MC5 “I Just Don’t Know”

Published On: March 29, 2017Tags: , , , ,

MC5 “I Just Don’t Know” b/w “I Can Only Give You Everything” 1967/2015. AMG Records/Grease Records. Unofficial release. “I Can Only Give You Everything” was released in March of 1967 – 50 years ago! – as MC5′s debut single (originally performed by the Irish garage band Them in 1966 featuring Van Morrison on vocals) and was later included on various posthumous compilations.  Snarling, raw and gritty, it’s so scuzzy you wonder if you need to clean the needle and scrape dirt from the grooves. They released the raucous and bluesy “I Just Don’t Know” as their third single in ‘68 with the B-side a rehash of “I Can Only Give You Everything.”  “I Just Don’t Know” also only appeared on late-released comps, the first of which was the ‘83 Wayne Kramer-assembed Babes In Arms.