The MC5 was a rock music band that came out of Detroit in 1966, and was an important precursor of and influence on punk rock (see protopunk). Their first album was Kick Out The Jams, recorded live on October 30 and 31, 1968 (the first Zenta new year). The album caused some controversy due to the title track's rallying cry of "kick out the jams, motherfuckers," and John Sinclair's inflammatory liner notes. The album concluded with "Starship," a cover of a Sun Ra song.
When Hudsons, a then Detroit based, now defunct department store, refused to stock the LP the MC5 responded with a full page advertisement in the Fifth Estate saying "Fuck Hudsons!" Hudsons pulled all records on Elektra, the MC5's label, and Jac Holzman, the head of Elektra, dropped the band.
Their second album Back In The USA 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. The band broke up amidst drug-related problems
in 1972. John Sinclair, the band's manager, was politically active with the White PanthersThe White Panthers was an artists' collective founded in the United States by John and Leni Sinclair. The group, which took its name in emulation of the Black Panthers, dedicated its energies to "cultural revolution". Anarchist Mick Farren, a leader of th and Fifth estate.
Singer Robin Tyner died in 1991, as did guitarist Fred 'Sonic' Smith in 1994. Guitarist Wayne Kramer is still active, and has released several solo albums.
2003 saw the three surviving members of the MC5 - Kramer, bassist Michael Davis,
and drummer Dennis Thompson - performing as the MC5 at the 100 ClubThe 100 Club is a music venue situated at 100, Oxford St, London W1, UK. The 100 Club has a legendary status within the history of modern British music, having played live music since 24 October 1942. In this year the venue was a restaurant called Macks w in LondonLondon is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England, and with over seven million inhabitants in the Greater London area, is the second-most populous conurbation in Europe (after Moscow). From being Londinium the capital of the Roman province of Bri with vocal chores being filled by Dave Vanian of The DamnedThe Damned are a punk band from the United Kingdom. First formed in 1976, The Damned dissolved and reformed many times, incorporating other elements in their music, most notably '60s punk and psychedelia, the British theatrical horror-rock of Screaming Lo and Ian AstburyIan Astbury is a English rock singer and guitarist. Astbury's career began with the Southern Death Cult, a 1980s Gothic rock band. Personnel and stylistic changes transmutated the band into The Death Cult, and then The Cult, one of the finest hard rock ba of The Cult
- MC5 discography (incomplete)
Films
MC5 - A True Testimonial 2003
