As I’ve mentioned, I’m reading John Sinclair’s book, Guitar Army, about the revolutionary White Panther party and the band that he managed that helped start the revolution, Ann Arbor’s the MC5.

Sinclair formed the White Panther party as a response to the involvement of cops, politicians, teachers, parents, and the rules of society; to promote a healthy involvement in an equal proportion of rock and roll, dope, and fucking in the streets.  He describes near riots happening at places like the Hideout and Grande Ballroom in Detroit when young rock and roll fans would be arrested for smoking joints outside the venues.  The MC5 responded one night by beginning the show with the now legendary, “KICK OUT THE JAMS MOTHERFUCKER!”, to hysterical response.

It was the censorship of rock and roll youth’s consciousness that infuriated Sinclair and thousands of other “long hairs”, “hippies” or “freeks”.  Thanks to the help of a steady dose of pot and LSD, they demanded that they be left alone to form a collective utopian community of music, drugs, and free sex.  Not suprisingly, the cops, politicians, teachers and parents who they rebelled against considered Sinclair’s followers to be major threats to society.  They weren’t contributing much of anything except loud music, promiscious sex, and plently of drug use.  But underlying it all was the cry of love, that this movement’s purpous was to, as the song goes, c’mon people now, smile on your brother (or sister), everybody get together and love one another right now.  Keep in mind, John Sinclair and the revolution promoted this in the 60s in the midst of heavy racial tension (the song Motor City is Burning is about the Detroit riot of ‘68), and certainly did not exclude race in any way, equally encouraging people to enjoy the music of the MC5 , Rationals, SRC, the Up, the Third Power, ect, along with John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shep, Mile Davis, and of course, the blues.

It’s ironic then, despite this rebellion against cencorship, that The MC5’s first album, titled Kick Out The Jams on Elektra, would first have the liner notes written by Sinclair taken out, and then later the lyrics changed from “kick out the jams motherfucker”, to “kick out the jams brothers and sisters.”  I own the original completely uncensored album - which is actually quite rare as Elektra must have pulled them fairly early on.

I’d have to research more as to how this came about, and what Sinclair’s reaction was, but I’d be interested to find out.  Maybe if I keep reading Guitar Army I’ll find out.

A part of what made the MC5 were those lyrics.  Censorship had to be destroyed, freedom had to be obtained.  To have both the notes (which Sinclair talks about the revolution and movement), and the word “motherfucker” removed seems like it would have been a complete slap in the face to the MC5, the power of the people, and the power of the people’s music.  It does, however, show you how influencial bands like the MC5 were towards the progress of freedom of expression - to have those liner notes and lyrics removed in today’s time would be unheard of (unless two versions were released for sales at a major superstore like Target or Meijers).

to part of the original unsensored version of Kick Out The Jams.