Doug Daller

Grande Ballroom - 10-15-67

Maximum Intensity! (this is not background music)

Poster by Gary Grimshaw

Grande Ballroom Remastered Quality: The original recording was done with quality equipment off the PA mixer with the balance favouring the guitar and vocals. The remaster has significantly improved bass presence and lifted the drums especially the bass drums. The guitar retains its attack unlike the remasters on "Those Were The Days". Volume variations, dropouts and edits have been smoothed. Noise levels were not overly high but again have been reduced, especially the layers of tape noise. Final remaster quality is high.

Comment: One of THE great Rock concerts!

Cream performed here for three nights from Friday 13th October to Sunday 15th October. It was close to the end of their first US tour, which had commenced on 20th August. This tour, while frustrating in some ways for them (especially sound systems and low pay), had established them in the U.S. and was at the core of their golden period. Detroit would have been a good town for the three of them with plenty of black music (Jazz, Blues, R&B and Soul) to listen to after hours. And they would have had plenty of after hours as these concerts started at 6.30pm on Friday and Saturday and finished no later than 10p.m. and on Sunday 6.00pm-9.00pm (an all ages show). I believe this would have contributed greatly to the quality of their performances (plus a good sound system!).

The supporting bands on Friday and Saturday were the Rationals and MC5 (basically the house bands at this time). Sunday the support band was the Apostles. One can assume that Cream was largely an unknown quantity to Detroit’s nascent Rock audience and MC5 were already becoming a local legend. Cream had nothing to loose, especially on Sunday when they had plenty of time to really lay out. And by then the word had got around and the audience was really responding.

It's a fine performance, but it's easy to argue that the reason it was a good gig is because it was specifically in Detroit. The MC5 was the home band at the Grande and they would harass any visiting band they thought was not achieving its potential on any given night. They also opened for many of these bands, and the MC5 frequently came off as far better than the headliners, so on this particular weekend, Cream had to be at the top of their ability, not that they couldn't do so...being one of the best rock bands ever.

These are performances of staggering high-energy creativity. They were just blowing and trying something new all the time. They were in full flight, taking chances, making mistakes and just roaring.

Poster text:

Uncle Russ Presents in Detroit - England's

Cream

13 Oct Fri | Sat Oct 14

MC-5 | Rationals Oct 15 Sun 6-9 | Apostles No Age limit

Grande | Ballroom

SPECIAL SUNDAY CONCERT - October 15 6pm-9pm - NO AGE LIMIT

8:30 pm - Admission 3.50 - GRAND RIVER AT BEVERLY ONE BLOCK SOUTH OF JOY - Phone 834-9348

You must be 17 - A Russ Gibb Production

ADVANCE TICKETS: Grinnells - Hudsons - Mixed Media, 5704 Cass - 100 Camels Books, 923 Plum St.

c 1967 PIECES EYES POSTERS CO. 4865 JOHN LODGE, DETROIT 48201 DESIGN-GRIMSHAW