The Up
| Company type | Rock band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1967 |
| Defunct | 1973 |
| Headquarters | Detroit, Michigan , United States |
| Products | Music recordings, live performances |
The Up (commonly presented as The UP) was a rock ensemble originating from Detroit, Michigan in early 1967. Along with proto-punk pioneers such as the MC5 and The Stooges, The Up served as one of the resident bands at Detroit's renowned Grande Ballroom.
Career
The initial roster included lead singer Frank Bach, guitarist Bob Rasmussen, bassist Gary Rasmussen, and drummer Vic Peraino, who was replaced by Scott Bailey in 1968. The Up maintained a close association with the MC5; members of both groups resided at the commune established by White Panther Party founder John Sinclair, which moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan in May 1968. In September 1968, The Up supported the MC5 during a performance at the University of Michigan's Union Ballroom, an event attended by Elektra Records A&R representative Danny Fields. While Fields extended recording contracts to the MC5 and The Stooges, The Up did not receive a major label agreement.
The group persisted in performing within the local scene and became the principal musical voice for the White Panther Party following the MC5's departure from the organization in 1969. The Up dissolved in 1973; bassist Gary Rasmussen later joined Detroit's supergroup Sonic's Rendezvous Band in 1975, which featured members from MC5, The Stooges, The Up, and The Rationals.
A retrospective compilation named Killer Up! was issued in 1995, encompassing all of The Up’s recorded material including singles, studio sessions captured at Head Sound Studios in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and live recordings from a 1972 show at the Agora Ballroom in Columbus, Ohio. In the album’s liner notes, John Sinclair remarked that although the MC5 and The Stooges are frequently recognized as progenitors of punk, The Up might be regarded as its genuine forerunners.
Discography
Singles
- "Just Like an Aborigine" / "Hassan I Sabbah" (1970) (Sundance 22190)
- "Free John Now!" / "Prayer for John Sinclair" (1971) (Rainbow 22191)
Compilations
- Killer Up! (1969-1972) CD / 10” LP (1995) (Total Energy NER3002 / NER3002/10)
- Rising CD / DVD (2010) (Easy Action CPSSPCD002, Applebush Records CPSSPCD002)
- "Just Like An Aborigine"
- Included on Michigan Mixture, Vol. 1 (1990)
- Featured in Let 'Em Have It! Vol. 1 (1995)
- Appears on A Square (Of Course): The Story of Michigan's Legendary A-Square Records (2008)
- Part of A² - An A-Square Compilation (2018)
- "Hassan I Sabbah"
- Included on Michigan Mixture, Vol. 1 (1990)
- "Come On"
- Featured on Motor City's Burnin' (1998)
- "Long Hard Road" (credited as "The Uprising")
- Included on Motor City's Burnin' (1998)
- "Sisters, Sisters (Sisters Rising)"
- Appears on Dirty Water: The Birth Of Punk Attitude (2010)
External links
- Alternative Music Talk - The UP Gets High (Killer Up! review)