Paul Revere & the Raiders – "Kicks" (1966)

Don’t you see no matter what you do

You’ll never run away from you

When you’re hot, you’re hot – and Paul Revere & the Raiders were hot, hot, HOT in 1966.

The Raiders had four hit singles that year – and three of them made it all the way into the Billboard “Hot 100” top ten.  Today’s featured song was the first of the group’s ’66 hits, climbing all the way to #4.

That was a big day for the Raiders, but today may be even bigger.  Because I’ve decided to include “Kicks” in the 2023 class of the 2 OR 3 LINES “GOLDEN DECADE” HIT SINGLES HALL OF FAME.

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Paul Revere & the Raiders were hardly an overnight success.  They formed in Boise, Idaho – not exactly a recording industry hotspot – in 1958, but didn’t crack the Billboard charts until 1961, when “Like, Long Hair” peaked at #38.

The group released ten non-charting singles over the next three years before having a minor hit with “Steppin’ Out” in 1965.  

The next single – “Just like Me” – almost made it into the top ten.

Then came “Kicks,” the first of their five top five hit singles.  (Try to say that sentence fast three times.)

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The legendary husband-and-wife songwriting team of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil originally offered “Kicks” to the Animals, who had just had a hit with the Mann and Weil composition, “We Gotta Get Out of This Place.”  For some reason, Eric Burdon turned “Kicks” down.  (Big mistake, Eric!)

“Kicks” was produced by Terry Melcher – Doris Day’s son, by the way – who was a close associate of the Beach Boys.  

Melcher was also also produced the Byrds’ first two albums.  But despite Melcher’s contributions to their success, David Crosby – one of the original Byrds – went out of his way to rip “Kicks” for being a “dumb” record.  

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The Raiders’ best year may have been 1966, but the following year – when they released three more singles that made it into the top 20 – wasn’t bad either.  

So they were riding high when they rolled into Joplin, Missouri – my hometown – for a concert in the summer of 1967.

God knows why they chose to visit Joplin and play in an auditorium with only 2700-odd seats, but I’m glad they did.  I had just finished eighth grade when the Raiders came to town, and you’d best believe that seeing them was a big, big deal.  

You can read more about that 1967 Joplin concert in the next 2 or 3 lines.

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Click here to watch the Raiders seemingly having a ball while lip-synching to “Kicks” on some TV show.

Click here to buy the record from Amazon.