Posted on 08/13/2009 5:46:41 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
This weekend marks the fortieth anniversary of the much beloved and widely worshiped “counterculture festival of peace and love” -- Woodstock. According to popular belief, Woodstock was a generation-defining event that represented the best of the sixties spirit: half a million young people gathering for peaceful anti-war protest, easy sex, great rock music, mind-expanding psychedelics, and a rejection of lifeless commercialism. But is that what Woodstock really was?
This hallowed sixties legend, like that of so many “iconic” counter cultural events, has deeply and deliberately distorted the truth. In reality, Woodstock consisted of masses of people spending several days outdoors in rain-drenched conditions without proper facilities -- to the point that the vast majority of the crowd had departed before Jimi Hendrix’s famed closing performance, leaving behind a massive swath of garbage-strewn farmland. The prevalence of recreational drugs at Woodstock has become a point of humorous pride among the counterculture, but the deadly toll that the glorified drug culture exerted on that very generation is not so funny. One sixties icon after another -- Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Keith Moon and John Entwistle (the Who), Bob Hite (Canned Heat), to name just some of those at Woodstock -- died of drug overdoses.
Sifting through the realities and un-realities of Woodstock forty years later might seem trivial, but honoring and remembering Woodstock as a pivotal point in American history is foolish. The phrase “If you remember the Sixties, than you weren’t there,” has been repeated constantly throughout the past decades. But how can that be said about a decade that in actuality was one of the more conservative decades in recent history? The Sixties have come to be represented by hippies, rock music, and social revolution -- but at the time that counterculture existed largely outside the mainstream, conservative society.
Woodstock has become the number one example of this decade delusion. One puzzling question about Woodstock is how the organizers got so many big names to participate. This quiz may provide a clue: Which of the following Woodstock bands and singers had Billboard #1 singles during the 1960s?
1) Jimi Hendrix
2) The Who
3) The Grateful Dead
4) Carlos Santana
5) Jefferson Airplane
Actually, none of them did. Neither did Bob Dylan. By contrast, crooner Bobby Vinton had four #1 hits, and any list of the decade’s most popular performers would include decidedly non-rockin’ chart-toppers like Herb Alpert, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Petula Clark, Conway Twitty, Henry Mancini and Andy Williams. The albums “My Fair Lady,” “West Side Story,” and “Mary Poppins” out-sold the Rolling Stones’ biggest records, while big band leader Mitch Miller sold over 20 million.
The bottom line is this: Woodstock performers, and rock music in general, were not nearly as popular in the sixties as we’ve been led to believe. Rock music wasn’t the music of the sixties. And Woodstock certainly didn’t lie at the center of the decade. Contrary to popular belief, America in the sixties remained an overwhelmingly conservative country, where the counterculture’s tastes -- in politics, fashion, and even music – were in the minority.
A more important story of the time, of course, was the war in Vietnam. For, while the groovy hipsters were tripping at Woodstock, other Americans were fighting to defend the people of South Vietnam from Communist invaders. These Communist forces committed countless atrocities during the war and after their victory, including their attempt to “ethnically cleanse” the country of its Chinese minority, the forced migration of the “boat people,” and the torture and brainwashing of their political opponents in “re-education camps.” The Communist North Vietnamese Army also proved instrumental in the rise of Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge, ultimately resulting in the Cambodian genocide.
This is not how the 1960s is typically remembered, however. Ensconcing themselves in the media and in academia, counterculture activists have written their own version of history in which -- surprise, surprise -- the counterculture is glorified as daring, hip, freedom fighters, while Vietnam vets are portrayed as victimized dupes at best and as depraved murderers at worst.
The anniversary of Woodstock will undoubtedly engender a great deal of self-adulation by the remnants of the counterculture. It’s a good time, then, to re-evaluate their real legacy. To define the sixties by what supposedly happened at Woodstock -- or, even what actually did happen -- is to accept a false historical narrative, put forward by a small, radical clique that falsely portrays its own experiences as that of an entire generation.
Furthermore, despite its anti-commercial pretenses, the event was backed by Warner Brothers. Even its name was erroneous: the town of Woodstock is 45 miles away from the festival site.
-- Jonathan Leaf is the author of the recently published The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Sixties
Woodstock was a music festival.
Nothing more; nothing less.
Actually, I have a great chapter on rock and roll, and how it helped bring down the Iron Curtain, in my forthcoming book “Seven Events that Made America, America.” It was really fun to write, and allowed me to interview all sorts of 1960s/70s “Golden Age” rockers.
Woodstock was a filthy cesspool. Hundreds of thousands showed with no thought to how they would take care of themselves. They were children who had to be cared for by others in terms of food, shelter and medical care. It was a mess.
BTW, a few years ago David Dalton, a 60s radical and editor of the “Gadfly” magazine, wrote a scathing revision of Woodstock in which he said the press ignored “kids freaking out from megadoses of acid or almost audibly buzzing from battery-acid crank like flies trapped in a soda can” and the zombies crawling over a field littered with paper cups, plastic wrappers, and half-eaten food, gnawing on corn husks, slobbering over ketchup- and mustard-smeared half-eaten hot dog rolls sprinkled with ants . . . .”
Absolutely true. Leaf has done a great job of setting the record straight and reminding us that there was more going on in the 60s, MUCH MORE, than the counterculture clash of the hippies and Woodstock.
I graduated collge 40 years ago. I was too busy doing student teaching to go to woodstock, and my conservative parents would have shot me. It was simply a spot in time.I think the reason its mythologized is we need some myth to counter the reality of life.
As a Woodstock attendee, I agree with this article 100%.
Good article. We’ll subscribe to “Human Events” again if they offer Mr. Leaf’s book as a prize ;-).
....thanks for posting SeekAndFind....IMHO the most visable legacy of the so-called “Woodstock Nation” is to be found on college campuses...there, former campus radicals became tenured professors and indoctrinated a whole generation in leftist thought....it’s still going on today BTW.
I heard about it back then. I was sure glad I was not there. It was disgusting. Gowing up in Cocoa Beach we had a lot of fun being beach bums and surfers but we did not like the hippies.
SEE HERE : http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1969.htm
Top 100 Hits of 1969/Top 100 Songs of 1969 (The year of Woodstock)
1. Aquarius, Fifth Dimension
2. Sugar and Spice, Archies
3. I Can’t Get Next to You, Temptations
4. Honky Tonk Women, Rolling Stones
5. Build Me Up Buttercup, Foundations
6. Dizzy, Tommy Roe
7. Hot Fun In the Summertime, Sly and The Family Stone
8. (It Looks Like) I’ll Never Fall In Love Again, Tom Jones
9. Everyday People, Sly and The Family Stone
10. Get Together, Youngbloods
11. One, Three Dog Night
12. Crystal Blue Persuasion, Tommy James and The Shondells
13. Hair, Cowsills
14. Too Busy Thinking About My Baby, Marvin Gaye
15. Love Theme from “Romeo and Juliet”, Henry Mancini and His Orch.
16. Crimson and Clover, Tommy James and The Shondells
17. Grazing In the Grass, Friends Of Distinction
18. Suspicious Minds, Elvis Presley
19. Proud Mary, Creedence Clearwater Revival
20. What Does It Take (To Win Your Love), Jr. Walker and The All Stars
21. (At Your Best) You Are Love, Isley Brothers
22. Sweet Caroline, Neil Diamond
23. Jean, Oliver
24. Bad Moon Rising, Creedence Clearwater Revival
25. Get Back, The Beatles
26. In the Year 2525, Zager and Evans
27. Spinning Wheel, Blood, Sweat and Tears
28. I Hear You Say (I Love You Baby), Andy Kim
29. Going In Circles, Friends Of Distinction
30. Hurt so Bad, Lettermen
31. Green River, Creedence Clearwater Revival
32. My Cherie Amour, Stevie Wonder
33. Easy to Be Hard, Three Dog Night
34. Baby It’s You, Smith
35. In the Ghetto, Elvis Presley
36. A Boy Named Sue, Johnny Cash
37. Baby, Baby Don’t Cry, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles
38. Only the Strong Survive, Jerry Butler
39. Time of the Season, Zombies
40. Wedding Bell Blues, Fifth Dimension
41. Little Woman, Bobby Sherman
42. Love (Can Make You Happy), Mercy
43. Good Morning Starshine, Oliver
44. These Eyes, The Guess Who
45. You’ve Made Me So Very Happy, Blood, Sweat and Tears
46. Put a Little Love In Your Heart, Jackie DeShannon
47. Do Your Thing, Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
48. I’d Wait a Million Years, The Grass Roots
49. Touch Me, The Doors
50. More Today Than Yesterday, Spiral Starecase
51. I’ve Gotta Be Me, Sammy Davis Jr.
52. Lay, Lady, Lay, Bob Dylan
53. Atlantis, Donovan
54. Traces, Dennis Yost and The Classics IV
55. It’s Getting Better, Mama Cass Elliot
56. This Magic Moment, Jay and The Americans
57. Run Away Child, Running Wild, Temptations
58. Hawaii Five-O, Ventures
59. Galveston, Glen Campbell
60. I’m Gonna Make You Mine, Lou Christie
61. Gitarzan, Ray Stevens
62. Can I Change My Mind, Tyrone Davis
63. Time Is Tight, Booker T and The MG’s
64. This Girl’s In Love With You, Dionne Warwick
65. Color Him Father, The Winstons
66. Black Pearl, Sonny Charles and The Checkmates, Ltd.
67. Indian Giver, 1910 Fruitgum Company
68. Mother Popcorn, Pt. 1, James Brown
69. Twenty Five Miles, Edwin Starr
70. Things I’d Like To Say, New Colony Six
71. When I Die, Motherlode
72. That’s the Way Love Is, Marvin Gaye
73. Everybody’s Talkin’, Nilsson
74. The Worst That Could Happen, Brooklyn Bridge
75. The Chokin’ Kind, Joe Simon
76. Smile a Little Smile for Me, Flying Machine
77. Polk Salad Annie, Tony Joe White
78. Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town, Kenny Rogers and The First Edition
79. Games People Play, Joe South
80. You Showed Me, Turtles
81. Come Together, The Beatles
82. Oh What a Night, Dells
83. Something, The Beatles
84. This Girl Is a Woman Now, Gary Puckett and The Union Gap
85. Tracy, Cuff Links
86. Mr. Sun, Mr. Moon, Paul Revere and The Raiders
87. I’m Gonna Make You Love Me, Diana Ross and The Supremes
88. I Heard It Through the Grapevine, Marvin Gaye
89. Gimme Gimme Good Lovin’, Crazy Elephant
90. Hang ‘Em High, Booker T and The MG’s
91. Your Good Thing (Is About to End), Lou Rawls
92. Baby, I’m for Real, Originals
93. You Showed Me, Turtles
94. Love Me Tonight, Tom Jones
95. Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man, Bob Seger System
96. Laughing, The Guess Who
97. My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me), David Ruffin
98. Soul Deep, Box Tops
99. Hooked On a Feeling, B.J. Thomas
100. Sweet Cream Ladies, Forward March, Box Tops
.....and BTW the best guy I’ve ever read when it comes to de-bunking the 60s is David Horowitz...he’s still quite active:
http://www.frontpagemag.com/
I think these people truly believe that they are in the huge majority, that anybody who thinks otherwise, (or should I say anybody who thinks), is the “fringe”. But it is they who are the fringe. This is why they are in stunned disbelief when the real majority shows up at these town halls. It is the first time they have had the curtain drawn back and their “Great Wizard of Oz” act revealed. They are tiny people using tired arguments and slogans as well as contrived tactics. They have not come up against the true independent pioneer spirited Americans until now. Freedom is in our DNA and will prevail. I am very proud of our so called ordinary Americans who are bravely speaking out and not backing down.
I wasn’t around for most of the 60s, and when I was there, I was just a baby, so maybe my analysis is flawed but...
I think the term “60s” is somewhat of a misnomer. Looking back at the history, especially the music history, the first half of the decade -up to 64/65/66 looks nothing like the 2nd half, especially when you get to 68/69.
There seems to have been a real and signficant cultural change, or at least in the public expression, that lasted until maybe 71/72 before it morphed into something else.
Jim Morrison wasn't there. The Doors didn't make it to Woodstock.
The top 10 is almost always filled with innocuous crap. I can tell you as a guitar teacher, I get plenty of kids who are interested in Hendrix, the Who, and Santana, but I am sure I have yet to have a single kid interested in Bobby Vinton or Andy Williams.
The music at Woodstock was "alternative" music at the time, and so it was not top of the pops, but it definitely heralded a new era in music. It definitely wiped the Andy WIlliamses of the world away, and it has definitely stood the test of time.
I don't know if he mentions it in the rest of his article (I didn't click at the jump) but to me a funny part of the Woodstock de-mythologizing is what a ballbreaker Albert Grossman was about getting his bands paid. Jefferson Airplane also broke their balls to get top dollar. So did Hendrix.
But if I have to choose to listen to The Who, Santana, and the Airplane, or Bobby Vinton, Andy Williams, and Conway Twitty? C'mon, you've got to be kidding.
Woodstock:
“Gimmie an ‘F!’
“Gimme a ‘U!’
“Gimmie a ‘C!...’
And it went downhill from there
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