Classic Rock - Vocal & Instrumental

Memories - The Philadelphia Concert - Birth of Rock
The Summer of '68

This is a special one hour program broadcast in July 2001 by Hearts of Space Radio Show, wherein Stephen Hill, the Producer, shares his memories of the seminal concert performance in the summer of 1968, which he attended while completing his graduate studies in Architecture. Of course, this is not the complete concert list of songs performed. It's a touch on the music of the time, a taste, if you will, of several music groups who opened the Era of Rock and ran with it - not the least of which is Pink Floyd, Genesis, David Bowie, King Crimson and Yes, among others. This is a very personal recollection by Stephen Hill, which will give you the feel - the "flavor" of that historic concert. The music is, in fact, mostly instrumental (true to Hearts of Space programming style)... and as such, it's beautiful. Also somewhat heartrending, when one considers the distance in years since that incredible summer.

Enjoy!

Program Notes by Stephen Hill, Producer
This week we celebrate another milestone in the HEARTS of SPACE series with Program Number 600. Since we began national syndication in 1983 we've used these centenary programs for special features and documentaries about contemplative, space and ambient music. This time, we look back at the meeting of the spatial sensibility and electronics with mainstream pop music in the late 1960s and early 70s. We call it : WHEN SPACE MET ROCK.

I'd like to take this opportunity to relate a personal experience that bears perfectly on the subject. The year was 1968. I was a graduate architecture student in PHILADELPHIA, and, if the truth be told, was spending most of that memorable summer listening to music while pretending to work on my thesis.

The local beer company was sponsoring an ambitious summer-long festival held in the biggest stadium in town. One of the first concerts was called THE BRITISH INVASION. It all began on a perfect, sunny afternoon. In the center of the football field was a huge stage: covering it was a Bucky Fuller fantasy structure built out of metal struts like a geodesic dome; it was at least 40 feet high and was festooned with hundreds of lights. It was covered with a large piece of heavy canvas tied down with ropes to keep the sun off the stage during the day.

The featured act was to be the first ever American concert by a rising new group called THE WHO. Leading off was a forgotten band I've long since forgotten myself. The middle act was a group of art & architecture students from Cambridge with some strange looking instruments and an even stranger name: PINK FLOYD.

After an uneventful start, Pink Floyd took the stage under deep blue skies. Without a word of introduction they began to play long, slow tones coaxed from an electronic organ, electric guitar feedback, and abstract percussion sounds. It was more like experimental electronic music and was totally unexpected. The audience grew restless, but soon something far more unexpected happened: a cold wind came up from nowhere, the sky turned tornado black, and without any warning a freak thunderstorm of Biblical violence erupted over the stadium.

Rain came down in the proverbial sheets. There was no cover anywhere unless you left the arena. Many did, but a equal number of [stoned] diehards remained/ because by some miracle the electricity to the stage stayed on and PINK FLOYD continued to play!

The storm blew and raged with massive thunderclaps and blinding flashes of lightening; somehow this strange spacey music fit in perfectly. The canvas over the stage flapped furiously but stayed in place well enough to keep the musicians relatively dry. It was hypnotic, intense, and totally absorbing. The local gods were obviously furious, but the band played on stoically without ever saying a word.

After what couldn't have been more than 10 minutes but seemed like an hour, the storm abated as quickly as it came; the sun returned with dazzling intensity, the sky turned blue again, and PINK FLOYD finished their set to a round cheers and applause from a soaked, dazed, and completely astonished audience.

THE WHO never did get to play that day. The storm returned and the concert was finally cancelled. But for me and for thousands of amazed new fans, PINK FLOYD made an impression that would never be forgotten — and perhaps, never equalled.

PINK FLOYD went on, it can be said with 30 years perspective — to alter the history of late 20th century popular music, integrating psychedelic, experimental, electronic, and multimedia elements into classically composed albums that have sold over 100 million copies, and become some of the key monuments of contemporary rock.

On this 600th transmission of HEARTS OF SPACE, the music of PINK FLOYD, KING CRIMSON, GENESIS, YES, STEVE HACKETT, DAVID BOWIE and others who made history...WHEN SPACE MET ROCK.