Left to right: George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Leon Russell
August 1, 1971: The Concert for Bangladesh is held at what was then still being called "The New Madison Square Garden."
Ex-Beatle George Harrison and his close friend, Indian sitar icon Ravi Shankar (whom people born after 1980 might know as singer Norah Jones' father), organized it after hearing of the plight of refugees from the Bangladesh Liberation War and a devastating cyclone.
The country, then as now one of the poorest in the world, had gained its independence from Pakistan, having previously been known as East Pakistan, separated from Pakistan proper by India.
There were actually 2 shows that Sunday, both filmed for a documentary: At 2:30 in the afternoon and 8:00 at night. It was George's 1st full concert since the Beatles' last tour, 5 years earlier. His band included, among others, Ringo, Eric Clapton (who did the show despite being ill), Billy Preston, Klaus Voormann, Leon Russell and Jim Keltner.
Shankar played with his group. Also on the bill: Bob Dylan, in his 1st full show since his motorcycle wreck 5 years earlier, and the British band Badfinger.
The country, then as now one of the poorest in the world, had gained its independence from Pakistan, having previously been known as East Pakistan, separated from Pakistan proper by India.
There were actually 2 shows that Sunday, both filmed for a documentary: At 2:30 in the afternoon and 8:00 at night. It was George's 1st full concert since the Beatles' last tour, 5 years earlier. His band included, among others, Ringo, Eric Clapton (who did the show despite being ill), Billy Preston, Klaus Voormann, Leon Russell and Jim Keltner.
Shankar played with his group. Also on the bill: Bob Dylan, in his 1st full show since his motorcycle wreck 5 years earlier, and the British band Badfinger.
This spectacle stamped The Garden as the most important concert venue in the New York Tri-State Area, in a way that the Nassau Coliseum, the Meadowlands Arena, and the baseball and football stadiums could never be.
While the 1925-68 "old Garden" never hosted a rock and roll show, the "new Garden" (which has now lasted longer than any of its predecessors) remains the place. An act that comes to New York and doesn't play The Garden either isn't big enough to do so, or is brash enough to think that only the Meadowlands stadium can hold him/her/them.
*
August 1, 1971 was a Sunday. This was also the day The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour premiered. I have a separate entry for that event.
These Major League Baseball games were played that day:
* The New York Yankees lost to the Minnesota Twins, 10-7 at Metropolitan Stadium in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota. The Yankees got home runs from Bobby Murcer and Thurman Munson, and 2 of them from Ron Blomberg, but it wasn't enough, as Mel Stottlemyre didn't get out of the 1st inning, allowing 6 runs. Tony Oliva hit one for the Twins, while Harmon Killebrew went 1-for-4 with a walk and an RBI, and Rod Carew went 1-for-5.
* The New York Mets lost to the Chicago Cubs, 3-2 at Shea Stadium. Juan Pizarro outpitched Tom Seaver. Ernie Banks, soon to retire, did not play.
* The Houston Astros beat the Montreal Expos, 8-1 at Jarry Park in Montreal.
* The Oakland Athletics swept a doubleheader from the Cleveland Indians, 7-3 and 4-2 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Reggie Jackson went 2-for-9.
* The Detroit Tigers beat the California Angels, 4-3 at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. The game went 16 innings before Jim Northrup ended it with a home run. Al Kaline did not play.
* The Boston Red Sox swept a doubleheader from the Chicago White Sox, 5-1 and 6-1 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Carl Yastrzemski went 1-for-5 with a walk.
* The Milwaukee Brewers swept a doubleheader from the Washington Senators, 4-3 and 3-2 at Milwaukee County Stadium.
* The San Diego Padres beat the Atlanta Braves, 2-0 at San Diego Stadium (later renamed Jack Murphy Stadium and Qualcomm Stadium). Clay Kirby pitched a 5-hit shutout. Hank Aaron went 1-for-4.
* The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Cincinnati Reds, 5-4 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. This had a weird ending: The Dodgers loaded the bases in the bottom of the 11th inning, and Willie Crawford reached base on catcher's interference -- by Johnny Bench, of all catchers -- forcing home the winning run. This is the only time a MLB game has ever ended with a catcher's interference. (UPDATE: It would happen again on July 21, 2025, for the Phillies against the Red Sox in an Interleague game.) Bench also went hitless in the game, going 0-for-4 with a walk. Pete Rose went 1-for-5.
* The San Francisco Giants swept a doubleheader from the Pittsburgh Pirates, 11-7 and 8-3 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. In the 1st game, Willie Mays went 2-for-5 with 2 RBIs; Willie McCovey went 1-for-4 with a home run, a walk, and 3 RBIs; and Roberto Clemente went 1-for-4 with a home run and 3 RBIs. None of them played in the 2nd game. Willie Stargell played in both, going 3-for-9 with 2 home runs and 2 RBIs.
This turned out to be a preview of the National League Championship Series, but the Pirates won that, and the World Series.
* A wild one was played at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. The St. Louis Cardinals led the Philadelphia Phillies 6-3 in the top of the 12th, but it was the Cards who launched a protest, and it was upheld. It was agreed to suspend the game, and it was resumed on a later day off for both teams: September 7. The Phils tied the game in the bottom of the 12th, but the Cards scored 3 times in the top of the 13th, and won, 9-6.
* And the Baltimore Orioles and the Kansas City Royals were rained out at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. Since the O's ended up winning the American League Eastern Division by 12 games, and the Royals were 16 games back in the AL West (albeit in 2nd place), the game was never made up.
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