SAUGATUCK POP NO.2

SAUGATUCK POP NO.2

The first “Pop Festival” of any consequence was held in Montery in 1967. It was a tremendous success and helped greatly in increasing the feeling of community among California Rock and Roll people. Since that time Pop Festivals have become almost an institution, and any rock show that includes more than four acts ends up being called a Pop Festival. However, few of these events have even come near to reachirtg the same level of community interest or involvement that so characterized Montery. Most of them have been strictly for profit.

For reasons which speak for themselves, the Detroit area has been responsible for four large events which clearly set a standard of community involvement, which if slightly less than Montery, is head and shoulders above the other promotions anywhere. These shows were of course the Meadowbrook Pop Festival last September, and Detroit Rock and Roll Revival on Memorial Day weekend, both presented by Russ Gibb, and the Saugatuck Pop Festival last July 4th and the Detroit Pop Festival at Olympia last April (perhaps the most successful program of its type ever attempted, it drew 16,000 to an all day show which featured only local bands). The former was presented by Mike Quatro and the latter by SRC production's and Mike Quatro. This same organization is now preparing the 2nd Saugatuck Pop Festival, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, July 4th and 5th at the same sight as last year’s.

The stage will be set up in a meadow on the Potowatamie Beach, a mile north of Saugatuck on the Blue Star Memorial Highway. The meadow will provide a large area for people to spread blankets and sit down, while miles of Lake Michigan beach stretch out behind the site. Booths are being built around the meadow to house shops selling posters, incense and jewelry. The promoters hope to lend a carnival atmosphere to the holiday weekend proceedings. They have also scheduled acts which they hope will both draw people to the festival and keep their interest with varied and constantly high quality music. In this, the year of the much heralded “blues revival”, the program will include three of the finest names in the blues field: Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and Big Mama Thornton.

When the blues moved North with the migration of blacks from the rural South to the industrial centers of the North, every big city had a blues scene. However, the only city who’s scene has survived and prospered in the years since World War II is Chicago, where there exists a whole circuit of bars and clubs which feature top name blues musicians six and seven nights a week. Out of this scene have emerged such talents as Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, Little Milton, Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, James Cotton and Paul Butterfield, but Muddy Waters has become the most respected name in a scene that respects musicians not for their names but for their playing.

Muddy is a blues singer out of the classic Delta mode, using his voice to display emotion, changing pronounciations and phrasing to stress the meaning of the words, fitting the music onto the words and not the words into the music. His vocal control and power convey emotion far better than the ranting and raving of many of his imitators, who try to outdo the master without even understanding where his power lies.

To further add to his power, Muddy is one of the finest “bottleneck” guitar players ever. He uses his guitar to complement his voice, choosing riffs carefully to make the words stand out. Muddy’s other amazing talent is his ability to choose sidemen who provide depth to his blues style rather than trying to overshadow it with their own virtuosity. Among the people who gained acclaim as past of Muddy’s band are Otis Spann and Luther “snake boy” Johnson.

John Lee Hooker is the only Detroit bluesman to gain national prominence. His records have been big sellers in the Black areas for almost twenty years, and in the last ten years or so, he has cultivated a large following among Urban whites both here and in England. He is a master of the three finger picking style. Often his live performances are highlighted by long improvised blues where his guitar is the sole accompaniment to his voice.

The third blues star on the bill is Big Mama Thornton. Big Mama has been making a living the last ten years by touring extensively in the U.S. and Europe. Her powerful vocal style and stage presence have made her a top attraction in a world where few straight blues artists can earn more than subsistance wages.

Among the nationally prominent Rock groups performing, a serious attempt has been made to bring in groups whose music, while meshing with the overall scheme of the festival, does not sound like every other group playing. The most widely acclaimed group on the bill is Procul Harum.

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In the two years since their single “A Whiter Shade of Pale” became an international hit, the Procul Harum have become one of the top recording groups ! in the world. Combining a strong feeling for Baroque Music (especially organist Matthew Fisher’s interpretations of Bach) with a rock style based somewhat on the arrangements from Bob Dylan’s “Blond On Blond,” and lyrics written for the group by the “sixth member” Keith Reid, the Harum have produced three best selling albums and a huge audience of loyal fans, especially in the Detroit area.

Also from England is The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, a group whose outlandish theatrics on stage have somewhat overshadowed Arthur’s excellent singing voice, and Vincent Crane’s exceptional organ playing. People who saw them in their first appearance at the Grande will probably never forget Vince flipping out on stage and abruptly ending the set. Since then the group has had a hit single “Fire” and a top selling album. This will be their first appearance in Detroit since last Christmas.

Among the top domestic groups at the Festival will be the Rotary Connection from Chicago, a grop whose complex vocal harmonizing and unique arrangements of rock standards and original material have made them top record sellers and a top club attraction throughout the country.

The MC-5, whose second album, on Atlantic, will be cut in the middle of July, remember the 1st Saugatuck Festival as making their first real prominence outside the Detroit area.

Some other Detroit groups who appeared last year and have since gone on to national prominence are the Frost, whose album “Frost Music” has been at the top of the local charts since its release and is now beginning to climb the national charts, the Amboy Dukes, who have had three national hit albums, Bob Seeger, with an album still way up on the charts, and the SRC, who, with “Milestones” are just beginning to acheive recognition in other areas.

Also appearing from the Detroit area will be the Stooges, whose first album of Elektra should be out shortly; the Savage Grace, perhaps the top new Detroit band this year, the Caste, the Red, White and Blues, Fruit of the Loom, the Brownsville Station, and many others.

Mike Quatro said he expects a crowd of at least 15,000 a day so he recommends arriving early and waiting on the beach for the music to begin. There will be ample parking space on the grounds. Food will also be on sale for those who do not wish to bring a picnic basket. And, it case it rains either day, Sunday July 6th has been set aside for a make up day.

For information about tickets or chartered buses call: (313) 886 - 3880.

Outlets are;

Chicago, all TRS including Marshall Fields, Wards & Crawfords

Tel: 312-782-7023

Charter Bus-Tel: 312-929-0133

Detroit, J.L. Hudsons (use your Hudson Charge), Grinnells, Mixed Media, Groove Shop Charter Bus-Tel: 313-871-0005

Grand Rapids & Muskegon, all Wurzburgs stores Tel: 616-456-5461 (Phase 11-616-243-1915)

Flint, Hatfields Records (Charter Bus: 313-CE-52498)

Ann Arbor, 313-761 -3670

Monroe, Jims House of Music (& Charter Bus) 313-242-5151

Bob Stark

KOKAINE KAKMA SUNDAYS 6 PM to 1A.M ON WABX FEATURING RUDNICK FRAWLLY