Within the annals of rock, there are specific places synonymous with historic, even iconic, festivals, particularly across the late Sixties and early 70s. However placing Woodstock and Glastonbury to at least one aspect, Plumpton was the place to be.
It might not ring fairly the identical bell, however in 1969 and 1970, Plumpton Racecourse close to Lewes within the Sussex countryside was host to the ninth and tenth Nationwide Jazz and Blues Competition. Neither one has develop into a part of rock folklore, the line-ups of present and future rock giants who performed there over on these early August weekends are excellent.
The 1969 competition
Staged from 1961 by Marquee Productions, the sister firm of the famed London rock membership, the JB&P Competition (initially simply referred to as the Nationwide Jazz Competition) was the forerunner of what turned, and nonetheless is, the Studying Competition. However the place it had earlier been one of many premier showcases for jazz and blues artists alone, by 1969 it was opening its doorways increasingly more to burgeoning guitar rock. On that yr’s invoice, Chris Barber was one of many solely artists flying the flag for the jazz brigade, as he did the next yr, by which era he was largely on his personal.
Initially to be held close to London’s Heathrow Airport it was switched to Plumpton reasonably late within the day, and early adverts nonetheless had the West Drayton web site. On the Friday night time in 1969 topping the invoice was, “The Pink Floyd”; they opened with, “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun” and encored with, “Interstellar Overdrive.” Among the many assist bands had been Delicate Machine and one other uncommon jazzer, Keith Tippett. On Saturday afternoon the outrageous Bonzo Canine Band headlined with assist from competition common Roy Harper.
Saturday night and issues had been starting to construct with King Crimson, Sure, Aynsley Dunbar (who would go on to drum with Frank Zappa and the Moms, Journey and Starship amongst many different bands) and the Spirit of John Morgan. There was additionally loads for blues lovers with each, Rooster Shack and the Groundhogs. Headlining on Saturday had been The Who, per week later they might be conquering Woodstock with their Tommy mini-opera set and their set at Plumpton was similar to their extra well-known competition set in up state New York.
Sunday afternoon was one given over to gentler folky sounds with the excellent, Magna Carta on the invoice and a extra bluesy beat from Lengthy John Baldry with the magnificent Pentangle as high of the afternoon invoice. For the night it was a rockier affair, but it surely additionally included the London solid of the musical Hair which included Marsha Hunt and Paul Nicholas. There was Blodwyn Pig, Mick Abraham’s band since leaving Jethro Tull and Keef Hartley who, like The Who, can be at Woodstock per week later. Headliners had been The Good whose third album was about to be launched and would develop into their first to chart, making it to No.3 within the UK and together with their 12 minute work out on Bob Dylan‘s ‘She Belongs To Me’ which they carried out at Plumpton.
Tickets for the entire weekend price £2.50, and, in these non-inflationary instances, the value stayed the identical in 1970. The Who and Pink Floyd had been each paid £600 for his or her look; Sure, The Straws and King Crimson all obtained £25 every.
The 1970 competition
In 1970 Black Sabbath had been there, actually three weeks away from their UK singles chart breakthrough with “Paranoid,” and, sure, they did that quantity, and “Iron Man.” Wishbone Ash, making ready to document their self-titled debut album for launch that December, performed a set. Sure had been available, a yr after their album debut however with their second LP Time and a Phrase model new within the retailers, and “I’ve Seen All Good People” on their setlist.
Then there was Deep Purple, already two years into their recording life. Basking in the approval for their newly-released In Rock album, they served discover of their presence on the competition by setting hearth to their screens throughout their efficiency. Every week later, they had been within the singles chart with “Black Night.”
Many others additionally served on that tenth Nationwide Jazz, Blues & Pop Competition invoice, a lot of them names that might populate the charts and the live performance venues of the UK and past within the months and years to come back. They included Household, East of Eden, Juicy Lucy, Fats Mattress, Van Der Graaf Generator and Rory Gallagher‘s band, Taste. Peter Green was there, just weeks after his sensational departure from Fleetwood Mac. So was Cat Stevens, in the early stages of his transformation from pop hitmaker to sensitive singer-songwriter, with a set that featured “Father and Son,” “Lady d’Arbanville” and “Where Do The Children Play.” The Groundhogs, the Strawbs, Magna Carta, the Unbelievable String Band, Caravan, the listing went on.
The road-up actually was a really British affair with few guests from abroad, however because the programme declared that Sunday afternoon supplied “From the USA, Turley Richards.” Removed from an enormous title even then, the blind singer from Charleston, West Virginia had made one thing of a reputation for himself within the golf equipment of New York and had chart success within the US along with his cowl of Bob Dylan‘s “Love Minus Zero/No Limit.” 5 years earlier, he launched an album referred to as The Many Souls of Turley Richards that features a very early model of “Feelin Good,” one that will have even preceded Nina Simone‘s model, or at the very least been recorded on the similar time. In 1979 his was the unique model of “You Might Need Somebody,” which turned an enormous hit for Randy Crawford.
Some might have been saving their cash for the famed Isle of Wight Competition later in that memorable month of August 1970, however for many who didn’t, Plumpton was the place to be that weekend.
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