Aired on Treasure Island Oldies – Oct 20, 2024

On October 29, 1966, a song now acknowledged as a forerunner of the punk rock genre made it to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The song was written four years prior by the lead singer of a garage rock quintet whose members were from Bay City and Saginaw, Michigan.

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Part of the band’s schtick was the keeping of their Mexican-born lead singer’s identity a secret. Originally performing as XYZ, they soon changed their name.

Embracing the mystique of the lead singer who never removed his sunglasses, and inspired by a 1957 Japanese science fiction film, ? (Question Mark) & The Mysterians were born.

The group’s manager, Lilly Gonzalez, created a record label, Pa-Go-Go, and had the group record their soon-to-be hit record and the flipside, “Midnight Hour,” in her living room, which provided some unusual acoustics.

Initially, “Midnight Hour” (not to be confused with Wilson Pickett’s 1965 hit “In The Midnight Hour”) was the A side. But “Question Mark” (real name, Rudy Martinez) sensed that the B side was going to be the hit and began promoting it.

The record broke in Flint, Michigan on radio station WTAC. Once CKLW out of Windsor, Ontario started playing it, it took off in Detroit, becoming a regional hit. Neil Bogart, then president of Cameo Records in Philadelphia, got wind of its popularity and bought the master from Pa-Go-Go to release it nationally. And, as they say, the rest is history.

Unlike traditional rock bands that often relied on guitars as the primary instrument, ? (Question Mark) & The Mysterians incorporated the use of a Vox Continental electric organ in a way that was both unconventional and innovative for the time. The organ contributed significantly to the song’s signature sound, with the repetitive, pulsating chords adding a haunting and hypnotic quality.

It also complemented the raw energy and emotion conveyed through the lyrics and the band’s performances, creating an intensity that made their audiences want to cry “96 Tears.”

Epilogue: The name of that 1957 Japanese sci-fi movie that inspired the group was The Mysterians.

YouTube listing of the song:

This “Moments In Time” story is yet another example of a “golden oldie” or forgotten favorite that earned its place in the evolution of Rock & Roll.