This is the US 30×40 poster for the release of Wattstax (opens in a new tab), the documentary dubbed ‘the African American Woodstock’ that was put together by Mel Stuart (opens in a new tab), a prolific director and producer who is perhaps best known for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971). The concert was held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on the seventh anniversary of the Watts riots (opens in a new tab) that had seen the worst social unrest in the city’s history. It was organised by Memphis’ Stax Records (opens in a new tab) (hence the name) and featured performances from many of the top black artists of the time, including Isaac Hayes (opens in a new tab), the Staple Singers (opens in a new tab), The Bar-Kays (opens in a new tab), Rufus Thomas (opens in a new tab) and Kim Weston (opens in a new tab).

Mel Stuart was reportedly unhappy with the quality of a lot of the concert footage and decided to intersperse the music with interviews and stand-up footage of the likes of Richard Pryor, Ted Lange (opens in a new tab) and other African American comedians and actors who spoke about their experience of being black in America at the time.

The concert ends with Isaac Hayes performing the hit music he recorded for the 1971 blaxploitation film Shaft (opens in a new tab), the poster of which (opens in a new tab) is clearly referenced with the title treatment on this one for Wattstax.