In Memory of Drake Levin

[Willie G. Moseley]

Drake Levin died in San Francisco on Saturday, July 4, following a lengthy battle with cancer (he had first been diagnosed in 1990, and had been in remission for an extended time).

Levin was the guitarist in the fabled lineup of Paul Revere and the Raiders that recorded almost all of their hits, battled the original British Invasion bands, and appeared each weekday afternoon as the house band on Dick Clark's "Where The Action Is".

The point can be made that the Raiders (Levin and bassist Phil "Fang" Volk in particular) inspired as many '60s teenagers to pick up guitars and basses as the Ventures might have done a few years earlier, particularly if visuals figure into the mix (the Raiders often wore Revolutionary War outfits, and were, in Levin's words, "the Marx Brothers of rock and roll"---an assertion with which I personally agree).

An interview with Drake was recorded on Wednesday, June 17, and the article was submitted prior to his death. I believe it will be printed next month in VINTAGE GUITAR, exactly as it was sent in (and that's the way it should be) w/ the codicil added that he crossed the way some 2 1/2 weeks after my conversation w/ him.

I think he may have influenced more aspiring players than anyone may ever realize.

R.I.P.

[cordroad]

I remember watching them on black and white tv and marveling at their Vox amps.

[tomteriffic]

I was a big fanboy back in the day and Drake and Fang got most of my attention. I still want a Vox coffin bass like Fangs. I particularly remember Drake's big chopped chords in the chorus of "Kicks". I don't know how, but they sounded just like they were bouncing off the far wall of everybody's high school gym. He was a big influence I had forgotten about until now. RIP.

[custom53]

What a drag. I still have my "Greatest Hits' album by them that I bought in Junior High School (mid 60s). My friends and I used to argue who was better, the Raiders or DC5. I loved the Raiders. Got to meet Paul once (even have it on video...!) Never got to see the original lineup but saw a few of the later shows . They had quite a few replacement players thru the years.

One of the the last bands who still used "moves". I even believe Kiss copied some of their moves in their early years.

RIP

[Steve Haynie]

This is sad news. One of my first "grown up" records was The Raiders' Indian Reservation album. After that I got the greatest hits album and started learning their names. When it was time to learn guitar, Drake Levin was one of the few rock guitar players I could name.