The Detroit Wheels
Encyclopedia
The Detroit Wheels were an American
rock group
from Detroit, Michigan
. They served as Mitch Ryder
's backup band from 1964–1967, and played on all his most successful records.
Their original members were:
The band had a number of top twenty
hits in the mid-1960s before lead singer Ryder was enticed away by Bob Crewe with offers of a solo career, after which the group quickly dissolved. Two of its former members, McCarty and Badanjek, later reunited to establish the nucleus of a new band called The Rockets
, after Jim McCarty found some fame with the hard rock outfit Cactus.
, the group moved to New York to start recording. However, since another band had already recorded as The Rivieras, the band decided to change its name again. With the help of a phone book, Levise took the new stage name of Mitch Ryder, and Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels were born. The group's live performances are said to have had an "explosive quality" and their style has been described as "revved up...R&B".
Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels had their first big hit in 1965 with "Jenny Take a Ride", which reached #10 on national charts, and #1 on the R&B chart
—the first time a self-contained rock group had achieved the latter distinction. Crewe had originally planned to release the track as a B side, but changed his mind after seeing the reactions of Brian Jones and Keith Richards, of The Rolling Stones
, who were in the Stei-Philips studio in New York City as it was being recorded.
Ryder and the Detroit Wheels followed up with another top twenty hit, "Little Latin Lupe Lu," which peaked at #17. After a couple of misses, the group had its biggest hit with the "Devil with a Blue Dress On
"/"Good Golly Miss Molly" medley which reached #4. Around this period they also recorded a number of albums, largely composed of reworked R&B classics, along with a smattering of original compositions.
In 1967 Ryder had another top ten hit with "Sock It to Me, Baby!", which was banned by some stations as too sexually suggestive. The band had its last hit with the brassy "Too Many Fish in the Sea"/"Three Little Fishes" single, which reached #24. Crewe then persuaded Ryder to quit the group and embark on a solo career.
After Ryder's departure, Badanjek fronted a short-lived band of the same name which recorded several tracks, most notably "Linda Sue Dixon
", a song glorifying the illicit hallucinogenic drug LSD
, which charted worldwide in 1968. They also recorded "Think (About the Good Things)/For the Love of a Stranger".http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/window/media/page/0,,4436119-10423153,00.html The band's line-up during this time is uncertain.
Ryder's solo career, meantime, had been mishandled and failed to take off. In 1969 he, Badanjek and some other musicians established a new band called Detroit, which recorded an eponymously named album. One single was released from the album, a cover of Lou Reed
's "Rock and Roll" that Reed reportedly liked better than his original version, and Reed subsequently hired Detroit guitarist Steve Hunter for his own band. Detroit's follow-up tour to the album, however, met with little success, after which Ryder departed once again and the band broke up.
In 1972, Badanjek and former Wheels guitarist McCarty reunited to form the nucleus of a new group called The Rockets
, which recorded a number of albums through the 1970s and 1980s. McCarty continues to perform today with his group, Mystery Train. John Badanjek remains active as well and still plays out with McCarty.
1. Shake A Tail Feather
2. Come See About Me
3. Let Your Lovelight Shine
4. Just A Little Bit
5. I Hope
6. Jenny Take A Ride
7. Please, Please, Please
8. I'll Go Crazy
9. I Got You
10. Sticks And Stones
11. Bring It On Home To Me
12. Baby Jane (Mo-Mo Jane)
13. Joy
Re-released on the Sundazed Music Inc. label, ASIN B000003GX4.
Breakout...!!! (1966)
1. Walking The Dog
2. I Had It Made
3. In The Midnight Hour
4. Ooh Poo Pah Doo
5. I Like It Like That
6. Little Latin Lupe Lu
7. Devil With A Blue Dress On/Good Golly MIss Molly
8. Shakin' With Linda
9. Stubborn Kind Of Fellow
10. You Get Your Kicks
11. I Need Help
12. Any Day Now
13. Breakout
Re-released on the Sundazed Music Inc. label, ASIN B000003GX5.
Sock It To Me! (1967)
1. Sock It To Me-Baby
2. I Can't Hide It
3. Takin' All I Can Get
4. Slow Fizz
5. Walk On By
6. I Never Had It Better
7. Shakedown Listen Listen
8. A Face In The Crowd
9. I'd Rather Go To Jail
10. Wild Child
11. Too Many Fish In The Sea/Three Little Fishes
12. You Are My Sunshine
13. Ruby Baby & Peaches On A Cherry Tree
Re-released on the Sundazed Music Inc. label, ASIN B000003GX6.
All Mitch Ryder Hits! (1967. Collector's Edition with bonus tracks, 1993)
1. Devil With A Blue Dress/Good Golly Miss Molly
2. Jenny Take A Ride
3. Joy
4. Breakout
5. In The Midnight Hour
6. Sock It To Me - Baby!
7. Little Latin Lupe Lu
8. Takin' All I Can Get
9. Too Many Fish In The Sea/Three Little Fishes
10. I'd Rather Go To Jail
11. Shake A Tail Feather
12. (You've Got) Personality/Chantilly Lace (bonus track)
13. Baby I Need Your Loving/Theme For Mitch (bonus track)
Re-released on the Sundazed Music Inc. label, ASIN B000003GXU.
MCA
label, ASIN B00004VPJG.
1. Long Neck Goose
2. Is It You (Or Is It Me)
3. Box of Old Roses
4. It Ain't Easy
5. Rock 'N' Roll
6. Let It Rock
7. Drink
8. Gimme Shelter*
9. I Found A New Love
*Bonus track on CD that was not on original album
Music of the United States
The music of the United States reflects the country's multi-ethnic population through a diverse array of styles. Among the country's most internationally-renowned genres are hip hop, blues, country, rhythm and blues, jazz, barbershop, pop, techno, and rock and roll. The United States has the...
rock group
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
from Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. They served as Mitch Ryder
Mitch Ryder
William S. Levise, Jr , better known by his stage name Mitch Ryder, is an American musician who has recorded over two dozen albums in more than four decades.-Career:...
's backup band from 1964–1967, and played on all his most successful records.
Their original members were:
- Jim McCartyJim McCarty (guitarist)James William McCarty is an American blues rock guitarist from Detroit, Michigan. He has performed with Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels, the Buddy Miles Express, Cactus, the popular Detroit rock band The Rockets, the Detroit Blues Band, and more recently, Mystery Train.He also recorded with...
(lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
) - Joseph Kubert (rhythm guitar)
- Earl Elliot (bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
) - Jim McCallister (bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
) replaced Earl Elliot in 1966, pictured on album displayed on this page. - Johnny "Bee" Badanjek (drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
)
The band had a number of top twenty
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
hits in the mid-1960s before lead singer Ryder was enticed away by Bob Crewe with offers of a solo career, after which the group quickly dissolved. Two of its former members, McCarty and Badanjek, later reunited to establish the nucleus of a new band called The Rockets
The Rockets (band)
The Rockets are an American rock band from Detroit, Michigan founded by guitarist Jimmy McCarty and drummer Johnny “Bee” Badanjek, both former members of the group Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels....
, after Jim McCarty found some fame with the hard rock outfit Cactus.
History
The band had its origins in Detroit in the early 1960s. At this time, a young white singer by the name of William Levise, Jr., who was singing at a black soul club called The Village, met a rock & roll group which included McCarty, bassist Earl Elliot, and Badanjek. Levise decided to join the group and took the stage name of Billy Lee, and the band became Billy Lee and the Rivieras. After attracting attention from producer Bob Crewe while working as a support act to The Dave Clark FiveThe Dave Clark Five
The Dave Clark Five were an English pop rock group. Their single "Glad All Over" knocked The Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" off the top of the UK singles charts in January 1964: it eventually peaked at No.6 in the United States in April 1964.They were the second group of the British Invasion,...
, the group moved to New York to start recording. However, since another band had already recorded as The Rivieras, the band decided to change its name again. With the help of a phone book, Levise took the new stage name of Mitch Ryder, and Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels were born. The group's live performances are said to have had an "explosive quality" and their style has been described as "revved up...R&B".
Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels had their first big hit in 1965 with "Jenny Take a Ride", which reached #10 on national charts, and #1 on the R&B chart
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
—the first time a self-contained rock group had achieved the latter distinction. Crewe had originally planned to release the track as a B side, but changed his mind after seeing the reactions of Brian Jones and Keith Richards, of The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, who were in the Stei-Philips studio in New York City as it was being recorded.
Ryder and the Detroit Wheels followed up with another top twenty hit, "Little Latin Lupe Lu," which peaked at #17. After a couple of misses, the group had its biggest hit with the "Devil with a Blue Dress On
Devil with a Blue Dress On
"Devil with a Blue Dress On" is a song written by Shorty Long and William "Mickey" Stevenson, first performed by Long and released as a single in 1964. A 1966 cover version by Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels peaked at #4 on the U.S...
"/"Good Golly Miss Molly" medley which reached #4. Around this period they also recorded a number of albums, largely composed of reworked R&B classics, along with a smattering of original compositions.
In 1967 Ryder had another top ten hit with "Sock It to Me, Baby!", which was banned by some stations as too sexually suggestive. The band had its last hit with the brassy "Too Many Fish in the Sea"/"Three Little Fishes" single, which reached #24. Crewe then persuaded Ryder to quit the group and embark on a solo career.
After Ryder's departure, Badanjek fronted a short-lived band of the same name which recorded several tracks, most notably "Linda Sue Dixon
Linda Sue Dixon
Linda Sue Dixon was a song by a band called The Detroit Wheels. In April 1968 it charted worldwide with some success. The song is basically a thinly veiled paean to the illegal hallucinogenic drug LSD, a mind-altering substance which at the time had acquired an iconic status amongst the youth and...
", a song glorifying the illicit hallucinogenic drug LSD
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an...
, which charted worldwide in 1968. They also recorded "Think (About the Good Things)/For the Love of a Stranger".http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/window/media/page/0,,4436119-10423153,00.html The band's line-up during this time is uncertain.
Ryder's solo career, meantime, had been mishandled and failed to take off. In 1969 he, Badanjek and some other musicians established a new band called Detroit, which recorded an eponymously named album. One single was released from the album, a cover of Lou Reed
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
's "Rock and Roll" that Reed reportedly liked better than his original version, and Reed subsequently hired Detroit guitarist Steve Hunter for his own band. Detroit's follow-up tour to the album, however, met with little success, after which Ryder departed once again and the band broke up.
In 1972, Badanjek and former Wheels guitarist McCarty reunited to form the nucleus of a new group called The Rockets
The Rockets (band)
The Rockets are an American rock band from Detroit, Michigan founded by guitarist Jimmy McCarty and drummer Johnny “Bee” Badanjek, both former members of the group Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels....
, which recorded a number of albums through the 1970s and 1980s. McCarty continues to perform today with his group, Mystery Train. John Badanjek remains active as well and still plays out with McCarty.
Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels
Take a Ride (1966)1. Shake A Tail Feather
2. Come See About Me
3. Let Your Lovelight Shine
4. Just A Little Bit
5. I Hope
6. Jenny Take A Ride
7. Please, Please, Please
8. I'll Go Crazy
9. I Got You
10. Sticks And Stones
11. Bring It On Home To Me
12. Baby Jane (Mo-Mo Jane)
13. Joy
Re-released on the Sundazed Music Inc. label, ASIN B000003GX4.
Breakout...!!! (1966)
1. Walking The Dog
2. I Had It Made
3. In The Midnight Hour
4. Ooh Poo Pah Doo
5. I Like It Like That
6. Little Latin Lupe Lu
7. Devil With A Blue Dress On/Good Golly MIss Molly
8. Shakin' With Linda
9. Stubborn Kind Of Fellow
10. You Get Your Kicks
11. I Need Help
12. Any Day Now
13. Breakout
Re-released on the Sundazed Music Inc. label, ASIN B000003GX5.
Sock It To Me! (1967)
1. Sock It To Me-Baby
2. I Can't Hide It
3. Takin' All I Can Get
4. Slow Fizz
5. Walk On By
6. I Never Had It Better
7. Shakedown Listen Listen
8. A Face In The Crowd
9. I'd Rather Go To Jail
10. Wild Child
11. Too Many Fish In The Sea/Three Little Fishes
12. You Are My Sunshine
13. Ruby Baby & Peaches On A Cherry Tree
Re-released on the Sundazed Music Inc. label, ASIN B000003GX6.
All Mitch Ryder Hits! (1967. Collector's Edition with bonus tracks, 1993)
1. Devil With A Blue Dress/Good Golly Miss Molly
2. Jenny Take A Ride
3. Joy
4. Breakout
5. In The Midnight Hour
6. Sock It To Me - Baby!
7. Little Latin Lupe Lu
8. Takin' All I Can Get
9. Too Many Fish In The Sea/Three Little Fishes
10. I'd Rather Go To Jail
11. Shake A Tail Feather
12. (You've Got) Personality/Chantilly Lace (bonus track)
13. Baby I Need Your Loving/Theme For Mitch (bonus track)
Re-released on the Sundazed Music Inc. label, ASIN B000003GXU.
The Detroit Wheels
- "Linda Sue DixonLinda Sue DixonLinda Sue Dixon was a song by a band called The Detroit Wheels. In April 1968 it charted worldwide with some success. The song is basically a thinly veiled paean to the illegal hallucinogenic drug LSD, a mind-altering substance which at the time had acquired an iconic status amongst the youth and...
"/"Tally Ho" (single, 1968 - Inferno I 5002). - " Think (About the Good Things"/"For the Love of a Stranger" 1968 (Inferno I-5003).
Detroit
Detroit (1971 album).MCA
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
label, ASIN B00004VPJG.
1. Long Neck Goose
2. Is It You (Or Is It Me)
3. Box of Old Roses
4. It Ain't Easy
5. Rock 'N' Roll
6. Let It Rock
7. Drink
8. Gimme Shelter*
9. I Found A New Love
*Bonus track on CD that was not on original album