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Splatt Gallery's History of Michigan Concert Posters
Volume Seven - 1971 - Page Seventeen
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Poster by Gary Grimshaw for Finch Field House in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, October 20, 1971. Bands were the James Gang and SRC. The following night, the James Gang played a show in Lansing, and they returned to Detroit one more time for the year, appearing at the Eastown Theater, December 2, 1971.
That would be Joe Walsh’s final appearance in Michigan with the James Gang, he left the band in December 1971, after the end of this tour which wrapped up in Buffalo, New York on December 12th.
It had been a good final year for the band, their third album (“Thirds”) had been released in April, featuring their highest charting single “Walk Away”, and an excellent live album was released in September. But Walsh was tired of the trappings of the rock star treatment, stating. “The money was great, but I felt like a whore. I played the remaining dates and quit”. Walsh was invited to move to England to replace the departing Peter Frampton in Humble Pie, but he declined and moved to Boulder, Colorado to take some time off and plan his next move.
James Gang – Walk Away (1971)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34abRUUeslw
Newsprint version of Gary Grimshaw’s poster for the James Gang and SRC at the Finch Field House in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, October 20, 1971.
Poster/ad by an unknown artist for a free concert by Pillowcayse at the East Complex at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, October 21, 1971.
Ad for The James Gang, with Rich Mountain Tower from Tennessee, at the Civic Center in East Lansing, October 21, 1971.
Always popular in Detroit, the English band Jethro Tull made their 16th Michigan appearance, a sold-out show at Cobo Hall in Detroit, October 22, 1971. Tull had been touring all year long, in support of their landmark album Aqualung, which had been released in March.
The album artwork, three paintings by Burton Silverman, is a tale of intrigue and mystery in itself, best told by the artist’s son here: https://theoutline.com/post/4490/jethro-tull-aqualung-cover-artist-burton-silverman?zd=1&zi=qxszbxso
Jethro Tull – Aqualung (album) (1971)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0jMPI_pUec&list=PLoF7tjU8NyvggXsmBTPnOKmx-qneWcm3l
Poster/ad for Funkadelic & Parliament at Bloomington High School in Bloomington, Indiana on October 22, 1971. We’ve nearly exhausted all of the tracks on the “Maggot Brain”, save for this nine-minute-plus closer, a showcase for co-writer, drummer Ramon “Tiki” Fulwood.
Funkadelic – Wars of Armageddon (1971)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddgAnzKdB4Y
Righteous Bob Rudnick turns up on KMET radio in Los Angeles, California, this ad appeared in the October 22, 1971 issue of the LA Free Press.
An ad for a Fifth Estate Benefit show with the Bobby MacDonald Trio at the Forest Coffeehouse in Detroit, Michigan on October 22, 1971.
Gary Grimshaw poster for Jimmy Reed at the Alley in Ann Arbor, Michigan, October 22-24, 1971, which appears to be the final in the “checkerboard series”.
It appears that Gary Grimshaw’s “checkerboard” series of ads for the Alley in Ann Arbor, Michigan lasted for seven weeks, from September 10 through October 22-24, 1971. There was a line-up poster for each month and a poster for each of the seven shows.
Poster and ad by Hugh Surratt for B.B. King at the MSU Auditorium in East Lansing, Michigan, October 22, 1971.
Another ad by Hugh Surratt for B.B. King at the MSU Auditorium in East Lansing, Michigan, October 22, 1971.
Poster by Dennis Preston, for a Jerry Patlow presentation at the Melody Ballroom in Inkster, Michigan, October 23, 1971. Bands were Rumor, Northwind, and mystery band of the poster, Sunstones.
Newspaper ad offering obstructed-view seats for the sold-out show by Joan Baez at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan, October 23, 1971.
A really nice poster by an unknown artist for an appearance by Al Hirt at the Homecoming Spectacular at Michigan State University in East Lansing, October 23, 1971.
Poster by Stanley Mouse & Alton Kelley for the Grateful Dead at the Eastown Theater in Detroit, Michigan, October 23-24, 1971. A recording of the second night’s performance is found on a Grateful Dead archive site here:
Grateful Dead – Live at the Eastown Theater, Detroit (10/24/71)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtih1U3QHgM
The same art was used for the cover of Grateful Dead's second live album, released October 24, 1971, the same day as the band’s second show at the Eastown. Although the album was released simply titled “Grateful Dead”, it is generally referred to as 'Skull and Roses' due to the iconic cover art. The band originally wanted to call the album 'Skull Fuck', but not surprisingly, Warner Brothers objected. It became the first Dead album to be certified gold by the RIAA.
We previously posted the Stanley Mouse poster for the Grateful Dead’s two shows at the Eastown Theater in Detroit, Michigan, October 23-24, 1971, and a recording of the second night’s performance. Here is the full concert recording of the first night:
Grateful Dead – Live at the Eastown Theater, Detroit (10/23/71)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtih1U3QHgM
Poster by Dennis Preston for the band Due East at Holmes Hall in East Lansing, Michigan, October 24, 1971.
The band Due East released a couple of singles on the Ozone Records label in Lansing, the first one was produced by Bob Baldori of the Woolies.
A Globe Poster for the Masonic Temple in Detroit, Michigan, for an appearance by Nina Simone, billed here as “the High Priestess of Soul”, on October 24, 1971. Simone had performed close to fifty times in Detroit up to this point, at clubs such as the Flame Show Bar, the 20 Grand, Baker’s Keyboard Lounge, the Minor Key, The Charade, and also at the Masonic Temple, this was at least her fifth time there.
Some of her best-known songs reflect her civil rights activism, “To Be Young, Gifted and Black” was covered by Aretha Franklin on Franklin’s album of the same name. Simone’s 1964 single “Mississippi Goddamn”, which had to be released at the time as "Mississippi *@!!?*@!", was subsequently selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" in 2019.
Nina Simone – Young, Gifted & Black (1970)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzvrFKL9A4w
Nina Simone – Mississippi Goddamn (1964)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJ25-U3jNWM
Poster by the Benton Card Company for a gospel “3-Way Song Battle” show at King Solomon Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan on October 24, 1971. The “Sensational” Nightingales of Philadelphia, PA versus the “Well Known” Pilgrim Jubilees of Chicago, IL versus Mr. Willie Banks and “his Popular” Southernaires of Jackson, Miss., with Detroit’s Own Sons of Zion and Cumberland River Gospel Singers and Dr. T.S. Boone, Pastor presiding.
Poster by Gunther Kieser for Procol Harum, with the inset showing the addition of the date and location, Frankfurt, October 27, 1971 and the late addition of Alice Cooper to the bill. The day before, Alice Cooper had taped a performance for the German TV show “Beat Club”.
Here is a clip of the band performing “The Balled of Dwight Fry” on the German TV program “Beat Club”.
Alice Cooper – Ballad of Dwight Fry (live German TV) (1971)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-WZK4s0hbY
Poster by Gary Grimshaw for Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor, Michigan, October 28-30, 1971. The finest “Homecoming” shows since The Doors in 1967, we got Pink Floyd with Guardian Angel, Parliament-Funkadelic with Black Ensemble, and Quicksilver with Catfish.
Pink Floyd – Echoes (1971)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53N99Nim6WE
Alternate color version, and newsprint version, of Gary Grimshaw’s poster for the Homecoming weekend shows at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor, Michigan, October 28-30, 1971, and the full bootleg recording of Pink Floyd’s show:
Pink Floyd – Live in Ann Arbor, Michigan (10/28/71)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_iCNBwPIwk
Newspaper ad for “Homecoming ‘71” at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, October 28-30, 1971.
Another ad for “Homecoming ‘71” at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, October 28-30, 1971, which shows that Pink Floyd, Parliament-Funkadelic and Quicksilver were not enough of a draw that they added a picture of Mick Jagger.
It was not only the Groove Shoppe in Detroit, Michigan that openly advertised bootleg albums, they were commonly found in small record stores everywhere. The chain stores and department stores had been warned against carrying them under the threats of retaliation or lawsuits by the major labels, although due to loopholes in the copyright laws some were not technically illegal, that is until the passage of the McClellan Bill in August 1971, scheduled to take effect February 15, 1972.
The October 28, 1971 issue of The Fifth Estate newspaper carried a story about the bootlegger known as Rubber Dubber, although it failed to mention that Rubber Dubber was already out of business. Unlike most bootleggers, who tried to maintain a low cover, Rubber Dubber was flamboyant, granting interviews to mainstream publications, sending them advertisements (which they refused to run), and stamping the Rubber Dubber logo on the walls of the executive bathroom in a Warner Bros office in Los Angeles.
In September, the Rubber Dubber facility was raided by federal marshals, their lawyer argued that the McClellan bill did not take effect until the following February and the judge dismissed the case, returned the album covers to them, minus the records. Reading the writing on the walls, Rubber Dubber unloaded his remaining stock and left the country.
Front cover of the October 29, 1971 edition of the Ann Arbor SUN newspaper in Ann Arbor, Michigan with photo of the three-arm drummer of the UP, Scott Bailey, proffering a welcoming gesture.
Front cover of the special 16-page “Free John Now!” supplement in the October 29, 1971 issue of the Ann Arbor SUN.
Poster by an unknown artist in the “Free John Now!” supplement issue of the Ann Arbor SUN, October 29, 1971.
“Paper Radio” column header, presumably by Gary Grimshaw, in the October 29, 1971 issue of the Ann Arbor SUN newspaper.
Gary Grimshaw illustration for the Albatross store in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in the October 29, 1971 issue of the Ann Arbor SUN newspaper.
The fund-raising shop page in the “Free John Now!” supplement issue of the Ann Arbor Sun, October 29, 1971.
Also, a humorous ad in the Chicago Seed newspaper from earlier in the year.
A full-page ad for Frank Zappa’s movie “200 Motels” in the October 29, 1971 edition of the Ann Arbor SUN newspaper, the same date as the official release date for the movie.
Record company ad for Rory Gallagher with tour dates, including two shows at the Eastown Theater in Detroit, Michigan, opening for Lee Michaels and Mylon LeFevre on October 29-30, 1971.
Alice Cooper embarked on their first overseas tour in late October 1971, performing in six countries across Europe and the UK. These posters are for their show in Amsterdam on October 29, 1971. The translation in the one on the right-hand side reads “Zappa’s Discovery!”
A real nice poster by an unknown artist for Miriam Makeba at Ford Auditorium in Detroit, Michigan, October 30, 1971. We cannot confirm that the show took place, but if it did, it would have been one her last US performances for the next ten years.
Makeba rose to fame in her native South Africa during the 1950’s, a brief appearance in a clandestine 1959 documentary gained her attention outside of Africa and brought her European and US performances. Harry Belafonte became her mentor and helped her to move to New York City. Although she was not overtly political, her increasing fame was bringing awareness to apartheid, an un-welcome awareness for the South African government. After she provided testimony to a United Nations committee, South Africa banned her music and revoked her citizenship.
Recording and touring with Belafonte brought even more success, including a 1966 Grammy Award and a world-wide hit with a 1967 recording of a ten-year old song “Pata Pata”. Also during her years of living in the US, she performed for President John F. Kennedy, and married her second husband, trumpeter Hugh Masekela.
In 1968, she divorced Masekela and married the infamous Black Panther Stokely Carmichael. The marriage brought on an extreme backlash, recording contracts and performances were cancelled, the couple was under constant surveillance by the FBI and the CIA, and at some point, around 1972, they moved to the west Africa country of Guinea and were then denied visas to return to the US. She would not perform again in the United States until 1982.
Miriam Makeba – Pata Pata (1967)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNeP3hrm__k
Poster by Dennis Preston, with a Halloween flavor, for the Melody Ballroom in Inkster, Michigan, October 30, 1971. Bands were the Woolies, Whiz Kids, and Salem Witchcraft, a Jerry Patlow presentation.
Poster/ad for Alice Cooper in Zurich, Switzerland on October 30, 1971, the fourth show of their first European tour.
Poster for Cactus at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia on October 30, 1971. We believe that Jim McCarty and Rusty Day were still in the band until the end of the year. Opening act was the Bruce Springsteen Band.
Alice Cooper on the cover of the October 30, 1971 issue of the British music magazine Melody Maker.
Poster by an unknown artist for the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, Michigan, Halloween night, October 31, 1971, yet another “re-opening”. Bands were SRC, Assemblage, Third Power, Frut (misspelled), UP, Motor City Mutants, and the ubiquitous, mysterious Tacklebox.
Poster by J. Noxon for Buddy Miles at the Cinderella Concert Hall in Detroit, Michigan, October 31, 1971 and November 1st. Opening bands for the first night were Scarab and the Coming, for the second night, it was Scarab and the Knock Down Party Band.
A real nice poster by the Washington Poster Co. with great color selection, for James Brown in Seattle, Washington, Halloween October 31, 1971, with Detroit’s Dramatics.
Also on the bill was Lyn Collins, who recorded the James Brown written and produced song “Think (About It)” in 1972, so massively funky, with so many breaks, that it became one of the most sampled songs. Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock made an entire song out of it in 1988 called “It Takes Two”. Here’s the original:
Lyn Collins – Think (About It) (1972)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKix_06L5AY
A group of women artists in Chicago formed the Women’s Graphics Collective and produced a catalog of silkscreened posters.
In somewhat related feminist news, Suzie Quatro left for London.
Sometime earlier, her brother Mike had introduced her band to British producer Mickie Most, who managed Jeff Beck, and there were discussions of having Cradle become the backing band for Beck. Eventually, Most decided that he was only interested in Suzie and she took him up on the offer, leaving Detroit and the band Cradle on October 31, 1971.
Drummer Jerry Nolan also left the band, returning to New York to join the New York Dolls. The remaining Quatro sisters, Patti and Nancy recruited another pair of sisters, Lynn and Leigh Serridge to continue as Cradle.
A Motown Records ad for the album “MacArthur Park” by the Four Tops, released in October 1971. The song “MacArthur Park” had been a track on the 1969 album “Four Tops Now!”, but when the single, which split the six minute song into two parts with Part II as the A-side, gained attention, rising to #38 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, the “Four Tops Now!” album was re-released with the album titled changed to “MacArthur Park”. Subsequent re-releases of the album reverted back to the original “Four Tops Now!” title.
Here is an awesome live rendition, recorded at the Tops’ 40th Anniversary show at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on August 8, 1996:
The Four Tops - MacArthur Park Live (8/9/96)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2XvIyapxo8
Here is the entire 1996 MGM Grand show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WKx4AIgqo8
The front cover of the November 1971 issue of CREEM magazine with Bob Wilson’s colorization of R. Crumb’s cover of the magazine’s second issue in April 1969.
An editorial in the November 1971 issue of CREEM magazine with the back story on the cover illustration.
Volume Seven - 1971 - continues - HERE
An ad by Terry Etcherling in the October 20, 1971 edition of the State News for a Grateful Dead Month at the Discount Records in East Lansing.
The November 1971 issue of the Ypsilanti, Michigan newspaper Second Coming is the latest issue that we’ve found, although there may have been others it appears that the paper ended here. Shown above are a handful of the 1971 issues that we have not posted individually. Zeke Mallory, later of Crow Quill, provided the cover art on most of these, along with other, unknown, artists.
