Paul Revere And The Raiders

The music of Paul Revere And The Raiders is a big part of Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, so I took a listen to them recently. They have a new greatest hits package, called Good Thing, and while I didn't realize they had that many hits (there are about two dozen on the album) they did have about half a dozen hits that still resonate.

The group's history stretches back to 1958, when Paul Revere Dick (he wisely dropped the last name) met Mark Lindsay in Portland, Oregon. Lindsay would become the lead singer. In 1965 they started a string of hits that could be classified as "garage rock," but also had a taste of bubblegum to them. "Just Like Me," "Good Thing," and "Hungry" were among them, but the biggest hit from that period was "Kicks," an anti-drug song:

"And don't it seem like Kicks just keep gettin' harder to find
And all your kicks ain't bringin' you peace of mind
Before you find out it's too late, girl
You better get straight
No, but not with kicks you just need help, girl"

The group also had a gimmick--they dressed in American Revolution period clothing--tri-corner hats, puffy shirts, etc. They also, similar to the Monkees, got their own TV show, which I faintly remember. It was a Dick Clark production, variously called Where The Action Is, Happening '68, and It's Happening. They also appeared as themselves on the Batman series.

Tastes changed and the band fell out of favor, but surprisingly they had their biggest hit and only number one with Indian Reservation, which was a cover of a song recorded by Linsday in a solo session but released under the name The Raiders. Written by John Loudermilk, (who also wrote "Tobacco Road") it is a bit of cultural appropriation, as we see a white band expressing the lament of American Indians. Well meaning, but it probably wouldn't happen today.

I imagine Tarantino used their music because it pinpoints an era so precisely. The group really only had a few years of high popularity, though they continued to record and tour under various line-ups for years. Revere died in 2014.