S.O.D. "The Great Airplane Strike" by Paul Revere & the Raiders

5/12/2016     A group like this is worth keeping together.  That's certainly the way it seems, as they are still active and have been since 1958 with just a two year hiatus.  Of the 33 past members, six have passed on to music heaven including two of the original members, Paul Revere and Mike Smith.  Starting out they called themselves The Downbeats which Revere and lead vocalist/saxophonist Mark Lindsay formed in Boise, Idaho.  Sometime during the night of their first record release, they changed their name to Paul Revere & the Raiders.  

     Using the genres of pop rock, rock 'n' roll, garage rock and protopunk, they influenced many new wave, rock and punk rock bands including the Sex Pistols, Farm, David Bowie, Pat Benatar and the Circle Jerks.  In all they released 31 albums including compilation and live, and 39 singles of which 15 made the top 40, and 5 in the top 10.  Revere's son Jamie is one of the current six members.