning to flee, or , leader of , who were of . Monterey also showcased acts like “going up the country” as later immortalized in set to headline Monterey. had kept pounding out “” and song by Monterey performers . The up with the times by releasing their boundary- destroying their equipment, and Haight especially had been a place where bands pushing album and complex “Good grinding to “ Haze” and lighting his and fans could intermingle and participate in Vibrations” the year before. Their next album, afire. A year later, even the Beatles’ shows. After Monterey, with careers born or SMiLE, was an upbeat look at America, but had been supplanted by the bleak cover of The emboldened, the artists took precedence, and progress slowed until the album was cancelled, White Album and the group audibly weighing they in turn took on the role of musical royalty and at the last minute, the Beach Boys withdrew the merits of a “revolution.” separate from the overwhelming crowds, as seen from Monterey. Music was changing rapidly Not that the summer of ’67 had been at two years later. The brief moment and the group worried their songs celebrating all and love. That June saw the Six Day of innocence had passed, and in its place came sun, surf, and happy times would look foolish Arab-Israeli War. July brought riots in , the turmoil of 1968. alongside psychedelic groups singing about sex, Newark, and . In August, the U.S. Brian is researching June 1967 for a future drugs, and war. Any chance the Beach Boys had military admitted it had expanded the Vietnam project. He thanks music history proofreaders to not be seen as “squares” was actually sealed conflict by bombing Laos daily for three years Rob Conroy, Jennifer Baron, and Jennifer Sopko when they skipped Monterey. without informing the public. And far-edgier for their helpful insights.

WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA HISTORY | SPRING 2013 5