Mitch Ryder
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-->Mitch Ryder (born William S. Levise Jr. on February 26, 1945 in Hamtramck, Michigan) is an American musician. He is noted for his gruff, wailing singing style, much influenced by Little Richard, and his dynamic stage performances, influenced by James Brown.
Ryder first appeared fronting a band called Billy Lee & The Rivieras which had limited success until they met songwriter/producer Bob Crewe. Crewe renamed the group Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels, and they recorded several hit records on his DynoVoice Records label in the mid- to late-60s, notably "Devil With A Blue Dress On".
Since the early 1970s, Ryder's musical endeavors have not met with the same success that they did before. Ryder himself has blamed his lack of subsequent hits on his unsuccessful aim at the Tom Jones-type cabaret/nightclub audience just as the counterculture was becoming dominant in 1967 and 1968. His last successful release was Mitch Ryder's Detroit in 1971, which featured the other members of the Detroit Wheels, now called Detroit, updating his soul-influenced sound to the 1970s hard rock era.
He has continued to record and tour but comebacks have eluded him.
Ryder's influence is felt in the music of Bob Seger and Bruce Springsteen among others.
Discography (selected)
Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels- 1965 "I'd rather go to jail"/ "Joy" (New Voice Records 824)
- 1965 "Come see about me/ "A face in the crowd" (New Voice Records 828 Promotion Copy. Uncertain if ever released comercially in the US)
- 1965 "Jenny Take A Ride!" (highest US chart position #10)
- 1966 "Little Latin Lupe Lu" (#17)
- 1966 "Devil With A Blue Dress On / Good Golly, Miss Molly" (#4)
- 1967 "Sock It To Me-Baby!"
Quotations
- "I didn't know James Brown wore knee pads when he did those stage slides." —Mitch Ryder
- “There’s six members on the [Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame] board of directors and three of those men are my enemies. So what are my chances of getting in there?” —Mitch Ryder
See also
External links
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