House lights in the Andy Williams Theater in Branson, Mo., dimmed, and the audience, filled with the faces of baby boomers and a surprising number of youth, watched eagerly as the huge curtain slowly rose revealing a band wearing dramatic costumes that would have been common attire during the Revolutionary War.
And then the music started.
The faces of the Baby Boomers broke into smiles, feet started tapping, hands clapping as Paul Revere and the Raiders began singing one of their biggest hits, “Kicks.” Teenagers in the audience studied this unique combination of costume, stage lights and a band beating out unfamiliar tunes with reserved curiosity initially.
Then their heads started bobbing, their feet tapping as they began enjoying the fast, hard-driving beats. The diverse audience watched enthralled for more than an hour as the last “mad man” of music and consummate entertainer added organ music to rock classics from the 1960s and early 1970s with witty repartee and humorous stunts that captured the crowd’s attention. Once again, Paul Revere had won the day.
After the show I asked one of the younger audience members, a 14-year-old boy, what he thought:
“I really didn’t want to come here because I never heard of them,” he admitted. “My folks made me come. But their songs were really good, I had a great time. And that guy was really funny too – the one who asked if we realized that Captain Crunch had a band.”
I didn’t bother telling the young man that when I was about his age, “that guy,” who does somewhat resemble a cereal box character, made me laugh with the wild antics on his weekly television show. Paul Revere is still a funny man! In fact, attend several Paul Revere and the Raiders shows and you’ll see the band laughing on stage at jokes they have heard many times before.
“We never know what he is going to say,” Doug Heath, longtime Raider’s guitarist said. “Sometimes he messes up, and we wait to watch him dig out of the hole he created. His adlibbing keeps us on our toes. His motor is always running and so is his sense of humor.”
On stage, Revere goes into another quick, crisp dialog of jokes about his band, Branson, Missouri, and the past:
“We are going to sing some of our hits from 40 years ago. We have to – haven’t had a hit since.”
Then they sing another song, “Him or Me,” one of 20 hit tunes most of the audience recognizes before applauding for this heroic American band. You see, Paul Revere and his Raiders stood up to the British invasion and won, even against the Beatles. They constantly had hits. They were rock and roll royalty throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s.
“The Rolling Stones opened on the road for us early in our career,” Revere announced. “I wonder whatever happened to that band.”
EARLY SUCCESS: The group formed as a pop/rock group called the Downbeats in Boise, Idaho, in 1958, and their name soon changed to Paul Revere and the Raiders. They cut a demo tape that ended up in the hands of John Guss, owner of Gardena records in Los Angeles. He told them he would release their first record, a good decision.
Soon after, the Raiders were the first rock group signed to a contract with Columbia records. But their biggest break was likely performing as the house band for Dick Clark’s “Where the Action is,” his replacement show for “American Bandstand.” Millions of kids rushed home from school to watch this rock and roll gem where Revere’s music was featured with other top acts. They departed the show in 1966.
The group later appeared on another Dick Clark weekday show from July 1968 to July 1969 on ABC called “It’s Happening,” followed by another Dick Clark show in 1977 titled “The Good Old Days,” a short-lived series. Lead singer, Mark Lindsey, and Revere were the co-hosts of the afternoon 25-minute-long music variety show.
THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME: Paul Revere and the Raiders sold close to 50 million records worldwide with at least 20 gold records. So why is this remarkable band not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
“Our names have been up for the Hall, but we are always passed over,” Revere concedes. “Maybe they’ll bring us in one of these days.”
This writer believes that “one of these days” should be now. Paul Revere and the Raiders had my attention when I was 14 in 1967, and more than four decades later, they garnered the attention and adoration of the 14-year-old boy at Andy William’s Theater in Branson. I am still a fan. Packed shows and arenas around the country prove there is still many more “Just Like Me.”
They are still rocking the house and creating new fans. I wonder how many in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame can claim such success?
For more information about the band and their scheduled appearances, check out their Web site at paulrevereandtheraiders.com. You can see their show in Branson at the Andy Williams Theater by calling: 1-800-666-6094.
