maryjane
Member Posts: 69663
From: Copperas Cove Texas
Registered: Apr 2001
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How Tommy James missed Woodstock: | | | quote | | Crystal Blue Persuasion...This would have made a great performance at Woodstock, and the song was peaking on the charts at the time of the famous festival. Tommy James & the Shondells were invited to appear, but, as Tommy explains: "Like dopes we turned it down. I gotta tell you what – we were in Hawaii at the foot of Diamond Head. This was in August of '69, and we played a date in Hilo, and then we had two weeks off and then we were gonna play in Honolulu. They put us at these gorgeous mansions at the foot of Diamond Head, right on the ocean. And our biggest decision of the day was, Do I go in the ocean or in the swimming pool? We were sitting around drinking margaritas, and it was wonderful. And I get this call from JoAnn, my secretary, and she said, 'Artie Kornfeld was up,' Artie Kornfeld was one of the principals at Woodstock, and he was also a friend of mine. He produced the Cowsills and a whole bunch of other acts, and he was very successful producer. We had the same lawyer. And so she said, 'Artie was up and asked if you could play at this pig farm up in upstate New York.' I said, 'What?!?' 'Well, they say it's gonna be a lot of people there, and it's gonna be like a really important show.' And I said, 'Did I hear you right? Did you say would I leave paradise, fly 6,000 miles, and play a pig farm? Is that what you just asked me?' She said, 'Well, you could put it like that, but it's gonna be a big show. It's important.' I said, 'Well, I'll tell you what, if I'm not there, start without us, will you please?' And I hung up the phone. And they did. And by Thursday of that week we knew we messed up really bad. (laughing) But in the end I think I got probably more mileage out of that story." |
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10:10 AM
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