BG-45 Grateful Dead, The Doors 1967 Fillmore Concert Poster, Scarce OP-1 Version Graded 9.8....

Description

BG-45 Grateful Dead, The Doors 1967 Fillmore Concert Poster, Scarce OP-1 Version Graded 9.8. First-printing San Francisco concert poster for the Grateful Dead, the Doors and the Junior Wells Chicago Blues Band playing at the Fillmore Auditorium on Friday through Sunday nights, January 13-15, 1967. Designed by Wes Wilson and known as BG-45 in the Bill Graham numbered series, this poster was graded a beautiful 9.8 Near Mint/Mint by CGC (the Certified Guaranty Company). And as a huge bonus, this is also designated as the world's earliest known Doors concert poster... nothing on them from late 1966 has ever turned up. Measures 14" x 21 7/8". COA from Heritage Auctions.

More Information: Serious BG collectors will note that this is the OP-1 version of this poster, as signaled by the blue/purple line running above the Grateful Dead's name across the whole poster. That line is black on the more common OP-2 version. Either way, this is obviously an extremely popular piece in the BG series due to the presence of both Jerry Garcia and Jim Morrison, and Wilson's sublime psychedelic artwork.

This was a busy weekend for the Dead, much more than just three Fillmore gigs. On Friday afternoon, at Bill Graham's request, they hustled over to the Berkeley Community Theatre and subbed for an absentee Jose Feliciano, who was supposed to open for the Mamas & the Papas but was stuck in traffic. Then it was back to the Fillmore for the nighttime gig. On Saturday, all they did was play one of the most historic events in S.F. rock history, The Human Be-In at Golden Gate Park, a daytime event. Then it was showtime that night back at the Fillmore. Sleep in Sunday morning? Not by their standards. The Sunday show advertised on this poster was a 2:00 PM matinee, only $2.00 and "Kiddies Free!" according to Wilson's scrolling artwork. We're sure they slept well Sunday night.

This was also the very month the Grateful Dead recorded their self-titled debut album for Warner Bros. Records, which would be released two months hence.

As the Dead recorded their debut album this month, the Doors from Los Angeles released theirs. January 4, to be exact. With no time to get any FM-radio traction yet, the Fillmore crowd had no idea what to expect. It was the second straight weekend Jim Morrison & company were third-billed at the Fillmore, their very first gigs anywhere since the release of The Doors (with "Light My Fire").

But Morrison would rather watch a movie than play the Fillmore again. And so he did.

That's right; according to the book The Doors on the Road by Greg Shaw (Omnibus Press, 1997), Jimbo was a no-show for Friday night's scheduled appearance. He totally ghosted everyone. So Bill Graham gave unhappy patrons (as few as there must have been for a third-billed act) a pass for another night, or a refund.

At least Morrison showed up and faced the music; the next day he arrived at Graham's business office and explained that, in leaving Sacramento the day before, he had spotted Casablanca playing at a local movie theater. He was simply compelled to sit through three screenings of the Humphrey Bogart movie classic, missing the Doors' performance. Graham was exasperated of course, but decided to give the Lizard King a second chance, and history tells us it was the right move by Bill.


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