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At the #1 position on the "Billboard Hot 100" 52 years ago today: "96 Tears."
Last edited Sat May 9, 2020, 06:06 AM - Edit history (1)
I was trying to look up Rudy Martinez's birthday, but he's a real question mark.
? and the Mysterians
Origin Bay City, Michigan, Saginaw, Michigan U.S.
? and the Mysterians (also rendered Question Mark and the Mysterians) are an American garage rock band of Mexican origins from Bay City and Saginaw in Michigan who were initially active between 1962 and 1969. Much of the band's music consisted of electric organ-driven garage rock and an enigmatic image inspired by the science fiction film The Mysterians. In addition, the band's sound was also marked by raw-resonating lead vocals of "?" (Question Mark, the stage name of Rudy Martínez), making Question Mark and the Mysterians one of the earliest groups whose musical style is described as punk rock. Through their music, the group was recognized as a template for similar musical acts to follow.
The band was signed to Pa-Go-Go Records in 1966 and released its first and most acclaimed single, "96 Tears", in the early part of the year. "96 Tears" became a number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and propelled the group to a 15-month period of national prominence. Their debut album, 96 Tears, followed. Though Question Mark and the Mysterians were unable to replicate their success with their later recordings, and are mistakenly deemed a "one-hit wonder", they did manage to reach the singles charts on five different occasions. In 1968, their label, Cameo-Parkway, was shut down for stock manipulation by the Securities and Exchange Commission, taking the band's money and contract with them. Though they disbanded in 1969, the band has regrouped and released additional material over the years.
....
On October 29, 1966, after a steady climb up the charts, the single peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for a week before being overtaken by The Monkees' "Last Train to Clarksville". It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA.
Origin Bay City, Michigan, Saginaw, Michigan U.S.
? and the Mysterians (also rendered Question Mark and the Mysterians) are an American garage rock band of Mexican origins from Bay City and Saginaw in Michigan who were initially active between 1962 and 1969. Much of the band's music consisted of electric organ-driven garage rock and an enigmatic image inspired by the science fiction film The Mysterians. In addition, the band's sound was also marked by raw-resonating lead vocals of "?" (Question Mark, the stage name of Rudy Martínez), making Question Mark and the Mysterians one of the earliest groups whose musical style is described as punk rock. Through their music, the group was recognized as a template for similar musical acts to follow.
The band was signed to Pa-Go-Go Records in 1966 and released its first and most acclaimed single, "96 Tears", in the early part of the year. "96 Tears" became a number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and propelled the group to a 15-month period of national prominence. Their debut album, 96 Tears, followed. Though Question Mark and the Mysterians were unable to replicate their success with their later recordings, and are mistakenly deemed a "one-hit wonder", they did manage to reach the singles charts on five different occasions. In 1968, their label, Cameo-Parkway, was shut down for stock manipulation by the Securities and Exchange Commission, taking the band's money and contract with them. Though they disbanded in 1969, the band has regrouped and released additional material over the years.
....
On October 29, 1966, after a steady climb up the charts, the single peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for a week before being overtaken by The Monkees' "Last Train to Clarksville". It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA.
? & the Mysterians at All Music
Artist Biography by Steve Huey
It only took one song, the organ-driven number one smash "96 Tears," to make ? & the Mysterians into garage rock legends. Eccentric frontman Question Mark (actually spelled "?," once he had his name legally changed) cultivated an aura of mystery by never appearing in public without a pair of wraparound sunglasses; he frequently claimed he had been born on Mars and lived among the dinosaurs in a past life, and that voices from the future had revealed he would be performing "96 Tears" in the year 10,000. On a more earthly level, the Mysterians' sound helped lay down an important part of the garage rock blueprint, namely the low-budget sci-fi feel of the Farfisa and Vox organs (most assumed that "96 Tears" had featured the former, but ? later remembered using the latter). What was more, they were one of the first Latino rock groups to have a major hit, and ?'s sneering attitude made him one of the prime suspects in the evolution of garage rock into early punk.
The Mysterians were formed in 1962 by bassist Larry Borjas, his cousin, guitarist Bobby Balderrama, and drummer Robert Martinez; they soon added vocalist ? (the general consensus is that he was actually Rudy Martinez, Robert's brother, though a few sources identified him as Reeto Rodriguez) and organist Frank Rodriguez. By most accounts, all the musicians were born in Texas, of Mexican descent, and grew up in Michigan in the Saginaw/Bay City area. Taking their name from a Japanese science fiction film, the band played its first gigs in the small Michigan town of Adrian in 1964, and soon moved its home base from Saginaw to Flint. Larry Borjas and Robert Martinez were both forced to leave the band for military duty, and were replaced by bassist Frank Lugo and the Martinez brothers' brother-in-law, drummer Eddie Serrato. Shortly afterward, ? wrote the lyrics a song he called "Too Many Teardrops" and showed them to the rest of the band; the title was changed first to "69 Tears," and then the less suggestive "96 Tears." The song became a hit at the Mt. Holly ski lodge/dancehall, where the band played regularly, and in early 1966 they recorded it for the small local label Pa-Go-Go, owned by the band's manager. It became a regional hit in Flint and Detroit, attracting interest from several major record companies; ? decided to sign with the Philadelphia-based Cameo-Parkway, chiefly because their label was his favorite color, orange.
....
Artist Biography by Steve Huey
It only took one song, the organ-driven number one smash "96 Tears," to make ? & the Mysterians into garage rock legends. Eccentric frontman Question Mark (actually spelled "?," once he had his name legally changed) cultivated an aura of mystery by never appearing in public without a pair of wraparound sunglasses; he frequently claimed he had been born on Mars and lived among the dinosaurs in a past life, and that voices from the future had revealed he would be performing "96 Tears" in the year 10,000. On a more earthly level, the Mysterians' sound helped lay down an important part of the garage rock blueprint, namely the low-budget sci-fi feel of the Farfisa and Vox organs (most assumed that "96 Tears" had featured the former, but ? later remembered using the latter). What was more, they were one of the first Latino rock groups to have a major hit, and ?'s sneering attitude made him one of the prime suspects in the evolution of garage rock into early punk.
The Mysterians were formed in 1962 by bassist Larry Borjas, his cousin, guitarist Bobby Balderrama, and drummer Robert Martinez; they soon added vocalist ? (the general consensus is that he was actually Rudy Martinez, Robert's brother, though a few sources identified him as Reeto Rodriguez) and organist Frank Rodriguez. By most accounts, all the musicians were born in Texas, of Mexican descent, and grew up in Michigan in the Saginaw/Bay City area. Taking their name from a Japanese science fiction film, the band played its first gigs in the small Michigan town of Adrian in 1964, and soon moved its home base from Saginaw to Flint. Larry Borjas and Robert Martinez were both forced to leave the band for military duty, and were replaced by bassist Frank Lugo and the Martinez brothers' brother-in-law, drummer Eddie Serrato. Shortly afterward, ? wrote the lyrics a song he called "Too Many Teardrops" and showed them to the rest of the band; the title was changed first to "69 Tears," and then the less suggestive "96 Tears." The song became a hit at the Mt. Holly ski lodge/dancehall, where the band played regularly, and in early 1966 they recorded it for the small local label Pa-Go-Go, owned by the band's manager. It became a regional hit in Flint and Detroit, attracting interest from several major record companies; ? decided to sign with the Philadelphia-based Cameo-Parkway, chiefly because their label was his favorite color, orange.
....
Fifty years later, Question Mark and the Mysterians as mysterious as ever
Updated Oct 14, 2012; Posted Oct 13, 2012
Updated Oct 14, 2012; Posted Oct 13, 2012
There's not a whole lot of competition in the category of Latino-Mexican garage bands. There were a few groups, though:
Music
A Look Back at the Unsung Latino Forefathers of Rock ‘n’ Roll
Written by Marcos Hassan | 3 years ago
The upcoming HBO documentary The Latin Explosion: A New America explores Latinos’ influence in mainstream U.S. culture and offers a glimpse at the rock canon’s most familiar songs. Cornerstones of rock ‘n’ roll and popular music the world over, like “96 Tears,” “Wooly Bully,” and “Land Of A Thousand Dances,” play in succession throughout the film. Although the groups responsible for these songs bear English names, they reveal what some have known, but few have addressed: Latinos have a long-standing influence in the history of rock music.
The initial wave of rock ‘n’ roll pioneers took African-American genres like blues, swing, and country music from the South and merged them into a groundbreaking – though appropriative – phenomenon. After that, many groups in search of Elvis, Chuck Berry, and Jerry Lee Lewis’ success picked up the baton. Most didn’t become icons like Elvis did, but they crafted some of the most inspired and influential music of the decade. Spawned before the Beatles and the British Invasion took over (and even overlapping for most of it; some of these bands even incorporated that influence and those gimmicks into their stuff, like with Texas’ Sir Douglas Quintet), these groups provided some of rock’s most enduring songs. Latino music even influenced perhaps the most famous of these recordings: “Louie Louie.” The classic song was initially written by Richard Berry in 1955 when he tried to rip off “Amarren Al Loco” aka “El Loco Cha Cha,” originally by Cuban musician Rosendo Ruíz, Jr. The song was taken over by The Kingsmen in 1963, and the rest is history.
{snip}
A Look Back at the Unsung Latino Forefathers of Rock ‘n’ Roll
Written by Marcos Hassan | 3 years ago
The upcoming HBO documentary The Latin Explosion: A New America explores Latinos’ influence in mainstream U.S. culture and offers a glimpse at the rock canon’s most familiar songs. Cornerstones of rock ‘n’ roll and popular music the world over, like “96 Tears,” “Wooly Bully,” and “Land Of A Thousand Dances,” play in succession throughout the film. Although the groups responsible for these songs bear English names, they reveal what some have known, but few have addressed: Latinos have a long-standing influence in the history of rock music.
The initial wave of rock ‘n’ roll pioneers took African-American genres like blues, swing, and country music from the South and merged them into a groundbreaking – though appropriative – phenomenon. After that, many groups in search of Elvis, Chuck Berry, and Jerry Lee Lewis’ success picked up the baton. Most didn’t become icons like Elvis did, but they crafted some of the most inspired and influential music of the decade. Spawned before the Beatles and the British Invasion took over (and even overlapping for most of it; some of these bands even incorporated that influence and those gimmicks into their stuff, like with Texas’ Sir Douglas Quintet), these groups provided some of rock’s most enduring songs. Latino music even influenced perhaps the most famous of these recordings: “Louie Louie.” The classic song was initially written by Richard Berry in 1955 when he tried to rip off “Amarren Al Loco” aka “El Loco Cha Cha,” originally by Cuban musician Rosendo Ruíz, Jr. The song was taken over by The Kingsmen in 1963, and the rest is history.
Richard BERRY "Louie Louie" (1957)
1,057,888 views•Apr 29, 2010
Villetorte David
564 subscribers
Cha Cha Cha Loco - Rosendo Ruiz Jr.
4,243 views•May 23, 2012
Cesar Bernal
FANÁTICOS DE LA CHARANGA
{snip}
Let's get to it. I couldn't get enough of this song back then. Or now.
Live Broadcast: 96 Tears - ? (Question Mark) & The Mysterians, 1966 - "Swingin' Time", Detroit
117,880 views•Jun 24, 2016
SwingMan1938
1.64K subscribers
Karma right out of the garage - simple pleasure, massive groove.
And the sound is engineered, synced, and pumped by yours truly.
2 replies
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= new reply since forum marked as read
