Midnight Ride (album)

Midnight Ride
Studio album by Paul Revere & the Raiders
Released	May 6, 1966
Recorded	1966
Genre	Pop rock, garage rock
Length	29:08
Label	Columbia
Producer	Terry Melcher
Paul Revere & the Raiders chronology
Just Like Us! (1966) Midnight Ride (1966) The Spirit of '67 (1966)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Midnight Ride is the fifth studio album by American pop rock group Paul Revere & the Raiders. 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", a song The Monkees covered and became a U.S. top 20 hit in 1967.^[3]

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.

Track listing

Side 1

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

Side 2

1. "All I Really Need Is You" (Lindsay, Revere) — 3:27
2. "Get It On" (Levin, Volk) — 3:12
3. "Louie, Go Home" (Lindsay, Revere) — 2:41
4. "Take a Look at Yourself" (Lindsay, Revere) — 1:48
5. "Melody For an Unknown Girl" (Lindsay, Revere) — 1:59

Chart performance

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

Credits and personnel

• Bob Irwin - mastering
• Drake Levin - lead guitar, vocals, liner notes
• Mark Lindsay - lead vocals (except where noted)
• Terry Melcher - arranger, producer
• Paul Revere - organ, vocals, arranger
• Rich Russell - design
• Mike "Smitty" Smith - drums, lead vocals on "There's Always Tomorrow"
• Phil "Fang" Volk - bass guitar, vocals, lead vocals on "Get It On", liner notes

References

1. ^ Allmusic review
2. ^ "Paul Revere & the Raiders - Charts & Awards - Billboard Singles". Allmusic (Rovi Corporation). http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p118074. Retrieved 2009-09-11. 
3. ^ "The Monkees - Charts & Awards - Billboard Singles". Allmusic (Rovi Corporation). http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p4940. Retrieved 2009-09-11. 
4. ^ ^{a b c} Eder, Bruce. "Midnight Ride - Review". Allmusic (Rovi Corporation). http://www.allmusic.com/album/r47836. Retrieved 2009-09-11. 
5. ^ ^{a b} Dominic, Serene. "Phoenix Music - Paul Revere and the Raiders". Phoenix New Times (New Times Media). http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2000-03-09/music/paul-revere-and-the-raiders&page=222. Retrieved 2009-09-11. 
6. ^ ^{a b} "Paul Revere & the Raiders - Charts & Awards - Billboard Albums". Allmusic (Rovi Corporation). http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p118074. Retrieved 2009-09-11. 
7. ^ "RIAA - Gold & Platinum". RIAA. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS. Retrieved 2009-09-11. 
8. ^ "Album Reviews". Billboard (Nielsen Business Media, Inc.) 78 (21): 68. 1966-05-28. http://books.google.com/?id=6xAEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA1&pg=RA1-PT1#v=onepage&q=. Retrieved 2009-09-11. 

External links

• Midnight Ride at Allmusic