I Can't Quit You

July 6, 1969
Newport, RI US
Newport Jazz Festival
Setlist:

Train Kept a Rollin', I Can't Quit You Baby, Dazed and Confused, You Shook Me, How Many More Times (incl. "Lemon Song"), Communication Breakdown, Long Tall Sally.

Review: Great Zeppelin Closed Newport, Despite Ban!

For the first and last time, British groups may have suffered as a result of the 16th annual Newport Jazz Festival, held last weekend in Newport Rhode Island.

The three day event attracted a record crowd of some 80,000, the heaviest attendance figures of 25,000 coming on Friday night, which was devoted entirely to heavy rock. It also attracted the attention of the local authorities who, because of the tension and near riotous situation which prevailed on the same Friday night, demanded that Led Zeppelin be cancelled from the final bill on Sunday, and subsequently revoked the permission given for the opening concert on the Blind Faith tour.

Getting down to the festival itself for the first time, promoter George Wein was persuaded to run rock acts. If I recall, the first show he booked into this category was English Jeff Beck, Ten Years After, Jethro Tull, John Mayall and Led Zeppelin - was the count of UK acts.

Beck, Ten Years and Jethro all appeared Friday, along with Roland Kirk and Blood Sweat and Tears. Beck had the responsibility of closing an incredible show which was literally a six-hour swing through the best in rock.
Excitement caused tension, tension provokes trouble with the local authorities and Newport, hardly used to rock, told George Wein to cancel Led Zeppelins appearance on Sunday, in the interest of public safety!

Wein announced the Zeppelin would not appear owing to the illness of one of the group. They showed up on Sunday anyway, following a knockout performance at the Atlanta Pop Festival and at 1am Monday morning, proceeded to go on stage and completely destroy the audience.

It was a strange situation for the Zeppelin to be in. Jimmy Page told me: You dont blow a date like this one. Not after all that. The Newport Jazz Festival was far too important to us to just cancel out and Im very upset at the whole thing. Wein should never have announced once of us was ill.

That wasnt all. Johnny Winter was given an hour and a half on stage .Other acts ahead of Jimmy seemed to ignore the time limit set on their performances. Page was uptight, but when he went on stage, that crowd out there was ready and waiting, and Led Zeppelin was prepared to sock it to me regardless of the unfortunate set of circumstances.
With the Zeppelins close, so the 16th annual Newport Jazz Festival came to an end. (J. Harris, July '69)

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Category:

Music

Tags:

• rock
• the
• nobs

[FrequentlyFried]

yea it's tough but I would have rather seen Zeppelin than been at woodstock.

[Conneyfogle]

Woodstock had Jimi, IMHO

That's it.

francesca

Woodstock had only Jimi...that's it-- IMHO.

francesca

@Conneyfogle

[sam4u2004w]

history in the making ! another great

zep show preserved forever !...

.....awesome, as usual, conney !

...thanks a million for your postings !!

[Conneyfogle]

Anytime, thanx for watchin'

[yensidtun]

i was there! finally found the bootleg recordings on line - we were yelling because we could not hear them - plant asked why people were shouting- then they turned up - brain jones died that weekend- a great newport festival - never will see that again.... then i was off t o woodstock.......what a summer!

[amast3rMind69]

Newport r.i whaaaaaaatttttt.

[mobegone]

Any footage of Led Zep or Janis at the Atlanta Pop Festival in '69? Things were so primitive back then....no video on your cell phone.....and well...no cell phones either. Listening to some of these Woodstock retrospectives, I think we picked a better show....had food, booze, sanitation and safe drugs. Creedence, Janis, Jimmi, Led Zep, Chicago Transit, Allman Bros....then I got drafted and had to go to Nam.

[luchoarccrledzep]

Very Good, The Best !!

-- Led Zeppelin --