Steel Mill Window Card – Springsteen Opening for Ike & Tina Turner in 1970!

An original, authentic concert poster with Bruce Springsteen’s early band Steel Mill serving as opening act for Ike & Tina Turner at the Mosque in Richmond, Virginia circa 1970.

This old concert tour poster was manufactured using Day-Glo yellow and pink colors, along with your typical black & white.

This rather large cardboard concert sign measures approximately 22 x 32 inches.

Concert placards from The Mosque in Richmond were made in abundance for shows over the years, but not saved that often.

Original Steel Mill window displays can be found by collectors dating only from November 1969 up through January 1971. At that point, Mr. Springsteen changed his band name yet again (see below).

Guitarist (and Boss best friend) Miami Steve Van Zandt had just joined Steel Mill in March 1970, so this authentic Springsteen telephone-pole poster contains Steve in the band.

Not only that, but vocalist Robbin Thompson joined Steel Mill in August 1970, so this concert billboard represents a Springsteen show with Thompson singing much of the time. (They remain friends to this day.)

And wait, there’s more on this Steel Mill tour poster: Vinny “Mad Dog” Lopez was sitting on the drum stool and the late, great Danny Federici was tickling the ivories, making this Boss concert poster very nostalgic.

This big vintage cardboard concert poster for Steel Mill opening for Ike & Tina Turner was designed and manufactured by the Globe Poster Co. of Baltimore.

Bruce Springsteen collectors thrill at trying to find old Steel Mill tour posters, Child concert placards, Earth window displays, Castiles concert posters, Dr. Zoom & the Sonic Boom telephone-pole posters and all the various band names the Boss used before he finally settled on the E Street Band.

What follows is the complete wording as it reads on this old Mosque placard, from top to bottom:

(Inside the first pink cloud): MOSQUE – Richmond, VA. – (Then outside the cloud) Sun. Oct. 11, 7:30 P.M. – Admission: Orchestra $5.50 – Grand Tier $5.00 – Balcony $4.50

Tickets on Sale at: Thalhimer’s, Downtown – Music City, Southside Plaza – Gary’s, Willow Lawn – Churchill Records – Barkey Records – Bill Jones, Petersburg

(In the Day-Glo yellow stripe): Presenting In Concert – (and now the big pink cloud): The Fantastic Ike & Tina Turner and Their Fabulous Revue – “Wanna Take You Higher” and “Please, Please, Please.” (and then a media quote): “They Are Too Much” – – Look Magazine

(Bottom yellow cloud): The Dynamic Ikettes – (and then the killer): Also Special Added Attraction – (in the pink bar at bottom): Steel Mill

Globe Poster – Baltimore (in the bottom white border, tiny print)

Richmond, Virginia concert posters from the 1960s are found with surprising frequency because the town was a hotbed of music activity around this time period.

Locating a Bruce Springsteen broadside from the time preceding his first LP’s release in 1972 is always a challenge for collectors. But fun!

This vintage Steel Mill concert placard is made over in giddy fashion by poster collector Peter J. Howard in San Luis Obispo, California (reach by 805-540-0020 or pete@postercentral.com). Please remember that I will pay the BEST PRICES for the oldest, coolest Springsteen concert advertisements for any of his early bands.

Now that you’ve seen this, to catch a rare photo of another early Bruce band, a Child show poster also from Richmond, Virginia, in 1969 (with a stunning picture of Bruce), just find your way to this page right here on my Web site: http://www.postercentral.com/rock.htm

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Ella Fitzgerald Concert Poster 1930s – First Lady of Swing

An original, authentic Ella Fitzgerald window card from 1939, for a concert which took place not long after her mentor, big-bandleader Chick Webb, had passed away.

This Ella Fitzgerald concert poster dates to  November 20, 1939 and is from the Church Park Auditorium in Memphis, TN.

This Ella Fitzgerald window display sizes up at 14 x 22” and was made on cardboard by the Globe Poster Corporation out of Chicago, Illinois – no relation to Globe Posters of Baltimore decades later.

This Ella Fitzgerald concert placard states across the top, “The First Lady of Swing” – her first solo nickname, which would eventually evolve into “The First Lady of Song.”

This concert poster from the deep south has a disturbing “segregation line” (or “seg line,” as we say in the hobby), informing people that white customers could sit separately from people of color, if they wanted.

Ella Fitzgerald telephone-pole posters from the 1930s and 40s are tough to run across, because like most advertising pieces of the day, they weren’t deemed savable or collectible – most of them were just tossed after the event happened.

The entire wording found on this Ella Fitzgerald billboard, as it reads from top to bottom:

CHURCH PARK AUDITORIUM – Monday Night, November 20, 1939 (it’s not often the year is given on old concert posters)

Concert 9:00 ’til 10:00 – Dance 10:00 ’til ? – Reserved Seats for White Patrons During Concert – Advance Ticket 85 cents – Door $1.10 – Sponsored by Chauffeurs’ Service Club (all of this in the white “venue info” area at the top)

(And then down into the orange area… this logo in upper left): CRA – Consolidated Radio Artists Inc.

The First Lady of Swing – ELLA FITZGERALD with her Own Orchestra

Globe Poster Corp. Chicago (then the tiny printer’s bug or union logo)

There’s a good chance that this is the first Ella Fitzgerald concert broadside “tour blank” for her as a solo artist, simply because it dates from so soon after bandleader Chick Webb’s death.

This World War II Ella Fitzgerald display is enthusiastically shown off by music memorabilia collector Peter J. Howard, telephone 805-540-0020 or e-mail address pete@postercentral.com. Being the serious collector that I am, I pay THE VERY BEST PRICES for all such old, collectible concert posters.

If you’re like me and think this old Ella Fitzgerald placard is the cat’s whiskers, just head over to this page right here on my Web site to see some more big-band placards from the same era: http://www.postercentral.com/bigbandvocalists.htm

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Beach Boys Concert Poster 1965 Globe – Their Best-Ever Poster?

An authentic, vintage Beach Boys concert poster from on July 14, 1965 at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, NC.

This highly attractive Beach Boys window card was designed and printed by Globe Poster Co. of Baltimore, Maryland, and is dominated by orange and blue splashy Day-Glo coloring.

What gives this Beach Boys broadside its visual charisma is the lovely blue waves and then the band’s name in awesome orange letters over it.  Amazing!  It should have won a design award.

Any early Beach Boys window display like this is frequently worn & torn from the passage of time, but this particular one looks great for its age.

Notice how this Beach Boys concert billboard has half-a-dozen BB song titles against the sky, which adds a nice musical touch to the poster. And did you notice the seagulls in the sky, too?

A genuine Beach Boys concert placard like this is collectible because these were just considered advertising materials back in the day, and not collector’s items. The coming of age of the baby boomer generation sure changed that!

From top to bottom (loosely, that is), this Beach Boys placard states:

(Venue info up top): Charlotte Coliseum – Wed. July 14 at 8:30 P.M. – Admission $2.00 – $2.50 – $3.00 – Tickets on Sale: National Hat Shop – Hi-Fi Camera Centers and other Usual Places (I always like that term)

(And in the orange stripe): Radio Station WIST presents The BEACH BOYS plus The Roemans and Others. (Then the songs, three on each side): “Honda” (abbreviated from “Little Honda”), “Help Me Rhonda” and “Kiss Me Baby”; (and on the right): “Please Let Me Wonder,” “Warmth of the Sun” and “Keep An Eye On Summer.”  (Tiny printer’s credit): Globe Poster – Baltimore.

This sublime Beach Boys display is what is known as a “tour blank” that was used for many shows over a stretch of time – say, a whole season. The concert’s date, venue name and information on buying tickets was printed in the top white area for each individual market. So that means that somewhere out there, you might just find this exact poster for any of the following:

Beach Boys window card Music Hall, Houston, Texas, December 23, 1964

Beach Boys concert poster Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas, December 24, 1964

Beach Boys window card Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina, December 31, 1964

Beach Boys concert poster The Mosque, Richmond, Virginia, January 3, 1965

Beach Boys window card Ellis Auditorium, Memphis, Tennessee, April 10, 1965

Beach Boys concert poster Municipal Auditorium, Atlanta, Georgia, April 11, 1965

Beach Boys window card Civic Centre, Baltimore, Maryland, April 23, 1965

Beach Boys concert poster Washington Coliseum, Washington DC, April 24, 1965

Beach Boys window card The Pier, Raleigh, North Carolina, April 1965

Beach Boys concert poster University of North Carolina, Greensboro, NC, April 1965

Beach Boys window card Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina, April 1965

Beach Boys concert poster Memorial Auditorium, Canton, Ohio, May 19, 1965

Beach Boys window card Sports Arena, Toledo, Ohio, May 20, 1965

Beach Boys concert poster Hara Arena, Dayton, Ohio, May 21, 1965

Beach Boys window card Yankee Stadium, New York, NY, June 10, 1965

Beach Boys concert poster Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina, July 13, 1965

Rather sizeable, this Beach Boys concert placard tapes out at 22×28” big, although Globe would sometimes make these jumbos 32 inches high or taller.

Although I’m tempted to label this a Beach Boys telephone-pole poster, at 22 inches across it’s most likely too wide to be adhered to a wooden pole.

This early-years surf music concert poster by Hawthrone, CA’s Beach Boys is displayed with mucho enthusiasm by collector Pete Howard (805.540.0020 phone, pete@postercentral.com email).  And as a collector, I pay the HIGHEST PRICE for this poster or one of its sisters, or any really cool 1950s-60s concert memorabilia!

Tempted to see more beauties just like this? Just point your surfboard to http://www.postercentral.com/concertposters.htm

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Jimi Hendrix Experience Window Card 1969 Globe Cardboard, Large

An authentic, vintage 1969 concert poster for The Jimi Hendrix Experience in Raleigh, North Carolina at the Dorton Arena on April 11, 1969.

The original Experience line-up of Noel Redding on bass and Mitch Mitchell on drums were still present on this Hendrix window card; in fact, Redding was in the opening act as well, Fat Mattress.

This large Hendrix concert placard was designed and printed by Globe Posters of Baltimore, and tapes out to 22 x 28”.

This Jimi Hendrix Experience broadside has amazing visual punch considering that only two colors were used in printing it: black print over Day-Glo orange “clouds” and strips.

I love the fact that this Hendrix window display has no fewer than SIX song titles on it, and FIVE of them are from his famous debut LP Are You Experienced?

The entire text as it reads on this Jimi Hendrix Experience telephone-pole poster, from top to bottom:

(In the first orange cloud): Dorton Arena – Fairgrounds . . Raldigh, N.C. – (now black print on white board): Fri. Apr. 11, 8:30 P.M. – All Seats Reserved $6.00 – $5.00 – $4.00 – $3.00

Tickets on Sale: Theim’s Record Shop – All Record Bar Locations in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill

(Back on orange Day-Glo again): Hit Attractions and Concerts East Proudly Present… In Person… In Concert

(Words surrounding the band’s photo): THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE – “Little Miss Stranger” [sic] – “Purple Haze” – “Hey Joe” – “Fire” – “Are You Experienced” – “Foxey Lady”

(And in the final three orange strips): Starring Jimi Hendrix, The Fat Mattress plus Other Top British Acts. (Tiny printer’s credit): Globe Poster – Baltimore.

A Jimi Hendrix billboard resembling this one was likely made for several other dates on the axeman’s southern swing of this tour, so there are undoubtedly these Jimi show artifacts out there:

Jimi Hendrix Experience window card War Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, New York, May 4, 1969

Jimi Hendrix Experience window card Memorial Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, May 7, 1969

Jimi Hendrix Experience window card Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina, May 9, 1969

Jimi Hendrix Experience window card Civic Centre, Charleston, West Virginia, May 10, 1969

Jimi Hendrix Experience window card Coliseum, Indianapolis Fairgrounds, Indiana, May 11, 1969

Jimi Hendrix Experience window card Civic Centre, Baltimore, Maryland, May 16, 1969

Jimi Hendrix Experience window card Auditorium, Providence, Rhode Island, May 17, 1969

This Jimi Hendrix placard is proudly brought to you by music collector Peter Howard (available at 805-540-0020 or pete@postercentral.com). I saw Hendrix once, in 1970 (Ventura, CA), and will pay TOP DOLLAR for this cardboard specimen or any vintage Hendrix concert poster!

If you wanna see a few other Hendrix window displays from the year before, just hop over to this page here on my web site: http://www.postercentral.com/whentourblanksnotused.htm

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Jerry Lee Lewis Window Card 1950s – Rock & Roll Hall-of-Famer

A vintage, authentic 1950s Jerry Lee Lewis concert poster advertising a show at the Evergreen Ballroom in Olympia, Washington on July 28, 1958.

This is my personal favorite Jerry Lee Lewis window card of all time, due to its great song titles, its red & yellow colors, and the mischievous picture of the new, young Sun Records star.

Original, made-before-the-show rock and roll window display like this one are coveted by collectors, largely because they were made to be discarded as soon as the show was over!

Any 50-year-old Jerry Lee Lewis concert billboard is definitely collectable based on merit alone – after all, he’s considered a founding father of rock & roll.

This poster was known in the business as a “tour blank,” which means that this identical Jerry Lee Lewis concert placard was printed for other cities along the same tour.

Tilghman Press of Oakland, CA printed up this 14×22” broadside, made on durable cardboard to survive postings on outside telephone poles.

The entire text found on this fifties rock concert poster, just as it reads from top to bottom:

(Bright red lettering): Evergreen Ballroom – Olympia, Washington – Mon. July 28th – Show and Dance – From 9 to 1 a.m.

(And then black print on yellow background): “Whole Lot of Shaking Going On” – “Mean Woman Blues” – “Great Balls of Fire” – “Breathless” – “High School Confidential” – (and then in three different type fonts): JERRY LEE LEWIS

(Printer’s credit down at very bottom): Tilghman Press – 1201 32nd Street, Oakland (California).

Even though this Jerry Lee Lewis telephone-pole poster has a lot of rusty thumbtack holes and staple marks, these flaws usually don’t affect a concert poster’s value much, because collectors like their old posters to look old!

This collectible item of rock ’n’ roll concert memorabilia is happily explained by collector Pete Howard (call at 805-540-0020 or email at pete@postercentral.com). As a serious collector, I will pay top dollar for vintage music collectibles such as this!

To view a few other classic concert posters from the earliest days of rock & roll, just point your mouse to this page right here on my Web site: http://www.postercentral.com/rocknroll.htm

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