Mitch Ryder (born William S. Levise Jr., February 26 1945, in Hamtramck, Michigan) is an American musician.
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Career
Ryder 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 the songwriter / record 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 1960s, most 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/night club 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 drummer from the original Detroit Wheels, now called Detroit, updating his soul music-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 "Come See About Me" / "A Face In the Crowd" (New Voice Records 828 Promotion Copy. Uncertain if ever released commercially in the U.S.)
- 1965 "Jenny Take A Ride!" (highest U.S. 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!"
Mitch Ryder
- 1969 "I'd Rather Go To Jail" / "Joy" (New Voice Records 824)
Detroit Featuring Mitch Ryder
Quotations
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- "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
