Country Joe Woodstock

The night before, the little-known Melanie Safka had her famous impromptu performance.  On Saturday, the far better known Country Joe McDonald did the same and did it even more famously.

Country Joe and the Fish were not scheduled to play until Sunday, but like many musicians there, Country Joe was hanging out and amazed at the size of the crowd. The organizers asked him if he could play a solo set, but he said he had no guitar.

A guitar was found, but it had no strap.

A piece of rope (clothes line?) was found.

And so Joe stepped onto the stage and into history.

His 27 minute set was:

• Janis
• Donovan’s Reef
• Heartaches by the Number
• Ring of Fire
• Tennessee Stud
• Rockin’ Round the World
• Flying All the Way
• I Seen a Rocket
• Fish” Cheer > I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-To-Die Rag

If you’d like to follow along, here’s a link to Joe’s entire set. Chip Monck’s announcements at the beginning really give a true flavor of the concert.

Country Joe Woodstock

Janis

No surprise that Country Joe wrote this song for Janis Joplin. They were living together in 1967 and according to Joe, she was upset with him for breaking up with her to be with Robin Menken, whom he subsequently married, but asked him to write a song for her, and this was the song. [Songfacts]

The song was on the 1967 album, I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die

Into my life on waves of electrical sound
And flashing light she came,
Into my life with a twist of a dial
The wave of her hand–the warmth of her smile.

And even though I know that you and I
Could never find the kind of love we wanted together,
Alone I find myself missing you and I, you and I.

It’s not very often that something special happens
And you happen to be that something special for me.
And walking on grass where we rolled and laughed in the moonlight
I find myself thinking of you and I, you and I, you.

Into my eye comes visions of patterns
Designs the image of her I see.
Into my mind the smell of her hair,
The sound of her voice–we once were there.

And even though I know that you and I
Could never find the kind of love we wanted toghther,
Alone, I find myself missing

You and I,
You and I,
You.

Country Joe Woodstock

Donovan’s Reef

Written by Joe, the song is from the 1969 Fish album, Here We Go Again. 

Scorching the painted desert adrift off of Donovan’s reef
Tossing and spinning your pills alone brings such sweet relief
Open your mind and show me a sign to prove you’re insane
Open your arms and show me the scars reflecting your pain
Lovely lady, forgive me now
If words seem cruel
If words seem cruel
You’ve lost your soul
You’ve grown so cold
You’ve learned the rules
Obey the rules of their game:
Life’s just a game
Pig boat sails across the seven seas
Servants at home are down on their knees
The master’s praying and begging me, “Please
Look away.”
Diamonds shining through an emerald sky
Watch the phantom as he flies by
Trying to laugh but he knows he must die
Look away, look away, look away
Satan dances of death and doom our time has finally come
Lower imps of sin sing an orgy of our flesh begun
Excuse me, I can’t seem to recall exactly what’s happening here
Your mask in the past always seemed to me to be so sincere
She’s stolen you away
Taken your heart
Once it was mine
Ah once it was mine
You look so cool
But I’m no fool
You’ll pay for your crimes
By doing your time in their game
Life’s just a game
Life’s just a game
You know that life is just a game
Life’s just a game
Life’s only a game…

Country Joe Woodstock

Heartaches by the Number

After Bob Dylan had recorded the album Nashville Skyline, many other rock artists went there, too. Joe was one of them. He called his album, Tonight I’m Singing Just For You and released it in 1970.  Harlan Howard wrote this song.

Quill Woodstock

Woodstock day 1 had ended with Joan Baez around 2 AM. People continued to arrived on the field and in the area. Traffic closed surrounding roads.

August 16 had dawned damp and misty, but by midday the sun shone and the crowd awaited. Little did they know that when Quill began around noon that it would be nearly 22 hours later when “Saturday’s” performances ended.

Quill is not on the Monument along with Keef Hartley and Tim Hardin. Quill is not in the movie nor on the original album, but once again due to the incredible and indefatigable Andy Zax, Rhino’s 50th anniversary release has all, including Quill.

Quill was:

Dan Cole (vocals), Jon Cole (bass vocals), Norman Rogers (guitar, vocals), Phil Thayer (keyboard, saxophone, flute),  and Roger North (drums)

Their approximately 35-minute 4-song set was:

• They Live the Life
• That’s How I Eat
• Driftin’
• Waitin’ For You

Quill Woodstock

They Live the Life

The band had not yet released an album. That would not happen (and happened only once) until 1970. They Live the Life was the only song from their Woodstock set that appeared on that self-produced album. It is a heavily percussive tune. No lyrics available.

That’s How I Eat

That’s How I Eat is a bluesy rock tune. No lyrics available.

Apology Interruption I

We are all different parts of the same revolution. Hugh Romney.

While Woodstock is accurately known for its peace, love, and understanding, that does not mean that there were none who stretched the limits of counter-cultural patience. Hugh Romney (only later known as Wavy Gravy) suggests to the crowd that if someone is looking for a fight, just go up to them and kiss them or lick them.

And John Morris informs the crowd that the Motherfuckers, a group from NYC, has set up a food distribution site nearby.

Quill Woodstock

Driftin’

Like That’s How I Eat, Driftin’ is a bluesy tune with Phil Thayer’s saxophone prominent, but a long Roger North drum solo in the middle of the 8-minute song. No lyrics available.

Apology Interruption II

A second interruption in the brief set is an announcement regarding food by someone from the Hog Farm. They tell everyone that there is “tons of food” (all veggies) available at the Hog Farm site.

A louder and an angry John Morris tells those hassling the food merchants at the top of the hill

Quill Woodstock

Waiting for You

“You better get high or we’re gonna’ give you a tongue bath.”

According to the woodstock.fandom site, “Waiting for You” is a song which incorporates the audience. Quill used to hand out various percussion instruments so everybody could join the music. This may have worked at smaller venues but failed at a 500,000 people crowd at Woodstock.

Their enthusiasm is clear nonetheless during their 12 minute closer.

Quill Woodstock

The next act was Joe McDonald.

  Joan Baez Woodstock

Other than Ravi Shankar, no other Woodstock performer had released an album sooner than Joan Baez, 29 years younger than Shankar. Hers in 1960 when she was 19. And likely, no other Woodstock performer was more of an activist than Joan.

Accompanying her was Richard “Fondle” Festinger (guitar) and Jeffrey Shurtleff (vocals, guitar)

Her setlist:

• Oh Happy Day
• The Last Thing On My Mind
• I Shall Be Released
• Story about how the Federal Marshals came to take David Harris into custody  
• Joe Hill
• Sweet Sir Galahad
• Hickory Wind
• Drug Store Truck Driving Man
• I Live One Day at a Time
• Take Me Back to the Sweet Sunny South
• Let Me Wrap You in My Warm and Tender Love
• Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
• We Shall Overcome

Before Joan performed, MC John Morris explains to the crowd that while all has been going reasonably well, that they should try to be safe. To stay off the roads as they are the only way to get supplies in and out.

“This isn’t the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, it’s your Fair.”

Her set began around 1 AM and lasted about 55 minutes.

Joan Baez Woodstock

Oh Happy Day

Joan Baez readily admits that she rarely writes her own material. For her fans, that’s just fine as the songs she selects to cover and the voice she has more than make up for any lack of composing.

It would be the second time that the crowd heard “Oh Happy Day,” a 1967 gospel music arrangement of an 18th-century hymn by clergyman Philip Doddridge.  The Edwin Hawkins Singers had released their single in 1969 and it became an international hit in 1969.

The other Woodstock version had been Sweetwater’s much more energetic cover.

Joan explains that they learned One Day… from a tape of a group Styx River Ferry and that it’s “kind of a theme song for resistance.” Sticking with the country influence, Willie Nelson wrote this song and had included it on his 1965 Country Willie His Own Songs album.