Paul Revere & The Raiders

Paul Revere & the Raiders (also known as Raiders) were an American rock band formed in Boise, 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 including Revolutionary War-style clothes in their attire.

Originally an instrumental rock combo called the Downbeats, the Raiders were formed in 1958 by organist Paul Revere, and included singer Mark Lindsay. After charting in 1961 with the minor hit “Like, Long Hair” and then in late 1963 just missing Billboard’s Hot 100 with a cover of “Louie Louie”, the band was signed to Columbia Records, under the tutelage of producer Terry Melcher. In January 1966 the single “Just Like Me”—propelled by exposure on Dick Clark’s shows such as Where 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 a teen 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 albums Just Like Us, Midnight Ride and The Spirit of ‘67 all were gold-certified by the RIAA.

Mark Lindsay replaced Terry Melcher as the Raiders’ producer, and the band scored with the 1969 US no. 20 hit “Let Me” and from the LP Alias Pink Puzz. From early 1970 the band were credited as simply Raiders.In 1971 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 eventually certified platinum in 1996. 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 during the 1960s and 70s, with their most well-known “classic” lineup being: Mark Lindsay (vocals and saxophone), Paul Revere (keyboards), Drake “Kid” Levin (guitar), Phil “Fang” Volk (bass), and Mike Smith (drums).

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