MC5 * A True Testimonial
@MC5movie
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12-7-70
Los Angeles Times review describes Stooges debut LP as “unquestionably the second worst…rock album of the year”
”seven whiny, adolescently repulsive street-punk anthems and hypnotically boring ‘We Will Fall’"
his worst of the year? - Kick Out the Jams
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Sigrid Dobat, wife of Fred Smith from 1969-1980, passed away on July 31.
MC5 * A True Testimonial director David C Thomas:
There is much in our film that we owe to Sigrid, not least of which was her unwavering support, her generosity with materials and personal memories, and
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Remembering Rob Tyner, born December 12, 1944, died September 18, 1991
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258
Happy Birthday Rob Tyner
Born on this day in 1944
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RIP Robert Wayne Derminer, born December 12, 1944, died September 18, 1991
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231
April 7, 1968: The Who, The Troggs, MC5, Raja play CNE Coliseum, Toronto
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Happy Birthday Gary Grimshaw, born 2-25-46. Of all the fantastic graphic design for the MC5, the best known was created by Gary. Gary's career saw him work artists from the MC5 to
@whitestripesnet
with many, many in between.
See his work in MC5 * A True Testimonial
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Happy Birthday to Magdalene Arndt (Leni Sinclair) born on this date in Königsberg, Germany (now Kaliningrad, Russia)
Most of the classic MC5 photographs and films were taken by Leni and can be seen in MC5 * A True Testimonial
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8-25-68 MC5 play Chicago as part of protests at Democratic Convention
See government surveillance footage of the performance in MC5 * A True Testimonial
"The California bands, the hippie bands, none of them showed. We said we’re the MC5, we’re from Detroit, we came to play."
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12-29-69 MC5, Stooges, other Detroit groups …..play "New Year’s Eve Party", Aragon Ballroom, Chicago
Gig is reportedly “filmed in 16mm sound by group of underground Chicago filmmakers” (CREEM, Vol 2,
#9
)
If you have this footage, please contact us immediately
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10-4-94 RIP Fred "Sonic" Smith
"In the period of 1970 to ‘71, Fred was the shining light of the MC5. He was the creative force behind the band." Geoffrey Haslam, producer, High Time
See more home movies of Fred in the DVD extras of MC5 * A True Testimonial
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Robert Wayne (Derminer) Tyner
December 12, 1944 – September 18, 1991
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October 30,31, 1968
Recording of Kick Out the Jams at the Grande Ballroom
See and hear soundcheck footage from those historic nights in the DVD extras of MC5 * A True Testimonial
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Happy Birthday to Rob Tyner, born Robert Wayne Derminer on December 12, 1944
Rob took his stage name from the great jazz pianist McCoy Tyner
@RealMcCoyTyner
See exclusive interview footage with Rob in MC5 * A True Testimonial
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18
155
Remembering Michael Davis, 6-5-43 to 2-17-12
We filmed with Michael at his home in Tucson for MC5 * A True Testimonial
"the band’s quest was to bring people together. Having fun and freeing up your mind. And rejecting the political establishment" Michael Davis
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Sept 19, 1970: Stooges, MC5, Alice Cooper play A Warehouse, New Orleans
In Your Ear, free in house magazine of A Warehouse previews show: “Very simply, the Five are the most important band to come out of Detroit...they epitomize all our best and worst points”
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2-24-71
MC5 play free concert University of Missouri – Rolla
"It’s a driving music that has in it the dirt and factory pulse and scream of rubber turning corners at high speed."
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February 15, 1969
MC5, Pleasure Seekers play Finch Fieldhouse, Central Michigan University
Review in Central Michigan Life of February 18 describes Pleasure Seekers as “good” and MC5 as “too loud and gross”
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One of the great posters featured in MC5 * A True Testimonial. Spiritual Advisor, Brother JC Crawford's famous stage intro, heard on Kick Out the Jams, can be SEEN in the movie
"Brothers and sisters, I want to know, are you ready to testify? I give you a testimonial, the MC5!"
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11-17-72 "MC5" - Wayne Kramer, Fred Smith, Derek Hughes (bass) and Ritchie Dharma (drums) play Kulttuuritalo, Helsinki, Finland
"We were awful. I’d never tried to sing those songs before. The drummer never even heard any of them"
Wayne Kramer in MC5 * A True Testimonial
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March 14-16, 1969
MC5, Congress of Wonders (comedy), Clover play Straight Theater, San Francisco
Gary Grimshaw designed poster for this show can be seen on the wall in Michael Davis' Tucson home in MC5 * A True Testimonial
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Friday, March 28, 1969
MC5, Lee Michaels and Janis Joplin play Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino, CA
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Dec 12,13,14, 1968 Velvet Underground, MC5 play Boston Tea Party, Boston MA
John Sinclair writes liner notes (later removed) for Kick Out the Jams
"He wrote something that was not, ah, attractive to middle-class retailers"
Danny Fields in MC5 * A True Testimonial
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10-4-94 RIP Fred "Sonic" Smith
"In the period of 1970 to ‘71, Fred was the shining light of the MC5. He was the creative force behind the band." Geoffrey Haslam, producer, High Time
See more home movies of Fred in the DVD extras of MC5 * A True Testimonial
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12-10-65
Dave Clark Five, MC5 play Cobo Arena, Detroit
Rob Tyner will turn 21 the next day, Wayne Kramer and Fred Smith are both 17 at the time
may have been final gig for Pat Burrows, bass & Bob Gaspar, drums
Michael Davis and Dennis Thompson join band within weeks
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Dec 10, 1965 Dave Clark Five, MC5 play Cobo Arena, Detroit
Possibly final show for Pat Burrow/bass and Bob Gaspar/drums as Michael Davis and Dennis Thompson become full time band members within weeks
MC5 is managed by Ann Marston, former Miss Michigan and accomplished archer
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7-18-70
MC5, Chicago, Stooges, Leon Russell, Funkadelic and others, play WCFL Big 10 Summer Music Festival, Soldier Field, Chicago
MC5 “brought crowd to their feet and had people storming the stage with “Kick Out the Jams” - Chicago Tribune
photos: Douglas Gilbert
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September 7 Happy Birthday to Dennis (Tomich) Thompson, born on this date in Highland Park, Michigan.
See and hear Dennis in MC5 * A True Testimonial. Is he the star of the movie? Yes, maybe? Yes.
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HBD William Burroughs, 2-5-1914
“Mick Farren wanted to bring the MC5 to England for a festival called Phun City. He wanted us to perform with William Burroughs. This was perfect because William Burroughs was one of our guiding lights”
Wayne Kramer in MC5 * A True Testimonial
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3-5-69
“70% of Detroit record stores refuse to stock Kick Out the Jams due to use of “fuck” in liner notes and one song. A Northland shop went through each album and crossed out the offending words"
Fifth Estate
Hear the story of the controversy in MC5 * A True Testimonial
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January 24 & 25, 1969
MC5, Taj Mahal, Train, March Brothers, Asian Flu play Grande Ballroom, Detroit
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10-3-69 MC5 play Westfield, NJ
After hearing Kick Out the Jams on
@WFMU
, 16 year olds Bruce Weismann and Robert Resnick somehow contact Danny Fields and book two shows in their high school auditorium, a seated venue with proscenium stage
Rarity: printed ticket for an MC5 show
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Dec 12,13,14, 1968 Velvet Underground, MC5 play Boston Tea Party, Boston MA
John Sinclair writes liner notes (later removed) for Kick Out the Jams
"He wrote something that was not, ah, attractive to middle-class retailers"
Danny Fields in MC5 * A True Testimonial
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2-28-69
MC5 play "New World's Drug Symposium", Clark Gymnasium, State University of New York, Buffalo
Of all the amazing live footage in MC5 * A True Testimonial many consider the performance of Come Together from this show to be the best
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February 11, 1972
MC5 play Friar’s Pub, Aylesbury, Oxfordshire, UK
@friarsaylesbury
Bassist is Michael Davis, Fred Smith wears the "Sonic Suit"
Hear the story of the suit and see footage from this show in MC5 * A True Testimonial
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Also remembering Jimi Hendrix, who died on this day in 1970
He and the MC5 shared a stage at the Masonic Temple, Detroit, in February of 1968
shown lower right: Prophets and Scientists by Rob Tyner
Future/Now
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Amazing story by
@wilkojohnson
of sharing a stage with the MC5 at the London Rock and Roll show (more on this in 10 days). Hear Wayne Kramer tell it from his perspective in MC5 * A True Testimonial.
@JulienTemple
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"MC5 * A True Testimonial is far and away the best rock-music documentary of the 21st Century"
Jeffrey Wells, Hollywood Elsewhere
April 29, 2004
@wellshwood
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Happy Birthday to Leni Sinclair (Magdalene Arndt)
born in Königsberg, Germany (now Kaliningrad, Russia)
MC5 * A True Testimonial is filled with Leni's famous photos and incredible live footage of the MC5
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2-14-70
Back In The USA is one of Record World's "Album Picks of the Week"
"Back In The USA should put MC5 at the top of the charts where they belong. Jon Landau produced the album of funk in Detroit."
Hear Jon talk about making the album in MC5 * A True Testimonial.
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January 6, 1978
MC5 * A True Testimonial director, David C. Thomas, gestures towards stage.
Taliesyn Ballroom, Memphis, TN
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On location in NYC with Danny Fields, forever the coolest guy in the room.
"I got two of the greatest bands in history with a phone call"
Danny Fields, in MC5 * A True Testimonial, on signing the MC5 and the Stooges on the same weekend
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Remembering Derek Hughes, who died 5 years ago today
Derek played bass for the MC5 in 1972
His never before seen home movies of the MC5 at the London Rock and Roll Show and interview recounting the last days of the band are an essential part of MC5 * A True Testimonial
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7-25-70: MC5 play Phun City Festival, Worthing, Sussex, UK
Festival organizer and Radio Caroline founder Ronan O'Rahilly becomes their manager. Hear the story in MC5 * A True Testimonial
"Ronan almost saved the MC5... almost" Dennis Thompson
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December 31, 1972
MC5 play their final show ever in front of a few hundred people at the Grande Ballroom, Detroit
Wayne Kramer leaves the stage halfway through,
"and that was the end of the MC5"
Hear the story as told by Wayne and Michael Davis in MC5 * A True Testimonial
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October 30,31, 1968
Recording of Kick Out the Jams at the Grande Ballroom, Detroit
See and hear soundcheck footage from those historic nights on the DVD extras of MC5 * A True Testimonial
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12-26-68 MC5 play chaotic show at Fillmore East, give out free 45
Bill Graham punched by bikers, MC5’s drums trashed, fire curtain slashed. MC5 escape through side door then swarmed by angry crowd and pelted with broken 45s
Story in DVD extras of MC5 * A True Testimonial
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Review of Kick Out the Jams in Columbus Dispatch: "like a garbage can full of pliers going down a flight of cement steps"
Broward Peach Section of Miami Herald contains angry letter from woman upset with obscenity on MC5 record purchased by her son : "I notified the police"
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8-25-68 MC5 play Chicago as part of protests at Democratic Convention
See government surveillance footage of the performance in MC5 * A True Testimonial
"The California bands, the hippie bands, none of them showed. We said we’re the MC5, we’re from Detroit, we came to play."
2
17
106
10-4-94 RIP Fred "Sonic" Smith
"In the period of 1970 to ‘71, Fred was the shining light of the MC5. He was the creative force behind the band" Geoffrey Haslam, producer, High Time
See more home movies of Fred in the DVD extras of MC5 * A True Testimonial
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September 26, 1967
John Lee Hooker records “The Motor City is Burning”, a “play by play” of the Detroit Uprisings
“Motor City is Burning” is later covered by the MC5, recorded live at the Grande and released on LP and as flip-side of the Kick Out the Jams 45
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from the True Testimonial production journal:
January 19, 1998
begin formal process of requesting materials from National Archives, Washington, DC...surveillance film, 1968 convention
footage unearthed by producers Legler and Thomas can be seen in MC5 * A True Testimonial
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November 28, 29, 1970: MC5, La Paz, Lorien, play Of Our Own, Houston, TX
1/2 page ad in Space City News (p20, Vol. 2
#13
)
Other than a few on the west coast, this and one in San Antonio were the farthest the MC5 would travel from Detroit for North American shows
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"I got two of the greatest bands in the history of the world with a phone call" Danny Fields, Company Freak, Elektra
"Twenty for the MC5 and $5,000 for The Stooges? Yeah, fuck yeah. Man, we were signed right there" John Sinclair, MC5 manager
from MC5 * A True Testimonial
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Little Richard, RIP
The MC5 covered his classic, Tutti Frutti, on their second album, Born In the USA, and shared a stage with him at the London Rock and Roll Show (Wembley Stadium) in August of 1972.
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9-14-48: birth of Frederick Dewey (“Sonic”) Smith in Broad Bent, West Virginia
"Fred felt his music could reach out further. He wanted something more than just the three-chord wonder or the twelve-bar blues"
Geoffrey Haslam, producer, High Time, in MC5 * A True Testimonial
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Thought lost forever, the tapes are tracked down and restored in 1997 by MC5 * A True Testimonial director David C Thomas and producer Laurel Legler, preserving for history one of the GREATEST LIVE PERFORMANCES in rock and roll history.
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Kick Out the Jams as a Blue Note LP?
Thanks to John Yates of Stealworks.
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9-14-48: birth of Frederick Dewey (“Sonic”) Smith in Broad Bent, West Virginia
See performance footage, interviews and home movies of Fred in MC5 * A True Testimonial
"In the period of 1970 to '71, Fred was the shining light of the MC5" Geoffrey Hasalm, producer, High Time
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February 7 and 8, 1970
MC5 play The Warehouse, Providence, Rhode Island
“Kick Out The Jams” tagged in newspaper ad and on poster though Back in the USA had just been released (January 15)
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week of March 8, 1969
Kick Out the Jams debuts on Billboard LP charts
a month later the MC5 are dropped by Elektra Records yet the album remains in the charts for 23 weeks, peaking at
#30
hear the story, as told by Danny Fields and Dennis Thompson, in MC5 * A True Testimonial
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10-4-94 RIP Fred "Sonic" Smith
"In the period of 1970 to ‘71, Fred was the shining light of the MC5" Geoffrey Haslam, producer, High Time
See more home movies in the DVD extras of MC5 * A True Testimonial
Fred was a huge baseball and Detroit
@tigers
fan
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February 23, 1968
Jimi Hendrix Experience, Soft Machine, MC5, Thyme (replacement for the Rationals) play Masonic Temple, Detroit
poster by Gary Grimshaw
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December 31, 1969: Fred Smith marries Sigrid Dobat
Rob Tyner serves as Best Man while Wayne Kramer is the Maid of Honor!
See and hear exclusive interviews with Sigrid in MC5 * A True Testimonial
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April 4 and 5, 1969
MC5, Pacific Gas & Electric, Wicked Religion, The Maxx play Grande Ballroom, Detroit
Poster by Gary Grimshaw is one of our favorites. See this and much more of Gary's work in MC5 * A True Testimonial
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7-19-70
Tartar Field, Wayne State University
Free concert put on by WABX-FM, later broadcast on WTVS-56 Detroit and syndicated as part of Detroit Tubeworks
MC5 at the peak of their powers
Incendiary version of Looking at You becomes centerpiece of MC5 * A True Testimonial
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Feb 4, 1969
Kick Out the Jams (Elektra 45648)
enters CKLW (Detroit) singles chart at # 19
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8-5-72 MC5 play Rock n Roll Show with Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry at Wembley Stadium, London.
The band is not well received by audience of 60,000 Teddy Boys.
"It was us versus them... the stage rained beer cans"
Wayne Kramer in MC5 * A True Testimonial
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September 7 Happy Birthday to Dennis (Tomich) Thompson, born on this date in Highland Park, Michigan.
See and hear Dennis in MC5 * A True Testimonial. Is he the star of the movie? Yes....maybe...?
Yes
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July 6, 1971
High Time, the MC5's final album, is released on Atlantic Records
Full page ad runs in Billboard and other publications but High Time does not chart
Produced by Geoffrey Haslam, Sister Anne is recorded in London, remaining tracks at Artie Fields Studios, Detroit
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Is Dennis Thompson the star of MC5 * A True Testimonial? Your call......but yes, he is.
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Sad to report the death of William "Jesus" Jellett, legendary UK gig goer, shown here dancing in front of the MC5's Fred Smith at the London Rock and Roll Show in 1972
Never before seen footage of the MC5 at this show appears in MC5 * A True Testimonial
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October 2 Happy Birthday to John Sinclair, MC5 manager (1967-69)
"The summer of ’68 was when things really started to happen for the MC5. They came together as what we now know as the MC5. The greatness of the MC5 was achieved."
John Sinclair in MC5 * A True Testimonial
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9-19-70
Alice Cooper, MC5, Stooges play A Warehouse, New Orleans
In Your Ear, free in house magazine of A Warehouse previews show with the description “Very simply, the Five are the most important band to come out of Detroit. They epitomize all our best and worst points”
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Also
#OTD
in 1967, MC5 play Detroit Love In at bandshell on Belle Isle. Confrontation between police/fans results in Detroit News headline: “Battle Closes Belle Isle, Riot at Love-in: 10 Jailed, 18 Hurt”. Wayne tells the band's side of the story in MC5 * A True Testimonial.
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Happy Birthday to Wayne Kramer
April 30, 1967
MC5, Seventh Seal, and others appear in Belle Isle Park ‘Love-In’, resulting in ‘police riot’ and numerous beatings/arrests of participants
Hear the story, as told by Wayne and John Sinclair, in MC5 * A True Testimonial
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July 14, 1971 MC5 play “An Experimental Rock Ballroom at the Masonic Temple", Windsor, Ontario
“Raw power is what the MC5 is all about, just like Detroit is a city of industrial muscle and assembly-line intellect” John Laycock, The Windsor Star
OK, he can write for us.
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9-22-68 MC5 play “typically riotous show" at Fifth Dimension club, Ann Arbor. Earlier that day Danny Fields sees the The Stooges for the first time at the University of Michigan student union. Fields signs both bands to Elektra Records later that night.
@Iggy_Stooges
@IggyPop
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Also remembering Jimi Hendrix, who died on this day in 1970
He and the MC5 shared a stage at the Masonic Temple, Detroit, in February of 1968
shown lower right: Prophets and Scientists by Rob Tyner
Future/Now
1
16
81
12-17-68 Rolling Stone (
#25
, Jan 4, 1969) with Rob Tyner cover, and 5 page article on the MC5 hits newsstands
“We were overjoyed even though the story was complete bullshit” John Sinclair
Dec 15,16,17, 1967 Vanilla Fudge, MC5, Thyme, Rationals play Grande Ballroom, Detroit
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Michael Hayden Davis
June 5, 1943 – February 17, 2012
"The band’s quest was to bring people together. To do it in a good time setting, have fun and free up your mind. And reject the political establishment"
Michael Davis in MC5 * A True Testimonial
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January 6, 1978 Taliesyn Ballroom Memphis, Tennessee
Sex Pistols' 2nd US show
MC5 * A True Testimonial director, David C. Thomas (audience center), gestures towards the stage
What a photo!
@pistolsofficial
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March 3, 1972
MC5, Third Ear Band, Pink Fairies play Seymour Hall, London
Admission is 50p
“We’re not interested in making it big like Led Zeppelin, there are more important things to do”
Fred Smith in Melody Maker preview, 2-12-72
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11-10-67 MC5, James Cotton Blues Band play Grande Ballroom, Detroit
Poster by Carl Lundgren, using fashion photographer Victor Skrebneski's image of Vanessa Redgrave
See the incredible graphic art of Lundgren, Gary Grimshaw and others in MC5 * A True Testimonial
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February 25, 1946
birth of Gary Grimshaw
Gary created most of the MC5's best known posters and his work is featured extensively in MC5 * A True Testimonial
Friend and fellow artist, Rob Tyner, said of Gary, "I was pretty good, but Gary was better. He could draw chrome".
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7-19-70: MC5 play Tartar Field, Detroit. Capturing the band at the height of their powers and broadcast on WTVS-TV, a scorching Looking At You becomes the centerpiece of MC5 * A True Testimonial.
"At the end of the day, that became the powerful idea- WE ARE THE MC5" Jon Landau
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