In part because the group\u2019s leader was named after a hero of the Revolutionary War \u2013 and because the band\u2019s choice of dress doubled down on that image \u2013 Paul Revere and the Raiders have often been thought of as America\u2019s answer to the so-called British Invasion. But in truth, the pianist and bandleader born Paul Revere Dick put his group together in the late 1950s, with a style that was in line with like-minded hard-charging Pacific Northwest bands like The Sonics and The (Fabulous) Wailers.<\/p>\n
And while the campy and wisecracking Revere was the group\u2019s namesake, he wasn\u2019t its front man; that role was ably filled by pony-tailed and powerful singer (and, in the early days, saxophonist) Mark Lindsay. By the time the group hit its mid-sixties commercial stride \u2013 with hits like \u201cJust Like Me,\u201d \u201cGood Thing,\u201d \u201cKicks,\u201d \u201cHungry,\u201d \u201cHim or Me (What\u2019s it Gonna Be)\u201d and many more \u2013 Revere\u2019s musical role in the group would diminish, with him often not even appearing on the recordings. But in the band\u2019s early days, Revere \u2013 who would be co-credited*<\/strong> (with Lindsay) for writing many of the Raiders\u2019 biggest hits \u2013 proved his musical mettle with some fiery rhythm and blues piano work. Here are five tunes that showcase the expansive artistry of Paul Revere, who would have celebrated his 86th birthday this January.<\/p>\n \u201cBeatnick Sticks\u201d (1960)<\/strong>
\nThe debut single from Paul Revere and the Raiders, \u201cBeatnick Sticks\u201d doesn\u2019t traffic in the style for which the group would find well-deserved fame in the mid \u201860s. Instead, the instrumental tune features some sprightly boogie-woogie piano work from bandleader Revere along with a snappy, twangy guitar solo by lead guitarist Robert Wright. With songwriting credited to the group, \u201cBeatnick Sticks\u201d is essentially an r&b reading of the 19th century waltz \u201cChopsticks.\u201d<\/p>\n