Celebration At Big Sur Part 1

BIG SUR Calif. 1969

A musical documentary of the 1969 Big Sur Folk Festival, filmed in a chaotic style reminiscent of Woodstock. It features performances by Joan Baez, John Sebastian, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and the Combs Sisters.

Some of the finest folk singers and musicians in the world positioned themselves on the edge of some of America's most glorious scenery for a farewell to summer and a celebration of nonviolence in mid-September. It was the sixth annual Big Sur Folk Festival.

The festival, held on the tree-shaded lawns of Esalen, also differed from other recent celebrations in that here the "scene" did not eclipse the music, but merely served as a complement. According to its producers, Nancy Carlen and Paula Kates, Big Sur was designed as a "performers festival," an opportunity for artists to come together after a hectic summer on the festival circuit for some peace and solitude.

Crosby Stills Nash and Young played the final set, as on Saturday, repeatedly bringing the thinning crowd to it's feet. For a finale - with the audience pushed forward around the pool, closer to the performers now - everyone at the festival reprised "Oh Happy Day".

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Joni
• Mitchell
• David
• Crosby
• Steven
• Stills
• Neil
• Young
• Graham
• Nash
• Joan
• Baez
• Folk
• Festival
• Big
• Sur
• John
• Sebastian

[imflyinn]

If only I had a time machine

[foxysquirrel]

I was lucky enough to record this when shown on BBC in the early 90's.

It deserves the proper dvd treatment as musically at least i prefer this to the Woodstock film.

[jonvideo]

I wonder if the policemans voice was overdubbed later as he asked about getting clearance for "videotape him". Noone was really using videotape at that time. It was film. He would have said "film him" in 1969, not "videotape him".

[lindseygordon]

How amazing to find this ...about 1969, can't remember just when, my best friend and I hitchhiked down from Berkeley to Big Sur to camp by the ocean. Dropped a lot of acid on the way. By serendipity we ended up at the most beautiful music festival right by the ocean, with incredible musicians. Were we here??? Probably. Too stoned those days to even know for sure! But the magic has stayed with me for a lifetime (a lifetime of much magic and few drugs, lol). Thank you thank you for posting this!

[stronghandyman]

@psychodelicrock12 - simple, because then it will be put on utorrent and downloaded for free and they'll make about 20 bucks for their efforts.

[pennyspring1]

nice

[NonLocalYokel]

Clear it with the Sheriff first.............that's awesome dude.

[psychodelicrock12]

Why has this not been released on DVD?

[demurets]

Yes, where is my time machine!!!!! I was born in the wrong time!!!!!!!

That's LIlian Roxon (Australian) girl at the end of this clip!!!!

[wildchildmagdalena]

Please people, if you weren't there how can you possibly make a comment I wasn't but what fun finding these rare films and yes sometimes singers do not preform up to their own expectations. Just so wrong to not appreciate the time in our musical history like this

[blackbirdwitch]

That's Lillian Roxon the Australian music journalist commenting at the end of this clip-saw a great doco on her last nite "Mother of Rock" about her time in NY and the underground scene of the late 60's /early 70's

[WaterLilyDreams]

since we don't have time machines... the closest thing I know of is Bonnaroo :D can't wait for the summer