Flashback # 5 – Man on the Moon

Forty years ago today, American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin had the attention of nearly everyone on the planet when they became the first men to walk on the moon. Some of us here weren’t even born at the time and it’s hard to imagine the excitement of this historic moment. Looking back, we see that 1969 was a year of many milestones; among them several that still captivate the hearts of music fans today.

Ever heard of Woodstock? Barely a month after the first moonwalk, a farm near Woodstock, New York played host to the most infamous rock festival of the hippie generation. Some of the bands that performed may be lost on today’s audiences, but it’s hard to think of guitarist Jimi Hendrix and not consider his Woodstock rendition of The Star Spangled Banner. Other bands that made names for themselves at the three day festival include Santana, Janis Joplin, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Two notable bands from the San Francisco area made appearances at the festival: Creedence Clearwater Revival who was enjoying the success of Bad moon Rising and The Grateful Dead who had just released their experimental album Aoxomoxoa.

While Woodstock is often given the label of “peace and love,” the Grateful Dead would pull out of a similar festival near their hometown later in the year. The Altamont Speedway Free Festival at a west coast speedway was to include the Grateful Dead but they refused to play because of increasing violence at the show. The audience outbursts and fighting would rattle but not deter the show’s headlining band The Rolling Stones. The show became the band’s most notorious after a fan was stabbed to death by a member of the Hell’s Angel for brandishing a revolver during Sympathy for the Devil. Much of their performance was captured in the 1970 documentary Gimme Shelter.

Over in England, newcomers Led Zeppelin released their first two albums in 1969. Led Zeppelin I appeared in January with such classics as Communication Breakdown and Dazed and Confused. In October they followed it up with Led Zeppelin II which featured Whole Lotta Love and Heartbreaker among others.

Although it wouldn’t be announced until the following year, The Beatles decided to disband in 1969. In January they performed their last concert on the roof of their Apple headquarters in London. They would also release two classic albums that year: Yellow Submarine and Abbey Road. Most of their final album Let It Be was also recorded in 1969. While still a member of the Beatles, John Lennon traveled to Montreal with his wife Yoko Ono for a Bed-In protest. The couple spent seven days at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel and invited their guests to join them for the recording of Give Peace a Chance.

Meanwhile back in England, a musician by the name of David Bowie released his first single which shot to the top of the charts. Space Oddity dealt with, of all things, a spaceman and was used by the BBC during their coverage of the moon landings. Is there a more topical song for the ups and downs of 1969 than a man in space? To commemorate this historic day, why not check out David’s excellent lesson on the R.E.M. song Man on the Moon.