Category Archives: Music of the 60s

Beatles Sir George Martin

Beatles Sir George Martin

The true Fifth Beatle
January 3, 1926 – March 8, 2016
Thank you

Beatles Sir George Martin

With the Beatles’ arrival in the US, various DJs adopted to themselves the nickname “Fifth Beatle” because they got to meet the Fab Four,  play their music, and promote the mania. Of course, none of them were anywhere near what the adopted moniker implied.

When George Martin died on March 8, 2016, we knew that the true “fifth Beatle” was gone.

In the beginning as we stared at the backs of our first Beatle albums for something new, his was one of the names we always saw.

He never looked like a Beatle. Was not hip. Hair combed back. Conservative clothing.

Beatles Sir George Martin

He Knew

George Martin knew sound. George Martin knew talent. And his talent brought us the sound the Beatles had inside their heads and put that sound forever inside our hearts. He knew how to compress their coal into musical diamonds.

It would be unfair to say he rode the Beatles’ coattails to fame just as it would be unfair to say the Beatles would not have been famous without George Martin.

Fortune offered them the same breeze and we are forever fortunate that they boarded the same sloop.

Beatles Sir George Martin

Less than 10 hours of music!

From the New York Times obituary: “His collaboration with the Beatles inevitably overshadowed his other accomplishments. Between 1962 and 1970, Mr. Martin produced 13 albums and 22 singles for the group, a compact body of work that adds up to less than 10 hours of music but that revolutionized the popular music world.

Those “other” credits of his go on several pages. The AllMusic site’s list included:

  • Billy J Kramer & the Dakotas
  • Gerry & the Pacemakers
  • Seatrain
  • Badfinger
  • Paul Winter
  • Stan Getz
  • America Mahavishnu Orchestra
  • Cheap Trick
  • Aerosmith
  • Kenny Rogers
  • Billy Preston
  • Dire Straits
  • The Kentucky Headhunters
  • Little River Band
  • Ultravox
  • Kate Bush
  • Elton John
  • Elvis Costello
  • Jeff Beck
  • Stevie Wonder
  • Celine Dion
  • Burt Bacharach
  • Billy Joel
Beatles Sir George Martin

Keyboardist Chick Churchill

Keyboardist Chick Churchill

Keyboardist Chick Churchill

Classical studies

Michael George “Chick” Churchill was born on January 2, 1946 in Ilkeston, Derbyshire.

Chick  began playing piano when he was six and was doing classical studies until he met the blues in 1961.

While part of the Sons of Adam, he met Alvin Lee whose band then was called the Jaybirds.

Churchill joined first as a road manager and then as a keyboardist.

Keyboardist Chick Churchill

Ten Years After

The band evolved into Ten Years After and concert promoter Bill Graham invited the band to tour America for the first time in the summer of 1968. Ten Years After would ultimately tour the USA 28 times in 7 years, more than any other U.K. band.

Keyboardist Chick Churchill
Ten Years After
Keyboardist Chick Churchill

Summer of 1969

During the summer of 1969, they performed at  6 major festivals, including  the Woodstock Music and Art Fair. Of course their performance of “Goin’ Home” at Woodstock and the song’s inclusion in both the film and on the album established their fame. (I wonder how many times the band performed that song that summer?)

I recently contact Chick and he generously responded with the following:  Woodstock seems so long ago now but I remember the huge audience and the helicopter journey. I think we went on after the rain storm. Everything was wet and I don’t think health and safety would allow it now but we survived. 

Keyboardist Chick Churchill

You and Me

In 1971, Chick released a solo album,  You and Me.

Keyboardist Chick Churchill

Post Ten Years After

When  Ten Years After disbanded in 1976 Chick Churchill became professional manager at Chrysalis Music.

In 1977 he began a partnership with Tim Whitsett as Whitsett Churchill Music Publishing. The company specialized in promoting American artists from southern states.

Neither Alvin Lee nor Ten Years After are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The band has a Facebook page.

Keyboardist Chick Churchill

Bio from TYA site >>> Churchill bio

Keyboardist Chick Churchill

1968 Miami Pop Festival

1968 Miami Pop Festival

Before 1969

While my aim is to have pieces describing each of 1969’s many festivals, mentioning a pre-1969 one is often useful as the several that preceded 1969’s memorable year (capped by the Woodstock Music and Art Fair) helped encourage promoters to expand the number.

1968 Miami Pop Festival
Miami Pop Festival

There were two Miami Pop Festivals in 1968. The first one was in May and Woodstock organizer Michael Lang  played a minor role in that festival’s promotion.

1968 Miami Pop Festival
cover for Miami Pop Festival program

The second Miami Pop Festival began on December 28. An estimated 100,000 attended the three-day concert.  It was produced by Tom Rounds and Mel Lawrence, who had previously produced the seminal KFRC Fantasy Fair and Magic Mountain Music Festival in California. [A side note, the Fantasy Fair occurred before the Monterrey Pop Festival and so is actually considered the first rock festival.]

According to Rolling Stone (February 1, 1969), the Miami festival was “a monumental success in almost every aspect, the first significant — and truly festive — international pop festival held on the East Coast.” Hallandale city officials, horrified by visions of stoned hippies dancing naked at Gulfstream, nixed plans for a second Miami Pop Festival.

1968 Miami Pop Festival

1968

Among the performers, were future Woodstock stars, the Grateful Dead, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Richie Havens, Sweetwater, Canned Heat, and Country Joe and the Fish.

Of course it’s difficult to find recordings or film of the event, but we are twice lucky. There is a film/still shot combination video of Jimi Hendrix doing “Foxy Lady.”

1968 Miami Pop Festival

The Dead

And of course the Grateful Dead did record their performance. You can listen to it through the AMAZING collection at the Internet Archive site: Dead in Miami

According to Wikipedia’s entry, some unique stories of the event were that:

  • Joni Mitchell invited Graham Nash and Richie Havens  to join her onstage to sing Dino Valenti’s “Let’s Get Together
  • Jefferson Airplane’s Jack Casady played bass guitar with Country Joe & the Fish
  • it was the first rock festival to have separate ‘main’ stages several hundred yards apart (the Flower Stage and the Flying Stage).

There is also some additional information from Miami.com which includes several pictures

1968 Miami Pop Festival