Summer of Love: Art of the Psychedelic Era

 

 

Summer of Love Music Tour


Listen to the music that expressed the spirit, emotions and concerns of the generation of the 1960s. The Music Tour provides an overview of some of the key artists and recordings leading up to and immediately following the Summer of Love of 1967.
Available free of charge in the Lobby

Click here to listen to the Summer of Love Audio Tour podcast. For a full listing of the recordings on the Music Tour, click here.

On view May 24-September 16, 2007
Summer of Love revisits the unprecedented explosion of contemporary art and popular culture brought about by the civil unrest and pervasive social change of the 1960s and early 70s, when a new psychedelic aesthetic emerged in art, music, film, architecture, graphic design, and fashion. The exhibition includes paintings, photographs and sculptures by Richard Avedon, Jimi Hendrix, and Andy Warhol, among others. As well as a rich selection of important posters, album covers and underground magazines.  A special emphasis is placed on environments as well as on film, video and multimedia installations. The art in the exhibition is conceptualized through a wealth of documentary material highlighting events, people and places; from the 1967 Monterey International Pop Festival to Timothy Leary to the UFO nightclub in London.
     
FILM SCHEDULE

11:15 am (Fri  1:15 pm) Through the Doors of Perception

John Stehura, Cibernetik 5.3, 1965-69; 7 min.
Chas Wyndham, Airborn, 1968; 3 min.
Jerry Abrams, Eyetoon, 1968; 8 min.
Pat O'Neill, 7362, 1965-67; 9:30 min.
Stan VanDerBeek, Film Form No. 1, 1970; 10 min.

12:15 pm (Fri  2:15 pm) Blow Your Mind

Robert Cowan, Rockflow, 1968; 9 min.
Ben Van Meter, S.F. Trips Festival, An Opening, 1968; 9 min.
Robert Nelson, Grateful Dead, 1967; 9 min.
Anthony Stern, San Francisco, 1968; 15 min.
Will Hindle, Saint Flournoy Lobos-Logos and the Eastern Europe Fetus Taxing Japan Brides in West Coast Places Sucking Alabama Air, 1970; 12 min.

2 pm (Fri  4 pm)  Acid Visions

Jud Yalkut, Turn, Turn, Turn, 1965-66; 8:30 min.
John Hawkins, LSD Wall, 1965; 6:30 min.
Kenneth Anger, Invocation of My Demon Brother, 1969; 11 min.
Storm de Hirsch, Third Eye Butterfly, 1968; 10 min.
Lawrence Jordan, The Sacred Art of Tibet, 1972; 27 min.

3:30 pm (Fri  5:30 pm) War, Protest, and Counterculture

Paul Sharits, Piece Mandala/End War, 1966; 5 min.
Howard Lester, One Week in Vietnam, 1970; 3 min.
Third World Newsreel, America, 1969; 31:30 min.

4:30 pm (Fri  6:30 pm) Swinging London

Peter Whitehead, Tonite Let's All Make Love in London, 1967; 70 min.

Please refer to the exhibition brochure for complete details of the films included in each screening program. Some of the films may not be suitable for children.

[Please note that the daily film program will not be screened on these days.]

 

Happenings: 1965

  • The Responsive Eye exhibition, Museum of Modern Art, New York
  • Michael Fallon, a writer for the San Francisco Examiner, uses term “hippie” in a series on Haight-Ashbury’s new bohemian residents.
  • Start of the Vietnam War
  • Antiwar campus protests in the United States
  • The Matrix, a music club in San Francisco’s Marina district, opens with Jefferson Airplane as the house band.
  • Michael Hollingshead opens the World Psychedelic Center, London, with 5,000 doses of LSD and instructions from Timothy Leary to promote “spiritual and emotional development.”
  • The first of Ken Kesey’s Acid Tests held in Santa Cruz, California
  • Allen Ginsberg asks peace marchers to use “masses of flowers” as a symbol of protest, coining the term “flower power.”
  • The Free University of New York is founded by Allen Krebs.

 

 
MUSIC TOUR ARTISTS & RECORDINGS

solThe copyright in all music selections on this program remains the exclusive property of the copyright holders.

The 13th Floor Elevators – “YOU’RE GONNA MISS ME” – “You’re Gonna Miss Me” was included in a live recording that was issued in 1968, titled “Live: I’ve Seen Your Face Before” (publisher unknown). The song is currently available on “The Psychedelic World of the 13th Floor Elevators” published in 2005 on the Collectibles label. Snapper Music published a three audio CD boxed set in 2005 containing the complete works of the 13th Floor Elevators, including a live version of “You’re Gonna Miss Me.” [Stop 309]

The Beatles – “ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE” – “All You Need is Love” was recorded in 1967, and published as a single. It was included on the album “Magical Mystery Tour” issued in 1967 by Apple Records, and reissued in 2001 on audio CD from Capitol Records. A live television broadcast recording of the song from 1967 is included on “The Beatles Anthology” DVD set released in 2003 by Capitol Records. [Stop 316]

The Beatles – “LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS” – “St. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” was published in 1967 by Capitol Records. A deluxe audio CD edition was issued by Capitol in 2002, along with audio cassette, and LP record formats. [Stop 336]

The Beatles – “REVOLUTION No. 9” – “The Beatles” (The White Album) was released in 1968 by Apple Records. The album was re-released in 1990 on audio cassette, audio CD, and LP record formats by Capitol Records. There have been several subsequent compilations. [Stop 334]

Big Brother & The Holding Company: “PIECE OF MY HEART” – “Cheap Thrills” was released by Columbia Records in 1968. The album was remastered and reissued on audio CD in 1999 by Sony Music. Two extra tracks are present on the CD that were not in the original recording. [Stop 301]

Happenings: 1966

  • Aubrey Beardsley exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, ushers in resurgence of Art Nouveau in graphic art.
  • Mark Boyle and Joan Hills’s first performance of Son et Lumière for Earth, Air, Fire, and Water at the Bluecoats Art Centre in Liverpool, England
  • Ravi Shankar invites George Harrison to India for sitar lessons and tutoring in Eastern music and philosophy.
  • The Psychedelic Shop—the first of its kind—opens in San Francisco
  • The first of several Spontaneous Underground events is held at London’s Marquee Club.
  • Anti-Vietnam War protests, parades, and rallies take place in American cities.
  • Time magazine’s “London: The Swinging City” issue
  • Sandoz Pharmaceuticals withdraws LSD after widespread “misuse.”
  • First appearance of Andy Warhol’s Exploding Plastic Inevitable with the Velvet Underground in New York Timothy Leary, founder of the League of Spiritual Discovery, proclaims acid to be the sacrament of his new religion.
  • First issue of the San Francisco Oracle is published.
  • LSD, mescaline, and psilocybin made illegal in the United States First issues of the underground paper IT (International Times) launched in London with an “all-night rave” at London’s Roundhouse featuring Pink Floyd and Soft Machine, among others.
  • The Trips Festival is held at Longshoremen’s Hall in San Francisco. The Grateful Dead and Big Brother and the Holding Company perform.
  • Black Panther Party for Self Defense is founded by Bobby Searle and Huey P. Newton in Oakland, California.
    John “Hoppy” Hopkins starts UFO at the Blarney Club in London. Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, and Soft Machine are regular performers.

Eric Burdon – “SAN FRANCISCAN NIGHTS” – Eric Burdon and the Animals recorded the song in 1967. The song was included in the soundtrack to the motion picture “Easy Rider” which was published in 1969, and reissued on audio CD by MCA records. The song is also available in a compilation, “The Best Of Eric Burdon & The Animals, 1966-1968,” issued in 1991 on audio CD and audio cassette by Polydor / UMGD. [Stop 312]

Butterfield Blues Band – “EAST - WEST” – “East - West” was released by Electra Records in 1966. The album was reissued on audio CD in 1990 by Electra / Wea. A remastered and enhanced 2 CD set with extra tracks and content was issued in 2001 by Wea / Electra in Europe. [Stop 302]

The Byrds – “SO YOU WANT TO BE A ROCK ‘N’ ROLL STAR” – The single was included on the album “Younger than Yesterday” released in 1967 by Columbia Records. The original recording was remastered and reissued on audio CD and audio cassette formats in 1996 by Sony Music. [Stop 303]

The Charlatans – “BABY WON´T YOU TELL ME” – The band recorded “Baby Won’t You Tell Me” in a recording session called “The Autumn Demos” with Coast Recorders in San Francisco in 1965. The early recording sessions from 1965 to 1968 were issued as a compilation titled “The Amazing Charlatans” in 1996 on the Big Beat UK label. The audio CD was reissued in 2004. [Stop 313]

Chicago – “SOMEDAY” – “Someday” was recorded in 1968, and issued on the band’s first album “Chicago Transit Authority” published in 1969 in double LP format by Columbia Records. A remastered and reissued recording on audio CD was published in 2002 on the Rhino / Wea label. [Stop 314]

Country Joe & The Fish – “ACID COMMERCIAL” – “I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die” is the second album published by Country Joe & The Fish, issued in 1967. Vanguard Records reissued and remastered the album in 1990 on audio cassette and audio CD formats. [Stop 329]

Country Joe & The Fish – “BASS STRINGS” – The “Bass Strings” track was part of a three song EP that was published in 1966 titled “Country Joe and the Fish.” The first three EP’s were compiled under “The First Three EP’s” and released as a vinyl record and audio cassette in 1987 by Sequel Records. An audio CD was issued in 1994. [Stop 311]

Cream – “CROSSROADS” – “Wheels of Fire” was published in 1968 by Polydor / UMGD. A two disc audio CD remastered – reissued set by the same publisher was released in 1998. [Stop 337]

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young – “OHIO” – Atlantic Records published “4 Way Street” in 1971. A remastered and reissued version was published on audio CD format with bonus tracks in 1992. [Stop 331]

The Doors – “BREAK ON THROUGH” – “Break on Through (To the Other Side)” was included on the album “The Doors.” The recording was released by Electra Records in 1967. The album was remastered and reissued by Rhine / Wea in 2007 on audio CD format. [Stop 304]

Bob Dylan – “MR. TAMOURINE MAN” – The song was released on the album, “Bringing It All Back Home” released on Columbia Records in 1965. The album was remastered and reissued by Sony Music in 2003 on audio CD format. [Stop 342]

Fleur des Lys – “CIRCLES” – The original recording, “Fleur des Lys” was published in 1966. The album is currently out of print, and available only as a collector’s item. [Stop 341]

The Fugs – “KILL FOR PEACE” – The Fugs’ second album was originally released in 1966. It was originally titled, “The Fugs.” Fantasy Records re-released the album in 1996 on audio CD format. Fantasy changed the name to “The Fugs Second Album.” [Stop 325]

Allen Ginsberg – “TONIGHT LET’S ALL MAKE LOVE IN LONDON” – Rhino Records produced a four audio CD boxed set of Ginsberg’s vocal recitations, titled “Allen Ginsberg, Holy Soul Jelly Roll: Poems And Songs 1949-1993.” [Stop 339]

Grateful Dead – “I KNOW YOU RIDER” – The original recording has not been reissued on audio CD, but it is available on the internet through streaming audio. [Stop 305]

Great Society – “SOMEBODY TO LOVE” – The band released only one single in 1966, "Somebody to Love." It was published by Autumn Records. An audio CD compilation of Great Society’s work was issued in 1996 by Sundazed Music, Inc. [Stop 306]

Hapshash and the Coloured Coat – “H-O-P-P WHY” – The original recording was released in 1967. An import version of the audio CD is available from Repertoire that was published in 1999. [Stop 332]

Jimi Hendrix – “ARE YOU EXPERIENCED (live)” – “The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Live at Winterland” was published in 1987 by Rykodisc. It was released on audio CD format in 1990. [Stop 344]

Jimi Hendrix – “FOXY LADY” – The Jimi Hendrix Experience published “Are You Experienced” in 1967. The album has been remastered and reissued on audio cassette and audio CD formats in 1997 by the Experience Hendrix label. The “Jimi Hendrix Live at Woodstock” audio CD boxed set published in 1999 by Experience Hendrix features a live version of the song. [Stop 327]

Iron Butterfly – “IN A GADDA DA VIDA” – The album of the same name was published by Elektra / Wea in 1968. The publisher reissued the recording in 1990 on audio cassette and audio CD formats. A remastered version of the original recording was published in 1995. This edition contains short, long, and live versions of the song. [Stop 330]

Jefferson Airplane – “WHITE RABBIT” – The song was released on the album “Surrealistic Pillow” issued in 1967 on the RCA Label. The album was remastered and reissued in 2003 by RCA on audio CD format. A live version of “White Rabbit” was recorded during the Woodstock concert, and is available in a 4 audio CD boxed set, “Woodstock: Three Days of Peace and Love” released by Atlantic/Wea in 1994. [Stop 318]

Jefferson Airplane – “WON’T YOU TRY SATURDAY AFTERNOON” – “Won’t You Try Saturday Afternoon” was released on the album “After Bathing at Baxter’s” in 1967 on the RCA label. The original recording was remastered and reissued in 2003 by RCA. [Stop 317]

Janis Joplin – “MERCEDES BENZ” – The song was included on the album “Pearl,” issued in 1970 on the Columbia Records label. Sony Music remastered and reissued the recording in 1999. Sony re-released the 1999 remastered recording in 2005. [Stop 328]

Happenings: 1967

  • “Gathering of the Tribes for a Human Be-In” takes place in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park with the Grateful Dead and Big Brother and the Holding
    Company, and with appearances by Allen Ginsberg and Timothy Leary.
  • The Doors release their debut album in the U.S.
  • First London issue of the Australian underground magazine Oz
  • Tens of thousands of people attend a “be-in” in Central Park, New York
  • Expo 67 opens in Montreal
  • Gray Line Bus Company offers a “San Francisco Haight-Ashbury Hippie Hop
    Tour”
  • Hundreds of thousands of people demonstrate against the Vietnam War at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
  • “14-Hour Technicolour Dream” concert and fundraiser for IT (International Times) held at Alexandra Palace in London
  • The Grateful Dead’s eponymous first studio album released
  • The BBC bans the Beatles’s “A Day in the Life” for its “drug references.”
  • The Beatles’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is released.
  • Monterey International Pop Festival held in California with performances by Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and the Who, among others
  • The Beatles perform “All You Need is Love” on a global television broadcast
  • Mick Jagger and Keith Richards convicted on drug charges.
  • Paul McCartney publicly admits taking LSD
  • “Legalise Pot” full-page advertisement in the London Times, signed by the four Beatles, Graham Greene, Richard Hamilton, R.D. Laing, and others
  • Time magazine cover story: “The Hippies: Philosophy of a Subculture”
  • First issue of Rolling Stone published in San Francisco
  • Demonstrations in New York as part of “Stop the Draft Week”
  • Hair: The American Tribal Love Rock Musical debuts in New York
  • Mock funeral held for “Hippie, devoted son of the mass media,” in San
    Francisco
  • Youth International Party (Yippies) founded by Abbie Hoffman, Paul Krasner, and Jerry Rubin
  • First issue of R. Crumb’s Zap becomes a catalyst for underground “comix” movemement.

Janis Joplin – “RAISE YOUR HAND” – The song was performed (and recorded) live three times in 1969: Frankfurt, Germany, The Ed Sullivan Show, and Woodstock. The Woodstock version is available on a European import audio CD, “Janis Joplin at Woodstock,” European ITM 960007 released in 1993. The studio version is available on several Janis Joplin compilations, most notably “Janis Joplin: Farewell Song” released in 1983, and reissued on audio CD format in 1990 by Sony Music. [Stop 321]

Moby Grape – “DARK MAGIC” – “Dark Magic” was included in the album “Moby Grape” released in 1967 by Edsel Records, a division of Demon Records. “Moby Grape” was reissued in 1994 on audio CD format by San Francisco Sound. [Stop 307]

David Peel – “I LIKE MARIJUANA” – David Peel and the Lower East Side’s first two recordings have been released as single audio CD compilation titled, “And The Rest Is History: The Elektra Recordings: David Peel and the Lower East Side” by Rhino Handmade in 2004. [Stop 323]

Pink Floyd – “INTERSTELLAR OVERDRIVE” – This song was the final track in the 1967 recording, titled, “Pink Floyd” published by Tower Records. A live 1967 recording of the song was published on the album, “Live Pink Floyd, Oude-Ahoy Hallen Rotterdam, Oct. 12, 1967” by A & M Records, published in 1967. A 2002 reissue of the recording was published by Creative Sounds. [Stop 335]

Purple Gang – “GRANNY TAKES A TRIP” – “Granny Takes a Trip” was released in 1967. A private label in England re-released the LP recording in 1986. Castle Music America released the audio CD “The Purple Gang Strikes Back” domestically in 2002. [Stop 338]

Quicksilver Messenger Service –“MONA” – “Mona” is from the album “Quicksilver Messenger Service” released in 1968 by Capitol Records. It was reissued in 1994 on audio CD by Capitol Records. [Stop 308]

The Rolling Stones – “STREET FIGHTING MAN” – This title was published on the album, “Beggars Banquet,” released in 1968 by ABKCO. The remastered recording was reissued by the same publisher in 2002 on audio CD format. [Stop 340]

The Rolling Stones – “WILD HORSES” – This recording was included on the album “Sticky Fingers” released in 1971 by ABKCO Music & Records, Inc.. The original recording was remastered and reissued by Virgin Records US in 1994 on audio CD, audio cassette, and LP record formats. Virgin also re-released this recording along with the Rolling Stones’ entire catalogue in 2005, titling the series, “The USA Collection.” The album artwork on this release differs
from the original design. [Stop 320]

Santana – “SAMBA PA TI” – The song was included on the album “Abraxas” released by Columbia Records in 1970. The original album was remastered and reissued on audio CD, cassette, LP, and DVD audio formats in 1998 by Sony Music. The song is also available on the compilation “The Best of Santana,” also released by Sony Music in 1998. [Stop 319]

Santana – “SOUL SACRIFICE” – The album “Santana” was released in 1969 by Columbia Records. The audio CD of the original recording was released in 1995 on the Prime Cuts label. [Stop 343]

The Velvet Underground – “VENUS IN FURS” – The song was included on the album “The Velvet Underground and Nico” published in 1967 by Verve Records. The recording was remastered and reissued in 1996 by Polydor / UMGD on audio CD format. [Stop 324]

The Velvet Underground – “WHAT GOES ON” – A 1969 live performance of this song is available on the audio CD, “1969: Velvet Underground Live, Vol. 1 [LIVE]” originally released in 1974, remastered and reissued in 1990 by Island / Mercury on audio CD format. The 1974 issue was published as a double LP record set. The 1990 reissue is available on two separately sold audio CD’s. [Stop 322]

Frank Zappa & Mothers of Invention – “WILLIE THE PIMP” – The song was included on the album “Hot Rats” issued by Reprise Records in 1969. A live recording was issued in 1971 by Ryko, “Fillmore East, June 1971.” “Hot Rats” was remastered and reissued on audio cassette and audio CD formats by Zappa Records in 1995. [Stop 326]

Summer of Love: Art of the Psychedelic Era was organized by the Tate Liverpool.

If you would like to hear more about the politics and social unrest associated with the Summer of Love, check out our Summer of Love podcast on Whitney.org.

Special thanks to Uwe Husslein, Cologne for his invaluable help in compiling and selecting this program.

 
ONLINE PROMOTIONAL SUPPORT

Join W Hotels of New York and the Whitney Museum in celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Summer of Love.
Your experience includes:

  • 2 advance tickets (skip the line!) to the Whitney Summer of Love Exhibit
  • A Whitney Summer of Love Catalogue
  • 2 groovy cocktails
  • 10% of proceeds will benefit the Whitney Museum to support young artists.
  • A Wonderful room you will love
  • Book by September 16 for stays Tuesday - Sunday.

 

 

 
HAPPENINGS 1968-1970

1968

  • Fillmore East opens in New York
  • Robert E.L. Masters and Jean Houston, Psychedelic Art
  • Tom Wolfe‘s The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test chronicles the exploits of Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters.
  • Stanley Kubrick, 2001: A Space Odyssey
  • Yellow Submarine, an animated film featuring The Beatles, is released.
  • The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated on April 4.
  • Student uprising sees 30,000 students clash with police in Paris. Workers in France join students in a general strike.
  • U.S. Senator Robert Kennedy is shot in Los Angeles on June 5; he dies the next day.
  • Riots follow a police raid on the Stonewall Inn tavern in New York, ushering in the gay rights movement.
  • Violent clashes between demonstrators and police at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago are broadcast nationwide.

1969

  • Art Workers’ Coalition founded in New York
  • Dennis Hopper, Easy Rider
  • John Lennon and Yoko Ono honeymoon at the Amsterdam Hilton with a “Bed-In for Peace.”
  • “Battle of People’s Park” at the University of California, Berkeley
  • The Woodstock Music and Art Fair draws 450,000 people to Bethel, New York
  • During a free Rolling Stones concert at Altamount Speedway outside San Francisco, Hell’s Angels stab a man to death.

1970

  • The Beatles split up.
  • Jimi Hendrix dies of a drug overdose.
  • Janis Joplin dies of a drug overdose.
  • National Guardsmen shoot dead four antiwar demonstrators at Kent State University, Ohio.

magnify

SOL

Hippies on the Corner of Haight and Ashbury
Gene Anthony, 1967
Inkjet print (reprint) , 14 x 11 in (35.6 x 27.9 cm)
Collection of Wolfgang’s Vault, San Francisco
© Wolfgang’s Vault

SOL

Chair Transformation Number 25 A
Lucas Samaras, 1969-1970
Plastic and wire , 42 x 20 x 22 in. (106.7 x 50.8 x 55.6 cm)
Whitney Museum of American Art
Purchase with funds from the Howard and Jean Lipman Foundation, Inc.

SOL

Cosmic Orchid
Isaac Abrams, 1967
Oil on canvas , 70 7/8 x 60 1/4 in.
Collection of Bruno Bischofsberger
© Isaac Abrams
Alvan Meyerowitz

VERNOR

Phantasy Landscape Visiona II, (View 1)
Verner Panton, 1970/2000
Wood, foam rubber and woolen fabric , 314 15/16 x 236 1/4 x 94 1/2in. (800 x 600 x 240cm)
Vitra Design Museum
© Panton Design, Basel

LINDER

Ice
Richard Linder, 1966
Oil on canvas , 70 x 60 in. (177.8 x 152.4 cm)
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
Purchase, with funds from the Friends of the Whitney Museum of American Art

sanctuary

Views of Aleph Sanctuary, (View 1)
Abdul Mati Klarwein, 1963-1971 (re-created in 2004)
Aluminum, plexiglass and fluorescent tubes , 137 13/16 x 137 13/16 x 137 13/16 in.
Private Collection
© Klarwein Estate

sau

Grain of Sand
Abdul Mati Klarwein, 1963-1965
Oil on Board, 78 ¾ x 78 ¾ in.
Private Collection
© Klarwein Estate

sau

Video Disque 2: YOR
Peter Sedgley, 1968
Screenprint on spun aluminum disc , Diameter 29 5/16 in.
Collection of the artist; courtesy Austin Desmond Fine Art, London
© Peter Sedgley