Jump to content
Soul Source

Northern Soul Concert Poster - The Holy Grail?

Posted

I stumbled on this youtube video.  An American collector gushing about a poster in his collection.

 

On one level, this guy knows exactly what he's got, but he doesn't appear to grasp the significance to us lot! I don't collect posters, but if I did....

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ6zj-rwCpY

  • Replies 37
  • Views 4.6k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Most active in this topic

Most Popular Posts

  • Mike
    Mike

    ÕÕÕÕTERRIBLE TOMÕÕÕÕ “Terrible Tom” Bowden comes from a very popular musical family. Tom started his music career in Oakland, CA in 1948 at the Lincoln Theatre on 7th Street as a singer in a

  • Pete S
    Pete S

    OK, dream on about your imaginary concert, I'm off to have my tea

  • Paul R
    Paul R

    Great gig, pity Smokey Robinson was there, the other acts are all stars!!!!   Paul

Posted Images

Featured Replies

Great gig, pity Smokey Robinson was there, the other acts are all stars!!!!

 

Paul

That guy has got a great collection of concert posters, including both the Tempts and the Four Tops at the Fillmore Auditorium, done in much the same style as the Smokey one.  Nice.

I bought A4 copies of some great posters from the USA a while ago, including this one, Wally Cox, Terrible Tom, Eddie Foster, The Ballads, all NS heroes, great to know that although they were little known and never made the big time, they were touring and, maybe looking for the 'big break'.

A very important piece of NS history, I wish it belonged to me!

I think that's a fake.  All those "Northern" artists on the same bill, what are the chances?

It's 100% genuine Pete.

I think that's a fake.  All those "Northern" artists on the same bill, what are the chances?

 

What brings the authenticity into question is the fact that the Miracles didn't officially change their name to Smokey Robinson & The Miracles until after they had released "I'm The One You Need" in October 1966, at least four months after the advertised concert.  However, Smokey's name may have been added to the front of the group's title for promotional purposes.  Either way, what a great concert that would have been.

:lol: American soul acts appearing together at the same venue in a soul revue in America. 

I wouldn't be surprised if they played 'our music' !  How dare they ! 

 

This is is an interesting article here  on the club's chequered history

 

https://www.amoeba.com/blog/2015/01/people-s-republic-of-northern-california/new-life-for-oakland-s-continental-club.html

 

Don't know what the sarcasm is for, that poster is about as genuine as my poster of Elvis Presley, The Beatles and The Sex Pistols on the same bill at Wolverhampton NCP Tripe Cafe.

That huge soul star Eddie Foster getting a giant second billing to the Miracles, oh and Wally Cox wasn't known as Wally Cox until the 70's.  Terrible Tom, when was his big hit single, did he release more than one?  The one he did release was years after this supposed concert.

Edited by Pete S

Don't know what the sarcasm is for, that poster is about as genuine as my poster of Elvis Presley, The Beatles and The Sex Pistols on the same bill at Wolverhampton NCP Tripe Cafe.

 

Sorry Pete, but i was putting my faith in the belief that nobody would go to such efforts to put together something so lame ! 

I was wrong !

Everything points to it being completely authentic. Local artists supporting a nationally known headline act. The fact that the support acts all went on to have 'Northern' records is purely incidental. Plus apart from Eddie Foster they all went on to be signed by national labels: Vee Jay, Maverick (MGM) and Scepter-Wand.

 

The thing which makes this example collectible to the American memorabilia collectors is that it's a Charles Tilghman-designed poster. He created live music bills in Northern California for decades, primarily but not exclusively for black music acts. Very few people saved or collected these at the time, so surviving clean examples are rare. His letterpress typesetting is very distinctive and individual, so difficult to fake by a layman. I don't think a copy would have raised several thousands of dollars at public auction if there had been any doubts as to its authenticity.

 

Remember that R&B was as much a live phenomenon as it was a recorded one, maybe more so. The Ballads, Eddie Foster Wally Cox and Terrible Tom would all have been known to local club-goers and would have been a significant draw as well as the headliners. I've seen examples of posters from other parts of the country where a well-known headliner is thrown against very obscure local artists who went on to have impossibly rare examples of recorded output.

ÕÕÕÕTERRIBLE TOMÕÕÕÕ
“Terrible Tom” Bowden comes from a very popular musical family. Tom started his music career in Oakland,
CA in 1948 at the Lincoln Theatre on 7th Street as a singer in a talent show. He performed Mule Train by
Frankie Lane. By the early 50’s, Tom was harmonizing with vocal groups singing doo wop. By the 60’s he
was singing in some of the top clubs in California. He broke in at the difficult North Beach music circuit with
The Queen of Broadway, Carol Doda He also worked at Big Al’s, and The Condor Club working with Mr.
Swim, Bobby Freeman and Wally Cox. Tom soon moved to the Los Angeles music scene and was an instant
hit. Tom was the first black to perform on La Cienega Blvd. at the Apartment Club with his band, LTD with
Jeffrey Osborne on drums. The Whiskey A Go Go loved Otis Redding and after his death, asked Terrible Tom
to perform. Tom is the only person alive who can sing like the late great Otis Redding. Tom has the energy,
the look, the style and the soulful voice. Tom has shared the stage with Ray Charles, Count Bassie, the Four
Tops, Etta James, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Bobby Blue Bland, Richard Pryor, Redd Fox, the Whispers, The 
Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Wilson Pickett, Jackie Wilson and Sam & Dave. Terrible Tom sat in for Dave so it
was Sam & Tom at the Sportsman Club where they sang When Something Is Wrong With My Baby. At one
point Tom’s back up band was a group of singers who became known as Bloodstone. Tom was Stevie
Wonder’s driver and body guard and worked with Shorty Long who made the hit Function at the Junction. 
 
cox and t tom get a name check
 

Everything points to it being completely authentic. Local artists supporting a nationally known headline act. The fact that the support acts all went on to have 'Northern' records is purely incidental. Plus apart from Eddie Foster they all went on to be signed by national labels: Vee Jay, Maverick (MGM) and Scepter-Wand.

 

The thing which makes this example collectible to the American memorabilia collectors is that it's a Charles Tilghman-designed poster. He created live music bills in Northern California for decades, primarily but not exclusively for black music acts. Very few people saved or collected these at the time, so surviving clean examples are rare. His letterpress typesetting is very distinctive and individual, so difficult to fake by a layman. I don't think a copy would have raised several thousands of dollars at public auction if there had been any doubts as to its authenticity.

 

Remember that R&B was as much a live phenomenon as it was a recorded one, maybe more so. The Ballads, Eddie Foster Wally Cox and Terrible Tom would all have been known to local club-goers and would have been a significant draw as well as the headliners. I've seen examples of posters from other parts of the country where a well-known headliner is thrown against very obscure local artists who went on to have impossibly rare examples of recorded output.

 

I'll find the copy of black music where it said who Wally Cox really was.  And  Maverick wasn't distributed by MGM, not for the Terrible Tom record anyway.  His record is from 68 or 69.  Would anyone have ever heard of him in 1966?  

Both Eddie Foster and Wally Cox were Bay area acts I thought. Didnt Cox cut a single early sixties under that name?

Both Eddie Foster and Wally Cox were Bay area acts I thought. Didnt Cox cut a single early sixties under that name?

 

Thats a different Wally Cox though.  

All the Maverick 45 were manufactured and distributed by MGM. It was part of Venture, owned by MGM but operated by Mickey Stevenson.

Wally Cox - whichever one -  gets a mention on a Kent LA CD as a producer

  • Author

That huge soul star Eddie Foster getting a giant second billing to the Miracles, oh and Wally Cox wasn't known as Wally Cox until the 70's.  Terrible Tom, when was his big hit single, did he release more than one?  The one he did release was years after this supposed concert.

Pete

 

The Ballads, Eddie Foster and Terrible Tom were local to Oakland, so it's not a great stretch to imagine them booked as local support. Funny man Wally Cox died in '73 - wasn't he always known by that name? Maybe he was on the bill as compere?

Edited by Dayo

Pete

 

The Ballads, Eddie Foster and Terrible Tom were local to Oakland, so it's not a great stretch to imagine them booked as local support. Wally Cox died in '73 - wasn't he always known by that name? Maybe he was on the bill as compere?

 

Third time. Different Wally Cox. 

Another poster advertised on Poster Central was for the Four Tops concert at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco.  Produced by the same press as the Miracles one, so a very similar "Boxing" style.  Big difference here is that it's autographed.  Also, notice the misspelling of Johnny Talbot & De Thangs, who were local to the Bay area, recording on Oakland label Jasman.

 

https://youtu.be/OE5NkN3yRSM

Thats a different Wally Cox though.  

I'm not thinking of the white actor of the same name Pete.

The one I'm thinking of is on you tube, Cordon Records and is described as "Bay Area Popcorn". Bit of a coincidence if it is someone else entirely.

Another poster advertised on Poster Central was for the Four Tops concert at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco.  Produced by the same press as the Miracles one, so a very similar "Boxing" style.  Big difference here is that it's autographed.  Also, notice the misspelling of Johnny Talbot & De Thangs, who were local to the Bay area, recording on Oakland label Jasman.

 

https://youtu.be/OE5NkN3yRSM

Now that's some poster. Me want one

Steve

I stumbled on this youtube video. An American collector gushing about a poster in his collection.

On one level, this guy knows exactly what he's got, but he doesn't appear to grasp the significance to us lot! I don't collect posters, but if I did....

[/quote

I will have to do some digging but I took a photo of this in the Motown cafe in New York in 1995. It was in a frame next to various other posters and framed gold discs.

The cafe was owned by Diana Ross and was a brilliant experience. I also did some filming which included the poster but its on vhs and I can't post this.

I have to say that everything looked authentic and was extremely well done. It was the highlight of my trip.

Edited by BrianB

Have one on me Steve.  Sorry it's unsigned......

And I have a facsimile of the signed one!

Terrible Tom was a bay area legend........and how good does he sound today?

 

https://youtu.be/A2a7aey8aLs

 

Right down to the DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!  :thumbup:

Edited by Guest

Myself, I have no doubts that the Wally Cox in the poster is the same Wally Cox of "This Man". 

 

A Wally Cox was friends/partner with Mel Reid of Reid's records of Berkeley CA who were instrumental in getting Marvin Gaye over to perform live in Oakland 1974 with Wally Cox as backing singer. 

 

Our Wally Cox I also believe is the same as recorded for Arvee, George, Lama, Cordon, Orchestra. Cordon being distributed by Rendevouz Records of Los Angeles, Arvee (Hollywood), Lama (Hollywood) Orchestra (Hollywood) so he was locally known well enough to have his name on an Oakland poster.

 

A bit out of field but Malc Burton remembers seeing a "black" Wally Cox as backing singer to Paul Anka at Caesar's Palace in Vegas in 1980 ... again I believe to be the same bloke above as backed Marv Gaye.

 

Although not definite by any stretch that it's the same but Wally Cox "This Man" had a Kent label number but unreleased prior to the Wand outing. Kent was a West Coast CA label. 

 

There again I could be wrong   :lol:

And I have a facsimile of the signed one!

Terrible Tom was a bay area legend........and how good does he sound today?

 

https://youtu.be/A2a7aey8aLs

 

Right down to the DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!  :thumbup:

 

:thumbsup:

Edited by Dave Turner

 

ÕÕÕÕTERRIBLE TOMÕÕÕÕ
“Terrible Tom” Bowden comes from a very popular musical family. Tom started his music career in Oakland,
CA in 1948 at the Lincoln Theatre on 7th Street as a singer in a talent show. He performed Mule Train by
Frankie Lane. By the early 50’s, Tom was harmonizing with vocal groups singing doo wop. By the 60’s he
was singing in some of the top clubs in California. He broke in at the difficult North Beach music circuit with
The Queen of Broadway, Carol Doda He also worked at Big Al’s, and The Condor Club working with Mr.
Swim, Bobby Freeman and Wally Cox. Tom soon moved to the Los Angeles music scene and was an instant
hit. Tom was the first black to perform on La Cienega Blvd. at the Apartment Club with his band, LTD with
Jeffrey Osborne on drums. The Whiskey A Go Go loved Otis Redding and after his death, asked Terrible Tom
to perform. Tom is the only person alive who can sing like the late great Otis Redding. Tom has the energy,
the look, the style and the soulful voice. Tom has shared the stage with Ray Charles, Count Bassie, the Four
Tops, Etta James, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Bobby Blue Bland, Richard Pryor, Redd Fox, the Whispers, The 
Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Wilson Pickett, Jackie Wilson and Sam & Dave. Terrible Tom sat in for Dave so it
was Sam & Tom at the Sportsman Club where they sang When Something Is Wrong With My Baby. At one
point Tom’s back up band was a group of singers who became known as Bloodstone. Tom was Stevie
Wonder’s driver and body guard and worked with Shorty Long who made the hit Function at the Junction. 
 
cox and t tom get a name check
 

 

 

 

more on wally c

 

 

In its early years, Golden State, and Kulka’s engineering skills, appealed mostly to a niche of respected soul and blues artists, including Rene Hall and Wally Cox. Both of these artists already had a few decades of experience under their belts when they recorded with Kulka at Golden State. Kulka also signed some of these acts himself, either leasing sides to outside labels such as MTA and Acta or issuing singles through his Golden Soul imprint. Much of this material remained unreleased until decades later, when the public discovered his recordings from San Francisco TKOs, The Savonics,
The Spyders, Jeanette Jones, and The Generation (featuring Lydia Pense, later of Cold Blood).

 

from another interesting page

 

Golden State Recorders, 665 Harrison Street, San Francisco, CA

https://museumofmagneticsoundrecording.org/GoldenStateRecorders.html

I would really like to know if the singer of "This Man" is really called Wally Cox,

If not could you please let me and others who don't know,What his real name is,

Thanks in advance.

Get involved with Soul Source

Go to topic listing