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Splatt Gallery's History of Michigan Concert Posters
Volume Thirteen - 1977 - Page Three
Poster/ad for the Lenny White Band at the midnight concerts at the Michigan Theatre in Ann Arbor on March 4, 1977, with Ramsey Lewis coming up on March 26th.
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Poster/ad for Don Cherry and Oregon at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti on March 5, 1977.
Newspaper ad for the third Michigan appearance by the Runaways, at the Royal Oak Theatre in Royal Oak, Michigan on March 5, 1977. Also appearing on the bill was Cheap Trick in their 19th Michigan appearance, but their first that wasn’t in a bar in Ann Arbor or East Lansing (or Niles). And third on the bill was Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers in their first-ever Michigan show.
An amazing find by Tim Meeks, an original poster by an unknown artist for the Runaways, in their third Michigan show, at the Royal Oak Theatre in Royal Oak, Michigan on March 5, 1977, with the Detroit debut of Cheap Trick (their 19th Michigan show) and the Michigan debut of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. Priceless.
The British music press was pretty thrilled that David Bowie would be touring as part of Iggy Pop’s band, the magazines Sounds and New Musical Express each ran cover stories for their March 5, 1977 issues, and NME followed with a second consecutive cover the following week.
Melody Maker magazine may have actually broke the news back in January, and for their March 5 issue they ran the front-page headline “Iggy Stardust!”. The pairing was a headline writer’s windfall, “The Idiot & The Oddity”, “Thin White Profiles…”, we wish we would have found “Igg-Bow”.
The button on Iggy’s coat on the cover of Sounds reads, “Bowie Seal of Approval”.
A London, England record store ad welcoming Iggy Pop for his show at the Rainbow Theatre on March 5, 1977.
An ad for Ted Nugent with the Steve Gibbons Band at the Hammersmith Odeon in London, England, March 5-6, 1977.
A full-page Sire Records ad for the English band Renaissance with tour dates that include a show at the Ford Auditorium in Detroit, Michigan on March 6, 1977.
A full-page Capitol Records ad for the English band Gentle Giant with tour dates that include a show at the Ford Auditorium in Detroit, Michigan on March 6, 1977, where they opened for the British band Renaissance.
A full-page Motown Records ad for the NBC-TV special by Diana Ross, a version of her Broadway show, which aired on March 6, 1977.
The NBC-TV special by Diana Ross, “An Evening with Diana Ross”, a version of her Broadway show, aired on March 6, 1977. Linked below is the entire program:
Diana Ross – An Evening with Diana Ross (TV Special) (3/6/77)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtpJnC2Yblg
Poster/ad, likely by Jeff Yerkey for Jean-Luc Ponty with the Lenny White Band in East Lansing, Michigan on March 6, 1977.
Cheap Trick returned to the Second Chance for their 12th and 13th shows at the Ann Arbor, Michigan club, March 7-8, 1977, but this time with a difference in that after nearly three years as a working band, their debut album had been released.
Here is a twenty-minute performance from November 1977 as an example of the band’s live show:
Cheap Trick - Don Kirshners Rock Concert TV Show (11/10/77)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQDc9loiFuk
After ending his long absence from the stage, in Aylesbury, England on March 1, 1977, Iggy Pop’s new band, with David Bowie on keyboards, performed five more shows in England, wrapping up with two shows at the famed Rainbow Theatre in London on March 5th and 7th.
They arrived in the United States on March 9, 1977, with a couple of days to kill before the tour would start up again in Montreal, Canada on the 13th. It just so happened that Patti Smith’s Group were performing a pick-up show without her while she was still recovering from her injuries after falling off the stage in Florida.
Billed simply as “The Group” and playing a set of mostly cover songs, at the Lower Manhattan Ocean Club in NYC, the band had some fun with a small, but boisterous, audience that included Iggy, Bowie and Brian Eno. Iggy got on stage to join the band in a rendition of “96 Tears” which segued into an unreleased Stooges song “Scene of the Crime”. Another audience member, David Johansen of the New York Dolls, also pitched in on a couple of tunes.
Sound pretty cool? Well, here, remarkably, is the complete show:
The Group - Lower Manhattan Ocean Club, New York City (3/9/1977)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9wk6vcpuiI&feature=emb_logo
A more detailed account of the story is found here:
https://dangerousminds.net/comments/amazing_forgotten_patti_smith_group_show_with_iggy_david_johansen_and_other
A pair of ads for the first Michigan shows by Peter Gabriel as a solo artist, at GVSC in Allendale on March 12, 1977, and at Masonic Auditorium in Detroit the following night. Guitarist Steve Hunter was part of Gabriel’s touring band, a commitment he had made which required Bob Kulick to take his former place in Alice Cooper’s band for Copper’s Australian tour.
Opening for Peter Gabriel at both of his Michigan solo debut shows, March 12, 1977 in Allendale and March 13th in Detroit, the NYC band Television made their only Michigan appearances before the band broke up in July 1978. Their debut album “Marquee Moon” had been released in February 1977. The album still stands up today as not only one of the greatest debut albums, but a solid record, start to finish.
Television – Marquee Moon (album) (1977)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KvgP8MlEEE
Here is a recording from the Detroit show:
Television – Live in Detroit (3/12/77)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucZjPAABql4&fbclid=IwAR0OmCzN-wGaRbLuZ_05W3GC0hS91A5ITaoEESzWT90HTZH3oHeC0C4PwIQ
Poster for Parliament-Funkadelic at Olympia Stadium in Detroit, Michigan on March 12, 1977, as George Clinton brought the P-Funk Earth Tour with the landing of the mothership to his adopted hometown for the first time.
Actually, as Clinton described it, he was more of a nomad at the time:
“I had always lived a gypsy existence. I didn’t even own a house – all I had was a two-bedroom apartment in Detroit, on 8 Mile. What did I need with possessions? I had a spaceship.”
Newspaper ad for Parliament-Funkadelic with Bootsy’s Rubber Band and Rose Royce at Olympia Stadium in Detroit, Michigan on March 12, 1977, along with another iron-on transfer from the tour.
A full-page ad by the National Association of Recording Merchandisers for the Casablanca Records label in the March 12, 1977 issue of Billboard magazine, with their three biggest acts, KISS, Donna Summer and Parliament, along with the lesser known roster.
A full-page ad in the March 12, 1977 issue of Billboard magazine for the band Nite City, featuring Detroit musicians Paul Warren and Jimmy Hunter.
Poster/ad for Santana with Dave Mason at the Jenison Fieldhouse in East Lansing, Michigan on March 12, 1977. The band would play three more Michigan cities in the successive nights, Port Huron, Kalamazoo and Detroit. Along with two more shows in October, in Detroit and Flint, Santana will have performed six times in Michigan in 1977, the most appearances in a single year up to that point (they will also have six Michigan appearances in 1981).
Poster/ad for Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band in Long Island, New York on March 12, 1977.
A newspaper ad for Iggy Pop in Montreal, Canada on March 13, 1977. This was the first show on the Canada/US tour. Although not listed, the opening act was Blondie, as they would be throughout the rest of the tour.
A wonderful poster by artist Steve Menlo for an incredible bill of the Ramones, the Dogs and Van Halen in Norwalk, California on March 13, 1977.
The original art board for the poster by Steve Menlo for the Ramones, the Dogs and Van Halen in Norwalk, California on March 13, 1977.
A full-page Atco Records ad for the first solo album by Peter Gabriel, produced by Bob Ezrin and featuring his go-to guitarists Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter on some of the tracks (Wagner on "Here Comes the Flood" and Hunter on "Solsbury Hill", "Slowburn" and "Waiting for the Big One"). Hunter was also a member of Gabriel’s touring band.
The ad also has tour dates including the show at Masonic Auditorium in Detroit, Michigan on March 13, 1977, which was captured by this bootleg recording.
Peter Gabriel Live in Detroit (3/13/77)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caygTHCQTww
A long ad strip for the Tower Theater in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania with Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band appearing on March 13, 1977. Up-coming shows include Peter Gabriel, featuring guitarist Steve Hunter on March 18th, and with Iggy Pop and Blondie coming up on March 19th, the fifth show of Iggy’s Canada/US tour.
A preview of the Seger show in a local newspaper contained the following astounding paragraphs:
“Several years ago, Capitol Records released an album entitled “Phantom’s Divine Comedy” by an undisclosed performer who sounded incredibly like Jim Morrison. It was a great idea, and the album was musically sound. It sounded like the Doors in their prime, and was something of a spooky tribute.
“The album didn’t go far, and the word soon got out that the pseudo-Morrison was Bob Seger. Perhaps with the recent rise to popularity of the band, “Phantom” will be re-released, along with the other eight (Seger) albums that didn’t catch on.”
Of course, Splatt Gallery readers know full well the true story of “Phantom’s Divine Comedy”.
Newspaper ad for Santana at Wings Stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan on March 14, 1977.
Alice Cooper returned to the stage, for his first shows in fifteen months with an 12-date tour of New Zealand and Australia, which ironically had banned his appearances during the 1975 “Welcome to My Nightmare” tour. The tour, which started on March 14, 1977, was essentially a continuation of the “Nightmare” tour, with the same core band of Dick Wagner on guitar, Prakash John on bass, and Penti 'Whitey' Glan on drums. Guitarist Steve Hunter was currently touring with Peter Gabriel and was substituted for by Bob Kulick. Mark Stein on keyboards rounded out the unit. The shows broke Australian records for crowd size and fastest ticket sales.
A full-page Warner Bros. Records ad for Alice Cooper’s 12-date tour of New Zealand and Australia, returning to the stage for his first shows in fifteen months. Ironically, Australia had banned his appearances during the 1975 “Welcome to My Nightmare” tour.
The tour kicked off on March 14, 1977, essentially a continuation of the “Nightmare” tour, with the same core band of Dick Wagner on guitar, Prakash John on bass, and Penti 'Whitey' Glan on drums. Guitarist Steve Hunter was currently touring with Peter Gabriel and was substituted for by Bob Kulick. Mark Stein on keyboards rounded out the unit. The shows broke Australian records for crowd size and fastest ticket sales.
A full-page Casablanca Records ad for the Parliament Live P. Funk album and tour with sold-out dates including a show in Saginaw, Michigan on March 15, 1977.
Stevie Wonder on the cover of the March 15, 1977 issue of the British music magazine Blues & Soul.
Poster, possibly by Jeff Yerkey for Todd Rundgren’s Utopia in Lansing, Michigan on March 15, 1977. Here is a video of the climatic “Singring And The Glass Guitar” concert piece, filmed at the 1977 Bearsville Picnic:
Todd Rundgren’s Utopia - Singring And The Glass Guitar (live 1977)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krwnf_VVPQA
Second version of the poster for Todd Rundgren’s Utopia in Lansing, Michigan on March 15, 1977.
A nice placement of two ads in the State News newspaper in East Lansing, Michigan, one for the show by Todd Rundgren’s Utopia on March 15, 1977, and one for the Discount Records store.
Full-page record company ad for Todd Rundgren’s Utopia tour, including the March 15th show in Lansing, Michigan and the following show in Detroit on March 17, 1977.
A certain level of success for any serial publication has to be the special edition “Best Of” issue, and CREEM magazine released their first on March 15, 1977. The cover illustration was created once again by Gary Ciccorelli, taken from photographs by Bob Gruen and others.
The magazine had published 93 issues up to this point.
Shown above are the front cover, the table of contents, and the back cover with KISS ad (of course), along with two ads for the special issue.
A collection of ads for the Anchor Inn in Pinkney, Michigan from March 1977, and perhaps a mystery solved. Some of readers have recalled that the Anchor Inn came to an end by burning down, and as the picture in the lower right corner shows, it was indeed destroyed by fire, but that was five years earlier, in March 1972. By 1977, it was re-opened, likely as the Quonset style buildings others have recalled. It had its final demise in December 1977 as a result of six teenagers killed in a car crash after being at the bar in July 1977. So, actually, everyone was right.
The bands scheduled in the above ads are Tantrum, March 17-20, 1977, Bridgewater, March 22-23, Mugsy, March 24-27, Lightnin’, March 29-30, Jacob’s Ladder, March 31-April 2, Salem Witchcraft, April 3, and Scratch, April 5-6.
An ad for the Palladium in New York City with Bob Seger appearing on March 17, 1977 and with Iggy Pop and Blondie on the following night, the fourth show of the Canada/US tour.
An ad for the Palladium in New York City with Iggy Pop appearing on March 18, 1977 and with Peter Gabriel featuring Steve Hunter on the following night. Bob Seger had performed at the venue the night before Iggy’s show.
A full-page RCA Records ad for the “The Idiot”, the debut solo album by Iggy Pop which was released on March 18, 1977. Tour dates are also listed, we will be covering most of these shows as they come up.
The lead track on the album, “Sister Midnight” was also the first single to be released off the album.
Iggy Pop – Sister Midnight (1977)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4iksr4RAvc
Promo poster for Iggy Pop’s first solo album, released on March 18, 1977.
Poster/flyer with the Dogs in Duarte, California on March 18, 1977.
An ad for The Palomino in North Hollywood, California with an appearance by Commander Cody, March 18-20, 1977 and also former Airman Billy C. Farlow, March 27-28.
A full-page Columbia Recording Studios ad in the March 19, 1977 issue of Billboard magazine welcoming three new acts, Ted Nugent, Wild Cherry and Southside Johnny & the Asbury Dukes. Although Nugent had been signed to the Epic Records label, a subsidiary of Columbia, since the start of his solo career, his first two albums were both recorded at The Sound Pit in Atlanta, Georgia. At the time of this ad, he had just completed recording his third album, and his first at Columbia Recording Studios, “Cat Scratch Fever” which would be released in May 1977.
A full-page Island Records ad in the March 19, 1977 issue of Billboard magazine for the US release of the debut album by the English group Eddie & the Hotrods. The US version included the track “Get Out of Denver”, their cover version of the Bob Seger song. Later in the year, the band will be working with Rob Tyner, ex-lead singer of the MC5.
Eddie & the Hotrods – Get Out of Denver (1977)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyQTuf9Wj4s
An ad for a “Spring All-Nighter Party” at the University of Michigan on March 19, 1977, featuring Geno the Clown and the band All Directions.
Poster by Bamboo Productions with Johnny Winter, Muddy Waters and James Cotton at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti on March 19, 1977.
In January 1977, Waters released the studio album “Hard Again” which was well-received, earned him a Grammy Award and helped revive his career. The album had been produced by Johnny Winter, who also performed on the album, as did harmonic player James Cotton.
The entire group that performed on “Hard Again” went on tour in support of the album, billed as the trio of Winter, Waters and Cotton. Shows from that tour were recorded, including the show just before this one which was at the Masonic Temple in Detroit on March 18th. The group also performed in Grand Rapids, Michigan on March 21st.
The recording sat on the shelf for thirty years, until being released as the album “Breakin' It Up, Breakin' It Down” in 2007. Here are the two tracks that were recorded at the Masonic Temple:
Muddy Waters, Johnny Winter, and James Cotton – I Done Got Over It (live 3/18/77)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmnT8gcljXo
Muddy Waters, Johnny Winter, and James Cotton - Love Her With A Feeling (live 3/18/77)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzWnRXQcihM
An ad for Ted Nugent in Erlangen, Germany on March 19, 1977. The year would be on par with 1976 with over 100 shows , Nugent’s two busiest touring years until the year 2000.
Poster/flyer with the Dogs in Pomona, California on March 19, 1977.
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An ad for the Blue Frogge in Ann Arbor, Michigan with Marcus Belgrave & the New Detroit Jazz Ensemble on March 20, 1977, followed by three nights with Leon Thomas & Full Circle.
Volume Thirteen - 1977 - continues - HERE
