Books and Manuscripts

Mini-archive of the groundbreaking Atlantic City Pop Festival, the forerunner to Woodstock

"It's Happening...The greatest collection of contemporary pop artists and today's music scene will be presented in the biggest festival of this type since Monterey. 3 Days of great music in the most pleasure filled setting to be found anywhere...This will be the event of the year."

Philadelphia, ca. 1969. Mini-archive relating to the Atlantic City Pop Festival, held from August 1-3, 1969. Comprising two rare single sheet press releases for Jefferson Airplane and The Moody Blues (each 11 x 8 1/2 in.; 279 x 216 mm); one printed promotional brochure (9 x 4 in.; 229 x 102 mm); one three-day entry festival ticket (1 1/2 x 2 3/4 in.; 38 x 70 mm); and one 1 1/4 in. celluloid festival pin. Each in fine condition with very light wear.

Although overshadowed by Woodstock, that took place only two weeks later in upstate New York, the Atlantic City Pop Festival was one of the biggest, most musically diverse, and most successful music festivals of the 1960s. Held from August 1-3, 1969 at the Atlantic City Race Course in Hamilton Township, New Jersey, the show featured a roster of over 30 of the era's most celebrated and legendary performers, including established acts like Jefferson Airplance, the Byrds, and rock & roll founding father, Little Richard, as well as rising stars like Janis Joplin and Creedence Clearwater Revival. The diversity of the acts spanned rock greats like Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, Iron Butterfly, Santana (his first East Coast performance), Chicago, Canned Heat, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, as well as blues legend B.B. King, horn and jazz impresario Hugh Masekela, as well as soul music stars Booker T. and the MG's. Other acts included Joni Mitchell (however briefly, she left mid-set due to the crowds disinterest), Tim Buckley, Joe Cocker, Procol Harum, Three Dog Night, and an attempted performance by Johnny Winter (equipment troubles forced him to drop out).

Tickets for the show sold for $6 a day, or $15 for a three-day pass, and sold out, with crowd totals for the weekend reaching over 100,000 who braved the scorching summer heat. The show included many memorable performances, all on a Buckminster Fuller-designed rotating stage, including Joplin's, who played "Ball and Chain," and "Down on Me," and a festival ending finale by Little Richard, who played "Lucille," and "Ready Teddy," in which Joplin joined.

Jefferson Airplane closed the festival’s second day, on August 2, and played hits like, "Somebody to Love," and "Volunteers." Although The Moody Blues were scheduled to perform, as can be seen in this rare press release for them, but they were a no-show.

The event was the sixth-largest music festival of the decade, and one of the most peaceful for its size. Following the festival's conclusion the township refused to allow large shows again for a number of years. It wasn't until the August 9, 1974 concert of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young--who were billed for this festival but were also a no-show--that the township reversed course. They played at the same racetrack.