Daily Dirt: They may be old, but they can still rock … and let’s tip our hats in memory of Paul Revere and the Raiders

Daily Dirt for Tuesday, May 10, 2022

One of the very first .45s I bought as a teenager was a Paul Revere and the Raiders song. I’ve always felt the Raiders were one of the most underrated groups in the early years of when rock went mainstream … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 282 of The Daily Dirt.

1.  Want to feel old? I mean REALLY old?

Check out some of the old rock bands still touring — and thriving. Depending on how you personally feel about the ground rules for determining such things, it’s either the Rolling Stones or the Beach Boys who wear the crown as the longest-serving band. Here’s the breakdown:

1. Rolling Stones, established in 1962 – Mick and the boys have no plans to hit the recliners or rocking chairs, even despite the death of drummer Charlie Watts in 2021. Incredibly, the Stones were the highest-earning live act in rock last year. For those keeping score, Mock Jagger is 78, Keith Richard is 77 and Ronnie Wood is the kid at 74.My favorite Stones song: “She’s Like A Rainbow”.

1a. Beach Boys, established in 1961 – The Beach Boys have to have an asterisk included since the group is now splintered and sometimes performs with different combinations of personnel. Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine and Bruce Johnston are akk still living and approaching 80.My favorite Beach Boys song: “Wild Honey”.

3. The Who, established in 1964 – Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey are the only two members left, but continue to tour. Townshend is 76, Daltrey 78.My favorite Who song: “Baba O’Riley”.

4. Aerosmith, established in 1970 – Steven Tyler, who is now 74, and the rest of the band will headline a massive concert in Fenway Park in September. Boston is the band’s hometown.My favorite Aerosmith song: “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing,” which is also the group’s only No. 1 hit. 

5. KISS, established in 1973 – The makeup. The schtick. The pyrotechnics. After all these years, the boys in black are still going strong. Gene Simmons (Demon) and Paul Stanley (Starchild) are the only original members remaining. Simmons is 72, Stanley is 70. My favorite KISS song: “I Wanna Rock and Roll All Night”.

Other notable bands still out there:

• Def Leppard, est. 1977
• U2, est. 1978
• Metallica, est. 1981

2. The Great Plate medal winners for the year held steady for another week. Keep the emails coming when you see a license plate you like:

2022 Medal-Winners To Date

Gold medal: LUV YADI. It’s the 11th straight week atop the rankings.

Silver Medal: GOL D LOX.

Bronze medal: TAXED.

This Week’s Top 5

• 1. TANG 20: For those wondering, yes … the car was orange.
• 2. KOKO: Remember when George Costanza wanted his nickname to be “Koko” on Seinfeld?
• 3. SEALER: A city street worker?
• 4. JOYRYD 2: Ahh … a happy couple.
• 5. BARD: A Shakespeare fan?

3. Here’s another tribute to a rock group from long ago and its top hits (in my opinion, of course).

This week its Paul Revere and the Raiders, who were based in — of all places — Boise, Idaho, and dressed in Revolutionary War era garb. The group had four top-10 hits in the mid-to-late 1960s, featured Mark Lindsay as their front man and even appeared in the old “Batman” TV series.My favorite Raiders songs:

• 1. “Kicks” (1966): Band founder Paul Revere — yes that was really his name — died in 2014 at age 76.
• 2. “Hungry” (1966): Lead singer Mark Lindsay, now 80, is still performing.
• 3. “Him Or Me: What’s It Gonna Be” (1967): The band had five top-10 hits and 11 top-20 songs.
• 4. “Good Thing” (1966): The song also appeared in Quentin Tarentino’s “Once Upon A Time in Hollywood” film.
• 5. “Just Like Me” (1965): The Raiders sold 50 million albums.

Steve Thought O’ The Day — Steve has always felt Paul Revere and the Raiders belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And he’s willing to fight you about it.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. He’s really a lover, not a fighter.