📰 Richie Havens at Crystal Palace – Cover : Apr. 1972

Sounds magazine announces Richie Havens as a headline act for the third Crystal Palace Garden Party on June 3, alongside a strong line-up of summer festival news.

The cover radiates the optimistic, sun-drenched spirit of the 1972 festival season, as British rock press eagerly anticipated another summer of outdoor music events.

🗞 Sounds

📅 Date: April 29, 1972

⏱ Length: 4 min read

📰 Key Highlights

• Richie Havens, Melanie and Sha Na Na confirmed as headliners for Crystal Palace Garden Party III on June 3

• Large colour poster offer of Marc Bolan and Mickey Finn inside the issue

• Announcement of 1,000 free festival tickets to be won

• Side features on Bolan in business, Ornette Coleman in London, ELP from America, and Wyatt and The Mole

• Strong summer festival season preview with multiple Garden Party dates

📰 Overview

Published on April 29, 1972, this Sounds cover celebrated the growing excitement for the 1972 summer festival season. The third Crystal Palace Garden Party was highlighted with a stellar bill including Richie Havens, Melanie and Sha Na Na, while the issue also promoted an exclusive Marc Bolan and Mickey Finn poster for readers.

📰 Source Details

Publication / Venue: Sounds

Date: April 29, 1972

Format: Front cover feature

Provenance Notes: Verified from preserved cover scan; layout, typography and promotional style consistent with Sounds magazine in April 1972.

📰 The Story

The cover story focused on the upcoming Crystal Palace Garden Party on June 3, confirming Richie Havens, Melanie and Sha Na Na as the main attractions. Promoter Mike Alfanfary and John Smith Productions promised one of the biggest and best rock programmes of the year, with additional side events and a medieval pageant planned.

The issue also pushed an exclusive full-colour poster of Marc Bolan and Mickey Finn as a reader offer, along with a competition to win 1,000 festival tickets. The overall tone was one of anticipation for a packed summer of outdoor concerts.

📰 Visual Archive

Bold front cover layout with a large black-and-white photograph of Richie Havens on the right, surrounded by smaller boxes promoting Bolan in business, The Crows’ Miss Maggie, Ornette Coleman in London, ELP from America, and Wyatt and The Mole. The striking red-and-white Sounds masthead and festival ticket competition banner complete the vibrant early-1970s design.

📰 Related Material

See tabs at foot of page

📰 Closing Notes

This April 1972 Sounds cover perfectly captures the optimistic mood of the British music scene heading into summer 1972. With major festivals like the Crystal Palace Garden Party on the horizon and glam stars like Marc Bolan dominating the posters, the issue reflects a time when live music felt full of possibility and communal excitement.

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📝 Copyright Notice

All magazine scans, photographs, and original text excerpts referenced in this entry remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle entry is a transformative, non-commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference. No ownership of the original material is claimed or implied.