Navigate / search

Brother Wayne Kramer & The MC5

Watch how fast everyone gets to their feet when the Jam starts kickin’ out…

When Hudson’s, a Detroit-based department store chain, refused to stock Kick Out The Jams due to the obscenity, the MC5 responded with a full page advertisement in the Fifth Estate saying “Fuck Hudson’s!” and 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, though there were later allegations of strong company support of the controversial content of the LP. Uncommonly, Elektra’s classical division (Nonesuch) was operated on a nearly pro bono basis due to profits generated by popular music releases, and the removal of Nonesuch records from Hudson’s represented a significant loss for the corporation.
The MC5 then signed with Atlantic Records, ironically now part of the same company as Elektra.