The Seattle Pop Festival’s July 1969 dates was a show to rival Woodstock in some peoples minds, just ask the Guess Who, who was there for this monster of a music festival. It was held in in Woodinville, Washington.
Check out the line up for this one!
Led Zeppelin, the Doors, Chuck Berry, Santana, The Byrds, Ike and Tina Turner, The Guess Who, Chicago, and Bo Diddley, just to name a few. They played in front of an estimated 40,000 to 70,000 people. Now that was a show to be at. Imagine the ticket prices on today’s market for an event such as this one.
Led Zeppelin fanatics, refer to the sound board recordings, from this show, as the Holy Grail of Zeppelin recordings. The Doors didn’t get off so lucky. Jim was out of his mind, screaming and insulting the crowd. Even Zeppelin felt embarrassed for the other band members! This was Zeppelin talking here, remember their legendary tour shananogins?
Keep on Jammin’
I’m surprised Jim even showed up. He was notoriously wasted most of the time. Interesting that the venue also had wood in the name. It does seem like a strange lineup, what with Bo Diddley alongside Led Zeppelin.
Kind of like putting the sheep amongst the wolves.
All due respect though, these are some of the names that shaped the music industry.
– Keep rocking
Andrew
I thought that other people out there would notice this and I’m right! It would have been a fabulous show to see would be quite the understatement now wouldn’t it Andrew!
Keep on Jammin’
I was at this festival and it was incredible.I was curious if anyone knows of any sites that go into more detail about this incredible festival.
Are you serious Ron? You didn’t happen to have brought your tape recorder to this event did ya?!
I just did a regular google search and started reading. While be very inquisitive on this subject, I didn’t find any sites that honestly stood out to me, sorry about I couldn’t be more helpful on that front for ya.
Wow, do you remember most of the show? Researching it was great. Now this is a show that anyone would have loved to have seen and say that they have!
Do you still have your ticket stub and did you take any pictures?
I was 19 and young and dumb like alex rodriguez so i have no mementos from the festival,only great memories.Sunday afternoon was my most vivid memory because that afternoon after seeing the likes of Ike and tina turner,The flying burrito brothers,and Its a beautiful day, the show came to a close with,in this order,Chicago,Santana,Led Zepplin,The Vannila Fudge,and the Doors.Lee Michaels and Frosty closed out the evening.I will return to this site in the hope that more people will also share anything they can remember.
Right on Ron! Too bad that you didn’t have any mementos of the show. You are truly one lucky SOB!!!
I went to the festival too. I came down from British Columbia with a few friends. I had just turned 18.
I had seen the Doors the year before at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver and remember that concert vividly. It was superb.
I had either seen before or subsequently saw a number of the acts at the festival, including Vanilla Fudge, Chicago, and Led Zeppelin.
Morrison’s performance at the festival was disgusting. We weren’t close to the stage, but I remember Morrison mumbling a lot and repeatedly insulting the crowd. He asked for the lights to be turned down and the band played quite quietly behind him. Finally after the crowd got on him, the performance was mercifully over in about 20 minutes. He was either dead drunk or on downers or a combination of both!
I had also seen 10 Years After subsequent to the festival.
You lucky bastard ROB!!!
Must be nice to have those found memories of past glorious gigs! Did you keep the stubbs? Just wondering.
Keep on Jammin’ Rob
I am currently working with the promoter of that event to create a DVD with many of the bands who performed at this event..
check web site for details, we are also looking for photos and memories from people who where there..
Glenn
Now that is a DVD I will pick up for sure! I like your site so far and it looks promising. Come back here when you release this historic DVD and tell us more about it and where we can pick it up.
Keep on Jammin’ Glenn
I attended the festival, and it was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever done in my entire life. I was just shy of my 15th birthday and was one of the kids sitting down in front of the stage. I did too much acid that weekend, though…ended up stepping on a huge piece of glass and going to the first-aid tent, where they had their hands full talking people down off of bad trips.
The music was amazing, and the atmosphere was electrifying. The Guess Who performed “American Woman,” I believe for the first time in public. Ike and Tina, Led Zepplin, Lee Michaels, Santana…whoa, what a lineup. The only bummer was the Doors’ performance.
The following month, I traipsed over to Tenino for the Tenino Blues Festival. It had a fantastic lineup, too, but was kind of a let-down after Gold Creek. Big Mama Thornton made the whole weekend worth it, though!
Holy crap you lucky bugger Raven!!! Any pic’s or were you too high to operate a camera?! Do you still have the ticket stub?
Believe it or not, I did have the ticket stub for many years…but my scrapbook from the Summer of ’69 turned up missing after a long-distance move about 12 years ago. The depressing part is that all my photos from Gold Creek were in the scrapbook, too. (And, yes, it was a bit of a challenge to take those pics while flying on Strawberry Fields…or was it Chocolate Chip acid that weekend, I don’t remember?!!)
You know, I think those of us at Gold Creek Park that weekend were a lot luckier than the folks who attended Woodstock the next month…because the weather was awesome, not rainy or muddy…and we got to see many of the same bands. (I did try to talk my dad into letting me go to Woodstock, though, but he wouldn’t let me travel outside the state.)
The glory days of youth…what a long, strange trip it’s been!
Holy crap Raven, I for one wish that you still had your ticket stub! Was it like the one in my post?
In regards to your comment about your dad, maybe he was saving you the hassle of going to see a great gig under bad weather?
Keep on Jammin’ Raven!
I was about to turn 22 that summer. In fact I did a month later while at the Sky River Rock Festival and Lighter than Air Fair. My memories are considerable and some were lost in a haze of weed, wine and more.
As I recall the Guess Who opened all 3 days at noon. They introduced the music from the soon to be released ‘Canned Wheat’. Including American Woman and No Time. I remember afternoon shows that included the newly introduced Alice Cooper, Ten Years After, Ike and Tina Turner Revue and specifically on Sunday the Youngbloods, Spirit, Vanilla Fudgeleading into the evening shows tho I disagree with the Final Lineup as posted here earlier. I recall Led Zeppelin immediately following the Doors. I left following Led Zep but recall the next act to be Lee Michaels as I was leaving followed by The Flying Burrito Brothers scheduled to close the event.
On the performances by the Doors and Led Zeppelin I can still quote Jim Morrison. Of course the language was quite explicit. Morrison constantly baited the crowd. I was very close to the middle of the stage. He insulted his fans over and over and the fans were eating it up. After a number of songs he asked “are there any requests”? Fans for the most part yelled out Light my Fire. His response was “You bunch of Pukes! At that point the band drove into the requested song. As they came to the long instrumental segment featuring Ray Manzarek’s electric organ Morrison turned to the band and said ” Alright boys, fuck em in them ass”.
I have more memories but these are some of the most vivid. Ohh yeah, you have read about the Led Zeppelin performance which in retrospect is virtually legendary. The most memorable parts for me were Jimmy Page playing his Gibson with the Violin Bow and Communication Breakdown.
I have told my wife many times a lot of the details. It’s nice I finally took time to search the Festival. I couldn’t remember some of the acts. There were some bands that were not on the poster or radio commercial. I will try to remember more or find references. One was Link Wray who some of us in our mid 60’s or so actually remember.
Wow Jim, now that was a show to have witnessed. Too bad Link Wray died a while ago. I loved when he and Robert Gordon did a LP many, many years ago. I didn’t have the luck to have seen him.
You didn’t happen to take any pics did you Jim … just wondering.
It’s comments like yours that makes blogging a beautiful thing. Imagine what we all could have been if we had the internet back in the day?
Once again thanx for the comment and if you remember any other details about the show PLEASE come on back and tell us so Keep on Jammin’ Jim!
Ron … NO, Lep Zep did not follow Santana. Was light mid-afternoon when Carlos played and very dark evening when Zep played.
I was there all three days and nights … Was 19 that summer. Did not take any acid that weekend …
Ten Years After started playing @ 9:00 am !? Interesting, considering their time slot @ Woodstock. Nice way to wake-up though : – )
The doors sucked … Seemed completely unimpressed with being there, but I have heard they were paid more than any other band .. I think $25,000 (a lot of money in 1969) to fly up from LA and sound like shit for 45 minutes.
Back to Led Zep (Who actually followed the Doors), Morrison was asking in a slurred voice what anyone wanted to hear next and the entire field became lit matches/lighters followed by a chant ” Led Zep ” Morrison got pissed and walked off the stage never to return.
I could write a book about those three days … And nights. Santana was amazing as was Ten Years After, both repeating the same shows a few weeks later @ Woodstock.
By the way, back then there was a 2-lane road through Woodinville : – )
I happened to be buying a hot dog after Alice Coopers set and found myself standing next to him BS ..ing while we both ate or dogs. His show was bizarre for the times and he was sooooo … thin he looked like a concentration camp survivor? The entire show consisted of him singing through a door W/O a window and ended with a big pillow fight between band members – strange …?? Of course back then no one ever heard of him.
Of course, Led Zep was the best band in attendance and I had already seen them twice live prior to Woodinville.
I also really enjoyed the band Spirit .. The drummer was one of the members dad’s and he was 40 !!! My God, I thought he was a geezer !!! They were a very tight band.
Then there was Mrs. Turner with her than husband Ike …. She was HOT !!!
I could go on and on and on …..
Why the hell don’t you Don, PLEASE DO!!!!!
The people who have viewed this comment area in this post are just saying to themselves HOLY CRAP! It’s you and all the others who comment hear bring this concert back to life and it keeps readers sitting on the edge of their chairs waiting and wanting MORE INFO!!! My wife and I can’t wait for more of your impressions and experience of this great show!
Once again Don please go on and on and …
I am yet another survivor of this classic show. For me it was an endurance of soft drug abuse. Trying different hits of cid and meeting new friends during a summer of music and love. I remember some great blues from Albert Collins and Lonnie Mack and I remember Jimmy Pages guitar making making my spine tingle when he played You Shook Me greeting me friday afternoon as walked into the park with just my sleeping bag and a pocket full acid and a big bag of weed. I also remember the great Leon Russell.
This also brings me to the bad part. ,the music was great, but, this was really a beginning for a road of drug abuse that lasted 8 years.
I had too much fun and it continued on through Sky River 2 and on.
I still love the music and I still have some great memories. Led
Zep did follow the Doors and I remember because I couldn’t stand mean drunks and I still can’t stand mean drunks and Morrison was a mean drunk.
Zep Rocked.
back to the music.
Flying Burrito Bros were fun and they dressed fun too. Tens Year after were amazing with “Goin’ Home” just like Woodstock being the highlight of the set. Ike and Tina were still bluesier and I was on the Tower also just like Randy Bachman watching the girls change during the set. I did not know who Randy was. Speaking of Randy, I was not impressed with their Song American Woman as I thought it was a slight against the USA.
Its a Beautiful day was a perfect name for a perfect day and the music was also beautiful when one was peeking on orange sunshine acid.
I also remember some great pizza and most of all I remember having the most fun of my life. I was 19, my body didn’t hurt and I could party 20 hrs aday. the fours hours I slept, I miss Alice Cooper and Tim buckly putting me asleep.
Chicago Transit Authority had people dancing with “I’m a Man” and the Bryds set was really trippy during “* miles high” and Spirit made me their fan. I do not remember a few band though for obvious reasons like Rockin Fu
i thought Morrison’s intro to road house blues was great
lots of troubles
lots of blues
whole lot of nothin
and nothing to lose- allright
At the very beginning, a little crowd of about 100 people forced the entrance and got in without paying. I was among them , enjoyed my free festival , and even found a pretty girl who stayed with me during those 3 days.
At the very beginning, a little crowd of about 100 people forced the entrance and got in without paying. I was among them , enjoyed my free festival , and even found a pretty girl who stayed with me during those 3 days.