This interesting little item cropped up in the August 11, 1967 television listings shown in Massachusetts' Lowell Sun newspaper. It identifies a showing on Channel 2 of a programme entitled Summer Sampler. The description refers to Folk music and rock ‘n’ roll from the Berkeley campus. The only acts listed are Reverend Gary Davis together with Country Joe and The Fish. This was film taken from the July 1967 Berkeley Folk Festival and also featured performances by Kaleidoscope, Doc Watson, Crome Syrcus, Jimmy Cotton's Chicago Blues Band and the Red Crayola. If copies survive I have never found them.The title Summer Sampler would be reused for at least one more KQED production (featuring Steve Miller in Golden Gate Park). KQED were also responsible for “A Day in the Life of Country Joe and The Fish” which was filmed that spring and included interviews with each of the band members. KQED would later go on to produce the Vibrations series of short films later in 1967 and again one featuring our epic travelers Country Joe and The Fish. Sadly much of the original KQED film appears to have been lost.
Also being shown at 10:00pm is a re-run of an episode of the Avengers described as The East and West join to find out who’s murdering spies and why. Readers of this column will no doubt be aware that the episode being referred to is Brian Clemens’ classic The Correct Way To Kill.
Notes in response to a question from Erik:
ReplyDeleteI know only a little about it. I did write a very brief blog on this subject a while back:
http://berkeleyfolk.blogspot.com/2009/10/1967-berkeley-folk-festival-film.html
and have been meaning to update it - so this is a good prompt for me and I have just dumped these notes in as a comment.
Firstly August 24 is the second broadcast date rather than a recording date - having first been shown on August 19, 1967. Additionally, my notes do not show Quicksilver Messenger Service playing but do have the Steve Miller Blues Band and Mahapurush Misra on the bill - but I am aware of contemporary adverts that list QMS in place of Miller. I can also confirm that the film is not from a single performance in Golden Gate Park but from several - and I would guess that some may even date back a while.
It was also not the only "Summer Sampler" put out by KQED:
July 12, 1967 also saw the first Summer Sampler broadcast of Brazilian guitarist Bola Sete and his Trio - "Sights and Sound of The 60s". Film cut between the music and film of a sculpture exhibit as the Los Angeles County Art Museum.
The next "Summer Sampler" I know of was first broadcast on July 27, 1967 (as far as I can tell) and featured the Illinois Ballet.
On August 11, 1967 KQED broadcast their Summer Sampler "Folk music and rock ‘n’ roll from the Berkeley campus". The only acts listed are Reverend Gary Davis together with Country Joe and The Fish. This film was actually recorded at the July 1967 Berkeley Folk Festival and also featured performances by Kaleidoscope, Doc Watson, Crome Syrcus, Jimmy Cotton's Chicago Blues Band and the Red Crayola. If copies survive I have never found them. This would be a really nice find actually.
KQED were also responsible for “A Day in the Life of Country Joe and The Fish” which was filmed that spring and included interviews with each of the band members and some footage from Sausalito Heliport where the band took to practicing after leaving the Jabberwock. KQED would go on to produce the Vibrations series of short films later in 1967 and again one featuring our epic travelers Country Joe and The Fish. Sadly much of the original KQED film appears to have been lost.
The Big Brother and The Holding Company documentary does of course survive in excellent quality - certainly considerably better quality than “A Day in the Life ...".
Back on January 14, 1966, KQED also filmed at least part of the Mime Troupe Benefit - certainly a brief performance by The Great! Society and some film of The Committee from around the same time.
I hope this helps just a touch at least.
Ross