Big Joe Turner Concert Poster 1954 – The Year of “Shake, Rattle & Roll”

Posted on February 4, 2016 by postercentral

Today’s presentation features a Big Joe Turner window card from the exact same month that his all-important “Shake, Rattle & Roll” single was released – April of 1954.

Following that, I show you a Big Joe Turner window poster from 1960, after his charting days were over but when he was still a dynamic stage performer.

The opening acts on both posters were no slouches either. In fact, some would consider the ’54 piece to be a Smiley Lewis window card because his big, smiling face (and name) take up the bottom half of the placard.

And likewise, the ’60 artifact could easily be called a Roscoe Gordon concert poster, because he occupies the bottom-half real estate on that one – also with a photo and two song titles.

But for now, I’m calling both a Big Joe Turner concert sign, because he’s the member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the father of “Shake, Rattle & Roll” and the bigger, headlining star.

“Jumping George Presents” the 1954 event, as it says across the top in the venue information. I’m not familiar with that Bay-Area promoter, so perhaps his role in that capacity was short-lived.

And then the venue info on this Big Joe Turner street sign continues, “Labor Temple Ballroom – Formerly Ambassador Ballroom – Geary and Fillmore Streets, San Francisco.” So was this in the same room that became the famed Fillmore Auditorium? I was unable to determine that in researching this video blog, even in consulting several Bay-Area psychedelic rock experts. Please comment below if you know for sure.

And then it says, continuing in red lettering, “Dancing 9 to 1 a.m. Sunday nite, April 18.” No year needed to be given; this poster was likely printed in March and most of them thrown away by May.

So if it’s a piece of Big Joe Turner concert memorabilia you’re seeking for your collection, you might be hard-pressed to choose between the ’54 and ’60 posters I show you here. Both have their strengths and relative weaknesses.

The ’60 piece states across the top, “Dance & Show – Sunday, April 3rd – 9:00 to 1:00 – Meadow Acres Ballroom – Topeka, KS – Admission $2.00 per person.” All very standard stuff.

The ’60 Big Joe Turner concert announcement was designed and printed by the EJ Warner Poster Corp. of New York, and states so down at the bottom, along with their printer’s union bug.

And the ’54 piece was designed and printed by Tilghman Press out of Oakland, CA, and also has their credit way down bottom center- with Tilghman’s really old Market Street address on there to boot.

One thing the ’60 Big Joe Turner boxer-style concert poster has over the earlier one is that it calls him “Big” Joe, not just Joe, and it uses his predominant nickname, “Boss of the Blues.”

It only makes sense that as Joe got more & more well-known throughout the ’50s, these little name enhancements would find their way onto his advertisements. Whereas in the early days, 1954, it was just his first & last name and that’s it.

This Big Joe Turner pole poster – actually, both of them – are discussed at great length in this video by music historian and documentarian Pete Howard of San Luis Obispo, CA. If you’d like to speak, either write me at pete@postercentral.com or call 805.540.0020. And I want to emphasize that I pay the best prices in this hobby, period, for old, great R&B / soul / rock ’n’ roll show cards like these two.

To see a few more dazzlers from the same genre and era, just slip one page over to this: http://www.postercentral.com/rhythmnblues.htm

Posted in 1950s Rock ’N' Roll, Boxing-Style Concert Posters, Soul and R&B, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Beatles Concert Poster 1965 Last Liverpool Show, Brian Epstein Presents

Posted on February 3, 2016 by postercentral

An enormous, beautiful Beatles Liverpool concert advertisement dating to December 5, 1965… just a couple of days after the release of their landmark Rubber Soul album.

This is an absolutely genuine, authentic artifact that was printed before the event to help sell tickets. In small print down in the lower white margin, it states, “Electric (Modern) Printing Co. Ltd., Manchester 8.”

Of course, then there’s the matter of was this Beatles Liverpool in-person poster really needed to help sell tickets. The answer: absolutely not. The show would have sold out 20 times over with just one editorial radio mention, followed by word-of-mouth.

So I’m theorizing that it was largely a vanity piece, perhaps created by manager Brian Epstein to get his and the group’s name all over town at the height of their success, to remind everyone that just three years earlier, they couldn’t get arrested.

One thing’s for certain… this Beatles Liverpool concert poster certainly had an impact. Look at how large and dynamic the group’s name is, seemingly comprising half the square footage on there, with action lines and musical notes flying out in all directions.

And then the four faces… four famous faces… not facing the viewer, but looking at each other! Ringo facing Paul, George turned toward John. It all seems a bit fun and irreverent.

The very top of this Beatles Liverpool show poster reads, in prominent red lettering, “Empire Liverpool – Sunday, 5th December, 1965 – 5:40 – 8.0.” That’s an early evening show at 5:40, of course, followed by an 8:00 PM performance.

And then poor house manager Neil Brooks, with this name and phone number on there… he might have even taken his phone off the hook in the week leading up to this date. One report says 40,000 ticket requests were received for just the 2,500 seats… oy vey!

I love the colors of this Beatles Liverpool window display… big, bright blue and red colors on a crisp white background. No more hues were needed… it achieved maximum effectiveness with just the two ink colors (notice no standard black was used).

And speaking of blue, the revered Moody Blues in their earliest days were a big opening act at this time because they’d already scored their #1 hit “Go Now.” Denny Laine was in the band; he would later join Paul McCartney in Wings in the early 1970s.

The measurements of this Beatles Liverpool billboard is 30 by 40 inches, quite the commanding size. It was once quarter-folded down to fit somewhere conveniently, so if you look carefully you can see the folds, but they don’t affect the poster’s appearance in the least.

This is considered large because the much more standard size for a UK concert poster at the time was 20 by 30 inches. That was the size of the Beatles’ Grafton Ballroom concert poster which I’ve already blogged in this space.

What’s historic about this Beatles Liverpool event poster is that it was the boys’ final concert appearance ever in their hometown. They would never again play in the city where the Quarry Men were formed in 1957.

In fact, it was the Fab Four’s final little British tour as well. They only played nine dates on this trek, in late fall 1965, but would never tour England again before finishing in America in August 1966 and calling it quits from the road entirely.

Across the top of this Beatles Liverpool fence poster it prominently states, “Arthur Howes & Brian Epstein Present.” Epstein I’ve discussed; Howes was a huge British pop-concert promoter at the time.

And then below the Moody Blues’ name it says, “With Great Supporting Programme.” Among the support acts were The Paramounts, who would eventually morph into Procol Harum. Not a bad couple of acts to see opening for the Beatles… the Moody Blues and Procol Harum!

And it wouldn’t be a Beatles Liverpool ticket poster without prices somewhere on there, and sure enough, down in the bottom white margin it conveys, “Book Now! Prices: 15/- 12/6 10/6 7/6 Book Now!”

But “Now” was probably too late… this event must have sold out literally as fast as money could be handed over. Had computerized ticketing existed at the time, it would have sold out in minutes, if not seconds.

This historic and wonderful Beatles Liverpool street sign was shown to you today by Pete Howard, who saw the Fab Four on Ed Sullivan, owned all five of their LPs in 1964 and has been a major fan ever since. That’s me, and you can reach me via pete@postercentral.com or on [805] 540-0020. I pay the VERY BEST PRICES IN THIS HOBBY for vintage 60s Beatles concert memorabilia such as this beauty.

To see a few more great examples of genuine Beatles concert posters both here and abroad, I’ve assembled a nice little set on this page: http://www.postercentral.com/beatles.htm

Posted in **All Posters, *Beatles, British Invasion, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Solomon Burke Concert Poster 1960s Soul Music Pioneer, R&R Hall of Famer

Posted on February 2, 2016 by postercentral

A really outstanding mid-’60s Solomon Burke window card with ten hitmakers on it, headlined by Burke, Jerry Butler, The Drifters and Chuck Jackson.

This five-color beauty consists of bright pink and yellow inks, run alongside the standard black & white colors plus red venue info typed in above. So in all, five different colors combine to give this its dazzling effect.

Credit Posters Inc. out of Philadelphia for creating this beautiful Solomon Burke show poster. It was printed on rigid card stock, and measures the standard jumbo size of 22 x 28 inches.

In fact, Posters Inc. printed their credit way down at the bottom in pink ink! It really looks cool, classy and different.

The Mosque in Richmond, Virginia was the home to this particular Solomon Burke tour poster. That’s stated in big red letters at the top.

“Sat., Sept. 12,” it then says, with 1964 not needing to be mentioned. Ticket prices are then given as “$1.50 – $2.00 – $2.50,” with cute little pointing hands on either side. Five locations to buy them are then rattled off.

The condition of this Solomon Burke broadside is simply amazing. It was definitely never used to sell tickets; it has no tape residue, thumbtack holes, creases, fading or trimming. It’s a really gem example.

I’ve always stated in my blogs that it’s OK, it’s perfectly fine, for an old poster to look old and used… it can add to its charm. But then once in a while a mint copy like this shows up, and really makes me re-think my position.

“Supersonic Attractions Presents” are the first words at the top of the permanent portion of this Solomon Burke window poster. They were a very active national tour promoter back in the day.

In fact, their name frequently appeared at the top of Globe Posters printed in Baltimore, MD, but on occasion they’d order their posters to be designed and printed by Posters Inc., like this one.

“Everybody Needs Somebody to Love” is the most prominent song found on this Solomon Burke concert placard. It wasn’t much of a hit for Mr. Burke, but boy was it an important song.

It was subsequently covered by The Rolling Stones and Wilson Pickett, and performed live by Led Zeppelin as part of their long medleys. It’s a song with true staying power, and has been performed endlessly over the ensuing decades.

Then Jerry Butler occupies the other top space on this Solomon Burke appearance poster. “I Stand Accused” was, unfortunately, not much of a hit for him.

However, his very next single, “Let It Be Me,” would break through nicely into the Top 5 of Billboard’s pop singles chart – and was a duet with Betty Everett, who is down in the bottom row.

The Drifters appear to be rejoicing on this Solomon Burke telephone-pole poster, and rightfully so: their “Under the Boardwalk” was a huge Top 5 pop hit for them this year.

Fortunately, that’s the song chosen to be listed above their photo, so it’s a great Drifters’ presence that’s felt on this concert poster. “Boardwalk” would be, by the way, their last major hit.

Then Chuck Jackson grabs the fourth spot on this Solomon Burke tour placard. His song title given is “Beg Me,” but that one didn’t do much. He remained best known for his hit “Any Day Now” two years prior.

Those four sort of stand alone above the yellow diamond which says “All In Person.” Below that, the other half-dozen second-tier musicians are listed.

Even if you don’t love any of the other musicians, this is one heckuva piece of Solomon Burke concert memorabilia. I think it’s about the nicest concert poster of his I’ve ever seen.

I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a Burke stand-alone poster – with him as the only act. He was almost always part of a package tour like this.

This Solomon Burke street poster is happily discussed and shown to you today by Pete Howard, former ICE magazine publisher and long-time music fan and historian. I can be contacted through pete@postercentral.com or via the (805) 540.0020 phone number. In doing so, please keep in mind that I pay the very best & highest prices in this hobby, bar none, for not only any old Solomon Burke concert announcement like this, but any & all vintage soul music and R&B concert posters.

If you’d like to see a few more dazzlers from the ’60s, almost all soul-music multi-act concert window cards, then just slide your mouse over one space to this page: http://www.postercentral.com/multi-act_1960s.htm

Posted in **All Posters, Boxing-Style Concert Posters, Soul and R&B, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Avalon Ballroom Hand-Painted Lobby Sign 1966 from Zig-Zag Man Weekend

Posted on January 29, 2016 by postercentral

A very special, unique original Stanley Mouse art piece advertising a weekend of shows in July 1966 at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco, CA.

Mouse drew up this very large paper sign to draw attention to the following weekend’s concerts, featuring the Daily Flash, Sopwith Camel and the Grass Roots.

It hung in the lobby during Big Brother & The Holding Company’s series of concerts the previous weekend, in late June… featuring their brand new lead singer, Janis Joplin.

This Stanley Mouse hand-drawn art project has been nicely framed in a large, heavy frame, so I was unable to hold it in my lap for this video… so I simply got down on the floor with it. J

Notice the galloping camel that adorns Sopwith’s name… personally, I feel that’s the highlight of this art piece.

It’s funny that in Stanley Mouse’s hand-drawn art board, the Daily Flash are on top and the other two bands are down below.

But on the FD-15 poster for this same weekend’s shows, it’s the Grass Roots who receive top billing, with the Daily Flash second and Sopwith Camel third. But Sopwith didn’t appear on Sunday night, just the first two nights.

It’s great fun just standing in the presence of this Mouse Studios original artwork, knowing that it hung in the Avalon’s lobby while Janis was singing away in the next room over. You can just feel the vibes coming off of it.

This Stanley Mouse hand-painted Family Dog artwork is shown to you today by Pete Howard, a music historian who specializes in the Bay Area and its psychedelic rock history. That would be me, of course, and if you have anything like this in your collection, please give me a ring at (805) 540-0020 or write to me at pete@postercentral.com.

Do know that I pay the very best prices in this hobby, period, for vintage Avalon and Fillmore music memorabilia, anything unusual or highly collectible like this.

Thank you for stopping by, and have a beautiful day!

Posted in **All Posters, **Psychedelic Posters Only, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Arthur Gunter Concert Poster 1955 Elvis Presley Influence – “Baby Let’s Play House”

Posted on January 29, 2016 by postercentral

Today I’m able to show you FOUR vintage Arthur Gunter window cards from the 1950s, with all four of them carrying that all-important song title, “Baby Let’s Play House.”

That song was Gunter’s only charting single ever, in early 1955, but when a young Elvis Presley heard it, he recorded it himself for Sun Records, and it became the very first single that The King ever placed on a Billboard magazine singles chart. How important can you get?

The first cardboard Arthur Gunter poster board I trot out for you today is a ‘tour blank’… there’s no city, venue or date. There’s the usual blank area up top where that information would be printed in later.

But that’s OK, it’s a primitive but historic item that features the big word “DANCE,” Arthur’s name also in huge letters, a nice smiling head shot and three song titles down at the bottom, including the key one.

The next Arthur Gunter placard I reveal in this video is also a tour blank… no information up top, just blank space. This time Arthur’s the opening act for someone: blues harmonica player Little Papa Walter.

Both musicians get their photo on this one, Gunter’s songs have been reduced to just two… the A- and B-side of his key single, but no mention of “Honey Babe” this time.

The third Arthur Gunter in-person poster on display today also features him as an opening act… this time the year jumps to 1957, and our man is opening for Danny “Bad Boy” Carmichael.

Once again both artists get a photo, and this time Arthur’s song listings have been reduced to just one… but that’s OK, because it’s still the landmark “Baby Let’s Play House.” Elvis was at the peak of his worldwide fame by this point, so why list anything else?

And finally, the fourth Arthur Gunter billboard I’m able to show you in my video has him as the headliner over several other acts… five of them to be exact, one of them an M.C.

There’s no pictures of anybody on this one, but there’s still “Baby Let’s Play House” and even a different song that was a non-charting single for him four releases ago.

This Arthur Gunter window display – or actually, all four of them – are shown and discussed for you by Pete Howard, a huge fan and collector of Elvis Presley’s Sun Records years. Yes that’s me of course, and I can be communicated with by using either pete@postercentral.com or by calling 805-540-0020.

Please remember that I pay the BEST PRICES IN THE HOBBY, period, for Elvis Sun-related stuff AND old vintage concert posters such as these.

Speaking of vintage rhythm & blues boxing-style concert posters, to see my gallery of a few more gems in this genre, just move over one page and feast your eyes here: http://www.postercentral.com/rhythmnblues.htm

Posted in **All Posters, *Elvis Presley, 1950s Rock ’N' Roll, Boxing-Style Concert Posters, Soul and R&B, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment