Paul Revere & the Raiders | |
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The band in 1967. Front L–R: Paul Revere, Mike Smith. Center L–R: Jim Valley, Mark Lindsay. Back: Phil Volk
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Background information | |
Also known as | The Downbeats |
Origin | Boise, Idaho, U.S. |
Genres | Pop rock, rock and roll, garage rock |
Years active | 1958–1976, 1978–present |
Labels | Columbia |
Website | paulrevereraiders |
Past members | Paul Revere † Mark Lindsay Robert White † Richard White † William Hibbard Dick McGarvin Red Hughes David Bell Jerry Labrum † Andrea Loper Mike "Smitty" Smith † Ross Allemang Steve West Dick Walker Charlie Coe Drake "Kid" Levin † Mike "Doc" Holliday Phil "Fang" Volk Jim "Harpo" Valley Freddy Weller Joe Correro, Jr. Keith Allison Omar Martinez Robert Wooley Blair Hill Michael Bradley Carlo Driggs Doug Heath Ron Foos Danny Krause Jamie Revere Darren Dowler Tommy Scheckel †Deceased |
Paul Revere & the Raiders was an American rock band that saw considerable U.S. mainstream success in the second half of the 1960s and early 1970s. Among their hits were the songs "Kicks" (1966; ranked No. 400 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time), "Hungry" (1966), "Him Or Me – What's It Gonna Be?" (1967) and the Platinum-certified classic No. 1 single "Indian Reservation" (1971).
Initially based in Boise, Idaho, the Raiders began as an instrumental rock band led by organist and founder Paul Revere Dick (January 7, 1938 – October 4, 2014). The band relocated to Portland, Oregon, when Revere returned from serving in the armed forces in 1962.
In his early 20s, Revere owned several restaurants in Caldwell, Idaho, and first met singer Mark Lindsay (born March 9, 1942, Eugene, Oregon) while picking up hamburger buns from the bakery where Lindsay worked. 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 the Pacific Northwest in 1961, with the instrumental "Like, Long Hair". The record had enough national appeal that it peaked at No. 38 on the Billboard chart on April 17, 1961. When Revere was drafted for military service, he became a conscientious objector 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 in Wilsonville, Oregon. On the strength of their Top 40 single, Lindsay toured the U.S. in the summer of 1961 with a band that featured Leon Russell taking Revere's place on piano.