View source for Atlantic Records 40th anniversary

{{Short description|1988 celebration held at Madison Square Garden in New York City}}
On May 14, 1988, the [[Atlantic Records]] label held its 40th-anniversary celebration by staging, at [[Madison Square Garden]], [[New York City|New York]], a non-stop concert lasting almost 13 hours<ref name="perry">{{cite web
| last = Perry
| first = Shawn
| title = The Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary Bash
| work = VintageRock.com
| publisher = Vanilla Fudge
| date = 1999
| url = http://www.vintagerock.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=159:atlantic-records-40th-anniversary&catid=1:all-features&Itemid=2
| access-date = 2007-12-08
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071220012531/http://www.vintagerock.com/atlantic.html
| archive-date = 20 December 2007
| url-status = dead
}}</ref> starting at noon and ending just shortly before 1{{Nbsp}}am the following morning. The event was dubbed '''"It's Only Rock And Roll"'''.
Only artists who had released material on the Atlantic label in the [[United States]] performed, spanning the company's forty-year existence. [[Lavern Baker]] and [[Ruth Brown]] were the longest tenured Atlantic acts to perform, while [[Debbie Gibson]] was the most recent.
Some Atlantic signings, who had either officially split up or not performed together for a number of years, re-formed especially to perform. These included [[The Rascals]], [[Iron Butterfly]], and the former members of [[Led Zeppelin]]. Other notable performers included [[Yes (band)|Yes]], [[Genesis (band)|Genesis]], [[Crosby, Stills & Nash]], [[Keith Emerson]] and [[Carl Palmer]] (representing [[Emerson, Lake & Palmer]]), [[Foreigner (band)|Foreigner]], [[Paul Rodgers]], [[Bob Geldof]], [[Booker T. Jones]], [[Wilson Pickett]], [[The Coasters]], [[The Spinners (American group)|The Spinners]], [[Phil Collins]], [[Peabo Bryson]], [[The Blues Brothers]] (featuring [[Dan Aykroyd]] and [[Sam Moore]]), [[Roberta Flack]], [[The Manhattan Transfer]], [[Bee Gees]], [[Ben E. King]], and [[Vanilla Fudge]].<ref name = "perry" />
Plans to close the performance with a greatest hits all-star jam were shelved.<ref>Lewis, Dave and Pallett, Simon (1997) ''Led Zeppelin: The Concert File'', London: Omnibus Press, p. 140.</ref> Instead, the former members of Led Zeppelin were the last act. "No rehearsal and just shambling on," recalled guitarist [[Jimmy Page]].<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Robert|last=Sandall|author-link=Robert Sandall|title=The Q interview|magazine=[[Q (magazine)|Q]]|issue=258|date=January 2008|page=42}}</ref>
The concert was broadcast live in the US on FM radio and [[HBO]] television; commentary for the latter being provided backstage by comedian [[Robert Townsend (actor)|Robert Townsend]]. HBO commenced its live broadcast a few hours into the event and interspersed footage of the concert that had been taped earlier by the network. In so doing, some of the artists' sets were edited or omitted. An edited version aired later that year on [[American_Broadcasting_Company|ABC]] hosted by [[Robert Hays]]. The audio was recorded by David Hewitt and Stanley Johnston on the Record Plant Black Truck.
Banners heralding the reunion of Led Zeppelin were displayed like tapestry by excited fans – but, to the fans' dismay, were taken down before HBO went with their live feed.
In the [[United Kingdom]], the event was broadcast over four weeks by [[BBC Two]], presented as hour-long episodes. Atlantic issued this production on video as ''Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary: It's Only Rock 'n' Roll''. The release intercut concert footage with highlights of earlier performances, and older footage from the Atlantic archives.
==Performances==
[[Marv Albert]]
*Introduction
[[The Coasters]]
*"That Is Rock-N-Roll"
*"[[Charlie Brown (The Coasters song)|Charlie Brown]]"
[[Phil Collins]]
*"[[In the Air Tonight]]"
Phil Collins
*Introduction of [[LaVern Baker]]
Lavern Baker
*"[[Jim Dandy (song)|Jim Dandy]]"
*"Saved"
[[Roberta Flack]]
*Introduction of [[Foreigner (band)|Foreigner]]
Foreigner
*"[[Hot Blooded]]"
*"[[Juke Box Hero]]"
*"[[Urgent (song)|Urgent]]"
*"[[I Want To Know What Love Is]]"
[[Iron Butterfly]]
*"[[In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida]]"
[[Laura Branigan]]
*"[[Gloria (Laura Branigan song)|Gloria]]"
[[Stephen Stills]]
*Introduction of [[Ben E. King]]
Ben E. King
*"[[Spanish Harlem (song)|Spanish Harlem"]]
*"[[There Goes My Baby (The Drifters song)|There Goes My Baby]]"
*"[[Save the Last Dance for Me]]"
[[Roberta Flack]]
*"[[Killing Me Softly with His Song]]"
[[Roberta Flack]] and [[Peabo Bryson]]
*"[[The Closer I Get to You]]"
[[Michael Douglas]]
*Introduction of [[Crosby, Stills & Nash]]
Crosby, Stills & Nash
*"[[Wooden Ships]]"
*"[[Our House (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song)|Our House]]"
*"[[Suite: Judy Blue Eyes]]"
[[Bee Gees]]
*"[[To Love Somebody (song)|To Love Somebody]]"
*"[[Lonely Days]]"
*"[[Jive Talkin']]"
[[3 (1980s band)|3]] (as [[Emerson, Lake & Palmer|Emerson & Palmer]] with [[Robert Berry]] on bass)
*"America (including Rondo, Tocata, Tank)"
[[Yes (band)|Yes]]
*"[[I've Seen All Good People]]"
*"[[Hold On (Yes song)|Hold On]]"
*"[[Owner of a Lonely Heart]]"
*"[[Perpetual Change]]"
*"[[Roundabout (Yes song)|Roundabout]]"
[[Dan Aykroyd]] and [[Bill Murray]]
*Introduction of [[The Rascals]]
The Rascals
*"[[Good Lovin' (The Young Rascals song)|Good Lovin']]"
*"[[Groovin']]"
*"[[People Got to Be Free]]"
[[Vanilla Fudge]]
*"[[You Keep Me Hangin' On]]"
*"Take Me for a Little While"
[[Average White Band]]
*"[[Pick Up the Pieces (Average White Band song)|Pick Up the Pieces]]"
[[Ruth Brown]]
*"[[Teardrops from My Eyes]]"
*"[[(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean]]"
[[Lisa Bonet]]
*Introduction of [[Debbie Gibson]]
Debbie Gibson
*"[[Staying Together (song)|Staying Together]]"
*"[[Foolish Beat]]"
*medley
**"[[Out of the Blue (Debbie Gibson song)|Out of the Blue]]"
**"[[Shake Your Love]]"
**"[[Only in My Dreams]]"
*"[[Happy Birthday to You]]"
[[Phil Collins]]
*Introduction of [[Robert Plant]]
Robert Plant
*"[[Heaven Knows (Robert Plant song)|Heaven Knows]]"
*"[[Ship of Fools (Robert Plant song)|Ship of Fools]]"
*"[[Tall Cool One (Robert Plant song)|Tall Cool One]]"
[[Alan Paul]] & [[Tim Hauser]] of [[The Manhattan Transfer]]
*"[[Mack the Knife#Popular song|Mack the Knife]]"
[[The Manhattan Transfer]]
*"[[Birdland (Weather Report song)|Birdland]]"
[[The Spinners (American band)|The Spinners]]
*"[[Mighty Love (song)|Mighty Love]]"
*"[[Could It Be I'm Falling in Love]]"
*"[[Working My Way Back to You]]"
Dan Aykroyd
*Introduction of [[Steve Cropper]] and [[Duck Dunn]]
[[Booker T. & the M.G.'s|The MG's]]
*"Last Night"
Steve Cropper
*Introduction of [[Carla Thomas]]
Carla Thomas and the MG's
*"[[Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes)|Gee Whiz]]"
Steve Cropper
*Introduction of [[Paul Rodgers]]
Paul Rodgers and the MG's
*"[[(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay]]"
Steve Cropper
*Introduction of [[Miki Howard]]
Miki Howard and the MG's
*"[[Try a Little Tenderness]]"
Carla Thomas, [[Paul Shaffer]] and the MG's
*"[[Tramp (Lowell Fulson song)|Tramp]]"
Dan Aykroyd (as [[Elwood Blues]]), [[Sam Moore]] and the MG's
*"[[Everybody Needs Somebody to Love]]"
*"[[Soul Man (song)|Soul Man]]"
*"[[I've Been Loving You Too Long]]"
Dan Aykroyd (as Elwood Blues), Sam Moore, Phil Collins, and the MG's
*"You Don't Know Like I Know"
*"[[Knock on Wood (Eddie Floyd song)|Knock on Wood]]"
[[Roberta Flack]]
*Introduction of [[Bob Geldof]]
Bob Geldof
*"You Can't Be Too Strong"
[[Wilson Pickett]] and the MG's
*"[[In the Midnight Hour]]"
Wilson Pickett, Dan Aykroyd (as Elwood Blues) and the MG's
*"[[Land of a Thousand Dances]]"
Mike Green
*Presentation to [[Ahmet Ertegun]]
Ahmet Ertegun
*Introduction of [[Genesis (band)|Genesis]]
Genesis
*medley
**"[[Turn It On Again]]"
**"[[Land of Confusion]]"
**"[[Misunderstanding (Genesis song)|Misunderstanding]]"
**"[[Throwing It All Away]]"
**"[[You Can't Hurry Love#Phil Collins version|You Can't Hurry Love]]"
**"[[Shortcut to Somewhere]]"
**"[[All I Need Is a Miracle]]"
**"[[That's All (Genesis song)|That's All]]"
**"[[Tonight, Tonight, Tonight]]"
**"[[Invisible Touch (song)|Invisible Touch]]"
**"Turn It On Again (Reprise)"
Paul Shaffer
*Introduction of [[Rufus Thomas]]
Rufus Thomas
*"[[Walking the Dog]]"
[[Robert Townsend (actor)|Robert Townsend]], Phil Collins, and Ahmet Ertegun
*Introduction of [[Led Zeppelin]]
Led Zeppelin ([[John Paul Jones (musician)|John Paul Jones]], [[Jimmy Page]] and Robert Plant) with [[Jason Bonham]] on drums
*"[[Kashmir (song)|Kashmir]]"
*"[[Heartbreaker (Led Zeppelin song)|Heartbreaker]]"
*"[[Whole Lotta Love]]"
*"[[Misty Mountain Hop]]"
*"[[Stairway to Heaven]]"
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071220012531/http://www.vintagerock.com/atlantic.html "The Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary Bash" by Shawn Perry]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080517234204/http://classicrock.today.com/2008/05/16/20-years-ago-vanilla-fudge-reunite-at-atlantic-records-40th-anniversary/ "20 Years Ago: Vanilla Fudge reunite at Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary!", by Shawn Perry, May 16, 2008]
* [https://www.nytimes.com/1988/04/07/arts/atlantic-records-plans-an-11-hour-concert.html "Atlantic Records Plans An 11-Hour Concert", The Associated Press, April 7, 1988]
{{Led Zeppelin}}
[[Category:Concerts in the United States]]
[[Category:Led Zeppelin]]
[[Category:1988 in music]]
[[Category:Atlantic Records]]
[[Category:1988 in New York City]]
[[Category:1980s in Manhattan]]