MC 5 was founded in 1964 in Detroit, then the automotive capital of the USA, by guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred „Sonic“ Smith. Together with singer Rob Tyner, bassist Michael Davis and drummer Dennis Thompson, they initially played lightning-fast cover versions of rock'n'roll and rockabilly hits. Their numerous energetic live performances quickly gained them a large fan base. Over time, they composed their own hard-hitting and unrestrained songs with lyrics revolving around frustration, both personal and political. In this era of great social and political tension, they struck a chord with the spirit of the times. This was especially true when they hired John Sinclair, poet and founder of the anti-racist White Panthers Party, as their manager, who agitated with the band's rebellious character. He also secured the band a record deal with the major US label Elektra.

Their debut album Kick Out The Jams is a compilation of two concert evenings in October 1968 at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, as the record company believed that the raw energy and wild performance of the band came across best live. Upon its release, fierce controversy soon arose over the use of obscene language, which could be heard both on the record and read in the liner notes. Record shops and all major Hudson's department stores refused to sell the LP, which ultimately led to its removal from Elektra. All foreign releases, such as the Italian version and almost simultaneous US copies, were censored. Today, this provocative album is considered one of the most legendary live records in rock history, marking the beginning of punk and perfectly capturing the energetic atmosphere of their raw, hard-hitting and powerful proto-punk.