Tommy James and the Shondells, one of the top U.S. rock bands of the late 1960s, were performing in Hawaii in August 1969. It was the week that their hit "Crystal Blue Persuasion" reached the top of the charts.
"We were in Hawaii when it went No. 1," James recalls, "and I often think of Hawaii as I think of ‘Crystal Blue Persuasion.’"
Their other big hits were "Hanky Panky," which was released in 1964 when they were still in high school, "Crimson and Clover," "Mony Mony," inspired by a Mutual of New York sign, and "I Think We’re Alone Now." All of them went gold.
The band played a date in Hilo and then had two weeks of vacation before their concert in Honolulu.
"We were in Honolulu at the foot of Diamond Head," James remembers. "They put us at a gorgeous mansion beneath 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 a call from JoAnn, my secretary, and she said Artie Kornfeld had come by."
Kornfeld was a record producer, writer, manager and promoter. By age 24 Kornfeld had written more than 75 Billboard-charted songs and produced more than 100 gold and platinum discs. He was also one of the creators and promoters of Woodstock.
"JoAnn said, ‘Artie 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 going to 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."
JoAnn had misunderstood. They were invited to the Woodstock Festival, attended by 400,000 in August 1969. Performers included Santana, Jimi Hendrix, Sly & the Family Stone, Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Grateful Dead, the Who and Crosby, Stills & Nash.
There wasn’t a "pig farm." The Hog Farm JoAnn mentioned was actually a hippie commune founded in the 1960s by Wavy Gravy, who called it a "mobile, hallucination-extended family." They provided security at Woodstock, with their "Please Force," and ran the kitchens.
"Like dopes we turned it down," James continues, laughing, "but in the end I think I got probably more mileage out of that story."
No one could have known that Woodstock would have become the most famous concert in world history. Before it happened, it probably appeared to be some concert in the middle of nowhere — or worse, a pig farm. Except to the 400,000 people who attended.
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Bob Sigall, author of the “Companies We Keep” books, looks through his collection of old photos to tell stories each Friday of Hawaii people, places and companies. Email him at Sigall@Yahoo.com.
