96 Tears

"96 Tears"
Single by ? & the Mysterians
from the album 96 Tears
B-side	"Midnight Hour"
Released	February 1966
Format	7" 45 RPM
Genre	Garage rock Protopunk
Length	2:38
Label	Cameo-Parkway Records
Writer(s)	Rudy Martinez
Producer	Rudy Martinez

"96 Tears" is a popular song recorded by Question Mark & the Mysterians (also known as "? and the Mysterians") 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.

History

The song was originally written by likely Question Mark, Rudy Martinez, around 1962.^{[citation needed]} 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^{[citation needed]} 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.

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 Maybelle, from her 1967 album, America's Queen Mother of Soul: Got a Brand New Bag.
• David Byrne
• Joe "King" Carrasco
• Jack of Heart
• The Cramps
• Eddie and the Hot Rods, from their 1976 EP, Live at the Marquee
• The Foundations, a live version of "96 Tears" appears on the European EP Baby, Now That I've Found You
• Aretha Franklin, from her 1967 album, Aretha Arrives.
• Thelma Houston
• Inspiral Carpets, on disc 2 (Rare As) of their 2003 compilation album Cool As
• Garland Jeffreys, from his 1980 album, Escape Artist
• The Modern Lovers
• Music Explosion, from their 1967 album Little Bit O' Soul
• The Music Machine, from their 1966 album, (Turn On) The Music Machine.
• Iggy Pop
• Primal Scream, a B-side on their 1997 single, Kowalski
• The Residents, a drastically different rearrangement is included on their 1976 album, The Third Reich 'n Roll early in the "Hitler was a Vegetarian" segment.
• The Rubinoos
• Jimmy Ruffin
• Bruce Springsteen, as a "Stump the Band" number during his 2009 Working on a Dream Tour
• The Stranglers, from their 1990 album, 10
• Suicide, live performance included on some reissues of 1977 album, Suicide
• Texas Tornados
• Tom Tom Club
• Utopia

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 "This Beat Goes On/Switchin' To Glide" by the Kings, "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.

References

Preceded by "Reach Out I'll Be There" by The Four Tops	US Billboard Hot 100 number one single October 29, 1966 (one week)	Succeeded by "Last Train to Clarksville" by The Monkees
Preceded by "See See Rider" by Eric Burdon & The Animals	Canadian RPM number-one single October 31, 1966 (one week)	Succeeded by "Last Train to Clarksville" by The Monkees