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July 28, 2009

Elton John Pinball Wizard

This long-sleeved shirt blended with light sensitive fabric was worn by Elton John in his role as the Pinball Wizard in the 1975 movie adaptation of Pete Townshend's rock opera "Tommy." Accompanying the shirt are two different 27" x 39" promotional posters featuring the singer wearing this very same shirt. Shirt is NM, posters show moderate wear. Estimate $900-$1,100.


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Michael Jackson has handwritten and signed the lyrics to his hit signature song "Bad"

Michael Jackson has handwritten and signed the lyrics to his hit signature song "Bad" in black sharpie pen. Written on three pages of 9" x 11" white stationery, Jackson has signed the first page at the top, next to the "BAD" title. This song, from the 1987 album of the same name, was one of the five singles off the album to reach number one. Originally intended as a duet with Prince, Prince declined saying it would be a hit anyway. The song was written at a time in Jackson's career when the tabloids started to print stories of his bizarre behavior such as sleeping in a hyperbaric oxygen tank and his attempt to purchase the bones of the Elephant man. Even though such stories were starting to be published, Jackson was at the height of his career, being dubbed the "King of Pop" by Elizabeth Taylor when she presented him with the "Artist of the Decade" award at the White House. In excellent condition. Estimate $6,000-$8,000.


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This set of seven 10" x 8" black and white original photographs of the Beach Boys and the Eagles were taken by famed photographer Neal Preston and bear his stamp on the verso. Excellent condition. Estimate $500-$600.


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1966 Pop Art meets concert posters. LA's legendary Sunset Strip night spot, The Trip, was the location for the southern California debut of Andy Warhol's "Exploding Plastic Inevitable" featuring the Velvet Underground with Nico and more in a series of multimedia events featuring a blending/synthesis of light, music, film, sound, and dancing acted out by the VU and Nico and the dancers (including Gerard Malanga, Mary Woronov and Eddie Sedgwick in NYC) and played films by Warhol. These performances, originally scheduled for May 3rd through the 18th, were allegedly shut down by the authorities after only 3 days for "disturbing the peace!" The cream of Hollywood society was in attendance (Ryan O'Neal, John Phillips, even a young Jim Morrison), although most were apparently not prepared for Gerard Malanga's S&M whip routine, or Lou Reed's nihilistic drug songs...Cher said of the Velvets: "they won't replace anything, except perhaps suicide..." Andy must have been thrilled! Heavy stock cardboard poster features the April 25th 1966 Newsweek cover, featuring Roy Lichtenstein's famous "Pop!" painting, and in a tip of the hat to Warhol, the Campbell's Soup kids. This extraordinarily rare and sought after poster is the embodiment of Pop Art meets concert posters. Frank Zappa & the Mothers opened for the VU and as an interesting side note, a young UCLA film student named Jim Morrison attended one of these shows. Only a handful are known to have survived. This 14" x 22" cardboard rarity exhibits age toning to left-hand border and upper edges. Estimate $8,000-$12,000.


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The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Santana, and Canned Heat were among the acts that played Woodstock two weeks prior to this festival stop in New Orleans. A few months later the Dead would be "busted down on Bourbon Street;" the event that would find its way into the biographical "Truckin'." This rarely seen 17.5" x 23" event poster exhibits wear to the corners, some staining and surface wear, with corner staple holes. Estimate $500-$1,000.


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This rarely seen 14-page 1944 program includes numerous photos, biography, center spread of pictures from the previous year's Carnegie Hall performance, proposed song listings for that evening's performance and pictures from her appearance in the movie "New Orleans." Three images of Billie, including the front cover, have been circled in red ink. 8.5" x 10.75", VG. Estimate $300 - $500.


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Bowie's Ziggy persona is colorfully captured on this rarely seen poster promoting the US release of "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars." The 20" x 35" poster exhibits two surface creases, wear and tear to lower corners and four small pieces of tape on the interior surface. Estimate $300-$500.


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This original silk-screened Hunter S. Thompson Gonzo poster by artist Tom Benton is autographed in gold paint pen by Hunter S. Thompson. This poster was used by Thompson and Benton to spraypaint/screen the sword on later versions of this poster (the sword was cut out of this one so that the paint could spray through). This poster was based on the famous "Hunter S. Thompson for Sheriff" poster that the two designed for Thompson's 1970 run for Sheriff in Aspen, CO. It was almost certainly Hunter who drew in the gold lines in the left and bottom margin. We have seen other posters that Hunter doodled on when autographing them, and are certain that this is Hunter's style, not Benton's. Estimate $1,500-$2,000.


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What the Fuck Is "Fashion Seeker Mr. Van" Supposed to Be? No, I'm Not Looking it Up...Maybe

Japanese audiences were treated to Lynyrd Skynyrd's brand of southern Rock & Roll during a five-city tour in January '77.; the shows coming nine months before a plane crash took the lives of lead vocalist Ronnie van Zandt and five others on October 20. The 20.5" x 29" poster has a .5" tear along the bottom border and a few tiny edge nicks; otherwise NM. Estimate $400-$600.


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Four months after leaving Motown Records for Epic Records, the Jackson 5 started anew as The Jacksons, with Michael getting star-billing. Their kick-off tour stopped in Kansas City on September 8. This 22" x 31" cardboard boxing style poster produced by Globe Posters of Baltimore exhibits border/corner wear, a few scuffs and corner tack holes. Estimate $600-$800.


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If you're a glam punk collector, here's a Trifecta of sorts; a poster, handbill and backstage pass for the New York Dolls gig at the Hollywood Palladium on October 11, 1974. Besides Iggy Pop and Flo & Eddie, sometime performer, and super producer Kim Fowley and KROQ's "Mayor of the Sunset Strip," Rodney Bigenheimer, were on hand. We assume they all took part in the advertised "pop star pie fight!" The 14" x 22" poster, 4.25" x 6.5" handbill and 3.5" x 5.25" pass are NM. Estimate $400-$500.


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Rick Griffin incorporated Alfred E. Newman (much to the chagrin of MAD Magazine...they sued!) into this 1974 promo poster for the Welsh rock band in this variation of their United Artists album cover. It was withdrawn and an alternate version without Alfred was used for the LP. 20" x 30", EX. with corner/border wrinkles. Estimate $400-$600.


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Outrageous and disturbing pretty much sums up not only the images portrayed on the poster, but also, most assuredly, the leaders of the punk revolution in the UK, the inimitable Sex Pistols. The #3 UK doublesided hit "Something Else b/w Friggin' in the Riggin' is promoted in addition to the soon to be released movie "The Great Rock n Roll Swindle." It is quite apropos that the 27.5" x 29.5" poster is in a distressed condition. Estimate $200-$300.


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Eddie Claridge began staging concerts at the historic Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York, in the early 70s, the venue's most prolific era spanning 1970 to 1975. Ten of the twelve posters presented advertise shows at the Port Chester landmark, including Harry Chapin, Boz Scaggs, Roy Buchanan, ZZ Top, T. Rex, B.B. King (2), Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee, Average White Band, Chuck Berry, Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention (cancelled gig 11/10/70), Marshal Tucker Band, Charlie Daniels, Renaissance, Al Stewart, King Fish, Keith & Donna, James Cotton, Climax Blues Band, Bill Cobham, Orleans, and the final week of concerts in May 1975 with Bonnie Raitt, Buddy Guy & Junior Wells, Commander Cody, Fleetwood Mac, and Blue Oyster Cult. The remaining two posters are from concerts with Roger McGuinn and Loudon Wainwright III in Albany, and New Riders of the Purple Sage and Eric Anderson in Syracuse. The posters, printed on both paper and thin card stock, measure 11" x 17" to 18.5" x 21." Overall condition is EX. to NM. Estimate $1,000-$1,500.


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The Rock & Roll Pop Art Auction

  • The Rock & Roll Pop Art Auction

  • July 27 - August 5, 2009

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  • An extraordinary offering of over 450 Rock & Roll artifacts and Pop Art. Highlights include: Jimi Hendrix’s first known contract, Bob Dylan’s “Hard Rain” handwritten working lyrics, the Bill Porter Elvis Presley Collection, Paul McCartney and John Lennon artwork, letters, handwritten lyrics and photo ID’d clothing, as well as an incredible Terminator 2 “T-800” Arnold Schwarzenegger life-size film prop! Stage and film worn costumes, autographed albums, signed guitars, awards, concert memorabilia and posters from The Beatles, Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, Marilyn Monroe, Madonna, James Dean, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Aerosmith, Eminem, Bruce Springsteen, and many more!

  • The Elvis Presley Collection

    Closed March 26, 2009

    Over 500 lots, featuring Elvis’s white Knabe Grand Piano that he used at Graceland, his Stage Worn Blue and Gold IC Jumpsuit worn at his only appearance at Madison Square Garden, NYC, on June 10, 1972 and his signed and fingerprinted Seventh Degree Black Belt Karate Card. Also included is personally worn clothing, prescription sunglasses, jewelry, film-worn costumes, a handwritten poem, as well as the most comprehensive collection of Elvis Presley merchandise from the ’50s through the ’70s.

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  • The Rock and Roll Photography Auction

    Closed December 10, 2008

    A collection of over 350 original photographs, many never-before-seen, as well as some of the most iconic images in rock & roll history, featuring the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Johnny Cash, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, The Who, Jim Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac, and so much more. Taken by the most important rock photographers of our time, including Annie Leibovitz, Bob Gruen, Lynn Goldsmith, Astrid Kirchherr, Chuck Pulin — to name just a few!