...... Stevie Wonder in New York in 1966........
Attachment 892
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...... Stevie Wonder in New York in 1966........
Attachment 892
...... and Stevie in Baltimore in 1967 .....
Attachment 893
Here is a picture of a page of Curtis Woodson's book, he wrote "Annette Beard of the "original" Vandellas told me that this is the only photograph she has ever seen of the Vandellas on stage in performance with Marvin".
In the book Marvin is much more visible -as you can see I'm not a pro ! :)
http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/6486/mpot.jpg
picture from Curtis Woodson.
With "I Guess I'll Always Love You" to plug, the Isley Brothers top a fine bill at the Apollo in July 1966 ...
Attachment 917
Jimmy Ruffin was still way down on the bill, but with "Brokenhearted" about to go big that would soon change.
Not only were Motown acts doing live shows locally ...............
but they were also appearing on local TV station 'specials' .....
Attachment 920
The above Tempts's special was actually syndicated by Screen-Gems, I believe, and had a soundtrack album released as well.
Well it was an opportune time for the TV show to be screened in Baltimore, as the group had a big show coming up in the area ......
Attachment 928
Another Motown TV show broadcast in cities such as Baltimore .....
Attachment 931
......... back to live show ads ...............
There were no artists signed with Motown on this summer 1966 Apollo show .....
.... but 2 of them would be signed to the label before the end of the decade ...
Attachment 933
As the decade ran out, the Tops played a Baltimore gig ....
Attachment 940
Same club --- different Motown group --- different decade ......
Attachment 944
With a local 'blue-eyed' soul group as support ...
No Motown artists this time, just the mighty mighty Dells ......
.... PLUS locals Tommy Vann & the Professionals again .....
Attachment 1101
No UK Soul Weekender promoter could afford to offer FREE BEER at one of their events
.... they would surely go bankrupt after the first such offer at a weekender !!!!
Stevie Wonder tops a fine bill early in 1970 ....
Attachment 1106
............ Back to the Apollo in 1963 .........
Mary Wells joins Chuck Jackson, Barbara Lewis & others on the bill ...
Attachment 1124
............ Jumping forward to the 70's again ....................
.... a solo singer starting out on his newish career plays a Baltimore club.
Attachment 1132
.... David was in town in April ........
... & so were the Temptations ......
Attachment 1155
With Yvonne on the bill as well .....
PLUS ex Motowner Hamilton Bohannon.
On the above & on the ad posted as #133, both 1970 shows at Baltimore Civic Centre, there is a Motown [[Sound) Band advertised.
.... Would this be a set of Detroit musicians sent out to back up the likes of the Temptations and Stevie .....
.... OR .... would it be an ensemble put together by the Civic Centre itself to accompany these Motown artists ??
Motown ruled at Baltimore's Club Venus from late May thru late June 1970
Attachment 1164
........ Also in town in June 1970 ...........
... plus down on Carr's Beach as well ....
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It seems that even as early as summer 1970 it was getting harder to make money booking big name acts into ordinary clubs.
....... After this show ...........
Attachment 1176
Mike Athas [[who ran the place) announced that the club was changing its policy. It was to become a dance & dinner club, so would no longer book big name acts. A new bar & 2 dance floors were to be installed to make the club's layout more suitable for its new role.
So the Club's role as a venue where locals could catch all the top Motown & soul outfits was at an end, the Supremes being the last big name [[& fee commanding) act to play the club.
Exactly 41 years ago today, you could have caught the F of D at Baltimore's Club Venus ....
Attachment 1186
AND 2 months after Martha & the Vandellas were on ......
you could have gone to see Smokey & the Miracles at the club .....
.... with the 4 Tops featuring just a couple of weeks later.
The Club Venus certainly liked to book big Motown acts.
Love these old posters. What intrigues me is some of the song titles listed for certain acts. I have seen The Miracles Come Spy With Me listed next to their pic often for example. Was that because it was one of Motowns first ventures into film? And they were trying to promote that instead of the A side? I mean, it was not one of their better sides, and as for the film, I Do remember seeing it once, and it was beyond awful. Some of the other songs listed next to the artists pics often are B sides or lesser known hits. Were these advertised in these cities because they were popular there, and so would attract patrons?..Paulo XXXX
A 1968 show that included Bobby Star & the Versatiles on the bill ....
Attachment 1197
Bobby Star would go on to join the Intruders in 1970.
..... Jumping on to 1970 ......
a big show at the Civic Centre
.... featuring the 'real' Spinners
[[I believe Frankie & the Spinners in the ad above
went on to become Frankie & the Spindles !!!)
Attachment 1200
Another Detroit attraction on this bill was 100 Proof
& if we go back to include the 50's .... Wilson Pickett
In addition to the Motor Town Revue shows, Capitol Records also sent out a package of their artists on shows --- they called their revue 'the Capitol Records Soul Caravan' [[artists who performed on these shows included the Magnificent Men, Ruben Wright, the Thrills, Verdelle Smith, etc.).
....... ALSO .... Atlantic promoted shows by artists signed to their labels
......... here's one such show that took place up in NY .........
Attachment 1207
Here's a handbill for a Baltimore show that has Kenny Hamber topping the bill ....
Attachment 1226
but this show wasn't held back in the day ....
.... it takes place in one months time !!!!
I made mention of the 'Capitol Records Soul Caravan' above ....
.... so here it was in action ... at NuJurzayz Palisades Park ...
Attachment 1236
A few miles north again ...
to the Brooklyn Fox Theatre in 1962 .....
only 1 Motown act on the bill; the Marvelettes ........
Attachment 1240
We're even further back in time now ...... to summer 1957 & a bill at Baltimore's Royal Theatre ....
.... no Motown acts on the bill [[not suprising as Motown didn't exist yet) .....
.... but 2 future Motowners were performing that week [[Harvey & Choker) .......
Attachment 1246
Down on the beach in 1958, Jackie Wilson starred on a show ......
... & Berry Gordy got an acknowledgement via the reference to his song "To Be Loved" .....
Attachment 1250
....... Still on the beach in 1958 ........
...... Bobby Day tops the bill to sing his current hit "Rockin Robin" ......
whilst he also performed in his 'old guise' as half of Bob & Earl [[& the Satellittes) ..
Attachment 1251
Back to a Baltimore Royal Theatre show and a very decent line-up assembled in Feb 66 .......
... including a lady plugging her 1st Motown release which had just entered the national charts ...
Attachment 1253
Here's one for any big Shirelles fans out there ....
... & we're back down on the beach for this one ...
Attachment 1254
1 childs 'before noon' ticket please ... 25c !!, what a rip-off !!!
This is some amazing stuff, thanks JSmith! Love the posters, too. I see you can now buy some of them on Ebay.
I'll have my own ad for Ebay: Wanted: Used time machine, must work properly. Needed to transport me back to the 60's so I can catch Motown Revue shows.
Amazing what $2.50 to $5.00 could buy one back in the day -- five to eight top notch artists. That's just amazing.
RE: The Feb 4 - Feb 10th Baltimore Royal lineup @ jsmith's post:
I can tell y'all where Wayne Cochran & The C.C. Riders's [[pictured in the bill above, top right) next engagement was for the following week--at New York's Apollo Theater! It was the first time I ever went to the Apollo. Also on the bill that week were The Marvelettes [[headliners), Jackie Lee [["The Duck"), Deon Jackson [["Love Makes The World Go Around"). I was 10.
In light of the very last thing I said in the previous paragraph, here's another coincidence about that Baltimore Royal bill: my daughter [[obviously, my stepdaughter--LOL!!!) Kim was born exactly one year later from the day that the Baltimore Royal show opened!
Little did I know--LOL!!!
Charles
Mention made of Wayne Cochran ... so here he is again ....
Attachment 1256
King Curtis followed ... but where was the show ??
Moving south again & going back onto the Beach ....
.... an early show for the 'full compliment' Impressions ....
Attachment 1258
JB & the Impressions returned to build sandcastles a week later ....
... though this time they had a lot more 'friends' with them ......
Attachment 1306
A Motown fave plays a gig in the same city as the Wayne Cochran gig shown above ...
Attachment 1307
I wonder if the 'Four Platters' had any connection to the Musicor Records 'Platters' ?
Other 'visitors' up from the Motor City .......
Attachment 1308