MR ROCK CORNER REPORTING
I saw them in 1965 at the Fairground Travel & Transportation Building. Inspired me to start a rock band.
Paul Revere and the Raiders’ Drake Levin (1946-2009)
Drake Levin died this morning, just after nine AM, at home in San Francisco. He would have turn 63 in August. He and Phil Volk were part of the ‘essential’ Raiders group that became Television and Recording Teen Idols in the 60’s, teamed with Paul Revere, Mark Lindsay and Mike Smith. Network Television was what launched them into national prominence with successive major hit records.
Drake and Phil were the ones who developed the basic rhythms and choreography for the group, and Drakes’ double-lead guitar piece on “Just Like Me” is a classic. No memorial arrangements are yet known, but will occur in San Francisco at some later date. His wife Sandra was with him at the end, and his closest friends had stayed in touch over the years and gave what support they could. Phil Volk spend six days with him recently, recapping their days together, and playing their old hits together for one last time.
After leaving the Raiders for the last time in 1967, Drake, Phil and Mike Smith formed their group, Brotherhood, and recorded for a time for RCA Records. However, their brightest and most significant moments were as part of Paul Revere’s Raiders, who overall enjoyed 12 years on the Columbia Records record label.
July 8th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
I saw them at “Wedgewood” amusement park in ’65 or ’66….. I’ve always liked them, even though some people might call them middle-of-the-road Pop…… They were a merge between the all-dressed-alike soul groups of the 50’s and the newly emerging rock-and-roll of the late fifties and early sixties….. Some great music there for everyone……
July 8th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
There are a couple of tunes that still hold up well today. “Kicks” was probably my favorite.