By WaltB (152.163.252.68) on Sunday, July 27, 2003 - 01:14 am:

I remember attending my first concert in Pittsburgh as a new promotion rep for Mercury Records, The show included Anita Ward, George McRae, The Gap Band & Confunkshun was headlining. I couldn't say for sure, but it looked as though The Gap Band had been kicking plenty of butt in the dates preceeding this show. By the time they reached Pittsburgh, the headliners gave the Gap Band a start time which was actually twenty minutes later than it shoulda been. The Gap Band only had a thirty minute show planned. As a result because they were given the wrong start time Gap Band had "the plug" pulled ten minutes into their show. Now I've gotta tell you when they hit the stage with that horn section, they came on in high gear, and if they had played the whole show, Confunkshun would've had a hard time overcoming the Gap Band's show. Anybody else have some examples???

By John Lester (81.132.231.9) on Sunday, July 27, 2003 - 01:42 am:

It happened on the Motortown Revues.

By JoB (204.42.12.2) on Sunday, July 27, 2003 - 01:53 am:

...just last Saturday I went to the "Legends of Soul" concert featuring the Temptations, the Four Tops, the Ojays, and the Whispers...the Tempts were the headliners, but the Ojays went on right before them...the Ojays kicked A**, and though the Tempts did a great job and tried their best, there was no winning the crowd back after the Ojays.

By John Lester (217.40.239.212) on Sunday, July 27, 2003 - 05:23 am:

Far be it for me to mention the Velvelettes's overwhelming performance at Liverpool last month when they were 4th on the bill with the Searchers, Pete Best band, Merseys, Allie Woodson and the Contours.

Ok - I know I'm biased BUT even Ritchie said they were the best!

By STUBASS (205.188.209.109) on Sunday, July 27, 2003 - 10:30 am:

THIS HAS BEEN STATED BEFORE...BUT THE LEGENDARY BOBBY DARIN HAD THE REPUTATION FOR PUTTING ON SUCH A "BALLS TO THE WALLS" SHOW...THAT *NO* SINGER...SINATRA...SAMMY DAVIS JR....DEAN MARTIN...OR ANYONE ELSE *EVER* WANTED TO FOLLOW BOBBY ON STAGE DURING HIS HEYDAY!!!...STUBASS

By MEL&THEN SOME9 (81.174.193.184) on Sunday, July 27, 2003 - 11:13 am:

Nobody wanted to follow
Little Richard on stage after he had blown them all away.
mel.

By Julian (64.12.97.7) on Sunday, July 27, 2003 - 12:39 pm:

I saw Teena Marie upset the headlining Gap Band a few years ago. The adulation of Teena by the crowd was something else, it was like old friends or relatives reuniting.

By SteveS (209.219.207.3) on Sunday, July 27, 2003 - 12:45 pm:

Famous incident that has been discussed before on the forum: Rolling Stones following James Brown on the TAMI Show in 1964. In interviews, the Stones have said it was the worst mistake they ever made.

By HW (68.37.216.164) on Sunday, July 27, 2003 - 01:00 pm:

Spectacular 1974 show with Kool & The Gang, Blackbyrds, O'Jays and Gladys Knight & The Pips; the latter were the headliners. Each of them save the Blackbyrds had a top ten record out at the time (!). GK&TP's were amazing but the agreement everywhere: The O'Jays stole the show. Hands down. Or, I should say, "put your hands together." I still remember the details and somewhere I have the fake dollar bill with the O'Jays' faces on it thrown out during "For The Love Of Money."

By LTLFTC (12.210.76.205) on Sunday, July 27, 2003 - 01:14 pm:

I saw Spirit at the Brewery in East Lansing Mi. , 1975. The opening act , I think it was the Crowd Pleasers , played an enjoyable set of slick funk and dance stuff. They did several covers , including some K.C & the Sunshine band. When Spirit came out, Randy California said something about "We're not gonna do any songs about 'Shaking our Booty or Gettin Down; we're gonna sing about Mother Nature and the spiritual part of life'. He was kind of a dink about it. I'd enjoyed the Crowd Pleasers for what they did and was getting ready to enjoy Spirit for what they did. It kind of put a damper on the evening.

Steve K

By medusa9e2003 (66.73.10.229) on Sunday, July 27, 2003 - 03:05 pm:

R U telling me Tina Marie Out Performed the GAP Band...please don't do it.
What type of audience was it, may I ask?

By WaltB (152.163.252.68) on Sunday, July 27, 2003 - 03:27 pm:

medusa9e: Iagree with you. I wanna know too! It's kinda hard to believe.

By STUBASS (205.188.209.109) on Sunday, July 27, 2003 - 03:30 pm:

I HAPPENED ON A WEB SITE YESTERDAY WHILE LOOKING TO FIND OUT WHAT LINDA CARTER (WONDER WOMAN) WAS DOING THESE DAYS...AND SHE'S BEING REPRESENTED BY AN AGENCY THAT PROVIDES CELEBRITIES FOR MOTIVATIONAL SPEECHES AND THE LIKE...AND GUESS WHO ELSE THEY REPRSENT FOR CORPORATE APPEARANCES???...*THE GAP BAND*!!!...STUBASS

By WaltB (152.163.252.68) on Sunday, July 27, 2003 - 03:31 pm:

I saw a show in Cleveland with a local group "Seven Miles High," "New Birth" and "The O'Jays" and New Birth Kicked so much "A**" that the O'Jays waited about 45 minutes to an hour before even trying to take the stage. When they did take the stage the couldn't get the crowd back. This was New Birth's tour to support their album "Behold! We Are The Mighty Army" Those Wilson brothers (Leslie & Melvin) were something else!

By RD (65.150.229.64) on Sunday, July 27, 2003 - 03:37 pm:

Seven Miles High was one of Lou Ragland's groups, the other one he sang with was Hot Chocolate (not the English group). New Birth was bad.

By ErikT.O. (64.228.108.134) on Sunday, July 27, 2003 - 03:49 pm:

Another couple of publically known cases of being daunted by one's own opening act...-
In rock promoters Bill Graham's book, he describes a number of incidents, some he took credit for orchestrating, in which headliners felt upstaged. He had Buddy Rich open for 10 Years After (who featured a classic rock style long & dumb bathroom-break drum solo in their set)... Roland Kirk open for Jethro Tull and tell off the crowd for not knowing anything about music... Allman Bros opening for the Johnny Winter at the Fillmore East...
More relevant to the world of soul, every Bob Marley fan's read about Sly Stone kicking the Wailers off his 1973 tour after just a couple of dates due to the pressure of following them.

By FrankM (81.152.61.80) on Sunday, July 27, 2003 - 05:31 pm:

When The Stax volt tour hit europe in 1967 it was split into two halves. Sam and dave closed the first half meaning Otis Redding didt need to follow them on stage.

By TonyRussi (68.210.9.227) on Monday, July 28, 2003 - 01:48 pm:

I think it was '76, Bootsys' Rubber Band & Parliment had just released their top selling LPS(Mothership Connection for Parliment) & they were the opening acts for Rufus featuring Chaka Kahn...well let me tell you..poor poor Rufus & Chaka Kahn just didn't cut it, they almost put the audiance to sleep....Chaka even sat down in the middle of the stage and was not very charasmatic & thats the only time I ever saw her in person. In their defense I don't thinkl anyone could have followed the ParliFunkadelic gang.

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Monday, July 28, 2003 - 01:56 pm:

Tony:
You think Rufus & Chaka had a hard time with Bootsy & Parliament? I got one for you folks....

Spring 1980 - The Rochester War Memorial.

Headliner - Rufus & Chaka Khan
Middle Act - Rick James & the Stone City Band
Opening Act - Prince

Prince's "Dirty Mind" LP had just hit the stores and here was His Royal (later Purple) Badness in a trenchcoat, lace underwear, a Fender Strat and his band kicking serious a-- onstage, upstaging everybody.

Rick was soooooooooo pissed off he just couldn't get the audience's attention. Good set, but everyone was blown away by Prince.

Rufus & Chaka Khan - fine set, band was tight, Chaka sang her booty off but it was telling that their days were numbered, especially since Chaka's solo records were catching fire. The band's energy just wasn't there anymore.

Kevin Goins - KevGo

By B. Foster (209.219.207.3) on Monday, July 28, 2003 - 02:05 pm:

Uh...just asking STUBASS, but you just happened to be looking for Linda Carter because...why???

Is that maybe just a little too much information for us folks on the forum?

B. (sounds kinda creepy, stu) Foster.

By Livonia Ken (136.1.1.101) on Monday, July 28, 2003 - 02:10 pm:

I'm too young to have seen it, but I'm told that the concert (in Flint, MI?) where the Who opened up for Herman's Hermit was an unmitigated disaster for Herman's Hermits. I wonder if that was around the same time where Keith Moon had that birthday party that got The Who banned from the Holiday Inn chain.

A couple of years later, I believe The Who had a similar experience, themselves, at one of those festival gigs where they had to take the stage after Jimi Hendrix.

Regards,
Ken

By STUBASS (205.188.209.109) on Monday, July 28, 2003 - 02:13 pm:

HAHAHAHA B FOSTER!!!...ACTUALLY...A CUSTOMER WALKED INTO OUR DEALERSHIP BY THE NAME OF LINDA CARTER...AND AFTER WE DISCOVERED THAT IT WASN'T "WONDER WOMAN"...WE "WONDERED" WHAT THE WOMAN WAS DOING THESE DAYS!!!...THATS WHERE I CAME UPON THE GAP "BAR MITZVA" BAND!!!...STU(NOTHING IRREGULAR HERE)BASS

By B. Foster (209.219.207.3) on Monday, July 28, 2003 - 02:17 pm:

Ok, sure.

Well for what it's worth, the original guitar player in the Gap Band was Tuck Andress of Tuck and Patti fame.

B. (like anybody buys that lame story, Stu) Foster

By STUBASS (152.163.252.68) on Monday, July 28, 2003 - 02:23 pm:

OK THEN B FOSTER...I'LL FESS UP!!!...I WAS DOING SOME RESEARCH INTO THE BELIEF THAT "WONDER WOMAN" WAS ACTUALLY STEVIES "LOVE CHILD"!!!...ALSO...SHE WAS A REAL HOTTIE...AND I'D SURE LIKE TO MAKE HER A STUBASS "ANGEL"...SINCE SHE COULD ALREADY FLY...AND THAT WAY...I COULD SAVE ON THAT EXTRA SET OF WINGS!!!...THERE YOU HAVE IT!!!...STU("WONDER" IF BF WILL BELIEVE THAT ONE)BASS

By john dixon (64.12.97.7) on Monday, July 28, 2003 - 04:36 pm:

Then there was that infamous tour where the Jimi Hendrix Experience opened for the Monkees. And the little girls didn't understand.

The worst I ever witnessed was Lynyrd Skynyrd just brutalize Blue Oyster Cult as the opening act in Columbia, SC, 1973, before they really hit with "Sweet Home Alabama". At the time I was a big fan of B.O.C. and, conversely as a native-Southerner, didn't like Skynyrd or any of those Southern Rock bands. Didn't want it to happen, hated to witness it since they were the headline act that I had paid to see, but Skynyrd just shut those boys down and people were leaving by mid-set. Despite the geographical "home court advantage" Skynyrd had, I left feeling a little humiliation as a Blue Oyster Cult fan and my interest in them waned afterwards.

By Reese (12.15.169.254) on Monday, July 28, 2003 - 04:48 pm:

This happened to me just recently. A few months back, I attended a "DIVAS" concert featuring Ashford and Simpson, Stephanie Mills, and Chaka Khan. A great lineup, no question.

Ashford and Simpson opened the show, and set the mood with a great performance. Stephanie Mills came next and absolutely demolished the crowd. Her voice sounded just as good if not better than it always has. Then came Chaka. In my opinion (and many others), she was a big letdown. She opened with some of her less recognized songs, and the show never really recovered.

By janebse (68.63.5.177) on Monday, July 28, 2003 - 10:50 pm:

The last comment makes me wonder whether her choice of material was the cause of the failure.

Has anyone seen a show where the headliners realized what was coming and changed their own show to take command.

By R&B (138.238.41.118) on Tuesday, July 29, 2003 - 11:29 am:

AFTER THE T.A.M.I. SHOW NOBODY WANTED TO FOLLOW JAMES BROWN!

By dvdmike (68.72.174.164) on Tuesday, July 29, 2003 - 07:14 pm:

In early 1977, I took my girlfriend at the time to the Auditorium Theater here in Chicago to see Bootsy's Rubber Band. They were mightily upstaged by their opening act, The Trammps.

By Keith Rylatt (217.137.88.28) on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 12:38 pm:

Around '67 James & Bobby Purify toured the UK and I saw them at a dance hall called the Spinning Disc in Leeds. Anyhow, after the customary late start, the US band came on. It was pretty unusual to have a US band, usually a British group would do that but there were suspiciously few of them. Eventually J & B came on and began the show......but then all of a sudden, they withdrew into the group, picked up instruments as the real James & Bobby dived on stage. It all added to the excitement. Keith

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 06:18 pm:

Ever been to an oldies show where opening acts upstaged the headliners. Happened in Rochester NY.

In the summer of 1986, Del Shannon & the Crystals headlined a gig at the Downtown Rochester Festival Tent (parking lot by day, concert site at night). The opening act was Lee Andrews & the Hearts - which by now was a family act (Lee Andrews on lead, his wife and daughter - both of whom were drop-dead gorgeous - on background vocals and his son on drums). Lee & company KILLED the audience by presenting a Las Vegas-quality show - they sang Lee's doo-wop hits along with the pop-soul tunes of the day from "Celebration" to "Old-Time Rock & Roll." The crowd were stunned, my fellow radio DJs who were emceeing the gig and I couldn't believe what we were experiencing. The crowd wanted two encores. The Crystals came on minutes later but they just couldn't catch the crowd's attention which frustrated them. Del Shannon told me and my colleagues, "Thank God I'm on last!"

The next night, same location. Martha Reeves performed and Ronnie Spector opened. Martha sounded fine but Ronnie sounded and looked fine! She had the crowd in her hands and wouldn't let go. When Ronnie announced that she had remarried and gave birth to two sons - and she looked like a twenty-year old - the women in the crowd cheered.

Kevin Goins - KevGo

By JSmith (212.39.231.20) on Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 01:50 am:

As Seven Miles High (+ Hot Chocolate) were mentioned earlier in this thread....
just thought I would let people know that Lou Ragland (ex of Cleveland, now Vegas based) is currently off Alaska on a cruise ship. He is performing as a member of a group (for the ship's passengers) until early September.
Bobby Wade, another ex Clevelander who moved to Vegas (there are a few, Sonny Turner, old members of S.O.U.L. etc) has unfortunately quit the music biz. Bobby who recorded solo outings released on Way Out, Big Jim & Deluxe and then took over from Little Anthony as lead with the Imperials (he sang lead on the group's mid 70's UK pop chart hit) now drives a limo for a vegas Strip casino in the city.
Many casinos have recently converted their lounge rooms to disco clubs to capture the younger Calif clubbing element and as a consequence, the number of gigs for live soul (& pop) acts in the city has drastically reduced.

By RD (65.150.229.198) on Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 06:39 am:

JSmith, didn't know that Sonny Turner had retired. He was in Cleveland last year with his Platters as part of an oldie show at Severance Hall and appeared on a radio talk show.

Isn't Lou Ragland still performing as Lou Ragland's Inkspots? His friend Harvey Fuqua left Vegas for the more laid back lifestyle of South Carolina a few years ago.

Not only have some rooms in Vegas turned disco, many have turned brokered where the artist has to pay upfront for the priviledge of performing there and hope they can make the money back by attracting people to the show.

Bobby Wade, who has a website, still performs when he can get the gigs. A lawsuit against a large Casino/Hotel may have resulted in a little black balling of Wade.

It didn't help that the Isley Brothers bombed in Vegas room a couple of years ago.

By JSmith (212.39.231.20) on Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 09:01 am:

RD,
Where did I state that Sonny Turner had retired ??
He hasn't to the best of my knowledge and I didn't say he hads, I did however state that he is now Vegas based.
He seems to have gone in the opposite direction to Harvey F then, as Sonny was based in the Beach Music area 10 or so years back.

By RD (205.185.125.155) on Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 09:53 am:

JSmith,

That paragraph you wrote is a little confusing, reading it again it appears you are saying that some of the members of S.O.U.L. quit the business, not Sonny Turner. Soul's guitar player Pee Wee drives a bus, Lee Lovett works for one of those super hardware chains like D.Y.I., I think Gus Hawkins is in Atlanta or is it their drummer Paul Stubblefield? I see Lee's older brother Howard quite often, we use to have the same barber.

F.Y.I., Bobby Wade is not considered a Clevelander. He doesn't even consider himself a Clevelander. Wade is from a small city in Western Pennsylvania and didn't come to Cleveland until he was a grown. He stayed around awhile before splitting to Vegas where the work was and to my knowledge never came back. This is why when you talk to many Cleveland artists who were around when Wade was they don't know much about him. He played the nicer clubs in town, i.e. the gangster establishments on Short Vincent, etc. A real classy singer and guy.

By ErikT.O. (64.228.108.25) on Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 05:13 pm:

I know this is a million miles from the world of soul, but I saw AC/DC play a better set last night than the Rolling Stones, one once favourite group & still near-favourite... and I don't even like AC/DC when I have to hear 'em on the radio 10 times a day at work (not by choice!)/Erik

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 05:30 pm:

Where do you work, Erik?
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By Greg C. (166.84.225.9) on Friday, August 01, 2003 - 02:35 pm:

Headliner-Diana Ross & The Supremes
Opening Act-Gladys Knight & The Pips

I'll never forget this concert. Gladys and the boys hit the stage and turned it out! "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" was burning up the charts then. The Pips were spinning and whirling and singing serious background and Miss Gladys was wailing and working the audience. The crowd loved it and was shouting, cheering, and seriously worked up. It was wild! Diana and the ladies came on afterwards and while they gave a great performance, the momentum had fallen considerbly. They just couldn't work the crowd like Gladys Knight and The Pips had and Miss Ross was quite annoyed.

Years later I had heard that Gladys Knight and The Pips were pulled off that tour because Diana complained to Berry Gordy about the opening act stealing the show. Quite frankly, Gladys and her boys put on a much more exciting show. Hey,that's show biz...

By Chappie28 (67.73.33.211) on Tuesday, August 19, 2003 - 12:12 am:

A Concert at The Roxy in Los Angeles, where Big Tree Recording artist "HOT" (Angel In Your Arms) with lead singer Gwen Owens, opened for "The Tramps." Even the music reviewers sad HOT out- tramped The Tramps. That girls group along with The Emotions were The hottest female groups in the 70's and early 80's.

By larry rott (68.164.132.93) on Tuesday, August 19, 2003 - 12:56 am:

Thank you all for the stories. Keep 'em comin.

Signed,

Living vicariously

p.s. I know it's a strrrrretch, but, I witnessed the Cardinal's upstage the Headlining Tigers in '68. Game 4. Tiger Stadium. 10-1 loss. Lou Brock homered to centerfield in the first inning.

By Randy Russi (169.139.180.100) on Tuesday, August 19, 2003 - 09:02 am:

These are all interesting to hear. Someone mentioned about the Stones not wanting to
follow James Brown on the TAMI Show. Well,
another time, somewhere on tour in Europe,
they had the same thoughts from what I have
heard about following Ike & Tina Turner.

By SteveS (209.219.207.3) on Tuesday, August 19, 2003 - 09:16 am:

Randy,

I'm not sure that's true, because the Stones actually used Ike and Tina as their opening act on one of the tours in the 70's, which helped "re-introduce" them to a broader audience. However, they might have had some second thoughts when they booked Stevie Wonder on their early 70's tour, when he was making the transition from "little" Stevie to Talking Book funk, cause he absolutely killed.

I think they were totally blindsided by JB on the TAMI show. It was the early 60's, and they knew JB from his records, but had NO idea what they would be up against in a live show. If you've seen TAMI, you know what I'm talking about. JB's set is the strongest performance I've ever seen, anywhere.

By ErikT.O. (216.209.211.77) on Tuesday, August 19, 2003 - 12:50 pm:

Hm, I read the Stones were well aware of JB before playing the TAMI show & were suitably petrified! They toured with Ike & Tina in Europe in '66-or '67 I think and had them (and BB King) open for them on their '69 tour, when they were said to have been apprehensive about following them on stage too soon but then all their '69 shows supposedly started very late. I have a tape of what's supposed to be one of Stevie's opening sets, he's great of course but I'm not sure if the Stones were too worried, they had the good sense to hire the Meters in '75 and Peter Tosh in '78...
PS Hi Kev, I work & live in Toronto, quite a bit of it involves deliveries and the like, but I really hate driving so the driver usually gets radio pick until I go nuts and put my foot down after a fifth or sixth repeat set of a Stones cut, an AC/DC cut, a Rush cut, a Zep cut, a Floyd cut, repeat all day kind of Toronto rock n roll radio set...

By Eli (151.197.183.39) on Tuesday, August 19, 2003 - 03:23 pm:

Blue magic once opened for Ike and Tina and I&T tok BM off of the tour because they felt that BM was stealing the show from them.

By WaltB (64.12.97.7) on Sunday, August 24, 2003 - 07:13 am:

I have another Gladys Knight story. When I attended my high school prom in 1967, Gladys Knight & the Pips opened for the Temptations at Leo's Casino in Cleveland and this was before "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" and the gave the Temptations all that they could handle. They were already seasoned pros and it showed during this engagement. After this show Gladys Knight and the Pips became one of my favorite acts and ALWAYS put on a great show!

By Don (68.75.188.242) on Wednesday, August 27, 2003 - 01:57 pm:

I remember it as if it we're yesterday, it was at The Uptown. Rick James and The Stone City we're the headliners, Teena Marie was in the 2nd slot and Prince was the opening act, this had to have been around 1980. That's when Prince's 3rd lp 'Dirty Mind' came out around that same week. Prince stole the show. During Rick's set, Prince came out sitting on his bodyguards shoulders moving along the front row. I had a buddy that worked security at the Uptown here in Chicago at the time, and he told me that Rick was irate and was told that his Royal Badness had packed up and split. I heard this wasn't the first time he had done this before during one of Rick's shows. I was quite shocked myself.

By ohw? (68.75.188.242) on Wednesday, August 27, 2003 - 02:14 pm:

I use to spend spring and summer vacations with my cousins that used to live in Gary,In. They would always want to go to any or every P-Funk concerts in the area or across the boarders. We went to shows in Ohio, Kansas, St Louis, and Gary and Mothers Finest would wipe the stage with Funk Mob!!!!

By moanman (24.44.218.110) on Wednesday, August 27, 2003 - 02:49 pm:

It was one of the first live concerts I'd ever attended in NYC. The Headliner, that wonderfully gifted Carlos Santana. The opening act: Labelle.

Man, to the sound of a rockin' band, these two crazy-looking space chicks sashayed on stage, dressed in varying degrees of silver. They seemed to be from another place entirely. The crowd was polite, but not overly enthusiastic. But soon after, Miss Patti descended from the sky, landing like some space-aged earthmother between them, & oh my, it was ON!

They took ownership of that stage & made everything LIVE & in Living Color. Soon, everybody was either clapping their hands, tapping their feet, or leaving their seats to dance. Man, everybody was FEELING them. You could smell the Love! The sound of the vocals was truly astounding! Every song a winner, & each better than the LP. The fevered energy of the band was electric. Patti was in full voice, taking the powerbox in her throat to a soaring crescendo, song after song-- while fluttering around the stage, like some uncaged bird. Indeed, a phoenix had risen.

Sarah Dash was oh soooooo verrrr sexy-- the Lady in the silver bra & sarong, w/ a piercing soprano that *still* echoes in my ear whenever I think about it!

Nona, ah! Ms. Hendryx was hitting just the right bottom notes, rocking these silver hot pants w/matching knee-high boots, showing THIGHS FOR DAYS! OH MY!!!

I mean, as a group they put a maginificent display of both visual & vocal pyrotechnics. As an opening act, well, forget about simply taking it to another level. They made even an artist Santana's caliber, pale & somewhat prosaic. And there was *nothing wrong* w/ his act. It was tight! Only, it was a couple of light years & space boots behind Patti & the girls.

At least, that's how I remember it. And what a night it was!