Professor Mikey’s OLD SCHOOL

OLD SCHOOL 52: Working Stiffs

Welcome to a special holiday edition of Old School.All holidays need mixtapes. Especially if they include get togethers, outdoor barbecues, or just some meditation time on how good it feels not to be at work.Where this is going. You don’t have to be observing Labor Day to listen to a set of songs all about working.  In fact I assembled much of this for a union rally to draw attention to an important strike. So in addition to work songs, you might hear some money songs.These labor intensive tunes all came about after 1894 when Labor Day became a federal holiday. These songs drip with strength, prosperity, and well-being. The eight-hour workday didn’t become the modern labor standard by accident. Back when the government first tracked workers’ hours in 1890, they found that full-time manufacturing employees worked a backbreaking 100 hours each week.Years of pressure from laborer organizers finally paid off. Back in 1835, the Philadelphia carpenters were the first to lay  down their hammers and demand an 8 hour work day. A mere 31 year later On August 20, 1866, it became a reality.Here a sampling of songs that really work. Some call out specific jobs, some are about overtime, some are about evil bosses, office romances, and stupid work schedules. All these songs and no one has ever written one about the annual performance reviewKick back. Work another day. Enjoy the fruits of the laborers who came before you. Professor Mikey need to grab a paper plate and let the music do the talking while I get a burger and turn up the speaker.. Have a fabulous holiday, get a good job, win the lottery. Anything is possible as long as you work at it. Work work work.This is Old School #52 and it is dedicated to the Working Stiffs… This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit professormikey.substack.com/subscribe

Old School Single: FÜR ELISE & MOONLIGHT SONATA Vanilla Fudge (1968)

Vanilla Fudge formed in New York in 1966 and forged their own unique blend of metal, psychedelia, and self-importance.  They broke away from their mold of doing Beatles and Supremes covers in 1968 for their second LP, a concept album produced by Shadow Morton called The Beat Goes On, wherein they offered up a psychedelic stew that featured everything from the philosophy of Sonny Bono to the voice of Winston Churchill.  The point was that time, and music, keep marching on. In addition to works by Mozart, Stephen Foster, Lieber and Stoller, and Lennon and McCartney, there is a heavy but strange homage to Ludwig van Beethoven, two of his solo piano works, Für Elise and Moonlight Sonata, and imagined through the blasting Hammond B3 of Mark Stein.  The Vanilla Fudge do Beethoven on Old SchoolAccording to various tentacles of modern electronic sources, The story behind Beethoven’s Für Elise is not very clear. Ludwig never published the piece during his lifetime and the original manuscript was lost. However, there are some theories and speculations about who Elise was and why Beethoven wrote this piece for her:One of the most popular theories is that Elise was actually Therese Malfatti, a woman who rejected a Beethoven moonlight proposal in 1810. Therese was a skilled pianist and a student of Beethoven’s bestie and Mozart’s perpetual pickle, Anton Salieri. Beethoven might have written it as a gift but the title was misread by Ludwig Nohl, who discovered and published the piece in 1867.Another theory is that Elise was Elisabeth Röckel, an opera singer and a close friend of the composer. She performed in several operas that Beethoven admired, including Mozart’s The Magic Flute. She was also the sister of Johann Nepomuk Hummel, a Beethoven rival.* And behind Door #3 is Elise Barensfeld, a 13-year-old that Beethoven met in 1810 in the spa town of Teplitz. She asked him to write something for her, and according to a letter she sent to her brother in 1865, Ludwig the Magnicent composed the piece on a napkin for her.There was no rock music for Beethoven, but there was candy, which begs his opinion about vanilla and fudge. For instance Beethoven craved Kaesespaetzle, a dish of cheesey noodles topped with crispy onions, which could translate to a preference for cheese-based candies, such as cheesecake bites or cheese fudge.Beethoven’s favorite dishes were Turkish, Hungarian, German, and Bohemian. One might find traces of Turkish delight, paprika candy, or gingerbread scattered across the midnight keyboard.Now what about the super once-in-a-Blue Moonlight Sonata?A front runner among theories is that Beethoven wrote this for his pupil Countess Julie “Giulietta” Guicciardi, who also received one of those Beethoven proposals in 1801, one that was rejected by her family. Obviously , her father worried that she was being courted by a drummer.The piece was dedicated to her in 1802. The title “Sonata quasi una fantasia” (“sonata almost a fantasy”) suggests that Beethoven was all unfulfilled love and longing. Still another theory is that Beethoven wrote the piece for friend, patron, student, and wannabe groupie Baroness Josephine von Brunsvik. Beethoven had a secret affair with her in 1804-1805 while she was married to another man and a mother of four. Beethoven filled her inbox with long letters.Most likely is Beethoven was more worried about his health over his love life. In his early 30s he had his first hearing loss, which brought on depression. He also had money problems and was fighting a legal battle over custody of his nephew Karl. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit professormikey.substack.com/subscribe

Old School Singles REALLY GONNA SHAKE Sandra Barry & the Boys (1964)

Sandra Barry was a British pop star who went through many incarnations.  As Sandra Alfred she appeared on TV in the 50s on Dave King’s show.  Next came the “St Trininans” film comedies, and a change of names to Mandy Mason.  In 1964 she became Sandra Barry, a name she would stick with, recording with a band called The Boys whose members would later regroup and become The Action.  From there she joined the Jet Blacks, which featured bassist John Paul Jones, disappeared for awhile, then returned in 1973 as Alice Spring singing for Slack Alice.  Don’t try to find her in the phone book, just enjoy this ditty from swinging London, 1964.  Sandra Barry and the Boys and “Really Gonna Shake…”Sandra Barry (née Alfred) was an English actress, singer, and record producer. She debuted as an actress in the film “The Belles of St Trinian’s” in 1954. She later performed and recorded under the stage names Sandra Alfred, Mandy Mason, Sandra Barry, and Alice Spring.As Sandra Barry, she released the single “Really Gonna Shake” in 1964, backed by guitar band The Boys (who would later go on to become cult mod band The Action)REALLY GONNA SHAKE Sandra Barry & The Boys THE BOYS: Ain't seen ya baby for a whole darn week So come on, little darlin' Lift up your feet, let's shake SANDRA: No, no, I don't wanna shake THE BOYS: C'mon and shake SANDRA: Ah, no, I don't wanna shake THE BOYS: Don't mess with her they say 'Cause we're really gonna do the shake SANDRA: When we're together, boy we're really made But ev'ry time we dance you only wanna shake THE BOYS: C'mon shake SANDRA: Ah, no, I don't wanna shake THE BOYS: C'mon shake SANDRA: No, no, I don't wanna shake SANDRA: Don't matter what the music is You only want to do the shake SANDRA: Well, you shake it through the night Right to the early mornin' Listen to me, I'm a-given you a warnin' If I'm gonna shake the whole night through I don't wanna shake it with youTHE BOYS: Ain't seen ya baby for a whole darn week So come on, little darlin' Lift up your feet, let's shake SANDRA: No, no, I don't wanna shake THE BOYS: C'mon and shake SANDRA: Ah, no, I don't wanna shake THE BOYS: Don't mess with her they say 'Cause we're really gonna do the shake SANDRA: Oh, alright, I'll shake it then! Let's it shake it through the night Right to the early mornin' Listen to me, I'm a-given you a warnin' If I'm gonna shake the whole night through Well, I wanna shake it with you SANDRA: I ain't gonna sit by the phone anymore I'm gonna get right up I'm gonna step on that floor and shake THE BOYS: Shake, shake it, shake it, shake SANDRA: Yeah, I'm gonna shake THE BOYS: Shake, Shake it, shake it, shake SANDRA: My knees are twistin' Now we're really gonna do the shake Ah Yeah! My knees are twistin' Now we're really gonna do the shake Okay Boys! My knees are twistin' ALL: Now we're really gonna do the shake (Transcribed by Mel Priddle - July 2006) (Contributed by EUROPEAN OLDIES) This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit professormikey.substack.com/subscribe

Old School Single: BEEP BEEP The Playmates (1958)

Novelty records served a special niche in 1950s pop music.  They reminded us not to take the world too seriously, and that clever lyrics in stupid songs could sell zillions of copies then be forgotten forever.  Eisenhower was in the White House, Elvis was in the Army, it was time to play.  Take the case of The Nitwits from Waterbury, Connecticutt.  They changed their name to the Playmates, signed with Roulette records in 1958, then rose to the number 4 position on the Billboard Top 100 with a song about fast cars and the funny sounds their horns make.  Here’s the song, written by Carl Cachetti and Donald Claps of the Playmates, from December 1958, Beep Beep…[Very slowly]Beep beep beep beepHis horn went beep beep beepWhile riding in my CadillacWhat to my surpriseA little Nash Rambler was following meAbout one third my sizeThe guy musta wanted to pass me upAs he kept on tooting his hornI'll show him that a Cadillac is not a car to scornBeep beep beep beepHis horn went beep beep beep[Slowly]I pushed my foot down to the floorTo give the guy the shakeBut the little Nash Rambler stayed right behindHe still had on his brakeHe musta thought his car had more gutsAs he kept on tooting his horn (beep beep)I'll show him that a Cadillac is not a car to scornBeep beep beep beepHis horn went beep beep beep[Normal speed]My car went into passing gearAnd we took off with gust (whoosh)Soon we were going ninetyMusta left him in the dustWhen I peeked in the mirror of my carI couldn't believe my eyesThe little Nash Rambler was right behindYou'd think that guy could flyBeep beep beep beepHis horn went beep beep beep[Quickly]Now we were doing a hundred and tenThis certainly was a raceFor a Rambler to pass a CaddyWould be a big disgraceThe guy musta wanted to pass me upAs he kept on tooting his horn (beep beep)I'll show him that a Cadillac is not a car to scornBeep beep beep beepHis horn went beep beep beep[Very quickly]Now we're going a hundred twentyAs fast as I can goThe Rambler pulled along side of meAs if we were going slowThe fella rolled down his windowAnd yelled for me to hear"Hey buddy how do I get this car outta second gear?" This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit professormikey.substack.com/subscribe

OLD SCHOOL #51 Summer’s Almost Gone

Is there any more depressing time of year than end of summer? I know I shouldn’t throw a loaded word like depression around. I’m not that kind of doctor. In fact I’m not a doctor at all, I profess. Hence the professor. And I am, most completely, a summer nut. I love hot weather, I love swimming pools, I love staying up all night watching movies and listening to rock and roll and sleeping until the pools open.But the end of summer is so long and drawn out. As soon as the 4th of July is over, they start dragging out the school supplies. Is there any more phrase that drops like a thud as does the refrain “back to school.” No. It means so much. New stiff jeans, the search for the perfect backpack, the mental stress of getting ready for 9 months of classes beginning at 7:30. It does a number on you.There are a ton of songs about how wonderful summer is, but only a modest handful about the curtain coming down on the hottest season of all. They are mostly sad as , but also oddly comforting. There’s a promise in most of them that summer will come again, we will be back to baseball and cookouts and 90 day romances soon enough.That’s the subject of this one. It’s a mood piece, right around commuter length for most people. Put it on and think about all your favorite summers. Chances are a few of these will take you right back to so July you wished would never end. Here is a little collection to stuff into that last pool bag of the summer. Summertime blues laments of several genres that all hit around late August or early September from better times—the late 40s into the early nineties. Almost 50 years  of saying goodbye to a handful of retrofit summers. This is Old School #51. Summer’s almost gone. Almost.Summer’s Almost Gone THE DOORS (1968)The Boys of Summer DON HENLEY (1984)See You in September THE CHIFFONS (1963)Summertime is Past and Gone BILL MONROE & HIS BLUEGRASS BOYS (1947)Theme from “The Endless Summer” THE SANDALS (1966)A Summer Song CHAD AND JEREMY (1964)Strangers on the Shore ACKER BILK (1961)Summer Wind FRANK SINATRA (1965)The Shadow of Your Smile (Theme from “The Sandpiper”) TONY BENNETT (1965)Never Dreamed You’d Leave in Summer STEVIE WONDER (1971)Summer Rain JOHNNY RIVERS (1968)Caroline, No BRIAN WILSON, THE BEACH BOYS (1966)I hope you have enjoyed these wistful songs that say goodbye to the summer. Remember you can hear Old School on Spotify, Apple, and wherever you get your podcasts. Just recently we have been able to hold class on YouTube where you can find us at Professor Mikey’s Old School. If you haven’t subscribe there please consider. I know subscribe is a scary word, but it’s free, and it’s just a way to vote for what you like to listen to. It’s not a school board, or a PTA, or even a bake sale. But it is a way to keep the classes rocking in the Old School so thanks so much. Professor Mikey’s Old School is produced for educational purposes. The music we heard resides in the public domain, or was used within the guidelines of fair use provided for in Section 107 of the copyright act of 1976, or is covered legally within agreements between podcast providers and copyright owners. Before we go I’d like to thank FeedSpot.com for naming Old School #6 on the Top 20 Best Memorabilia Podcasts worth listening to in 2023. Thats very cool, thanks so much! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit professormikey.substack.com/subscribe

OLD SCHOOL SINGLE The Werewolf MICHAEL HURLEY (1971)

Pennsylvania born Michael Hurley migrated to the Greenwich Village folk scene of the 60s where he found himself writing songs for, performing with, but never becoming an official member of the Holy Modal Rounders.  Hurley has preferred his solo career over the years. He sings, plays guitar, paints his album covers, and remains comfortable beyond the fringe of popular music.  From 1971’s “Armchair Boogie,” here’s Michael Hurley with “The Werewolf.”Oh the Werewolf, Oh the werewolfComes a-stepping alongHe don't even break the branchesWhere he's been goneYou can hear his long hollerFrom way across the moorThat's the holler of a werewolfWhen he's feeling poorHe goes out in the evening whenThe bats are on the wingAnd he's killed some young maiden before the birds singFor the werewolf, For the werewolfHave sympathy cause the werewolfHe's somebody like you or meOnce I saw him in the moonlightWhen the bats were flyingAll alone I saw the werewolfAnd the werewolf was cryingCrying "Nobody, nobodyNobody knowsHow much I love the maiden as I tear off her clothesCrying nobody, nobodyKnows my painWhen I see that it's risen, that full moon again"When I see that moon movingThrough the clouds in the skyI get a crazy feeling and I wonder whyOh the werewolf, oh the werewolfComes traveling alongHe don't even break the branchesWhere he's been goneFor the werewolf have pity, not fear, and not hateBecause the werewolf might be someoneThat you've known of lateOh the werewolf, oh the werewolfComes traveling alongHe don't even crush the leavesWhere he's been gone This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit professormikey.substack.com/subscribe

OLD SCHOOL SINGLE Lost Women THE YARDBIRDS (1966)

Blues rock, psychedelic power chords, a deep appreciation of Indian music, those are some of the things the second guitar legend to join the Yardbirds brought to the group.  With Eric Clapton gone, Jeff Beck was free to pull the band into new sonic territories, blasting through anything that might have been linked to a comfort zone. Here’s a song from 1966 that sounds like it could have been recorded in the last couple of years, because there is a very familiar lick that got borrowed by the band Jet.  From the 1966 release Roger the Engineer, the Yardbirds and “Lost Woman”.🦹🏻‍♀️Don't know where to run toDon't know where to hideSee my future comingLike the rising of the tideBut I lost youLost you womanThe only womanWoman who was my kindMade me lose my moneyYou made me lose my mindIt's people like you, babyDon't you rule mankindBut I lost youLost you womanThe only womanWoman who was my kindBut if you come backI won't be the sameWhat you did to meYou can hardly call humaneBut I lost youBut I still love youThe only womanWoman who was my kindSource: MusixmatchSongwriters: Jim Mccarty / Jeff Beck / Keith Relf / Chris Dreja / Paul Samwell-smithEXTRA “Lost Women of Enlightenment Science” This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit professormikey.substack.com/subscribe

OLD SCHOOL #50YT: Woodstock Stream (A Hippie Dream)

Thanks for your patience! This is an edit of the original you received yesterday. Only in America can a huge corporation raise a copyright issue regarding the national anthem. But it is time for peace, love and remembrance. It’s the exact same show except for a little difference toward the end.Peace and love, enjoy your Woodstock weekend! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit professormikey.substack.com/subscribe

OLD SCHOOL #50 Woodstock Stream (A Hippie Dream)

It appears that we have arrived. I set the controls for the Magic Old School Bus to set us down at the front of the traffic for this trip back to Woodstock so we can have a good spot for me to hang the microphone out the window. Woodstock was a once in many lifetimes phenomenon that has yet to be equalled. Nobody could plan what it ultimately became, or sketch out the results ahead of time. “Young Men with Unlimited Capitol Looking for Interesting, Legitimate Investment Opportunities.” — Classified ads in the Wall Street Journal and New York Times, March 1968The results were too big for one movie even if it was the director’s cut, too big for a boxed set, to big for over a half century of recollections. Too big for a cow pasture in upstate New York, the one we know as Yasgur’s farm.Less than a month after one generation had taken us to the moon, the next would bring us down to earth.Woodstock did a lot of things wrong. There wasn’t enough food or sanitation. There was no shelter, so the crowd got soaked It was set up in the beginning as a commercial venture, to film some of the best music acts of the day, and hope to recoup the losses in the movie houses. So much had gone wrong 24 hours into the event, the promoters were sure they had lost millions, yet they were giggling along with everyone else.This of course was because an astounding number of people had showed up. There had been other rock festivals. But at Bethel ground zero, the sheer number of people flooded the system, shut down the highway, and created a temporary hippie city out in the middle of nowhere. A city whose purpose existed solely to hear live music, expand one’s consciousness, and perhaps get close to the hundreds of thousands of soulmates who happened to be milling around.At the time some of the acts were huge, but many were new and starting out. All of them, regardless of success, were considered the underground music of the time. Stars included The Who and Janis Joplin. Crosby Stills and Nash had just added Neil Young, Woodstock was their second live performance. Santana was a new band. The Jefferson Airplane and Creedence Clearwater Revival had put songs in the Top 10, but Sweetwater and Bert Sommer were virtual unknowns. Blood Sweat and Tears represented one end of the musical food chain, The Incredible String Band the other.In this time of streaming and podcast dreaming, I was thinking it would be cool to make an 8 hour loop for sleepers. The music is definitely loopy at times, but at three o’clock in the morning when Sly Stone took the stage, nobody was sleeping.Theground rules are minimum. This is mostly a music memory mediation meditation . I want to walk around and pick up some crowd sounds, like NPR does when they interview somebody somewhere that they wash dishes. The bands you hear will be in the order they appeared. So we start on Friday Aug 15, and pack up Monday the 18th around noon when the closer finally gets on. I’ll let you know where we are in time every now and then, but you’ll have Shazam and Chip Monck for that. Although there is a fun conversation with the late Joe Cocker on what it looked like from his tie dyed vantage point.So as they said after the big thunderstorm during Santana on Saturday afternoon, let’s dive in. We are about to get ourselves back to rock history’s most celebrated secret garden. Keep it chill and mellow. There are 60 pay phones here, and 400,000 people. We are stardust, we are golden. And Richie Havens is taking the stage. Let us now submerge into a podcast we like to call WOODSTOCK STREAM (A HIPPIE DREAM).Straight from Wikipedia, here is a complete list of artists and their set lists. All times Eastern.Friday, August 15 to Saturday, August 16The first day officially began at 5:07 p.m. with Richie Havens and featured folk artists.Richie HavensRichie Havens, seated onstage, singing and playing an acoustic guitarRichie Havens – guitar, vocalsPaul "Deano" Williams – guitar, vocalsDaniel Ben Zebulon – congas5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m."From the Prison""Get Together""From the Prison" (reprise)"I'm a Stranger Here""High Flying Bird""I Can't Make It Anymore""With a Little Help from My Friends" (Beatles cover)"Handsome Johnny""Strawberry Fields Forever / Hey Jude" (Beatles covers)"Freedom (Motherless Child)" (improvised lyrics[5])Swami Satchidananda6:00 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.Swami Satchidananda gave the invocation for the festival.[6]SweetwaterNansi Nevins – vocals, guitarFred Herrera – bass, vocalsAlex Del Zoppo – keyboards, vocalsAlbert Moore – flute, vocalsR.G. Carlyle – guitar, bongos, vocalsElpidio "Pete" Cobian – congasAlan Malarowitz – drumsAugust Burns – cello6:15 p.m. – 7:00 p.m."Motherless Child""Look Out""For Pete's Sake""Day Song""What's Wrong""My Crystal Spider""Two Worlds""Why Oh Why""Let the Sunshine In""Oh Happy Day"Bert SommerBert Sommer – guitar, vocalsIra Stone – guitar, keyboards, harmonicaCharlie Bilello – bass7:15 p.m. – 7:45 p.m."Jennifer""The Road to Travel""I Wondered Where You'd Be""She's Gone""Things Are Goin' My Way""And When It's Over""Jeanette""America""A Note That Read""Smile"Tim HardinTim Hardin – vocals, guitarRichard Bock – celloRalph Towner – guitar, pianoGilles Malkine – guitarGlen Moore – bassMuruga Booker – drums8:30 p.m. – 9:15 p.m. (time disputed)"How Can We Hang On to a Dream?""Once-Touched by Flame""If I Were a Carpenter""Reason to Believe""You Upset the Grace of Living When You Lie""Speak Like a Child""Snow White Lady""Blues on My Ceiling""Simple Song of Freedom""Misty Roses"Ravi ShankarRavi Shankar – sitarAlla Rakha – tablaMaya Kulkarni – tambura12:00 a.m. – 12:45 a.m. (His performance totaled over 42 minutes, partially during a rainstorm)"Raga Puriya-Dhanashri/Gat In Sawarital""Tabla Solo In Jhaptal""Raga Manj Kmahaj (AIap, Jor, Dhun In Kaharwa Tal)"MelanieMelanie Safka – guitar, vocals1:00 a.m. – 1:30 a.m."Close to It All""Momma Momma""Beautiful People""Animal Crackers""Mr. Tambourine Man""Tuning My Guitar""Birthday of the Sun"Arlo GuthrieArlo Guthrie – vocals, guitarJohn Pilla – guitarBob Arkin – bassPaul Motian – drums1:45 a.m. – 2:15 a.m."Coming into Los Angeles""Wheel of Fortune""Walkin' Down the Line"The Story of Moses"Oh Mary Don't You Weep""Every Hand in the Land""Amazing Grace"Joan BaezJoan Baez – vocals, guitarJeffrey Shurtleff – guitar, vocalsRichard Festinger – guitar3:00 a.m. – 3:45 a.m. [8][nb 1]"Oh Happy Day""The Last Thing on My Mind""I Shall Be Released""Joe Hill""Sweet Sir Galahad""Hickory Wind""Drug Store Truck Driving Man" (duet with Jeffrey Shurtleff)"One Day at a Time""Take Me Back to the Sweet Sunny South""Warm and Tender Love""Swing Low, Sweet Chariot""We Shall Overcome"Saturday, August 16 to Sunday, August 17The day opened at 12:15 p.m. and featured some of the event's psychedelic and guitar rock headliners.QuillDan Cole – vocalsJon Cole – bass, vocalsNorman Rogers – guitar, vocalsPhil Thayer – keyboards, saxophone, fluteRoger North – drums12:15 p.m. – 1:00 p.m."They Live the Life""That's How I Eat""Driftin'""Waiting for You"Country Joe McDonaldCountry Joe McDonald – guitar, vocals1:20 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. (unscheduled performance;[9] day/time disputed[10])"Janis""Donovan's Reef""Heartaches by the Number""Ring of Fire""Tennessee Stud""Rockin' Round the World""Flyin' High""I Seen a Rocket""The "Fish" Cheer/I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag""I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag (Reprise)"SantanaCarlos Santana – guitarGregg Rolie – vocals, keyboardsDavid Brown – bassMichael Shrieve – drumsMichael Carabello – timbales, congas, percussionJosé Areas – trumpet, timbales, congas, percussion2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m."Waiting""Evil Ways""You Just Don't Care""Savor""Jingo""Persuasion""Soul Sacrifice""Fried Neckbones and Some Home Fries"John SebastianJohn Sebastian – guitar, vocals3:30 p.m. – 3:55 p.m. "How Have You Been""Rainbows All Over Your Blues""I Had a Dream""Darling Be Home Soon""Younger Generation"Keef Hartley BandKeef Hartley – drumsMiller Anderson – guitar, vocalsGary Thain – bassJimmy Jewell – saxophoneHenry Lowther – trumpet, violin4:45 p.m. – 5:30 p.m."Spanish Fly""She's Gone""Too Much Thinking""Believe in You""Halfbreed Medley: Sinnin' for You / Leaving Trunk / Just to Cry / Sinnin' for You"The Incredible String BandMike Heron – vocals, guitar, piano, various instrumentsRobin Williamson – vocals, guitar, piano, violinLicorice McKechnie – organ, vocalsRose Simpson – bass, recorder, vocals, percussion6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m."Invocation""The Letter""Gather 'Round""This Moment""Come with Me""When You Find Out Who You Are"Canned HeatAlan "Blind Owl" Wilson – guitar, harmonica, vocalsBob "The Bear" Hite – vocals, harmonicaHarvey Mandel – guitarLarry Taylor – bassAdolfo "Fito" de la Parra – drums7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m."I'm Her Man""Going Up the Country""A Change Is Gonna Come / Leaving This Town""Rollin' Blues""Woodstock Boogie""On the Road Again"MountainLeslie West – guitar, vocalsFelix Pappalardi – bass, vocalsSteve Knight – keyboardsN.D. Smart – drums9:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m."Blood of the Sun""Stormy Monday""Theme for an Imaginary Western""Long Red""For Yasgur's Farm" (song was untitled at the time)"Beside the Sea""Waiting to Take You Away""Dreams of Milk and Honey / Guitar Solo""Southbound Train"Grateful DeadJerry Garcia – guitar, vocalsBob Weir – guitar, vocalsRon "Pigpen" McKernan – keyboards, harmonica, percussion, vocalsTom Constanten – keyboardsPhil Lesh – bass, vocalsBill Kreutzmann – drumsMickey Hart – drums10:30 p.m. – 12:05 a.m."St. Stephen""Mama Tried""Dark Star""High Time""Turn On Your Love Light"Creedence Clearwater RevivalJohn Fogerty – vocals, guitar, harmonica, pianoTom Fogerty – guitar, vocalsStu Cook – bassDoug Clifford – drums12:30 a.m. – 1:20 a.m."Born on the Bayou""Green River""Ninety-Nine and a Half (Won't Do)""Bootleg""Commotion""Bad Moon Rising""Proud Mary""I Put a Spell on You""Night Time Is the Right Time""Keep on Chooglin'""Susie Q"Janis Joplin and the Kozmic Blues BandJanis Joplin – vocalsTerry Clements – tenor saxophoneCornelius "Snooky" Flowers – baritone saxophone, vocalsLuis Gasca – trumpetJohn Till – guitarRichard Kermode – keyboardsBrad Campbell – bassMaury Baker – drums2:00 a.m. – 3:00 a.m.[11]"Raise Your Hand""As Good as You've Been to This World""To Love Somebody""Summertime""Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)""Kozmic Blues""I Can't Turn You Loose""Work Me, Lord""Piece of My Heart""Ball and Chain"Sly & the Family StoneSly Stone – keyboards, vocalsFreddie Stone – guitar, vocalsJerry Martini – saxophoneCynthia Robinson – trumpetRose Stone – keyboards, vocalsLarry Graham – bass, vocalsGregg Errico – drums3:30 a.m. – 4:20 a.m."M'Lady""Sing a Simple Song""You Can Make It If You Try""Everyday People" (Only No. 1 hit at Woodstock)"Dance to the Music""Music Lover""I Want to Take You Higher""Love City""Stand!"The WhoRoger Daltrey – vocalsPete Townshend – guitar, vocalsJohn Entwistle – bass, vocalsRKeith Moon – drums5:00 a.m. – 6:05 a.m.; set included most of Tommy"Heaven and ""I Can't Explain""It's a Boy""1921""Amazing Journey""Sparks""Eyesight to the Blind (The Hawker)""Christmas""The Acid Queen""Pinball Wizard" (followed by Abbie Hoffman incident)"Do You Think It's Alright?""Fiddle About""There's a Doctor""Go to the Mirror!""Smash the Mirror""I'm Free""Tommy's Holiday Camp""We're Not Gonna Take It""See Me, Feel Me""Summertime Blues""Shakin' All Over""My Generation" (shortened version)"Naked Eye" (instrumental finale only)Jefferson AirplaneGrace Slick – vocalsMarty Balin – vocals, percussionPaul Kantner – guitar, vocalsJorma Kaukonen – guitar, vocalsJack Casady – bassSpencer Dryden – drumsNicky Hopkins – piano8:00 a.m. – 9:40 a.m."The Other Side of This Life""Somebody to Love""3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds""Won't You Try/Saturday Afternoon""Eskimo Blue Day""Plastic Fantastic Lover""Wooden Ships""Uncle Sam Blues""Volunteers""The Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil""Come Back Baby""White Rabbit""The House at Pooneil Corners"Sunday, August 17 to Monday, August 18Joe Cocker and the Grease BandJoe Cocker – vocalsChris Stainton – keyboardsHenry McCullough – guitar, vocalsAlan Spenner – bass, vocalsBruce Rowland – drums2:00 p.m. – 3:25 p.m."Rockhouse" (without Joe Cocker)"Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring" (instrumental)"Dear Landlord""Something's Coming On"[4]"Do I Still Figure in Your Life?""Feelin' Alright""Just Like a Woman""Let's Go Get Stoned""I Don't Need No Doctor"[4]"I Shall Be Released""Hitchcock Railway""Something to Say""With a Little Help from My Friends" (Beatles cover)After Cocker's set, a thunderstorm disrupted the events for a few hours.Country Joe and the FishCountry Joe McDonald – vocals, guitarBarry "The Fish" Melton – guitar, vocalsMark Kapner – keyboardsDoug Metzner – bassGreg Dewey – drums6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m."Rock & Soul Music""Love""Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine""Sing, Sing, Sing""Summer Dresses""Friend, Lover, Woman, Wife""Silver and Gold""Maria""The Love Machine""Ever Since You Told Me That You Love Me (I'm a Nut)""Crystal Blues""Rock & Soul Music (Reprise)""The "Fish" Cheer/I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag"Ten Years AfterEditAlvin Lee – guitar, vocalsChick Churchill – keyboardsLeo Lyons – bassRic Lee – drums8:15 p.m. – 9:15 p.m."Spoonful""Good Morning, Little Schoolgirl" (with two false starts)"Hobbit""I Can't Keep from Crying Sometimes""Help Me""I'm Going Home"The BandRobbie Robertson – guitar, vocalsRichard Manuel – piano, organ, vocalsGarth Hudson – organ, pianoRick Danko – bass, vocalsLevon Helm – drums, mandolin, vocals10:00 p.m. – 10:50 p.m."Chest Fever""Don't Do It""Tears of Rage""We Can Talk""Long Black Veil""Don't Ya Tell Henry""Ain't No More Cane""This Wheel's on Fire""I Shall Be Released""The Weight""Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever”Monday, August 18Johnny WinterJohnny Winter – guitar, vocalsTommy Shannon – bassUncle John Turner – drumsEdgar Winter – keyboards, saxophone, vocals12:00 a.m. – 1:05 a.m.;"Mama, Talk to Your Daughter""Leland Mississippi Blues""Mean Town Blues""You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now" / "Mean Mistreater""I Can't Stand It" (with Edgar Winter)"Tobacco Road" (with Edgar Winter)"Tell the Truth" (with Edgar Winter)"Johnny B. Goode"Blood, Sweat & TearsDavid Clayton-Thomas – vocals, guitarSteve Katz – guitar, harmonica, vocalsHalligan – keyboards, trombone, fluteJerry Hyman – tromboneFred Lipsius – alto sax, pianoLew Soloff – trumpet, flugelhornChuck Winfield – trumpet, flugelhornJim Fielder – bassBobby Colomby – drums1:30 a.m. – 2:30 a.m."More and More""Just One Smile""Somethin' Comin' On""I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know""Spinning Wheel""Sometimes in Winter""Smiling Phases""God Bless the Child""And When I Die""You've Made Me So Very Happy"Crosby, Stills, Nash & YoungDavid Crosby – guitar, vocalsStephen Stills – guitar, vocalsGraham Nash – guitar, vocalsNeil Young – guitar, keyboards, vocalsGreg Reeves – bassDallas Taylor – drums3:00 a.m. – 4:00 a.m., with separate acoustic and electric sets.Acoustic set"Suite: Judy Blue Eyes""Blackbird" (The Beatles cover)"Helplessly Hoping""Guinnevere""Marrakesh Express""4 + 20""Mr. Soul""Wonderin’"[14]"You Don't Have to Cry"Electric set"Pre-Road Downs""Long Time Gone""Bluebird Revisited""Sea of Madness""Wooden Ships"Acoustic encore"Find the Cost of Freedom"Electric encore"49 Bye-Byes"Paul Butterfield Blues BandPaul Butterfield – vocals, harmonicaBuzz Feiten – guitarRod Hicks – bassDavid Sanborn – alto saxophoneGene Dinwiddie – tenor saxophone, vocalsTrevor Lawrence – baritone saxophoneKeith Johnson – trumpetSteve Madaio – trumpetPhillip Wilson – drums6:00 a.m. – 6:45 a.m."Born Under a Bad Sign""No Amount of Loving""Driftin' and Driftin'""Morning Sunrise""All in a Day""Love March""Everything's Gonna Be All Right”Sha Na NaDonny York – vocalsRob Leonard – vocalsAlan Cooper – vocalsFrederick "Dennis" Greene – vocalsDave Garrett – vocalsRich Joffe – vocalsScott Powell – vocalsJoe Witkin – keyboardsHenry Gross – guitarElliot "Gino" Cahn – guitarBruce "Bruno" Clarke – bassJocko Marcellino – drums7:30 a.m. – 8:00 a.m."Get a Job""Come Go with Me""Silhouettes""Teen Angel""(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame""Wipe Out""Book of Love""Teenager in Love" (The sole song from the festival for which no recording has yet surfaced.)"Little Darlin'" (Only a recording of the last 44 seconds is currently known to exist.)"At the Hop""Duke of Earl""Get a Job (Reprise)"Jimi HendrixJimi Hendrix – guitar, vocalsLarry Lee – guitar, vocalsBilly Cox – bass, vocalsMitch Mitchell – drumsJuma Sultan – percussionGerardo Velez – congas9:00 a.m. – 11:10 a.m."Message to Love""Hear My Train A Comin'""Spanish Castle Magic""Red House" "Mastermind" "Lover Man""Foxy Lady""Jam Back at the House""Izabella""Gypsy Woman"/"Aware of Love" "Fire""Voodoo Child (Slight Return)"/"Stepping Stone""The Star-Spangled Banner""Purple Haze""Woodstock Improvisation" (title is posthumous)"Villanova Junction" (title is posthumous)"Hey Joe" (encore)Source materialsMuch of the incidental material in this podcast was gleaned from over 50 years of gathering sound bytes and other audio material. My conversation with Joe Cocker took place in early 2012 and is part of a larger discussion that includes his impression of the John Belushi impression and his retirement years in Colorado.Special thanks to the musicians and producers who participated in the following recordings:Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and more, various artists © 1970 and 2009 by Cotillion and Rhino RecordsWoodstock Two, various artists © 1970 and 2009 by Cotillion and Rhino RecordsWoodstock 40 Years On: Back to Yasgur’s Farm © 2009 by Rhino RecordsSantana: The Woodstock Experience © 2009 by Columbia/LegacyJefferson Airplane: The Woodstock Experience © 2009 by RCA/LegacyJohnny Winter: The Woodstock Experience © 2009 by Columbia/LegacySly and the Family Stone: The Woodstock Experience © 2009 by Epic/LegacyJanis Joplin: The Woodstock Experience © 2009 by Columbia/LegacyWoodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music, The Director’s Cut, © 2009 by Warner Brothers, Edition No 066331 of 140000 This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit professormikey.substack.com/subscribe

OLD SCHOOL #49: Lost in 1965

Professor Mikey here. For the next few minutes we are going to get lost in 1965. It’s quite easy to put together a playlist from 65, which incidentally was the second year of total Beatle global domination. Ask any wikitedious jukebox generator algorithm boss jock and they will tell you the only songs that mattered were:Satisfaction by the Stones. Yesterday, Help, and A Hard Days Nights from the Liverpudlians. Downtown by Petula Clark. You’ve Lost That Lovin Feeling from the Righteous Brother and their shaman of a Svengali Phil Spector. And some monumental soul. Stop in the Name of Love from the Supremes, I Can’t Help Myself Sugar Pie Honey Bunch from the Four Tops, My Girl from the Temptations. Oh and Like a Rolling Stone from Bob Dylan. A 7 minute song which top 40 radio played 50% of because there was no such thing as Underground.The Beatles had thrown a seismic monkey wrench into the works. If you weren’t a Beatle, one solution was to be a Beatle imitator but that only went so far. The other was to stick with your convictions and become the artist you started out to be.Which meant they probably got lost in 1965.But I love these songs that made no greatest hits lists. And I love that I may be playing them for someone who may be hearing them for the first time.  Or someone who listened to the radio 24/7 almost 60 years ago. We start with Don Covay, who invented a Steppenwolf classic three years before they were cubs. Then four babes from Queens who enjoyed eleven Top 100 hits from August of 64 to June of 66. Marge and Mary Ann Ganser and Betty and Mary Weiss. Before they took a ride on the back of the bike that belonged to the Leader of the Pack. Written by the powerhouse duo of Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry, authors of Da Do Ron Ron, Chapel of Love, and Be My Baby.This is Out in the Streets, a great place to be when you are lost in 1965.Then we find ourselves in the thick of it, and grab a bit of what is all around us. The Turtles before they were Happy Together. Country Charlie Rich conflicted about going rock and roll, so he goes novelty. The Sorrows wave the British Invasion flag. Lesley Gore’s first comeback. Tom Donahue’s Beau Brummels, the most limey sounding band ever from Haight Ashbury. Beloved Otis Redding. Crazy Roy Head with the kickoff song from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Moulty the one-handed drummer with the Barbarians. The Pretty Things about the time they became a Bowie song. And the future in a bottle. Doctor, it’s the Strangeloves, or how I learned to love the turntable. It’s too bad that years aren’t comets. Having 1965 come around every now and then would be way fun. But the music stays with us. In libraries, in sound closets, on digital playlists, and in the always breezy curriculum of Professor Mikey’s Old School. My office hours are weird but the Old School podcast is available on Apple, Spotify, and Substack. Many episodes are archived on youTube where you could and should subscribe anytime.It’s free because this podcast is produced for educational purposes. Many don’t even realize they are learning then boom, they have a new favorite song. Any and all music heard in this program resides within the public domain or is used within the guidelines of fair use provided for in Section 107 of the copyright act of 1976, or is provided by the podcast service you are tuned to. I’m Professor Mikey, stay safe, listen well, support music and I’ll be talking at you next time on Old School.RETROFIT and Professor Mikey’s OLD SCCHOOL is a reader-supported publication that celebrates a revolution in music whose impact has been embraced by younger generations. To receive new posts and support consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit professormikey.substack.com/subscribe