Wayne Kramer (April 30th 1948 - February 2nd 2024)

Wayne Kramer of the MC5, Gangwar (with Johnny Thunders), and Solo artist, songwriter, producer and film and television producer passed away yesterday at the age of 75.

Kramer came to prominence with Detroit rock band MC5 in the late 60s who he co-founded along with Rob Tyner, Fred "Sonic" Smith, Michael Davis and Dennis Thompson.  

The band recorded two studio albums and a live record as their debut. Click on the links below to listen to the music.

Kick Out The Jams (Elektra 1969)

The album debut album was recorded at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit (a place where the MC5 had been the house band) in October 1968 and was released in February 1969. It reached #30 on the album charts in the States.

Back In The USA (Atlantic 1970)

According to Wikipedia page on this album "The central focus of the album is the band's movement away from the raw, thrashy sound pioneered and captured on their debut release. This was due in part to producer Jon Landau's distaste for the rough psychedelic rock movement, and his adoration for the straightforward rock and roll of the 1950s". In doing so Landau sucked the energy of the band's live performance out of them (something he would also do five years later when he was involved on the production of Springsteen's 'Born To Run' album). In saying that it's worth mentioning "The American Ruse" (an attack on the US Government's concept of "freedom") and "The Human Being Lawnmower" (which exposes the band's opposition to the US involment in the Vietnam War) showed that the old dogs wouldn't be silenced, even if their sound in the studio was not so good.

High Time (Atlantic 1971)

Lenny Kaye, writing for Rolling Stone in 1971, called the album "the first record that comes close to telling the tale of their legendary reputation and attendant charisma". The album though was an even worse commercial disaster than 'Back In The USA'. Dave Marsh wrote in the liner notes for the 1992 reissue, "Sadly, High Time's 1971 release represented the end of the line for MC5. Hard drugs had entered the band members' lives, and within a year they'd split up, drifting off into various other configurations. At least two members wound up in federal prison on drug charges, and they never did reunite before the untimely death of Rob Tyner in mid-summer 1992.

One of the members who ended up in jail was Wayne Kramer.

In 1975 he was convicted of selling drugs to undercover federal agents and was sentenced to four years. After his release he moved to New York City where he teamed up with Johnny Thunders (probably not the best move as Johnny was still having "drug issues" in his life) and they formed Gangwar. It was a rather short-lived project and although there were some studio recordings done they didn't see the light of day until a French release in 1996 called 'Crime of the Century'. There's also few live recordings that are around, not great by any means, but they give a wee flavour of the chaos!

A totally different change of pace in 1981 saw him as studio and touring guitarist for the Self-titled Was (Not Was) debut album.

He moved around the country a bit in the 80s and early 90s working as a Carpenter but always managed to connect with the local music scene in New York, Florida and Nashville, producing and doing session work and by 1994 he was back in Los Angeles kicking off his Solo career with the self-produced album 'The Hard Stuff'. 'Dangerous Madness' followed in 1996, 'Citizen Wayne' in 1997, 'Cocaine Blues 1974-78' in 2000 as Wayne Kramer & The Pink Faries. In 2004 there was even a Free Jazz album with the Lexington Arts Ensemble called 'Lexington'. That's just a snippet of some of the music he was doing in these years.

On May 1, 2009 Kramer attended a sold-out benefit where he was honored for his work with the nonprofit Road Recovery at New York City's Nokia Theater. The following day, on May 2, 2009 he along with fellow musicians Tom Morello, Jerry Cantrell, Billy Bragg, Perry Farrell, Gilby Clarke and Don Was among others, played for inmates at Sing Sing prison.

Following the Sing Sing concert, Kramer continued the work of Jail Guitar Doors in the United States. Kramer, Billy Bragg and Margaret Saadi Kramer founded Jail Guitar Doors, USA in 2009. Thereafter Kramer provided instruments, workshops, and prison concerts across America. More than 50 penal institutions throughout the United States have benefitted from the organisation.

 "Let me tell you 'bout Wayne and his deals of cocaine
A little more every day
Holding for a friend till the band do well
Then the DEA locked him away" - (Strummer/Jones)

 Jail Guitar Doors - The Clash

Jail Guitar Doors (Acoutic) - Wayne Kramer

Last year, Kramer announced the upcoming release of  'Heavy Lifting', the first MC5 album since 1971’s 'High Time' and featuring original drummer Dennis “Machine Gun” Thompson alongside Tom Morello, Don Was, Vernon Reid and Slash. "At the risk of sounding grandiose, fate has cast me as the curator of the MC5 legacy," Kramer told Uncut last year. "And to be true to the legacy, I have to stay connected to the basic founding principles the MC5 represents: that we have a working-class approach to the art, and that we continue to try to push the music forward to reflect the world that we live in." The album was scheduled for a Spring release, no word if that is still happening.

Kramer died of pancreatic cancer on February 2nd, 2024

 
 

Rewind: High Time - MC5 (1971)

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High Time - MC5

Atlantic

Produced by Geoffrey Haslam and MC5

Released 6th July 1971

 Did Not Chart

Personnel
MC5
    Michael Davis – bass, vocals, ka

    Wayne Kramer – guitar, vocals, piano     

Fred "Sonic" Smith – guitar, vocals, harmonica, organ, sandpaper   

 Dennis Thompson – drums, vocals, tambourine, reen, tamboes, acme scraper, percussion

    Rob Tyner – vocals, harmonica, maracas, rockas, castanets, conga

Additional personnel
    Pete Kelly – piano on "Sister Anne"
    Dan Bullock – trombone on "Skunk"
    Ellis Dee – percussion on "Skunk"
    Lil' Bobby Wayne Derminer – wizzer on "Future/Now"
    Merlene Driscoll – vocals on "Sister Anne"
    Rick Ferretti – trumpet on "Skunk"
    Dave Heller – percussion on "Skunk"
    Leon Henderson – tenor saxophone on "Skunk"
    Joanne Hill – vocals on "Sister Anne"
    Larry Horton – trombone on "Sister Anne"
    Skip "Van Winkle" Knapé – organ on "Miss X"
    Brenda Knight – vocals on "Sister Anne"
    Kinki Le Pew – percussion on "Gotta Keep Movin"
    Charles Moore – flugelhorn, vocals on "Sister Anne", trumpet, horn arrangement on "Skunk"
    Dr. Dave Morgan – percussion on "Skunk"
    Scott Morgan – percussion on "Skunk"
    Butch O'Brien – bass drum on "Sister Anne"
    David Oversteak – tuba on "Sister Anne"
    Bob Seger – percussion on "Skunk"

Side 1
A1 Sister Anne (Fred "Sonic" Smith) 7:25
A2 Baby Won't Ya (Fred "Sonic" Smith) 5:33
A3 Miss X (Wayne Kramer) 5:11
A4 Gotta Keep Movin' (Dennis Thompson) 3:26

Side 2
B1 Future/Now (Rob Tyner) 6:23
B2 Poison (Wayne Kramer) 3:25
B3 Over And Over (Fred "Sonic" Smith) 5:15
B4 Skunk (Sonicly Speaking) (Fred "Sonic" Smith) 5:31

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High Time was the second Studio Album from Detroit's MC5 and their third overall. It was actually their final album.

Dave Marsh wrote in the liner notes to the 1992 Remastered Reissue CD on Rhino Records:

    "Sadly, High Time's 1971 release represented the end of the line for MC5. Hard drugs had entered the band members' lives, and within a year they'd split up, drifting off into various other configurations. At least two members wound up in federal prison on drug charges, and they never did reunite before the untimely death of Rob Tyner in mid-summer 1992".

Whilst not as successful as their Live Debut Album Kick Out The Jams (#30 Billboard 200 Chart) or as influential as the 1970 release Back In The U.S.A. (it only squeaked into the charts at #137), which was virtually a template for the future musical styling called Punk Rock, High Time seems like the forgotten child sitting in the corner screaming for attention but no one is listening!

The album suffered with poor promotion with the sales so bad it never even got within a sniff of the charts! A plus for the album though was that it had great reviews (and I always say people should never take any notice of reviewers...not that I always follow my own advice! 😉).

On Back In The U.S.A. the band had actually sounded quite tame in comparison to Kick Out The Jams. Producer Jon Landau had little affection for Psychedelic Rock (I wonder if he ever saw Springsteen's Steel Mill who themselves were quite heavy with a bit of Psychedelic nuance) and favoured a more Rock and Roll vibe (hence the inclusion of Tutti Frutti and Back In The U.S.A.). With their Second Studio outing they had far more creative control and that heavy sound that was characteristic of the live debut album was back again as the band stretched themselves on a number of songs. They had of course not retained the services of Landau, choosing to produce the album themselves alongside Atlantic Staff Engineer Geoffrey Haslam.

The band did not survive too much longer after the album was released and by the end of 1972 they were no more. Drugs had come into the band in a big way and first out the door was bassist Michael Davis. Atlantic Records dropped them after the poor sales of the studio albums and even a scheduled single from the album Over and Over / Sister Anne never got the go ahead (I read that some Test Pressings of it exist and are no doubt worth a few pounds).

There are only two remaining members of MC5 - Wayne Kramer and drummer Dennis Thompson. Rob Tyner died of a heart attack in 1991 aged 46; Fred "Sonic" Smith died in 1994 aged 45 as a result of heart failure and Michael Davis died of liver failure aged 68 in 2012. I have no idea what Dennis Thompson is doing these days, happily retired maybe as his 69th birthday comes up in September. Wayne Kramer is still active musically (see him here playing Kick Out The Jams in London 2 years ago) which is pretty good for a 69 year old! He's also involved in Jail Guitar Doors USA that provides guitars and music lessons for inmates in at least 50 penal institutions.

Take a moment to have a listen if you like stuff like MC5, I enjoyed listening to it twice through as I prepared this piece last night for publication today.

Rewind: Back In The USA - MC5 (1970)

Back In The USA - MC5

Atlantic 

Produced by Jon Landau

Released 15th January 1970

US Chart #137

Personnel
    Rob Tyner – vocals
    Wayne Kramer – guitar, backing vocals, vocals on first and third chorus of "Back in the USA", guitar solos on "Tutti Frutti", "Teenage Lust" and "Looking at You"
    Fred "Sonic" Smith – guitar, backing vocals, guitar solo on "The American Ruse", lead vocals on "Shakin' Street" and second chorus of "Back in the USA"
    Michael Davis – bass
    Dennis Thompson – drums

Additional personnel
    Danny Jordan – keyboards
    Pete Kelly – keyboards

Side One

Side Two

Singles featured on Back In The USA

Looking At You / Borderline

A-Side 

B-Side

A-Square Records

Released March 1968

Did Not Chart

The version that appears on the album is different to the original 1968 version.

Was reissued in 1977 in France on the Skydog label as a Double A-Side

(French Picture Sleeve)

Tonight / Looking At You

Released 15th October 1969

Atlantic

(German Picture Sleeve)

Looking At You / Tonight

Released December 1969

 Shakin' Street / The American Ruse
13th March 1970

Back In The USA /Tutti Fruitti

Released April 1970 Germany Only

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I was a mere six years old when this was released and so it's fairly safe to say that I knew nothing of the MC5 back then.

Since its release in 1970 it has undergone a number of Reissues on different labels: 1977 (Reissued on Vinyl - Atlantic - UK, France and Australia), 1992 (Remastered and Resissued on CD - Rhino/Atlantic), 2002 (Reissued on Vinyl - Sundazed Music - USA), 2003 (Picture Disc - Atlantic/Warner Strategic Marketing - UK), and 2014 (180gram Vinyl - 4 Men With Beards  -USA).

I think the very first time I heard them would have been the 1977 Reissue and that was maybe because I'd read an interview with some punk band (whom I have forgotten at this particular moment in time) who were talking about their love for the band. These days when such information falls into your lap you just go online, punch the name of the group into You Tube and hey presto there are loads of videos featuring the music of the band. But back then such a thought was a sheer impossibility and it meant that the most important source would probably be the older hippy dude who worked at the local record shop who could probably tell you the inside leg measurements for Syd Barrett and the catalogue numbers for all three 1967 singles by The Chocolate Watchband (by the way incase you were wondering it's (Uptown 740, Uptown 749 and Tower 373! - Yep, I've become that old hippy dude! 😏 )!

The only other thing that I knew about MC5 was that lead vocalist Rob Tyner had released a single backed by Eddie and the Hot Rods in 1977 called Till The Night is Gone backed with Flipside Rock. Both songs were written by Tyner and were recorded over the course of two days in September 1977.

So listening to Back In The USA for the first time in 1977, totally unaware of the the history or the politics of the band (this would all be discovered much later) was quite an interesting experience because it's very different to their live Debut Album Kick Out The Jams (which I don't think I heard until maybe 1978) in that it sounds a lot tamer in places and at first nothing out of the ordinary. 

With a couple of old Rock 'n' Roll classics bookending the album (Tutti Frutti made famous by Little Richard and Chuck Berry's Back In The USA) and nine tracks written by the band themselves it's an interesting mix of sound with almost a ballad with Let Me Try to political songs like The American Ruse and The Human Being Lawnmower which were attacks upon the US Government regarding Freedom and also their involvment in Vietnam.

Inbetween there were songs like Looking At You, which I thought at the time was a cracking song and was so pleased that The Damned took a shot at it on their Machine Gun Etiquette album in 1979. The White Stripes did a version for a Peel Session. The Back In The USA  version maybe doesn't have the intensity of the original 1968 single but it is still one of the standout tracks on the album in my book.


Shakin' Street was another one that I have heard a few cover versions of down through the years. Atlanta band The Weasels used to play it as part of their set.

The discovery in 1977 for me of this album alongside Raw Power by Iggy and the Stooges (1975) was a good thing and gave me some interesting insight into the foundations of the American Punk/New Wave scene.

Some people might be put off by the politics of the band and their early associations with the Black/White Panthers but I think there's still a possibility to enjoy what is clearly one of The Classic Albums ever recorded in American music history without going into the pros and cons of left wing politics.