Hungry For Some Good Music? It's Just Like Me to Give You a Good Thing

Sometimes a band is ahead of its time, where even though they have commercial success, you can't really appreciate just how inventive they actually were. Add in the fact that they dressed in Revolutionary War costumes, and the tendency was to dismiss them for not being serious musicians.

That's why it's my job to make you listen to the music.

Paul Revere and the Raiders were an Oregon based band popular in the mid-late 60's and into the 70's. Led by Paul Revere Dick, they had a string of great songs, many of which dealt with topics not usually written about in song at the time. "Kicks," was written by the famous songwriting team of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, and was a cautionary tale about trying to find the magic of life through drugs. "Just Like Me" would later be covered by Joan Jett and Pat Benatar. "Hungry, about wanting all the good things in life, would be covered by Sammy Hagar. They sang about the plight of the American Indian in "Indian Reservation." In 1967, there was an strike of the major airlines, the Raiders had a hit song about it.

Back in the 60's Dick Clark had an afternoon TV show called Where the Action Is, and Paul Revere and the Raiders were regulars on it. Later they also were part of another couple of video heavy shows called Happening '68 and It's Happening. While the group changed members over the years, the front man for their heyday was Mark Lindsey, a pony-tailed hearthrob back in the day, who along with many of the members of the group, was well respected in his field.

Paul Revere turns 75 today and is still going strong...band and all.

Listen to some great stuff.

"Hungry"  ...I can almost taste it now
"Just Like Me" ...change the arrangement and this could be a hit in any decade
"Kicks" ...complete with the dancing girls
"Midnite Ride" ...a very tongue-in-cheek story of Paul Revere
"Good Thing" ...one of the sexiest starts to a record, ever.
"The Great Airplane Strike" ...just fun

Happy Birthday Paul...still getting a kick out of your music after all these years.

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Dick Clark: Remembering American Bandstand

"It has a good beat and you can dance to it." That was what you weren't supposed to say when you were picked to Rate-A-Record on American Bandstand. The only problem was...everyone said exactly that.

As a kid, I watched AB religiously. It was where we found out about new music and where you were able to see all the artists perform. All of them. From Tony Bennet to Buffalo Springfield to The Jackson Five, Rare Earth, Little Richard...it did not matter what type of music, American Bandstand had it all. Hearing all the different types of music so early in my life, had to play a huge part in my appreciation for almost all types of music today.

Then there was the man himself, Dick Clark. Always a gentleman, always smooth as glass, always on top of the music. His contribution to music world can never be measured. All I know, is throughout my youth...he mattered a great deal.

Most of the clips of American Bandstand are not available but here are a few to showcase the diversity that was American Bandstand.

Jerry Lee Lewis "Great Balls of Fire"
Michael Jackson  "Push Me Away"
The Doors "Light My Fire"
and who could forget Sheena Easton "Strut"

Thank you Dick Clark.
"So long"....easy journey.

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