Wayne Kramer (1948-2024) - The Vinyl Guide Interview

The Vinyl Guide - Artist Interviews for Record Collectors and Music Nerds

A replay of our interview with Wayne Kramer (1948-2024) discussing the MC5, the recording, censorship and legacy of “Kick Out The Jams”, making “Back In The USA” and “High Time”, various controversies, “Jail Guitar Doors” and more.

• Which came first – the guitar or politics?
• Starting to play in local bands
• His mother’s warning for going into music
• Forming the MC5
• Original lineup of MC5
• The ethos and radicalization of MC5
• The music and message of MC5
• The story of AMG records and early records of MC5
• Reissue of music on AMG
• A-Square records “Borderline / Looking At You”
• Memories of the Chicago Democratic National Convention – 1968
• Getting signed to Elektra records by Danny Fields
• The Stooges got signed as their “Little Brother Band”
• Recording “Kick Out The Jams”
• Recollections of the live sets for “Kick Out The Jams”
• The guitar went immediately out of tune
• Wayne singing “Ramblin’ Rose”
• Rob Tyner and being censored for “Kick Out The Jams”
• The MC5 strategy for changing “brothers and sisters” to “Mother f*ckers”
• Reaction to being censored by their record label
• Calling out the “Hudson’s Record Store”
• Getting dropped from Elektra while record is still in the charts
• Danny Fields got slapped and fired
• Wayne’s reaction to the album “Kick Out The Jams”
• Album cover of “Kick Out The Jams” – art director put himself on cover
• Transitioning to Atlantic Records was painful
• Hard to record “Back In The USA”
• Jon Landau’s wisdom and Wayne playing bass himself
• Critics disliked the spontaneity of MC5
• Highlights of “Back in the USA”
• How did hard bop influence the MC5?
• Memories of “High Time”
• The fight with Bill Graham
• The end of the MC5
• Last gasp of the MC5 in Europe
• The longevity and influence of MC5
• The genesis of “Jail Guitar Doors”
• Playing for inmates with Chuck D
• The rehabilitation and other musicians
• Voyage Air Guitars donating to “Jail Guitar Doors”
• End of interview

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