BG-25 13th Floor Elevators, Great Society 1966 Fillmore Concert Poster Graded 8.5. ...

Description

ROKY ERICKSON'S COMING-OUT PARTY, BUT GRACE STEALS THE POSTER

BG-25 13th Floor Elevators, Great Society 1966 Fillmore Concert Poster Graded 8.5. First-printing San Francisco concert poster for the 13th Floor Elevators, Great Society with Grace Slick and the Sopwith Camel playing at the Fillmore Auditorium on Friday and Saturday nights, August 26 & 27, 1966. Known as BG-25 in the Bill Graham numbered series, this poster was designed by Wes Wilson to take full advantage of Grace Slick's beauty and charisma. One of the rarer posters in the whole BG series, this example has been graded 8.5 Very Fine Plus by CGC (the Certified Guaranty Company).

Although it's not one of the very lowest BG numbers, this title has always been very elusive for collectors to find, especially in grading-worthy condition. Eric King's authoritative poster guide takes three entire pages to explain the backstory behind BG-25, of which there are many twists and turns. But this specimen is clearly the pre-show first printing, which has a verso that glows under a blacklight. Measures 13 3/4" x 21". From the Ben Bierman Carmel Street Collection. LOP from Ben Bierman, COA from Heritage Auctions.

More Information: The advertised weekend marked the absolute debut in the Bay-Area music scene for Roky Erickson's 13th Floor Elevators, in from Austin, Texas. So designer Wilson can be forgiven for leaving the "S" off their name, a common omission back in the day. (Mouse & Kelley got it correct the next weekend on their FD-24 "Tree House" poster.)

It's interesting to note that Great Society lead singer Grace Slick was already prominent, charismatic and attractive enough to carry a poster like this even as the second-billed act, two months before she joined Jefferson Airplane. It's deceiving because she certainly looks like the Airplane-era Grace. And whether by coincidence or not, we do love the way she's glancing sideways at her own band's name.

Third-billed Sopwith Camel were just a few months away from enjoying their only national Top 40 hit, "Hello, Hello." They're best remembered for being just the second San Francisco band to land a recording contract with a national, established record label (Kama Sutra), and the first to have a Top 40 hit (with "Hello"). Their record producer, Erik Jacobsen, also produced the Lovin' Spoonful, whom their sound was reminiscent of. But the Camel couldn't sustain, and had broken up by the end of 1967.


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