RECENT PHOTOS OF DENNIS THOMPSON

Some of the recent photos I shot of Dennis....March 2015

KIMMER AND DENNIS PHOTOS AT THE RED WINGS GAME

KIMMER AND MACHINEGUN WITH T MONEY ON TAPDETROIT.COM

T Money Green Kimmer and Dennis Machinegun Thompson

Friday night Dennis Thompson and I were on the air with my buddy T Money Green, Richard "The Weedman" and Rap Star Skigh Illa...We had a blast! Click the photo below to listen to the show.....We had such a great time and we can't wait to go back to TAPDETROIT.COM....Olin Ezra the station owner really kicks ass.......impressive guy.....

Richard The Weedman  was just a gas and Skigh so knowledgeable and beautiful.....listen in gang.

Richard the Weedman, Kimmer, Skigh Illa, T Money Green

CLICK THE LINK/PHOTO BELOW

KIMMER AND MACHINEGUN LIVE ON TAPDETROIT.COM TOMORROW NIGHT

Machinegun and Kim Maki aka Retro Kimmer be live in the studio with T Money Green on his 5Xl L Radio Show on February 27...Check out the show by clicking the photo or link....talking about REAL DETROIT MUSIC!

LISTEN TO THE SHOW LIVE HERE

T MONEY is the owner at hyped international records/tmoneygreen productions

RETROKIMMER AND MACHINEGUN: DETROIT ROCKS FILM INTERVIEW

Dennis Thompson and Director Ron Perry

It has been about two years since Ron Perry began his Detroit Rocks Project documentary. I met Ron over the phone in 2010 and in person at the Ivan Kral Blank Generation Screening in Ann Arbor.

Ron Perry is just the very nicest man I think I have had the pleasure to work with. So smart, honest, and focused too. We have collaborated ever since 2010. Basically for the DRP... I recommend some of my friends/aquaintances or ask Ron who is on his "hit" list and then we find them... LOL

Read all about The Detroit Rocks Project and see his newest Trailer HERE

Dennis Thompson waiting for them to finish setting up

One of the very first Detroit Rock Legends on Ron's list was my dear friend and client, Dennis Machinegun Thompson. But Dennis was into other things and difficult to nail down for yet another documentary...

The MC5 guys get asked for interviews every single day... Not a bad thing necessarily but they are usually asked to donate their time. Some of the documentarians feel the promotion should be payment enough... what they don't understand is... they don't need promotion...they need to pay their bills like everyone else...

DKT/MC5 have been working all of their lives and now they should be able to reap the rewards from their massive body of work. I'm just saying... give them their due.

Dennis autographing Nick Marocco's Vinyl Back in the USA

After waiting two years... I received a cheery call from Dennis asking me about Ron Perry's film. As fate would have it.. Ron was in Detroit filming so I made a speedy call to him. Dennis was in the mood and Ron was here. The guys left it up to me to find a filmlocation conveniently located to Dennis.

Tim Tongue and Dennis Thompson

Happened to get another call from one of my favorite Wyandotte, MI residents.. Photographer Patricia Izzo. Wyandotte would be a great location... so I asked her where she thought a good site for filming would be. Very quickly Patty popped up with Tongue's Coffee Shop right on the main street (Biddle) in town. Patty had sent me to that same shop about 9 months ago and I loved Tim Tongue the young co-owner. I had done a fun interview with him and here is that STORY lots of photos and a video too.

Put in a call to Tim and asked him if he remembered Retrokimmer and he laughed so loud... Of course he remembered the strange lady that came and shot photos of everything including the basement and the rest rooms... Such a cool old building! I asked Tim if he would mind if I brought a rock star and movie crew to his shop! We as you can see... Tim was up for more Kimmer Chaos!

Ron, his assistant producer Nick Marocco and I descending on the coffee shop and took the place over! Lights.. Cameras.. Action as they say. Ron and Nick set up very quickly and in walked the man himself.. Mr. Dennis Thompson.

I think Ron was a little shell shocked (pun intended) to meet Machinegun. They liked each other from the start. With a little warm up Ron was ready to begin filming. I was to photograph and shoot short videos to use for MGT's Blog and mine as well. My camcorder of course is no match for Ron's awesome equipment but it serves to give you readers a clue about what it was like that day.

Ron is creating a tribute video for Dennis and we will share that as soon as it comes in from Ron's studio..

Here is my video of Ron warming up Dennis Thompson for his interview:



Stay tuned to RK and MGT's Blog for more videos soon!

Thank you Dennis, Ron , Nick, Patty and Tim!!

DODGE MAIN: DENNIS THOMPSON AND DENIZ TEK

Released November 1, 1996

What an amazing industrial amalgamation of killer musicians! MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer, the legendary voice and guitar of Scott Morgan, and the ever evolving incredible Motor City-via-Australia Deniz Tek of Radio Birdman make up Dodge Main, with help from bassist Paul Ill and drummer Brock Avery.

I transferred a VCR tape of this show for Dennis Thompson about 3 years ago. The quality isn't perfect but it captures this historical night in Detroit!

City Slang...

The Dodge Main CD is fantastic! What a great record... thankfully Scott Morgan gave me a copy awhile back... You gotta listen to these samples....

1. City Slang Wayne Kramer, Scott Morgan, Deniz Tek (Fred "Sonic" Smith) 4:36
2. I.94 Wayne Kramer, Scott Morgan, (Deniz Tek) 2:57
3. Citizen of Time Wayne Kramer, Scott Morgan, Deniz Tek (Wayne Kramer) 3:48
4. Future/Now Wayne Kramer, Scott Morgan, Deniz Tek (Rob Tyner) 3:01
5. Fire Comin' Wayne Kramer, Scott Morgan, Deniz Tek (Paul Ill / Deniz Tek) 4:11
6. 100 Fools Wayne Kramer, Scott Morgan, (Deniz Tek) 2:38
7. The Harder They Come (full song) WKramer, Scott Morgan, Deniz Tek (Jimmy Cliff) 2:54
8. Over and Over Wayne Kramer, Scott Morgan, Deniz Tek (Fred "Sonic" Smith) 2:49
9. Better Than That Wayne Kramer, Scott Morgan, Deniz Tek (Kramer / Deniz Tek) 3:29
10. I Got a Right Wayne Kramer, Scott Morgan, Deniz Tek (Iggy Pop / James Williamson)

Here is a treat... Dodge Main cover of KICK OUT THE JAMS!

So a few days a ago I was talking to Dennis Machinegun Thompson on the phone and he told me how great Dodge Main was. MGT told me what an incredible mix of players that composed Dodge Main. So we wrote to our very busy friend Deniz Tek and asked him to write his take on this moment in Detroit Rock and Roll History.

Deniz Tek tells the Dodge Main story...

Dodge Main

I got a call from Patrick Boissel, who at the time had recently taken over Greg Shaw's BOMP and Total Energy labels. He suggested assembling a band to be based around me and Wayne Kramer for a studio recording. Wayne's rhythm section, Paul Ill and Brock Avery were included.

Wayne came up with the name "Dodge Main" after the monolithic abandoned Chrysler assembly plant in Hamtramck, Detroit. I flew out to LA, and was put up in a motel in Burbank. During the day, we recorded in a little studio in east Hollywood.

In the morning before heading over to the studio, I wrote songs for the album, reworking lyrics and so forth. We did some older material from the MC5 and (Radio)Birdman, but also wrote some completely new tunes.

It all took about a week. Scott Morgan was in town and joined for some vocals. Wayne produced the sessions, keeping a tight rein on things, and he later mixed the album. Mark Arminski did the brilliant cover artwork. I got paid a small token amount and had all my expenses covered.

SCOTT MORGAN "FUTURE NOW" at the State Theater Greasy show!

Later, Dodge Main assembled in Detroit for a benefit at the State Theatre for local guitarist Phil "Greasy" Carlisi who had to have cardiac surgery. On that occasion, Dennis Machinegun Thompson played drums, and we added some Rationals material to round out the set, including, I think, "Guitar Army" and "Respect".

HERE IS DENNIS THOMPSON'S DODGE MAIN STORY

We also played a show in Cleveland, with Gary Rasmussen on bass and Scotty "Rock Action" Asheton on drums. Wayne and Margaret have a tape of that show which is rumored to be of high quality. They have suggested releasing it at times, but it remains in the vaults at Muscletone Records, Wayne's label. For a while Dodge Main was a revolving door of Detroit/Ann Arbor based musicians. They did some shows without me. The recording was out on both vinyl and CD, and still sounds great. It has stood the test of time. -D

Thank you Dennis and Deniz!!!!

KIMMER AT THE 2012 DETROIT MUSIC AWARDS!

COMPLETE LIST OF WINNERS

What an amazing night! I was invited to attend the Detroit Music Awards this year and of course I wanted to be there. Have never been to one of these gigs before so I had no idea what to expect. I got there early and walked right inside. The ladies at the door were so charming and busy!

The Legendary Drummer Muruga and Kimmer

It was especially exciting to see my dear friend Muruga and the Quatro Sisters being honored. Notice the button I am wearing? I took Stanley T. Madhatter with me last night in spirit. A lot of people asked who Stan was and a lot toasted his memory. He would have been so happy to be in this crowd.

Joe Leone and Frank Pettis

We ran into Joe Leone from the School of Rock and one of the very finest Rock photographers of all time Frank Pettis. Frank really helped me with names and band information. Frank knows everyone!

What a vibe in that theater last night...I felt such warmth from my friends and met a bunch of RK readers too. The staff were all happy and there was not one negative ion anywhere.. Got to chat with all the vendors and charities before the show.

Linda Lexy and Allan Goode

My favorite spot for the evening was at the corner of the main bar. It definitely was where all the action was. I ran into Allan Goode and Jack Ashton... Hung out most of the night with these guys. Jack was busy working the room so Allan and I talked to all the glitterati walking by.

Nina Friday Andrea Edwards and Queen Bee (Karen Neal)

To be perfectly honest...I barely saw this show! It was so crazy busy seeing and photographing people that I barely noticed the bands. I did see Amy Gore with Her Valentines, she looked fabulous and her new band is great! Didn't get to see her after their performance.

Tino Gross and Rick Ruiner

Had my back to the stage for a minute and suddenly I hear the booming voice of Dennis "Machinegun" Thompson coming out of the speakers! He was in the trailer for the Grande Ballroom documentary. The audience cheered for him and the MC5.

 Lynne Serridge Patti Quatro Nancy Quatro and Nancy Rogers

Speaking of cheering....The Detroit audience completely loved the Quatro Sisters tonight. They were fantastic... I was so excited for them... It meant so much to them to be honored by their hometown. The room was full of love for the girls and it was so touching to witness.

Patti Quatro wrote: "Nancy Rogers played with both PS and Cradle.....awesome inventive drummer. Darline was with PS. Lynne took over bass for Suzi in 1971, an awesome talent, playing keys and bass, and still active with her own band today."

Johnny "Bee" Badanjek and Albert Freud

THE HOWLING DIABLOS WIN BIG

After the Pleasure Seekers/Cradle set the show was over. I had been there from 5:30 until 11pm. Gratefully Muruga and his friends gave me a lift back to my car which was pretty far away. We had a fabulous night and now I plan to sleep! xxooK

Marq Speck of Sweet Crystal

Allan Goode and his best pal Jack Ashton

Such a great crowd and with such cool Detroit attire!

Loved the table goodies... I wanted to peek in the bags...

Introduced myself to Steve Galli. He is a great photographer and I am a huge fan... Google Steve and see how great he is..

Photographer Steve Galli

Special Thanks to these folks for bringing us all together...Howard Hertz, Kent Agee, Terri Koggenhop, Al Wilson, Joe Bellanca, Gary Graff, Jim Edelman, Darrell Garrett, Kathy Vargo, Jean Mason, Jayson Richards, & that Drumbeater Matt Lee....for all your hard work making this happen.

RETROKIMMER INTERVIEWS DENNIS MACHINEGUN THOMPSON

Dennis "Machinegun" Thompson

Last Friday I was Downriver shooting photos outside. My cell went off and Dennis Thompson called to tell me that he wanted to interview for Retro: Kimmer and that he was on his way to meet me. We had a blast talking at the sidewalk cafe...Lovely day and MGT was lovely to autograph a dew things of the local MC5 fans too!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MACHINEGUN MY BUDDY!!!!

Happy birthday to legendary drummer Dennis "Machinegun" Thompson! We had a thousand of his fans pop in last year to send Den happy birthday wishes and hope to continue that tradition every year. So Happy birthday and keep KICKING OUT THE JAMS MOTHER F**KER!!!!!

Enjoy two videos I made for Den this past year....

Dennis' favorite MC5 song written by Fred "Sonic" Smith

Gotta Keep Movin written by Dennis Thompson

WITH MUCH LOVE AND RESPECT .... YOUR FRIEND KIM MAKI XXOOK

THE MC5 NEED TO BE INDUCTED IN CLEVELAND!

THE MC5

This forthcoming series of articles....beginning with this one... from many famous authors.... I am presenting to my readers, so you can know me a little better...MGT

The MC5 is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan and originally active from 1964 to 1972. The original band line-up consisted of vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson. "Crystallizing the counterculture movement at its most volatile and threatening",[1] according to Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine, the MC5's far left political ties and anti-establishment lyrics and music positioned them as emerging innovators of the punk movement in the United States. Their loud, energetic style of back-to-basics rock 'n' roll included elements of garage rock, hard rock, blues-rock, and psychedelic rock.

The MC5 had a promising beginning which earned them a cover appearance on Rolling Stone magazine in 1969 even before their debut album was released.[2] They developed a reputation for energetic and polemical live performances, one of which was recorded as their 1969 debut album Kick Out The Jams. Their initial run was ultimately short-lived, though within just a few years of their dissolution in 1972, the MC5 were often cited as one of the most important American hard rock groups of their era.[3] Their three albums are regarded by many as classics, and their song "Kick Out the Jams" is widely covered.

Tyner died of a heart attack in late 1991, aged 46. Smith also died of a heart attack, in 1994, also at the age of 46. The band reformed in 2003 with The Dictators' singer Handsome Dick Manitoba as its new vocalist, and this reformed line-up sometimes performs live.

" How come they get all the accolades from almost every damn band worth it's salt on the planet, but the cretins who vote bands in to the RnR Hall of Fame are yet to recognize them? Hell I guess they should just cut off their ear's (DKT-MC5) and send it to those deaf, dumb and blind cats. That institution is not legitimate until the MC5 are in it. Period! WM. FRD

First incarnation

Early years

The origins of the MC5 can be traced to the friendship between guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred Smith. Friends since their teen years, they were both fans of R&B music, blues, Chuck Berry, Dick Dale, the Ventures, and what would later be called garage rock: they adored any music with speed, energy and a rebellious attitude. Each guitarist/singer formed and led a rock group (Smith's Vibratones and Kramer's Bounty Hunters). As members of both groups left for college or straight jobs, the most committed members eventually united (under Kramer's leadership and the Headhunters name) with Michael Fraser on vocals/bass and Grant Palmer on drums, and were popular and successful enough in and around Detroit that the musicians were able to quit their day jobs and make a living from the group.

Kramer felt they needed a manager, which led him to Rob Derminer, a few years older than the others, and deeply involved in Detroit's hipster and left-wing political scenes. Derminer originally auditioned as a bass guitarist, though they quickly realized that his talents could be better used as a lead singer: though not conventionally attractive and rather paunchy by traditional frontman standards, he nonetheless had a commanding stage presence, and a booming baritone voice that evidenced his abiding love of American soul and gospel music. Derminer renamed himself Rob Tyner (after Coltrane's pianist McCoy Tyner). Tyner also invented their new name, The MC5: it reflected their Detroit roots (it was short for "Motor City Five'), was vaguely reminiscent of a sports car name (like the GTO), and echoed the Dave Clark Five, at the peak of their popularity in 1964–1965. In some ways the group was similar to other garage bands of the period, composing soon-to-be historic workouts such as "Black to Comm" during their mid-teens in the basement of the home of Kramer's mother.

The music also reflected Smith and Kramer's increasing interest in free jazz -- the guitarists were inspired by the likes of Albert Ayler, Archie Shepp, Sun Ra and late period John Coltrane, and tried to imitate the ecstatic sounds of the squealing, high-pitched saxophonists they adored. The MC5 even later opened for a few U.S. midwest shows for Sun Ra, whose influence is obvious in "Starship". Kramer and Smith were also deeply inspired by Sonny Sharrock, one of the few electric guitarists working in free jazz, and they eventually developed a unique interlocking style that was like little heard before: Kramer's solos often used a heavy, irregular vibrato, while Smith's rhythms contained an uncommon explosive energy, including patterns that conveyed great excitement, as evidenced in "Black to Comm" and many other songs.
Success in Detroit

Playing almost nightly any place they could in and around Detroit, the MC5 quickly earned a reputation for their high-energy live performances and had a sizeable local following, regularly selling out to audiences of 1000 or more. Contemporary rock writer Robert Bixby stated that the sound of the MC5 was like "a catastrophic force of nature the band was barely able to control," while Don McLeese notes that fans compared the aftermath of an MC5 performance to the delirious exhaustion experienced after "a street rumble or an orgy." (McLeese, 57)

Their debut single was released by Trans-Love Energies in early 1968, comprising two original songs: "Borderline" and "Looking at You." The first pressing sold out in a few weeks, and by the year's end, had gone through more pressings totaling several thousand copies.

That summer, MC5 toured the U.S. east coast, which generated an enormous response, with the group often overshadowing the more famous acts they opened up for: McLeese writes that when opening for Big Brother and the Holding Company audiences regularly demanded multiple encores of the MC5, and at a memorable series of concerts, Cream — one of the leading hard rock groups of the era — "left the stage vanquished" by the Detroit upstarts. (McLeese, 65) This same east coast tour led to the rapturous aforementioned Rolling Stone cover story that praised the MC5 with nearly evangelistic zeal, and also to an association with the radical group Up Against the Wall Motherfuckers.

The MC5 became the leading band in a burgeoning hard rock scene, serving as mentors to fellow South-Eastern Michigan bands The Stooges and Up, 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 in September 1968. They were the first hard rock groups signed to the fledgling Elektra.
Radical political affiliations

According to Kramer, the MC5 of this period was politically influenced by the Marxism/Maoism of the Black Panther Party and Fred Hampton, and poets of the Beat Generation such as Allen Ginsberg and Ed Sanders, or Modernist's poets like Charles Olson.[4] Black Panther Party founder Huey P. Newton prompted John Sinclair to found the White Panthers, a militant leftist organization of white people working to assist the Black Panthers. Shortly after, Sinclair was arrested for possession of illegal narcotics.

Under the "guidance" of John Sinclair (who dubbed his enterprise "Trans-Love Energies" and refused to be categorized as a traditional manager), the MC5 were soon involved in left-wing politics: Sinclair was active with the White Panther Party and Fifth Estate. In their early career, the MC5 had a politically provocative stage show: they would appear onstage toting unloaded rifles, and at the climax of the performance, an unseen "sniper" would shoot down Tyner. The band members were also all using the drugs LSD and marijuana, though not all group members agreed with Sinclair's politics, as Thompson would later reveal in a 2000 interview for an article published in Goldmine magazine.[citation needed]

The band 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 interview 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 appeared. The MC5 played for over eight hours straight; of the other scheduled performers, Kramer stated in Get Up, Stand Up that only Neil Young actually arrived, though due to the chaos at the convention, Young didn't perform. Dennis Thompson asserted years later that "Country Joe" McDonald (Country Joe and the Fish) was also present at the scene (Thompson, 2000). Other performers at the convention included the protest folk singer Phil Ochs.[5]
Recordings
Kick out the Jams

The MC5 earned national attention with their first album, Kick Out the Jams, recorded live on October 30 and 31, 1968 at Detroit's Grande Ballroom. A live debut was all but unheard of in 1968 (and is still rare today), but Elektra executives Jac Holzman and Bruce Botnick recognized that the MC5 were at their best when playing for a receptive audience. The first song, a version of the obscure Ted Taylor R&B song "Ramblin' Rose," featured a ragged falsetto lead vocal from Kramer before Tyner joined the group onstage. Containing such songs as the proto-punk classics "Kick Out the Jams" and "Rama Lama Fa Fa Fa", the spaced-out "Starship" (co-credited to Sun Ra because the lyrics were partly cribbed from one of Ra's poems), and an extended cover of John Lee Hooker's "Motor City is Burning" wherein Tyner praises the role of Black Panther snipers during the Detroit Insurrection of 1967. The album is generally regarded as one of the best live rock and roll records: critic Mark Deming writes that the gleefully lusty Kick "is one of the most powerfully energetic live albums ever made ... this is an album that refuses to be played quietly.[6]

The album caused some controversy due to Sinclair's inflammatory liner notes and the title track's rallying cry of "Kick out the jams, motherfucker!" (According to Kramer, the band recorded this as "Kick out the jams, brothers and sisters!" for the single released for radio play; Tyner claimed this was done without group consensus (Thompson, 2000) ) . The edited version also appeared in some LP copies, which also withdrew Sinclair's excitable comments. The album was released in January, 1969; reviews were mixed, but the album was successful, quickly selling over 100,000 copies, and appearing for several weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.
Back in the USA

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. The band sounded radically different from Kick, and McLeese writes that except for Tyner's vocals, they were "barely recognizable as the same band." (McLeese, 96) The second album also featured very different production from the first — the MC5 now sounded compressed and somewhat limited in their sonic palette compared to their earlier era — band members later said that Landau was overbearing and heavy-handed in production, trying to shape the group to his own liking.

Reviews were again mixed, sales were mediocre (It peaked at 137 in March 1970) and the MC5's tours were not as well-received as before. Exhaustion was partly to blame, from the band's heavy touring schedule and increasingly heavy drug use.

They had fallen out with Sinclair, as well, and were conspicuous by not being allowed to play at the December, 1971, John Sinclair Freedom Rally to protest his incarceration on marijuana possession, even though they were at the gig.[citation needed]
High Time

Their third album, High Time would also prove influential on 1970s hard rock bands.[citation needed] The album was poorly promoted, and sales were worse than ever, but High Time was the best-reviewed of the band's original records upon its initial release. The group had much more creative control, and were very satisfied with the results. This release saw the band stretch out with longer, more experimental pieces like "Future/Now" and the Sun Ra-influenced "Skunk (Sonically Speaking)".
Record label controversy

When Hudson's, a Detroit-based department store chain, refused to stock Kick Out The Jams due to the obscenity, the 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 Elektra records from their stores, and in the ensuing controversy, Jac Holzman, the head of Elektra, dropped the band from their contract, though there were later allegations of strong company support of the controversial content of the LP. Uncommonly, Elektra's classical division (Nonesuch) was operated on a nearly pro bono basis due to profits generated by popular music releases, and the removal of Nonesuch records from Hudson's represented a significant loss for the corporation.

The MC5 then signed with Atlantic Records, now part of the same company as Elektra.
Late career and disbandment

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 (he was using heroin and was all but forced out by the others). The remaining members recorded two new songs — "Gold Rush" (also known as "Gold" and "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 group limped along a while longer, eventually reduced to Kramer and Smith touring and playing with Ritchie Dharma on drums and Derek Hughes on bass, playing R&B covers as much as their original material.

The MC5 reunited for a farewell show on New Year's Eve, 1972-73 at the Grande Ballroom. The venue that had only a few years before hosted over a thousand eager fans now had a few dozen people, and, distraught, Kramer left the stage after a few songs.

The band broke up shortly afterward.
Post-break up

Fred "Sonic" Smith formed a new group called Sonic's Rendezvous Band, married singer Patti Smith, retired from music to raise a family, and died in 1994. Sonic's Rendezvous Band released only the "City Slang" single during their initial time as a group, though later recordings were released post-mortem, and a reconstituted Rendezvous Band (including original member Scott Morgan, of The Rationals and newly-added Deniz Tek of Radio Birdman) reunited in tribute years afterward.

Wayne Kramer made scattered appearances on other people's records before being incarcerated for drug offenses (in prison in Kentucky, Kramer was unexpectedly reunited with MC5 bassist Michael Davis, also behind bars on a drug charge). After his parole, Kramer worked straight jobs for several years and focused on kicking drugs; in the early 1990s, he returned to the music industry, and has released several well-received albums.

Tyner became a successful producer, manager and promoter in Detroit; he released the warmly-reviewed Blood Brothers in 1990 a year before his death in September, 1991.[7] Tyner performed under his own name for many years but also performed under "The MC5" for some live gigs for a brief period, though he was the only active original member involved. During the mid-1980s, Tyner produced a single for Detroit band Vertical Pillows, and occasionally made brief guest appearances during some of their live shows, singing MC5 covers. A tribute concert to Tyner on February 22, 1992, resulted in the first MC5 concert in twenty years, featuring the four surviving members.
Second incarnation
First reunions

2003 saw the three surviving members of MC5—Kramer, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson—performing as the MC5 at the 100 Club in London[8] with Fred "Sonic" Smith's place temporarily being taken by Nicke Andersson of The Hellacopters, vocal chores at that time being filled variously by David Vanian of The Damned, Lemmy 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.

The first real public reunion of the band after their recording years as a group was as a four-piece, at a performance celebrating the life of the late Tyner, a concert event at the State Theater in Detroit MI on February 22, 1992. The event was heavily attended, and included The Rationals, Scot Richardson (SRC), The Romantics, Dee Dee Ramone, The Cult, and other musicians. The band on this evening was unbilled, but their appearance had been rumored—Kramer was the only group member advertised—and the set lasted about thirty minutes. The recording of this show remains unreleased.

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, Deniz Tek of Radio Birdman, Lisa Kekuala of the Bellrays, and others.
Reformation

Since February 2005, the MC5 has stabilized its new lineup, with Handsome Dick Manitoba, vocalist of the 1970s New York punk band The Dictators, singing lead for the band. This lineup performs live.

In May 2006, Michael Davis injured his back in a motorcycle accident. In August 2007, Davis joined The Lords Of Altamont on bass. He also founded and leads the Michael H. Davis Music Is Revolution Foundation, dedicated to supporting music education programs in public schools.

In the spring of 2006, the MC5 were inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends online Hall of Fame. Two years later, "Kick Out The Jams", the band's signature recording, was voted one of Michigan's Legendary Songs.
Covers and tributes

The Damned covered "Looking at You" on their third album, 1979's "Machine Gun Etiquette". On their 2000 album Renegades, Rage Against the Machine performed a cover of "Kick Out the Jams". Singer Zack de la Rocha had already left the band, but their version still featured his vocals. Poison Idea's version of the song appears on their Pajama Party covers album as well as the live album, Dutch Courage. The song was also covered by Jeff Buckley on the DVD Live in Chicago and at the Olympia in Paris, 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 "Kick Out the Jams" to the Varsity Blues soundtrack (it had already appeared as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of their 1998 album, Powertrip). Pearl Jam also covers the song live in concert. The Boston, Massachusetts hardcore band American Nightmare covered "Kick Out The Jams" on their live album; the version also appears on their compilation Year One. Rocket from the Crypt recorded an infamous cover of the song "Gold".

The song What Time Is Love? by the KLF started with the beginning "Kick Out the Jams," although "motherfucker" was censored in the UK. Interestingly, this led to an MC5 sample being heard in an attraction at a major family theme park.

Spacemen 3 covered "Starship" on their 1987 album "The Perfect Prescription," crediting it to both MC5 and Sun Ra.

The Scandinavian band Dollhouse covered "Human Being Lawnmower" on their debut album, "The Rock & Soul Circus". The album was produced by Michael Davis.

The Australian band Radio Birdman recorded a cover of The Stooges' "TV Eye", into which they inserted several lyrics and the characteristic guitar solo from "Looking at You". The Radio Birdman/Stooges/MC5 super-group, New Race, covered "Gotta Keep Movin'" and "Looking at You".

The Michigan band The Gories did a cover version of "I Just Don't Know," and the song "Sister Anne" may also be found on their House Rockin' LP. The Vertical Pillows, a 1980s Michigan band with strong MC5 influences, had their debut single ("Jump Back"/"R.U.N.") produced by Tyner, who also did live guest sets with the VPs of MC5 songs.

The band The Didjits recorded "Call Me Animal" on their 1990 LP "Hornet Pinata".

The band Corrosion of Conformity released a version of "Future/Now" as a b-side to their "Vote With A Bullet" single.

Swedish metal band Entombed (with Nicke Andersson on drums) released a limited digipak edition of the 1997 album "DCLXVI: To Ride Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth" with a bonus CD titled "Family Favourites" featuring four cover songs. The first one being MC5's "Kick Out the Jams".

In 1999, on their album No.4, Stone Temple Pilots wrote a song entitled "MC5" in honor of the band.

The Norwegian Band Motorpsycho covered "Black To Comm" on their live album "Roadwork Vol.1" released in 1999.

Swedish rock band The Hellacopters has performed Kick out the Jams live on several occasions,[9] released a cover version of "American Ruse" on the split-EP "Respect The Rock USA" (together with Gluecifer) in 1999 and guitarist Robert Dahlqvist named his sideproject Thunder Express after the MC5 song as a tribute.[10]

The band Young Heart Attack covered "Over and Over" as a 2003 single and on their 2004 album Mouthful of Love.

In December 2003, Michael Davis entered a studio in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, to produce Swedish rock band Dollhouse's 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".

Covers of 'Starship' and 'I Want You Right Now' appear on the 2005 Turbonegro compilation album, Small Feces.

"Kick Out The Jams" is included in the 2008 video game Guitar Hero World Tour. The guitar tracks were re-recorded but the original vocal track from Rob Tyner remains.

The Melvins covered "Rocket Reducer #62" which was released on the 1994 promo single of "Lizzy". The song can also be found on the bootleg compilation "Leech" from 1996. Additionally, the MC5's own recording of "High School" appeared in the Ramones film Rock 'n' Roll High School.

The character Rachel Green of the TV show Friends wore an MC5 t-shirt in Series 9, Episode 18 - "The One with the Lottery."[11]

The band The Indelicates mention MC5 in their song "We Hate The Kids".[12]

The American garage punk band Mono Men covered "Kick Out The Jams" on their 1996 album 10 Cool Ones.
Discography

Albums

Kick Out the Jams (1969)
Back in the USA (1970)
High Time (1971)

Compilations

Babes in Arms (1983)
Black to Comm (1994)
Power Trip (1994)
Looking At You (1995)
The American Ruse (1995)
Ice Pick Slim (1997)
66 Breakout (1999)
The Big Bang!: Best of the MC5 (2000)
Thunder Express (1999) (Recorded in 1972)

Live

Teen Age Lust (recorded 1970, released 1996)
Phun City, UK (recorded 1970, released 1996)
Live At The Sturgis Armoury (recorded 1968, released 1998)
Are You Ready To Testify?: The Live Bootleg Anthology (2005)
Live At The Grande Ballroom 68 (2006)

Box Sets

Purity Accuracy (2004)

Singles

"I Can Only Give You Everything" (1966)
"One of the Guys" (1967)
"Looking at You" (1968)
"Kick Out the Jams" (1969)
"Ramblin' Rose" (1969)
"Tonight" (1969)
"Shakin' Street" (1970)
"Over and Over"/"Sister Anne" (1971) (Never officially released, only test pressings exist)

Filmography

MC5: Kick Out the Jams 1999
MC5: A True Testimonial 2002

See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: MC5

1960s counterculture
Fifth Estate
List of forerunners of punk music
Music and politics
Music of Detroit
New Left
John Sinclair
Up Against the Wall Motherfuckers
White Panther Party

References

^ http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p4864
^ 1969 Rolling Stone Covers: RS025 | Rolling Stone Music | Photos
^ Rock On The Net: VH1: 100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists: 1-50
^ Kramer, Wayne (November 4, 1998). Rocket Reducer: Wayne Kramer on the MC5. LA Weekly
^ Michael Schumacher, There But for Fortune: The Life of Phil Ochs, pp. 200–201.
^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/r12622
^ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 488. CN 5585.
^ Perry, Kevin (2006-11-28). "Michael Davis interviewed about MC5 reunion". London: The Beaver. Retrieved 2010-09-29.
^ YouTube - The Hellacopters - Kick Out The Jams (Live) 10
^ Thunder Express
^ Friends: The One with The Lottery episode on TV.com Accessed 18 February 2010.
^ We Hate The Kids Lyrics. The Indelicates. Accessed 14 July 2010.

Sources

McLeese, Don, The MC5's Kick Out the Jams (33 1/3); Continuum International Publishing Group, 2005; ISBN 0-8264-1660-8; ISBN 978-0-8264-1660-5
Thompson, James H. 'MC5: Kickin' Out The Jams'; Goldmine magazine, issue #512 (March 10, 2000 cover date), Krause Publications. Online version at http://makemyday.free.fr/goldmine1 as part of MC5 Gateway.

External links
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
MC5 GATEWAY - Detailed site on the MC5
MC5 Lyrics "provided by MC5 members"
All-MC5 Webguide
www.machinegunthompson.com
Band Timeline
Machinegun Thompson Interview by Jarrod Dicker
MC5 2005, a Head Heritage article by Dorian Cope
John Sinclair Interview by Jarrod Dicker

Categories: 1960s music groups | 1970s music groups | American punk rock groups | American hard rock musical groups | Atlantic Records artists | Blues-rock groups | Counterculture of the 1960s | Elektra Records artists | Garage rock groups | Hard rock musical groups | Kerrang! Awards winners | Musical groups established in 1964 | Musical groups disestablished in 1972 | Musical groups from Detroit, Michigan | Musical quintets | Pre-punk groups | Psychedelic musical groups | Reachout International Records recording artists | Rock music groups from Michigan


http://www.retrokimmer.com/2011/05/machinegun-thompson-is-in-woodshed.html

***NEW ORDER** FOR MACHINEGUN THOMPSON

New Order formed in Los Angeles after Ron Asheton left the Stooges and Dennis "Machinegun Thompson" left the MC5. NO produced the "Victim of Circumstance" album. The band definitely had a very powerful lineup: They failed to land a record deal and split up.

Ron Asheton

Dennis Thompson

Dave Gilbert

Jimmy Recca

Jeff Spry

Ray Gunn

Scott Thurston

Machinegun wrote "Sidewinder" and I have a ton of their old photos laying around my office so today we put them together.

Here is Sidewinder with Machinegun Thompson on vocals...

Thanks to:
Dennis Thompson
Dee Gilbert
Phillipe Mogane
Sue Rynski

Great job Kim.
D