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On this day, December 13, 1945, Question Mark, of ? & The Mysterians, was born.
At least that what This Day in Music says.
1945 - Robert Martinez
Robert Martinez, ? & The Mysterians, (1966 US No. 1 & UK No.37 single '96 Tears'). '96 Tears' was a UK No.17 hit for The Stranglers in 1990.
Robert Martinez, ? & The Mysterians, (1966 US No. 1 & UK No.37 single '96 Tears'). '96 Tears' was a UK No.17 hit for The Stranglers in 1990.
Wikipedia does not confirm this, so all I'll say is, it's questionable.
? and the Mysterians
Origin Bay City, Michigan, Saginaw, Michigan U.S.
Website: 96tears.net
Members: Question Mark (Rudy Martínez)
{snip a lot of other members}
? and the Mysterians (or Question Mark and the Mysterians) are an American garage rock band from Bay City and Saginaw in Michigan, initially active between 1962 and 1969. Much of the band's music consisted of electric organ-driven garage rock and an enigmatic image inspired by the 1957 Japanese science fiction film The Mysterians. In addition, the band's sound was also marked by raw-resonating lead vocals of "?" (Question Mark, the stage name of Rudy Martínez), making Question Mark and the Mysterians one of the earliest groups whose musical style is described as punk rock. Their music and imagery were highly influential on later bands.
The band signed to Pa-Go-Go Records (based in San Antonio, Texas and run by Rudy "Tee" Gonzales) in 1966 and released its first and most acclaimed single, "96 Tears", in the early part of that year. "96 Tears" became a number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and propelled the group to a 15-month period of national prominence. Their debut album, 96 Tears, followed. Though Question Mark and the Mysterians were unable to replicate their success with their later recordings, and are thus deemed a "one-hit wonder", they did manage to reach the singles charts on five occasions.
In 1968, their label, Cameo-Parkway, was shut down for stock manipulation by the Securities and Exchange Commission, taking the band's money and contract with them. Though they disbanded in 1969, the band has regrouped and released additional material over the years. "96 Tears" was listed at number 210 on the 2004 Rolling Stone list The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
{snip}
Origin Bay City, Michigan, Saginaw, Michigan U.S.
Website: 96tears.net
Members: Question Mark (Rudy Martínez)
{snip a lot of other members}
? and the Mysterians (or Question Mark and the Mysterians) are an American garage rock band from Bay City and Saginaw in Michigan, initially active between 1962 and 1969. Much of the band's music consisted of electric organ-driven garage rock and an enigmatic image inspired by the 1957 Japanese science fiction film The Mysterians. In addition, the band's sound was also marked by raw-resonating lead vocals of "?" (Question Mark, the stage name of Rudy Martínez), making Question Mark and the Mysterians one of the earliest groups whose musical style is described as punk rock. Their music and imagery were highly influential on later bands.
The band signed to Pa-Go-Go Records (based in San Antonio, Texas and run by Rudy "Tee" Gonzales) in 1966 and released its first and most acclaimed single, "96 Tears", in the early part of that year. "96 Tears" became a number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and propelled the group to a 15-month period of national prominence. Their debut album, 96 Tears, followed. Though Question Mark and the Mysterians were unable to replicate their success with their later recordings, and are thus deemed a "one-hit wonder", they did manage to reach the singles charts on five occasions.
In 1968, their label, Cameo-Parkway, was shut down for stock manipulation by the Securities and Exchange Commission, taking the band's money and contract with them. Though they disbanded in 1969, the band has regrouped and released additional material over the years. "96 Tears" was listed at number 210 on the 2004 Rolling Stone list The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
{snip}
Gee, what should I play? I know.
Question Mark & The Mysterians - 96 Tears
6,846,383 views Jan 7, 2011
60s70sVintageRock
81K subscribers
Detroit's 'Swingin' Time', 1966. Frank Lugo on bass. (Mel Schacher from Grand Funk filled in for a short time in 1969.) **Excellent source of info on the band: https://michiganrockandrolllegends.com/index.php/special-series/96-tears
2011 live clip here: https://vimeo.com/277791736 Password: QM&M96
If anyone wants to know who "Bill" is, the Disney character and link to this video is on this page: https://www.reddit.com/r/gravityfalls/comments/315yoy/im_bill_cipher_i_know_lots_of_things_ask_me/
{snip}
6,846,383 views Jan 7, 2011
60s70sVintageRock
81K subscribers
Detroit's 'Swingin' Time', 1966. Frank Lugo on bass. (Mel Schacher from Grand Funk filled in for a short time in 1969.) **Excellent source of info on the band: https://michiganrockandrolllegends.com/index.php/special-series/96-tears
2011 live clip here: https://vimeo.com/277791736 Password: QM&M96
If anyone wants to know who "Bill" is, the Disney character and link to this video is on this page: https://www.reddit.com/r/gravityfalls/comments/315yoy/im_bill_cipher_i_know_lots_of_things_ask_me/
{snip}
1 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
MRRL Hall of Fame
? (Question Mark) AND THE MYSTERIANS
Category: Inductees |
Created: Tuesday, 04 October 2011 09:34 | Written by Gary Johnson
Although they are often wrongly thought of as “one hit wonders”, ? (Question Mark) & The Mysterians actually placed five singles on the Billboard charts and released two classic albums of their own original brand of garage rock in an incredible fifteen-month period that ended with the collapse of the Cameo-Parkway record label. The group’s tale is a classic “rags to riches” success story made even more unique by the fact that all of the Mysterians were young Americans of Mexican descent.
(Top down) Eddie Serrato, Frank Lugo (Bottom L to R) Frank Rodriguez, ?, Bobby Balderrama
The members of the band were children of migrant farm workers who would travel to Michigan each summer to pick crops and then return to their homes in Texas when the harvest was complete. When the boys grew old enough, they would work in the fields as well.
Bobby Balderrama was encouraged him to play the guitar by his father, who not only played guitar himself but also the accordian, violin, and harmonica. Bobby got his first real introduction to rock and roll guitar, however, while picking strawberries near Standish, Michigan. He was very impressed by a fellow farm worker named Dave Garcia who both looked and played guitar like the late Ritchie Valens. Garcia showed Bobby some basic chords while sitting on the tailgate of the Balderrama’s family station wagon and stressed to him the necessity of practice if he wanted to be good on the instrument. It was a lesson that Bobby would eventually embrace, and it was also the first glimmer of what Balderrama would decide to do with the rest of his life.
Michigan’s booming auto-based economy eventually offered steady employment opportunities for the Mysterians’ parents that provided far better pay, benefits, and working conditions than they could ever hope to find in Michigan’s fields and orchards. As a result, their families bought homes in the Saginaw Valley and the children were enrolled in local schools.
Original band members – Guitarist Bobby Balderrama, bassist Larry Borjas, and drummer Robert Martinez, first started playing together at Larry’s house in Saginaw, Michigan, in 1962. Brought together by their common love of rock and roll, the trio set out to master some of the popular instrumental hits of the day by The Ventures and Duane Eddy. After jamming together for over a year, the young band got its first gig with an offer to play at a Greek Orthodox Church in Saginaw.
{snip}
? (Question Mark) AND THE MYSTERIANS
Category: Inductees |
Created: Tuesday, 04 October 2011 09:34 | Written by Gary Johnson
Although they are often wrongly thought of as “one hit wonders”, ? (Question Mark) & The Mysterians actually placed five singles on the Billboard charts and released two classic albums of their own original brand of garage rock in an incredible fifteen-month period that ended with the collapse of the Cameo-Parkway record label. The group’s tale is a classic “rags to riches” success story made even more unique by the fact that all of the Mysterians were young Americans of Mexican descent.
(Top down) Eddie Serrato, Frank Lugo (Bottom L to R) Frank Rodriguez, ?, Bobby Balderrama
The members of the band were children of migrant farm workers who would travel to Michigan each summer to pick crops and then return to their homes in Texas when the harvest was complete. When the boys grew old enough, they would work in the fields as well.
Bobby Balderrama was encouraged him to play the guitar by his father, who not only played guitar himself but also the accordian, violin, and harmonica. Bobby got his first real introduction to rock and roll guitar, however, while picking strawberries near Standish, Michigan. He was very impressed by a fellow farm worker named Dave Garcia who both looked and played guitar like the late Ritchie Valens. Garcia showed Bobby some basic chords while sitting on the tailgate of the Balderrama’s family station wagon and stressed to him the necessity of practice if he wanted to be good on the instrument. It was a lesson that Bobby would eventually embrace, and it was also the first glimmer of what Balderrama would decide to do with the rest of his life.
Michigan’s booming auto-based economy eventually offered steady employment opportunities for the Mysterians’ parents that provided far better pay, benefits, and working conditions than they could ever hope to find in Michigan’s fields and orchards. As a result, their families bought homes in the Saginaw Valley and the children were enrolled in local schools.
Original band members – Guitarist Bobby Balderrama, bassist Larry Borjas, and drummer Robert Martinez, first started playing together at Larry’s house in Saginaw, Michigan, in 1962. Brought together by their common love of rock and roll, the trio set out to master some of the popular instrumental hits of the day by The Ventures and Duane Eddy. After jamming together for over a year, the young band got its first gig with an offer to play at a Greek Orthodox Church in Saginaw.
{snip}