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Splatt Gallery's History of Michigan Music Posters
Volume Ten - 1974 - Page Seventeen
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Due to poor image quality, we hadn’t been able to specifically identify the date that The Detroit Emeralds made this live appearance at the Wigan Casino, the epicenter of the second wave of Northern Soul, located in Wigan, England, but we can now determinatively say that it was October 26, 1974.
What makes the date fairly certain is the “World Exclusive! The First Ever Live Appearance of The Javells” the night before the Detroit Emeralds show. The Javells were a flash in the pan, one hit wonder, that only existed because someone at Pye Records had an obscure B-side that he thought would appeal to the Northern Soul clubs, especially if he could pass it off as being recorded by an American-sounding group name.
The song was “Goodbye Nothing To Say”, the B-side to the single “Teenage Love” recorded by Nosmo King (read as “No Smoking”), a pop singer that had about as many different names as he had records. The artist was Steve Jameson, also known as Steve Gold, who had minor hits in the mid-Sixties as part of a duo called Truth. Today, he is currently known as “The World’s Oldest Living Jewish Comedian” Sol Bernstein.
The ploy worked, the song peaked near the UK Top 20 and Jameson had to quickly throw together a trio to perform club dates as the Javells. As All Music writes, “Similar sounding follow-ups failed and the fictitious group faded as fast as it had arrived”.
The Javells – Goodbye Nothing To Say (1974)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bvfkgd4oEHY
The British prog Rock band IF made its fourth, and final, Michigan appearance, at the Michigan Palace in Detroit on October 26, 1974. The band’s drummer Cliff Davis will later become a charter member of Ted Nugent’s solo band.
An ad for Aretha Franklin at Radio City Music Hall in New York City for four shows, October 26-27, 1974.
An artist named Kevin Tolman (“kevin”) began creating poster/ads for WABX-FM radio in Detroit, Michigan, this one is for an October 27, 1974 broadcast of a live recording of the band Chicago from one of their performances during their five-night stand at the Pine Knob Music Theatre in August.
A full-page ad in a British music magazine for a month-long tour of the UK by the Four Tops, starting off in Sheffield, England on October 27, 1974, and wrapping up in Liverpool on December 1st.
Stevie Wonder on the cover of the October 28, 1974 issue of Newsweek magazine.
Stevie Wonder on the cover of the Northeastern Ohio Scene magazine in advance of his concert at the Richfield Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio on October 28, 1974.
An oddly compelling ad for Stevie Wonder at the Richfield Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio on October 28, 1974.
A stock photo of Stevie Wonder degraded by multiple successive reprints in an ad for a concert with Rufus in Richfield, Ohio on October 28, 1974 that makes him look like an alien inevitably led to this.
Taking a break from the Bachman-Turner Overdrive tour, Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band (although still billed as Bob Seger) performed two home state shows, at The Brewery in East Lansing, Michigan on October 28, 1974, and at Chances Are in Ann Arbor on October 30th.
Head East, the band from Chicago, opened for Seger at the Ann Arbor show. The night before, Head East had performed two shows with Steven Stills, who had dropped into town pretty much unannounced to perform two benefit shows for congressional candidate John Reuther at Chances Are. Head East remained in Ann Arbor and headlined at Chances Are for the next three nights after the Seger show.
A Discount Records ad by Jive Comix, aka Ted Echterling, in the State News in East Lansing, Michigan, while the British prog rock band Gentle Giant bounced around the state, not quite making it to East Lansing, but for two shows in Detroit, where they opened for John Sebastian at Ford Auditorium on October 28, 1974, and for the J. Geils Band a week later at Cobo Arena, and finally out to Flint, Michigan, opening for Foghat at the IMA Auditorium on November 6th.
A Bearsville Records ad with artwork by Haruo Miyauchi, the same front cover art for the debut album by Todd Rundgren’s Utopia, released in October 1974. Touring in support of the album brought the band back to Michigan for their sixth, seventh, and eighth shows in the state; at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor on October 29, 1974, at the IMA Auditorium in Flint on the following night, and a month later, at Welsh Auditorium in Grand Rapids.
A standout ad from Standback Productions for an appearance by Todd Rundgren’s Utopia at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor, Michigan on October 29, 1974. The following night, October 30, the band performed in Flint, Michigan at the IMA Auditorium, and exactly one month later, on November 30, the band played its sixth Michigan show of the year, at the Welsh Auditorium in Grand Rapids.
Poster by Hugh Surratt for Todd Rundgren’s Utopia at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor, Michigan on October 29, 1974. It will be re-used for upcoming shows in 1975.
A pleasing ad on the day of the show, for Todd Rundgren’s Utopia at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor, Michigan on October 29, 1974.
Kramer’s Kreamers were still holding court at The Scene in Ann Arbor, Michigan every Thursday, Friday and Saturday as reminded by this ad in the October 29, 1974 edition of the Michigan Daily newspaper.
An ad for Chances Are in Ann Arbor, Michigan for Bob Seger (sic) on October 30, 1974.
Poster by Rich Dorris and Gary Grimshaw as Motor City Graphics for a concert and Halloween party at an American Legion Hall in Detroit on October 31, 1974, featuring Nozmo King (say it out loud).
Poster by the great Austin poster artist Guy Juke for a Halloween show by Commander Cody & his Lost Planet Airmen at the Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin, Texas, October 31, 1974, and also on the following night, November 1st.
Parliament Funkadelic performed on Halloween night, October 31, 1974 at Alex Cooley’s Electric Ballroom in Atlanta, Georgia as the start of a three-show run into November 1st and 2nd.
Poster by an unknown artist for the movie “Space is the Place” starring Sun Ra, released in November 1974. Below is the trailer for the movie and the complete film:
Space is the Place – movie trailer (1974)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaA-JV2Ut60
Space is the Place – movie (1974)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCalqwsicls
Suzi Quatro was the subject of a CREEM poster in the magazine’s November 1974 issue. Photo by Bob Gruen. The issue carried the story “Suzi Quatro: Elvis as Virgin Queen” by Jaan Uhelszki.
Additional photos of Suzi Quatro by Bob Gruen and Ian Dickson in the November 1974 issue of CREEM magazine.
This poster for a Jazz Workshop and Concert performance by Charles Lloyd on November 1, 1974 was intended for local area posting since there is no location specified other than “Campus Center Performance Space” and “Campus Center Multi-Purpose Room”, however, we have tracked it down to being at the Grand Valley State Colleges near Grand Rapids, Michigan, and it fits right in with the rest of the excellent poster work that we’ve seen from there.
A full-page record company ad for the first American tour, in support of the release of their first live album, with tour dates including a show at the Michigan Palace in Detroit on November 1, 1974, opening for ELO.
A second full-page record company ad for Caravan’s first American tour, in support of the release of their first live album, with tour dates including a show at the Michigan Palace in Detroit on November 1, 1974, opening for ELO.
Here is a recording from the ELO set that night, this show was the first live appearance of bassist and vocalist Kelly Groucutt with the band.
ELO – Live in Detroit, Michigan (11/1/74)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9_7BCLZ43I
Poster for Stevie Wonder’s 1974 Fall Tour with Wonderlove and Rufus, in Cincinnati, Ohio on November 1, 1974. Rufus had released their second album earlier in the year, which included a song that Stevie Wonder wrote for the band which became Rufus’ first Top Ten hit.
Rufus – Tell Me Something Good (1974)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cm_cFzVAoo8
A Discount Records ad by Jive Comix, aka Ted Echterling, in the November 1, 1974 edition of the State News in East Lansing, Michigan.
The back cover of the November 1, 1974 edition of the Ann Arbor SUN newspaper in Ann Arbor, Michigan with artwork by Chris Frayne (Ozone) for the “Win A Pound of Columbian” sweepstakes (with color variations from subsequent issues).
The front cover of the November 1, 1974 edition of the Ann Arbor SUN newspaper in Ann Arbor, Michigan with photo of Mick Jagger by David Fenton.
An ad for Chances Are in Ann Arbor, Michigan with Head East starting off the month, November 1-3, 1974, followed by Lightnin & Miss Ruby Starr on November 4th. The ad makes a note of Starr’s appearance on the Midnight Special TV show, performing with Black Oak Arkansas.
The band Chopper comes next, for five nights, November 5-9, and the big show with Weather Report and Sid Blair’s Visions happens on November 10th.
Poster by Richard Kelley for Lou Reed in Toledo, Ohio on November 2, 1974 that uses the cover art from Reed’s album “Sally Can’t Dance”, revised here to be “Toledo Can’t Dance”. The album cover was designed by Fillmore East poster artist David Byrd, whom you may recall also created the album cover art for two Michigan bands, Frost and Third Power.
A full-page MCA Records ad for the second single from Golden Earring’s “Moontan” album, with tour dates including a show at Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan on November 3, 1974. Opening for the J. Geils Band and Mountain, it was the Golden Earring’s sixth Michigan show of the year, and an audio recording of the show is found here:
Golden Earring – Live in Detroit, Michigan (11/3/74)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkgodfbFkR0
From the Wolfgang’s Vault description:
“When the King Biscuit Flower Hour pursued the J. Geils Band for their syndicated radio show, they wisely chose to record two additional Cobo Hall performances that occurred in November of 1974, when the group was headlining a tour that included powerhouse rockers, Mountain, as the opening act.”
Wolfgang’s Vault acquired the King Biscuit tape archives in 2006, which shut down the unauthorized YouTube version that sported this graphic. Both have the date of the recording as November 3, 1974, the concert database has them at Cobo on two nights, the 3rd and the 4th, the radio broadcast was on December 8th.
An ad for the Carpenters at the Civic Center in Lansing, Michigan on November 4, 1974, their 13th Michigan show over three years.
Poster by J.W. Kelly, who made the great 1971 poster for the Rainbow Room in Detroit, Michigan, for Shawn Phillips at Indiana University Auditorium in Bloomington, Indiana on November 5, 1974.
An ad for the Starwood in Hollywood, California with Bob Seger appearing, November 6-10, 1974.
An ad in the November 7, 1974 edition of the Fifth Estate newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, announcing the addition of a special insert to CREEM magazine, typically an eight pager, called “Extra CREEM”, supplement that focused on the Metro-Detroit area, “the creem and the chaff of Motor City bars, clubs, restaurants, fashions and flophouses”. We believe the supplement continued through at least 1976, copies of issues with the supplement are highly coveted.
We haven’t seen much of Frijid Pink during the year, but they turned up in Atlanta, Georgia, performing for three nights at Richard’s on November 7-9, 1974. Two weeks later, original lead singer Kelly Green introduced his new band, Hot Lips, at Bimbo’s in Ypsilanti, Michigan, November 22-26. Sometime during the year, the band released their fourth, and final, album (until their 21st century reunions).
A stunning poster by Linda Powell for a concert by university bands at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo on November 8, 1974.
A full-page Mercury Records ad for the debut album by the Canadian band Rush, with tour dates including a show at the Michigan Palace in Detroit on November 9, 1974, where they opened for Tim Buckley and Rory Gallagher.
This was the third Michigan appearance by Rush, as you may recall, the band’s very first US show had been at the Northside Drive-In Theater in Lansing on May 18, 1974. Since then, the band had made a change in their line-up, bringing in drummer Neil Peart at the end of July 1974. This was also the band’s second time at the Michigan Palace, having opened for Hawkwind on September 6th.
A cool poster by an unknown artist for KISS at Delta College near Bay City, Michigan on November 10, 1974. It was the 12th Michigan show of the year by KISS. The special guest was the Australian band Skyhooks, in their second Michigan appearance. Their 1974 album “Living in the 70’s” landed at #9 on the list of “The 100 Best Australian Albums”, and here is the band performing the title track:
Skyhooks – Living in the 70’s (1974)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLUtKKoMetM
Suzi Quatro became the third Michigan-related act of the year to have a live set broadcast on the popular King Biscuit Flower Hour syndicated radio program, airing on November 10, 1974. Earlier in the year, Commander Cody & his Lost Planet Airmen had a set broadcast on January 13th, and Brownsville Station aired on April 28th.
Poster by Roger Shepherd for the “Rockin’ Hoedown ‘74” in Sacramento, California on November 10, 1974, including Commander Cody & his Lost Planet Airmen.
The Canadian band Rush performed their fourth Michigan show, at The Brewery in East Lansing on November 11, 1974. We can probably stop referring to them as the “Canadian” Rush, as by now the two or three local bands named Rush that roamed through the area have all pretty much gone by the wayside.
Volume Ten - 1974 - continues - HERE
Ads for Tim Buckley at the Michigan Palace in Detroit on November 9, 1974 and the following night at Bimbo’s in Ypsilanti, Buckley’s 20th Michigan show.
A poster/flyer with photo by David Fenton for the movie “Ladies and Gentlemen, the Rolling Stones” at the Fifth Forum Theatre in Ann Arbor, Michigan, November 1-12, 1974.
Record company ads for ELO and Climax Blues Band, coinciding with both groups appearing at the Michigan Palace in Detroit on November 1, 1974.
Stevie Wonder on the cover of the November 1974 issue of the British music magazine Let It Rock.
Another well designed, color poster from Dome Productions at Grand Valley State Colleges in in Allendale, Michigan for a concert by Aerosmith in their 14th Michigan show for the year, on October 26, 1974, supported by Mike Quatro.
An Atco Records ad for “Hamburger Concerto”, the fourth studio album by the Dutch band Focus, with supporting tour dates including a show in Detroit, Michigan on October 26, 1974. The show was at the Masonic Auditorium opening for Lou Reed, Hall & Oates were also on the bill, in their second Michigan appearance.
Not shown on the ad is another Michigan show by Focus that was added for October 22nd, at the McMorran Arena in Port Huron, opening for Aerosmith with Mike Quatro.
For Focus, the October 26th show with Lou Reed was their seventh, and last-ever, Michigan show. 1973 had been their peak year in Michigan, from opening for J.Geils in March (with a great Gary Grimshaw poster), to headlining twice, then returning to opening act slots for concerts by the Spencer Davis Group and Edgar Winter’s White Trash.
