Paul Revere & the Raiders is an American rock band that saw enormous mainstream success in the 1960s, best-known for hits like "Indian Reservation (The Lament Of The Cherokee Reservation Indian)" ( 1971), "Steppin' Out", "Kicks", "Let Me" ( 1969) and "Hungry" ( 1966).
The band, initially located in Boise, Idaho, started as an instrumental rock outfit led by organist Paul Revere, named in honor of the Revolutionary War hero, who in his early twenties already owned several restaurants in Portland, Oregon. Singer Mark Lindsay joined in 1958. Originally called The Downbeats, their name was changed to Paul Revere & The Raiders in 1960 on the eve of their first record release for Gardena Records. The band scored their first Pacific Northwest regional hit in 1961 with "Like Long Hair", an instrumental. Revere was drafted, became a conscientious objector and worked at a mental institution for a year and half of defered service. After reforming the band, they attracted national attention again with a cover of " Louie Louie", which was picked up by Columbia Records although beaten in the charts by The Kingsmen's version.
They would maintain a huge level of popularity in the mid-1960s beginning with "Just Like Me" ( 1965), which marked the beginning of a string of garage rock classics. The Raiders, under the guidance of producer Terry Melcher, increasingly emulated the sounds of British Invasion bands such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Animals albeit with an American R&B feel. The band appeared regularly on national television, especially on Dick Clark's Where the Action Is. Here they were presented as the American response to the British Invasion. The group wore American Revolutionary War soldier uniforms and performed slapstick comedy and synchronized dance steps while the ponytailed Lindsay lip synched to their music. This farcical, cartoonish image obscured the proto- hard rock sound that their music often took.