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Paul Revere & the Raiders | |
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 The band in 1967. Front L–R: Paul Revere, Mike Smith. Center: Jim Valley. Back: Phil Volk, Mark Lindsay. | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Downbeats, Raiders |
| Origin | Boise, Idaho, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active |
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| Labels | Columbia |
| Spinoffs | Brotherhood, Friendsong, Paul Revere's Raiders |
| Past members | Paul Revere Mark Lindsay Robert White Richard White William Hibbard Dick McGarvin Red Hughes Ronnie Robson David Bell Jerry Labrum Andrea Loper Mike "Smitty" Smith Ross Allemang Steve West Dick Walker Charlie Coe Drake "Kid" Levin Mike "Doc" Holladay Phil "Fang" Volk Jim "Harpo" Valley Freddy Weller Joe Correro, Jr. Keith Allison Omar Martinez Robert Wooley Blair Hill Michael Bradley Carlo Driggs Darrin Medley Doug Heath Ron Foos Danny Krause Jamie Revere Darren Dowler Tommy Scheckel David Huizenga Arny Bailey |
Paul Revere & the Raiders (also known asRaiders) were an Americanrock band formed inBoise, Idaho, in 1958. They saw considerable U.S. mainstream success in the second half of the 1960s and early 1970s. The band was known for includingRevolutionary War-style clothes in their attire.
Originally aninstrumental rock combo called the Downbeats, the Raiders were formed in 1958 by organistPaul Revere, and included singerMark Lindsay. After charting in 1961 with the minor hit "Like, Long Hair" and then in late 1963 just missingBillboard's Hot 100 with a cover of "Louie Louie", the band was signed toColumbia Records, under the tutelage of producerTerry Melcher. In January 1966 the single "Just Like Me"—propelled by exposure onDick Clark's shows such asWhere The Action Is—reached no. 11 on the Hot 100, followed by the consecutive Top Tens "Kicks" and "Hungry", thus establishing the band as national stars. Clark's TV shows showcased Lindsay as ateen idol and Revere as the "madman" of the group, and between 1966 and '69 they reached the top 30 with 12 hits. Bolstered by the success of the singles, the three 1966 albumsJust Like Us,Midnight Ride andThe Spirit of '67 all weregold-certified by theRIAA.
Mark Lindsay replaced Terry Melcher as the Raiders' producer, and the band scored with the US No. 20 hit "Let Me!" in 1969.[5] In early 1970 the band's name was shortened to "Raiders" and one year later the hugely successful cover of the song "Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian)" reached number one in both the US and Canada and was eventuallycertified platinum in 1996.[6] But the failure to continue the record's success led to the breakup of the band after being dropped by Columbia in 1975. In 1978, Revere went back to live performances with a show that mixed comedy and rock and roll. He died of cancer in 2014.
The group had many lineup changes, with their most well-known "classic" lineup being: Mark Lindsay (vocals and saxophone), Paul Revere (keyboards),Drake "Kid" Levin (guitar),Phil "Fang" Volk (bass), andMike "Smitty" Smith (drums). This lineup recorded most of the material on the group's first five Columbia albums from 1965 to 1967.
Initially based inBoise, Idaho, the Raiders began as an instrumental rock band led by organist and founderPaul Revere (1938–2014).[7] The band relocated toPortland, Oregon, when Revere returned from serving in the armed forces in 1962.[8][9][10][4][11]
In his early 20s, Revere owned several restaurants inCaldwell, Idaho,[12] and first met singerMark Lindsay (b. 1942)[13] while picking up buns from the bakery where Lindsay worked.[12] The circumstance of their meeting was later referred to in the tongue-in-cheek song "Legend of Paul Revere", recorded by the group. Lindsay joined Revere's band in 1958. Originally called the Downbeats, they changed their name to Paul Revere & the Raiders in 1960 on the eve of their first record release for Gardena Records. The band garnered their first hit in thePacific Northwest in 1961, with the instrumental "Like, Long Hair". The record had enough national appeal that it peaked at no. 38 on theBillboard Hot 100 on April 17, 1961.[14][15] When Revere was drafted for military service, he became aconscientious objector[12] and worked as a cook at a mental institution for a year and a half of deferred service. During the same time period, Lindsay pumped gas inWilsonville, Oregon. On the strength of their Top 40 single, Lindsay toured the U.S. in the summer of 1961 with a band that featuredLeon Russell taking Revere's place on piano.[12]
By summer 1962, Revere and Lindsay were working together again in Oregon with a version of the Raiders that featuredMike "Smitty" Smith (1942–2001),[16] a drummer who would spend two extended periods with the band.[12] Around this time,KISN DJ Roger Hart, who was producing teen dances, was looking for a band to hire. Hart had a casual conversation with a bank teller who told him about a band called "Paul Revere-something". Hart obtained Revere's phone number and they met for lunch. Hart hired the band for one of his teen dances. Soon afterward, Hart became the group's personal manager. It was Hart who suggested they record "Louie Louie", for which Hart paid them about $50, producing the song and placing it on his Sandē label, ultimately attracting the attention ofColumbia Records.[17] According to Lindsay, the Raiders were a "bunch of white-bread kids doing their best to sound black. We got signed toColumbia on the strength of sounding like this."[17] Both the Kingsmen and the Raiders recorded "Louie Louie" in the same studio Northwestern Motion Pictures and Sound Recordings, Inc. (NWI) inPortland, Oregon, in April 1963. Sources concur that the Kingsmen session was first but vary on the date of the Raiders recording.[18] Soon after, the Raiders added guitaristDrake Levin (replacing Charlie Coe, who had replaced “Louie Louie” soloist Steve West) and bassist Mike "Doc" Holiday (replacing Dick Walker and replaced in early 1965 byPhil Volk).[19]
In 1965, the Raiders began recording a string ofgarage rock classics. Under the guidance of producerTerry Melcher, the group relocated to Los Angeles and increasingly emulated the sounds ofBritish Invasion bands such asthe Beatles,the Rolling Stones,the Dave Clark Five, andthe Animals, while adding an American,R&B feel. Their first major national hit, "Just Like Me", was one of the first rock records to feature a distinctive, double-tracked guitar solo, performed by guitarist Drake Levin.[12] A late 1965 release, the single peaked at No. 11 onBillboard's Hot 100 in January 1966 during a then-lengthy 15-week run.
Their Hot 100 hits from this period include "Kicks" (No. 4), "Hungry" (No. 6), "The Great Airplane Strike" (No. 20), "Good Thing" (No. 4) and "Him or Me – What's It Gonna Be?" (No. 5).Of these, "Kicks" emerged as their best-known hit – a hip-sounding record with an anti-drug message, written byBarry Mann andCynthia Weil and originally earmarked forthe Animals. (Mann later revealed in interviews that the song was written about their friend, fellow 1960s songwriterGerry Goffin, whose ongoing drug problems were interfering with his career and his relationship with then wifeCarole King.)[20]
The band appeared regularly in the U.S. on national television, most notably onDick Clark'sWhere the Action Is,Happening '68, andIt's Happening, the latter two co-hosted by Revere and Lindsay. In November 1966, the band appeared as themselves performing a song on the popularBatman television series in the episode "Hizzonner the Penguin".
The Raiders had an endorsement deal with theVox Amplifier Company through its U.S. distributor, theThomas Organ Company, with Revere using theVox Continental combo organ and Volk occasionally playing theVox Phantom IV bass. When performing, the entire band was plugged into Vox Super Beatle amplifiers. The band was reported to be the first major band in history to tour with all members amplified, including sidemen such as horn players.[21] When Levin left the group in 1966 to join the National Guard he was replaced by Jim Valley, another Northwest musician the Raiders had met during their days playing the Portland and Seattle music circuits. Valley was dubbed "Harpo" by the other Raiders due to a vague resemblance to the famous Marx brother.[19]
By mid-1967, having released five albums in just over two years, the Raiders were Columbia's top-selling rock group. TheirGreatest Hits album released that spring was one of two releases selected byClive Davis to test a higher list price for albums expected to be particularly popular (along withBob Dylan's Greatest Hits).[22]
At the height of the group's popularity, Valley, Volk, and Smith left the band. The split happened for a number of reasons, among them being the feeling that the group was prevented from evolving into a more egalitarian creative team, upset at being replaced by studio musicians on recordings (Volk denied this and said thatthe Wrecking Crew were hired by Melcher and Lindsay only to augment the band)[23][24][25] and unhappy with a continued teen-oriented direction while a more serious rock 'n' roll style was emerging.[26]
Valley was the first to leave.[19] Levin completed his National Guard service and rejoined the band during its spring 1967 tour. In April, Levin, Volk, and Smith flew to New York together when the Raiders were booked to perform onThe Ed Sullivan Show. Revere was upset about Valley, Volk, and Smith leaving the group, blaming Levin for their departures. Levin showed up at theEd Sullivan Theater to perform with Volk and Smith for the very last time, but Revere refused to let him play.[27] Unbeknownst to the group, Revere had hired a new guitar player,Freddy Weller, to perform that night. Levin held no grudges about this; he showed Weller the chords to the songs and watched from the wings as the Raiders made their one and only appearance on Sullivan's show on April 30, 1967. It was the only time that the lineup of Revere, Lindsay, Smith, Volk, and Weller performed together. The following month, Volk and Smith left, subsequently rejoining Levin to form the band Brotherhood which would release two albums onRCA Records.[26] Charlie Coe, who had played guitar for the group in 1963, rejoined the band on bass, and Joe Correro Jr. was recruited as the new drummer.
By 1968, changing musical tastes rendered the group and its matching revolutionary war costumes unfashionable,[28] but they still continued to have modest hits through the rest of the decade, including "Peace of Mind", "I Had a Dream", "Too Much Talk", "Don't Take It So Hard", "Cinderella Sunshine", "Mr. Sun, Mr. Moon", and "Let Me!", which became their firstgold record. On January 6, 1968, just four months after the cancellation ofWhere The Action Is, Revere and Lindsay returned to the air as hosts of a new Dick Clark-produced show in which the Raiders made several appearances,Happening '68 (later shortened toHappening). This weekly series was joined from July to September that year by a Clark-produced daily seriesIt's Happening, also hosted by Revere and Lindsay. In August 1968, bassist Coe left the group again to get married and was replaced by formerAction heartthrobKeith Allison. According to authorDerek Taylor, the Raiders were seen as "irrelevances. . . . Nervous citizens felt reassured that some good safe things never changed".[29]
Terry Melcher ended his association with the group to focus on other artists and Mark Lindsay produced and arranged all records beginning with the psychedelic albumSomething Happening. The band moved further away from its garage rock roots and adopted a more layered, complex sound onSomething Happening and the follow-up albumsHard 'N' Heavy (with Marshmallow) andAlias Pink Puzz. (According toallmusic.com, Pink Puzz was the identity under which the Raiders first tried to get the album played on FM radio, a gambit that failed though the band kept the joke name for the album title.).
The success of "Let Me!" allowed Paul Revere and the Raiders to tour Europe with theBeach Boys in the summer of 1969 (they also recorded two songs for the long running German music programBeat-Club). The band also performed a specially written song and appeared in a television commercial for Pontiac's new GTO-branded muscle car, "The Judge". The group was also invited to appear at theWoodstock festival but reportedly turned down the invitation.[citation needed] Later in 1969,Happening ended its run on television and Lindsay released a hit single as a solo artist, "Arizona", written byKenny Young, which peaked at No. 10 on theBillboard chart.
In an effort to change the band's sound and image, its name was officially shortened to "Raiders" starting with the 1970 albumCollage.[30] It drew a glowing review fromRolling Stone magazine, with criticLenny Kaye singling out Lindsay for praise: "[He] never fails to give the impression that he knows what he's doing. Almost single-handedly, he's brought the Raiders to a stronger position than they've occupied in years".[12][31]Collage proved to be a commercial failure (No. 154 on theBillboard 200) and Lindsay began to turn toward solo projects.[32] Joe Correro departed after their spring tour ended and replaced by his predecessor Mike Smith.[12]
The Raiders achieved their greatest success with their cover ofJohn D. Loudermilk's "Indian Reservation", which was brought to the band by Columbia A&R man Jack Gold.[26] Revere worked to promote the single and "Indian Reservation" peaked at No. 1 for one week in July 1971.[12][33] It became Columbia's biggest-selling single for almost a decade, clearing over six million units. The success of the single was followed by the album of the same name that reached No. 19 and consisted mainly of covers. The group expanded to include drummer Omar Martinez and keyboardist Bob Wooley.[citation needed]
The last Raiders album,Country Wine (1972), failed to crack theBillboard 200. Later that year, they began preparation on follow up album,Love Music. The intended title track was released as a promotion for the project, but it reached only No. 97, marking the Raiders' final chart appearance[34] and the album being shelved by Columbia. Without a chart presence, the band was relegated to playing lounges and state fairs as an "oldies" act, a situation Revere found pleasing, but not Lindsay.[19] Weller and Smith departed in December 1972, Weller being replaced by guitaristDoug Heath.
Lineup changes ensued in early 1975, with Mark Lindsay departing after a gig atKnott's Berry Farm. He recorded two final singles for Warner Bros. records in 1977, then turned his attentions to film scoring and commercials. He was also head of A&R (artists & repertoire) forUnited Artists Records in the 1970s.Keith Allison departed in April 1975, to be replaced byRon Foos."[12]
Country music was the choice of former guitaristFreddy Weller, who had much success on the country charts before, starting with his country version ofJoe South's "Games People Play" in 1969 reaching no. 2 on the country charts as well as recording albums (his first two solo albums were produced by Mark Lindsay), and Top 10 singles on the country singles charts such as his covers ofChuck Berry's "Promised Land",the Cowsills' "Indian Lake", as well as "These Are Not My People" and "Another Night of Love" for Columbia during this time while with the Raiders, as well as after leaving the Raiders. (Freddy's stint was 1967–1973.)[citation needed]
In a memorable event, Revere married for the second time on July 4,Bicentennial Year 1976 onstage at a Raiders show.[35] Revere announced his retirement from the music business at the end of 1976, but was back on the road by 1978 with a new cast of Raiders. Along with guitarist Doug Heath, Revere linked in this period with a group called "Louie Fontaine & the Rockets", and went on the road with them as "Paul Revere & the Raiders", featuring Blair Hill ("Louie Fontaine") as lead vocalist. This configuration even appeared as "Paul Revere's Raiders" without Paul, for a while in 1978. The "classic" lineup of Revere, Lindsay, Levin, Volk, and Smith reunited for a final time with Dick Clark on national television in 1979 and performed a medley of their biggest hits. The same year "Indian Reservation" was covered by the German groupOrlando Riva Sound.[36]
Thepunk rock andnew wave eras saw a wave of interest in the Raiders' music; "I'm Not Your Stepping Stone" was covered bythe Sex Pistols,Minor Threat, Berkeley'sFang, andLiverpool bandthe Farm – althoughthe Monkees' version was better known than the Raiders'. "Just Like Me" was covered bythe Circle Jerks,Joan Jett andPat Benatar.David Bowie covered "Louie, Go Home".The Who recorded the song in 1965, changing the title and lyrics to "Lubie (Come Back Home)", and released it in 1985 on a rarities album and in 2002 on the deluxe edition reissue of their first albumMy Generation. "Hungry" was covered bySammy Hagar. TheFlamin' Groovies tackled three Raiders songs ("Him or Me – What's It Gonna Be?", "Sometimes" and "Ups and Downs") and The Morrells did a country-tinged arrangement of "Ups and Downs" as well. ThePaisley Underground,garage rock revival, andgrunge movements all acknowledged the Raiders' influence. "Kicks" was covered byMicky Dolenz andPeter Tork ofthe Monkees as one of three new recordings included on their 1986 compilation,Then & Now... The Best of The Monkees.[citation needed]
Mark Lindsay cut a version of "Ups And Downs" in 1994 withCarla Olson, which appeared on herReap The Whirlwind album.
Revere continued with a relatively stable lineup through the 80's and 90's, featuring longtime members Omar Martinez (drums and vocals since 1972), Doug Heath (guitarist for the Raiders since 1973), Ron Foos (bass, Allison's replacement in 1975), Danny Krause (keyboards, vocals since 1980) and lead vocalist Carlo Driggs (who replacedMichael Bradley). New record releases included the self-producedSpecial Edition in 1983, with Michael Bradley on vocals, andPaul Revere Rides Again, released in 1983 throughRadio Shack stores. They also recorded a home video forMCA Universal in 1987 titled "The Last Madman of Rock 'N' Roll". Revere's son Jamie joined the band on guitar for several years in the 1990s, featured onGeneric Rock & Roll (1992) andGeneric Rock 2 (1996).
On September 19, 1997, four of the group's classic lineup (Lindsay, Levin, Volk and Smith) reunited in full costume (without Revere) for a 30th anniversary performance in Portland. In 2000Sundazed Records released a two-CD package entitledMojo Workout that focused on the R&B and soul sounds from early in the Raiders' Columbia career. In 2001, the Raiders releasedRide to the Wall, featuring several new songs, along with their versions of 1960s hits, with proceeds going to helpveterans of the Vietnam War. They performed atRolling Thunder'sMemorial Day event in Washington D.C. in 2001 for POW-MIA's of the Vietnam era. A steady touring schedule kept Paul and his "new Raiders" in the public eye. Keith Allison, who played in the Raiders from 1968 to 1975, has since gone into acting, and appeared in the filmsPhantom of the Paradise andGods and Generals[37] among others.
On October 13, 2007, Paul Revere & the Raiders, along with their manager Roger Hart, were inducted into theOregon Music Hall of Fame. Lindsay, Volk, and Roger Hart were present to accept their awards. In 2010, the band was inducted into theHit Parade Hall of Fame. Revere announced his retirement from the band in August 2014; the group planned to tour without him as "Paul Revere's Raiders". In October 2014, the band's web site announced that Revere had died "peacefully" on October 4, 2014, at hisGarden Valley, Idaho home, a "small estate overlooking a tranquil river canyon", from cancer. He was 76 years old.[7][38]
On October 10, 2014, at the Los Angeles Forum,Tom Petty performed "I'm Not Your Stepping Stone", dedicating it to Revere, acknowledging his death that week.[39]
Phil Volk tours with his own band, Fang & The Gang. He was married toWhere The Action Is regular Tina Mason from 1967 until her death in 2021.
After leaving the Raiders in 1967, Jim Valley continued to perform and hone his songwriting skills in a variety of acts. He was signed as a solo artist by Dunhill Records and released two singles. He subsequently moved back to his native Northwest, playing with several rock acts including Sweet Talking Jones and the Shoestring Orchestra & Choir. He became an acclaimed and award-winning children's music artist and educator, traveling the world as an emissary of the "Rainbow Planet". Valley continues to work with children, write and record his own albums, as well as perform live.[40]
Joe Correro Jr., the Raiders' drummer from 1967 to 1971, performs as part of the Los Angeles-based Richard Sherman Trio jazz combo. Bassist Mike "Doc" Holiday and guitarist/bassist Charlie Coe made a special guest appearance with Mark Lindsay at a show in Boise, Idaho in 1996. They both reside in Idaho. Righteous BrothersBill Medley's son, Darrin, sang and performed with Paul Revere & the Raiders.[citation needed]
Another Darren, Darren Dowler, followed Darrin Medley as lead vocalist of the Raiders. Coincidentally, Darren Dowler also sang with Darrin Medley's father's group,the Righteous Brothers Band singing the parts formerly sung by tenor, recording greatBobby Hatfield. Dowler, the current vocalist, has also performed withthe Lettermen,the Jordanaires,the Fifth Dimension,Gary Puckett,Mitch Ryder and was the first guitarist forthe Backstreet Boys in 1991 before they hit mega stardom. Dowler, also an actor and filmmaker, appeared in such films asEagle Eye withBilly Bob Thornton andHancock withWill Smith. In 2014 he starred in, wrote, and directed the filmsRock and Roll the Movie andChristmas In Hollywood. In 2014, Revere commissioned Dowler to compose an album of original songs for a new Raider album, the first all original album in 35 years.[41][42]
After ending his second stint with the Raiders in 1972, drummerMike "Smitty" Smith moved toKona, Hawaii and continued performing for several groups in that region. He died of natural causes on March 6, 2001, at age 58.[43]
Drake Levin became an accomplished blues guitarist, playing in and forming numerous groups in theSan Francisco Bay Area. He died at his home in San Francisco on July 4, 2009, at the age of 62 after a long battle with cancer.[44]
The group's founder, vocalist and keyboard player Paul Revere died of cancer at his home inGarden Valley, Idaho on October 4, 2014, aged 76.[45] His funeral, held at theCathedral of the Rockies inBoise, Idaho, was attended by, amongst others, former Idaho GovernorDirk Kempthorne.[46] The group then became "Paul Revere’s Raiders", continuing to perform until April 3, 2022, after which the name was retired.
Carl "Carlo" Driggs, Paul Revere & the Raiders' longest-serving lead singer (a 20-year-plus span), was formerly lead vocalist forKracker, a band that toured Europe as an opening act for (and had their albums distributed outside America by)the Rolling Stones. He followed this with his tenure in the Latin/disco groupFoxy, who scored a no. 1 hit on theHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart (no. 9 onBillboard's Hot 100) with "Get Off", which was co-written by Driggs. On May 31, 2017, Driggs died of a heart attack at his home in Miami, Florida, at the age of 67.[47]
Keith Allison, who was a member of the Raiders from 1968 to 1975, died at his home inSherman Oaks, California on November 17, 2021, at the age of 79.[48]
Paul Revere & the Raiders were classified as agarage rock,[1]proto-punk,[2]rock and roll[4] andpop band.[49] The band's early sound combined fast-paced, guitar-and-vocal-dominated rock with an intimidatingR&B flavor.[4] before shifting to apsychedelic pop sound.[3]Quentin Tarantino, who used music from the band in his filmOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), categorized Paul Revere & the Raiders as abubblegum band.[50]
1970'sCollage saw the band make an effort to distance themselves from their former image as anAM radio singles band, utilizing "fuzzy guitar noodling, time signature changes, groovy horn charts à laBlood, Sweat & Tears, trippy headphone cross-fading, and other hip production techniques of the time," according toAllMusic's Cub Koda.[51]Stephen Thomas Erlewine said that the album saw Mark Lindsay "pushing the Raiders toward a harder rock, part way between the fuzz guitars ofGrand Funk and horns ofChicago, accentuated by lingering affection forcountry-rock andsoul."[52]
Paul Revere & the Raiders and their manager Roger Hart were inducted into theOregon Music Hall of Fame on 13 October 2007. In 2010 the band was inducted into theHit Parade Hall of Fame. Thegarage rock revival andgrunge movements—and individual acts such as thePaisley Underground—have cited the Raiders as an influence.
In 2004, "Kicks" ranked no. 400 onRolling Stone's list ofThe 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Additionally, "Just Like Me" is included amongThe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.[53][54]
Quentin Tarantino's 2019 filmOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood, set in 1969, featured three of the band's top 20 hits on theBillboard Hot 100 —"Hungry" (1966), "Good Thing" (1966) and "Mr. Sun, Mr. Moon" (1969)—and the 1968 B-side "Theme From It's Happening".
Hard-working American rock & roll band of the 1960s who gained plenty of hits but suffered in comparison with their flashier British counterparts.
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