Sonic’s Rendezvous Band T-Shirt (Image Courtesy of Bethany Nixon)

Founded in Ann Arbor in 1975, Sonic’s Rendezvous Band featured members from four major Detroit bands of the late 1960/early 1970s – Fred “Sonic” Smith (The MC5), Scott Morgan (The Rationals), Gary Rasmussen (The Up), and Scott Asheton (The Stooges).

Much like Destroy All Monsters, Sonic’s Rendezvous Band was often featured on the stages of Ann Arbor and Detroit venues such as Second Chance as well as Bookie’s.

Although the band members had pervious experience navigating the waters of the record industry, those close to Smith said he was still stinging from his previous run-ins with Elektra and Atlantic as a member of the MC5 and appeared to actively ran off label interest in the band.

The band only released one single during its time – “City Slang” in 1978. Other material was officially released in the late 1990s and 2000s.

Sonics.mp4 from Terry Murphy on Vimeo.

 

(Live Recording – Sonic’s Rendezvous Band at Bookie’s Club 870 in 1978.)

Smith died in 1994 while Asheton died in 2014. Morgan continues to record and perform.

 

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2 thoughts on “Sonic’s Rendezvous Band

  1. Sonic’s Rendezvous Band were already playing when we walked through the front door into Bookie’s. As we went in the sound hit us with the force of a physical blow. They were deafeningly loud. I had never heard a band play so loud before, especially in such a small venue, and I don’t think I’ve heard one since.

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