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Splatt Gallery's History of Michigan Concert Posters
Volume Seven - 1971 - Page Twelve
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Poster by G. Houston for Alice Cooper with Cactus at the Henry Levitt Arena, Wichita, Kansas on July 7, 1971.
Nice poster in the July 8, 1971 issue of the Fifth Estate newspaper in Detroit, fitting with the issue’s theme of “Motor City Park Scene…Good Times/Bad Times”. The poster is signed “Cosmic Capers by R. Creamcheese/Dolley Elkins/with a little help from our friends!”, possibly an alias for Rich Dorris.
They were unbelievably popular, their albums traded around at school like community property, their bits becoming a lexicon, and now the comedy troupe Firesign Theatre had a radio show on WABX, promoted by this July 8, 1971 ad.
And yes indeed, Grand Funk Railroad broke The Beatles record for the quickest sell-out of Shea Stadium in New York City, July 9, 1971. From there, they went to perform in Hawaii, Tokyo, and Osaka, Japan, possibly the first Michigan band to play in Japan (?)
Grand Funk Railroad – I’m Your Captain (live at Shea Stadium) (7/9/71)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_t59To7Snk
Cover star Steve Mackay (name misspelled), on July 9, 1971 issue of the Ann Arbor SUN newspaper.
Photos of members of the RPP Central Committee and staff of the Ann Arbor SUN newspaper in the July 9, 1971 issue with the announcement that the paper was changing to a bi-weekly (once every two weeks). Gary Grimshaw appears in two of the photos.
Poster by an unknown artist for the WTRU Teen Night at the L.C. Walker Arena in Muskegon, Michigan on July 9, 1971 with the bands Crow from Minneapolis and the Dogs from Lansing, Michigan.
Thanks to Brad Kelly who provided a link to all of the Cactus posters that he has sold on his Concert Poster Auction site, we found three that we had never seen before. This one is by master poster artist Rick Griffin and it was printed on foil, with Cactus opening for Quicksilver Messenger Service in Phoenix, Arizona on July 9, 1971.
Two posters for Alice Cooper at the Paramount Northwest Theater in Seattle, Washington, July 9-10, 1971. Both posters emphasize, and may have been made by, the local flamboyantly glam art collective Ze Whiz Kidz, who were playing the largest shows of their career by opening for Alice, who told the group, “You scare me”.
Poster and ad for the opening weekend at The Park in North Baltimore, Ohio, July 10, 1971, with two Michigan bands, UP and Brat, in the line-up.
The Park in North Baltimore, Ohio published its own newspaper, this is the one for the opening weekend, July 10, 1971.
Poster by either Chad Hines, or Carol Ann, for Wampler’s Lake Pavillion in Onsted, Michigan, July 10, 1971. Bands were Brownsville Station, Mike Quatro’s Jam Band, mystery band of the poster is Crab Repellent.
A Motown Records ad for the release of a new Temptations single on July 10, 1971. The same song had previously appeared as the B-side of the 1969 “Psychedelic Shack” single with spoken-word vocals by Melvin Franklin, This new version was re-recorded with Dennis Edward’s singing the lead. Many fans prefer the low bass tones of Franklin in a rare lead role, you can compare them:
The Temptations - It’s Summer (1969)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2rVun-yewQ
The Temptations - It’s Summer (1971)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVekLtG03g8
CCR performed their fifth, and final, show in Detroit, at Cobo Hall, July 11, 1971. The ad properly shows them as a trio, John Fogerty’s brother Tom had left the band in February.
We’ll bid farewell to CCR with this addition to the soundtrack, their signature song:
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Fortunate Son (1969)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKuLtVXGRp8
Record company ad for Creedence Clearwater Revival, touring in support of their new single, which included a show at Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan, on July 11, 1971 (the second show on the list). It was the final Michigan appearance by the band, reduced to a trio with the departure of Tom Fogerty, the band would call it quits about a year later.
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Sweet Hitch Hiker (1971)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKBbqJCW56Q
Handbill by an unknown artist for the Eastown Theater in Detroit, Michigan, July 11, 1971. This appears to be the first Michigan appearance of the Doobie Brothers. The band Mother Earth’s only previous appearance in Michigan was at the Grande Ballroom in February 1969, this would be their last. The Doobie Brothers would come back many more times.
Ads for the Mother Earth and Doobie Brothers tour with tour dates that include the show at the Eastown Theater in Detroit, Michigan, July 11, 1971.
Newspaper ad for Alice Cooper with Black Oak Arkansas at the Long Beach Auditorium in Long Beach, California, July 11, 1971, and “introducing” Savage Grace.
Poster with Ruth Copeland opening for Sly & the Family Stone in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania on July 11, 1971.
Released on July 12, 1971, thee heaviest, funkiest album (and one of the gnarliest album covers) to come out of Detroit up until then, maybe still even now. “Super Stupid”, “Hit It and Quit It”, “Can You Get to That”, “You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks”, and of course, the title track, guitarist Eddie Hazel’s finest moment. According to legend, George Clinton, tripping on acid, instructed Hazel to imagine that he’d just been told his mother was dead, but then learned it wasn’t true. Now, that’s a mind-fuck.
Funkadelic – Maggot Brain (1971)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOKn33-q4Ao
Advertisement page from the July 12, 1971 issue of the Joint Issue newspaper in East Lansing, Michigan with artwork by Dennis Preston, and his alias, Feyousky D.
Poster for Alice Cooper at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds Arena on July 13, 1971.
Poster for the second of two nights in Honolulu, Hawaii for Grand Funk, July 13, 1971. Following these shows the band made their first visit to Japan for three shows.
Poster by Dennis Preston, for Sherwood Forest in Davison, Michigan, July 14, 1971. Bands were Edgar Winter’s White Trash, Savage Grace, Third Power, Guardian Angel, Mr. Flood’s Party, and Question Mark & the Mysterians, a Peter Cavanaugh production.
MC5 at the Masonic Temple in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, July 14, 1971. Michigan bands Sunday Funnies, Silver Hawk, and Catfish in the following weeks.
The Indian sitar master Ravi Shankar performed at Ypsilanti High Auditorium in Ypsilanti, Michigan, July 14, 1971. This was his fourth Michigan appearance, the first was way back in 1961 in Ann Arbor.
Alice Cooper’s infamous Bastille Day/Coming Out Party at the Ambassador Hotel Venetian Room in Los Angeles, California on July 14, 1971 is interestingly described here:
https://www.rhino.com/article/stay-tuned-by-stan-cornyn-meeting-alice-cooper
A pair of small ads by Hugh Surratt for Mountain at MSU Auditorium in East Lansing, Michigan, July 16, 1971.
Two poster/ads by Doug Huston for Mountain, with Mylon, at MSU Auditorium in East Lansing, Michigan, July 16, 1971.
A rare poster by Doug Huston, for Mountain with Mylon, at MSU Auditorium in East Lansing, Michigan, July 16, 1971.
Gary Grimshaw poster for the Alley in Ann Arbor, Michigan, July 16-17, 1971. Bands were Brat, Guardian Angel, and the Contemporary Jazz Quintet.
The first annual “Summerama” hot rod and custom car show at Cobo Hall, July 16-17, 1971, with a nice line-up of all-Michigan bands. Amboy Dukes, Bob Seger (misspelled), Teagarden & Van Winkle, Sunday Funnies, SRC, Silver Hawk, Catfish, Mutzie, Frut, and Mike Quatro’s Jam Band.
Poster by Canadian poster artist Bob Masse for Mitch Ryder with Detroit in Vancouver, July 16, 1971. This was the first rock an roll concert at the Commodore Ballroom, a 1930’s ballroom that had been purchased by impresario Drew Burns who turned it into Vancouver’s premier rock venue. Local band Crosstown Bus were the openers.
Poster by Jeffrey Mann/Mercuryhead Workshop, printed on silver foil, for a show by the Stooges at the Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood, California on July 16, 1971, a show that never happened as the Stooges broke up about a week before the show.
Newsprint version and non-foil print of the cancelled Stooges show at the Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood, California on July 16, 1971.
An ad with Brownsville Station opening for Three Dog Night in Nashville, Tennessee on July 17, 1971. Three Dog Night’s hit "Joy to the World" was written by Hoyt Axton, when the song hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Axton and his mother, Mae Axton, became the first mother and son to each have written a number one pop single. Mae Axton co-wrote "Heartbreak Hotel", which was the first number one hit for Elvis Presley.
“Joy To The World" was also Billboard magazine’s 1971 #1 single of the year.
Three Dog Night - Joy to The World (1971)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSDp4zTiLEo
Poster/handbill, assumed to be by either Chad Hines, or Carol Ann for Wampler’s Lake Pavillion in Onsted, Michigan, July 17, 1971, with Amboy Dukes, Rumor, and the mystery band of the poster is Cookie.
Poster for Grand Funk Railroad’s first visit to Japan, with three shows, starting in Tokyo on July 17, 1971, followed by Osaka on July 18th, then back to Tokyo for a show at the Nippon Budokan on July 19th.
Tour program for Grand Funk Railroad’s first visit to Japan, with three shows, July 17-19, 1971.
A striking pair of ads for Alice Cooper with Black Sabbath and Yes in Ottawa, Canada, July 19, 1971.
An Atlantic Records ad for Stephen Stills with tour dates including a show at the Olympia Stadium in Detroit, Michigan on July 21, 1971. It was his first Michigan show as a solo artist, but he had earlier performed in Detroit with Buffalo Springfield in 1967, and as part of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young twice, in 1969 and 1970.
Newspaper ad for Stephen Stills at the Olympia Stadium in Detroit, Michigan on July 21, 1971.
A very nice handbill from Graphics by Phoenix for Savage Grace, and the similarly named Robert Savage Group, opening for Bloodrock in Atlanta, Georgia on July 22, 1971.
Robert Savage was actually Bobby Arlin, formerly guitarist with The Leaves on their 1966 hit single “Hey Joe”. He had formed a group called The Hook following his departure from The Leaves, releasing a couple of albums in the late sixties. As Robert Savage, there was a sole album, accurately called “The Adventures of Robert Savage Vol. 1”, passable blues-psych with some highlights such as the fuzz-drenched guitar solo that starts at about 2:38 on this track.
The Robert Savage Group – Amy (The Insane) (1971)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7zA8uYBuCk
Promotion for the Blood, Sweat & Tears concert at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, July 23, 1971, by the Music Center stereo shop, come in and check out the new Pioneer components and receive a free colorful BS&T poster, a concert program ($1.50 value) and a chance to win a pair of tickets to the concert. “The Music Center is the Blood, Sweat and Tears Store in Ann Arbor.”
More photos from Alice Cooper’s infamous Bastille Day/Coming Out Party at the Ambassador Hotel Venetian Room in Los Angeles, California on July 14, 1971, from a feature story on the event in the Los Angeles Free Press newspaper.
Newspaper ad for Blood, Sweat & Tears concert at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan, July 23, 1971.
The Honey Cone on the cover of the July 23, 1971 issue of the British music magazine Blues & Soul. Eddie Holland signed the trio to the Holland–Dozier–Holland label Hot Wax Records and named the group for a favorite flavor of ice cream. Although the group was based in Los Angeles, their recordings were recorded in Detroit. Most of their songs were written by General Johnson of the Chairmen of the Board and Greg Perry.
Poster/ad by Gary Grimshaw for the Alley in Ann Arbor, Michigan, July 23-24, 1971. Bands were UP and Carnal Kitchen, with Ormandy and Universe the following week.
When Iggy and James Williamson both quit the band at the Toledo Arena on May 29th, the band was essentially broken up. The next two scheduled gigs, Pittsburgh and Hollywood, California, were cancelled, but for some reason the band was obliged to play this show at Wampler’s Lake Pavillion in Onsted, Michigan, July 24, 1971.
Ron and Scott Asheton, with bass player Jimmy Recca, took the stage but none of them wanted to sing so they asked if anybody in the crowd wanted to come up and be the singer. A fan named Steve Richards volunteered and not only could he sing, he knew all the words to the songs and could imitate Iggy fairly well.
The above ad shows the Stooges with a band called Bull Frog, "featuring Kelly - former lead singer with Frijid Pink" on July 24th, with MC5, Julia, and The Coming on the following week.
Their next scheduled show for the Stooges, again at Wampler’s, for August 7th was cancelled, perhaps Steve Richards was unavailable.
Since it going to be about a year’s time until we’ll see Iggy and the Stooges again, here’s one more tune from the Fun House album:
The Stooges – T.V. Eye (1970)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz9NZJOkJB0
Volume Seven - 1971 - continues - HERE
Gary Grimshaw logo for WRIF radio station, first seen in the July 22, 1971 issue of the Fifth Estate newspaper, which was originally the logo for Rainbow Productions stationary. The DJ line-up at the time was Hank Malone, Dan Carlisle, Peter Greiner, Art Penhallow, Jerry Lubin, and Barbara Holliday. The “Spare Change” show, tied in to The Fifth Estate newspaper since Harvey Ovshinsky began the program in 1969, was still on the air, hosted by The Fifth Estate’s Peter Werbe.
A cleaner version ad of Gary Grimshaw's logo for WRIF-FM radio without the DJ list.
Handbill version of Gary Grimshaw's logo for WRIF-FM radio in Detroit.
Blue sticker version of Gary Grimshaw’s logo for WRIF-FM radio station in Detroit, Michigan. This will later be the answer to the trick question regarding the first WRIF sticker after the oval stickers for WRIF became one of the station’s trademarks.
