The Grande Ballroom was re-invented from it's old status as a dancehall to a rock music performance club by the creative vision of junior high school teacher Russ Gibb. Russ taught Social Studies AND happened to be a DJ on a local radio station. He had gone out to San Francisco and met Bill Graham at his Fillmore Ballroom, liked the "scene" that he had witnessed and realized that the same exact thing could be done in Detroit. He also realized that he had one advantage over the what was happening on the "West Coast"----being a DJ, he had early access to all of "post-Beatles" new music coming out of England, Canada and the East Coast. He would get managers or record company promoters contacting him to push their records on the radio, and if he felt they had something worth presenting, he would arrange to have them perform at the Grande. One of his students, and a buddy of one of MY friends, called "Tiny Tim" by Russ, would stop by the radio station and sit for hours listening to the endless supply of new music. I went along with Tim a few times and we would sit on the floor while Russ had one turntable spinning music out on the radio (with the sound turned down and his headphones off of one ear), and another playing random new stuff ---and asking us what we thought. He actually had two shows---one in the afternoon and one late night. It wasn't until much later that I realized he was using those conversations with Tim and requests taken during the day show, to present new and unheard music during the late night hours.
One other thing I found that showed me just how smart he was at his new job as "promoter" -----if HE liked a band, he would make sure he knew who the "principle" player was---the "star"----and he would let them know that they were always welcome back. This became a very important part of the Grande's reputation and, as you will see, an integral part of this story.
So here we go------
I had been a fan of the British "Rock" band, The Yardbirds, from their very start. Where the Beatles were a more vocal based rock band and the Rolling Stones seemed to be more blues based, the Yardbirds were, to me, a Rhythm & Blues combination of those two with one other important factor----HOT guitar work on all of their songs. I knew that Eric Clapton had been their guitarist for a time and then Jeff Beck had taken over. It was Jeff Beck's smoking guitar work on the song "I'm not Talking" that had caught my attention. When they added Jimmy Page on guitar, I made it a point to go and see them perform when (or IF) they came to Detroit. (I was aware that Jimmy Page was the studio guitarist who's work on the Kink's "You Really Got Me" and "All day and all of the Night" literally MADE those songs hits) I did end up seeing them at the Michigan State Fairgrounds in a show that also featured Eric Burdon and the Animals. I was impressed...
The rumor mill spilled out the information that soon after that show, Jeff Beck was "dismissed" from the band for numerous "no-shows" and his last performance with them was in late 1966 in Texas.
Meanwhile, the Grande Ballroom had become very well known for the weekend shows there. The endless stream of great acts, today, reads like a "who's who" of top performers. Procol Harum, Fleetwood Mac, Ten Years After, Pink Floyd, Savoy Brown, Jethro Tull and assorted others out of England. (The Who solidified the "fame" of the Grande by performing their rock opera "Tommy" there first) Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother & the Holding Company, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Blue Cheer, the Doors, the Byrds and an equally long list of West Coast artists----PLUS local Michigan talent and acts from Toronto and the East Coast. You could go to the Grande any weekend and be guaranteed great music (and for the amazingly low price of $1 or $2.....crazy!)
So when the Yardbirds returned for what was to become their last tour (w/Jimmy Page as their lead guitarist), they played at the Grande.
Times had changed---quickly. At the previous show, I had seen the Yardbirds finish up their VERY strong performance with, what had become a standard part of rock live showmanship---smashing their instruments and "blowing up" their amplifiers. (I also happened to notice that the speaker cabinets that "exploded" in smoke and flash fire were, in fact, props and had no speakers in them) At the Grande, it was quite obvious that the band was not getting along---and even Jimmy Page has stated in interviews that he was embarrassed by all of the theatrics and circus like staging. In his own words, shows at the end of the tour, like the May 1968 Grande one were "deplorable." The band would soon break up.
Meanwhile, about 6 months later, word came down that Jeff Beck had put a new band of his own together and would be returning to the Grande as a solo act. This was another show I had to go see. Just before they came to town, his album "Truth" was released and introduced two previously unknown talents. Rod Stewart on vocals and Ronnie Wood on bass (and with another "soon to be acclaimed" addition-- drummer Mickey Waller)
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The top photo reveals the relatively small size of the Grande stage with the Moorish arch above it. This photo was sent to me some years ago by a friend who swore that was the back of my head in the center. I WAS there but cannot verify that info. This is a very rare photo for another reason. Rod Stewart was initially so shy about performing live that he stood to the far side of the stage near where the assorted fans are kneeling. It was, after all, the "Jeff Beck" band and it had become known that part of Jeff's problems with the Yardbirds had been "sharing the fame." This photo shows Rod singing into the mic w/Jeff, so things had improved by the time this was taken. I remember this as being a VERY impressive showing of Jeff's skills but also a real "eye opener" to the vocal talent of Mr. Stewart!
Also, what this further proved was what I mentioned previously---Russ Gibb had kept track of those who HE felt were going to continue to provide great music. This became even more evident in a show only 3 months after Jeff Beck's.
Jimmy Page found himself with the rights to the "Yardbirds" name even though the band itself had broken apart. He quickly recruited new members and initially thought to call them "The New Yardbirds" while doing a contractual agreement/ test tour of the band in Scandinavia. Amazingly enough, they returned to London in October of 1968 and recorded their first album. Jimmy Page has stated that he and manager Peter Grant literally sat down and made calls to promoters throughout the USA to try and organize a last minute tour to promote the soon to be released 1st album. Though I was under the impression for years that the new band performed one of their first gigs in the USA at the Grande Ballroom, I have found through research that the tour actually had about four different cities where they performed before coming to Detroit. It literally was all done so quickly though that the dates for the Grande shows were only confirmed weeks before they arrived---which helps explain the quickly done handbill (in place of the usual wonderful poster art---usually planned 10 day to 2 weeks before a band arrived)----note the misspelling of the name!!
What is a known fact, is that the album was released on January 12---and the first performance at the Grande Ballroom of Jimmy Page's new band Led Zeppelin was 5 days later on January 17, 1969. In an interview, he made the point that he remembered those Detroit shows for 2 reasons---one was that he was determined to make up for the last Yardbirds appearance (only 9 months previously!!) but also because their amplifiers and equipment were delayed on another plane by the (typical) bad Michigan winter weather. Replacement amps (some have said Vox--others worse) were borrowed from local supplierWonderland Music and due to the lesser power, the first 2 nights had volume problems with Robert Plants vocals overwhelming the sound via the in house PA system.
With limited promotion AND that nasty weather, I have heard varying rumors over the years that there were anywhere from 50 odd people to 250 at the first nights show. Word spread quickly about the power of this new band though and by the second night, the 1275 capacity Grande Ballroom was more than half full. I have heard that the band was very contained and dressed very conservatively in tight jeans and leather jackets for the first show. They loosened up a bit as the weekend went on.
Here was all that I could have asked for as a fan of the Yardbirds---TRUMPED into a better, newer version and presented before I had even heard the album.The power of the songs and the musicianship was impressive and the overall combination was unlike any band I had seen before.
And all of that music occurring within a 2 year period. From my initial viewing of the Yardbirds with Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page through the creation of Jeff Beck's solo career AND start of Rod Stewart's , to the introduction of Led Zeppelin and return of Jimmy Page. And through all of it, and thinking back on those times, I just shake my head in amazement at the junior high school teacher with his vision and determination to create a music scene in his home town.
(and--- of course----a "R.I.P" for Gary Grimshaw and his amazing contribution to that same scene)
