MC5
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| MC5
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| Background information
<tr><td>Origin</td><td colspan="2">Lincoln Park, MI</td></tr><tr><td>Genre(s)</td><td colspan="2">Proto-Punk |
MC5 (short for Motor City Five) was a hard rock band formed in Detroit, Michigan, USA in 1964 and active until 1972, comprising Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith (guitars) Michael Davis (bass), Rob Tyner (vocals), and Dennis Thompson (drums).
Finding relatively little success during their career, the MC5 are now seen one of the more important hard rock groups of their era: their three albums are regarded as classics, and they exerted an influence on hard rock, metal and especially punk rock. All three original MC5 albums are available on CD. The Atlantic label albums are handled by co-owned Rhino Records.
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[edit] Beginnings
Beginning in Detroit, the MC5 quickly earned a reputation for their memorable live performances. They became accquainted with fellow South-Eastern Michigan band The Stooges, and major record labels expressed an interest in the group. As related in the notes for reissued editions of the Stooges' debut album, Danny Fields of Elektra Records came to Detroit to see the MC5. At Kramer's recommendation, he went to see the Stooges. Fields was so impressed that he ended up offering contracts to both bands.
The MC5 established themselves with their first album, Kick Out the Jams, recorded live on October 30 and 31, 1968. The album concluded with "Starship", a cover of a Sun Ra song. The album is generally regarded as one of the best live rock and roll albums: critic Mark Deming notes that Kick "is one of the most powerfully energetic live albums ever made ... this is an album that refuses to be played quietly."[1]
The album caused some controversy due to the title track's rallying cry of "Kick out the jams, motherfuckers!" (censored to "Kick out the jams, brothers and sisters!" on later pressings of the LP; restored on CD) and manager John Sinclair's inflammatory liner notes (Sinclair was politically active with the White Panther Party and Fifth Estate).
The band also generated political controversy by performing before the outbreak of violent protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The group's appearance at the convention is also notable for their lengthy performance: in an interviewed featured in the documentary Get Up, Stand Up, Kramer reported that while many musicians were scheduled to perform at a day-long concert, only the MC5 initially bothered to appear. The MC5 played for over eight hours straight; of the other scheduled performers, only Neil Young actually arrived, though due to the chaos at the convention, Young didn't perform.
[edit] The Fury of the 5
When Hudson's, a Detroit based department store, refused to stock the LP, MC5 responded with a full page advertisement in the Fifth Estate saying "Fuck Hudson's!" and prominently including the logo of MC5's label, Elektra Records, in the ad. Hudson's pulled all records released by Elektra from their stores, and Jac Holzman, the head of Elektra, dropped the band. The band then signed with Atlantic Records.
[edit] The end
Their second album, Back in the USA, produced by future Bruce Springsteen mentor Jon Landau, virtually provided a prototype for punk rock with its short, fast, hard-edged angry guitar rock. Their third album, High Time would also prove influential on 1970s hard rock bands like Aerosmith and KISS. Both Back in the USA and High Time lost money for Atlantic Records, which dropped the band.
On February 13, 1972, Michael Davis left the band. The remaining members recorded three new songs - "Gold," "Train Music," and "Inside Out" - in London shortly afterwards for the soundtrack of a film called Gold. This would be the band's final recording session. The band broke up shortly afterwards amidst drug-related problems.
[edit] Afterwards
Fred "Sonic" Smith formed a new group and released several albums; he later married singer Patti Smith and retired from music to raise a family.
Wayne Kramer made scattered appearances on other people's records before being incarcerated for drug offences (whilst in prison, Kramer was unexpectedly reunited with MC5 bassist Michael Davis, also behind bars on a drug charge). Since his release, Wayne Kramer returned to the music industry, and has released several solo albums.
Singer Robin Tyner died in 1991, and guitarist Smith died in 1994.
[edit] Reunion
2003 saw the three surviving members of MC5—Kramer, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson—performing as MC5 at the 100 Club in London with Fred 'Sonic' Smith's place being taken by Nicke Andersson of The Hellacopters, vocal chores being filled by David Vanian of The Damned, Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead, Ian Astbury of The Cult, and singer Kate O'Brien, as well as seeing Charles Moore and Buzzy Jones reprise their roles in the brass section from the High Time album.
In 2004, the band set out on an extensive world tour using the name DKT/MC5. As with the 100 Club concert, a host of special guests joined them on tour such as Mark Arm of Mudhoney, Nicke Royale of The Hellacopters, Evan Dando of The Lemonheads, Marshall Crenshaw, and others. Since February 2005, Handsome Dick Manitoba has been singing lead for the band.
In May of 2006, bass player for DKT/MC5 Michael Davis injured his back in a motorcycle accident.
[edit] Influence
On their 2000 album Renegades, Rage Against the Machine performed a cover of "Kick Out the Jams". The song was also covered by Jeff Buckley on the DVD Live in Chicago, as well as on the 1994 debut album by The Presidents of the United States of America, and by Blue Öyster Cult on their 1978 live album Some Enchanted Evening. A version of the song performed by Bad Brains with Henry Rollins also appeared on the soundtrack to the film, Pump Up the Volume. More recently, Monster Magnet contributed yet another version of KOtJ to the Varsity Blues soundtrack (it had already appeared as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of their 1998 album, Powertrip).
In december 2003, Michael Davis entered a studio in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, to produce Swedish rockband Dollhouse debut-album "The Rock and Soul Circus" (Released 2004 on Dim Mak Records). Michael Davis himself appears on backing vocals on the MC5 cover song "The Human Being Lawnmower".
In 1999, on their album No.4, Stone Temple Pilots wrote a song entitled "MC5" in honor of the band.
[edit] Discography
- Albums
- Kick Out the Jams, 1969
- Back in the USA, 1970
- High Time, 1971
- Babes in Arms, 1983 (collection of early singles)
- Compilations
- Singles
- I Can Only Give You Everything, 1967
- One of the Guys, 1967
- Looking at You, 1968
- Borderline, 1968
- Kick Out the Jams, 1969
- Motor City is Burning, 1969
- Tonight, 1969
- Shaking Street, 1970
- The American Ruse, 1970
- Over and Over / Sister Anne, 1971 (never officially released, only test pressings exist)
