BILLION DOLLAR BABIES TOUR 1973

Plans for, or the overriding theme for, the Billion Dollar Babies tour really took shape during the latter part of 1972 when Michael Bennett (West Side Story, The Follies) was hired to choreography a production called "Alice At The Palace". Hot off the heels of an album heavily influenced by Broadway (School's Out), the plan was to do Broadway type production at one venue, New York City's Palace Theate. But when plans fell through due to union contracts, or excessive ticket demand - it really depends on what you are reading - what would have been a first in rock and roll for this type of production died an early death. But not entirely. Undeterred, the band soldiered on and it was decided to do a full scale traveling tour, the likes that had never been seen, taking its inspiration from Broadway and lathering the production in theatrical excess.

Joe Gannon designed the large opulent set which featured an Egyptian statue overlooking the set, strategically placed behind Neal Smith's drum set. There was a raised area on the stage, with steps on either side leading up to the second level, then on into a hollow metal framed entrance littered with statues and manikins - like a gateway to heaven, or would that be hell? The chrome looking set was glitzy and excessive, screaming money. But then Alice would grace the stage dressed in a white leotard which looked like it had never been washed - it was torn and stained - stomping around the stage with thigh high leopard skin boots. The Billion Dollar Babies tour was the mother of all tours. The stage was excessive, the violence perpetrated by Alice was excessive, and the show was sexually excessive. It was all about excess, and there hasn't been a tour like it since.

Baby dolls were put to death at the sword wielding hands of Alice. Alice simulated oral sex with manikins, even captured his own spittle which had travelled down between the breasts of a silver manikin body. Cleaned the dancing teeth in particularly erotic fashion after being drilled by a mad dentist. And finally, beheaded on a guillotine only to return to the stage so he and the band could beat the crap out of a Nixon impersonator. What more could you want, seriously?

What is often forgotten and overlooked about the Alice Cooper group is just how popular they were. Billion Dollar Babies saw the group at the height of their success, the tour was on the back of a No. 1 album and a top ten single. The band didn't take this lightly, instead of taking a break from constant touring for the past 5 years they hit the road - hard. In a little over three months the band had played about 60 dates across the US, traveling from city to city in a private jet. The Billion Dollar Babies tour was the highest grossing tour to hit the stage up to this point.

Thankfully, the Billion Dollar Babies tour was professionally documented. It is unfortunate to say that no previous tour had been graced with such a privilege for commercial release. The tour was filmed in two locations, and the result is Good To See You Again, Alice Cooper. Filmed in 16mm, it was blown up to 32mm which gave the film it's dark appearance. The filmed wasn't as successful as was expected, there wasn't really a market for concert films at this point, and the final film was hampered by 'comedy' skits featuring the band that were insertion between the live material. Unfotunately the skits were funnier on paper than they were on film. Still, Good To See You Again is a good documentation of a remarkable tour.

BILLION DOLLAR BABIES HOLIDAY TOUR 1973

It's not as if the boys hadn't toured enough this year, but with the release of their second album towards the end of the year a short tour was put together. The Billion Dollar Babies Holiday Tour was basically the tour for Muscle of Love, but with the same structure as the previous tour.

This time around the boys performed in Sailor suits and at the shows conclusion beat up Santa Claus, played by writer Bob Greene who followed the boys on the tour and documentated his experience in his Billion Dollar Baby book published the following year.

The Holiday Tour did not go as smoothly as expected. There were internal struggles within the band which were amplified by Glen's poor health and his failing ability to play - he would be supported by ghost players for this and the Billion Dollar Babies tour. There was a gas shortage during the tour as well, so the stage failed to show up for some of the shows. And worst of all, during a performance in Toledo, Ohio the band left the stage a few minutes after the show began when 'fans' started throwing bottle rocks on the stage.

Touring at this point was probably not a good idea, considering the amount of work the boys were doing. This tour was never filmed, but there are a few bootleg audio recordings that exist.

SOUTH AMERICAN BILLION DOLLAR BABIES TOUR 1974

There's nothing quite like flogging a dead horse. This would end up being the final time the band would ever perform live again in the same compacity. It would be surprising if any band could survive such a pace.

This tour of South America was almost like Beatlemania had hit. The boys arrived and were mauled, being escorted by armed police - armed with machine guns. The shows varied in size - from huge indoor arenas to smaller couple thousand set venues. One concert actually set the record for the largest indoor attendance - 150,000!

Not much is known about the tour, but the show would have been the same as the previous Billion Dollar Babies Holiday Tour, with the removal of Santa Claus.