There was a random blip on a newsfeed, I only saw it once but I actually remembered to follow up to get the skinny. It's newly found footage of the Altamont Speedway concert. It's essentially home movie quality but by someone with a relatively steady hand. Unfortunately there's no sound. The footage, or what footage I've seen shows Santana and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, two bands that don't appear in the film Gimme Shelter. If you're not familiar with that film, it's a documentary about the Stones U.S. tour in 1969 culminating with the concert at Altamont, which the Stones headlined. At the concert an attendee, Meredith Hunter, was brutally beaten and killed by members of the Hells Angels who were acting, supposedly, as security.
The newly discovered footage is interesting to see, more interesting when you consider that it was uploaded by the United States Library of Congress. The film (actually found on two r eels) was acquired as a donation from a film archivist who bought in bulk. It was traced back to a lot of random films that had been left to be developed at a San Francisco lab but never picked up. The identity of the filmmaker is not known, but the hunt is on and there's a thing at the Washington Post about it. This is all fine and dandy but it lead to a black hole. A looooong article in a follow-up piece published in Rolling Stone in January 1970 just weeks after the incident. It starts with with first hand eye witness accounts. It was much worse than I knew. Anyway, I just did a random search and there's tons of shit out there so I'm leaving it for another night.
I thought I'd be able to find the film Gimme Shelter at YouTube. It was there all right, as a pay to play. But I did happen by Colt Clark and the Quarantine Kids. If you're not familiar with them you're in for a treat. Clark and his kids learn a new song in the morning and then film a performance that night. Practically every day, and they do a remarkable job. The two sons are tight way beyond their years. The daughter is a crack up, at that age where being a ham is to be adorable. I've seen several of their videos before and "Gimme Shelter" popped up. I was curious to see how Clark would have made the lyrics a little more kid friendly. He did, and he did a seamless job. Then I checked their version of "She Said She Said". Holy shit, that kid drummer is good, and his brother is playing really complicated bass-lines. The arrangements really make the most of a four piece and the playing is great regardless of age. Mark my word, post-covid, there will be a coming out of sorts. When they can safely fly to talk shows, they'll be huge.
The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter (streaming) at YouTube
Cal Tjader - Gimme Shelter (streaming) at YouTube
Video:
Colt Clark and the Quarantine Kids - She Said She Said at YouTube
Colt Clark and the Quarantine Kids - Home page at YouTube
Visit:
The Rolling Stones, Hell’s Angels and Altamont: A New View at Library of Congress
The Rolling Stones Disaster at Altamont: Let It Bleed at Rolling Stone January 21, 1970
Who shot the mystery film of the Rolling Stones at Altamont? at Washington Post
Altamont 'cold case' is being closed / Theory of second stabber debunked by Sheriff's Dept. at SF Gate
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