1972 studio recording from Herouville Castle for a French TV show; + 4 extra tracks from two rare early singles, + inner bag with 1970 notes, White Panther Party 10-point program.
The title song Thunder Express was not recorded anywhere else.
MC5 (Motor City Five) - the legendary Detroit band. Their first single, included here, was released in 1967. In 1968 they played the infamous Democratic Convention that turned into a police riot, and became the ‘Official White Panther Party Band’.
Their manager John Sinclair became a hippie activist martyr, after being jailed for 10 years for 2 joints, inspiring John Lennon’s ‘10 For 2’ song. Thrown off their first label Electra, they signed to Atlantic for two more albums but only achieved underground success. Today they are greatly revered as one of the seminal rock’n’roll bands and a huge inspiration for punk.
'Thunder Express' documents their last and first studio works: - six tracks recorded in France at Studio Castle Herouville for a TV show in 1972; plus 4 tracks from their debut two singles from '66 & '68. The title track is not available elsewhere. In limited yellow vinyl, it includes an inner bag with notes, a 1970 interview, and the White Panther Party '10-Point Program'. In 2024 MC5’s guitarist Wayne Kramer, drummer Dennis Thompson and manager John Sinclair all passed away, marking the end of an era. The final MC5 album is released in October.
