Elton John and The Kinks, 1970

This piece from David Singer incorporates the head and shoulder of Michelangelo’s statue of David with two floating faceted diamonds in the corner (the twin Davids appears to be looking at them) and one in the middle of the image. The classical style lent itself to the faux-marble ivory frame while the lettering is whimsical but legible, as demanded by Bill Graham by this period in time.

Following a mid-year tour of the United States in 1965, the American Federation of Musicians refused permits for The Kinks to appear in concerts there for the next four years, effectively cutting them off from the main market for rock music at the height of the British Invasion. Ray Davies recalls in his autobiography, "Some guy who worked for Dick Clark's TV show walked up to us and accused us of being late. Then he started making anti-British comments like "Just because the Beatles did it, every mop-topped, spotty-faced limey juvenile thinks he can come over here and make a career for himself," following which a punch was thrown and the AFM banned them.

The Kinks didn’t perform again in the U.S. until the Fall of 1969 and by then they had largely passed from the scene and many dates on that tour were cancelled. But in mid-1970 the Kinks released “Lola,” a top ten hit, and the accompanying album, “Lola Versus Powerman” was released in November 1970. They were riding the success of “Lola” into San Francisco for this mid-November set of shows.

Elton John was just coming of musical age in 1970. His breakthrough was Border Song, released in April followed by the huge hit, “Your Song,” released in late October as part of the Tumbleweed Connection album, which went to #5 in the U.S. The live album “11–17–70” was recorded at a live show aired from A&R Studios on WABC-FM in New York City just two days after the shows advertised on this poster!

According to New York DJ Dave Herman, Elton John cut his hand at some point during the performance, and by the end of the show, the piano keys were covered with blood. John has stated in several interviews that he believes that this recording to be his best live performance. These shows at the Fillmore West immediately preceding the live recording in NY must have been something to see and hear.