Midnight Ride (album)

Midnight Ride is the fifth studio album by American rock band Paul Revere & the Raiders; released by Columbia Records (CS 9308). Produced by Terry Melcher and released in May 1966, the album featured the U.S. top five single "Kicks."[2] The album also includes "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone," The Monkees' version of which became a U.S. Top 20 hit in 1967.[3]

Midnight Ride
Studio album by
Paul Revere & the Raiders
ReleasedMay 6, 1966
Recorded1966
GenreRock and roll[1]
Length29:08
LabelColumbia
ProducerTerry Melcher
Paul Revere & the Raiders chronology
Just Like Us!
(1966)		 Midnight Ride
(1966)		 The Spirit of '67
(1966)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

The album is unique in the band's discography in that it contains songwriting credits by all five bandmembers.[4] Stylistic changes, combined with arguments over which group members were to get their songs included on the band's albums, resulted in lead guitarist Drake Levin quitting the group following the release of Midnight Ride.[4] The album also marked the end of the band's relationship with the Brill Building music publishing house, where "Kicks" and "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" were written.[5]

Release and reception

Midnight Ride peaked at number nine on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart.[6] The album was certified gold in the U.S. on March 20, 1967.[7] Music critic Bruce Eder said the album "marked just about the pinnacle of Paul Revere & the Raiders' history as a source of great albums."[4] The album was described in Billboard magazine as a "package of hard driving, pulsating rockers."[8] Serene Dominic of the Phoenix New Times called the album "proof that [the band] squandered not a minute of that massive TV exposure."[5] It is listed in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die by Robert Dimery and Michael Lydon.[9]

In 1986 the song "Kicks" was covered by the Monkees as an album track on their album Then & Now... The Best of The Monkees.

Midnight Ride was remastered and re-released on February 1, 2000 by Sundazed Records with bonus tracks.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Mark Lindsay and Paul Revere, except where noted

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Kicks"Cynthia Weil, Barry Mann2:28
2."There's Always Tomorrow"Drake Levin, Mike Smith2:39
3."Little Girl in the 4th Row" 2:58
4."Ballad of a Useless Man"Levin2:08
5."(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone"Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart2:31
6."There She Goes" 1:47
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."All I Really Need Is You" 3:27
2."Get It On"Levin, Phil Volk3:12
3."Louie, Go Home" 2:41
4."Take a Look at Yourself" 1:48
5."Melody For an Unknown Girl" 1:59

Sundazed Records 2000 version
  1. "Kicks" (Mann, Weil) — 2:28
  2. "There's Always Tomorrow" (Levin, Smith) — 2:39
  3. "Little Girl in the 4th Row" (Lindsay, Revere) — 2:58
  4. "Ballad of a Useless Man" (Levin) — 2:08
  5. "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" (Boyce, Hart) — 2:31
  6. "There She Goes" (Lindsay, Revere) — 1:47
  7. "All I Really Need Is You" (Lindsay, Revere) — 3:27
  8. "Get It On" (Levin, Volk) — 3:12
  9. "Louie, Go Home" (Lindsay, Revere) — 2:41
  10. "Take a Look at Yourself" (Lindsay, Revere) — 1:48
  11. "Melody For an Unknown Girl" (Lindsay, Revere) — 1:59
  12. "Shake It Up" (Bonus track)
  13. "Little Girl In The 4th Row" (Italian Version) (Bonus track)
  14. "SS 396" (Bonus track)
  15. "Corvair Baby" (Bonus track)

Chart performance
Chart (1966) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard 200[6] 9

Credits and personnel
  • Mark Lindsay – lead vocals (1, 3-7, 9-11), percussion
  • Drake Levin – guitar, backing vocals, liner notes
  • Paul Revere – organ, backing vocals, arranger
  • Phil "Fang" Volk – bass guitar, backing and lead (8) vocals, liner notes
  • Mike "Smitty" Smith – drums, lead vocals (2)
  • Hal Blaine – drums on "Kicks"
  • Bob Irwin – mastering
  • Terry Melcher – arranger, producer
  • Rich Russell – design

References
  1. Allmusic review
  2. "Paul Revere & the Raiders - Charts & Awards - Billboard Singles". Allmusic (Rovi Corporation). Retrieved 2009-09-11.
  3. "The Monkees - Charts & Awards - Billboard Singles". Allmusic (Rovi Corporation). Retrieved 2009-09-11.
  4. Eder, Bruce. "Midnight Ride - Review". Allmusic (Rovi Corporation). Retrieved 2009-09-11.
  5. Dominic, Serene. "Phoenix Music - Paul Revere and the Raiders". Phoenix New Times (New Times Media). Archived from the original on 2012-11-03. Retrieved 2009-09-11.
  6. "Paul Revere & the Raiders - Charts & Awards - Billboard Albums". Allmusic (Rovi Corporation). Retrieved 2009-09-11.
  7. "RIAA - Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Archived from the original on 2007-06-26. Retrieved 2009-09-11.
  8. "Album Reviews". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 78 (21): 68. 1966-05-28. Retrieved 2009-09-11.
  9. ^ Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (23 March 2010). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2.
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