California Jam
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
California Jam, also known as Cal Jam, was a rock music festival concert held at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California on April 6, 1974 l.It was produced by ABC entertainment, Sandy Feldman, and Lenny Stogel. Pacific Presentations, a LA based concert company headed by Sepp Donahower and Gary Perkins, coordinated the event, booked all the talent, and ran the advertising. It attracted 200,000 fans that paid, which at the time, set the record for the highest paid attendance and highest gross in history. It was one of the last of the original wave of rock festivals, as well as one of the most well-executed and financially successful, and presaged the era of media consolidation and the corporatization of the rock music industry.
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[edit] Performers
Acts that performed at the festival in order of appearance:
- Rare Earth
- Earth, Wind & Fire
- Eagles
- Seals and Crofts
- Black Oak Arkansas
- Black Sabbath
- Deep Purple
- Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Deep Purple's performance was one of the first to feature their third line-up which included vocalist David Coverdale and vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes. At the end of the show, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore threw multiple guitars out into the audience and attacked one of the network's video cameras (which had been getting between him and the audience) with a guitar. A mishap with a pyrotechnic effect caused an explosion which briefly set the stage on fire. Deep Purple were given the choice of when to go on stage and chose to go on before ELP figuring that as with all festivals, the show would run late. It didn't and that is why they stalled and made everyone waite until after dark before they hit the stage.[1] The group is said to have left the concert via helicopter to escape possible arrest from angry fire marshals and ABC executives.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Deep Purple co headlined the California Jam Festival. Although Deep Purple were given the choice of when to go on. ELP's California Jam performance was broadcast nationwide in the US and is often seen as the summit of the band's career. It was at this festival that the famous footage of Emerson playing a grand piano spinning end-over-end 50 feet above ground level was taken. According to Keith Emerson's autobiography Oscar Peterson saw the ELP performance at California Jam on television and was so impressed he telephoned Count Basie to watch.[2]
[edit] Broadcast, telecast, and record releases
Unlike other rock festivals such as Woodstock, the concert was not planned for release as a film or sound recording. However, several portions of it were broadcast live on the ABC television network, which was also a sponsor of the show. The audio portion of the show was also broadcast in stereo on FM radio stations, an early example of simulcasting.
Several performances from the show were eventually released on CD and video, both in bootleg and authorized form. Authorized releases include:
- California Jamming, CD of Deep Purple's performance (also released under alternate titles)
- Live in California 74, DVD of Deep Purple's performance
- Beyond the Beginning, Emerson, Lake & Palmer DVD including 44 minutes of their California Jam performance
[edit] Cultural impact
A sequel concert, California Jam II, was held in 1978.
[edit] References
- ^ Moody, James (1997). Concert Lighting, Second Edition: Techniques, Art and Business (2nd ed.). Focal Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-0240802930.
- ^ Emerson, Keith (2004). Pictures of an Exhibitionist: From the Nice to Emerson Lake and Palmer - The True Story of the Man Who Changed the Sound of Rock. John Blake. p. 296-297. ISBN 978-1844540532.
