Invitation to Peter's 30th Birthday Concert at Reno Sweeney

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This is an invitation to Peter's 30th birthday concert held at his home away from home Reno Sweeney on February 10, 1974. Reno Sweeney was a New York cabaret supper club located at 126 W. 13th Street. The invitation was designed by Eliot Hubbard and illustrated by artist/illustrator Robert W. Richards, who illustrated some of Peter's concert posters. Two hundred were created for the concert. This one is numbered 178/200 and signed with the illustrator's initials 'RWR'. The illustration is very interesting because it's difficult to interpret. It has a Venetian masquerade feel, a touch of French neoclassical/rococo style, with a dash of medievalism. This particular invitation appears to have been glued into a scrapbook. The title on the front of the invitation Ask Me I Been There  refers to Peter's song, Just Ask Me I Been There .   The front of the invitation includes a message Peter wrote at the bottom which reads, "And still going! Love Peter"...

Peter's Cuff!

Peter's cuff

Peter's cuff

Peter's cuff

Peter's cuff

Peter's cuff

Peter's cuff

Peter's cuff

Peter's cuff is my ultimate pride and joy. It's something he wore non-stop from 1974-1980. He wore it in concert, on TV shows, on album covers, in music videos, etc. This cuff is as iconic, if not more, as Peter's Hawaiian shirts, maracas, whistle, and Rio fan. The cuff was featured in such music videos as "I Go to Rio", "Don't Wish Too Hard", and "Bi-Coastal". He wore it on his Continental American album (1974), It Is Time for Peter Allen album (1977), and on a couple of Greatest Hits albums. Peter stopped wearing this cuff after 1980 for some reason.  Maybe he wanted a new look and style.  


This stunning silver and gold cuff was made by Golden Nonsense, a jewelry shop in New York City around 1973/1974. The shop was owned and operated by designers Arlene Altman and Lois Sasson. The shop is no longer in existence. I believe this cuff was a 30th birthday gift to Peter since it contains his astrological sign (Aquarius) and ten stars possibly representing his birthdate of February 10th. I don't know who he received this cuff from, but possibly from his friend and co-songwriter Carole Bayer Sager who used to shop there. Overall, the cuff is very cosmic and out-of-this-world!

Item: 3.2023.BMLW

Watch the cuff in action in these following music videos:


"I Go To Rio" Music Video

"The More I See You" Music Video

"Tenterfield Saddler" Music Video

"Don't Wish Too Hard" Music Video

"Bi-Coastal" Music Video

The Story Behind the Cuff Video

View the cuff on these album covers:


Continental American album cover.

It is Time for Peter Allen album cover.

Peter Allen At His Best album cover.

Peter Allen 20th Century Masters Millennium Collection album cover.

Comments

  1. Some interesting connections here... Lois Sasson was the life partner of 1960s singer Lesley Gore from 1982 until Gore's death in 2015. Lesley did background vocals on Peter's "Taught By Experts" album, in particular the "alone" solos on "She Loves To Hear The Music."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's a very small world filled with connections!

      Delete

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