MC5, also known as the Motor City Five, was an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan, in 1963. The original group included vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson. Parade magazine named MC5 one of the best rock bands of all time, and VH1 listed them as one of the greatest hard rock artists. Their music had a major influence on future artists, and their 1969 song "Kick Out the Jams" was performed by many other musicians.

According to AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine, MC5 helped shape the counterculture movement during a very intense time. Their music often included political messages and criticized authority, making them important early influences on the punk movement in the United States. Their style combined elements of garage rock, hard rock, blues rock, and psychedelic rock. Guitarist Tom Morello said that MC5 "basically invented punk rock."

MC5 gained attention early in their career, appearing on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine in January 1969 and being featured in a story by Eric Ehrmann before their first live album was released. They were known for their powerful and energetic live performances, one of which was recorded as their 1969 debut album, Kick Out the Jams. The band released two more albums, Back in the USA and High Time, before disbanding in 1972.

Vocalist Rob Tyner died of a heart attack in 1991 at age 46, and Fred Smith also died of a heart attack in 1994 at age 46. The remaining three members reunited in 2003 with a new vocalist, Handsome Dick Manitoba from the band the Dictators. This group performed live for nine years until Michael Davis died of liver failure in 2012 at age 68.

In 2022, Wayne Kramer announced a tour called We Are All MC5 and a new studio album produced by Bob Ezrin, with original drummer Dennis Thompson playing on two tracks. In 2023, Kramer said the album would be released in 2024. Kramer passed away on February 2, 2024, leaving Dennis Thompson as the only surviving original member. In 2024, MC5 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for musical excellence. Dennis Thompson died on May 8, 2024, at age 75. Their final album, Heavy Lifting, was released on October 18, 2024.

History

The band MC5 began with the friendship between guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred Smith. They became close during their teenage years and shared a love for R&B music, blues, and artists like Chuck Berry, Dick Dale, The Ventures, and early garage rock. They admired music that was fast, energetic, and had a rebellious spirit. Each musician led a rock group (Smith's Vibratones and Kramer's Bounty Hunters). As members left for college or jobs, the most dedicated members came together under Kramer's leadership, using the name "Bounty Hunters." Billy Vargo played guitar, and Leo LeDuc played drums. At this time, Smith switched to bass. The group became popular in Detroit, allowing them to leave their day jobs and earn a living from music.

Kramer believed the band needed a manager and chose Rob Derminer, who was older and involved in Detroit's political scenes. Derminer first joined as a bassist in 1964 but soon became the lead singer. Though not traditionally attractive and with a heavier build, he had a strong stage presence and a deep voice influenced by American soul and gospel music. He changed his name to Rob Tyner, inspired by jazz musician McCoy Tyner. Ann Marston, a former archery champion and beauty pageant winner, became the band's manager.

Tyner also chose the band's name, MC5, which stood for "Motor City Five," reflecting their roots in Detroit. Like other garage bands of the time, they created songs such as "Black to Comm" in Kramer's mother's basement during their teenage years. When Tyner switched from bassist to vocalist, Patrick Burrows initially replaced him. By 1965, the lineup stabilized with the addition of Michael Davis and Dennis Thompson.

The band's music was influenced by free jazz, with Kramer and Smith inspired by artists like Albert Ayler, Archie Shepp, and John Coltrane. They tried to copy the intense sounds of jazz saxophonists. MC5 even opened shows for Sun Ra, whose influence can be heard in their song "Starship." They were also inspired by Sonny Sharrock, an electric guitarist in free jazz. Kramer and Smith developed a unique style: Kramer used a heavy, unusual vibrato in his solos, while Smith played with explosive energy, as heard in "Black to Comm."

Playing nearly every night in Detroit, MC5 became known for their high-energy performances and attracted large local crowds, often selling out venues with 1,000 or more people. Rock writer Robert Bixby described their sound as "a powerful natural force the band barely controlled." Another writer, Don McLeese, said fans compared the exhaustion after an MC5 show to the feeling after a street fight or a party.

Iggy Pop recalled seeing MC5 before they wrote their own songs or met John Sinclair. He described them as a skilled cover band that played music by The Stones, Hendrix, and The Who. As they grew, he noticed jazz influences in their music but noted their sound remained rooted in hard rock.

In 1967, MC5 released a cover of "I Can Only Give You Everything" by Them, paired with their own song "One of the Guys," on the AMG label. In early 1968, the band released a single on A-Square Records, featuring original songs "Borderline" and "Looking at You." The single sold out quickly and had multiple reprints. Another single, combining "I Can Only Give You Everything" with "I Just Don't Know," was also released on AMG.

That summer, MC5 toured the East Coast of the United States, drawing large crowds and overshadowing more famous acts they opened for. At one event, the band was so popular that audiences demanded multiple encores, and even the famous rock group Cream left the stage after a performance. This tour also connected MC5 with the radical group Up Against the Wall Motherfucker.

MC5 became a leader in the hard rock scene, mentoring other bands like The Stooges and The Up. Major record labels, including Elektra Records, showed interest in the group. Danny Fields of Elektra Records, recommended by Kramer, signed both MC5 and The Stooges in 1968, making them the first hard rock bands signed to Elektra.

During this time, MC5 was influenced by political ideas from the Black Panther Party, Marxist thinkers, and poets like Allen Ginsberg and Charles Olson. John Sinclair, a poet and activist, helped form the White Panthers, a group supporting the Black Panthers. Sinclair also managed MC5 through his organization, "Trans-Love Energies."

The band's early shows included political themes, such as carrying unloaded rifles onstage and staging a performance where an unseen "sniper" shot Rob Tyner. Members also used drugs like LSD and marijuana.

MC5 participated in protests against the Vietnam War at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. They performed for over eight hours straight, making them the only musical group at the event. Other musicians, like Neil Young and Phil Ochs, were present but did not perform.

Band members

• Wayne Kramer – main guitar, singing in the background and as the main singer (1963–1972, 1974–1975, 1992, 2003–2012, 2018–2020, 2022–2024; died 2024)
• Fred "Sonic" Smith – rhythm guitar, singing in the background and as the main singer (1964–1972, 1992; died 1994), bass guitar (1963–1964)
• Rob Tyner – main singer (1965–1972; died 1991), bass guitar (1964)
• Dennis Thompson – drums (1965–1972, 1992, 2003–2012, 2022–2024; died 2024)
• Michael Davis – bass guitar, singing in the background (1965–1972, 1992, 2003–2012; died 2012)

Discography

• Back in the USA (1970) Number 137 on the US charts
• High Time (1971) Number 191 on the US charts
• Heavy Lifting (2024)

• Kick Out the Jams (1969) Number 30 on the US charts; Number 37 on the Canadian charts
• Do It (recorded in 1971, released in 1987)
• Teen Age Lust (recorded in 1970, released in 1996)
• Phun City, UK (recorded in 1970, released in 1996)
• Live at the Sturgis Armoury (recorded in 1968, released in 1998)
• Are You Ready to Testify?: The Live Bootleg Anthology (2005)
• Live at the Grande Ballroom 68 (2006)
• 10 X MC5 LIVE (recorded in 2018, released in 2024) – includes the bonus disk "Heavy Lifting"
• 10 MORE (recorded in 2018, released in 2025)

• 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)
• Thunder Express (1999) (recorded in 1972)
• The Big Bang!: Best of the MC5 (2000)
• Part Of The Problem Or Part Of The Solution (2012)
• Kick Out the Jams Motherf*cker (2015)
• The Motor City Five (2017) (produced by Rhino Entertainment Company [Run Out Groove], catalog number ROGV-003)

• Live on Saturn (1972)

• Purity Accuracy (2004)
• Total Assault (2018)

• "I Can Only Give You Everything" (1967)
• "Looking at You" (1968)
• "Kick Out the Jams" (1969)
• "Ramblin' Rose" (1969)
• "Tonight" (1969)
• "I Can Only Give You Everything" (Re-issue) (1969)
• "Shakin' Street" (1970)
• "Back in the USA" (1970)
• "Over and Over"/"Sister Anne" (1971) (never officially released; only test pressings exist)
• "Boys Who Play with Matches" (2024)
• "Can't Be Found" (2024)
• "Heavy Lifting" (2024)

• Gold (film) (1972)
• Gold – Original Soundtrack (1972)
• Rubáiyát – Plunderphonics (1991)

Filmography

• MC5: Kick Out the Jams was published in 1999.
• MC5: A True Testimonial was published in 2002.
• Louder Than Love: The Grande Ballroom Story was published in 2012.
• Danny Says was published in 2016.