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Splatt Gallery's History of Michigan Concert Posters
Volume Six - 1970 - Page Nine
Schedule for the month of May 1970 at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago with a fair representation of Michigan bands, SRC, Bob Seger, Stooges, and Frijid Pink. Also of note is the appearance of the band Bloodrock, a band that Terry Knight discovered in Texas, whom he re-named and signed on with as their manager.
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Poster by the great Chicago artist Skip Williamson for the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, Illinois, May 22, 1970, with the Bob Seger System. An earlier flyer also listed the Stooges, but they must have cancelled by the time Williamson made this poster.
A very cool poster that looks like the work of Jas. R. Hounshell for a show by SRC and Savage Grace at the Northern Michigan University Fieldhouse in Marquette, Michigan, May 23, 1970.
Chicago at the Masonic Temple in Detroit, May 23, 1970, in-state for the big event the next day.
Here is the middle part of a documentary on Chicago (band) 1970:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUxUjE2g8UM
Full-page Motown Records ad in the May 23, 1970 issue of Billboard magazine for the first single by Diana Ross as a solo artist. The logo in the lower-right corner was used throughout 1970 as a celebration of the 10th year anniversary of the Motown Corporation, although Berry Gordy actually started operations in 1959, it was in 1960 that the Motown and Tamla Records labels were merged into the Motown Record Corporation.
A full-page Invictus Records ad in the May 23, 1970 issue of Billboard magazine for singles by the Chairman of the Board and Freda Payne, two of the most successful acts on Holland-Dozier-Holland’s post-Motown record labels, Invictus along with Hot Wax.
Born and raised in Detroit, Freda Payne went to New York City at age 21 where she became a successful jazz singer and actress. Her Detroit friends Holland Dozier and Holland convinced her to sign with their newly-formed Invictus label.
They were able to offer her not only their own writing and production talents, but those of Ron Dunbar’s as well, plus an all-star Funk Brothers ensemble of musicians, including Bob Babbitt on bass, Dennis Coffey, Eddie Willis, Ray Monette, and Ray Parker Jr, on guitars, Johnny Griffin on keyboards, Uriel Jones on drums, Jack Ashford on percussion, Vinnie Bell on sitar, and backing vocals by Freda’s sister Scherrie Payne, who later became a Supreme, and Telma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent Wilson, the two later formed Tony Orlando & Dawn.
“Band of Gold” peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and was #1 in the UK for six weeks. The distinctive electric sitar part is played by Dennis Coffey.
Freda Payne – Band of Gold (1970)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tndGCy4Nxm4
Poster/ad for Grand Funk Railroad in Dallas, Texas, May 23, 1970, with special guest openers Pink Floyd.
The “Open Air Celebration” at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, May 24, 1970 was heavily promoted, with ads beginning to appear well over a month in advance. Here’s one of the earliest, sort of a teaser without any detail information. Only that “Jefferson Airplane is coming…”
A series of small postage-stamp size illustrations for the “Open Air Celebration” at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, May 24, 1970, probably by Doug Huston, that were randomly scattered throughout the pages of the local newspaper.
An ad for the “Open Air Celebration” at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, May 24, 1970, by an unknown artist.
Ad by Doug Huston for the “Open Air Celebration” at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, May 24, 1970.
The “Open Air Celebration” at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, May 24, 1970, had a few problems, Delany & Bonnie cancelled and were replaced on the bill by Mountain. The Jefferson Airplane got into a dispute with the band Chicago about the order of appearance, the Airplane ended up going on first and allegedly “broke” the sound system, causing Chicago to walk out (?) Ad by an unknown artist.
The band fees were published, (multiply by about 6.5x for today’s dollars), Jefferson Airplane, $20,000; Chicago, $12,500; Mountain, $8,000; Faces, $5,000; John Sebastian, $4,500; Rotary Connection, $2,500, and MC John “Spider” Koerner, $300.
Nice color poster, by Robert Daniel, for the Open Air Celebration in East Lansing, Michigan, May 24, 1970. And, on top of the band problems described above, it did rain.
One event that we get a lot of viewer feedback about is the Open Air Celebration at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan on May 24, 1970. The event was heavily promoted, starting with a cryptic “Jefferson Airplane is coming!!!!”, followed by a great series of ads by Doug Huston, and ending with a full-color poster by Robert Daniel.
Delany & Bonnie cancelled and were replaced on the bill by Mountain, unfortunately too late to get Mountain’s name on any of the art, from what we’ve been told, they had an awesome set. It was their sixth Michigan appearance, four days earlier they had performed at the Eastown Theater in Detroit, which is where all five previous appearances took place.
Their next Michigan appearance would come in August at the Goose Lake Festival, followed by four more shows at the Eastown before the end of the year, giving them a total of nine Michigan shows in 1970, in what could be called our year of Mountain.
The second season of WABX-sponsored free concerts at Tarter Field in Detroit kicked-off on May 24, 1970. The Fifth Estate newspaper had a new masthead by an unknown artist. For comparison, we have also stuck the original masthead, designed by Gary Grimshaw, on the bottom.
A fantastical poster/ad by an unknown artist for Rare Earth with the Allman Brothers at the Shady Grove Music Fair in Gaithersburg, Maryland on May 24, 1970.
An ad from Club Venus in Towson, Maryland with a parade of Motown acts, starting with Stevie Wonder, May 25-31, 1970, followed by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, and the Supremes.
An attractive ad by an unknown artist for the Poison Apple in Detroit, Michigan with The Joe Moran Villagers appearing on May 27, 1970.
Poster by an unknown artist, a Jolly Blue Giant Production for a benefit concert for the Berkeley Ecology Center at the Pauley Ballroom in Berkeley, California, featuring Commander Cody & his Lost Planet Airmen on May 28, 1970.
A page from the Berkeley Tribe newspaper in Berkeley, California with no less than three shows by Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen – at Babylon on May 23rd, Mandrake’s on May 24th, and at the Pauley Ballroom on May 28, 1970.
For her next show at the Fountain Street Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Carolyn Heines booked Richie Havens for May 29, 1970, but ticket sales were slow and the show was cancelled, but there was a poster.
A somewhat morbid poster by Dave Baker, printed in the May 29, 1970 issue of the Berkeley Tribe newspaper, endorsing Yippie activist Stew Albert for sheriff of Alameda County, California, suggesting that if his opponent, incumbent Frank Madigan, were to die then Albert would win the race.
Poster for the Factorie Ballroom in Waterford, Michigan, May 29-30, 1970, another by Al Shamie (Bad Dog). Something Different is listed as if they were a band, maybe they were, but that was also the name of one of Punch Andrews’ clubs, in Southfield, Michigan, which seems to have had its final show a month earlier, on April 3, 1970. Interestingly, Catfish played that show too.
Poster for the Churubusco Live-In Festival in Churubusco, New York, May 29-31, 1970, with two Michigan bands, Frost and Frijid Pink. Unfortunately, the event was cancelled due to community opposition.
Poster by an unknown artist “Gasper” for the Factorie Ballroom in Waterford, Michigan, announcing three new days of operation in addition to their Saturday shows, indicating that there are a lot more shows to be found that are not in the concert database since the opening in April 1970.
The poster promotes the Chip Stevens Group, who performed on May 30, 1970, and the Jagged Edge who performed five times in the month of June. The band Loki opened for four of those Jagged Edge shows. Chip Stevens also opened for two of those shows. The band Works (or Werks) performed in the final week of June, opening for band Salvage. Other bands that appeared during this period, according to the concert database were The Free, Something Different, The Bump, Muruga Booker, Gold Rush, and Freewood.
Poster by an unknown artist for a Memorial Day Rock & Roll Festival at Wamplers Lake Pavilion in Onsted, Michigan on May 30, 1970, featuring Brownsville Station, Rationals. All The Lonely People, Blues Train and the Sunday Funnies
A Rare Earth Records ad for the self-titled debut album by the British band Toe Fat, released in May 1970. By the time of the album’s released, the band’s lead guitarist and keyboardist Ken Hensley had left the group to help found Uriah Heep.
Toe Fat – Toe Fat (album) (1970)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9af0T94_Fg
The Festival of Man/Earth, May 30, 1970 through June 1st, at Thunderbird Beach, outside Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Michigan bands included Alice Cooper, Amboy Dukes, Bob Seger, Brownsville Station, John Lee Hooker, and the MC5.
Small “teaser” ads, sprinkled throughout the early June, 1970 issues of the Michigan underground press, without any further explanation, internationally famous musical acts and some place called Goose Lake.
A Reprise Records ad for the self-titled debut album by Savage Grace in the June 1970 issue of the Madison Kaleidoscope newspaper in Madison, Wisconsin.
Savage Grace – Savage Grace (album) (1970)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10oTnhZBtvk
Issue #5 of Big Fat magazine from Ann Arbor, Michigan, June 1970. This may be the best known issue of the magazine as Peter Steinberger’s prison interview with John Sinclair was picked up by underground newspapers around the country.
Local music fans were treated to some great photos of local musicians such as Bob Seger, Rob Tyner, and Scott Morgan from a musicians’ baseball game near the MC5’s house in Hamburg, Michigan.
A collection of illustrations by Ann Arbor artist Dave Baker from February through June 1970 in the Berkely Tribe newspaper in Berkeley, California. By this time, both Gary Grimshaw and Carl Lundgren had returned to Michigan. Baker seems to have stayed a bit longer in California, but he was also back in Ann Arbor by the end of the year.
Ads for Poor Richard’s Leather Company in San Francisco, California by Dave Baker in the Berkeley Tribe newspaper.
Mandrake’s in Berkeley, California, along with the New Orleans House, became sort of the home field for Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen, as seen in the sampling of ads shown above that span from March through June 1970.
The British music magazine Blues & Soul published a special edition “The Motown Story” in June 1970 to commemorate Motown’s 10th anniversary.
A full-page Motown Tamla Records ad for the single “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours” by Stevie Wonder which was released on June 3, 1970.
Stevie Wonder - Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours (1970)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUj9frKY46E
An ad for Ungano’s in New York City, with the Amboy Dukes appearing June 4-8, 1970. Also in town were The Who.
A pair of ads by an unknown artist showing the transition to Saturday night in the first week of June 1970 at Grandmother’s in East Lansing, Michigan, with Universal Family performing during the week, and Magic on Saturday, June 6, 1970.
Poster/handbill by John Manikoff for the Factorie Ballroom in Waterford, Michigan, June 5-6, 1970, with Jagged Edge, Maxx, Bump, and Loki.
A sweet poster for Alice Cooper at the Electric Circus in Toronto, Canada, June 5-7, 1970.
A tour blank poster for the Berwyn, Illinois band The Ides of March which could have been used for their third Michigan appearance, at the Mt. Holly ski resort in Mt. Holly on June 6, 1970. In just the two months since their previous Michigan show, in Mount Pleasant in April, their single “Vehicle” had risen to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the fastest-selling single in Warner Bros. Records history at that time.
The Ides of March – Vehicle (1970)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiLaNEFyCiM
A thrilling poster by an unknown artist for Wamplers Lake Pavilion, June 6, 1970. The Toby Wesselfox band had shortened their name to just Wesselfox. Drummer Bob Resch has four recordings by the band here:
Wesselfox – Too Late to Change/If I Knew/Get It On/Fool for Your Lovin’ (1970)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC966AztZ-WbG7uOfkaUfnRg
A Premier Talent agency ad in the June 6, 1970 issue of Billboard magazine announcing their representation of the band Cactus, formed by the ex-Vanilla Fudge rhythm section of drummer Carmine Appice and bassist Tim Bogert, with guitarist Jim McCarty, formerly with the Detroit Wheels, and vocalist Rusty Day, formerly with the Amboy Dukes briefly, and before that the leader of his own band, Rusty Day & the Midnighters.
Poster for a benefit dinner, a “Rock Feast”, featuring Commander Cody in Berkeley, California, June 8, 1970, with the earliest usage that we’ve found so far of Gary Grimshaw’s fully developed gun-guitar-peace pipe tri-pod.
The underground press was consistently anti-drug when it came to what they called “death drugs”, i.e. heroin, speed, and meth, etc. This poster by Al Shamie (Bad Dog) appeared in the June 10, 1970 issue of The Ann Arbor Argus, with the disintegrating Nation tri-pod made of a needle, a spoon, and a candle, and with the lyrics to the song “The Pusher”, at hit for the band Steppenwolf, but written by Hoyt Axton. Here is Axton’s version:
The blue one is a reprint that appeared in the September 21, 1970 issue of the Second Coming newspaper in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
Hoyt Axton – The Pusher (1968)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-7WpPk00jA
Ad for Mr. Flood’s Party in Ann Arbor, Michigan, June 1970, by an unknown artist.
Poster/ad in the June 10, 1970 issue of The Ann Arbor Argus announcing the beginning of another season of Sunday free concerts in Ann Arbor. This will be re-used for specific concerts with band names added by Gary Grimshaw in a collaborative deemed “Grimdog”, with illustration by Al Shamie.
Color version of the poster blank for the 1970 season of Sunday Free Concerts in Ann Arbor, Michigan by Al Shamie (Bad Dog).
The White Panthers somehow got their hands on the old Hullabaloo club in Ann Arbor and turned it into The Big Steel Community Ballroom with this schedule for June 11-12, 1970 on a poster/ad by an unknown artist.
Volume Six - 1970 - continues - HERE
