Tag: Paul Revere and The Raiders
The Power Of American Bandstand
By Bob Berry
This week is the anniversary of Paul Revere and The Raiders” “Indian Reservation” hitting Number One on the Keener Guide and the Billboard Magazine Hot 100. It’s also reminder of one of the great lessons of my radio career:
NEVER underestimate the power of American Bandstand!
Spring 1971, I was working at WIBM, a small AM station in Jackson, Michigan. It’s a Saturday, and I’m hanging around my apartment, waiting to do my show. American Bandstand is on the TV, and Dick Clark intro’s a new song by Paul Revere and the Raiders, “Indian Reservation”.
I watch and listen, think “that’s got a chance”, and make a mental note to check into putting in rotation next week. Headed into the station, got on the air, and got call after call for “that new Raiders record”, or the “song about the Indians”. Needless to say, we did not wait for Monday to start playing the song!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ6RjP7MlXk
By the way. “Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian)” was written by John D. Loudermilk, who wrote the 1964 Keener Classics “Thou Shalt Not Steal” by Dick and Dee Dee, and “Tobacco Road” by the Nashville Teens. Mr. Loudermilk also wrote one of the greatest slow dance/spotlight dance songs of all time, 1967’s “Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye” by the Casinos.
We Miss Paul Revere On The 4th of July
By Bob Berry
Sad thought for the 4th of July: Paul Revere will not be with us.
The leader of that All-American band, Paul Revere And The Raiders , will miss the most American of holidays.
And yet. There are memories of 50 plus years of the “The Last Mad Man of Rock and Roll“.
On “Where The Action Is”.
And countless prime-time guest appearances, including “The Brothers Smothers Comedy Hour”.
Or even Paul and the Raiders’ annual trips of the Epcot’s Flower Power Concert Series.
When Paul passed away last October, a fan wrote a letter that was published on the band’s website. In part it read:
“The world will be a lot less fun, a lot less kind and gentle without Paul Revere in it”.
Amen. Until we pull out the CD or Vinyl….AND PLAY IT LOUD!
