I’ll recommend the very slim book by rock critic Dave Marsh, Louie Louie. Although it’s about the song, it takes a necessary detour to discuss the early days of Paul Revere, the formation of the Raiders, and the group’s emergence on the national scene.
The first LP I ever bought was PR&R Midnight Ride.
Paul Revere and the Raiders were quite the musical influence for me.
They were rather a raucous band, unbelievably crazy on stage with Paul a big part of the madness.
I saw them on stage almost 40 years ago and as someone else already stated, they were extraordinarily LOUD but their music was quite good. I saw them when they had THE classic lineup - Paul, Mark, Drake, Phil and Smitty.
On the back of one of their albums, it said that Paul “left” high school after throwing a typewriter out of a closed window! (It’s surprising that’s all he did to get himself thrown out of school.)
RIP Paul (but if you’re in the afterlife, you’ll make sure things are not going to be that peaceful.)
Some iteration of the band played Branson a few years ago.
Edit: looks like they played there last year, I think it’s an ongoing gig.
I remembered a “Fang” in the original line up. So I googled, it was Phil “Fang” Volk. Didn’t they have a contract to use those odd shaped VOX guitars? Besides “Indian Reservation”, “Kicks”, they did “Just Like Me” and “I’m not your Steppin’ Stone”.
I’ve heard the Raiders hits on the radio. Never owned any albums. They were a big part of the 60’s music. I always thought Paul Revere was British. Part of the British music invasion with the Beatles, Animals, and Rolling Stones. But the obits say he was from Nebraska.
Paul Revere was anti-British (“the British are coming”, remember)? So PR & the R would be anti-British-invasion.
I had an album (“Midnight Ride”) and some of their singles on 45 (“Hungry”, iIRC). I know for a fact that “Him or Me, What’s it Gonna Be” is proudly on my ipod playlist.
“Paul Revere” was not, strictly speaking, a stage name. It was 2/3 of the musician’s real name. His full name was Paul Revere Dick (can’t imagine why he dropped his last name!).
About a year ago, I heard him interviewed on an oldies radio station, and naturally, he was asked if he’d ever perform with Mark “Ponytail” Lindsay again. His forthright answer was, “Well, you never say never, but I honestly can’t see it ever happening.” The DJ asked, “Well, what if you ever get elected to the Rock Hall of Fame?” Revere allowed that they’d probably smile and be polite to each other for induction night, but he honestly didn’t think THAT would ever happen either
Too bad- I’d have liked to see them inducted…
They certainly had the British Invasion sound, but Paul Revere & the Raiders were all-American, and actually predated the British Invasion… they were formed in 1958, and first appeared on the Billboard charts in 1961, although their major hits didn’t start until '65.