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Splatt Gallery's History of Michigan Music Posters
Volume Twelve - 1976 - Page Twelve
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The tour poster for Parliament-Funkadelic’s P-Funk Earth Tour which kicked off in New Orleans on October 27, 1976. The first-time landing of the mothership worked perfectly, the small ship sailed over the audience, shooting sparks on its way to stage, the mothership lowered down to stage with flashing lights reflecting off the disco balls, and when the thick smoke cleared, there was Dr. Funkenstein at the top of the stairs.
The crowd loved it and went crazy, but there was only one problem, they had opened the show with the landing and that was a hard act to follow for the rest of the show. The next night, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, they moved the landing to the end of the show.
George Clinton wanted a space ship. The flying saucer movie prop from “The Day the Earth Stood Still” had been perfect for the album cover of “Mothership Connection”, but George wanted something big, “...bigger than the Beatles at Shea, bigger than ‘Tommy’. I went to Neil (Bogart, head of Casablanca Records) and told him that I wanted a real spaceship.”
Fortunately for Clinton, Bogart loved the idea and he contracted set designer Jules Fisher for the task. Fisher also came up with the idea to have a small ship on a wire that would fly above the audience to the stage, then with plenty of flashing lights and smoke, the mothership would be lowered to the stage for its landing, the door would open and Clinton, dressed as Dr. Funkenstein would emerge at the top of the stairs.
Fisher’s concept drawings for the mothership, which was twenty-feet in diameter are shown above. The band rehearsed the show in an aircraft hanger in upstate New York. The P-Funk Earth Tour kicked off in New Orleans on October 27, 1976.
An awesome Globe Poster ($4,200 worth of awesome) for Parliament Funkadelic with Bootsy’s Rubber Band and Hugh Masekela in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 27, 1976. This was the kick-off show of the P-Funk Earth Tour and was the first show to feature the on-stage landing of the mothership.
An ad for a live album by Tim Weisberg and a scheduled live appearance at the Michigan Theater in Lansing, Michigan on October 28, 1976, and an ad for Steve Goodman at Michigan state University in East Lansing, Michigan on the following night, October 29th.
Having fulfilled their final obligation to Westbound Records by delivering the “Tales of Kidd Funkadelic”, George Clinton took the rest of the tracks from the same sessions and released Funkadelic’s ninth studio album “Hardcore Jollies” on October 29, 1976, their first release on Warner Bros. Records. The gatefold album cover featured four panels of artwork by Pedro Bell.
Funkadelic - Comin' Round the Mountain (1976)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mwWYeOF6Ww
A full-page Warner Bros. Records ad for the ninth studio album by Funkadelic, “Hardcore Jollies” released on October 29, 1976. Includes tour dates for the P-Funk Earth Tour.
A second full-page Warner Bros. Records ad for the ninth studio album by Funkadelic, “Hardcore Jollies” released on October 29, 1976.
Funkadelic – Smokey (1976)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oj2NA-9zwNY
Poster/ad for Parliament-Funkadelic with Bootsy’s Rubber Band and Hugh Masekela in Jackson, Mississippi on October 29, 1976, the third show of the P-Funk Earth Tour.
An ad for Manfred Mann at Masonic Auditorium in Detroit, Michigan on October 29, 1976. It was Manfred Man’s sixth Michigan appearance, but their first as the headliner, having previously opened shows for Spirit, Savoy Brown, Uriah Heep, and Blue Oyster Cult.
A pair of ads by an unknown artist for the Billy Cobham/George Duke Band in Royal Oak, Michigan on October 29, 1976. They had also released a live album recorded during the summer of 1976. The album cover illustration was by Jim Warren, who’s paintings will later be used on albums by Bob Seger and Alice Cooper.
The fifth show on Parliament-Funkadelic’s P-Funk Earth Tour was in Houston, Texas on Halloween night, October 31, 1976. The show was videotaped and later released on DVD. The entire concert is excellent, but if you just want to see the landing of the mothership, it starts at the 45:19 mark.
Parliament-Funkadelic – Live in Houston, Texas (10/31/76)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5aHD5ruSZ0
Poster and cover art of the 2008 reissue of the 1998 DVD release of the full concert by Parliament-Funkadelic at The Summit in Houston, Texas on October 31, 1976.
Poster by Hugh Surratt for Stephen Stills at Michigan State University in East Lansing on Halloween night, October 31, 1976.
Poster/ad by Jeff Yerkey for Stephen Stills at Michigan State University in East Lansing on Halloween night, October 31, 1976.
A pretty cool poster/ad by an unknown artist for a show by escape artists at Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan on Halloween night, October 31, 1976, the 50th year anniversary of Harry Houdini’s death in Detroit.
An ad by for a Halloween party with Masquerade at Second Chance in Ann Arbor, Michigan on October 31, 1976.
Grand Funk Railroad were the featured “CREEM’s Profiles” in the November 1976 issue.
Alice Cooper on the cover of the November 1976 issue of the Swedish pop magazine POSTER.
POSTER was Sweden’s biggest pop magazine in the 70’s. It was started in 1974 by Hans Hatwig, who claimed to be the man who wallpapered an entire generation's walls, and ran until 1980.
Shown above are the covers for twenty-three issues that featured Michigan-related artists, plus one personal favorite. Alice Cooper was the most frequently covered, appearing 11 times, followed by Suzi Quatro with eight, and Ted Nugent and Iggy Pop, with three each.
If you would like to see every cover of POSTER magazine, and many other Swedish pop magazines, go here:
http://enmedia.se/svenskapoptidningar/
A poster that does what it says, you can’t help but have a smile when you look at it, a full-page Motown Records ad in the November 2, 1976 issue of the British music magazine Blues & Soul.
Stevie Wonder on the cover of the November 2, 1976 issue of the British music magazine Blues & Soul.
Poster/ad by Crow Quill for Second Chance in Ann Arbor, Michigan, November 2, 1976. The adjacent ad is for a viewing party for the 1976 election that made Jimmy Carter the 39th President of the United States, defeating the incumbent, Richard Nixon replacement and only president from Michigan, Gerald Ford.
A full-page Chrysalis Records ad for Rory Gallagher with tour dates including two Michigan shows, in Royal Oak on November 3, 1976, and in Big Rapids on November 4th.
Here is an audio clip from Gallagher’s Royal Oak set:
Rory Gallagher – Jackknife Beat (live in Detroit, Michigan) (11/3/76)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkWihsyrC8U
Poster/ad by an unknown artist for “Lightning Leo” Kottke with John Hiatt at the Michigan Theatre in Lansing on November 4, 1976.
A second ad by an unknown artist for Leo Kottke at the Michigan Theatre in Lansing on November 4, 1976, that visually emphasizes the promoter Pyramid Productions.
Poster for Commander Cody, eight months after disbanding the Lost Planet Airmen and now a solo act, at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma, November 4-5, 1976.
A full-page MCA Records ad for Lynyrd Skynyrd with tour dates including a show in Flint, Michigan on November 5, 1976.
Ads for the Detroit band Badge at Jack’s, or Jack & Montes’, Odyssey in Akron, Ohio, November 5-6, 1976. Also of note is an upcoming appearance by Frost.
Poster for Parliament-Funkadelic’s P-Funk Earth Tour in Tulsa, Oklahoma on November 7, 1976, the 10th show of the tour.
Bootsy’s Rubber Band’s opening set for the P-Funk Earth Tour in Tulsa, Oklahoma on November 7, 1976, was recorded and much later released on CD in 2001. The following live footage was recorded at the Houston show on Halloween 1976, the same night that the Parliament-Funkadelic set was recorded for the “Mothership Connection” video.
Bootsy's Rubber Band – Live in Houston, Texas (10/31/76)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3byI94zEjc4
An ad for the Chicago Jazz Band at the recently opened Blue Frogge in Ann Arbor, Michigan on November 7, 1976.
A pair of ads for Ted Nugent with Montrose and Rex in Lansing, Michigan on November 8, 1976.
A full-page ad in Billboard magazine for the soundtrack album for the movie “Pipe Dreams” by Gladys Knight & the Pips. The movie was also Knight’s film debut, her acting career would go on to include nine movies and well over fifty television appearances. The tour schedule consists of awards presentations and TV appearances, the release dates for the film are also listed, with the Detroit premier to take place on November 9, 1976.
An ad for Hall & Oates at Masonic Auditorium in Detroit, Michigan, November 9-10, 1976. The popularity of their recently released album “Bigger Than The Both of Us” demanded the second show.
A full-page RCA Records ad in the October 1976 issue of CREEM magazine for the fifth studio album by Hall & Oates. The album peaked at #13 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, their highest charting to date, and included the first of their six #1 singles, "Rich Girl". The record’s success also prompted the addition of a second show at Masonic Auditorium in Detroit, November 9-10, 1976.
Newspaper ad for Parliament-Funkadelic’s P-Funk Earth Tour in Shreveport, Louisiana on November 10, 1976, the 11th show of the tour.
Poster/ad for Hall & Oates at Michigan State University in East Lansing on November 11, 1976.
Poster/ad, possibly by Crow Quill for a show by McCaffrey (formerly Whiz Kids) at Second Chance in Ann Arbor, Michigan on November 11, 1976. Upcoming shows include Dr. Bop & the Headliners featuring the White Raven, Masquerade and Mugsy.
A full-page poster/ad for a tour by Billy Joel, including a show at the Royal Oak Theatre in Royal Oak, Michigan on November 12, 1976. It was his fifth Michigan appearance, but his first as a headliner. He had previously opened shows for Jesse Colin Young in May 1974 and three shows with the Beach Boys at Pine Knob in Clarkston in July 1976.
An attractive poster for a performance by the school bands at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan on November 12, 1976.
George Clinton on the cover of the November 13, 1976 issue of Black Echoes magazine.
An ad for Tom Waits at Michigan State University in East Lansing on November 13, 1976. The following night, Waits appeared at the Royal Oak Theatre in Royal Oak on November 14th. The Royal Oak show was Waits’ fourth Michigan performance, three were in 1976 and the first had been opening for Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention at Cobo Arena in Detroit in July 1974.
Poster/handbill by Gary Grimshaw for Herbie Hancock, Johnny Wah Wah Watson and Mickey’s Pulsating Unit at Masonic Auditorium in Detroit, Michigan on November 14, 1976.
Poster/handbill by Gary Grimshaw for Bamboo Productions’ Concert Calendar, starting with Derringer at Ford Auditorium in Detroit, Michigan on November 17, 1976, followed by Black Sabbath and Black Oak Arkansas at Cobo Arena in Detroit on November 26th, Robin Trower with Boston in Toledo, Ohio on November 27th, Lynyrd Skynyrd with Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes at Ford Auditorium in Detroit on December 7th, Boston at Masonic Auditorium in Detroit on December 11th, and the return of Patti Smith for her fifth Michigan show of the year, with Sparks at Masonic Auditorium in Detroit on December 12th.
Poster/ad for Frank Zappa with Flo & Eddie at Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan on November 19, 1976, a Brass Ring production.
Both the Frank Zappa set and the Flo & Eddie set from Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan on November 19, 1976, were taped and bootlegged.
Frank Zappa – Live in Detroit, Michigan (11/19/76)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWYgrreRRbw
Flo & Eddie – Live in Detroit, Michigan (11/19/76)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmT0lCfybR4
A pun on the “Go Blue” cheer for University of Michigan sports teams is used for the “Go Blues” concert at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor, Michigan on November 19, 1976, featuring Roosevelt Sykes, Jimmy Dawkins and Otis Rush.
Poster/ad for the J. Geils Band with the James Gang at Wings Stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan on November 19, 1976. Two perennial Michigan favorites, the J. Geils band’s 36th Michigan show over five years and the James Gang’s 37th Michigan show over nine years. It would also be the final Michigan appearance for the James Gang (except for a 2006 reunion show).
An ad for Gato Barbieri at Michigan State University in East Lansing on November 20, 1976.
Volume Twelve - 1976 - continues - HERE
