Rock music manager Danny Goldberg remembers 'summer of love' in upcoming book

NEW YORK (WABC) -- This summer marks the 50-year anniversary of what was known as "The Summer of Love."

It was a time when the Beatles were telling everyone, "All You Need is Love" while releasing one of the most influential albums ever recorded. A new PBS special is seeking to explain how "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" shaped an era.

That was just one musical milestone of the summer of 1967. Another was "The Monterey Pop Festival," which was documented in a famous movie.

"There was a time when the words peace and love were not meant ironically or sarcastically," rock music manager Danny Goldberg said.

Goldberg had just graduated from Fieldston in the Bronx in 1967. As his 50th high school reunion approached, he went "In Search of the Lost Chord." That's the title of his upcoming book remembering the era.

"It was like this invisible spirit was animating people at the same time," he said.

His book takes a look back at events such as the Be-Ins, which were recorded in movies found in an antique store decades after they were held in Central Park's Sheep Meadow.

"People just felt, 'My goodness, I'm not alone,'" Goldberg said.

After his experiences during the "Summer of Love," Goldberg found his calling as a rock music manager and political activist.

"To me, it was like a flare across the sky," he said. "An example of what's possible for the way human beings can interact with each other."

That spirit among people formed the counter-culture that was prominent at the time.

"But the idea there was going to be utopia overnight was delusional," Goldberg said.

Yet, the spirit of the summer of '67 still resonates today in music and social protest.

"When people are goodhearted, come together and can find common ground, I think they can accomplish an enormous amount," he said.

Goldberg noted that the legacy of that time is everywhere when you consider the civil rights movement gained traction during this time. Additionally, feminism began to flower, LGBT people were demanding to be heard, and many people were becoming aware of the need to protect the environment.