This listing is for one of the rare first ten issues of America’s greatest music news magazine – Rolling Stone – issue #5. It is not an issue that turns up very often, but one that illustrates the paper’s rapid growth, and also the power that was building up within its pages. Many San Francisco Bay Area music venues took out ads in this issue, including: Bill Graham’s Fillmore – on the 11-13th had Chambers Brothers r. Joe, Sunshine Company, and Siegal-Schwall. Straight Theatre, at Haight Street and Cole, had the tiniest-size possible spot to advertise an early group from Marin County – featuring the genius of John McFee, Alex Call and John Ciambotti [we must not forget Mitch Howie] – Clover. Berkeley Community Theatre went the other way – a full page ad for the local boy heroes, Country Joe & the Fish, with Congress of Wonders. Initial Shock, one of the ubiquitous third gen bands in S. [you could NOT get away from them], even took an ad just to remind people that they would soon be coming back to town after a tour. For some reason, the Family Dog / Avalon Ballroom turned out to have been absent, ad-wise. They were showing Quicksilver, Kaleidoscope and Charley Musselwhite on the 12-14th utilizing that fantastic Rick Griffin poster F. 101, but no ad here to picture it. Reprise Records sprang for a full page about The Electric Prunes third album, although the band had imploded before release, so David Axelrod took over things and finished it. Also, Warner/7Arts did the same for Van Dyke Parks. KMPX and KPPC [sister stations] took a full page to express their groovy-ness as underground FM radio stations. A hip clothing store, a music and guitar shop, a poster palace – all knew they had better get into this new hot rag, before the prices went up. A belated description of the Monterey Pop Festival penned by Al Kooper appeared here, rather than in Hit Parader. The Rolling Stone Interview was with George and Ringo, not all four Beatles. Any questions just ask.
