BG003

The third in the series, though this poster is unsigned, I'm willing to bet it was done by Wes Wilson. This poster was displayed in Funky Sam's famous bedroom at the Funky Features house (featured in both magazines and television all over the world) from 1966 til 1969, when I stored it in my plan drawers. This poster has staple holes in the corners, otherwise it is perfect.

14" X 20" (36cm X 51cm)

Late 1965 was when things began to "happen" in San Francisco, and 1966 was THE year when everything blossomed like crazy, creating the whole hippie-flower-power thing which really was bright and refreshing until the media got hold of it in the summer of '67 and everybody and their uncle from all over the world who watched this phenomenon on their TV's descended on the Haight-Ashbury to be instantly groovy, man.

Bill was putting on concerts at the Fillmore (the old Majestic Ballroom where my dad, who was brought up in the Haight, used to go to dances regularly in the 20's and 30's), Chet Helms was doing the same at the Avalon across town, KMPX was the world's first stereo rock station and all they played was great stuff. I first heard the Yardbirds, Paul Butterfield, and John Mayall's Blues Breakers with that amazing guitarist, Eric-something-or-other on that station...it was a great period of time.

The Beatles played what turned out to be their last concert at Candlestick, which I attended, and what a crazy gig that was. The stadium was only 40% full and the Beatles were on a small stage out on second base...you couldn't hear a thing for the screaming, and neither could they. It was a joke. The amplifiers they used were the Vox Super-Beatle jobs which could barely make it in a small club today, much less a huge outdoor stadium with no PA system and winds that carried what little sound they produced out into the Bay.