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Ravi Shankar Fine Art Print

from Jun 16, 1967

 - MFM670616-17-FP

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Description

Two years before Woodstock, over 200,000 hipsters gathered in Monterey, California for a three day celebration of music that embodied the themes of the new counter-culture and became the template for all future music festivals.

Record producer and band manager Lou Adler, along with John Phillips [Mamas & the Papas], produced Monterey Pop on the site known for the long-running Monterey Jazz and Folk Festivals. In the spirit of "Music, Love and Flowers", just about all the artists performed for free, and all money went to charity.

Thirty-two bands played - stars like The Mamas and the Papas, Simon & Garfunkel and The Byrds shared billing with groundbreaking new acts, showcasing the first major American appearances by Jimi Hendrix and The Who, as well as the first major public performances of Janis Joplin, Otis Redding, Laura Nyro, Steve Miller and Indian sitar maestro Ravi Shankar.

Hendrix, taking cue from Pete Townshend's guitar-smashing, capped his Monterey performance in a firestorm, making hearts sing as he set his still wailing guitar on fire and taunted for more flame during his riveting rendition of "Wild Thing".

As reflected by music writer Rusty DeSoto, "Monterey Pop was a seminal event: it was the first real rock festival ever held, featuring debut performances of bands that would shape the history of rock and affect popular culture from that day forward."

The festival was later hailed as a triumph of organization and cooperation and was subject of an acclaimed documentary by noted documentary filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker.

The people came and listened

Some of them came and played

Others gave flowers away, yes they did

Down in Monterey

Down in Monterey

Young Gods smiled upon the crowd

Their music being born of love

Children danced night and day

Religion was being born

Down in Monterey

The birds and the airplane did fly

Oh, Ravi Shankar's music made me cry

The Who exploded into fire and light

Hugh Masakela's music was black as night.

The Grateful Dead blew everybody's mind

Jimi Hendrix baby, believe me, set the world on fire, yeah

His Majesty, Prince Jones, smiled as he moved among the crowd

Ten thousand electric guitars were groovin' real loud, yeah

You wanna find the truth in life

Don't pass music by

And you know I would not lie, no I would not lie,

No, I would not lie

Down in Monterey

Three days of understanding

of moving with one another

Even the cops grooved with us

Do you believe me, yeah?

Down in Monterey

I think that maybe I'm dreaming

Monterey

Down in Monterey

Did you hear what I said?

Eric Burdon and the Animals

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