Woodstock: The Oral History (Excelsior Editions) - Softcover

Joel Makower

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1438429746 ISBN 13: 9781438429748

Publisher: Excelsior Editions/State University of New York Press, 2009

Synopsis

The definitive oral history of the Woodstock rock festival.

“The definitive study of the mega-concert.”―Rolling Stone

“Woodstock comes alive here, even if the music itself seems almost incidental to the backstage dramas.” Publishers Weekly

Woodstock: the Oral History is the definitive, electrifying account of the rock festival that shook the world and defined a generation.

In 1969 four young men had a dream: to produce the greatest rock concert ever held. Little did the group―two budding entrepreneurs who really wanted to write sitcoms, a former head shop proprietor turned rock band manager, and a record company executive who smoked hash in his office―know how enormous a reality their dream would become.

Woodstock: The Oral History is the fascinating story of how it all came together―and almost fell apart―told exclusively in the voices of the men and women who made it happen. It’s the adventures of a ragtag bunch of businessmen and bohemians, of hippies, hucksters, handymen, and hangers-on, working against all odds to unite a generation for one wild, glorious weekend in August 1969. These pages are replete with vibrantly expressive stories and voices, featuring a wonderfully eccentric cast of characters, from producers and performers, doctors and cops, to journalists, filmmakers, electricians, neighbors―and, of course, thousands of blessed out, rain-soaked flower children. You’ll get behind-the-scenes stories from such people as David Crosby, Abbie Hoffman, Miriam Yasgur (who, along with her husband, Max, owned the land on which the festival was held), Richie Havens, Wavy Gravy, Paul Kantner, Chip Monck, and a host of others.

Woodstock: The Oral History is the one truly authoritative volume―the definitive oral history of this momentous event. This special 40th anniversary edition features a new introduction by Michael Lang, one of the original producers of Woodstock, as well as updated information on the people who made the music festival happen.

About this title

From the Back Cover

"The definitive study of the mega-concert." -- Rolling Stone

"Woodstock comes alive here, even if the music itself seems almost incidental to the backstage dramas." -- Publishers Weekly

Woodstock is the definitive, electrifying account of the rock festival that shook the world and defined a generation.

In 1969 four young men--two budding entrepreneurs who really wanted to write sitcoms, a former head shop proprietor turned rock band manager, and a record company executive who smoked hash in his office--had a dream: to produce the greatest rock concert ever held. Little did they know how enormous a reality their dream would become.

Woodstock is the fascinating story of how it all came together--and almost fell apart--told exclusively in the voices of the men and women who made it happen. It shares the adventures of a ragtag bunch of businessmen and bohemians, of hippies, hucksters, handymen, and hangers-on, working against all odds to unite a generation for one wild, glorious weekend in August 1969. You'll get behind-the-scenes stories from such people as David Crosby, Abbie Hoffman, Miriam Yasgur (who, along with her husband, Max, owned the land on which the festival was held), Richie Havens, Wavy Gravy, Paul Kantner, Chip Monck, and a host of others.

This special 40th anniversary edition features a new foreword by Michael Lang and Joel Rosenman, two of the original coproducers of Woodstock, as well as updated information on the people who made the music festival happen.

About the Author

Joel Makower is Executive Editor of GreenBiz.com and a veteran writer and speaker on green business and clean technology. He is the author of more than a dozen books, including Strategies for the Green Economy: Opportunities and Challenges in the New World of Business and The Green Consumer.

Michael Lang, one of the original coproducers of the Woodstock festival, continues to be a force in the music industry and is the author of The Road to Woodstock.

A graduate of Yale Law School, Joel Rosenman is also one of the original coproducers of the Woodstock festival. He is the coauthor (with John Roberts and Robert Pilpel) of Young Men With Unlimited Capital: The Story of Woodstock. Today he works as an investor.

About this edition

• Publisher: Excelsior Editions/State University of New York Press
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1438429746
• ISBN 13: 9781438429748
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 369