Timeline 9 Welcome To My Nightmare
1975
Jan 2nd '75 Alice's first talk show appearance on 'Mike Douglas Show' with Peter Falk and Ryan O'Neal.
Jan 11th '75 The Cumberland Evening Times has a small mention that Alice has split with the band. Possibly the first time this has been mentioned in print?
Jan 13th '75 Alice performs 'Unfinished Sweet' on 'The Smothers Brothers Show' without the band. The show was a return to television for the Smothers and generated a huge amount of press, most of it mentioning Alice.
Jan 18th '75 Billboard mentions Michael Bruce has been in the Record Plant in Los Angeles working on his solo album with Gene Conish and Dave Palmer.
Jan 20th '75 Alice signs new deal with Atlantic to issue 'Welcome To My Nightmare'(MM).
Jan 28th '75 Alice is mentioned as a participent at the "First Annual Comedy Awards" on ABC TV to be aired as a 90 minute special the following day. The guest list is a who's who on US comedy. Alice is the only obvious non-comedy name on the list.
Early Feb '75 Alice, Leslie West, Todd Rungren and Lenard Cohen all attended a show by Flo And Eddie at the Bottom Line in New York. (Billboard)
Mar 1st '75 Alice is one of the presenters at the Grammy awards.
Mar 4th '75 'Welcome To My Nightmare' album released on Atlantic Records in the US and Canada (Anchor Records outside North America).[Date taken from Billboard Information]
In 'Me, Alice', Alice reports being in rehearsals for four months before the tour started.
Billboard on Sunset Boulevard advertising the album.
Late Mar '75 Alice is spotted at Dangerfield's in New York, and meets the owner, comedian Rodney Dangerfield.
Mar 8th '75 Alice is at the Los Angeles Forum to see Rod Stewart and the Faces and fellow guest Cher takes everyone back to party at her Hollywood Mansion.
Mar '75 'The Nightmare' TV Special filmed in Toronto. Billboard February 8th runs a piece with details of the tour, album and TV Special.
Mar 18th'75 'Only Women' single released [Date from Billboard information] - The title was shortened to not offend the sensitive radio stations.
Mar '75 Three weeks rehearsals in Los Angeles. - Newspapers report Alice and Cindy Lang are living in a home in the Hollywood Hill.
Welcome To My Nightmare Tour
Support: Suzi Quatro or James Gang (US), Heavy Metal Kids (Europe)
Mar 21st '75 Kalamazoo, MI, Wings Stadium (w/ Suzi Quatro)
Mar 22nd '75 News reports circulate in the US suggesting that Alice has been banned from entering Australia despite the fact he had no plans to do so at the time. Immigration minster Clyde Ameron had apparently been told Cooper's act included the 'multilation of dolls, birds and animals' and that was enough for him to declare "This sort of performance is sick, and I'm not going to allow a degenerate, who could powerfully influence the young and weaked minded, to stage this sort of exhibition here" and then ban him. "If he does make an application he will not be allowed into this country". See November '75.
Mar 22nd '75 'Welcome To My Nightmare' enters the Billboard charts at #63.
Mar 24th '75 Muskegon, MI, L.C. Walker Arena (w/ Suzi Quatro)
Mar 25th '75 Green Bay, WI, Brown County Arena (w/ Suzi Quatro) [Ticket]
Mar 27th '75 Evansville IN, Roberts Municipal Stadium (w/ Suzi Quatro) [Ticket]
Mar 28th '75 Flint, MI, I.M.A. Auditorium (w/ Suzi Quatro)[Ticket] - A couple of eye witnesses remember seeing Mickey Dolenz coming out on stage, possibly dressed in school graduation robes, during 'School's Out' .
"Just before the show started, none other than Mickey Dolenz of The Monkees showed up. Dolenz was in town to do a live appearance at the South Flint Drive-In where the movie he was appearing in — brace yourself…the R-rated Linda Lovelac for President — was showing.
Once Micky and the Alice Cooper crew met backstage, they started to party, and they worked out something to surprise the audience at the IMA. The final song of the show was Alice Cooper's "School's Out," and if you remember the song there's a long guitar note/semi-feedback noise at the end. But on that night the long guitar note went into another familiar song — the theme to "The Monkees.”
Once they went into the theme song, Micky bolted out on stage and sang the song with the band. Well, that was how it was planned, but Micky had a hard time doing anything because he was completely plastered after consuming mass quantities of alcohol backstage. They did the song, sort of, but Alice literally had to pick Micky up and carry him off stage. He was that plowed."
(
Rich Frost, 2008, Flint Expats)
Mar 29th '75 Erie, PA County Fieldhouse (w/ Suzi Quatro)[Ticket] - Poster lists ' Heavy Metal Kids' as support?
Mar 29th '75 'Welcome To My Nightmare' is at #39 in the Billboard charts.
Mar 31st '75 Alice holds a press conference at the North Lake Shore Drive Holiday Inn's Great Lakes Room above Lake Michigan to discuss the tour and the fact he'd just been banned from Australia.
April 1st '75 Chicago, IL, Chicago Stadium (w/ Suzi Quatro) [Ticket] - Interestingly, and somewhat uniquely, there is an advert for this show published in the Chicago Tribune the day AFTER the show. It's not a mistake. If you look carefully at the second ad below, you'll see that stamped over the advert it says "Thank You Chicago! Sold Out!" One can only assume it was published as a "thank you" to the Chicago fans. The stadium appears to have around 18-19,000 capacity depedning on what it's being used for.
Also: Alice appearances on "The Phil Donahue Show" is taped.
April 3rd '75 Indianapolis, IN Market Square Arena (w/ Suzi Quatro) - cancelled as Alice was trapped in Chicago during a bad snow storm
April 4th '75 Richfield, OH, Richfield Coliseum (w/ Suzi Quatro)
April 5th '75 Detroit, MI, Olympia Stadium (w/ Suzi Quatro)[Ticket] [Ticket] (17,000 tickets sold out in an hour) Show sold out and additional show booked for the 8th.
- The original band are in the audience (minus Glen) and discuss business matters after the show. This was pretty much the end of the original band.
- 'Only Women' enters the Billboard singles chart at #83. 'Welcome To My Nightmare' is at #27.
April 6th '75 Cincinnati, OH, Gardens (w/ Suzi Quatro) [Ticket] Review in Cincinnati Enquirer April 8th.
April 7th '75 Dayton, OH, Hara Arena (w/Suzi Quatro) - I can find nothing supporting this show, and considering that Dayton is only 50 miles from Cincinnati where Alice certainly played the day before I'm not sure it is accurate. Newspapers that normally advertised Hara Arena shows were advertising the Cincinnatti Gardens show, next to adverts for other acts at Hara Arena. Even the date was ??? until this 2015 update. Did it actually happen?
April 8th '75 Detroit, MI, Olympia Stadium (w/ Suzi Quatro) [Ticket] - Second Show added around March 10th after the first show sold out. Listed in Ann Arbor Sun (March 28th-April 11th).
April 10th '75 Richmond, VA Richmond Coliseum (w/Suzi Quatro) [Show Review in the Richmond Times Dispatch April 11th]
April 11th '75 Roanoke, VA, Roanoke Civic Center (w/Suzi Quatro) [Ticket] [The Bluefield Daily Telegraph ran a full page photo and half page review on April 20th.] - Photos exist.
April 12th '75 Charlotte, NC, Charlotte Coliseum (w/Suzi Quatro) [Ticket][Show Review in Statesville Record]
- 'Only Women' is at #72 on the Billboard chart. 'Welcome To My Nightmare' is at #21.
April 13th '75 Atlanta, GA, Omni (w/Suzi Quatro) [Ticket] See also May 26th. We have an advert and ticket for the first show and a ticket forthe second. Posponed?
April 17th '75 Tampa, FL, Curtis-Hixon Hall (Convention Center)(w/Suzi Quatro)[Ticket] [Show Review in St Petersburg Times 19th April]
April 18th '75 Hollywood, FL, Miami Sportatorium (w/ Suzi Quatro) [Ticket] - Local news report that a 15 year old girl was killed on her way home from the show in a hit and run accident. Seven others were treated and released from hospital. The car was reported stolen from the Sportatorium car park. Eye witnesses said the car intentionally ran into the group as they walked home.
April 19th '75 'Only Women' is at #57 on the Billboard Chart. 'Welcome To My Nightmare' is at #16.
April 20th '75 Norfolk, VA Scope (w/ Suzi Quatro)
April 24th '75 Baltimore, MD Civic Center (w/ Suzi Quatro)[Ticket][Review in Cumberland News 3rd May]
April 25th '75 Philadelphia, PA Spectrum (w/ Suzi Quatro)[Ticket][Show review in the Bucks County Courier Times April 27th]
April 25th '75 'The Nightmare' scheduled to air on ABC TV although regional dates seem to vary, with the suggestion some areas aired the show as early as the 19th. The majority seem to list it on the 25th though. The TV Special received a more then respectable amount of preview press running up to the screening, most showing a stock photo of Alice with Vincent Price.
April 26th '75 Boston, MA Garden (w/ Suzi Quatro) [Review in Boston Herald April 28th]
April 26th '75 'Only Women' is at #41 in the Billboard Chart. 'Welcome To My Nighmare' is at #12.
April 27th '75 Hartford, CT Civic Center (w/ Suzi Quatro) [Ticket]
April 29th '75 South Bend, IN, Notre Dame Athletic and Convocation Center (w/ Suzi Quatro) [Ticket] [Review in Notra Dame Observer April 30th]
May 1st '75 Syracuse, NY Onadogo War Memorial (w/ Suzi Quatro)[Ticket] [Show Preview in Syracuse Post Standard May 1st and review in Syracuse Herald Journal May 2nd]
May 2nd '75 Toronto, Ontario, Maple Leaf Garden (w/ Suzi Quatro) [Ticket] [Show Review]
May 3rd '75 Ottawa, Ontario Civic Center Arena (Central Canada Exposition Arena)(w/ Suzi Quatro) [Ticket] [Show Review in Ottawa Journal 5th May]
May 3rd '75 'Only Women' is at #36 in the Billboard Chart. 'Welcome To My Nighmare' is at #10.
May 4th '75 Niagara Falls, NY International Convention Center (w/ Suzi Quatro) (poster) [Ticket]
May 5th '75 Madison Square Gardens, New York (w/ Suzi Quatro) [Ticket] [Ticket]
Melody Maker 17th May '75: 'Alice Cooper brought his new "Nightmare" show to Madison Square Garden on Monday evening and celebrated with a party at Ashley's after the concert. Present were members of the old Alice Cooper band Glen Buxton, Mike Bruce, Dennis Dunaway and Neal Smith, who all huddled around Alice discussing the future. Bruce told the MM he has got a new band together and a new album, and will shortly be out on the road.'
Also in the audience were David Cassidy, Flo and Eddie, Lou Reed, Todd Rundgren and maybe Warhol too.
May 10th '75 'Only Women' is at #30 in the Billboard Chart. 'Welcome To My Nighmare' is still at #10.
May 14th '75 Denver, CO, Coliseum (w/ Suzi Quatro)(Advert apparently show St Louis on both 14th AND 15th of May)
May 15th '75 St. Louis, MO, Kiel Auditorium (w/ Suzi Quatro)
May 16th '75 Tarrant County, TX, Convention Centre (w/ Suzi Quatro)[Ticket]
Confusion: It is suggested the show was replaced by one at Kansas City, MO, Crosby-Kemper however there WAS a show at Tarrant County, TX, Convention Centre, as I have heard from someone who was definitly there as well as a review in Dallas Morning News and tickets and poster. Support was Suzi Quatro. Apparently radio spots exist for Tarrent County Convention Center both promoting it and announcing its cancellation (sold on ebay) which is weird, but without hearing them it's hard to judge.
May 16th '75 'Flash Fearless' released. 'Only Women' is at #26 in the Billboard Chart. 'Welcome To My Nighmare' is at #9.
May 17th '75 Tulsa, OK Assembly Center (w/ Suzi Quatro)
May 18th '75 Houston, TX Sam Houston Coliseum (w/ Suzi Quatro) [Ticket]
May 20th '75 In the Albuquerque Tribune (and others) Alice is quoted in response to rumours he and Cindy are getting married. He assures the reporter it is not true and that he and Cindy are quite happy with things as they are. In the not too distant future though he'll be watching movies every night with one of the dancers in the current show...
May 21st '75 Knoxville, TN, Civic Coliseum (w/ Suzi Quatro) [Ticket]
May 22nd '75 Louisville, KY, Convention Center (w/ Suzi Quatro)[Ticket] Louisville Courier Journal reports 21 arrests for possesion.
May 23rd '75 Memphis, TN, Mid-South Coliseum (w/ Suzi Quatro) [Ticket][Ticket]
May 23rd '75 'Only Women' is at #23 in the Billboard Chart. 'Welcome To My Nighmare' is at #8.
May 24th '75 Mobile, AL Municipal Auditorium (w/ Suzi Quatro)[Ticket]
May 25th '75 Nashville, TN, Municipal Auditorium (w/ Suzi Quatro) [Ticket] [Ticket] - Two page preview in The Tennessean May 25th.
May 26th 1975 Alice spends the day at a local riding school in Nashville with band and crew
May 26th 1975 Atlanta, GA, The Omni (w/ Suzi Quatro) [Ticket] - See also April 13th. We have an advert and ticket for the first show and a ticket for this one. Posponed?
May 27th '75 Johnson City, TN Freedom Hall Civic Center (w/ Suzi Quatro) [Ticket] [Preview in Kingsport Times News 25th July and review on July 28th. Some people weren't very impressed with the reviewers take on the show.]
May 28th '75 Huntsville, AL Von Braun Civic Center (w/ Suzi Quatro)
May 29th '75 Little Rock, AR, Barton Coliseum (w/ Suzi Quatro)
May 30th '75 Shreveport, LA, Hirsch Memorial Coliseum (w/ Suzi Quatro) (ticket)
May 31st '75 Oklahoma City, OK Fairgrounds Arena (w/ Suzi Quatro)
May 31st '75 'Only Women' is at #19 in the Billboard Chart. 'Welcome To My Nighmare' is at #7.
June 1st '75 Amarillo, TX Civic Center (w/ Suzi Quatro)[Show review in the Lubbock Avalanche June 8th]
June 5th '75 Monroe, LA, Monroe Civic Center Arena (w/ Suzi Quatro)
June 6th '75 Jackson, MS, Mississippi Coliseum (w/ Suzi Quatro) [Ticket] [Ticket]
June 7th '75 New Orleans, LA, City Park Stadium (w/ Johnny Winter, Suzi Quatro) - 21,274 record outdoor attendance in New Orleans, $166,432 record box office receipts [Ticket][New Orleans Times Picayune May 29th has preview/interview and review on June 9th.] - During the afternoon Alice talks a stroll down Bourbon Street with the Cylops.
June 7th '75 'Only Women' is at #15 in the Billboard Chart. 'Welcome To My Nighmare' is at #7.
June 8th '75 Dallas, TX, Moody Coliseum (w/ Suzi Quatro) Owned by Southern Methodist University (wiki)?
June 12th '75 Bakersfield, CA, Civic Auditorium (w/ Suzi Quatro) - 22 arrests for possession or "interfering with an officer". [Review in the Bakersfield Californian 17th June]
June 13th '75 San Bernadino, CA, Swing Auditorium (w/ Suzi Quatro) [Ticket][Show review in San Bernadino County Star 15th June] - Advert lists this date as Tucson Comunity Center but that show was canceled due to "poor ticket sales" [AZ Republic 30th May]
June 14th '75 Phoenix, AZ, Veterans Memorial Coliseum (w/ Suzi Quatro)[Double page photo spread previewing the show in Scottsdale Progress June 13th]
- 'Only Women' is at #13 on the Billboard singles chart after 11 weeks. 'Welcome To My Nightmare' is at #6 after 13 weeks.
- The Comunist Youth League
in Moscow are talking about "Alice Cooper, the rock singer who is sometimes carried onto stage in a coffin". They say the singing of Alice Cooper "makes the blood run cold. He was an ordinary singer before he found his way to glory using the fashion for horrors. Dressing in Devil's attire or in a shroud, floods of artificial blood and bad language are inseperable parts of his act." - Not sure what show they were watching....
June '75 The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority declared Alice would be permitted to perform in their hall on the condition there would be no chickens or snakes and that he "refrains from hanging himself from a rope". As there was no show there it can be assumed Alice didn't play the venue on principal, even though none of those things were in the current show anyway. The band had pulled out of a show at Las Vegas Stadium in July 1972 because of similar restrictions.
June 15th '75 Fresno, CA, Selland Arena (w/ Suzi Quatro) [Ticket] - An advert apparently lists this as San Diego Sports Arena - The ticket has the date of the 16th blacked out and the 15th stamped on it instead. Possible the date changed, or possibly the tickets were printed incorrectly?
June 16th '75 Alice throws a party at the Hollywood Palladium for "1,000 of his best friends" as part of an event for bicenntenery of the US music industry. [Circus Magazine]
Billboard June 14th reports that following the June 17th show Alice and the Los Angeles Bicentennial Committee will co-host a celebration invent to mark "the success of the American music industry over the last 200 years." 5,000 representatives of the music industry will be invited. It's also not unsusual for Billboard to get dates wrong and a later mention in the Van Nuys Valley News confirms it was the Hollywood Palladium party they are refering to.
The byline for the event is "Unity through Diversity"...
The Elyria Chronicle Telegram Reports:
"Alice Cooper doesn't need a reason to give a party, but the one he hosted at the Hollywood Palladium, he sais, was to celebrate the Bicentennial and his two LA concerts. Reasons enough, certainly, to mix 2,000 guests with an Uncle Sam on stilts, and organ grinder (with monkey), a mine troupe, dancing gypsies, drag queens and cigarette girls. After a buffet chicken dinner, Alice started the stage show by bounding out of a five foot cake. He was followed by a dixieland band, and animal act, and a 110 piece marching band."
June 17th '75 Los Angeles, CA Forum (w/ Suzi Quatro) [Ticket] - Interestingly the full page advert in the LA Times (April 8th) below only lists todays show at the Forum. T the second show was added around April 20th (advert) after the first sold out quickly.
June 18th '75 Los Angeles, CA Forum (w/ Suzi Quatro)[Ticket] [Review in the Pasadena Star News 19th June]
It has been suggested there were 4 nights at the Forum but so far I have seen no evidence of it.
Recorded for the 'King Biscuit Flower Hour' radio programme.
June 20th '75 Portland, OR Portland Memorial Coliseum (w/ Suzi Quatro) [Ticket]
June 21st '75 Seattle, WA, Seattle Center Coliseum (w/ Suzi Quatro) [Review in Centralia Daily Chronicle July 5th and Seattle Daily News June 23rd.]
June 21st '75 'Only Women' is at #12 in the Billboard Chart. 'Welcome To My Nighmare' is at #5.
June 22nd '75 Spokane, WA, Spokane Coliseum (w/ Suzi Quatro) (Possibly Beasley Coliseum?)
June 23rd '75 Vancouver, BC, P.N.E. Coliseum (w/ Suzi Quatro) (Alice falls off stage)[Tuscaloosa News June 24th] 14 arrested for drug offences in the first undercover operarion at the venue.
Rolling Stone - 13th July 1975:
The status of Alice Cooper's tour was thrown into doubt after AC fell off the stage during his June 23rd ('75) Vancouver show, breaking six ribs and suffering a concussion. The accident occurred after the opening number, "Welcome To My Nightmare", as AC chased the Nightmares into a ten-foot-tall toy box. The box tipped over, flipping Alice on his head into the security barriers.
After being treated in the dressing room, Cooper returned to the stage 40 minutes later, his head and sidewrapped in bandages. He was able to perform several numbers before ending the abbreviated show to cheers from the 17,000 in attendance. He was then driven to the local hospital [Barnaby General], where he received 15 stitches to his head.
AC appeared against his doctor's advice at his next date, in Edmonton, three days later, although warning the crowd he wasn't fit enough to put on an entire show. 35 minutes into the performance he collapsed after experiencing breathing trouble. Ticket refunds were offered, although no one was reported to have asked for one.The next day, manager Shep Gordon sounded a pessimistic note on the status of AC's next show, in Minneapolis June 28th:
"Everybody around him says he looks horrible.
But on the day of the performance, a publicity aide to Cooper said he was feeling "pretty spirited" and that the show would go on, adding "he's just going to be really careful."
June 26th '75 Edmonton, Alberta, Coliseum (w/ Suzi Quatro)
Alice collapses after 35 minutes.
June 28th '75 Minneapolis, MN Metropolitan Sports Arena (w/ Suzi Quatro) - Quatro leaves the tour here due to demand for a new record.
June 28th '75 'Only Women' is at #12 in the Billboard Chart. 'Welcome To My Nighmare' is at #7.
June 29th '75 Omaha, NE Civic Center (w/ Suzi Quatro - didn't play)
July 2nd '75 Winnipeg, Manitoba Veledrome Arena (w/ James Gang) - Alice flies into Winnipeg on Monday June 30th to have a couple of days break before the next show.[Winnipeg Free Press July 2nd. Show review July 3rd.] - 12 people arrested for possession.
July 3rd '75 Duluth, MN, Arena Auditorium (w/ James Gang?)
July 4th '75 Des Moines, IA Veterans Memorial Auditorium (w/ Suzi Quatro - didn't play, replaced by James Gang?) - Back in January there was some controversy about the booking of this show. Eventually the booking was allowed on the condition there were "no blood, no babies'. The attempted banning seems to have come about because certain county commissioners didn't think people should be allowed to enjoy shows he personally didn't like. Commissioner Harry Bradley didn't think any rock performers should be allowed to perform at the auditorium, and that the staff should try and bring artists like Andy Williams and Lawrence Welk, while Tony Abramovich declared "I hate them with a passion." [Des Moines Register January 31st also review on July 5th]
Back on June 18th local news reported a man apparently held up a 'Music Circuit' record store with a shotgun, getting away with $1,400 and tickets for this show!
July 5th '75 'Only Women' is at #14 in the Billboard Chart. 'Welcome To My Nighmare' is at #10.
July 6th '75 Charleston, WV, Charleston Civic Center Arena (Auditorium?) - There's a listing in the Charleston Sunday Gazette Mail April 6th but did NOT take place
July 6th '75 Jersey City, NJ Roosevelt Stadium (w/ Johnny Winter, Leslie West (featuring Corky Laing), The James Gang) [Ticket] - listed on official schedule and letters in show documentation and advert - Originally we had this marked as cancelled due to rain, but there is an eyewitness who saw this show and we also have a date here on July 12th so it was starting to look like the show was posponed rather then cancelled. This has now been confirmed, however the show was posponed only by one day to the 7th July with all the bands playing as advertised.
July 7th '75 The gossip press is STILL reporting Alice and Cindy Lang are getting married. This time it will happen at the 97,000 seat New Orleans Superdrome!! They couldn't have been more wrong... In other news Alice is reported to have been signed up to star in a film version if Kurt Vonnegut's 'Breakfast of Champions' along side Burt Lancaster and Lily Tomlin. It never happens.
July 9th '75 Landover/Largo, MD, Capital Centre, ([Ticket] (w/ James Gang, Roy Buchannon). Some sources list Washington, DC but Landover is a suburb of Washington DC. Largo, MD is about 7 miles from Landover so again, likely all refering to the same venue. The Capital Center seems to be closer to Largo but it's actual postal address is Landover.
July 10th '75 Harrisburg, PA, Farm Show Arena (w/ James Gang)
July 11th '75 Pittsburgh, PA, Civic Arena (w/ James Gang according to later advert)
July 12th '75 Rochester, NY, Rochester War Memorial - CANCELED with no reason given (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle 12th July mentions)
July 12th '75 'Only Women' is at #23 in the Billboard Chart. 'Welcome To My Nighmare' is at #18.
July 13th '75 Montreal,Quebec, Montreal Forum (w/ James Gang) [Review in Montreal Gazette July 14th]
July 15th '75 Binghampton, NY, Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena (w/ James Gang) - Rumours that this was canceled, but that's probably just confusion over the canceled 1973 show. A torn Ticket exists and a LONG review and feature in the Binghampton Press and Sun Bulletin July 16th. There's also a dozen related reports, all because of the previous 1973 show that was banned by local councilers. Very annoying that I have yet to find an advert for the show, but considering all the other publicity it got maybe it sold out without any ads!!
July 16th '75 Providence, RI Providence Civic Center (MC announces that this is the 77th and last show.)(w/ James Gang)[Ticket] - From local news reports it appears that the show was originally intended to take place at Brown's University Football Stadium as part of a series of rock and classical concerts until local residential pressure, mainly objecting to Alice's show, got the whole season canceled.
July 19th '75 'Only Women' is at #14 in the Billboard Chart. 'Welcome To My Nighmare' is at #47. Both slowly head down the charts from now.
July 29th '75 'Department Of Youth' released [Date using Billboard information]
July 27th '75 'The King Biscuit Flower Hour' transmits the LA Forum show from June.
Aug 9th '75 Alice appears at the "Rock Music Awards" with actress Valerie Perrine presenting the award for Best Single.
The Rock Music Awards, with producer Don Kirshner (left) and co-presenter Valerie Perrine
(right)
Aug 12th '75 Alice now has a moustache while in New York where he's at Riverside Park with 2-300 kids in a clean up promotion for 'Department of Youth. Alive donate sun visors, arm bands and plastic bags and copies of the single were reportedly handed out after the park was clear. There is the suggestion the idea was to be tried in other cities.
Aug 13th '75 Alice sees Dr John at the Purple's in New York
Aug 14th '75 Alice's Hollywood home in Beverley Glen burns to the ground. The cause is thought to be an electrical fault. It takes a year to rebuild. [Van Nuys News August 15th] -
Sounds Aug 30th '75:A moustached Alice Cooper, looking like a Mexican bandit buzzed into New York last week with his 'Department Of Youth' clean up crew. They plan to clean up various parks in the Autumn. Alice, Die to play some British dates in a few weeks, is seen here at New York's Riverside Park supervising the rubbish collection.
Time 25th Aug: Sometimes there's more to Vaude-Rocker Alice Cooper than meets the eye shadow. After a three-week Hawaiian vacation. Cooper came to New York last week and was . . . well, swept up in a city cleanup campaign. Joining some 300 volunteers, the rock star spent a couple of hours clearing away the garbage in one of Manhattan's parks. "I'm an old sentimentalist about New York." explained Cooper. That may be just as well. While the singer was away from home, his new $150,000 house in West Los Angeles burned to the ground.
Aug 16th '75 'Department Of Youth' enters the Billboard singles chart at #88. 'Welcome To My Nightmare' is holding on at #75 but still falling.
Late Aug '75 Press reports say Warner Brothers is taking "Alice Cooper" to court, trying to force him/them to record "more commercially acceptable" albums specifically for their company. This is likely prompted by Shep taking 'Welcome To My Nightmare' to Atlantic as a "soundtrack album" thus side-stepping the contract with Warner Brothers. Alice returns to WB for the next album 'Goes To Hell'.
Late Aug '75 Alice is at Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles at a superstar jam session for Dr John along with Ringo Star, Eric Clapton, Jackson Browne, Joe Cocker, Edger Winter, and others. Dr John played for a couple of hours (recorded for a live album called 'Hollywood By Thy Name' and produced by Bob Ezrin.) before being joined by his guests who also included Steve Hunter. The studio was transformed into a New Orleans nightclub for the session.
Around Aug 23rd '75 Keith Moon decides to throw himself a birthday party in Beverly Hills and Alice is there.
Aug 23rd '75 'Department Of Youth' enters the Billboard singles chart at #80.
Aug 27th '75 Balloons Inc unveil a 30ft Alice Cooper balloon in Glen Burnie, MD. The balloon is set to be officially unveiled in London to promote the UK shows but the company allowed fans to watch while they tested it out before sending it off to London.
Aug 30th '75 'Department Of Youth' is at #67 in the Billboard chart.
Europe 1975
Late Aug Press tour of the UK. Alice was due to represent the US at a golf tournament at Glen Eagles in Scotland. He was to partner Tom Weiskopf but had to pull out due to exhaustion. When the match was televised, Alice presented the trophy to the winners, Tom Weiskopf and actor Christopher Lee.
He flew out of Heathrow for Sweden on Aug 30th.
Alice and friend arrives in Stockholm.
The moustache will go by showtime tomorrow.
Aug 31st '75 Gröna Lund, Stockholm Sweden (w/ Heavy Metal Kids) Members of Abba in the audience - 'Department of Youth' is at #67 in the Billboard chart.
Sept 1st '75 Gothenburg, Sweden, Scandinavium (Heavy Metal Kids) [Ticket]
Sept 3rd '75 Copenhagen, Denmark, Falkoner Theatre (Falkonerteatret)(w/ Heavy Metal Kids) - King Diamond in the audience. "I stood up front and felt that if I reached out and touched his boots, he would vanish into thin air. It was quite magical. It was the first time I thought I should also have makeup on, when he stood on the stage. Not to copy Alice Cooper, but because it was so extremely powerful" [Translated from Danish] - 6 minutes of 8mm footage exist from the show and photos.
Sept 4th '75 Bremen, Germany Stadthalle (w/ Heavy Metal Kids)
Sept 5th '75 Stuttgart, Germany, Boeblingen Sporthalle (w/ Heavy Metal Kids)[Ticket]
Sept 6th '75 Ludwigshafen, Germany, Friesenheim Radstadium (Open Air Festival)(w/ Status Quo, UFO, Supertramp, Leslie West, Randy Pie, Baker Gurvitz Army, Snafu, Chapman-Witney, Streetwalkers, Thin Lizzy) [Ticket] - Leslie West and Supertramp didn't end up playing.
- 'Department of Youth' is still at #67 in the Billboard chart.
Sept 6th '75 'Department Of Youth' is still at #67 in the Billboard chart.
Sept 7th '75 Vienna (Wien), Austria, Weiner Stadthalle (w/ Heavy Metal Kids) -Audience recording exists.
Sept 8th '75 Munich, Germany, Circus Krone (w/ Heavy Metal Kids)
Sept 9th '75 According to 'Me, Alice' Alice leaves Munich on the 9th, a day earlier then planned so that he can appear on the 'Russell Harty' show in the UK (which Alice described in Me, Alice as his best TV interview) only to be stopped at customs for an unpaid hotel bill. Apparently the hotel wanted them to pay for an extra day despite the fact they weren't going to be there. When they finally arrived at Heathrow, one of the dancers exited the plane in the full Cyclops costume much to the amusement of the people at immigration who called him Mr. Clops.
This issue with this story in 'Me, Alice' is that the episode Alice appeared on aired in October, not September, and Alice has a moustache which he wouldn't have if the interview was recorded at this point. However the hotel part of the story is basically correct.
On arriving at his hotel (The Savoy) Alice turned on the TV to discover the German hotel manager had called a press conference and was accusing the band of stealing towels, rugs, shower curtains and ashtrays! He later said he would never return to Europe (UK excluded) because of the way they were treated and in fact in hindsight of course he didn't return (to play) for 7 years!
While in London, Alice went to the St. Lorenzo Restaurant with Valerie Perrine, Peter Sellers and Richard Chamberlain.
Sept 11th '75 London, England Wembley Empire Pool (w/ Heavy Metal Kids) [Ticket]
Backstage Alice was joined by Richard Chamberlain, Peter Sellers, Lynsey De Paul, Russell Harty, Alan White (of Yes), David Essex, Steve Hackett (then of Genesis), Keith Emerson, financier Bernie Cornfield and Jeanette Charles, a noted impersonator of Britains' very own Queen, who presented Alice with a gold disc for U.K. sales of 'Welcome To My Nightmare'.
Sept 12th '75 London, England Wembley Empire Pool (w/ Heavy Metal Kids) [Ticket] [The Times reviewed the show]
The two Wembley shows were filmed and released as 'Welcome To My Nightmare'. This tape has been re-released several times over the years and on April 20th, 1999 Rhino released a special DVD of the film:
LOS ANGELES - Rhino Home Video courageously releases one of the most extravagant rock shows ever filmed with the April 20 DVD and VHS release of Alice Cooper's "Welcome To My Nightmare". The king of shock rock unfurls his nightmarish illusions in this legendary performance originally filmed for theatrical release before a live sold-out audience at Wembley in London on September 11-12, 1975.
This concert for the platinum-selling album gets the full Rhino treatment on a special DVD, featuring an alternate commentary track recorded by Alice himself, a new never-before-seen interview, and a specially created Alice Cooper memorabilia and trivia game. Both the VHS and DVD programs are completely remastered from the original film elements and newly repackaged utilizing the original album art.
Alice Cooper was the first artist to take rock to shockingly theatrical extremes. The Welcome To My Nightmare show, featuring rock's famed guitar duo of Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner, offers up plenty of ghoulish images, including dancing skeletons, giant black widow spiders, graveyards, a nine foot tall Cyclops, and a special narrative appearance from fellow horror-meister, Vincent Price, and a finale with Alice's ground-breaking "magic" movie screen that "comes to life"! Of course, Cooper hits and classics are showcased including I'm Eighteen, School's Out, Only Women Bleed, No More Mr. Nice Guy and the trademark title track.
There is also a UK DVD release on Eagle Rock but this version DOES NOT have any of the features of the Rhino Version. Avoid it.
Sept 13th '75 'Department Of Youth' is out of the Billboard chart!
Sept 14th '75 Liverpool, England, Empire (w/ Heavy Metal Kids) [Ticket] - Photos exist.
Sept 16th '75 Paris, France, Pavillion De Paris [Ticket]
Sept 17th '75 Antwerp, Belgium, Sportpaleis Antwerpen [Ticket] [Photos and News story]
On around the 15th September an Alice Cooper Balloon was floated through Antwerp to advertise the show. This Balloon was also used in London and Australia.
Sept 19th '75 Hamburg, Germany, Ernst Merck Halle (canceled due to German hotel problem, see Sept 8th)
Sept 20th '75 Dortmund, Germany, Westfalenhalle (canceled due to German hotel problem, see Sept 8th)
Sept 21st '75 Alice returns to New York.
Oct 17th '75 Alice's appearance on 'Russell Harty' is aired. Alice appears first, followed by the Duchess of Argyll.
Oct '75 'Welcome To My Nightmare/Cold Ethyl' released as a single.
Oct 31st '75 Alice hosts a 2 hour show on CKLW Radio Detroit.
Nov '75 Gossip columns report Alice has officially split with Cindy Lang, leaving her with a Manhattan Apartment, a house in Los Angeles and £100,000 in cash. It wouldn't be enough...
Nov '75, Alice had been scheduled to tour Australia but canceled. Earlier in the year the press had been reoprting on a statement from the Australian Immigration Department stating that Alice was banned from entering the country.
Time - 7th April 1975:"I am not going to allow a degenerate who could powerfully influence the young and weak-minded to enter this country and stage this sort of exhibition here." declared Australian Labor and Immigration Minister Clyde Cameron after banning a tour Down Under by eye-shadowed Vaude-Rocker Alice Cooper. "Isn't it crazy?" said Alice. "People still think I kill chickens on-stage." Alice's defense of his props is somewhat cobwebbed too: "I have never done anything nearly as bloody as King Lear or Macbeth, and that's considered required reading in every high school in America."
Come September they had come to their senses and officially lifted the ban, but announced dates were canceled anyway. When he did head to Australia in 1977 he was promptly arrested due to a legal dispute with the previous promoter of these shows.
Australian/New Zealand Dates canceled:
Nov 18th '75 Auckland, New Zealand Western Springs Stadium CANCELED
Nov 21st '75 Brisbane, Australia Lang Park CANCELED
Nov 23rd '75 Sydney, Australia Randwick Racecourse CANCELED
Nov 25th '75 Melbourne, Australia Myer Music Bowl CANCELED
Nov 26th '75 Adelaide, Australia Wayville Showground CANCELED
Nov 29th '75 Perth, Australia W.A.C.A. CANCELED
Nov '75 As part of a campaign against "decadent tendencies" the South Korean government places a ban on 137 foreign songs from their TV and radio services. They included 'Cecelia', 'Pillow Talk', 'Hippy Hippy Shake' and "all songs by Alice Cooper".
'Billion Dollar Baby' is released in paperback.
Nov 23rd '75 Alice and "former Hastings Ranch resident" Sheryl Goddard are spotted together at the Sierra Madris Theatre in Pasadena, CA, there to see 'A Clockwork Orange'. After the film the couple chatted with the manager and a small crowd outside the theatre before heading off in Alice's chauffeur-driven Rolls complete with TV set in the back.
Nov 24th '75 Alice appears on 'The Tonight Show' with guest host McLean Stevenson (who played Colonel Blake in M.A.S.H.).
Nov 26th '75 'Welcome To My Nightmare' concert film released.
Dec 12-18th '75 Lake Tahoe, NV Sahara's High Sierra Theatre [Ticket 13th Dec Midnight Show] Opening night review in the Reno Gazette Journal December 13th.
Week long stint. Steve Hunter (or Wagner?) replaced by Danny Weiss (of Iron Butterfly and Rhinoceros).
Unlike most Vegas shows at the time, Alice only performed once a day (at 10pm) except on Friday and Saturday when a midnight show was also played.
The Alice Cooper balloon, used for promotion in Europe, floated above the Tahoe marquee.
Vincent Price appeared in person on opening night reciting the 'Black Widow' speech live on stage. Photos of Price onstage with Alice apparently exist but have never been made public (that I'm aware of).
The announcement of the Tahoe shows brought a significant amount of national press as Alice was the first international rock star to do a Las Vegas residency of this kind.
After the shows it was reported
Alive Enterprises sued promotor Gary Naseef for not paying them an amount of $47,500 for the shows. The slightly strange report suggests that £25,000 of the shows door reciepts were given to another Naseef promoted band 'Three Dog Night'. It seems 'Three Dog Night' had also sued Naseef for breach of contract and attached the monies from Alice's shows to their suit. As a result Naseef seems to have paid 'Three Dog Night' and so couldn't pay Alive half the agreed $100,000 he was now contracted to pay them. There seem to be no further reports of what happened that I have found.
Dec 30th '75 Dinah! show airs (recorded early Nov.) in Los Angeles during which Vincent Price awards Alice with a Gold Disc for 'Welcome To My Nightmare'. This date was stated on a letter to Alice from the show informing him of the airdate, however local listings have the show airing December 25th so it could have varied depending on area.
Dec 31st '75 Alice spends new years even at a party at comedian Steve Allens's house in Hollywood, CA. - A second gossip report suggests this was actually after New Years eve but could be taling about two different parties.
1976
Jan 2nd '76 Alice appears on 'Phil Donahue' to discuss his "bizarre musical act and private life'.
Jan 6th '76 'Dinah Shore' show with Vincent Price (Repeat presumably.)
Mid Jan '76 Alice is at/near the Superbowl in Miami Beach and is briefly interviewed at the Fontainebleau Hotel.
Feb. '76 Alice attends a party at the Crystal Room in the Beverly Hills Hotel thrown by Atlantic Records boss Ahmet Ertegun to celebrate The Spinners 20 years in the music business.
Feb 8th '76 Alice attends Bowie after show party at the LA Forum.Other guests included Rod Stewart, Britt Eckland, Ray Bradbury, Ringo Starr, Linda Ronstadt, Carly Simon, and Valerie Perrine.
Feb 28th '76 Alice was invited by the Krewe of Endymion, an ultra-conservative carnival club, to be The Grand Marshal of Endymion for 1976 along with Wolfman Jack. This prestigious honour involved Alice heading the parade at the New Orleans Mardi Gras. It was the largest parade in the history of New Orleans Mardi Gras with 25 major floats, 11 mini floats, 22 marching bands and 10 military drill units, as well as hordes of TV, radio and press people. The Theme that year was 'Hail To The Chiefs'
The parade was marred by an accident when one of the lighting directers for the Krewe fell under a float and was run over, breaking both legs. There was also a 2 hour delay
because of a shortage of tractors to pull all the floats.
The New Orleans Times-Picayune
has two reports. Alice arriving in New Orleans and a report on the carnival. Surprisingly decent photos have ben nearly impossible to find. They must exist but are maybe hidden away in library files.
The previous evening Alice attended a small gathering of 7,000 at a party thrown in his honour.
Mar 20th '76 Alice and Sheryl get married in Acapulco, Mexico. In initial news reports Alive enterprises downplay the event as not serious, presumably so as not to make Alice unavailable to the hordes of female fans. They put out a statement saying "Alice and Sheryl had a ceremonial marriage, the kind where you say "I do" but you really don't have to". They even suggest that the couple were married a resturant owner so it wouldn't be legal. The true story comes out a few months later.
Alice and Sheryl at 'Carlos 'n Charlies in Acapulco.
Alive spread a rumour that the owner married them.
On honeymoon, they spend some time in Antwerp.
May 22nd '76 Alice is at Bernie Taupin's 26th Birthday party at Le Restaurant in West Hollywood along with Cher and Greg Allman, Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh, Glen Campbell and Ringo Starr.
June '76 Alice's 1st autobiograph 'Me, Alice' is published by Puttnams.
June 7th '76 I Never Cry/Go To Hell released
June 25th '76 'Go To Hell' album released
Australian Nightmare Tour 1977
The 'Welcome To My Nightmare' Show was also performed on Australia in 1977. This is covered at that point in the timeline but for convenience I include the details here as well
- Dick Wagner - guitar
- Bob Kulick - Guitar
- Prakash John - bass
- Penti 'Whitey' Glan - drums
- Mark Stein - Keyboards
The setlist was similar to the 'Welcome To My Nightmare' tour but there were differences. For one, they included 'I Never Cry'.
In 1975, Alice had been scheduled to tour Australia but canceled When he returned the following year he was arrested due to a dispute with the previous promoter.
Time - 7th April 1975
"I am not going to allow a degenerate who could powerfully influence the young and weak-minded to enter this country and stage this sort of exhibition here." declared Australian Labor and Immigration Minister Clyde Cameron after banning a tour Down Under by eye-shadowed Vaude-Rocker Alice Cooper. "Isn't it crazy?" said Alice. "People still think I kill chickens on-stage." Alice's defense of his props is somewhat cobwebbed too: "I have never done anything nearly as bloody as King Lear or Macbeth, and that's considered required reading in every high school in America."
Tour dates :1977
March 14-15th '77 Perth Entertanment Centre (w/ Hush) [Ticket]
March 18th '77 Adelaide Westlakes Football Stadium (w/ Hush)
March 21-24th '77 Melbourne Festival Hall (w/ Hush)[Ticket] [Ticket] [Ticket]
March 26th '77 Sydney Showground (w/ Hush) [Ticket]
March 29-30th '77 Brisbane Festival Hall (w/ Hush) [Ticket]
April 4th '77 Auckland Western Springs Stadium (w/ Hush)
Apparently there was a promo in the Australian streets with a helium balloon blowup of Alice which has been made by Disney's in Los Angeles (Not the Balloon Inc. balloon?)