Kick Out the Jams (song) explained

Kick Out the Jams
Cover:MC5 - Kick Out the Jams (song).jpg
Caption:Side A of the original single
Type:single
Artist:MC5
Album:Kick Out the Jams
B-Side:Motor City Is Burning
Label:Elektra
Prev Title:Tonight
Prev Year:1969
Next Title:Shakin' Street
Next Year:1970

"Kick Out the Jams" is a song by MC5, released as a single in March 1969 by Elektra Records. The album of the same name caused some controversy due to inflammatory liner notes by the band's manager, John Sinclair, and the track's rallying cry of "Kick out the jams, motherfuckers!". According to guitarist Wayne Kramer, the band recorded this as "Kick out the jams, brothers and sisters!" for the single released for radio play; lead vocalist Rob Tyner claimed this was done without group consensus.[1] 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 relatively successful, quickly selling over 100,000 copies and peaking at #30 on the Billboard album chart in May 1969 during a 23-week stay.

When Hudson's, a Detroit-based department store chain, refused to stock the Kick Out the Jams album due to the obscenity, MC5 responded with a full-page advertisement in the local underground magazine Fifth Estate saying "Stick Alive with the MC5, and Fuck Hudson's!", 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. MC5 then signed with Atlantic Records.[2]

Formats and track listing

US 7" single (EK-45648)
  1. "Kick Out the Jams" (Michael Davis, Wayne Kramer, Fred "Sonic" Smith, Dennis Thompson, Rob Tyner) – 2:37
  2. "Motor City Is Burning" – 4:30

Personnel

Adapted from the Kick Out the Jams liner notes.[3]

Musicians
Production and additional personnel

Charts

Chart (1969)Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[4] 82
Canada RPM (magazine)[5] 51

Cover versions

!Band!Year!Release
Blue Öyster Cult1978Some Enchanted Evening
Afrika Bambaataa and Family1986Beware (The Funk Is Everywhere)
Volcano Suns1989Thing of Beauty
The Big F1990
Bad Brains with Henry Rollins1990Pump Up the Volume (Music From the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Poison Idea1992Pajama Party[6]
The Fluid1992Spot the Loon[7]
Guitar Wolf1994Kung Fu Ramone
The Presidents of the United States of America1995The Presidents of the United States of America
The Mono Men1995"Kick out the Jams!"/"We Got What It Takes"
Michael Monroe1996Peace of Mind
Entombed1997
Rich Hopkins & Luminarios1997The Glorious Sounds of Rich Hopkins & Luminarios
Monster Magnet1998Powertrip
Wayne Kramer1998LLMF (Live Like a Mutherfucker)[8]
Rob Tyner Band1999Rock and Roll People[9]
Rage Against the Machine2000Renegades
Joseph LoDuca2000Xena: Warrior Princess episode "Lyre, Lyre, Hearts on Fire"
Jeff Buckley2001Jeff Buckley Live À L'Olympia
Agitated2002Go Blue, Go Die
The Nomads2002Showdown 2-The 90's[10]
Give Up the Ghost2003Year One[11]
Europa2003Wake Up - A Tribute to Rage Against the Machine[12]
Pearl Jam200512/9/05, Palacio de los Deportes, Mexico City, Mexico[13]
Disoscillators featuring You the Rock2009Last Rockers
Frankenstein 30002010They'll Be Waking Up Soon[14]
The Strypes2014Flat Out[15]
Black Hay2015Imitating the Jams
U.K. Subs2018Subversions[16]

Notes and References

  1. Thompson . James H. . MC5: Kickin' Out The Jams . Goldmine . 512 . March 10, 2000 . Krause Publications .
  2. Book: 101 Albums that Changed Popular Music. 67. Chris Smith. Oxford University Press. 2009. 9780195373714.
  3. Kick Out the Jams . . 1969 . sleeve . . New York, New York.
  4. [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=mc5|chart=all}} MC5 - Chart History ]. Billboard. November 29, 2015.
  5. Web site: RPM Top 100 Singles - April 7, 1969.
  6. Web site: Pajama Party - Poison Idea . AllMusic.com . . July 9, 2021.
  7. Web site: Spot the Loon - The Fluid . AllMusic.com . . July 9, 2021.
  8. Web site: LLMF (Live Like a Motherfucker - Wayne Kramer . AllMusic.com . . July 9, 2021.
  9. Web site: Rock and Roll People - Rob Tyner . AllMusic.com . . July 9, 2021.
  10. Web site: Showdown 2: The 90's - The Nomads . AllMusic.com . . July 9, 2021.
  11. Web site: Year One - Give Up the Ghost . AllMusic.com . . July 9, 2021.
  12. Web site: Wake Up: A Tribute to Rage Against the Machine - Various Artists . AllMusic.com . . July 9, 2021.
  13. Web site: Pearl Jam: 12/9/05. nugs.net. July 9, 2021.
  14. Web site: They'll Be Waking Up Soon - Frankenstein 3000 . AllMusic.com . . July 9, 2021.
  15. Web site: Flat Out - The Strypes . AllMusic.com . . July 9, 2021.
  16. Web site: Subversions - U.K. Subs . AllMusic.com . . July 9, 2021.