Maybe Altamont in 1969 did mark the death of Flower Power, but not quite the way legend has it...
The girlfriend and I caught the Maysles' documentary Gimme Shelter on IFC the other night. It's about the disastrous Rolling Stones show at Altamont in 1969 and it's very good as those things go. There's a lovely bit of moral catatonia from the Grateful Dead, who show up late and are informed that there have already been a few scuffles and that Jefferson Airplane singer Marty Balin, trying to break up a fight, has managed to get himself knocked unconscious. "Oh, bummer," Jerry Garcia says. "Beating people up like that... that just doesn't seem right," Bob Weir adds…
Article comments
26 - Chris Paul
Amazing stuff. Hi to Sam Cutler. We met once or twice in London when both working with Stuart Lyon. Perhaps a Nina Simone gig at Hammersmith was one? I remember you took me to some rather irregular club in East End with all sorts in there. Oxbridge kiddies living dangerously with Krays extended family. That kind of thing. Stuart had me staying on some houseboat (Chelsea Arts Club annex?) but stayed in your spare room instead. I think you disappeared for a while about then? Nina's xylophone man was asking after you in Manchester ...
Just been blogging something about our major UK charm prisoner Charlie Manson (who is in an art show in Brick Lane) and thought I'd google Sam Cutler ...
27 - Jim Burnham
I worked for Sam at Manor Downs outside of Austin in '76 and he was not all that easy to work for. Mellow and easy going one day, ranting and screaming at us physical workers in 100+ F temperatures, the very next day. Frances Carr was nicer. Loved the good food, wonder where those co-workers wound up. Well, from what I see, Sam's put that nasty streak behind him. Now, what do I do about mine?
28 - John
The issue and this discussion reminds me of the lines from the Dylan song....
Who killed Davie Moore?
Why and what's the reason for?
29 - alex
Mr Haspel. You call 'Give me shelter' a good film? It has survived only because it reduces someone's life to the moment of their death, like JFK without the presidency, or, more topically, Benazir Bhutto without any of her previous life, just the filmed/videoed death release and nothing else. So are snuff movies 'good as these things go'? I doubt that very much.
30 - toddy
39 years later? I guess it only proves controversy can sometimes be controversial. Yes it was tragic. But also yes, the lad brought it on himself. Look, set aside the nefarious title of "Hells Angel" and what’s left? Motorcycle enthusiasts. Now throw in a bunch of drugs and a few folks who think they are tough but are mostly afraid of motorcycles and the sometimes road weary riders and what’s left? “SURPRISE” trouble (it also snows in Buffalo New York in the winter). Funny thing is, most "bikers" never start trouble but are more than happy to finish it... insert anecdote here...
31 - Nick Veltre
Sam is a friend of mine in Australia--we had coffee together almost every day until I recently moved to Hanoi. I listened to his stories everyday. Everybody talking above knows not of what they speak.
Incidently, Hubert, Sam wrote very kindly of the times he spent with you in the early drafts of the book--I hope those parts make it to the final edit. He thinks the world of you!
He has just written his own book, which will expose what went on in the background of all these events. It's out in October. What really happened is going to shock the hell out of everyone. Pre-order the book at your favorite retailer so you're not the last to be hip to the truth.
"You Can't Always Get What you Want: My Life With The Rolling Stones and the Grateful Dead" (Book)
Sam Cutler
Release Date: 01 Oct 2008
Format: Book
ISBN: 9781741666090
The racists need to cool it.
I've seen Sam at work. He a "get the job done" kind of guy. He is cool and mellow but works harder than anyone around him to get the job done. If you're not part of the solution, get the hell out of the way. You can't put together rock shows attended by a 1/4 million people by being cool and laidback 100% of the time.
Sam was the first to do this, at Hyde Park and Altamont, and nobody has really ever pulled it off without a hitch since. Today it's all semi-trucks and unions and cranes and sponsors.
Back in Sam's day it was vans, pickup trucks and some volunteers from the audience that set up these shows.
Buy the book. Get the full story. Like the song says:
"Please don't dominate the rap Jack, if you've got nothin new to say". (New Speedway Boogie)
32 - Ankur
I do not know if it sound weird or may be for me it is just a kinda day when i woke up sleepy and then went to work..Everything was going the usual and was hoping that this day would be over soon. I work at an internet cafe and till this very moment i did not knew who Sam cutler was. He came into our store once in the morning and then again in the afternoon. We had a nice little chat about India as i am from India and he has been there and he was telling his experiences and i was not sure of who he actually was. In the afternoon he came again and needed some help with Skype which i promptly helped and then again the usual little chit chat. When he was leaving the store, as i have been friendly and cheerful, he told me that he was writing a book " You cant always get what you want" and just instinctively i asked for his AUTOGRAPH, thinking that he was some author, which he gave politely and adressing it to me and India..
I mean i cant really come to my senses as after it i searched for his name and whatevr he said was indeed true, that he was rolling stone's manager and stuff..i mean is it my lucky day?
33 - Katey
I met sam today, so random too. On the bus to The Gap in brissy he just sat down next to me and starting talking, about his book, then he said he was the manager of the rolling stones well shit i was gobsmacked!!! haha
34 - Pat
Why did Hunter bring a gun to a concert in 1969? This is supposed to be the peace and love decade. It’s after this concert that journalists proclaim the end of it. This is behavior of the rap generation not the 60’s. You know, “pop a cap in his ass” from the bloods and crips that we have now. The gangs of today make this look like a walk in the park. MS 13 for example. There were many blacks at that concert but only Hunter pulled one. The reason for the earlier fights were that people were jumping on the Hell Angels bikes and that made them pissed off. People were stoned and drunk and there were many of them that day. Some got aggressive and tried to trash the bikes. You don’t do that with a motorcycle club's bikes. If you watch the film close you can hear people talk about the bikes. The big criticism I have is why the stones do not call for an intermission and talk with the angels about why this was happening and then plan a change to prevent the ongoing problem. Easy for me to say in hindsight. The blame as the film makers say today can be assigned to any number of people not just one.
35 - Steve C
How amazing reading the comment from Katy how she met Sam on a bus on the way to the Gap in Brisbane. My wife's sister who lives at the Gap in Brisbane visited me in Houston Texas for my birthday last month. My present was Sam Cutlers book. I read have read it and find it a great book. The revelations contained therein as to the cause and reason for the violence makes a lot of sense to me.
A very well written book and a good read.
36 - Sylvia
Steve,
You got his book did he mentioned a woman named Sylvia when he lived in London in the book?
37 - Sylvia
So more I think about it, I feel like I should commend, Sam always organized and did his job I was there when the tour was planned; who would have ever known that he would not come back to London? Yes, no one wanted this, no one ever wanted to squander a live. We did a bunch of concerts (I was always just there with him) but I know people loved the concerts and all these big English bands like Pink Floyd and Yes and so on.............
38 - sally
Hey Sylvia - Sam lived in London 1988-1989 then Oxford until 2000 when we emigrated to Australia. he is currently in London.
39 - Sylvia
Wow, Australia would have had warmer days right now.
40 - Dave
Hi Sally
This is Sam's friend Dave, the other ex pat music biz person who used to live in New Farm.
Just thought I'd say "hi".
I hope you have cured the damp after the storm.
Sam told me his en suite was getting a bit close!!!
41 - Billy Jack
I don't care who you are, if you pull a gun in public, I hope someone is brave enough to jump you and take you out!
42 - Dull Day
The film was edited, repeat-edited. We cannot even know if the thing is in proper sequence. The only peron's side we will never know is Meredith Hunter's. We can assume that 12 men and women did see enough evidence to conclude that there was more than enough reasonable doubt that murder was NOT commited. All we have is what the film allows us to have. Mededith Hunter had a gun. He was stabbed to death by Alan Passaro.
Who asked the Hells Angels to come and under what pretext is irrelevant. 40 years of attempting to manage history are long enough. Alan Passaro killed Meredith Hunter.
Sam Cutler did not, Mick Jagger did not. Mederith Hunter is no less dead.
43 - John
He F***** with the 81 and got what he deserved.