BG-105 Jimi Hendrix Experience 1968 "Flying Eyeball" First-Printing S.F. Concert Poster....

Description

HERE IT COMES AGAIN... THAT FAMOUS FLYING EYEBALL

BG-105 Jimi Hendrix Experience 1968 "Flying Eyeball" First-Printing S.F. Concert Poster. An original first-printing concert poster for the Jimi Hendrix Experience, John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers and Albert King performing at San Francisco's famed Fillmore Auditorium and Winterland ballroom on the first four days of February 1968. Known as BG-105 in the Bill Graham numbered series and nicknamed 'flying eyeball,' this is one of the few posters in the hobby that seemingly everyone wants. It's one of the true masterpieces of S.F. psychedelic rock art, designed by one of the giants, Rick Griffin, in the winter of 1967-68. This first-printing specimen was very much printed before the shows to sell tickets.

This poster and the Grateful Dead's "Skeleton & Roses" are running neck-and-neck for the crown of most popular and valuable of psychedelic concert posters, because frankly, it's hard to pick which design is better and it's hard to decide whose music you like more. For many, anyway. Heck, it's even hard to pick whether you prefer Rick Griffin or Mouse & Kelley. A true embarrassment of riches. In 2023, Heritage set the poster hobby on its ear by auctioning off this poster in CGC-graded 9.8 condition (signed by Griffin) for a breathtaking $175,000.

Measures 14 x 21 1/2" and grades to unrestored Near Mint Minus condition. COA from Heritage Auctions.

More Information: The only reason this poster wasn't submitted to CGC for grading is because it was once framed, and a little framing tape had to be removed from the verso by Chameleon. So the consignor was concerned that CGC would return it with a purple "Restored' grading strip, even though it hasn't been in the least.

As for this famous artwork, the use of the winged-eye symbol goes back to the time of the Egyptians, but its first use in the U.S. may have been during WWII as art on US warplanes. The use of the 'eye in the sky' or all-seeing eye were supposed to provide one with both personal empowerment through spiritual growth and enlightenment, an ethos of the 1960's.

Growing up in Southern California, Rick was influenced by comic books, Mad magazine and the hot-rod car culture of his childhood in the 1950's. When it came to the use of the winged eyeball, he was influenced by pin-stripe artist Von Dutch, who use of the winged eyeball predated Rick's by over a decade. As a kid, Rick discovered the winged eyeball painted on an abandoned car.

In 1963, Rick was also involved in a major car accident that nearly killed him and almost took out his left eye. He was forced to wear an eyepatch for a year while he healed. According to his family, as a result of these influences and experiences, the use of the eyeball would appear many times in Rick's art.

When one talks about the very best psychedelic San Francisco concert posters ever, the conversation invariably turns toward Bill Graham Presents and the Family Dog, and inevitably lands on this Hendrix flying eyeball and the FD-26 Grateful Dead Skeleton & Roses. And this beast... the 105... comes up far less often than the FD-26. Why, we're not sure.

As for the music represented herein, Jimi's new album was Axis: Bold as Love. According to the book Jimi Hendrix: Concert File (Omnibus Press, 1999), the first set on Thursday night consisted of "Red House," "Purple Haze," "Foxy Lady," "Fire" and "The Wind Cries Mary." Other songs performed over the poster's four days included the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone," Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor," B.B. King's "Rock Me Baby," "Little Wing" from the new album and the classic "Hey Joe," plus several others, we're sure. According to the contract with Graham that Concert File reproduced, the Hendrix camp was paid a flat fee of $7,000 total for the four nights, guaranteeing "two 45-minute shows nightly between the hours of 9 PM and 2 AM."

Second-billed blues star John Mayall is advertised as playing with the Bluesbreakers, an important distinction because his latest LP had been called The Blues Alonewith Mayall playing everything on the LP himself (except percussion). Later in '68 he would return with the very successful, more conventional Bare Wiresalbum.

Meanwhile Albert King was signed to Memphis' Stax Records and had appeared on the popular compilation album Born Under a Bad Sign released on Stax in 1967. Later in '68, King would release Live Wire/Blues Power, a live album recorded at... yep, the Fillmore Auditorium. But we were unable to ascertain if it was recorded at the shows done this weekend.

Did you know that this gem of a poster also doubles as a Janis Joplin concert poster? That's right, on the final night, Sunday February 4 at the Fillmore, Big Brother & the Holding Company stepped into the position held down by England's Soft Machine for most of the weekend (uncredited on the poster). But Soft Machine drummer Robert Wyatt had gotten into a row with Bill Graham on Saturday, even calling him a fascist, so the group skipped on to the tour's next show slated for Monday in Tempe, Arizona, and Janis & Company filled in. A nice little hidden 'value-added' feature of this poster, as if it needed anything else.

As a boy, Rick Griffin was influenced by Native American culture, comic books, surf culture and - as a surfer himself - developed the cartoon character Murphy, who would appear in many of his posters and drawings.

The following is taken from the RickGriffinDesigns website run by the family: "In the summer of 1962, while hitchhiking to S.F. from L.A., Rick was thrown from the truck he was riding in and his face - and especially his eye - was severely injured, and he barely survived. After months of surgeries, Rick still had a big scar and had to wear an eye patch for the following year. After recuperating, Rick stopped drawing the Murphy character. After nearly losing his eye and being influenced by the 1950's & 1960's California car culture of Von Dutch, Rick's iconic ‘eyeball' would appear many times throughout in his art."

Condition details: The poster's lower right corner has a faint ¼" diagonal corner crease which very lightly breaks the red color. In that area, there is some very light surface water stains to the left & right of "Rick Griffin" and two more to the right of "Lights." They're pretty mild, but they're there. We'll point out that there are tiny white spots (of "wear") on this all-red poster on the upper left corner tippy-tip, upper right corner tippy-tip, on the bottom edge under "Sausalito," and the lower right corner tippy-tip. The lower left corner has a 1/8" diagonal corner crease, but you have to be Sherlock Holmes to find it. And the poster's verso has evidence of once-upon-a-time framing tape, with three across the top and two at the bottom.


Heritage Auctions provides as much information as possible but strongly encourages in-person inspection. Condition statements are offered as general guidance only, not as complete representations of fact, and do not constitute a warranty or assumption of liability by Heritage. Some condition issues may not be noted but may be visible in the photos, which are considered part of the condition report. Lots estimated at $1,000 or less are not de-framed for inspection, and we may be unable to provide additional details for lots valued under $500. Heritage does not guarantee the condition of frames and is not liable for damage to frames, glass/acrylic coverings, original boxes, display accessories, or artwork that has shifted in the frame. All lots are sold "AS IS" under our Terms & Conditions of Auction.