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Splatt Gallery's History of Michigan Concert Posters
Volume Seven - 1971 - Page Two
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Poster by an unknown artist for the Life Culture Week in Ann Arbor, Michigan, January 18-24, 1971.
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The end of January 1971 was particularly politically active in Michigan, with a Life Culture Week in Ann Arbor in support of the CIA Bombing Conspiracy defendants, and a week of benefits to raise funds for the upcoming Winter Soldier Investigation in Detroit.
To start things off, there was a show at the Grande Ballroom, January 23, 1971 with Phil Ochs, supported by the bands Insanity’s Horse and Justice Colt. The next night, January 24, Ochs went out to Ann Arbor for an appearance at Hill Auditorium, which originally was planned as the closing event for the Life Culture Week, but ended up being the opening event as the schedule shifted in support of striking AFSCME workers.
There was an appearance by Jane Fonda on January 28 at the Unitarian Church in Detroit, and finally, a concert by David Crosby and Graham Nash on January 30 at the University of Detroit.
The revised schedule for the Life Culture Week in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with the events following the Phil Ochs concert and with more White Panther involvement.
A mixer at Holmes Hall in East Lansing, Michigan, January 29, 1971 with the band Julia.
Poster for the Four Tops at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University on January 29, 1971.
Poster and ad by Jim Harter for John Lee Hooker at the Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin, Texas, January 29-30, 1971.
In a recording career that started with demos recorded by Bernie Besman in Detroit, Hooker had released over a dozen albums and at least eight charting singles when he teamed up with the band Canned Heat, releasing the double-album “Hooker ‘n Heat” on January 15, 1971, it would become his best-seller to date.
Canned Heat – Hooker ‘n Heat (album) (1971)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMJBEXJis0w&list=PL8a8cutYP7fpwRU8uX5RlW9wL3kog3RdU
Poster/handbill by Chad Hines for the Palladium in Birmingham, Michigan, January 30, 1971. The poster says this will be the final area performance by the Bob Seger System and it looks like they were right. The System was dis-banded shortly after. Backing bands were Detroit with Mitch Ryder and Julia.
Ad by an unknown artist for a benefit show for the Ann Arbor Argus newspaper at the Grande Ballroom, January 30, 1971. This show does not appear in the database, so we’re not sure who the “killer Motor City Rock & Roll” bands were, or if the show actually happened. We’ll give it the benefit of a doubt and count it as a show.
A full-page Motown Gordy Records ad in the January 30, 1971 issue of Billboard magazine for the debut single by Undisputed Truth, produced by Norman Whitfield. The song “Save My Love For A Rainy Day” was a track on the 1967 Temptations album “The Temptations with a Lot o' Soul”, also produced by Whitfield.
The ad is misleading in saying “written by Barrett Strong”, Strong co-wrote the B-side of the Undisputed Truth single, “Since I’ve Lost You” with Whitfield, “Save My Love For A Rainy Day” was co-written by Whitfield and the ill-fated Roger Penzabene.
Undisputed Truth would have their first, and biggest, hit with their next release "Smiling Faces Sometimes" coming up in May 1971.
Starkly effective ad for the Detroit Tubeworks TV show, January 31, 1971 by an unknown artist. A story in Billboard magazine provided the history of the show, it was launched in the Fall of 1969 with eight one-hour shows taped in black-and-white, and a second season that started in the Fall of 1970 with thirteen two-hour shows in color. The purpose of the article was to announce that the show was being extended for another thirteen shows to start in May 1971.
We previously linked to Captain Beefheart’s three-song performance of January 15, 1971. Here is an additional, very bizarre track from that episode, called “Feet and Fingers”.
Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band – Feet and Fingers (Detroit Tubeworks) (1971)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7vi_Y8ucrY
The Jackson 5 returned to their hometown of Gary, Indiana for a show on January 31, 1971.
After weeks of preparation and fund-raising benefits, the Winter Soldier Investigation took place in Detroit, Michigan, January 31, 1971 through February 2nd. It brought over a hundred Vietnam Vets to the city to testify that the atrocities exposed by the My Lai Massacre during the court martial trial of Lieutenant William Calley Jr. was not an isolated incident, but rather was a systematic American war policy.
The testimonies were later entered into the US Congressional record and a documentary film was produced. The ad is by an unknown artist.
Two versions of the movie poster for the Winter Soldier film.
The February 1, 1971 issue of WIN magazine from New York with cover illustration by Gary Grimshaw.
Cover illustration for the February 1, 1971 of the Ann Arbor Argus Dave Baker. The cover tells the story of a police raid on the Argus, which was also happening to underground newspapers around the country, including the NOLA Express in New Orleans, Kudzu in Jackson, Mississippi, Harry in Baltimore, The Seed in Chicago, Juche in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the Second Coming in Ypsilanti, Michigan, View From the Bottom in New Haven, Connecticut, and Cold Steel in Buffalo, New York.
Illustration of Mother Nature by Al Shamie (Bad Dog) (noted "Dallas July 1970") that appeared in the February 1, 1971 of the Ann Arbor Argus newspaper. The issue also introduced Shamie's "junkie" drawing that would be used, and re-used by the Underground Press Syndicate in newspapers across the country.
An ad for the Abstention Coffee House in Rochester, Michigan dated February 1, 1971 with illustration by an unknown artist Greg Erickson, for Wednesday open jam sessions – “Kick Out the Jams!”
Poster for Stevie Wonder with Martha & the Vandellas in Bristol, England on February 2, 1971.
Gary Grimshaw’s “Rock & Roll Star”, originally published in the Goose Lake Festival program book, gets re-appropriated in the February 2, 1971 issue of the Second Coming newspaper in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
The paper was offering bootleg copies of Bob Dylan’s yet-unpublished book “Tarantula”.
The third issue of Sun/Dance, February 1971, showing a point in the transition from the White Panther Party to the Rainbow People’s Party. Still a White Panther Information Service with the panther logo, but these would soon disappear as the group attempted to soften and expand their image.
Poster by an unknown artist signed as Morrison, and Dave Baker’s White Panther Party Ten Point Program poster from Issue #3 of Sun/Dance newspaper, February 1971.
The “White Panther Required Listing and Reading List” from Issue #3 of the Sun/Dance newspaper, February 1971, with illustration by Gary Grimshaw.
Headline and illustrations by Gary Grimshaw in Issue #3 of the Sun/Dance newspaper, February 1971.
Illustration of Chairman Mao by Gary Grimshaw in Issue #3 of the Sun/Dance newspaper, February 1971. Reminds us of John Sinclair’s letter to The MC5, “You guys wanted to be bigger than the Beatles, I wanted you to be bigger than Chairman Mao”.
Surprise illustration by Stanley Mouse in Issue #3 of the Sun/Dance newspaper, February 1971.
Color version of the Gary Grimshaw poster that we posted earlier in the newsprint black-and-white edition.
Poster/handbill by Chad Hines for the Palladium in Birmingham, Michigan, with a mid-week show, February 3, 1971, with UP, Shakey Jake, Julius Victor, and Elephant.
Doug Huston ad for the Free Spirit shopping mall in Lansing, Michigan, published in the February 3, 1971 issue of the State News newspaper.
An ad for the Jay-Cee Bar in Detroit by an unlnown artist in the February 4, 1971 issue of The Fifth Estate newspaper.
Poster/ad by Doug Huston, for the Byrds and James Gang at the Jenison Fieldhouse in East Lansing, Michigan, February 5, 1971. Not listed on the poster, but opening the show, according to a show review, was our mystery band Tacklebox, the reviewer was not kind to them.
Ad by an artist J.L. Hichlin for The Byrds with the James Gang at the Jenison Fieldhouse in East Lansing, Michigan, February 5, 1971.
Possibly the first poster by Hugh Surratt, for a show by the Byrds with the James Gang at the Jenison Fieldhouse in East Lansing, Michigan, February 5, 1971. While in high school in Detroit, Surratt was good friends with Rick Buckler who became a well-known artist for Marvel Comics. Following high school, Buckler left for New York City to begin his career, while Surratt went off to college at Michigan State University, where he estimates that he made 100 to 150 concert posters and ads.
Surratt was a member of Pop Entertainment, which promoted concerts at Michigan State University in East Lansing. Eventually, he would become an executive in various departments at RCA Records, including artist development, creative marketing, and management, working closely with the Dave Matthews Band and others.
Poster by an unknown artist for Dewey’s in Madison, Wisconsin with REO Speedwagon on February 5, 1971, and the Amboy Dukes coming on the 11th. REO, a band from Champaign, Illinois, formed in 1967 but they would not perform in Michigan until April 1971.
An ad for Chicago at the University of Detroit, February 5, 1971.
An ad for Diana Ross with a string of shows in Miami, Florida beginning on February 5, 1971.
A large ad by an unknown artist for SRC with Northwind and Frut at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan on February 5, 1971. You can notice the mention of an upcoming Frank Zappa show on May 29th in the stripes of the flags.
Poster by Dennis Preston, for The Byrds with Touchstone, Bedlam Riff, and Backstreet,at North Western Michigan College in Traverse City, Michigan, February 6, 1971.
Poster/handbill by Chad Hines for the Palladium in Birmingham, Michigan, February 6, 1971. Bands were Edgar Winter & White Trash, with Tin House and Lucky Dog.
In Ann Arbor’s Michigan Daily’s habit of build-up teasers, these ads gradually announced a concert by Al Kooper and Floating Opera at Hill Auditorium, February 6, 1971.
Barry Kramer was still managing Detroit (the band with Mitch Ryder) as well as the bands Lucky Dog and Pride (Pride of Women or POW). This ad by an unknown artist featured two out of the three, plus Goldflower from New York, at the Union Ballroom in Ann Arbor, Michigan, February 6, 1971.
Newspaper ad for Alice Cooper with Detroit’s Frut in Toledo, Ohio on February 6, 1971.
A Motown Records ad in the February 6, 1971 issue of Billboard magazine for “Mama’s Pearl”, the fifth single by the Jackson 5. It broke their steak of #1 hit singles, all of their first four singles made it to the top of the charts, “Mama’s Pearl” peaked at #2 on the Hot 100, not able to overcome “One Bad Apple” by The Osmonds.
The earliest known show in the concert database by the band Still Eyes is February 7, 1971 at the Sherwood Forest in Davison, Michigan, along with the bands Maxx and Proud Flesh. A short while ago, we were contacted by the band’s drummer Patrick Irla who shared with us the fact that in addition to playing the drums, he also created many of the band’s posters. Shown above is the band logo created by Dennis Preston, to be used as a “show-blank” that could have the date and venue added as needed. We took the liberty to add the newspaper blurb for the Sherwood Forest show.
Irla has sent us images of more Dennis Preston posters that we had not seen before, as well as posters that Irla created for his band, and for other bands that worked for booking agent Ron Geddish.
A flyer for the Temptations with Little Sister and Jr. Walker & the All Stars at Madison Square Garden in NYC, February 7, 1971.
Poster/ad for “the unbelievable” Alice Cooper in St Catherines, Ontario, Canada on February 12, 1971.
Poster/handbill by Chad Hines for the Palladium in Birmingham, Michigan, February 13, 1971, with the bands Dick Wagner with Frost and Friends, with Assemblage and Exuma.
A very strange Warner Bros. Records ad in the February 13, 1971 issue of Billboard magazine for Alice Cooper’s “Eighteen” single.
Other than perhaps the group themselves, no one was more surprised by the breakout single “Eighteen” by Alice Cooper than the music press. These articles from February-March 1971 include such statements as, “This must be some kind of mistake”, and “or else a joke”. The Billboard magazine album review called the band, “the first stars of future-rock”.
An ad for Smokey Robinson & the Miracles with the Four Tops at The Forum in Inglewood, California on February 13, 1971.
Dennis Preston cover illustration for the February 14, 1971 issue of East Lansing, Michigan’s Joint Issue newspaper, also merged with the Red Apple News.
The Lansing band Universal Family changed their name to Universe and performed at the Odyssey in Ann Arbor, Michigan, February 18, 1971.
An intriguing poster by an unknown artist for Rare Earth with B.B. King in Houston, Texas on February 18, 1971.
Nice illustration by an unknown artist for the band Universe on the following night, closer to home, at Holmes Hall in East Lansing, Michigan, February 19, 1971.
Volume Seven - 1971 - continues - HERE
DJ and promoter Robin Seymour was going on his twenty-fourth year as a familiar and favorite personality in Detroit rock and roll. His landmark Swingin’ Time TV program had long been over, but as of February 4, 1971, he still had a Saturday night TV show and a regular Monday night gig at the Driftwood Lounge, and a sporty new moustache, in “Year 2 of the Space Age”.
Poster for John Lee Hooker in Tacoma, Washington, February 5-6, 1971.
A full-page Motown Tamla records ad in the February 13, 1971 issue of Billboard magazine for Marvin Gaye’s single “What’s Going On.”
Poster by the great Austin, Texas poster artist Jim Franklin with John Lee Hooker opening for Jimmy Reed, the Platters, Chubby Checker, and Little Richard at the City Coliseum in Austin, Texas. It has been acknowledged that the date is wrong, but not certain if it should be February 11 (a Thursday) or Saturday February 13, 1971.
