96 Tears
Encyclopedia
"96 Tears" is a popular song recorded by ? in 1966. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100
in the U.S. and on the RPM 100
in Canada and is ranked #210 on the Rolling Stone
list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
The recording was done in Bay City, Michigan
.
It was first released on the small Pa-Go-Go label and then picked up by Cameo Records
for national distribution. The original issue is quite rare and sought after by record collectors.
Known for its signature organ licks and bare-bones lyrics, "96 Tears" has been widely-recognized as one of the first garage band
hits and has even been given credit for starting the punk rock movement.
It is generally accepted that writer Dave Marsh
used the term "Punk rock
" for the first time in a critical setting when referring to this song.
The song hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100
in the U.S. in 1966 and almost simultaneously topped the RPM 100
in Canada. Follow-up song "I Need Somebody" peaked at number 22 later that year and no other U.S. top-40 singles followed. It appears on the band's album 96 Tears.
in 1963, Andy Ortiz, Keyboards, "Sunny and the Sunglows" of San Antonio, Texas had met with Rudy Martinez and the tape Rudy Martinez had of this song was incomplete. The Tex-Mex Keyboards Master, Andy Ortiz gave Rudy Martinez the sound he was looking for and the Keyboard sound became the hallmark of this recording in later years. Andy Ortiz, died in 2006 and was never officially credited with this song.
It is alluded to in the song "Plus Ones" by folk band Okkervil River and also by the B-52's
in "Deadbeat Club
".
Other allusions to "96 Tears" occur in the songs "Johnny Hit and Run Pauline" by X, "Human Fly
" by the Cramps
and "My Arrow's Aim" by Rocket from the Crypt
. One possible homage is heard in a later section of "Lovin' Machine" by the Easybeats.
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in the U.S. and on the RPM 100
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
in Canada and is ranked #210 on the Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
History
The song was originally written by likely Question Mark, Rudy Martinez, around 1962.The recording was done in Bay City, Michigan
Bay City, Michigan
Bay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North...
.
It was first released on the small Pa-Go-Go label and then picked up by Cameo Records
Cameo Records
Cameo was a USA based budget record label, first flourishing in the 1920s, not connected with a later record label of the same name which was active in the 1950s and 1960s.The Cameo Record Company was based in Manhattan, New York...
for national distribution. The original issue is quite rare and sought after by record collectors.
Known for its signature organ licks and bare-bones lyrics, "96 Tears" has been widely-recognized as one of the first garage band
Garage band
The term garage band can refer to:* A band that performs garage rock* GarageBand, audio production software published by Apple Inc.* GarageBand.com, a website that helps publicize emerging bands...
hits and has even been given credit for starting the punk rock movement.
It is generally accepted that writer Dave Marsh
Dave Marsh
Dave Marsh is an American music critic, author, editor and radio talk show host. He was a formative editor of Creem magazine, has written for various publications such as Newsday, The Village Voice, and Rolling Stone, and has published numerous books about music and musicians, mostly focused on...
used the term "Punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
" for the first time in a critical setting when referring to this song.
The song hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in the U.S. in 1966 and almost simultaneously topped the RPM 100
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
in Canada. Follow-up song "I Need Somebody" peaked at number 22 later that year and no other U.S. top-40 singles followed. It appears on the band's album 96 Tears.
Personnel
- Question Mark – lead vocal
- Bobby Balderrama – lead guitar
- Frank Rodriquez – keyboards
- Frank Lugo – bass guitar
- Robert Martinez – drums
in 1963, Andy Ortiz, Keyboards, "Sunny and the Sunglows" of San Antonio, Texas had met with Rudy Martinez and the tape Rudy Martinez had of this song was incomplete. The Tex-Mex Keyboards Master, Andy Ortiz gave Rudy Martinez the sound he was looking for and the Keyboard sound became the hallmark of this recording in later years. Andy Ortiz, died in 2006 and was never officially credited with this song.
Covers
The song has been covered by the following artists:- Big MaybelleBig MaybelleMabel Louise Smith , known professionally as Big Maybelle, was an American R&B singer and pianist. Her 1956 hit single "Candy" received the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1999.-Biography:...
, from her 1967 album, America's Queen Mother of Soul: Got a Brand New Bag. - David ByrneDavid ByrneDavid Byrne may refer to:*David Byrne , musician and former Talking Heads frontman**David Byrne , his eponymous album*David Byrne , Irish footballer*David Byrne , English footballer...
- Joe "King" Carrasco
- The CrampsThe CrampsThe Cramps were an American rock band, formed in 1976 and active until 2009. The band split after the death of lead singer Lux Interior. Their line-up rotated much over their existence, with the husband and wife duo of Interior and lead guitarist Poison Ivy the only permanent members...
- Eddie and the Hot Rods, from their 1976 EP, Live at the Marquee
- The FoundationsThe FoundationsThe Foundations were a British soul band, active from 1967 to 1970. The group, made up of West Indians, White British, and a Sri Lankan, are best known for their two biggest hits, "Baby Now That I've Found You" , written by Tony Macaulay and John MacLeod; and "Build Me Up Buttercup" The Foundations...
, a live version of "96 Tears" appears on the European EP Baby, Now That I've Found You - Aretha FranklinAretha FranklinAretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
, from her 1967 album, Aretha ArrivesAretha ArrivesAretha Arrives is a 1967 album by Aretha Franklin. Its only single release was "Baby I Love You" , a million-selling Gold 45 which hit #1 R&B and #4 on the Billboard Hot 100....
. - Thelma HoustonThelma HoustonThelma Houston is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She scored a number-one hit in 1976 with her cover version of the song "Don't Leave Me This Way", which won the 1978 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.-Early life & career:Houston is the daughter of a cotton picking mother...
- Inspiral CarpetsInspiral CarpetsInspiral Carpets are an alternative rock band from Oldham in Greater Manchester, England formed by Graham Lambert and Stephen Holt in 1983. The band is named after a clothing shop on their Oldham estate...
, on disc 2 (Rare As) of their 2003 compilation album Cool AsCool AsCool As Is an album by British band Inspiral Carpets. It was released in 2003 as a three disc set with the first cd featuring all the band's singles including new song Come Back Tomorrow, and the second disc features early rare songs and b-sides... - Garland JeffreysGarland JeffreysGarland Jeffreys is a part African-American, and Puerto Rican American, singer and songwriter, transversing the musical genres of rock and roll, reggae, blues and soul.-Career:...
, from his 1980 album, Escape Artist - The Modern LoversThe Modern LoversThe Modern Lovers were an American rock band led by Jonathan Richman in the 1970s and 1980s. The original band existed from 1970–74 but their recordings were not released until 1976 or later. It featured Richman and bassist Ernie Brooks with drummer David Robinson and keyboardist Jerry Harrison...
- Music Explosion, from their 1967 album Little Bit O' Soul
- The Music MachineThe Music MachineThe Music Machine was an American garage rock and psychedelic band from the late 1960s, headed by singer-songwriter Sean Bonniwell and based in Los Angeles. The band sound was often defined by fuzzy guitars and a Farfisa organ...
, from their 1966 album, (Turn On) The Music Machine. - Iggy PopIggy PopIggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
- Primal ScreamPrimal ScreamPrimal Scream are a Scottish alternative rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie and Jim Beattie and now based in London. The current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes , Martin Duffy , and Darrin Mooney...
, a B-side on their 1997 single, KowalskiKowalski (song)"Kowalski" is a song by the band Primal Scream. It was released as a single on May 5, 1997, and is the first to be released from the band's fifth album Vanishing Point. The single went to number 8 on the UK charts.... - The ResidentsThe ResidentsThe Residents is an American art collective best known for avant-garde music and multimedia works. The first official release under the name of The Residents was in 1972, and the group has since released over sixty albums, numerous music videos and short films, three CD-ROM projects and ten DVDs....
, a drastically different rearrangement is included on their 1976 album, The Third Reich 'n Roll early in the "Hitler was a Vegetarian" segment. - The RubinoosThe RubinoosThe Rubinoos are an American power pop band that formed in 1970 in Berkeley, California. They are perhaps best known for their singles "I Think We're Alone Now" , "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" , and for the theme song to the 1984 film Revenge of the Nerds...
- Jimmy RuffinJimmy RuffinJimmy Ruffin is an American soul singer, and elder brother of the late David Ruffin of The Temptations. He had several hit records between the 1960s and 1980s, the most successful being "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted."-Life:...
- Bruce SpringsteenBruce SpringsteenBruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, as a "Stump the Band" number during his 2009 Working on a Dream TourWorking on a Dream TourThe Working on a Dream Tour was a concert tour by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, which began in April 2009 and ended in November 2009... - The StranglersThe StranglersThe Stranglers are an English punk/rock music group.Scoring some 23 UK top 40 singles and 17 UK top 40 albums to date in a career spanning five decades, the Stranglers are the longest-surviving and most "continuously successful" band to have originated in the UK punk scene of the mid to late 1970s...
, from their 1990 album, 1010 (The Stranglers album)The tenth studio album from The Stranglers was called 10 and was the last with Hugh Cornwell. The album was released in 1990. There is a definite "big-band" sound to this album, most likely due to the production work of Roy Thomas Baker and the continued use of a horn section... - SuicideSuicide (band)Suicide is an American electronic protopunk musical duo, intermittently active since 1970 and composed of vocalist Alan Vega and Martin Rev on synthesizers and drum machines. They are an early synthesizer/vocal musical duo....
, live performance included on some reissues of 1977 album, Suicide - Texas TornadosTexas TornadosTexas Tornados is a Tejano band. Its music is a fusion of rock, country and various Mexican styles.-History:The initial combination of musicians of the Texas Tornados happened almost by chance at a concert performance of a mutual acquaintance...
- Tom Tom ClubTom Tom ClubTom Tom Club is an American new wave band founded in 1981 by husband-and-wife team Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz, both also known for being bandmembers of Talking Heads.-Biography:...
- Utopia
It is alluded to in the song "Plus Ones" by folk band Okkervil River and also by the B-52's
The B-52's
The B-52's are an American rock band, formed in Athens, Georgia in 1976. The original line-up consisted of Fred Schneider , Kate Pierson , Cindy Wilson , Ricky Wilson , and Keith Strickland . Following Ricky Wilson's death in 1985 Strickland switched to guitar...
in "Deadbeat Club
Deadbeat Club
"Deadbeat Club" was the fifth and last single released from The B-52's' album Cosmic Thing. It peaked at #30 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1990. Based on chart performance, "Deadbeat Club" falls behind only the singles, "Love Shack", "Roam" and "Good Stuff" as their biggest hit. The song is about the...
".
Other allusions to "96 Tears" occur in the songs "Johnny Hit and Run Pauline" by X, "Human Fly
Human Fly
Human Fly was the nickname of at least four stunt entertainers of the 20th century who would scale the exteriors of tall buildings in the United States:* Harry Gardiner * George Polley * John Ciampa...
" by the Cramps
The Cramps
The Cramps were an American rock band, formed in 1976 and active until 2009. The band split after the death of lead singer Lux Interior. Their line-up rotated much over their existence, with the husband and wife duo of Interior and lead guitarist Poison Ivy the only permanent members...
and "My Arrow's Aim" by Rocket from the Crypt
Rocket from the Crypt
Rocket from the Crypt was an American rock band led by John Reis, formed in 1989 in San Diego, California and disbanded in 2005.The band gained critical praise and the attention of major record labels after the release of their 1992 album Circa: Now!, leading to a recording contract with Interscope...
. One possible homage is heard in a later section of "Lovin' Machine" by the Easybeats.