When we talk about finding good songs, the year 2011 might come to mind for some recent hits. But the truth is, the quest for truly great music spans across decades. What makes a song “good” often transcends trends and eras, and sometimes looking back at music from the past helps us understand what endures. Let’s take a trip back to a time when garage rock ruled and bands burst onto the scene with energy and unforgettable tunes. We’re talking about Paul Revere & the Raiders, a band whose music, even decades later, still defines what makes a song truly “good.”
For many, the image of Paul Revere & the Raiders is synonymous with the vibrant 1960s music scene. Imagine tuning into Where the Action Is after school in 1965 and being greeted by these guys in full Revolutionary War regalia, rocking out on Southern California beaches. It might seem quirky now, but back then, their organ-driven garage rock was pure excitement. They weren’t just another band; they were a force of nature, captivating audiences with a sound that was both raw and undeniably catchy.
Recently, Legacy Records released The Essential Paul Revere & the Raiders, a two-disc collection that serves as a powerful reminder of their place in rock history. Emerging from the fertile Pacific Northwest scene alongside bands like the Kingsmen, the Sonics, and the Wailers, the Raiders were pioneers. They hold the distinction of being the first rock band signed to Columbia Records, and their legacy is intertwined with the legendary, and often debated, origins of the garage rock anthem “Louie Louie.”
The Raiders weren’t just about one song; they were hitmakers. Tracks like “Just Like Me,” “Kicks,” and “Good Thing” are infused with a youthful exuberance that is timeless, thanks in part to the production genius of Terry Melcher, son of Doris Day. Beyond the studio, they were television mainstays, hosting shows like It’s Happening and gracing the stage of The Ed Sullivan Show.
Interestingly, their first No. 1 hit, “Indian Reservation,” didn’t come until 1971, a time when lead singer Mark Lindsay was already exploring a solo career. Originally intended as a solo track for Lindsay, it became a Raider anthem. In a recent conversation, Lindsay, who continues to perform today, shared insights into the band’s history and enduring appeal.
Geezerville: The liner notes of the new set mention the band played an event in Oregon called the Seaside Riots. Were they literally riots?
Mark Lindsay: There was a place in Oregon where all the kids from there and Washington would come for spring break. But as kids will be, sometimes it would get out of hand. After a few years of being inundated by sex-crazed and alcohol-fueled teenagers, the town of Seaside got fed up and tried to close it down. So the kids just rioted. They called the National Guard.
Geezerville: And the Raiders were the soundtrack for it?
Mark Lindsay: We tried to soothe the savage beasts as they say.
Geezerville: The Raiders were the first rock band signed to Columbia Records. Did the label know what they were getting into?
Mark Lindsay: There was a lot of pressure on CBS. Other labels were having great success, like Capitol with the Beach Boys. So Mitch Miller, their head of A&R who hated rock & roll, thought, “It’s OK, this music can’t last, it’ll pass soon and I’ll get back to doing what I like.” But it’s funny most music will have a decade, maybe fifteen years, but this thing just keeps on rolling.
Geezerville: How much input did Terry Melcher allow the band when he produced you?
Mark Lindsay: Well, he had a lot of influence. Early on Terry and I hit it off. I loved the studio and I would hang around even when he was doing other projects. Eventually he had his own studio and we ended up writing and having a string of hits together. He was an incredible producer; he knew exactly what to do. He was pretty much the sixth Raider, very instrumental in the sound of the group, picking the material, and helping to write it. I miss him. Unfortunately, he passed away a couple of years ago.
Geezerville: The Raiders appeared on Ed Sullivan only once. I understand there was a problem surrounding that.
Mark Lindsay: They wanted us to play live – nobody lip-synced on the Sullivan show. I went to the producers, because we had two new guys in the band and they didn’t really know the material. I told them there was no way we could do it and to not embarrass them and ourselves. So I arranged to have a backing tape of the music and I would sing live. When Sullivan introduced us, the backing tape didn’t start right away and he got mad. Mr. Warmth wasn’t too happy after that.
Geezerville: I bet a lot of people don’t know you wrote “Freeborn Man.” That song was a Southern rock anthem in the 1970s and has become a bluegrass standard.
Mark Lindsay: People think that Bill Monroe or Jimmy Martin wrote it. I heard Monroe do it on the Grand Ole Opry one night and went, “Yeah!”
Geezerville: Has it ever been settled who was the first to record “Louie Louie”?
Mark Lindsay: When we first started out in Portland that song was requested at least three times a night. We decided to record it the same time the Kingsmen did because they were also playing it three times a night at their gigs. Paul always said we cut it first, but my memory was of cutting the song and the flipside, which was “Night Train,” which I played sax on. I was putting my sax away and the engineer said to me, “If I were you guys I’d release this right away. The Kingsmen were in here two days ago doing a demo of the same song.”
I know they never cut it twice, so what was the demo probably became the master. So if the engineer was telling the truth and my memory is intact, which it is sometimes, that would mean they recorded it two days before ours. However, when both versions came out in Portland, the Kingsmen’s hometown, theirs sold 600 copies and ours sold 6,000. Ours took off like crazy up and down the coast, until Mitch Miller killed the record. He told his guys not to promote it anymore and soon as that happened, the Kingsmen’s version took off in Boston and the rest is history.
