Question Mark And The Mysterians - 96 Tears (1966)
MUNROWS RETRO
This is possibly the most memorable monster hit by any garage rock band during the mid-1960s and has also earned it the honor of being one of the earliest punk rock songs in music history. I will always remember this band as ? And The Mysterians (that's what is on my 45 single) although they also later took on the name of Question Mark and the Mysterians. After autumn 1966, no junior high or high school dance would ever NOT feature this as one of the songs. Part of the group's name was inspired by the 1957 science fiction film The Mysterians (which I think is available on YouTube for viewing). The group's sound was inspired by Link Wray, Duane Eddy, and the Rolling Stones.
"96 Tears" debuted on US charts in late August and early September 1966, peaking at #1 on Billboard on October 29, 1966 and on Cash Box on October 22, 1966. It also was featured in "Quitters, Inc.," the first of three Stephen King stories in the horror film Cat's Eye (1985) ... and part of that very scene begins the video!
Basically a mainstream pop/rock band with hard rock and soul-influenced arrangements, Smith hit the Top Ten in 1969 with their drastically revised cover of the Shirelles' "Baby It's You." Featuring three lead singers and a B-3 Hammond organ, their strongest asset was their most frequent vocalist, Gayle McCormick, an accomplished female blue-eyed soul belter. Most of their material consisted of covers of popular rock and R&B tunes, and they broke up after a couple of albums, though the singles "What Am I Gonna Do" (co-written by Carole King) and "Take a Look Around" made the middle of the charts. McCormick had a couple of small hits in 1971 and made a few albums in the early '70s as a soloist. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi
Her recording and performing career stretched from 1965 to 1976. McCormick started her career singing songs by Tina Turner and Etta James before joining Smith. In 1969 Smith was formed in Los Angeles, California, their first album entitled "A Group Called Smith," featured McCormick as the primary vocalist. Smith mainly played and recorded covers of pop and soul songs and made the top five with a remake of "Baby It's You", charting higher than the previous hit version by the The Shirelles.
After the group disbanded, McCormick went on to record three solo albums, Gayle McCormick in 1971, Flesh And Blood in 1972 and One More Hour in 1974. In the fall of 1971, her performance of "It's A Cryin' Shame" charted at #44.
Gayle McCormick & The Klassmen - Wonderous Time (1968)
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Gayle McCormick - "Original Midnight Mama" (A Group Called Smith / (1974)