The Summer of Love

‘A whole generation with a new explanation…’

It was 45 years ago this summer…

This music of the Summer of Love is so monumental it needs no introduction or annotation. Try to grasp the fact of it all coming not only in the same year, but in the same timeframe. Here’s a smidgen of what was truly a summer to remember. To the class of 1967…

Aretha Franklin, ‘Respect’ (#1 R&B and Hot 100)

Aretha Franklin, ‘Baby I Love You’ (#1 R&B, #4 Hot 100)

Procol Harum, ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’

The Doors, ‘Light My Fire’ (#1, July 1967, for three weeks)

Monterey Pop Festival, Jimi Hendrix, ‘Foxy Lady’

The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band—full album. Enjoy.

The Rascals, ‘Groovin’’ (#1 Hot 100, twice: May 20-June 2, and again from June 17-30, for a total of four weeks)

The title sequence of China Beach, featuring Diana Ross and the Supremes’ summer 1967 single, ‘Reflections’

JUNE 16-18

The Monterey Pop Festival, the world's first large scale outdoor rock music festival, is held in Monterey, California. The lineup includes the Who, Simon and Garfunkel, Laura Nyro, Moby Grape, Eric Burdon & The Animals, Country Joe and the Fish, The Byrds, the Butterfield Blues Band, Mamas & Papas, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Canned Heat, The Association, Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother and The Holding Company with Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Otis Redding backed by Booker T and the MG’s, and Ravi Shankar—among others.

Eric Burdon & the Animals, ‘Monterey’

Monterey Pop Festival, Scott McKenzie, ‘San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)’

Monterey Pop Festival, Ravi Shankar

Monterey Pop Festival, The Who, ‘My Generation’

‘This is the love crowd, right?’ Otis Redding, Monterey Pop, ‘I’ve Been Loving You Too Long’

Monterey Pop Festival, Moby Grape, ‘Indifference,’ ‘Sitting by the Window,’ ‘Omaha’

Monterey Pop Festival, Big Brother and the Holding Company, ‘Ball and Chain’

Monterey Pop Festival, Canned Heat, ‘Rollin’ and Tumblin’’

Monterey Pop Festival, Laura Nyro, ‘Poverty Train’

A tantalizing one-minute snippet of Laura Nyro at Monterey Pop performing ‘Wedding Bell Blues’

Monterey Pop Festival, Jefferson Airplane, ‘Today’

Monterey Pop Festival, Jimi Hendrix, ‘Rock Me Baby’

Monterey Pop Festival, Jimi Hendrix, ‘Wild Thing’

Monterey Pop Festival, Simon & Garfunkel, ‘Homeward Bound’

Monterey Pop Festival, Simon & Garfunkel, ‘Sounds of Silence’

Monterey Pop Festival, Butterfield Blues Band, ‘Driftin’ Blues’

Monterey Pop Festival, Mamas & Papas, ‘California Dreamin’’

And here’s the full, original 1968 DA Pennebaker-directed documentary, Monterey Pop. An expanded edition, The Complete Monterey Pop Festival, was released on DVD in 2002.