Fillmore West Closing Week

Fillmore West, City and County of San Francisco, State of California 94013

Sunday July 4, 1971 (Monday July 5, 1971 just before 1:00 a.m.)

About the Show

The Venue

Santana Dates: July 30/31/August 1, 1968 - August 27/28/29, 1968 - September 10 or September 17 or September 24, 1968 - September 12/13/14, 1968 - September 25, 1968 - September 28, 1968 - October 31/Nov 1/2, 1968 - November 27, 1968 - December 19/20/21/22, 1968 - February 13/14/15/16, 1969 - February 25, 1969 - May 15/16/17/18, 1969 - June 20, 1969 - July 11/12/13, 1969 - July 20, 1969 - September 4/5/6/7, 1969 - October 1, 1969 - October 2, 1969 - December 31, 1969 - September 10/11/12/13, 1970 - July 4, 1971 - July or August, 1972 - August 2, 1972

Frank Mastropolo: When Santana and Creedence Clearwater Revival Closed the Fillmore West. Ultimate Classic Rock July 4, 2016

Promoter Bill Graham announced the lineup for the final week of San Francisco's Fillmore West one day after he closed New York's Fillmore East. He ended three years of historic shows with five nights of music billed as "the bands that built the Fillmore."

The final night, July 4, 1971, featured Santana, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Tower of Power. Camera crews recorded the week's events for the documentary "Fillmore: The Last Days."

Graham had moved from the original Fillmore Auditorium to the Carousel Ballroom, a former dance hall, in 1968. He opened the venue as the Fillmore West on July 5. One of its most popular acts was the Grateful Dead, who played the venue more than 60 times.

The Sunday night finale was an invitation-only event that was broadcast live on KSAN and KSFX in quadraphonic FM. "This is going to be the greatest motherfucking evening of our lives," Graham promised as he opened the show. "And now, a bitch of a band from the East Bay – Tower of Power."

The headliners of the evening were Santana, who took the stage just before 1:00 a.m. Santana's classic sextet was joined by guitarist Neal Schon and percussionist Coke Escovedo. The 90-minute set opened with "Incident at Neshabur" and included the hits "Black Magic Woman," Oye Como Va" and "Soul Sacrifice." The closing number was Miles Davis' "In a Silent Way."

"We wanted to come off as a little more progressive, as we felt that it would represent us at the given time when the Fillmore closed," drummer Michael Shrieve said in the book "Live at the Fillmore East and West". "We were sort of transformed as a band and that's why we chose to do the Miles Davis tune … and have our kind of groove to it. That was really important to us."

The night ended as Van Morrison, Mike Bloomfield, Sam Andrew of Big Brother & the Holding Company, the Tower of Power horn section and others joined Santana for a jam session.

"The music was terrible (at one point Van Morrison insisted they all stop and try something else) but the show was great," David Felton wrote in Rolling Stone. "Graham and his staff pelted the audience with gifts – paper plates, beer, champagne and ice cubes. Sometime between 4:00 a.m and 5:00 a.m. everyone gave up and went home. About 40 fans stuck around to shake hands with Graham, then left him to wander alone among the amps and debris."

Graham told UPI that he was closing both Fillmores for a "combination of reasons. They've been a 52-week-a-year operation and I'm tired of the anguish and lack of time for myself and for other activities as a result of having to work that way. You become a victim of your own creation. I want to get out of the grasp of the monster I created."

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Music

The Band: Santana #7

Carlos Santana (guitar/percussion/vocals), David Brown (bass), Michael Shrieve (drums), Michael Carabello (percussion), Jose “Chepito” Areas (percussion), Coke Escovedo (percussion), Gregg Rolie (keyboard/vocals), Neal Schon (guitar)

Santana Incomplete Set List

Batuka (1)/No One To Depend On (2) - Toussaint L'Overture (3) - Taboo (4) - Jungle Strut (5) - Black Magic Woman/Gyspy Queen (6) - Oye Como Va - Incident At Neshabur (7) * - In A Silent Way (8) * - Savor (9) - Para Los Rumberos (10) - Gumbo (11) - Soul Sacrifice

Releases

(7)(8) "Fillmore: An Outrageous Movie!" premiere on June 14, 1972 in movie theaters

(7)(8) "Fillmore: The Last Days" in 1972 on 3LP(boxed set) (Col USA Z3X 31390)

(7) "Viva Santana!" in August 1988 on 3LP(gf) (Col: USA 44344, Netherlands 462500 1)

(7) "Viva Santana!" on October 4, 1988 on 2CD (Col: USA C2K 44344, Austria 462500 2, Japan 46DP 5334~5)

(7)(8) "Fillmore: The Last Days" on February 19, 1991 on 2CD (Epic/Legacy USA Z2K 31390)

(8) "Dance Of The Rainbow Serpent" on August 8, 1995 on 3CD(boxed set) (Col/Legacy: USA C3K 64605, Italy 064605 2, Japan 77902)

(1)(5)(11) "Santana III. 30th Anniversary Expanded Edition" on March 31, 1998 on CD(24-bit) (Col/Legacy USA CK 65491)

(3) "Rare Rock Tracks (11 Previously Unreleased Performances)" in 1999 on promotional CD (Legacy USA JSK 42604)

(1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11) "Santana III. Legacy Edition" on February 21, 2006 on 2CD(dgpck) (Col/Legacy USA 82796902702)

(7)(8) "Fillmore: The Last Days" on June 2, 2009 on DVD-R1 (Rhino Records USA R2 516386)

Note

Except for the Santana show, complete evening broadcast live on American radios KSAN and KSFX. * 15-minutes segment broadcast in the movie "Fillmore" at various dates on TV. It is rumored that the band (afraid of being bootlegged heavily with this show), did not permit KSAN to broadcast the official band segment. Reportedly, KSAN was set up completely but the plug literally got pulled out at the very last moment by some Santana roadies! It wasn’t until the final part of “Soul Sacrifice” that the broadcast lines were re-opened.

Final Jam Set List. 119 minutes

Bill Graham Introduction - Jam #1: Feel It Jam - Jam #2 - Jam #3: I've Been Working (Van Morrison, Linda Tillery) - KSFX Aircheck - Stage Changes - Stage Interviews With Musicians - Jam #4: Rock Me Baby (Van Morrison, Linda Tillery)/My Man (Linda Tillery)/Rock Me Baby (Lydia Pense)/My Baby (Van Morrison, Linda Tillery, Lydia Pense) - Tuning/Stage Changes - I Found A Love (Van Morrison, Linda Tillery, Lydia Pense) - Jam #5: Flute and Guitar Jam - KSFX Aircheck - Roll Over Beethoven/Whole Lotta Shakin'/Johnny B. Goode (Van Morrison, Linda Tillery, Lydia Pense) - My Angel Baby/Sh'boom/Blue Moon/My Angel Baby (Linda Tillery) - We Gonna Rock (1) - Goodbye From Bill Graham (2) - Long And Tall (3) - Goodbye/Greensleeves (Exit Music) (4)

Releases

(1)(2)(3)(4) "Fillmore: An Outrageous Movie!" premiere on June 14, 1972 in movie theaters

(1)(2)(3)(4) "Fillmore: The Last Days" in 1972 on 3LP(boxed set) (Col USA Z3X 31390)

(1)(2)(3)(4) "Fillmore: The Last Days" on February 19, 1991 on 2CD (Epic/Legacy USA Z2K 31390)

(1)(2)(3)(4) "Fillmore: The Last Days" on June 2, 2009 on DVD-R1 (Rhino Records USA R2 516386)

Note

At the end of the evening (after their own concert), Santana participates to the final jam that feature various San Francisco musicians: Sam Andrew, Michael Bloomfield, Jack Casady (Hot Tuna), John Cipollina (Quicksilver Messenger Service), Bill Graham, Vince Guaraldi, George Hunter, George Marsh (The Loading Zone), Van Morrison, Lydia Pense (Cold Blood), Bernard Purdie, Linda Tillery (The Loading Zone), Tower of Power.

Fillmore West Closing Week Performers

The booklet of "Fillmore: The Last Days" includes June 29 as part of the Closing Week, but the poster and radio broadcasts lists June 30 to July 4, 1971 only. The opening show of that closing week was booked in keeping with Bill Graham's tradition of reserving one night a week at his venues as a showcase/audition opportunity for aspiring local talents.

Audition Night: Tuesday June 29, 1971: Sawbuck, Malo, Kwane & The Kwanditos

Night 1: Wednesday June 30, 1971: Stoneground, Flamin' Groovies, Cold Blood, Boz Scaggs

Night 2: Thursday July 1, 1971: Lamb, Grootna, Elvin Bishop Group, It's A Beautiful Day

Night 3: Friday July 2, 1971: Rowan Brothers (with Jerry Garcia), New Riders Of The Purple Sage (with Jerry Garcia), Grateful Dead

Night 4: Saturday July 3, 1971: Yogi Phlegm (The Sons Of Champlin), Quicksilver Messenger Service, Hot Tuna

Night 5: Sunday July 4, 1971: Tower Of Power, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Santana, San Francisco Musicians Final Jam

Film Release Ads

Photos

Photos by Various Authors/Uncredited Photos

Video

The Santanamigos Channel