In 2002, entrepreneur Bill Sagan bought the complete archives of legendary rock promoter Bill Graham. The archives included Graham’s never-released tapes of thousands of live performances by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Doors, The Grateful Dead, Cream, Jefferson Airplane, Van Morrison, Santana, Otis Redding, Steppenwolf, Marvin Gaye, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan and many others.
Now, through his Web site Wolfgang’s Vault (Wolfgang was Graham’s given name), Sagan is streaming the collection through what he calls Vault Radio. It is amazing stuff. Hear Grace Slick sing “Somebody to Love” in 1966 with not Jefferson Airplane, but her earlier group, Great Society (performing on the same bill with Jefferson Airplane). You’ll find early recordings of The Allman Brothers, Elvis Costello and Taj Mahal, as well as classics by a range of rock and R&B; greats from Chuck Berry and Booker T. to The Staple Singers and Frank Zappa.
To read more about Sagan and his purchase of Graham’s archives, read, Rock’s Living History, Streamed Online.