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Splatt Gallery's History of Michigan Concert Posters
Volume Eleven - 1975 - Page Five
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Poster for Robin Trower, John Mayall, and Joe Vitale’s Madmen at Wings Stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan on April 22, 1975.
Here’s a sweet one, great photos, band member lists, and a missing link of sorts with Jim McCarty and Johnny Bee on hiatus from the Rockets with the band Ace High, nice playing card too. An interim spot for singer Rusty Day post the band Detroit. Ace High at the Red Carpet in Detroit, Michigan, April 23-27, 1975, with Mixed Bag preceding them and Wayne’s Kramer’s Kreemers following.
Poster by Hugh Surratt for an out-of-state show by America in South Bend, Indiana on April 24, 1975.
Although it had been announced in the previous issue that artist Overton Loyd had left Detroit, and his staff position at the Fifth Estate newspaper, his art was used for one final cover, of the April 24, 1975 edition.
One last collage of some of the art by Overton Loyd in the Fifth Estate newspaper in Detroit, Michigan. The next time we will see him will be on the cover of the 1978 Parliament album “Motor Booty Affair”.
Ads for Alice Cooper’s “Welcome to My Nightmare” TV special which was broadcast in most markets on April 25, 1975. Below are links to some segments from the hour-long program, not to be confused with the feature-length film “Welcome to My Nightmare” which was a concert movie released in November 1975.
Alice Cooper Escape from The Nightmare TV Special (1975)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJmoAj4by1k
Alice Cooper Medley Steven's Nightmare (1975)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGUzzkngWA0
Poster for Alice Cooper’s “Welcome to My Nightmare” album and the TV special on April 25, 1975. Guest musician Johnny "Bee" Badanjek played drums on two tracks, on the title track and on "Escape".
Alice Cooper - Welcome to My Nightmare (1975)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZeaCohfWsY
Alice Cooper – Escape (1975)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuflWJY6y4Q
A very cool poster by an unknown artist for Commander Cody & his Lost Planet Airmen opening for Jefferson Starship in Iowa City, Iowa on April 25, 1975.
A pair of ads for “The First Annual Tooth, Fang & Claw Battle of the Bands”, a nod to the Amboy Dukes’ 1974 album, with now “Ted Nugent’s Amboy Dukes” facing off with “The Mad Bear” of Canned Heat at Illinois State University on April 25, 1975. Not sure how they squared off Nugent’s “electric feedback guitar” against the vocals of Canned Heat’s Bob Hite, it could have been amusing.
The German prog rock group Nektar made their first Michigan appearance at the Michigan Palace in Detroit on April 26, 1975. Recordings from the show were released in the band's Collectors' Corner series and later included as part of a 5 CD Live Anthology set.
A full-page record company ad for the German prog rock group Nektar, they made their first Michigan appearance at the Michigan Palace in Detroit on April 26, 1975 as part of the advertised tour.
A Dome Productions poster for Ian Hunter & Mick Ronson at the Grand Valley State Colleges in Allendale, Michigan on April 27, 1975.
A stunningly gorgeous poster by Gary Grimshaw for a Metropolitan Opera Series at the Masonic Temple in Detroit, Michigan, commencing on April 28, 1975 and running through May 3rd.
Newspaper ad and photo for KISS in Lansing, Michigan on April 29, 1975, their second Michigan show of the year.
Illustration of Suzi Quatro by Allen Welkis in the May 1975 issue of the men’s magazine Gallery.
Alice Cooper on the cover of the April 30, 1975 issue of Bravo magazine, the largest teen magazine in Germany.
Also on the covers of the May 1975 issues of the Swedish pop magazine Tiffany and the US magazine Circus.
The month of May 1975 from Stanley Mouse’s “Monster” calendar.
Cover art by Gary Ciccarelli for the May 1975 issue of CREEM magazine.
An ad for an Iggy Pop Fan Club in the May 1975 issue of CREEM magazine.
A full-page record company ad for Alice Cooper’s first solo album “Welcome to My Nightmare” in the May 1975 issue of CREEM magazine.
A Gilbert Shelton “Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers” poster in the May 1, 1975 edition of the Fifth Estate newspaper in Detroit, Michigan.
Cover of the May 1975 issue of The Lansing Star newspaper in East Lansing, Michigan, wherein we learn that the name of the artist formerly known as Moustache Dave is David Wehrwein.
Tour poster by German artist Christian Piper for the Rolling Stones’ 1975 Tour of the Americas. Piper, who was working along with Milton Glaser at the prestigious Push Pin Studio in New York City, also designed the album cover for the “Made in the Shade” greatest hits package that was released to coincide with the tour, he would also later design the album cover for the Stones’ 1981 album “Tattoo You”.
To announce the tour, the Stones scheduled a press conference on May 1, 1975 at the Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York City. As the journalists and the curiosity-seekers waited inside the hotel, the Stones pulled up on the back of a flatbed truck, playing “Brown Sugar”, when the song was over, they sped away, never bothering with the actual press conference.
The tour officially kicked off on June 3rd in San Antonio, Texas. They would come to Detroit for two shows on July 27th and 28th.
An ad for Suzi Quatro’s third album “Your Mama Won’t Like Me”, released on May 1, 1975.
A full-page ad in People magazine that picks up the itinerary for Alice Cooper’s “Welcome To My Nightmare” tour, starting with the 25th show of the tour, in Syracuse, New York on May 1, 1975.
Poster by an unknown artist for a Showcase Jazz presentation at Michigan State University in East Lansing, May 1-3, 1975.
The first shows at the new Silver Dollar Saloon in East Lansing, Michigan were cancelled due to the area’s worse flood in 28 years. Flo & Eddie with the Turtles was cancelled, and the following planned appearance by Kansas was likely cancelled as well, as the Silver Dollar thanked their would-be patrons for waiting, welcoming them to come dance to the Rock ‘n’ Roll sounds of Quinn on May 2, 1975.
Ironically, across town, apparently high and dry, the Coral Gables was presenting a band named Flood.
Two posters/ads by Hugh Surratt for the Jefferson Starship at Michigan State University in East Lansing on May 2, 1975.
A number of ads by an unknown artist for the Fifth Estate newspaper’s May Day celebration at the Earth Center in Hamtramck, Michigan featuring Ted Lucas and Nachtmusik on May 2, 1975.
What appear to be a couple of “show-blank” posters by an unknown artist for Ted Lucas and for the Earth Center Ballroom, being assembled to promote the Fifth Estate newspaper’s May Day celebration at the Earth Center in Hamtramck, Michigan featuring Ted Lucas, Doctor Don and John Sauter on May 2, 1975.
Posters and ads by Gordon Carleton for a Star Trek convention in East Lansing, Michigan, May 2-4, 1975.
An ad for the Preservation Hall Jazz Band at the Detroit Music Hall on May 3, 1975.
An ad for the Guess Who at the Wings Stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan on May 3, 1975.
Poster for Alice Cooper at Madison Square Garden in New York City on May 5, 1975.
A Dome Productions poster for Foghat and Leslie West at the Grand Valley State Colleges in Allendale, Michigan on May 7, 1975.
An ad with Ted Nugent & the Amboy Dukes opening for KISS at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on May 3, 1975.
An ad for Ted Nugent with “his” Amboy Dukes in Oxford, Georgia on May 6, 1975.
The return of two legends after prolonged absences, this was Gary Grimshaw’s first rock concert poster in fourteen months, and for former-MC5 lead singer Rob Tyner, a return to the stage after nearly two and a half years when his new group Fireworks debuted at the Red Carpet in Detroit, Michigan, May 7-11, 1975.
Alice Cooper on the cover of the May 8, 1975 issue of the Northeastern Ohio Scene magazine with an ad for the movie “Good To See You Again, Alice Cooper”. The film received a glowing review.
Poster/ad by Hugh Surratt for John Stewart at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, May 8-9, 1975.
An ad by an unknown artist “Johanna” for John Stewart at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, May 8-9, 1975.
Ultimately, the show was postponed.
Poster for Grand Funk in Vancouver, Canada on May 9, 1975. The band photo, as a trio, was about three years out of date.
The front cover of the May 9, 1975 edition of the Berkeley Barb newspaper in Berkeley, California. Some forty-five years later, we have our answer.
A full-page Epic Records ad for Jeff Beck’s album “Blow By Blow” which was released about six weeks before his show at the Masonic Auditorium in Detroit, Michigan on May 9, 1975. It was his 15th Michigan appearance, although his first as simply “Jeff Beck”. As part of the Jeff Beck Group, he had performed at the Grande Ballroom ten times, the Jeff Beck Group also co-headlined with Stevie Wonder at Cobo Arena in May 1972, his most recent appearance prior to this show at Masonic had been two years earlier as part of Beck, Bogert & Appice.
Speaking of Stevie Wonder, he contributed these two songs to the “Blow By Blow” album and performed uncredited on the clavinet.
Jeff Beck – Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers (1975)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiOPvOBd8IA
Jeff Beck – Thelonius (1975)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8XDnPwWHaM
A full-page Epic Records ad for Jeff Beck’s “Blow By Blow” album with tour dates that include the show at the Masonic Auditorium in Detroit, Michigan on May 9, 1975.
Newspaper ads for Bonnie Raitt with Mose Allison at Michigan State University in East Lansing on May 10, 1975.
On May 10, 1975, the British band Hawkwind played their fifth Detroit show, their fourth at the Michigan Palace. The next day was a pivotal moment, as the band crossed over into Windsor, Ontario, Canada for a show that night in Toronto, bass player Lemmy Kilmister was arrested at the border on drug possession charges. The border police mistook the (legal) amphetamine he was carrying for cocaine and he spent five days in jail before being released without charge, but the band decided to fire him.
Lemmy quickly put his own band together, a trio including guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Wanting to take his music in a harder direction, inspired by the music in Detroit, in particular of the MC5, he even tried to recruit ex-MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer. He decided to name the band “Bastard”, but advised against that, he decided on the name “Motorhead”, the title of the last song he had written for Hawkwind. Originally a non-album track, it was originally released as the B-side to the single “Kings of Speed”, the original picture sleeve for the single is shown above.
Hawkwind – Motorhead (1975)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4vQ-eYgIy0
Newspaper ad for a Rock & Roll Revival show at the Masonic Auditorium in Detroit, Michigan on May 12, 1975, and a split-fountain color poster by an unknown artist for the same show two days later in Flint, Michigan. The headliner was Detroit’s Jackie Wilson and included Michigan’s Del Shannon and Moose & Da Sharks, along with Danny & the Jrs., Len Barry of the Dovells, and the Angels.
Sadly these would be the final Michigan shows for Jackie Wilson. On September 29, 1975, Wilson suffered a massive heart attack in the middle of singing "Lonely Teardrops" at a show in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He remained mostly in a semi-comatose state for the rest of his life until passing away in January 1984 at age 49.
This appears to be the only Michigan appearances for the Angels, a girl group from New Jersey and our only chance to get their biggest hit added to our soundtrack:
The Angels – My Boyfriend’s Back (1963)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NuofNHKbVc
An ad for John Lee Hooker at the Rock & Roll Farm in Wayne, Michigan, May 12-13, 1975.
Poster by Hugh Surratt, with Mazur, for Norman Blake and Bryan Bowers in East Lansing, Michigan, May 15-16, 1975.
Poster for Alice Cooper with Suzi Quatro in Fort Worth, Texas on May 16, 1975, the 31st show of the tour.
An ad with the Michael Quatro Group opening for Hawkwind at the Allen Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio on May 16, 1975.
Volume Eleven - 1975 - continues - HERE
