Paul Revere and the Raiders Riding into Wildwood

WILDWOOD — How do you describe a rock n’ roll band that conquered radio, television and teen magazines like a revolution? How about Paul Revere and The Raiders, the headliners of the Sensational Sixties Concert April 24?
Before they started racking up a long stretch of hit records, they appeared in our living rooms on a daily ABC Television show in 1965-66 from Malibu Beach produced by Dick Clark, called “Where the Action Is.” It was a sort of outdoor version of American Bandstand minus Clark.
While The Monkees drew worldwide fame for the 58 episodes for their television show, Paul Revere and The Raiders appeared on 520 episodes of “Action.” In 1968-1969, they moved to a weekly show, “Happening.”
The Raiders’ hit singles included “Indian Reservation,” “Steppin’ Out,” “Kicks,” “Just Like Me,” “Good Thing,” “The Great Airplane Strike,” “Hungry” and “Him or Me.”
To clear up a long-standing rumor, Paul Revere told the Herald he is not related to that other Revere who took a midnight ride in 1775.
“That must have been one I started,” he said.
And yes, in high school, he threw a typewriter out a second story window and rode his motorcycle through a school hallway and down a flight of stairs.
“I was kind of an over-the-top clown,” said Revere. “That was my way of getting attention and making people laugh.”
There are various stories of how the Raiders decided on their Revolutionary War costumes. Revere said it was partially a way of being America’s answer to the British invasion of 1964 that brought the Beatles, Dave Clark Five, Herman’s Hermits and many other bands to our shore. Two band members saw the costumes for rent in a shop window and picked them up as a gag early in their career, while still paying dances in the northwestern part of the country, he said.
“When the British music invasion kicked in, we were already well established in our little three cornered hats…” said Revere.
He said teen magazines were dying to have a band from America to write about.
“We were in the right place at the right time with the right name and I had the right boss, God bless Dick Clark,” said Revere.
Like the Beatles, throngs of screaming teen girls followed the Raiders. They used “decoy limousines” while the band rode to shows in milk trucks and delivery vans, he said.
“We’d always register at a hotel and not stay at that hotel,” said Revere.
Revere has been recognized as a smart businessman. He said he came from a very poor family in Idaho.
Revere put together concert tours and “made sure the traveling circus showed up on time, rehearsed on time and left on time.”
As soon as The Raiders went on daily television, Revere hired a publicist in Los Angeles and another in New York. The band had a full time photographer providing shots and stories to publicists and teen magazines, he said.
He said the success of the band wasn’t an accident.
The Raiders play about 250 shows per year spending half the year appearing in Branson, Mo. at the Andy Williams Moon River Theater.
Revere works with a foundation called “Ride to the Wall,” that has provided grants to a number of veteran’s organizations. He rode a motorcycle from coast-to-coast stopping at Harley Davidson dealers and veteran’s homes all along the way.
Revere said his wife is from New Jersey and worked in Wildwood about 30 years ago.
The Sensational Sixties concert here April 24 is sponsored by the Greater Wildwood Chamber of Commerce.