A very scarce and wickedly cool Barrett Strong concert poster hailing from 1960 with the hit song “Money” on it, the same year that record was released.

It’s hard to overstate the importance of “Money,” which was quickly picked up by The Beatles across the Atlantic and eventually released on their second EMI Records LP three years later.

The other reason this Bill Doggett & Barrett Strong placard is so important is because the latter became the first musician to ever release a record on (what would become) Motown Records.

He teamed up with Berry Gordy, Jr. on the famous song, and although the actual Motown label hadn’t been formed yet, it’s definitely Gordy’s first record-company release.

I love the simple design of red, black & white on this Barrett Strong in-person poster. Notice also the very subtle design technique of bringing that black slice into the poster between their names… tilting both names a little bit.

It’s fun little graphic elements like this which make old concert-poster collecting so much fun, for many (including me).

Humorously, this Barrett Strong window poster actually gets the name of his big important record wrong, by one word.

Instead of “Money (That’s What I Want),” it says, “Money (That’s All I Want),” a one-word slip-up but carrying a world of difference!

Now let’s not forget the headliner of this Bill Doggett & Barrett Strong billboard. Doggett gets a bigger photo, bigger name with nice black outlining, two song titles and one album title.

“Honky Tonk” was actually a killer hit for Bill… a #1 R&B record for three months in 1956.  Three months!

But I still consider this fun collector’s item to be a Barrett Strong event poster because A) Barrett hardly ever appears on an old poster, and B) Bill appears all the time on old concert posters.

Doggett was almost always a headliner on his vintage concert posters, which may have been his management’s strategy: no headlining status, no tour.

This cardboard Bill Doggett & Barrett Strong poster board is discussed in great detail for you by Pete Howard, long-time musicologist and collector.  Yes that’s me, and I can be reached thru (805) 540-0020 or by emailing pete@postercentral.com. Please know that I pay the VERY BEST PRICES IN THIS HOBBY, PERIOD, for vintage rock ’n’ roll and R&B window displays like this.

And in fact, to see a few more, just move over one page right here on my site: http://www.postercentral.com/rocknroll.htm