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Splatt Gallery's History of Michigan Concert Posters
Volume Seven - 1971
A two-page Motown Records ad with a calendar for 1971. All throughout 1970, Motown had celebrated their tenth anniversary with the logo in the lower right side corner appearing on all of their ads.
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Grand Funk became the second Michigan rock group to appear on the cover of Circus magazine, with the January 1971 issue. The MC5 had been on the cover of the magazine’s sixth issue in September 1969.
Front cover illustration and logo by Zeke Mallory for the January 1971 issue of the Second Coming newspaper in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Mallory, an art student at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, will graduate in 1972 and form the design team Crow Quill with John Copely in Ann Arbor.
Illustration by Gary Grimshaw reprinted in the January 1971 issue of the Second Coming newspaper in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
The Paper in Lansing, Michigan was one of the five charter newspapers that formed the Underground Press Syndicate in 1966. Unfortunately, it was the first of the five to fold, ceasing publication in 1969. In its wake, no less than five new publications popped up, collided and consolidated throughout 1970, finally resolving as described in this January 1, 1971 edition of the Joint Issue.
“You may have noticed that the underground paper situation in the East Lansing area is somewhat confused. Within the last nine months, papers called Swill & Squeal, Generation, The Bogue Street Bridge, Joint Issue, and The Red Apple News have appeared. Here is a brief explanation: Swill & Squeal became Generation, The Bogue Street Bridge merged with Generation, (and) Joint Issue was the new name for merged paper. The Joint Issue staff now consists of people from The Bridge, some people from the original Generation, and new people. Clear?”
One of the “new people” was the addition of artist Dennis Preston, whom we’ve seen with a handful of concert posters so far (many more to come), and who illustrated the cover of this issue.
Dennis Preston’s “Some Call Him Hippie” cover illustration on the January 1, 1971 edition of the Joint Issue was a tit-for-tat response to the “Some Call Him Pig” billboard campaign started by conservative right-wing groups (the “Honks”). On the inside pages, another Preston illustration attempted to show distinctions that could be made in regards to “the thin Blue line”, but the Honks never did well with nuance (still don’t).
In addition to concert posters and political cartoons, artist Dennis Preston was in hot demand by local Lansing and East Lansing, Michigan businesses and shop owners. Here is an ad he designed for the Maiden Voyage shop that appeared in the January 1, 1971 issue of the Joint Issue newspaper.
Poster/flyer for the Palladium in Birmingham, Michigan, by Chad Hines, for a show on January 2, 1971, with the bands Alice Cooper, Works, and Salvage.
Newspaper ad for the Amboy Dukes and Brownsville Station at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana on January 2, 1971.
Swanky ad for WKNR-FM radio station from The Detroit Free Press newspaper, January 4, 1971.
Watt’s Club Mozambique was one of a half-dozen small jazz clubs that lined Fenkell Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. At least two of the performances at the club were released as live albums, Lonnie Smith, recorded in 1970, and Grant Green, recorded during his January 6-7, 1971 sets. In May 1971, the infamous Diamond Jim Riley was shot to death at this club.
Lonnie Smith – Live at Club Mozambique (album) (1970)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISPmnaMXucE
Grant Green – Live at Club Mozambique (album) (1971)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3abQz6GguaM
The band Little Feat made their first Michigan appearance, at the Canterbury House in Ann Arbor, January 7-9, 1971. The funniest thing is that The Michigan Daily newspaper, in a review of the concert, referred to the band as “Big Feat” at least a half-dozen times.
Little Feat – Willin’ (1971)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il9VFC6-Inw
Gary Grimshaw illustration on the cover of the January 7, 1971 issue of the Ann Arbor Argus newspaper. The trial of John, Pun, and Jack, charged in the CIA bombing conspiracy, was scheduled to begin on January 26.
Gary Grimshaw poster for the Free People's Clinic that was the back cover of the January 7, 1971 issue of the Ann Arbor Argus newspaper.
Full-color poster version, and blue flyer version of the Gary Grimshaw art that was the back cover of the January 7, 1971 issue of the Ann Arbor Argus newspaper.
Advertisement for Head Sound Studio in Ypsilanti, Michigan by an unknown artist. The MC5 used the studio in October an November 1970 to begin to flesh out songs for their third album. At least two of the jams have made it onto bootleg albums. Power Trip evolved into the song Skunk, and The Pledge Song is an early version of Sister Anne.
MC5 – Power Trip (1970)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIoQ21lKajQ
MC5 – The Pledge Song (1970)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWh39N5OzkM
Gary Grimshaw illustration of Tricky Dick from the January 7, 1971 issue of the Ann Arbor Argus newspaper.
Poster/flyer by Chad Hines for the Palladium in Birmingham, Michigan, January 9, 1971. Bands were Parliament-Funkadelic, SRC, and Magic Ring.
Poster/flyer by Gary Grimshaw for the Canterbury House in Ann Arbor, Michigan, January 10, 1971. Bands were the UP and Brat.
The Mouse House headshop of Stanley Mouse had moved from its Grand River location to the Seven Mile location at least by the time of this ad in the January 14, 1971 issue of The Fifth Estate newspaper.
A typical poster wall in downtown Detroit in January 1971. If you look closely, under the pasted Wanted poster and political ads, you can see a poster for James Brown, which was from his show a few months earlier at Cobo Arena, on November 22, 1970. You can still make out “Arena” and “Sunday” at the bottom, a poster that could fetch a couple grand today.
Illustration by Dave Baker in the January 14, 1971 issue of the Fifth Estate newspaper in Detroit, Michigan.
A full-page Motown Gordy Records ad for the single, "Just My Imagination" by the Temptations, released on January 14, 1971. It became the group’s third song to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and their 11th #1 on the R&B singles chart.
It was also the final Temptations single to feature founding members Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams, as Kendricks left the group to begin a solo career, while the Williams retired due to health reasons.
The Temptations performed "Just My Imagination" and "Get Ready" for their final appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, broadcast live on January 31. On-screen, Kendricks stood several feet away from the other Temptations, and made little eye contact with them; Otis Williams later remarked that one could see the group was no longer a complete unit:
“But there was such a bittersweet feeling. Eddie had really changed. Paul was on his last legs. Watch the clip of us doing the song on Ed Sullivan we're not together. Eddie is off by himself. There was no more group. Sure enough, when we played the Copa that week, Eddie left between shows. He didn't come back.”
The Temptations - Just My Imagination ( Ed Sullivan TV Show) (1/31/1971)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ4Ym9Xiw3w
Poster for Grand Funk Railroad at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England, January 15, 1971, the band’s one-day overseas debut.
Newspaper ad for the first Michigan appearances for both Ry Cooder and Captain Beefheart, at the Eastown Theater in Detroit, January 15-16, 1971. Not listed on this Warner Bros ad, but also appearing both nights were the Amboy Dukes.
While they were in town, Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band stopped by the WABX Studio to tape a live set for the Detroit Tube Works TV show. Not sure when it aired but it was performed on January 15, 1971, and here is a clip from it:
Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band – Detroit Tube Works TV Show (1971)
http://www.beefheart.com/detroit-tube-works/
Pirate’s World was a themed amusement park that opened in Dania, Florida in April 1967 and was a major attraction until 1971 when Walt Disney World opened in Orlando and drew away most of the crowds. Rock concerts were featured at least as early as 1969, featuring Led Zeppelin, Grateful Dead, and many others.
The MC5, Alice Cooper, and Brownsville Station performed there on January 15-16, 1971.
A poster for the MC5, Alice Cooper, and Brownsville Station at Pirate’s World in Dania, Florida, January 15-16, 1971.
A full-page London Records ad in the January 16, 1971 issue of Billboard magazine with singles by Al Green and Frijid Pink.
Alice Cooper performed on the Detroit Tubeworks TV show, January 16, 1971, and we are fortunate enough to have this clip.
Alice Cooper – Detroit Tubeworks TV Show (1971)
https://vimeo.com/277581715
Poster/handbill by Chad Hines for the Palladium in Birmingham, Michigan, January 16, 1971. Bands were Parliament-Funkadelic, Woolies, and Salvage.
Gary Grimshaw poster, one of his most whimsical, for the Baker Center Ballroom at Ohio University, January 16, 1971. Bands were the UP and Brat.
Poster by an unknown artist for the Roseland Roller Rink in Pontiac, Michigan, January 16, 1971. The line-up included familiar names, SRC, Cradle, and John Drake’s Shakedown, with less often seen bands Elephant and Harpo Jets. Free albums, and even better, free posters! (and BYO-peace sign)
Newspaper ad for a “Winter Pop Festival” at the Roseland Roller Rink in Pontiac, Michigan, January 16, 1971, with the bands Elephant, SRC, Cradle, John Drake Shakedown, Harpo Jets, and the addition of a set by Stone Front.
Nice poster by an unknown artist for a show by Toby Redd and Dilemma at the New Theater Ballroom in New Baltimore, Michigan on Anchor Bay, January 16, 1971. Artwork is a drawing of Paul Kantner from the inside gatefold of his Jefferson Starship album “Blows Against the Empire”, released in 1970.
A pair of ads for Mitch Ryder & Detroit (not Wheels) at the Bijou Rock Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio on January 16, 1971.
Newspaper ad for Neil Young at Masonic Auditorium in Detroit, Michigan on January 17, 1971. It was his first Detroit appearance, although he had performed three times in Ann Arbor in 1968 and 1969.
Gary Grimshaw poster for the Union Ballroom in Ann Arbor, Michigan, January 17, 1971. Wonder what the story is behind the photo. Bands were Mitch Ryder, UP, and Brat.
A series of ads in Ann Arbor’s Michigan Daily newspaper that gradually built up an appearance by the band Seatrain. The first ad had the tantalizing question about an electric fiddle played through a wah-wah pedal, the next had an endorsement from Beatles’ producer George Martin, the next had detailed biographies of each band member, and the next one announced that the show had been postponed.
Seatrain – 13 Questions (1971)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=War3BgTQ68Q
An ad for The Plato in Cleveland, Ohio with the Bob Seger System appearing on January 19, 1971, following the night with Captain Beefheart and Ry Cooder.
A full-page Motown records ad for the single “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye, released on January 20, 1971.
Gary Grimshaw poster from the January 21, 1971 issue of the Fifth Estate newspaper in Detroit.
Poster by Dennis Preston, at Wilson Hall in East Lansing, Michigan, January 22, 1971, with mystery band Otis.
The music line-up for the 19th Annual Autorama show at Cobo Hall in Detroit, Michigan, January 22-24, 1971. Who were the Woodstock Band?
Very cool poster by an unknown artist for the 1st Bi-Monthly Jackson Rock & Roll Revival, January 22, 1971. Too cool, maybe. The art is pretty advanced and looks like it’s someone we should know, but can’t quite place. We cannot verify the date and place and bands. It looks like the rocket’s thought balloon says “Jackson Airport”(?) Bands were SRC and Mutzie.
We’ll have to ask our Northern Soul friends tomorrow night if they know anything about the Houston Outlaws. We can’t find much about them other than a handful of singles on the Westbound Records label. This 1971 release seems to be their first. “Uncle Ed’s Backyard” sounds like a field recording from a neighborhood party. The A-side is a classic floor-filler.
Houston Outlaws – Uncle Ed’s Backyard (1971)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvvIuBr0LI0
Houston Outlaws – Ain’t No Telling (1971)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRt8L_LokYQ
Stevie Wonder on the cover of the January 22, 1971 issue of the British music magazine Blues & Soul as he began a UK tour with Martha & the Vandellas.
A full-page Motown Records ad, with the Soul label, in the January 23, 1971 issue of Billboard magazine for the single “If I Were Your Woman” by Gladys Knight & the Pips.
An ad for in the January 23, 1971 issue of Billboard magazine for Norman Whitfield and the group Undisputed Truth.
Poster for Stevie Wonder with Martha Reeves & the Vandellas in Sheffield, England on January 23, 1971.
Poster/handbill by Chad Hines for the Palladium in Birmingham, Michigan, January 23, 1971. Bands were Chuck Berry, Woolies, Maxx, and Ted Lucas & the Horny Toads.
Ad by an unknown artist for the Marijuana Belt, available at the Vibration clothing store in East Lansing, Michigan, as appeared in the January 23, 1971 issue of the State News newspaper. "I am a man once more".
Poster by an unknown artist for the Bob Seger System with Bread Fruit and Red Ball Band at the Midland Center for the Arts in Midland, Michigan, January 23, 1971.
Volume Seven - 1971 - continues - HERE
A story about a hot rod show during the Christmas weekend at the Light Guard Armory in Detroit in the January 14, 1971 issue of The Fifth Estate newspaper featured this killer illustration by Stanley Mouse. It was reported in the next issue that Mouse was planning to produce a series of rolling papers with designs based on the names of famous rock bands.
