“96 Tears” Celebrates 60 Years: ? & The Mysterians, 1966

Over the decades there have been differing remembrances of where the song 96 Tears by Question Mark & The Mysterians was recorded, but according to Mysterians guitarist Robert Balderrama, "this is the house where it was recorded, I am the original guitarist who helped write the song and played my guitar in it. '96 Tears' was recorded in Bay City, Michigan, on Raymond Street in 1966."

Very few fans – and even residents of Bay City - knew that 96 Tears was recorded in Art Schiell's small studio, located in his small house at 405 Raymond Street. Art called his house the Schiell Recording Studio, and many band bios get this information sadly wrong.

The song soon spread across the country. On October 1, 1966, Question Mark and The Mysterians made their network TV debut on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand; on October 11th, the band appeared on another Clark show, Where The Action Is, and around the same time on Detroit’s Swingin' Time local television show. The song eventually went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

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Reportedly, so few people in Bay City know this is where 96 Tears was recorded, but a good number remember Art Schiell, thanks to his successful beauty salon. Even the regular customers of his salon weren’t aware he had recorded a National #1 hit song in his house.

Many of those familiar with his salon didn't even know that Schiell also operated a small recording studio.

Contrary to much-written bios, the song was never originally called “69 Tears” or “Too Many Teardrops” as reported in the past. Question Mark himself says the number 96 has some sort of mystical meaning, but when asked what it is, he clams up and doesn't explain. He balked at using a number in the song, thinking the public would believe he was copying the Stones' song title 19th Nervous Breakdown.

The band broke up in 1968, occasionally reunited, and re-formed in 1980.

FAST FACTS:
1) The band was once called “XYZ”.
2) All band members once had three-letter names.
3) All members wore dark glasses.
4) Question Mark says he never takes his dark glasses off...even to sleep and bathe. He told me this himself when I interviewed him back in the very early 2000s.

Now take a look at a very uncomfortable Question Mark when the band appeared on American Bandstand...

American Bandstand 1966- Interview Question Mark and The Mysterians