Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels - 1966

[jak855]

This one is from the soundtrack of my teen years. Couldn't get enough of it. LOL THIS was music ... raw, gritty and great! They used to play it on a local, after school TV program called "Somethin' Else." Ah, the memories ...

[jackhammer111]

What a strong cocksure presence. Now front singers are all about the hysteronics.

[yoshibax]

I had this on Japanese Red Vinyl 45 from my mom. Can anyone put the original studio recording ? Please!

[JohnBoyXP99]

This song was banned on our local AM station WSAI in Cincinnati. I ended up buying the record just so I could hear it. It was great of course, just like almost everything else that Mitch Ryder did.

[misterdirtyknees]

@JohnBoyXP99 Yes, I remember this song as being quite scandalous. I was 10 years old and bought the 45 and we'd listen closely for all the dirty details.

[gblueslover2]

Mr. Jim McCarty on guitar folks, he was THERE too...!

[loungerenownrecords]

Great song,one of the greatest songs of 1966!!! I had the pleasure this past week to see

Mitch perform this great song on the PBS TV show "The 1960's." Mitch was one of the

highlights of this great show.This show will continue to air on PBS stations across Am-

erica."I Want Yo' Number."

[kub73158]

Their coolest and most original song.

Tired of the overplayed 'Devil..blue dress, good golly..'

[TimBalesRealHorns]

He was great. Saw him live once. It's a ruthless business and all "stars" are basically product, not art. I did a quick search on Bob Crewe and it appears he had music BUSINESS success before and after Mitch. I love this music. But it IS a cruel world and business. Once your breasts begin to sag, figuratively of course, your time in the show BUSINESS spotlight will diminish.

[JamesKent]

I get him and Eric Burton mixed up. Both goood

[mcconkeyMOD]

I thought he was black? Awesome ...... love the music

[BaltimoreJam]

You are correct that this is NOT the Detroit Wheels. This is "The Mitch Ryder Show" ... the band Bob Crewe put together to back Mitch. He was going for a white Wilson Picket kind of show. Crewe was an ego-maniac and the move did de-rail Mitch's career ... it took the raw edge of gritty R&B that people responded to with the Wheels. I know about this band because I was the original trombone player. It was formed in Dec. 1966 and I played until I got drafted in June 1967. I'm not in this video.

[sharonkayb]

I remember seeing him in Livonia, Mi in 1963 or 64 at a local dance.  He was pretty hot.

[spudwas]

He was asked by Michael Bloomfield to be the lead singer in his band "The Electric Flag" but Mitch said no. After that his career went south. He just didn't want branch out. .....sad.

[jimobrienjunior]

It's called signifying, and its purely in line with the Rhythm and Blues tradition, Grunt6869. Everyone borrows from everybody else. Do your homework is right!

[Grunt6869]

@jimobrienjunior Child of Canada Mitch and I did a record together is that enuff homework for ya?

[jimobrienjunior]

@Grunt6869 enough homework sure although I would be curious to know when and where. I obviously was not aware of this but in any case, borrowing lyrics is hardly a question of laziness when you're doing R&B music. It's totally commonplace and a part of the music's history. The fact that I am Canadian is completely out of context. I have been listening to and performing R&B, blues and soul music my entire life.

[Grunt6869]

@jimobrienjunior Ya left out the child part where as you address my experience of Life at 63 to your entire life living the Blues at 22 > We did the record in 87 before you was born I do believe .Strange you didnt address rjraven with your issue of signifying.But as I tried to express before, Mitch does his own lyrics now along with his classic cover songs.If ya took the time Grunt 68-69 would lead ya to our recorded song.

[spacepatrolman]

@jimobrienjunior Quoting melodys and lyrics from other songs or pieces of music they do that in all styles of music

[SkidRowJosephine]

This IS the real deal! Mitch was an original American rocker!

[shoreflight]

Can someone post the original? I haven't heard it on You Tube.

Thanks.

[ajraven52]

Little Richard should kick Mitch Ryders ass for stealing lines from his songs. Just comes to show that Ryder can't come up with his own songs, with his OWN WORDS!

[Grunt6869]

@ajraven52 Do your homework, Mitch works out of Germany and writes his own music as Mitch has always stated Little Richard and James Brown was part of his influence However Sock it to me was not was not written By Little Richard. Exactly what is your point to your indulgent language?

[ajraven52]

@Grunt6869 then he should have done his own lyrics instead of taking other words from other songs. almost every song that I have heard that was "popular" had something from Little Richard. Not only does he write his own music is takes other parts from other peoples songs, for example, Devil with a Blue Dress has Good Golly Miss Molly in the song. That belongs to Little Richard. He can't come up with things on his own so he uses other things to make it easier for him, thus a sign of laziness.

[hobonotabum]

want white raw soul try wayne cochran and the fabulous c.c. riders

[faklempt1]

""Bend down and down and sock it to me, baby"?!? Such raw sexuality made it past the censors - and his voice cracking like he's barely left adolescence - well I tell you what, you can serve me up this hot combo named Mitch Ryder any time!

[MsWinterangel]

Isn't there a video with "Devil With The Blue Dress"? I would like to see it.

[OZOBIEUSA1]

Pretty snazzy huh?? Crazy days.....

[supersondessixties]

Good morning, do you like sixties? Listen and pod cast my  program  " great sound of  60' s "  on the  site plumfm. Greeting and made blooper in  rock and roll.

Salut, vous aimez les sixties ? Ecoutez et podcatez mon émission "le super son des sixties" sur plum fm. Salut et faites gaffe au rock'n roll.

[Multi1628]

WISH SOMEONE WOULD POST "JOY" OR "I'D RATHER GO TO JAIL" OR "LITTLE LATIN LUPE LU" 7" SINGLES BY MITCH RYDER & THE DETROIT WHEELS! THANKS! DAVEDJ

[wtw88]

The words to this song just go to show that lyrics have generally not got worse, just stayed about as bad, except for about 1/5th of songwriters.

[reg5381]

mitch made jim morrison look like a choir boy.

[frank47hammer]

@reg5381 I wouldn't go that far. They were completely different types of singers. Mitch was Motown and R&B, and Morrison was pop and psychedelic rock.

[Multi1628]

@reg5381 Amen to that! And this from the 60s before the Doors!

Now I'm looking for the original 7" single versions of all Mitch Ryder's songs on YouTube (not live) DAVEDJ

[karenofbethany]

I saw them at a State Fair in Sault Ste, Marie Michigan in the 60's.

[fluffydanny]

All my life, I thought these guys were black, Do a holy,Mary for youtube.

[skippyxskippy]

......sometimes we get to screw-up many times and still have a career, sometimes only once. what's odd about it is we are a forgiving nation, just not this time. i'm sure he thinks he's lost out but it was really us...

[skippyxskippy]

this is not the wheels, this is the band i saw in williamsport, pa in "66". this is the band that ended his career. i forget what he called the band but it was on the front of his bus at the time. my older brother got to hang out with him back stage because his best friend was in the b band the "conductors" that night. everyone was disappointed that it was not the band that they paid for, me included and i was only 14.

[wannnagback]

Mitch.... I think I LOVE you!! Ur one of my favorite groups from the 60's! Loved u then & love u still!!! ~~<3

[455Transam]

I really liked his "Comeback" album from around 1983 called "Never Kick a Sleeping Dog" I have it on vinyl.

[455Transam]

He didn't have the right Manager/Promoter for sure.

[Luzielou]

Anybody got Linda Sue Dixon from the Detroit Wheels to share?? Would be nice to see and hear that song here.

[anabry115]

He was performing last night at Frank sinatra's park in Hoboken at pupie's birthday pary bash.

[citizenfitz]

For a while there, Mitch had some of the best pipes in the biz. Listen to CC Rider and say it ain't so. Like so many other groups of the time, Mitch and the boys were badly fleeced by their manager - Bob Crewe in this case.

[mortifeus]

where's the 'woo wooo wooooo wooooooooo!'?

[vinkleman]

The legend goes that Mitch and the boys once opened for The Dave Clark Five and completely took the place over. DC didn't want to follow such a powerhouse stage show but eventually manned up and came out and took their lumps.

[ensconse]

Detroit had Hank Ballard & the Midnighters, Motown, and Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels. Seems the historians only care about Motown.

[roosevelthighschool]

Mitch sure a voice you could hear no matter where you were.

[gotch09]

Po' mans Mick Jagger.

[tmf945]

Bobby Keyes on sax kids

[pls9927]

always loved a choreographed backing band! KC & the sunshine guys were taking notes!

[bevep12]

Jim McCarty on guitar (& was he playing a Telecaster in this video?) thought he played a Gretch back then ... Mitch & DW were so far ahead of their time. If only management hadn't tried to make Mitch a solo act ... band was fantastic!

[cb3961]

looks like a Fender to me too...McCarty's guitar work really added to the depth this band had. His micro solos can be heard in most MR&TDW tunes from the mid-60's. Excellent guitarist is McCarty

[yoshibax]

My Japanese mother had this single when I was born. Heard it around 7 or 8. This is a great hard rock song!

[MrCaptainsensible]

this is a wow song. pump up the volume and give it some base. I have and will forever. crackling tune xxxx

[Yoetah]

"I said bend down - SOCK it to me baby"

weeeeeeeeeeeee!

[Yoetah]

Blue-eyed soul doesn't get much better...well, maybe Joplin...hehehe

[citizenfitz]

They got majorly screwed by their label and producer... fame, but little money.

[spacepatrolman]

Producer ? that was bob crewe the 5th season .

[VTMCompany]

as a teen, this tune made me horny...mitch was hot, too!

[455Transam]

What a voice Mitch had.......I can't believe he wasn't bigger than what he was!!!

[ridingroy]

@455Transam Yeah well Mitch was pretty big back in the mid 60s and a dynamic live performer who was TOUGH for other acts to follow onstage. I remember him performing at Palisades Park(Cousin Brucie shows) and Murray the K shows at the Brooklyn Paramount. Only one voice like that !

[msaintpc]

@ridingroy I used to come up from Laguna Beach, CA to see him. I caught his Pallisades Park act. Awesome!

[SkidRowJosephine]

@455Transam

He looks massive as contrasted with the sax players, one sax player looks like he's in junior high. lol

[TheNorthernSoulKing]

@455Transam Everyone says that had to make a Roadhouse comment with that one

[skippyxskippy]

I saw tis band in "66" or "67" whenever this song had just been released. Everyone was disappointed that it wasn't the real wheels. Even at 15 I could see he was trying to be another James Brown, unfortunately it killed his career.

[Grunt6869]

You state your age at 47.If so you were born around 62, Did your Mom take ya to the show?

[skippyxskippy]

I had said I was around 15, that makes me unfortunately around 58... yuk!!!

[ligger2]

@skippyxskippy

Where did you see them? I saw them in NYC at Murray the K's 1967 Easter Show.

[lordritchie]

I actually saw this group in this video back in late 67. They were billed as the Mitch Ryder Revue. Didn't even closely represent the Mitch Ryder from 65. They should have just called it the Bob Crew Sham.

[RP50]

Actually this is not the Detroit Wheels. It's the schmaltzy lounge band that Bob Crewe put together to back Ryder up when Crewe convinced him to leave the band and go solo. Mitch is singing live while the band is miming to the Detroit Wheels record.

[Detroit1967]

Right on, RP.

No lamé suits in the Detroit Wheels or Detroit generally speaking =)

[liNeyes]

too many horns in the band

[mtwallet]

yeah ; and I doubt there was some horns in the DW? what's amazing with that band is that they play soul music with a rock&roll line up: a lotta guitar in the front! amazing voice helped a bit, ha!

[badmemory]

@RP50 Did that really happen? Why would anyone mess that up?  I guess you learn something new everyday. WOW!

[RP50]

@badmemory Unfortunately it's true. It happens a lot to groups that have a lead singer. There's always someone telling them that they don't need those other guys and that they could make more money going solo.

[emmijohnson]

@badmemory

[Detroit1967]

@RP50 Damn right, RP50. God bless the Detroit Wheels ; )

[loungelizard5000]

@RP50 Yeah, good eye. This is obviously after The Wheels and Ryder had split up.

[spacepatrolman]

@RP50 crewe made a lot of money handclapping on records

[rickysbestgirl]

@RP50 Why did Crewe want him to leave the Detroit Wheels?

[RP50]

@rickysbestgirl After reading a biography of Mitch, it turns out that the Wheels were pretty much broken up to begin with as they were replaced in the studio one by one until McCarty was the only Wheel on "Sock It To Me - Baby" and then even he was gone. Crewe stood to make more money off of one person rather than a group where the money had to be split up in more ways.Plus, he would dictate the material that Mitch could record and more often than not, he owned the publishing to those songs.

[rickysbestgirl]

@rickysbestgirl Thanks!! Which book? Is it still in print?