@@thru_and_thru The Who were definitely an odd band for Woodstock. I completely forgot that they were there because....they were just another band in a big lineup.
Oh man..do I agree with you. Lang was an idiot...GREAT at spending OTHER people's money......Peter should have stopped off just to beat the daylights out of him....just for grins.
I've watched a lot of videos about Woodstock, the festival has become legendary, there were memorable performances like Santana and his band but I don't know, it seems like a mess, very disorganized, honestly I'm glad Zeppelin didn't take part in this event. Peter Grant looked after the band’s interests very well and I think he did the right thing. Thanks Jose, see you next time 👋
Anyone with functioning eyes and ears will conclude Woodstock was a shitshow. I don't care how well Hendrix or Sly played, it looked like they were playing to a homeless encampment on the crap end of town on a dismal grey, overcast weekend.
Sounds like Grant made a good call, not knowing the legacy Woodstock would have. They were in the area but were already committed elsewhere , before, after, and during, according to this doc. Potential logistical problems (imagine getting stranded in a mud fest and missing a better paying gig) probably smart to pass from a business standpoint (and Grant was all business, if reports are true)
I think it was smart not to play Woodstock, decisions made by Grant & the Band, were the smartest decisions. Primarily not doing many singles, having total control of their music, & 90% of ticket sales over only 10%. They became ultimate legends in a short period of time.
@@cowboyfromhelI Ah, no they didn't. Roger Daltrey stated that Creedence were the best band live at Woodstock, after the Who followed them.. Creedence shows were legendary rock outs, every time.
Funny how I have 2 ten Years After Albums from early 70's bought when released. I remember doing a lot of acid and mescaline listening to this when it was released, along with Ssssh, and a year later buying Rock and Roll Music to the World on tape. Actually saw them in 70's. Alvin Lee was a great Guitarist. I wish I could play like him, and wished he lived longer.
Brilliant work yet again, José. You're totally right about the Jimi scenes at the end of the film. I don't watch Woodstock anymore because it became increasingly sad when I'd reach the end, and there's Jimi playing to a severely diminished crowd, surrounded by mud and trash - and it's not that the mud wasn't a lot of fun! But, there's something really eerie about it all. Feels like the end of life, the end of the world, in a way. Also, I'm not a fan of meatloaf, either. Years back, he made a post on Facebook claiming that he should have millions of followers but that Facebook was plotting against him. In a rage of jealousy, he called his fans "cowards". I stood up for his fans and he came back calling me all the names under the sun (about 20 different adjectives - I have screenshots of it somewhere). He then deleted all the comments, and the post, only to make a new post to his fans "I LOVE YOU ALL." Pathetic. Check out his 2011 AFL Grand Final performance if you want a good laugh.
Much of that mud was not mud my friend. Lang never provided sanitation nor really anything else as he completely F'ed up the logistics. Max Yasgur saved the day and was able to get most things in including emergency services. They did not even have water until Max intervened. So that mud was also a whole lotta shit, piss, puke, spunk, formunda cheese, and god knows what else. I believe 30% came down with hepatitis, 50% syphilis, and 95% some sort of bacterial / fungal infection.
It's a very sad finale yeah. The world was robbed of Jimi's talent just about the time he was starting to connect within outside of freakshow excess. Oh man i didn't know about this FACEBOOK thing, that's crazy....and sad. If you have the screenshots email these at jcm1129films@gmail.com i wanna check them out!
It was a smart decision to not play the Woodstock festival and yes I remember reading that manager Peter Grant said “They would be seen as just another band” on the lineup and Led Zeppelin put themselves in a forward position and represent the 1970s arguably the greatest decade of music rather than being slotted into the 60s era that was quickly ending.
Exactly. No matter great they might have been at Woodstock, it would have near impossible for them the gain the same amount of notoriety that they did during that '69 tour By the time Zep II came out they were so huge because of word of mouth and everybody wanted to see them.
@@John_Locke_108Plus they were considered outsiders by the 60s rock establishment- Rolling Stone magazine etc and they clearly had to travel their own road
The cope is heavy in this thread. If Zeppelin had done their thing at Woodstock it would have been known to this day as one of the most iconic moments pop cultural history. And no Mr. Grant, Zeppelin would not have been seen "as just another band." Were they just another band at the other festivals you booked them for? Zeppelin would have stood out like a fireworks. No one but The Who (at moments) had their sense power and dynamics. Zeppelin would have put on such a remarkable show that the press would have been shamed into reverence from that moment on. Instead, well, it didn't work out that way did it. Granted Zeppelin was huge in spite of the press, but Woodstock would have made them culturally huge as well. Like The Beatles, The Stones, and The Who were. Zepp flew under the pop culture radar. Heck they're my favorite band and I didn't know who they were until 1982. I very much knew who Aerosmith was years before that. Which tells you something about publicity. I realize Grant has to say what he did (about how Zepp would have been just another band at Woodstock), as a face saving remark. Rod Stewart says something similar about his Woodstock absence. I get that it was a bit hard to know how big it would be. But I think they maybe should have clued in harder. All the other bands who were there clued in. Perhaps Zepp really did have serious logistical and prior commitment issues. Who knows. But damn I wish they'd performed. Joe Cocker had the most iconic* performance in Woodstock. A damn good performance. But hell, if Woodstock made a Joe Cocker performance iconic, just imagine what a Zeppelin Woodstock show would have gone down. Like a meteor shaking the Earth for decades. *Hendrix had the Star Spangled Banner. The rest of his set was raggedy and thin.
I attended a Led Zeppelin concert at the Pirates World Amusement Center or something like that located in Dania, Florida in August of 69. I was 12 yrs old and was tagging along with some relatives who were visiting from out of town. The Zip came on and played for about an hour outside of "Communications Breakdown" I was not familiar with their music and thought and sought the concert sucked. Years later I ran into someone who was a fan of the group and attended the show and he said "it was a great show and the crowd was amazed.
And then two weeks later, Led Zeppelin played the Dallas Int'l Pop Festival, highlighting Saturday night's playbill. Woodstock emcee Chip Monck announced in his closing remarks he would be emcee at Dallas and that the Zep was on that roster. This happened just before Jimi Hendrx took to the stage. I know 'cos I was at there staying until Jimi's last guitar notes, decayed into that Monday morning air.
Another informative video, which explains better than other documentaries the mechanics of the expanding late 1960's music business, and no need to mention Altamont either!
I wetn to the site in Bethel. The single 2 lane road made it obvious a backup is easy to have happen. Looking at the field WITHOUT the stage and towers all I could think was "no WAY 500k people fit here". Grant's book..I'm listening to "Bring It On Home" currently. Is that the one?
I would love to visit the site. I can't only imagine what you felt there. I would take my acoustic guitar and play Richie Haven's FREEDOM, FREEDOMMMA....
Wow, interesting documentary of one of the most important Festivals in the history of rock, I love the sentation of Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana , The who , I loved it , thank you alucinante!!❤
The only “meatloaf” I’ve ever cared about came with homemade mashed potatoes and lots of gravy and a side of sweetcorn. As a kid I’d race like a bat out of hell on my stingray bicycle to get home on time for dinner every time I knew my mom was making it for dinner!!
That is the million dollar question I've always wanted to know, but never received a good answer for. How do bands with instant success their debut year like Zeppelin and Grand Funk Railroad manage to play every major festival in 1969---except the BIG ONE!
Same with Steppenwolf. They already had 2 albums under their belts with The Pusher, Magic Carpet Ride, and Born to be Wild. They were invited to "TOO MANY music festivals," per lead singer, John Kay.
@@davidpaterson3443 The name of the album is kinda deceiving because that wasn't their "seventh" album--however, the funniest name for a Steppenwolf album was "Steppenwolf---At Your Birthday Party"! Can you imagine having Steppenwolf crash your birthday party? We'd all be in trouble!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
All BS because if Zep had played Woodstock they would have been BLOWN off the stage by the likes of Hendrix, THE WHO, and Ten Years After and that fat ass tub of lard Grant knew it. They were simply chicken sh#ts and scared to play with the "big boys"
Things were moving at such a rapid pace, managers had to use their gut feeling to avoid payment scams and such. Woodstock did really look like any other festival back then!
Jose: do you have any idea who that absolutely exquisite beauty is with Ahmet in the photo at the 6:50 mark? Those eyes; that smile-had to rewind a few times...😆 Thanks for another exceptional video-it's like a Rock History class 💫💫
The Doors purposely weren't invited because of the bad Reputation they got from the Miami show where Morrison feigned blowing Robbie Krieger and pretended to take out his penis.
The Doors had the problem of the Miami Incident and Jim Morrison was just in a bad mood throughout the year (understandably ). Thank YOU for watching :)
I still believe Zep should of been there. The history of Woodstock with Led Zeppelin there would of been HUGE for the band. Led Zeppelin still the biggest band of the 70's but culturaly it would of been big for the band.
Ya couldn't get any bigger than Zeppelin - ever - especially back then with the 🎵cabal=RED🛡️'s on ya toes Granty was their mafioso & handler 🙄 Now!!! keep up Keith and get the books out!!! Oh and fuck the Beatles and the horse they rode in on I'm from & live in *LIVERPOOL* A overrated converbelt💰 💰💰💰💰 to-date.
Thank you, Jose, for another great documentary . Holy crap Santana only took home $750.00! What an insult. The Who made $6,500.00? What the heck?!!! That's just terrible.
The Who were touring on their legendary Tommy album. Santana was almost a complete unknown so just being there and then appearing in the film broke them into the bigtime. They should have paid the organizers for the massive career boost.
@user-iv5gy3rc2b the Who should have made as much as CCR. You may have a point about Santana, and that is yours. I personally think that they were underpaid for what they brought to the table. Plus, how many musicians are in that band at the time 8?
@@danjack-son4871 Santana was an absolute unknown by the time Woodstock occurred. Santana's performance at the festival made for a great launching pad for a bright future (especially with the success of the film which was released soon after). They may have only made $750 for Woodstock, but that stellar performance at such a highly covered event certainly reaped huge dividends for their future as it really put their unknown group on the map.
Santana was not unknown...they were already signed to CBS and toured a lot that year. Thus they were an underpaid CBS artist at Woodstock. Their debut album was released the week after Woodstock.
Monterey felt like the beginning of an era while Woodstock felt like the end. Except for The Who and Santana, none of the other acts used the event to springboard into 70s super stardom. Zep didn't fit this festival. Would have loved it if they had played in California Jam 2 though.
Great job again, Jose! Yea, man, I agree. Only Pearcy would have liked to be there. Plus, I just don't think their style of music would have been a good fit. Cheers, from Jacksonville, Florida USA. 🇺🇸
Nice one Jose. I agree with Grant that they risked being "just another band" but they also missed the opportunity of an giving an iconic performance like Jimy Hendrix's Star Spangled Banner or Janis Joplin's drug fueled set. Grant was right, but I can't help imagine if it was a case of what is OR what should never be.
Thing is, had it not been for the 1970 Documentary, Hendrix's monday morning performance would have been forgotten. Santana stole the show i believe. Peter Grant had a great sense of business and Street Safety right?
@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories - But there was a documentary and look at the iconic performances we have. Joe Cocker, the Who, Jimmy and Janis. Before Woodstock, Santana were only beginning, but they pulled off a special performance and look what happened. Bill Graham got Santana a 45min prime-time spot on the 2nd day, that shot them into fame. I guess we'll never know, but one thing is for sure, no one is 100% correct 100% of the time ...... Grant missed an opportunity.
I was fortunate to have seen Led Zepplin at the Texas International Pop Festival. Labor Day, two weeks after Woodstock, Labor Day Weekend. Many of the same acts that played at Woodstock played there. The biggest act that wasn't at Texas was Jimi. Not nearly as many people there as Woodstock and the weather was perfect. Blue skies and cool nights. Maybe that's why they didn't get the publicity Woodstock got. I knew and talked to people who were at Woodstock. They said it was a mess. But put enough PR behind it and it became the highlight and epitomy of the '60's.
Aug 15, 1969 HemisFair Arena San Antonio, TX Aug 16, 1969(1) Convention Hall Asbury Park, NJ Aug 16, 1969(2) Convention Hall Asbury Park, NJ Aug 17, 1969 Oakdale Musical Theatre Wallingford, CT
I was only 6 in 1969. Up until today I was unaware just how many music festivals were going on around the states. Woodstock and Altamont got most of the press. Zep were far too busy playing other festivals to go Woodstock.
Zep played in SoCal and shacked up in the LA area...Chateau Marmont on nights of the Manson Murders.They played San Bernadino when Sharon Tate was murdered on August 8th 1969 and Anaheim Aug 9th night of LaBiianca murders.
@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories Uh Chaos and The Family are my favorite books about the subject.All the books and docs on the Laurel Canyon music scene definitely cover Manson.He crept his way in.
Not her popularity, but the purpose behind it. She is no Hendrix nor Fogerty. Her albums were under or over produced. I find her story quite...interesting! Thanks for watching!
The other issue i have with Baez is her politics...the world didn't change. Nothing against her the human being but the ideology, like Zappa said We're only in it for the money lol.
As cynical as Zappa was, he was correct in his perception that throughout historical events, it generally takes a lot more to stop wars, remove repressive, authoritian regimes or change societal/political attitudes through radical new ideas/forms of musical, artistic or intellectual innovations. I mean, the 19th century predecessors for the "hippie counterculture", The Wundervogels" or Wandering Birds" in German-speaking Europe with its ethos of agrarian farming, rural aesthetics and living, intense focus on pre-Christian dieties, lifestyles, cultural values like free love, and even sun worship didnt stop or prevent WWI from happening or Germany suffering such harsh, punitive terms that all major parties rejected it while most Germans, gradually came to believe they hadn't really lost WWI at all but were "stabbed in the back" as it relates to cynical posturing done by General Ludendorff in the last months of WWI with his suggestion for the Reichstag to adopt a constitutional, Parliamentary republic and make it look like they were the ones surrendering and waving the white flags to the enemy. I mean, you're Spanish, the country right next to you, Portugal, by the mid-70's, still had one of Europe's last pre-WWII authoritian regimes with Salazar's Neuvo Estadio, or New State regime. This regime had lasted for over 45 years and it if werent for Portuguese leaders insisting on fighting two expensive, costly colonial wars against insurgents in Angola and Mozambique, that left wing military coup that overthrew Salazar's successors via the Carnation Revolution, never happens or occurs under vastly different circumstances. I do know that in Spain, Franco's regime apparatus and hierarchal stability by the time he died was as equally on life support as he was because most of his top military leaders didnt want to be his successor, or realized that majority of Spanish population didnt believe in or really wanted to tolerate living under that form of regime anymore. The regime had lost so much of its internal stability and credibility and it was so insanely brittle, it couldn't survive too much longer after its main creator died.
There is NO WAY they would have been filmed performing on video. Yes, they did a few times but all of that stuff was buried for years with Zeppelins copyright till they finally released it. For something like 20 years there was Only Song Remains the Same. It was very much against Grant's philosophy. He wanted the people to come out and PAY to see Zeppelin.
Peter Grant deserve to be in the RRHOF shittybas it is. He did more for artists than any other person. Saved them from getting ripped off on merch and publishing.
Peter Grant didn’t want Zeppelin to be just another band at Woodstock and opted to headline the Bath Festival of the Blues and planted the seed in Michael Eavis for Glastonbury !
Just another band. Think on what a ridiculous notion that is. Do you think that's how Zepp would have come off after their set. Kids just shrugging their shoulder. "Eh, they were OK." Please. Serious oversight by Grant.
@@Frip36 I don’t disagree, but they became huge WITHOUT Woodstock so maybe he was right. They could have been even bigger by releasing singles but judging by their album sales he was probably right about that as well !
Even at Bath, they looked out of place to a a degree, glad they outgrew the Festival setup pretty quick. Thanks to their musicianship, business platform and Jimmy's production wisdom!
My first guess.... Peter Grant said Hell NO But I don’t think they were really established just yet at the time of Woodstock. They would’ve been relative unknowns. Obviously the music would hold its own (more than)...
I cannot see Grant going with an open air festival on a wing and a prayer that was so close to a debacle. Too many ways for the band to be shafted and have crappy sound.
The problem with the political tones and music is that it's always BS. Nothing gets done, the world doesn't change and Live Aid ended up funding the wrong people! I like my music away from politics.
The real winners were Warner Brothers and.... the bootleggers after outtake footage leaked 20 years later, Summer of '89. Over an hour of CCR, Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, and Jefferson Airplane sets on one tape made the rounds. You're right, Grant woulda eaten that mop top guy in the suede vest for breakfast. That guy always rubbed me the wrong way. He comes off as an opportunistic wanna-be.
Pacifist "businessmen" are a strange thing yes. I am glad Grant stayed out of that mess. Had Woodstock not been filmed, it would just be like the Atlanta Pop Festival 1970, important but somewhat forgotten! Thank you for watching man!
@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories Right. Pacifist/Businessman. I could trust a "Pacifist" and a "Businessman" because I know them both, and know how to deal with EACH one, but not one who is BOTH titles.
YES! I've always felt that way about him, soft spoken but smug and puts on a phoney smile when he's really just telling you to get F*cked. Hippie Fraud.
LZ wasn’t legendary in 69 so at the time LZ playing Woodstock probably wouldn’t have been a huge deal at the time. The Buzz was certainly there and we would have been talking about the performance for years to come. I keep thinking about Momma Case reacting to Janis Joplin at Monterey pop festival and think that LZ would be that jaw dropping.
Imagine had they not been put there by Bill Graham..maybe they get 300 bucks? Not sure why Graham was ok with 750. Joan Baez wished she played a set like that at Woodstock haah
That quote from Peter Grant is from years after the fact, in hindsight trying to sound wise. *The only story is zeppelin were already booked elsewhere for those dates.* There is no other story.
Woodstock was an absolute shitshow and Michael Lang was an incompetent opportunist who F'ed it all up. Fact is, many of the bands who played Woodstock were never paid, the ones that were paid only received a fraction of the contracted fee with the exception of Hendrix and The Who, the only bands paid the full contract fee. Grant was 100% spot on. I remember watching Woodstock on VHS back in the early 80's and thought, this is kinda crappy. Most of the bands played uninspired sets, the conditions were horrible, the sound system was crap so even inspired sets like Havens, Melanie, The Who, Hendrix, Santana & Sly sounded weak. If not for the amazing Max Yasgur, owner of the land Woodstock Festival was at, people would have without and doubt died. Max paid to have food and services brought in and planned all the logistical support once he noticed how bad Lang had F'ed it up and what could happen. It was because of Max people were fed and given medical care. If Woodstock was anything it was a harbinger of 70's consumerism and 80's grift and greed. This was not the end of the 60's, Woodstock was the birth of the 70's.
Yeah, the real winners of Woodstock were Warner Brother Executives and the guys who funded the festival who broke even until.....1980, can you believe it? My problem with the average pacifist Lang mentality of "free" is that logistics are always an after thought lol. Woodstock was the birth of the 70s, LOVE THAT LINE!
Zep were unknown at the time. Their fans obviously make excuses think they were too good, loud . Hendrix was scared of Page. Or middle class 'hard case' Peter Grant turned down the offer LOL
The boots don't lie. As a musician i can appreciate why they ended up conquering the 70s. Right from the start, Zeppelin had it all :) Oh yes, and a GOOD MANAGER, unlike HENDRIX and pretty much everybody else unfortunately.
Jethro Tull were on tour with Led Zep at the time and were also offered Woodstock and they also refused. Ian Anderson said he didn’t want to be “part of that hippie bullshit.”
It was better for the concert that Led Zeppelin didn't go. Yes, the concert had its problems but those problems helped make the concert the historic success it was. To me Zep and their management already had the yuppie attitudes that killed the 60's spirit. "Show me the money" and ""creating a consumer image" was already happening (mostly by the promoters and agents at the time), and taking chances, letting things happen, and lets just have some fun, were already being suffocated by greed. Zep did not fit the bill for this kind of festival because it wasn't all about them or creating their image.....it was about peace, Vietnam, and doing your own thing while going with the flow. Joni Mitchell's manager told her not to go as well, and she hated him for it because she would have fit in perfectly. She had to write a great song about the event she missed and had to hear about from friends and watch on TV instead. Zep was the new wave, the heavy sound, and they didn't want to just blend in to a festival......but they missed one of the best one's ever. The Beatles didn't want to perform either because it certainly would have been all about them, and they didn't want that. Look, L.Zep was a great band that rocked the scene for awhile, and I loved them and have much of their work, but IMHO they would have tainted the festival with their demands so its best they missed it. They didn't do the Isle of Wight concert either on their home turf because they didn't fit into that kind of atmosphere either. By the way Joni Mitchell did do the Isle of Wight concert and kind of saved it from itself by lecturing the audience about what a festival is all about and that , yes , bands need to get paid to perform but its a "together" experience. Things don't stay the same and the ideals of the 60's gave way to the yuppyism of the 70's, 80's and 90's......and L Zep's attitude was all a part of that.
Poor Joni what she experienced at the ISLE OF WIGHT 1970 right? Zeppelin was so good they didn't need Festivals like this so often, agree! Thank you very much for watching!
@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories Hendrix, CCR, The Who, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Ten years After, were among other bands that were doing very well and didn't need festivals to survive either, they had sold out shows where ever they went. Zep didn't play Woodstosk because they were so good or were too big for the venue, they didn't play because of $$$ and image, and Plant always regretted it.
True but most these bands had bad managers or just the average business vision. The Dead got better past mid 70s in this regard. It was the right decision by Grant indeed!
Considering how many guys were in the band at the time, Sha Na Na essentially did Woodstock for free. In spite of being underpaid, they gave an amazing performance.
Two of the greatest Live Acts of the Era, with both having Hell raising drummers who passed at 32. Imo it just depends on the night on who blows who away (no pun).
@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories actually Zep was intimidated by The Who's live performances. 1967 Rolling Stones Rock n Roll Circus. Monterrey Pop 1967, Woodstock 69, Live At Leeds 1970 nuff said.
I'm a fan of both bands, I do think (My Opinion) The Who are a better live band and Led Zeppelin has the better albums. But for example if The Who and Led Zeppelin would have been on the same bill at the Cow Palace in 1973, you would "get real" and say that odds are Led Zeppelin would put on the better show that night.
While I agree, it would be cool to have some professionally filmed footage of Led Zeppelin in 1969, I'm glad they didn't do it. The reason Santana's pay was so low? They weren't a signed act at the time. Their performance was the reason they were signed.
They were signed because their Columbia debut was out by August 22nd, just days after Woodstock. I know Carlos loved Graham till the end but it wasn't hard to squeeze in a few extra bucks. Santana made history :) Thanks for watching!
@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories I stand corrected! I knew that outside of San Francisco, not many were familiar with Santana and they didn't have an album out at the time of the Woodstock performance but I had seen an interview with someone from Columbia saying they signed Santana on the merits of that performance but you are correct, in came out Aug. 22 1969. So I guess that was a BS story.
The Woodstock movie was released in March 1970. By that time, Led Zeppelin was already on their way to filling stadiums. Woodstock would have offered them nothing but bad memories.
Hey JCM.. im a believer that Zeppelin made a great move not playing Woodstock, they were The Future of Rock not a hippy band.. grazie !
Yup. The hippy movement was almost done.. Just a year later Plant would write That's The Way.
@@thru_and_thru The Who were definitely an odd band for Woodstock. I completely forgot that they were there because....they were just another band in a big lineup.
Very well put Paolo, i agree with you 100%
I wouldn’t have hired the organizers of Woodstock to put together a kid’s birthday party.
Hahahahah best comment ever.
@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories Thanks. 😄 They were lucky that a potential humanitarian crisis turned into an enjoyable field party.
It was definitely a good supply of all the correct colored hits of acid!!
Oh man..do I agree with you. Lang was an idiot...GREAT at spending OTHER people's money......Peter should have stopped off just to beat the daylights out of him....just for grins.
Yep. How about the Woodstock disasters of '95 & '99? Pathetic.
I've watched a lot of videos about Woodstock, the festival has become legendary, there were memorable performances like Santana and his band but I don't know, it seems like a mess, very disorganized, honestly I'm glad Zeppelin didn't take part in this event. Peter Grant looked after the band’s interests very well and I think he did the right thing. Thanks Jose, see you next time 👋
grant used to demand 90 per cent ticket money for the band and woodstock being a festival maybe he was not in a position to do that
Anyone with functioning eyes and ears will conclude Woodstock was a shitshow. I don't care how well Hendrix or Sly played, it looked like they were playing to a homeless encampment on the crap end of town on a dismal grey, overcast weekend.
Peter Grant was like the older brother and Father for the band. No other band had this kind of PROTECTION!
Peter Grant would have killed Michael Lang if he stiffed LZ out of any money owed to them.
I'd pay to watch that backstage brawl lol. The more i do the research on 1969 Grant he was street smart PhD, he knew stuff, he just KNEW.
@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories Grant was not going to be hustled.
@@ericponce8740 well you can’t hustle a hustler and you can’t bullshit a bullshitter
Grant could have asked for the money up front. Wire transfer. Whatever.
Sounds like Grant made a good call, not knowing the legacy Woodstock would have. They were in the area but were already committed elsewhere , before, after, and during, according to this doc. Potential logistical problems (imagine getting stranded in a mud fest and missing a better paying gig) probably smart to pass from a business standpoint (and Grant was all business, if reports are true)
I think it was smart not to play Woodstock, decisions made by Grant & the Band, were the smartest decisions. Primarily not doing many singles, having total control of their music, & 90% of ticket sales over only 10%. They became ultimate legends in a short period of time.
Their on stage chemistry in 1969 was SO GOOD....managers had to be nervous, Zeppelin was coming to steal the market away!
@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories yes definitely
Had i been somebody else's manager i would have changed careers hajaj
your investigative work is astounding. once again, im extremely impressed.
Thank you VERY MUCH! More to come!
I really enjoy your Zeppelin Documentaries. They are some of the best I've seen on this channel. Thanks for doing them.
Thank you VERY MUCH Diane! More to come!
John Fogerty was resentful towards the Grateful Dead, who played right before CCR. He said that the Dead “put the audience to sleep.”
And they did.
They put me to sleep now
@@insin5905 The dead were shit.
@@cowboyfromhelI Ah, no they didn't. Roger Daltrey stated that Creedence were the best band live at Woodstock, after the Who followed them.. Creedence shows were legendary rock outs, every time.
@@cowboyfromhelI .....You are displaying your ignorance here as Credence were easily one of the best bands at Woodstock...
No one knew that Woodstock was going to become so big and historic.
@@dailyflash it was the movie that made it big, not so much the actual concert alone.
Apparently, a half a million people did---the word got out about this one more than others
@@impalaman9707 you’ve missed the whole point… NOONE could have known it would be that big regardless of how fast word got out. Pay attention.
Doesn't matter to Zeppelin. They became bigger than all these bands combined, and their fans to this day out number the rest as well.
@@MM-wl2cq we
Funny how I have 2 ten Years After Albums from early 70's bought when released. I remember doing a lot of acid and mescaline listening to this when it was released, along with Ssssh, and a year later buying Rock and Roll Music to the World on tape. Actually saw them in 70's. Alvin Lee was a great Guitarist. I wish I could play like him, and wished he lived longer.
Brilliant work yet again, José. You're totally right about the Jimi scenes at the end of the film. I don't watch Woodstock anymore because it became increasingly sad when I'd reach the end, and there's Jimi playing to a severely diminished crowd, surrounded by mud and trash - and it's not that the mud wasn't a lot of fun! But, there's something really eerie about it all. Feels like the end of life, the end of the world, in a way.
Also, I'm not a fan of meatloaf, either. Years back, he made a post on Facebook claiming that he should have millions of followers but that Facebook was plotting against him. In a rage of jealousy, he called his fans "cowards". I stood up for his fans and he came back calling me all the names under the sun (about 20 different adjectives - I have screenshots of it somewhere). He then deleted all the comments, and the post, only to make a new post to his fans "I LOVE YOU ALL." Pathetic. Check out his 2011 AFL Grand Final performance if you want a good laugh.
Much of that mud was not mud my friend. Lang never provided sanitation nor really anything else as he completely F'ed up the logistics. Max Yasgur saved the day and was able to get most things in including emergency services. They did not even have water until Max intervened. So that mud was also a whole lotta shit, piss, puke, spunk, formunda cheese, and god knows what else. I believe 30% came down with hepatitis, 50% syphilis, and 95% some sort of bacterial / fungal infection.
It's a very sad finale yeah. The world was robbed of Jimi's talent just about the time he was starting to connect within outside of freakshow excess. Oh man i didn't know about this FACEBOOK thing, that's crazy....and sad. If you have the screenshots email these at jcm1129films@gmail.com i wanna check them out!
Loved it !!! I knew this but you laid it out well.
Thanx again Jose-Another Great Job ! & NOBODY got over on Grant !!
Because Jimmy Page melts in sunlight.
@@BipTunia_Microtonal_Cats 😂
Lol kinda true
Hahahahah yes!
It was a smart decision to not play the Woodstock festival and yes I remember reading that manager Peter Grant said “They would be seen as just another band” on the lineup and Led Zeppelin put themselves in a forward position and represent the 1970s arguably the greatest decade of music rather than being slotted into the 60s era that was quickly ending.
Exactly. No matter great they might have been at Woodstock, it would have near impossible for them the gain the same amount of notoriety that they did during that '69 tour
By the time Zep II came out they were so huge because of word of mouth and everybody wanted to see them.
@@John_Locke_108Plus they were considered outsiders by the 60s rock establishment- Rolling Stone magazine etc and they clearly had to travel their own road
Which is why a lot of bands didn’t do Woodstock like Jethro Tull.
@@jonesy2111 Better to play to a sold out arena with fans who are all there to see Zeppelin.
The cope is heavy in this thread. If Zeppelin had done their thing at Woodstock it would have been known to this day as one of the most iconic moments pop cultural history. And no Mr. Grant, Zeppelin would not have been seen "as just another band." Were they just another band at the other festivals you booked them for? Zeppelin would have stood out like a fireworks. No one but The Who (at moments) had their sense power and dynamics. Zeppelin would have put on such a remarkable show that the press would have been shamed into reverence from that moment on. Instead, well, it didn't work out that way did it. Granted Zeppelin was huge in spite of the press, but Woodstock would have made them culturally huge as well. Like The Beatles, The Stones, and The Who were. Zepp flew under the pop culture radar. Heck they're my favorite band and I didn't know who they were until 1982. I very much knew who Aerosmith was years before that. Which tells you something about publicity.
I realize Grant has to say what he did (about how Zepp would have been just another band at Woodstock), as a face saving remark. Rod Stewart says something similar about his Woodstock absence. I get that it was a bit hard to know how big it would be. But I think they maybe should have clued in harder. All the other bands who were there clued in. Perhaps Zepp really did have serious logistical and prior commitment issues.
Who knows. But damn I wish they'd performed. Joe Cocker had the most iconic* performance in Woodstock. A damn good performance. But hell, if Woodstock made a Joe Cocker performance iconic, just imagine what a Zeppelin Woodstock show would have gone down. Like a meteor shaking the Earth for decades.
*Hendrix had the Star Spangled Banner. The rest of his set was raggedy and thin.
I attended a Led Zeppelin concert at the Pirates World Amusement Center or something like that located in Dania, Florida in August of 69. I was 12 yrs old and was tagging along with some relatives who were visiting from out of town. The Zip came on and played for about an hour outside of "Communications Breakdown" I was not familiar with their music and thought and sought the concert sucked. Years later I ran into someone who was a fan of the group and attended the show and he said "it was a great show and the crowd was amazed.
I can understand why you'd think the concert sucked. At the age of 12 and not knowing the music, it'd be really hard to enjoy.
@@castleanthrax1833 Imagine being 12 and hearing Pink Floyd play side two of Ummagumma at some amusement park🙂
This show is fascinating, wish we had pictures from the stage. I have a fascination for THIS AMUSEMENT PARK!
And then two weeks later, Led Zeppelin played the Dallas Int'l Pop Festival, highlighting Saturday night's playbill. Woodstock emcee Chip Monck announced in his closing remarks he would be emcee at Dallas and that the Zep was on that roster. This happened just before Jimi Hendrx took to the stage. I know 'cos I was at there staying until Jimi's last guitar notes, decayed into that Monday morning air.
Bet you’ve got some fantastic memories to cherish from that experience.
@@howardjohnson6189 and possibly a nasty case of the clap as well 🙂
What a great video. Really enjoyed this one! All the best. Dave✅✅
Always my pleasure Dave!
Another informative video, which explains better than other documentaries the mechanics of the expanding late 1960's music business, and no need to mention Altamont either!
In hindsight, not playing Altamont was probably a good choice.
The 1960s music business is fascinating, i can't get enough of these rabbit holes, i've had dreams about it. Glad you enjoyed this one!
I wetn to the site in Bethel. The single 2 lane road made it obvious a backup is easy to have happen. Looking at the field WITHOUT the stage and towers all I could think was "no WAY 500k people fit here". Grant's book..I'm listening to "Bring It On Home" currently. Is that the one?
I would love to visit the site. I can't only imagine what you felt there. I would take my acoustic guitar and play Richie Haven's FREEDOM, FREEDOMMMA....
Wonderful to imagine Robert Plant performing at Woodstock in FULL voice.
Wow, interesting documentary of one of the most important Festivals in the history of rock, I love the sentation of Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana , The who , I loved it , thank you alucinante!!❤
Wow I was Led to believe Santana did make $2000 not $750! I was only 8 in 1969. I really appreciate these in depth videos JCM.
Underpaid indeed, and Santana was SIGNED to Columbia already, how they allowed this beats me!
Great stuff, I'm subscribed.
Welcome aboard! Thanks for tuning in to this 1969 adventure, enjoy the channel!
Another superbly well researched episode - thank you! BTW not all acid trips were bad...
Hahahahahhaah good!
On a related note The Jeff Beck Group was on the bill for Woidstock but the group imploded just days before they were set to play!!!
I love that part at the end about not listening to Meatloaf. No, I don't, and you shouldn't either.
Public Health is paramount. Haha
The only “meatloaf” I’ve ever cared about came with homemade mashed potatoes and lots of gravy and a side of sweetcorn. As a kid I’d race like a bat out of hell on my stingray bicycle to get home on time for dinner every time I knew my mom was making it for dinner!!
Hahahahahaha nice one @howard
@@JCM-LedZeppelin-StoriesWhat's your issue with Meat Loaf?
I think a hidden element was that the Jeff Beck group was supposed to play Woodstock. One of the biggest what ifs in rock history.
It depends what time slot they'd play in.
He said that they were not ready. Rod Stewart agreed. He had early stage fright
Santana got paid correctly for what the exposure would bring them. They went on unknown and walked off legendary, just like Hendrix at Monterey.
Did Santana even have a record deal as of Woodstock weekend.
@@williamknell864 Yes. The debut came out about 14 days after this show.
That is the million dollar question I've always wanted to know, but never received a good answer for. How do bands with instant success their debut year like Zeppelin and Grand Funk Railroad manage to play every major festival in 1969---except the BIG ONE!
Same with Steppenwolf. They already had 2 albums under their belts with The Pusher, Magic Carpet Ride, and Born to be Wild. They were invited to "TOO MANY music festivals," per lead singer, John Kay.
Steppenwolf 7..... fantastic album ✌️
@@davidpaterson3443 The name of the album is kinda deceiving because that wasn't their "seventh" album--however, the funniest name for a Steppenwolf album was "Steppenwolf---At Your Birthday Party"! Can you imagine having Steppenwolf crash your birthday party? We'd all be in trouble!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
All BS because if Zep had played Woodstock they would have been BLOWN off the stage by the likes of Hendrix, THE WHO, and Ten Years After and that fat ass tub of lard Grant knew it. They were simply chicken sh#ts and scared to play with the "big boys"
Things were moving at such a rapid pace, managers had to use their gut feeling to avoid payment scams and such. Woodstock did really look like any other festival back then!
The film footage of Zeppelin at Woodstock would have been priceless. Maybe another 1969 festival filmed their entire set multi-camera?
I agree, we need to see that if it exists. 1969...it was scary how GOOD the band already was on stage really.
Jose: do you have any idea who that absolutely exquisite beauty is with Ahmet in the photo at the 6:50 mark? Those eyes; that smile-had to rewind a few times...😆 Thanks for another exceptional video-it's like a Rock History class 💫💫
I think I found her: Lotti Golden; a pretty fascinating and eclectic early career based on what I just researched.
Thanks for the video. The Doors are another band that im shocked didnt play Woodstock either. Also no Dylan, but the Band was there ;-)
The Doors purposely weren't invited because of the bad Reputation they got from the Miami show where Morrison feigned blowing Robbie Krieger and pretended to take out his penis.
The Doors had the problem of the Miami Incident and Jim Morrison was just in a bad mood throughout the year (understandably ). Thank YOU for watching :)
Thank you for stating "that crappy Hair musical".
I is crap.
But what about Meatloaf? Not really a fan, but...
I never understood the appeal of festivals I would never go to one even in my younger days. The logistics are just chaos.
Festivals are basically large social events. If you don't like being around lots of people you'll probably want to avoid going to large festivals.
Festivals as George Carlin said "i like people in small bursts". I share your opinion and as i musician i should enjoy these but no.
@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories yes you understand thank you
I still believe Zep should of been there. The history of Woodstock with Led Zeppelin there would of been HUGE for the band. Led Zeppelin still the biggest band of the 70's but culturaly it would of been big for the band.
Ya couldn't get any bigger than
Zeppelin
- ever -
especially back then with the
🎵cabal=RED🛡️'s on ya toes Granty was their mafioso & handler 🙄
Now!!!
keep up Keith
and get the books
out!!!
Oh and fuck the Beatles and the horse they rode
in on
I'm from & live in
*LIVERPOOL*
A overrated
converbelt💰 💰💰💰💰 to-date.
The benefit of hindsight.
You and I are the only dude's here that can handle reality. Cheers Keith. If you're ever in SoCal look me up.
Not only that, they should HAVE been there as well.
@@Frip36 👍🏼✌🏼🤘🏼
"...............do not listen to Meatloaf"..........LOL. I love that one!!!
And I have to honestly ask - why? "Bat Out of Hell" is a good album.
@@younghifi Seriously? The man made A FUNNY JOKE. Furthermore: I do NOT like the band Meatloaf. Never did. Never will.
Meatloaf sucks hahahah.
I bet Peter Grant would not have allowed Zep to be part of the Woodstock movie, just like Janis, and also the Dead.
Yes, this would have happened, i am SURE, 100%
Fun fact Bethel Woods Center for Arts is on the original woostock site & has big concerts all summer long
Example ua-cam.com/video/CgN5SO5NF4U/v-deo.html
Also, Plant sampling parts of the Woodstock soundtrack on Tie Dye on the Highway (maybe my fav of his solo tracks).
Love that song. So well done.
Yes, great catch there! Manic Nirvana is a very good album!
Thank you, Jose, for another great documentary .
Holy crap Santana only took home $750.00! What an insult. The Who made $6,500.00? What the heck?!!! That's just terrible.
The Who were touring on their legendary Tommy album. Santana was almost a complete unknown so just being there and then appearing in the film broke them into the bigtime. They should have paid the organizers for the massive career boost.
@user-iv5gy3rc2b the Who should have made as much as CCR. You may have a point about Santana, and that is yours. I personally think that they were underpaid for what they brought to the table. Plus, how many musicians are in that band at the time 8?
@@danjack-son4871 Santana was an absolute unknown by the time Woodstock occurred. Santana's performance at the festival made for a great launching pad for a bright future (especially with the success of the film which was released soon after).
They may have only made $750 for Woodstock, but that stellar performance at such a highly covered event certainly reaped huge dividends for their future as it really put their unknown group on the map.
Santana was not unknown...they were already signed to CBS and toured a lot that year. Thus they were an underpaid CBS artist at Woodstock. Their debut album was released the week after Woodstock.
Monterey felt like the beginning of an era while Woodstock felt like the end. Except for The Who and Santana, none of the other acts used the event to springboard into 70s super stardom. Zep didn't fit this festival. Would have loved it if they had played in California Jam 2 though.
I’ll go along with the rest and say altamont was the death.
They were in the process of recording In Through the Out Door when Cal Jam II took place.
Cal Jam 2 was a bit weak (compared to the first line-up) they could have done with ZEPPELIN being there....
Or maybe CAL JAM 1 better, next to Deep Purple...and ELP, the world wasn't ready!
Joe cocker Ten years after
Great story behind the scenes & you tie history into it to give a much larger understanding. Great job JCM!!!!!
My Pleasure Danny! Thank you VERY MUCH! More to come!
Great job again, Jose! Yea, man, I agree. Only Pearcy would have liked to be there. Plus, I just don't think their style of music would have been a good fit. Cheers, from Jacksonville, Florida USA. 🇺🇸
Always a pleasure to read you man, hope you are doing well!
@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories Yes sir, thank you Jose!
Nice one Jose. I agree with Grant that they risked being "just another band" but they also missed the opportunity of an giving an iconic performance like Jimy Hendrix's Star Spangled Banner or Janis Joplin's drug fueled set. Grant was right, but I can't help imagine if it was a case of what is OR what should never be.
What could have been that we'll never know.
Thing is, had it not been for the 1970 Documentary, Hendrix's monday morning performance would have been forgotten. Santana stole the show i believe. Peter Grant had a great sense of business and Street Safety right?
@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories - But there was a documentary and look at the iconic performances we have. Joe Cocker, the Who, Jimmy and Janis. Before Woodstock, Santana were only beginning, but they pulled off a special performance and look what happened. Bill Graham got Santana a 45min prime-time spot on the 2nd day, that shot them into fame. I guess we'll never know, but one thing is for sure, no one is 100% correct 100% of the time ...... Grant missed an opportunity.
@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories - Imagine the reception Dazed and Confused would have got from all those hippies 🤣
I am also surprised that The Doors didn't play Woodstock.
Right? But with the possible jail sentence for Jim it was a very stressful time !
Was that how many more times at 11:18 ?Sounds great
That is correct! Great ear! Thank you VERY MUCH! More to come!
Many thanks JCM - Led Zeppelin Stories, sorry i didnt make iit to the live🤘✌️
I was fortunate to have seen Led Zepplin at the Texas International Pop Festival. Labor Day, two weeks after Woodstock, Labor Day Weekend. Many of the same acts that played at Woodstock played there. The biggest act that wasn't at Texas was Jimi. Not nearly as many people there as Woodstock and the weather was perfect. Blue skies and cool nights. Maybe that's why they didn't get the publicity Woodstock got. I knew and talked to people who were at Woodstock. They said it was a mess. But put enough PR behind it and it became the highlight and epitomy of the '60's.
Great video 🤘
Awesome! You answered what I've always wondered at a long-time Zep fan."don't listen to Meatloaf" 😆
Glad this brings answers to the question on this topic, it was a learning experience for me as well!
Yes, they were booked to perform elsewhere, Atlantic City, NJ - maybe?
Aug 15, 1969 HemisFair Arena San Antonio, TX
Aug 16, 1969(1) Convention Hall Asbury Park, NJ
Aug 16, 1969(2) Convention Hall Asbury Park, NJ
Aug 17, 1969 Oakdale Musical Theatre Wallingford, CT
Excellent video!!!
Thanks for watching!
Santana getting $750 was a crime. Congrats on 20K!
Thanks Peter! Santana should have received Joan Baez's 10 grand lol!
I was at the Asbury Park performance the weekend of Woodstock.
I was only 6 in 1969. Up until today I was unaware just how many music festivals were going on around the states. Woodstock and Altamont got most of the press.
Zep were far too busy playing other festivals to go Woodstock.
Zep played in SoCal and shacked up in the LA area...Chateau Marmont on nights of the Manson Murders.They played San Bernadino when Sharon Tate was murdered on August 8th 1969 and Anaheim Aug 9th night of LaBiianca murders.
Crazy timing, i bet they were freaked out and shocked like everyone was back then!
@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories The August 8 '69 audio is on YT
There is a 500 page book or so about the topic of Manson and Laurel Canyon. I need to get it. Zappa must have known a thing or two about it.
@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories Uh Chaos and The Family are my favorite books about the subject.All the books and docs on the Laurel Canyon music scene definitely cover Manson.He crept his way in.
From what concert are these Plant's vocals? 11:20
I'll give you a hint, it's 1969 :}
Led Zeppelin didn’t play Woodstock because they didn’t need to.
That's an interesting take on the situation. That turned out out to be true so it seems that they knew what their destiny was going to be.
The best band of the 70s!
I think you underestimate the popularity of Joan Baez in the context of the times.
Not her popularity, but the purpose behind it. She is no Hendrix nor Fogerty. Her albums were under or over produced. I find her story quite...interesting! Thanks for watching!
@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories Completely agree. Is Taylor Swift the new Joan Baez?
The other issue i have with Baez is her politics...the world didn't change. Nothing against her the human being but the ideology, like Zappa said We're only in it for the money lol.
As cynical as Zappa was, he was correct in his perception that throughout historical events, it generally takes a lot more to stop wars, remove repressive, authoritian regimes or change societal/political attitudes through radical new ideas/forms of musical, artistic or intellectual innovations. I mean, the 19th century predecessors for the "hippie counterculture", The Wundervogels" or Wandering Birds" in German-speaking Europe with its ethos of agrarian farming, rural aesthetics and living, intense focus on pre-Christian dieties, lifestyles, cultural values like free love, and even sun worship didnt stop or prevent WWI from happening or Germany suffering such harsh, punitive terms that all major parties rejected it while most Germans, gradually came to believe they hadn't really lost WWI at all but were "stabbed in the back" as it relates to cynical posturing done by General Ludendorff in the last months of WWI with his suggestion for the Reichstag to adopt a constitutional, Parliamentary republic and make it look like they were the ones surrendering and waving the white flags to the enemy.
I mean, you're Spanish, the country right next to you, Portugal, by the mid-70's, still had one of Europe's last pre-WWII authoritian regimes with Salazar's Neuvo Estadio, or New State regime. This regime had lasted for over 45 years and it if werent for Portuguese leaders insisting on fighting two expensive, costly colonial wars against insurgents in Angola and Mozambique, that left wing military coup that overthrew Salazar's successors via the Carnation Revolution, never happens or occurs under vastly different circumstances.
I do know that in Spain, Franco's regime apparatus and hierarchal stability by the time he died was as equally on life support as he was because most of his top military leaders didnt want to be his successor, or realized that majority of Spanish population didnt believe in or really wanted to tolerate living under that form of regime anymore. The regime had lost so much of its internal stability and credibility and it was so insanely brittle, it couldn't survive too much longer after its main creator died.
You did it again! Great one
I just wish they had played. Think of the wonderful film footage we’d have!
With Peter Grant, as manager? No effing way would he allow them to be filmed if he wasn’tgetting a cut.
There is NO WAY they would have been filmed performing on video. Yes, they did a few times but all of that stuff was buried for years with Zeppelins copyright till they finally released it. For something like 20 years there was Only Song Remains the Same. It was very much against Grant's philosophy. He wanted the people to come out and PAY to see Zeppelin.
"Do not listen to Meat Loaf" LMAO!!
What's his issue with Meat Loaf?
Love the Meat. 🍖
Bat ouf of Hell was one of the worst music tragedies of the 1970s, the message it sent....ugh.
@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories
Yes... 4th highest selling album of all time, with 44 million sales.
Jealousy, thou art the B word.
Peter Grant deserve to be in the RRHOF shittybas it is.
He did more for artists than any other person. Saved them from getting ripped off on merch and publishing.
YES! This is 100% true. The reason some people hate this band is because they didn't get ripped off like so many....
Led Zeppelin was just starting to tour that summer, Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart fronting for him weren’t even headlining
The Who wouldn't take the stage without cash payment first. The promoters weren't to be trusted.
What a bad time to play though, it was REALLY LATE!
Was always under the impresion that the mudshark was utilized by Vanilla Fudge.
It's a gross out story for 4th grade boys at best.
Nope, it was Zeppelin. Vanilla Fudge....what a troubled career.
Peter Grant didn’t want Zeppelin to be just another band at Woodstock and opted to headline the Bath Festival of the Blues and planted the seed in Michael Eavis for Glastonbury !
Just another band. Think on what a ridiculous notion that is. Do you think that's how Zepp would have come off after their set. Kids just shrugging their shoulder. "Eh, they were OK." Please. Serious oversight by Grant.
@@Frip36 I don’t disagree, but they became huge WITHOUT Woodstock so maybe he was right. They could have been even bigger by releasing singles but judging by their album sales he was probably right about that as well !
Even at Bath, they looked out of place to a a degree, glad they outgrew the Festival setup pretty quick. Thanks to their musicianship, business platform and Jimmy's production wisdom!
Great episode! But…What’s wrong with Meat Loaf?
I will make an episode about it! Thanks for watching Mickey!
My first guess....
Peter Grant said Hell NO
But I don’t think they were really established just yet at the time of Woodstock. They would’ve been relative unknowns. Obviously the music would hold its own
(more than)...
August 1969? Zeppelin already had quite a lot of work done by then. :)
I cannot see Grant going with an open air festival on a wing and a prayer that was so close to a debacle. Too many ways for the band to be shafted and have crappy sound.
WSS
Yea they were more well known than I realized. For some reason I had it my head that LZ1 was released in Aug and LZ2 at the end of ’69
The first album was in the top 10 in 1969 prior to the concert at Woodstock. They were making a very big noise.
Zeppelin was a couple of years ahead of their time ?!?
Woodstock had obvious political overtones. Wisely, Peter Grant deliberately distanced Zep from all political agendas.
No band had to say anything political. Yeah, the political overtone was anti-war. Not risky.
The problem with the political tones and music is that it's always BS. Nothing gets done, the world doesn't change and Live Aid ended up funding the wrong people! I like my music away from politics.
Then there is the story of how close the Jeff Beck group almost played Woodstock.
The real winners were Warner Brothers and.... the bootleggers after outtake footage leaked 20 years later, Summer of '89. Over an hour of CCR, Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, and Jefferson Airplane sets on one tape made the rounds. You're right, Grant woulda eaten that mop top guy in the suede vest for breakfast. That guy always rubbed me the wrong way. He comes off as an opportunistic wanna-be.
Pacifist "businessmen" are a strange thing yes. I am glad Grant stayed out of that mess. Had Woodstock not been filmed, it would just be like the Atlanta Pop Festival 1970, important but somewhat forgotten! Thank you for watching man!
@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories Right. Pacifist/Businessman. I could trust a "Pacifist" and a "Businessman" because I know them both, and know how to deal with EACH one, but not one who is BOTH titles.
YES! I've always felt that way about him, soft spoken but smug and puts on a phoney smile when he's really just telling you to get F*cked. Hippie Fraud.
Peter Grant liked TOTAL CONTROL....
NO BOOTLEGGING....fully in charge
of the hall/venue....
....impossible at woodstock....
It's uncanny. We share the taste in music we like...and dislike! 🔥
Hope you hate Meat Loaf's Bat out of Hell too! haha.
@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories He seems like a nice guy, but I could never understand the appeal.
dayum that was one hard working band!
Right? I bet there were a lot of vitamins and organic juices to help them with stamina. That and groupies i guess? lol. Thanks for watching!
@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories not sure if groupies provide WITH stamina, or sap it....?
They can sure provide astral stretching lol
Not appearing at Woodstock didnt hurt their career whatsoever
Agree! But now you know why!
True dat!!!
How did you know I was ready to play Bat Outta Hell Next?!?,LOL!
GET THE LED OUT
Hahahaha. No Bats!
If Led Zeppelin had of played Woodstock they would have blown every one else away.
Word! They had a very potent show in 1969...a mighty band...SUPERB.
LZ wasn’t legendary in 69 so at the time LZ playing Woodstock probably wouldn’t have been a huge deal at the time. The Buzz was certainly there and we would have been talking about the performance for years to come. I keep thinking about Momma Case reacting to Janis Joplin at Monterey pop festival and think that LZ would be that jaw dropping.
I think a duet of Robert Plant and Janis Joplin would have been epic.
"Do not listen to Meatloaf" - I like that. And I don't. Tacky stuff.
I hate that album hahahahahha
Man I agree....Santana was severely underpaid.....i mean severely.
Imagine had they not been put there by Bill Graham..maybe they get 300 bucks? Not sure why Graham was ok with 750. Joan Baez wished she played a set like that at Woodstock haah
That quote from Peter Grant is from years after the fact, in hindsight
trying to sound wise.
*The only story is zeppelin were already booked elsewhere for those dates.*
There is no other story.
I made the documentary because there were other stories :) thanks for watching!
Didn't Zeppelin play a Free concert in Central park that Fall?
No, they played the Schaefer Music Festival which ran June through August, there were a lot of shows which took place at Central Park's Wollman Rink.
Thanks! Were you there?@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories
Woodstock was an absolute shitshow and Michael Lang was an incompetent opportunist who F'ed it all up. Fact is, many of the bands who played Woodstock were never paid, the ones that were paid only received a fraction of the contracted fee with the exception of Hendrix and The Who, the only bands paid the full contract fee. Grant was 100% spot on. I remember watching Woodstock on VHS back in the early 80's and thought, this is kinda crappy. Most of the bands played uninspired sets, the conditions were horrible, the sound system was crap so even inspired sets like Havens, Melanie, The Who, Hendrix, Santana & Sly sounded weak. If not for the amazing Max Yasgur, owner of the land Woodstock Festival was at, people would have without and doubt died. Max paid to have food and services brought in and planned all the logistical support once he noticed how bad Lang had F'ed it up and what could happen. It was because of Max people were fed and given medical care. If Woodstock was anything it was a harbinger of 70's consumerism and 80's grift and greed. This was not the end of the 60's, Woodstock was the birth of the 70's.
Yeah, the real winners of Woodstock were Warner Brother Executives and the guys who funded the festival who broke even until.....1980, can you believe it? My problem with the average pacifist Lang mentality of "free" is that logistics are always an after thought lol. Woodstock was the birth of the 70s, LOVE THAT LINE!
Kids today: "Where are the dancers?"
Haha. Now i sometimes wonder if boomers had cellphones in their teens, would they be the same?
Zep were unknown at the time. Their fans obviously make excuses think they were too good, loud . Hendrix was scared of Page. Or middle class 'hard case' Peter Grant turned down the offer LOL
The boots don't lie. As a musician i can appreciate why they ended up conquering the 70s. Right from the start, Zeppelin had it all :) Oh yes, and a GOOD MANAGER, unlike HENDRIX and pretty much everybody else unfortunately.
Jethro Tull were on tour with Led Zep at the time and were also offered Woodstock and they also refused. Ian Anderson said he didn’t want to be “part of that hippie bullshit.”
Hahah that answer was THICK AS A BRICK!
It was better for the concert that Led Zeppelin didn't go. Yes, the concert had its problems but those problems helped make the concert the historic success it was. To me Zep and their management already had the yuppie attitudes that killed the 60's spirit. "Show me the money" and ""creating a consumer image" was already happening (mostly by the promoters and agents at the time), and taking chances, letting things happen, and lets just have some fun, were already being suffocated by greed. Zep did not fit the bill for this kind of festival because it wasn't all about them or creating their image.....it was about peace, Vietnam, and doing your own thing while going with the flow. Joni Mitchell's manager told her not to go as well, and she hated him for it because she would have fit in perfectly. She had to write a great song about the event she missed and had to hear about from friends and watch on TV instead. Zep was the new wave, the heavy sound, and they didn't want to just blend in to a festival......but they missed one of the best one's ever.
The Beatles didn't want to perform either because it certainly would have been all about them, and they didn't want that. Look, L.Zep was a great band that rocked the scene for awhile, and I loved them and have much of their work, but IMHO they would have tainted the festival with their demands so its best they missed it. They didn't do the Isle of Wight concert either on their home turf because they didn't fit into that kind of atmosphere either. By the way Joni Mitchell did do the Isle of Wight concert and kind of saved it from itself by lecturing the audience about what a festival is all about and that , yes , bands need to get paid to perform but its a "together" experience. Things don't stay the same and the ideals of the 60's gave way to the yuppyism of the 70's, 80's and 90's......and L Zep's attitude was all a part of that.
Poor Joni what she experienced at the ISLE OF WIGHT 1970 right? Zeppelin was so good they didn't need Festivals like this so often, agree! Thank you very much for watching!
@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories
Hendrix, CCR, The Who, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Ten years After, were among other bands that were doing very well and didn't need festivals to survive either, they had sold out shows where ever they went. Zep didn't play Woodstosk because they were so good or were too big for the venue, they didn't play because of $$$ and image, and Plant always regretted it.
True but most these bands had bad managers or just the average business vision. The Dead got better past mid 70s in this regard. It was the right decision by Grant indeed!
Good for them not doing Woodstock. Too big of a festival.
They needed to walk first before they could spar.
Look at CSN, it was their first gig. Yeah they were a super group of sorts but half of zep was a supergroup.
@@mumbles215 Csny. Don't forget about Neil.
Considering how many guys were in the band at the time, Sha Na Na essentially did Woodstock for free. In spite of being underpaid, they gave an amazing performance.
Poor band, they delivered a great show, agree!
Would have Loved to have seen Led Zeppelin and the Who in the same Concert, I think that only happened once in the early days.
It happened once indeed. I bet Pete Townshend was feeling sick watching them perform lol.
Two of the greatest Live Acts of the Era, with both having Hell raising drummers who passed at 32. Imo it just depends on the night on who blows who away (no pun).
At that time, The Mighty Who were a seasoned live band with 5 years experience. Nobody blew The Who off of the stage, nobody. Get real.
@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories actually Zep was intimidated by The Who's live performances. 1967 Rolling Stones Rock n Roll Circus. Monterrey Pop 1967, Woodstock 69, Live At Leeds 1970 nuff said.
I'm a fan of both bands, I do think (My Opinion) The Who are a better live band and Led Zeppelin has the better albums. But for example if The Who and Led Zeppelin would have been on the same bill at the Cow Palace in 1973, you would "get real" and say that odds are Led Zeppelin would put on the better show that night.
While I agree, it would be cool to have some professionally filmed footage of Led Zeppelin in 1969, I'm glad they didn't do it. The reason Santana's pay was so low? They weren't a signed act at the time. Their performance was the reason they were signed.
They were signed because their Columbia debut was out by August 22nd, just days after Woodstock. I know Carlos loved Graham till the end but it wasn't hard to squeeze in a few extra bucks. Santana made history :) Thanks for watching!
@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories I stand corrected! I knew that outside of San Francisco, not many were familiar with Santana and they didn't have an album out at the time of the Woodstock performance but I had seen an interview with someone from Columbia saying they signed Santana on the merits of that performance but you are correct, in came out Aug. 22 1969. So I guess that was a BS story.
Or Isle Of Wight 1970 ...
Great topic, i will work on it! Thanks for watching!
Peter Grant is all about getting paid. Woodstock wouldn't pay his fee, for aure.
They were not in it for charity, the right move it was!
Excellent video. Indeed, do not listen to Meatloaf, or Ted Nugent
You are a good human being if you avoid the Meat Loaf. Nugent i can only listen to Stranglehold! Thank you for watching Jupiter!
@@JCM-LedZeppelin-StoriesYES, "Stranglehold" is the real deal.
They were just one of hundreds of bands there were at the time Woodstock wasn’t going to get them all.
But they were the band to rule the 70s...so not just one of a 100 :)
I promise - I hate meatloaf, both the food and the singer!
awesome
Thank you very much for watching!
The Woodstock movie was released in March 1970. By that time, Led Zeppelin was already on their way to filling stadiums. Woodstock would have offered them nothing but bad memories.
Sure. Keep telling yourself this.