Wayne Kramer | The Hard Stuff

Wayne Kramer of the MC5 shares his new memoir “The Hard Stuff,” the story of his groundbreaking but turbulent career in rock’n’roll, with journalist Adam Davidson. Buy a copy here: www.strandbooks.com/index.cfm...
In January 1969, before the world heard a note of their music, The MC5 was on the cover of Rolling Stone. The missing link between free jazz and punk rock, they were raw, primal, and, when things were clicking, absolutely unstoppable.
Led by legendary guitarist Wayne Kramer, The MC5 was a reflection of the times: exciting, sexy, violent, chaotic, and out of control, all but assuring their time in the spotlight would be short-lived. They toured the country, played with music legends, and had a rabid following, their music acting as the soundtrack to the blue collar youth movement springing up across the nation. Kramer wanted to redefine what a rock 'n' roll group was capable of, and there was power in reaching for that, but it was also a recipe for disaster, both personally and professionally. The band recorded three major label albums but, by 1972, it was all over.
Kramer's story is a revolutionary one, but it's also the deeply personal struggle of an addict and an artist, a rebel with a great tale to tell. The '60s were not all peace and love, but Kramer shows that peace and love can be born out of turbulence and unrest. From the glory days of Detroit to the junk-sick streets of the East Village, from Key West to Nashville and sunny L.A., in and out of prison and on and off of drugs, his is the classic journeyman narrative, but with a twist: he's here to remind us that revolution is always an option.
Adam Davidson is a staff writer at The New Yorker, and a co-founder of NPR's Planet Money program.
Recorded August 14, 2018

[@brotzmannsax]

When you saw the MC5 and their entourage on stage they were like no other, they came to play and brought it every time, they all had stage presence and you felt the raw power. Brother Wayne is all body & soul, a great legendary guitarist but bigger humanitarian.

[@Hugo_Rocker]

I happened to be at the Johnny Thunders/Heartbreakers show in Detroit. They were a sonic force on their own. When Wayne jumped on stage it was like two worlds colliding. That night was amazing. The shows of Gang War I saw later, I kind of wanted my money back. Today I own a copy of all of Wayne’s music and I love all of them. sad that he is no longer with us

[@kellyburns4725]

The more I know about Wayne, the more I love him. RIP, your legacy will stand the test of time.

[@ronnie5129]

To all that wanted to see this video here, You must be interested in the MC5, 2 of them went to my Highschool in Lincoln Park, Michigan, I lived 4 houses down from Fred Sonic Smith, and we would talk, he invited me over to his house , he said Wayne is coming over, we are going to jam in the Basement, come on over, i did and it was the time of my life for a 16 year old kid, Two of the Nicest people i ever met, Wayne explains things here the era the music, after hearing Wayne's Stories here, It made me cry, R.I.P. Brother, ,You were nice to this 16 year old kid, If people have not listened to the M.C.5 song , The Motor City Is Burning, That song tells the Story of Detroit, Cousin Figel

[@tezzasmif.]

Great story thanks for sharing, how lucky to have known MC5 😀

[@user-no5fu5wv4f]

А 1970-м году мне было 7 лет. Я слышал от старшего брата в СССР про deep purple, beatles, paul McCartney, hendrix и совсем не знал про mc5... Спасибо этому человеку, что он был в то время и делал для рок-музыки многое. Мне нравятся его выступления в составе mc5! ...Он очень талантливый. Я узнал, что в 2024 году он умер. Это очень печально.

[@aleksandar9364]

It's hard to imagine harder stuff. This is what true rock'n'roll was meant to be.

[@tezzasmif.]

"Grab a kiss from joy as it passes by" - Wayne Kramer- wow how that resonates! R.I.P beautiful soul ❤️

[@usehfromlh5601]

Fantastic book, fantastic musician.

[@MsLoverockmusic]

A very good read! Really appreciated Wayne's honesty and candid recollections in the book, including his feelings about the other band members in the MC5 and all participants that surrounded that period. Excellent talk about his recovery. Very appreciated this interview! Thanks!

[@Alex-em1ym]

Hello everybody and hopefully hello to Wayne too,hoping he will read this message: I got introduced to R’n’R by my older brother;he bought me “BACK IN THE USA” when I was 8yrs old(1978). I was stun by the front pic first and as soon as I laid the needle on it…..OMG,my life changed forever,they gave me a purpose,a mission in my life,they became my forever heroes and….surely I became later on a R’n’R drummer….still to these days. About 35yrs later I was working in a restaurant in West Hollywood CA,at The Grove,and during a shift I ran to the bathroom and while I am washing my hands…the door opens and Wayne walks in……MAAAAAAN,I couldn’t believe my eyes: I was meeting a LEGEND,one of my R’n’R icons….I “defrosted” and I was able to thank him for his band role in my life….I was really in Paradise. Before he and his wife left the restaurant he stopped by the bar area where I was working ,introduced me to her and told me that they were playing the DKT/MC5 show in a club in Silverlake and that I was going to on the Guest List. Wayne,if you ever read this comment….THANK YOU AGAIN,you are a wonderful man,human being and definitely became a role model. Thank you for your incredible work with the MC5 and for everything you guys meant to people. KEEP ALWAYS KICKING OUT THE JAMS BROTHER !!!!!!

[@bobbyliebling8968]

Love your story, bro’; and Wayne is still standing alone on my bucket list for people in the business that i’d give anything to meet✅I’m a musician myself (over 50 + yrs. As a professional, and recording artist); and i as well, hope that “Brother” Wayne Kramer sees these comments🙏 He’s truly an “American Hero” in all his walks of life🎯💯❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❗️

[@vasilioskosman2789]

Stay alive with the 5. Lov u bro Wayne

[@sugarjoe50]

My band opened for Wayne in the 80s. After the gig our Korg guitar tuners were missing.

[@deepsouthbass]

Haa thanks for that! I saw them a bunch. I'm a Downriver Rat.

[@jonathanharootunian297]

Thank you to the memory of brother Wayne. Always a bad ass!

[@plshoog4083]

Good book!!! Wow what a life!!!

[@AppleOno]

I love this guy! So well spoken, and so very positive after a life of adversity. Great talk, I can't wait to read his book.

[@IbecomeU]

Funny, everything he and the MC5 stood for, helped bring about all that he lamented in the end. Funny old thing, life.

[@ExcitedAnacondaSnake-hg8ec]

What?

[@K._Oss]

I think people of today failed to realize that in the time of their prime, the MC5 were like no other rock ‘n’ roll band in America. That was a time when American rock ‘n’ roll, whether it be the psychedelic stuff or the poppy stuff felt more folk and roots based-music even when it was electrified, all the while the heavier end of the British groups had become the torchbearers for the new direction rock ‘n’ roll was taking, and there were certainly several American garage rock acts that got lost in history‘s jukebox that held the fort down, the MC5 where the one American group who took the right cues from the British groups in terms of how they looked, how they carried themselves, and especially how they sounded and Americanized it in the best way possible, and for all their setbacks and fuckups, the MC5 earned their place as the one and only equal of their English peers.

[@patricksullivan7140]

Brother Wayne Kramer rocks.

[@nitrousnine]

what a cool guy! thanks for posting this!

[@SlackBabbath420]

Great interview, what a life. Good stuff

[@BlackPatrick]

that's not normal, that's not average, that's awesome

[@masongillespie286]

Wayne..I Love You, Brother! I love you pffftt

[@TWKozak-hs9bo]

I bought it on audible. A great listen.

[@bobbyliebling8968]

I thought the same as you;and he’s so articulate ; but the biggest highlight is the fact that he does the narrative on Audible❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❗️ “Love that man, always will”! Quote: Brother Wayne Kramer😉👍💯%‼️

[@modernretroradio993]

You can thank NAFTA for all those great production facilities in Detroit moving overseas.

[@thiscorrosion900]

Er, nah, sorry, that shit started happening at least two years or more before NAFTA. Or 30 years.

[@MrCtsSteve]

​@@thiscorrosion900check out the Powell Memo from 1971 . As far as I can tell ...that's where it started .

[@dsgp7835]

It's when Ronald Reagan opened the ports to cheap Japanese automobiles. His intentions and those that think the same were simple, the destruction of labor unions.

[@BicycleJoeTomasello]

Wayne was always able to put into words feelings I've always thought about in the rock 'n' roll world and how much it changed as it became big business. When he talks about the misogyny & the orgastic sex & abuse of groupies. I have thought about the music accompanying the Tantric Vedas and the whirling dervishes that inspired ecstasy stimulating, alternative states of mind and being taught you have to control and channel that energy and ground yourself or else you can blow a chakra.

[@lastnamefirst4035]

To be of service

[@antonhaq3503]

Wayne wasn't in a normal, average situation, Rock stars, especially from his era were an elite regardless of wealth. Drugs, like sex is a pleasure, another area rock stars overindulged. You're young and have pleasure in tap, it's a miracle everyone didn't overindulge. I'm sure premature sexual experience, especially abuse, has an effect on life but in this case it's very difficult to judge how much difference it made.

[@MrCtsSteve]

Read the book a couple years ago . Rest easy Wayne.

[@MrCtsSteve]

Rest easy Wayne . Detroit was the shit back in the day . The Cars ...The Music ...

[@risboturbide9396]

R.I.P. Wayne Kramer

[@Cuckold_Cockles]

Dude was brilliant. Wish Detroit still brought the funky music to the scene. RIP Kramer

[@phillipnorman7423]

Cool dude.

[@thiscorrosion900]

And the situation in America is no better now, in fact, it's much, much, much worse.

[@tinchocabj1053]

THE VELVET UNDERGOUND/MC5/THE STOOGES ARE THE BESTS BANDS FROM THE UNITED STATES

[@deanguando1335]

Quite the journey.

[@sspbrazil]

R.I.P. Brother Wayne.

[@ExcitedAnacondaSnake-hg8ec]

😮

[@liminal6823]

Icon

[@DeliRevv]

And we just lost Dennis “Machine Gun” Thompson today (5-9-24). Heaven just got lot louder now. RiP MC5 & John Sinclair.

[@MrCtsSteve]

That last guy Richard sounds like a great dude

[@GreenManalishiUSA]

That sounds like Richard Blum, aka Handsome Dick Manitoba from The Dictators.

[@jimmyhunter2799]

Wayne we do not use the name of AA at the level of radio/TV/Press/Film.... and this include internet...you are forgiven LOL

[@gcangur1]

rebel when young wise when old

[@LSUOdyssey]

that dood with the 10 minute question...jesus...

[@antonhaq3503]

In the UK so many rockets were into jazz first.

[@PAULLONDEN]

2:06 ...That's why you decided to drop out ? and condemned the powers that be ...? It's good Wayne kept that hungry look and didn't succumb to Uncle Sam's generally accepted overweightness.

[@dennymcfastlane8530]

Come on Brother Wayne, You grew up in..."sTiNkINg Park"~Lincoln Park, not Detroit. Lincoln Park held that di-stink-tion, because it was down river from the Massive Ford Rouge Plant.

[@rogerfournier3284]

Wayne Kramer>>MC5!

[@user-hs4uv1fv1o]

The book was average. The music was killer