Introduction

September 2009: This educational site is currently undergoing major renovation to reflect vital facts and information revealed during the legal proceedings.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Making a film is an experience really; more so than going around photographing. Making a film is a real trip." - Robert Frank, Cocksucker Blues Director


What a sad and painful mess. How does one even begin to explain the surreptitious campaign of lies and treachery which sabotaged the acclaimed MC5 - A True Testimonial documentary, the deceptive smokescreen manufactured to cover up that sabotage, and the diabolical back-stabbing which has virtually destroyed the legacy left by the actual MC5?

An incredible amount of disinformation was generated obscuring the basic facts surrounding both the band and the documentary. It's a quite tangled tale which has attracted international interest, this site is an attempt to clarify the true story, not so much the band's actual brief lifetime but the increasingly bizarre activities that have taken place in the wake of the film's destruction.

Various MC5-related court cases have wound their way through the courts and the Byzantine web surrounding the band's copyright, publishing and trademark interests has been largely untangled. This is an attempt to provide an accurate window into that world, constructed from publicly available court records. This public examination, an exercise of the constitutional right of free speech, is being made in connection with an issue of public interest.

Now, let's get several important facts on the record.

Future/Now Films and it's principals, David Thomas and Laurel Legler, were clearly blindsided by the vicious assault made upon them and their highly-acclaimed documentary film as it neared release. By most accounts, that attack seems to have been largely engineered and orchestrated by Margaret Saadi Kramer.

While those vengeful, conspiratorial efforts did manage to block the release of the film, largely destroying the commercial potential of MC5's True Testimonial in the process, they were ultimately unsuccessful. A series of legal cases exposed the extent of the conspiracy and a series of Federal Court rulings vindicated Thomas of Legler of any and all wrongdoing.

Rebecca (Tyner) Derminer was understandably outraged by Kramer's actions. The conflict inspired her decision to fight back and launch a intense legal battle to reclaim her husband's creative work. Rob Tyner was an integral part of the MC5, far more than a powerful lead singer. He was a poet and lyricist, an artist largely responsible for the philosophical direction of the band. And, above all, he was a husband and father.

Dennis Thompson has said "Fred Smith was the soul of the MC5. He was the soul. Rob was the thinker, he was the poet, he was the icing on the cake... Fred was creative musically, Rob could put into words what Fred felt in his heart. There's the bond...

"Creativity doesn't come from walking around being a big mouth. It comes from thought, it's always quiet..."

One thing is absolutely certain: the MC5 would never have existed without either of them.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONTINUE TO: PURITY & ACCURACY.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer: The information posted on-line at Detroit Tango is for non-commercial educational purposes only and designed to provide accurate and authoritative information regarding the subject matter covered. It is provided with the understanding that it be used solely for comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research.

Comments

[Joseph Genereux]

Being a Detroit Musician all my life I think the music scene could stand a lesson from Rob and Fred.
In the tradition of my fallin music colleagues my band does an MC5 song every show.
It really isn't just about kicking out the jams.... It is way more deeper than that...
It is about who we are as Detroiters and how the world sees a community that invented the middle class.
Its about our edge we have here...
Its about sticking you middle finger in the air and playing what ever you feel is needed to get your point across.