Musician was KIDNAPPED & Told to WRITE a Hit or He'd Be KILLED…Became a 70s Smash!-Professor of Rock
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ต.ค. 2024
- Coming up, the terrifying story of a songwriter named John D. Loudermilk who was kidnapped by three men while sleeping in the backseat of his car during a late-night blizzard. Allegedly, his captors abused him for three days, until they found out that he was a professional songwriter in the Nashville music scene…and then.. they made him a deal…. agree to write a song about the injustices put upon the Cherokee people… or die. Loudermilk who had written songs for Johnny Cash, the Everly Brothers, and Roy Orbison agreed to their demands to save himself and honored the deal by writing a song that eventually became a massive global smash, the 70s hit Indian Reservation (the lament of the Cherokee). It would later be picked for Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere and the Raiders and became the biggest-selling song until Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean. The incredible story the writer told about writing the song was hard to believe… That’s because… he made the whole thing up. The truth surrounding one of the biggest pop smashes of the Rock Era is revealed. NEXT on Professor of Rock.
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Hey music junkies, Professor of Rock, always here to celebrate the greatest artists and the greatest songs of all time. If you ever had a members-only jacket or wanted one… you’ll dig this channel of Deep musical nostalgia. Make sure to subscribe below right now. I know you’ll dig out this daily rock history lesson… We also have a Patreon you'll want to check out. There you’ll find an additional catalog of exclusive content and you can even become an honorary producer to help us curate this music history.
In the 60s, John D. Loudermilk was one of the busiest songwriters in Nashville. He wrote songs that were recorded by many of the biggest names in Music City, including songs for the Everly Brothers, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash. Some of his songs are outright classics- such as “Waterloo” by Stonewall Jackson: And “Talk Back Trembling Lips” by Johnny Tillotson.
Loudermilk’s most famous song, ironically, clouded his legacy and led to the most infamous words to come out of the great Casey Kasem’s mouth on the syndicated American Top 40 Countdown. It was all part of one the most shocking fabrications of the Rock Era. The song was the 3rd biggest hit of 1971, and until Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” was released in 1983, it was the best-selling single in the history of CBS Records and a story you’ll never forget… I’m talking about “Indian Reservation (the Lament of the Cherokee)” by The Raiders.
John D. Loudermilk moved to Nashville in the late 50s to make a name for himself in the music business, first as a singer. He made it onto the Billboard Hot 100, twice as a solo artist, first in ’57 with a remake of “Sittin’ in the Balcony,” using the stage name, Johnny Dee, that peaked at #38, and “Language of Love” that made it to #32 in ’61. In 1963, he firmly established himself as a legit songwriter, when he penned “Abilene” that was recorded by George Hamilton IV, and became a #1 Country hit, along with Top 15 success on the Billboard Hot 100.
Following the success of “Abilene” Loudermilk ascended to the top of the list of most sought-after lyricists in the business. It was a tremendous achievement, considering his father, John D. Lowdermilk Senior, never learned - บันเทิง
Poll: Who was the greatest songwriter of the rock era?
Mcartney
Macca
Mark Knopfler
Bruce Springsteen
Stevie Nicks
Fish
Damn I forgot Jimmy Buffett
Stevie Wonder
Dylan
Willie Nelson
George Harrison
Paul Simon
In addition to John D. Loudermilk, I'll nominate:
The team of Holland-Dozier-Holland
Laura Nyro
Jimmy Webb
Jim Weatherly
Diane Warren
Mark Lindsay was a heart throb at the time he recorded "Indian Reservation". It had nowhere to go but straight up.
You're absolutely right, Mark was a huge heartthrob. However you can't ignore the fact that he was a great musician and singer. True my feelings on this matter may be shadowed because I was a huge Mark Lindsay fan.
Love that song. It's a great song with great lyrics. Mark Lindsey was so hot. 🔥🔥🔥🔥. I've never heard this story before. Shocking!
@@katie-didellis2437Me too. Lust, love Mark Lindsey 💋😘🔥
@@jojospeechy4848 Why did Lindsey's career end at about that time? I wish I knew. Sure he's still performing but he's a shell of the great performer he once was.
I’m part Algonquin Indian from my Dad and even as a little girl when this song came out I knew how important it was to him that there was a rise in understanding for the history of the Indians. More than ever before Adam, thanks for the memories!! ❤
Here in Germany Indians have largely a totally different standing, an unrealistic, but positive one, caused by the books of Karl May, the prudent Apache Winnetou.
Karl May had never been in the US, but that was what he imagined. Honorable, wise, just, tolerant - while the bad ones are the whites.
Maybe some of those that are now so afraid of immigrants have in the back of their heads that their own ancestors 200+years ago were quasi illegal immigrants that, once they had established themselves, set out to systematically go after the residents, drove them from their land, destroyed their settlements, killed not only the warriors, but also the old, women, children, exterminated the basis of their life, the buffalo, and finally rounded up the sad remains in concentration camps they called reservations. Nice...
One last, a while ago I met Willy Michl on the road. A bavarian musician that decided he now want to be an indian - in Munich, Bavaria. A bavarian indian. He started to wear indian clothes, immersed in indian spirituality, for decades lived in a tipi on the Isar river bank in Munich, getting the name "Isarindianer".
Somehow I see it that he made his life (I'm not too happy with the music) a piece of art.
(in any way better than the guy that just sold his tattooed skin as art object - after his death).
I just drove down the road on my bicycle and came past a weird figure until it dawned on me, "Can that be??!" and drove back. It was really him loading stuff in his car. A fur around his shoulders, standing barefoot on another fur. Absolutely weird for somewhere in a Munich suburb.
I talked a little with him, a real mellow guy, He passed the 70 and still lives his dream. Few people do that.
I hope that was not too intrusive, but it might be that so one can "broaden" one's spectrum. Germany is an ocean away, What else is to be known about Munich Bavaria than the Hofbräuhaus and the Oktoberfest?
My Great-Great-Great Grandmother was a full-blood Cherokee and she married my 3G grandfather in Tennessee prior to the trail of tears. She didn't have to walk it, but instead became part of the homesteading that occurred in Missouri. Loved this song back in the 1970's and got it on 45 vinyl then. Still have that to this day. Connected with the song even though I didn't know my heritage at the time.
❤❤❤ as Cherokee that song woke me to honor my indigenous heritage. I had to learn without family honoring our heritage. With honor to all indigenous brothers and sisters ❤🕯️
It’s Native American Heritage Month, so this is more important than ever.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Absolutely. Funny I never heard of this song before until now.
Thank you for not only spotlighting musicians but the songwriters behind the songs. They usually don’t get the credit they deserve and I am learning so much. Thank you!
Without the songwriters ...
"Words and music." - Eddie Wilson :)
My ancestors walked the Trail of Tears and I have obtained my Cherokee Nation citizenry. It's not a simple process to become a member so I am not surprised is some people, who actually are Cherokee, aren't acknowledged as such. My mom loved this song, as do most of my relatives.
Facts, I'm still trying to navigate & get my information. My grandma grew up in Tennessee area- she's Easternband Cherokee, she's passed & finding her ancestry has been very difficult. Mainly since I'm in the Midwest & don't actually know where to start to find the information.
I like this song.
My family is of the Georgia Cherokee. I have considered applying for citizenship. We have the paper trail starting with my maternal grandparents (both listed on the Dawes Rolls) who left the rez and passed as white by living in sunny places that had lots of tan people. Of their 5 kids, only the eldest two were listed as Native on their birth records. The rest were listed as white. My birth record has me as white, which I pass as way too easy, though my Ancestry DNA test shows my as being 67% Indigenous. Obviously I got the bad genes as when I am out in the sun too long I just burn...LOL Still proud of my Tsalagi (ᏣᎳᎩ - ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯ) heritage!!!
I never knew the process was so intensive! Wow.
@@wellIdiditagain I am not 100% sure of the Eastern Band process. However, the Oklahoma Cherokee process is: you have to be able to undeniably prove (birth certificates/death certificates) your lineage back to the Dawes Roll. When we did this 30+ years ago, we still had a lot of our ancestors living. Good Luck
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Just have to prove your lineage. But it can be monumental. Look up the Cherokee Nation online and they have numbers you can call.
My brothers and I watched the Raiders' tv show and loved them. I was a junior in high school when Indian Nation came out. It was a powerful song. Still love it.
Most people I know just don’t get its message. Sad.
The Professor nearing
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Let's get it done!
Congratulations on all your hard work Professor we really appreciate what you're doing.
THanks! It's because of dedicated viewers like you!
I tell everyone about this channel, great stories great music! Let's go 1 million!!
Finallly!!!!!
I know a bunch of rock history , having lived it, but Adam ALWAYS had some information I've not heard.
The Prodessir should start his own HOF.
I like the professor also, BUT Hard Work - Talking about Music?
@@sukt00 the professor i do like & enjoy his videos, BUT he is one of those Paid people, he doesn't come up with every story / Idea. and has other people editing & doing the research
This is one of your best stories! Coincidently, I was planning to play this song for my students because we are learning about the Cherokee. I thought this song from my childhood would make an impact and spark their interest. Thanks for another great episode!
This would make a great history lesson.
@@sladewestern6704Cherokee as imperialist? Please explain. Maybe I am reading this wrong.
@@sladewestern6704 Petty, much?
As long as you teach the song as a tragedy, not a win for self-congratulatory profits for non-Native folks. Teach how it took a commercialized song to raise awareness. Then apologize for ignoring how it remains.
Phenomenal song. I remember hearing it on the radio countless times as a little girl in the summer of ‘71, and I’ve loved it ever since. Thanks, Adam, for giving us the intriguing history behind this great hit.
Great song by a great band---didn't know that anyone besides the Paul Revere and the Raiders had covered it---pretty interesting. I also liked "Tobacco Road" by Loudermilk, one of his most famous songs.
I heard it as a kid too... weren't the 70s a great time to be listening to music ?
There were hundreds of great songs on the radio during the 70s ! Now music sucks !
This song reminds of songs like Billy don't be a hero... The night Chicago died... Bad Bad Leroy Brown... Saturday night's all right and Crocodile Rock by Elton John...
and that's not even counting the Jackson 5 and the rest of Motown like Ball of Confusion and I Can't get next to you by the Temptations !
The 70s were jam packed with great music ! Also, The night the lights went out in Georgia...It never rains in Southern California... Half Breed by Cher... I could go on and on ! 😂
That's not even counting the late 70s !
A great musical history lesson Professor. Well done.
Thanks Michael!
I love your history lessons! Always, well done!
This is a very unique story of how a famous hit song came to be. Also digging your Cars shirt, Adam!
THanks Trina!
Right!? The POR has got to have thee best t-shirt collection!
It’s a great shirt!
I was 11 years old when this song came out. Whenever it came on the radio, it was immediately arresting and captivating. You had to listen to it through the keyboard outtro. This was a fascinating history lesson, Professor. One of your best, I would say. Well done, and thank you!
Yes! This was one of those 'stop everything you're doing and just listen' songs.
@@tdr9204 Stop whatever you're doing and listen ? 😂😂 Fool please... What else were you doing, Scientific experiments ?
Had the privilege of having the song writer in my shop. Loudermilk himself told my dad and myself that the story was made up. Loudermilk was originally from Durham, NC. That’s where I’m from. Even if the story wasn’t true, it’s still a great work of fiction. And a great song!
It’s a terrible work of fiction, and an irresponsible one at that. As if the Native American antidefamation league didn’t already have enough to worry about. Cherokee men kidnapping and torturing someone for political reasons wasn’t exactly a great look.
I heard Casey Kasem tell this story and I didnt believe it when he read back then.
Loudermilk defames a whole culture, and we celebrate it?! What the...
How did he defame them?
Yeah, the story doesn't make sense. Waaaaay too many problems with the "facts."
Love these guys. They had a heavier sound than most bands at that time with some good singalongs.
Agreed!
They are so underrated. Such a great band.
This song just seemed to be of its age. It was everywhere in the early 1970s. But it just disappeared off the radar later. Like eve of destruction, it just had so many intense ideas to casually be on the radio.
Still, the guy was probably more Cherokee than Elizabeth warren.
Oh my, I loved Paul Revere and the Raiders - and what a crush we girls had on Mark Lindsay!! I couldn't get home fast enough to watch "Where the Action Is". Crush aside tho, they did some great tunes, and I honestly believe they don't get enough attention these days.
I can’t believe I never heard about the fabricated story, maybe it never reached our small town. 😉 😅
Thanks for an especially great story! I love your channel, and especially your love and appreciation for these songs that are so much part of the soundtrack of my life. ✌️❤🎶
Always thought the Raiders should be inducted. They were the house band on Where the Action Is and had many, many hits!
Thanks, Professor!!
😎👍
Rock on!
I remember watching them on Where the Action Is. I looked forward to that show after school and I loved Paul Revere and the Raiders.🎼🎸🎤 Oh Baby come on, let me take you where the action is 🎼🎸
I also watched Shindig and Hullabaloo. God, we’re old LOL Well, at least I am. I have no idea how old you are.
@DG-uh8uv I'm 68 and still kickin' butt!! Yeah, I remember gettin' off the school bus and running home so I didn't miss Bandstand every day! Now THAT'S old!!
🤣🤣🤣
😎👍
I remember an episode of the Smothers Brothers where they did a skit about the Mutiny on the Bounty and Paul Revere and the Raiders were members of the crew.
I’m 67 and still kicking butt as well. Glad to hear you are too.
As a kid I walked part of the Trail of Tears, only 5 miles, but to a 10 year old it seemed like a long hike, and I learned the true horrific story. I can't imagine walking all the way from the east to Oklahoma without much food or shelter!
I’ve never done it, but I know its history and it was brutal.
My great grandmother was Choctaw. She was 4 years old when she walked from TN to Oklahoma on the trail of tears without moccasins. Her feet were permanently damaged. I can remember her, barely and how painful walking was for her. She was 98 years old when she died. I was maybe 5 or 6 years old when she died. The main thing I remember was her hair. She’d never cut it and it drug the ground if she didn’t keep it braided. I loved to comb it for her.
People don’t realize that there are still a lot of us old folks who are old enough to remember people who lived that history. It’s not as far away in time as young people think.
Awesome experience at10.
WOOOOOOWWWW!! I was a Raider fan going back to "Where The Action Is" but was never aware of the background of Indian Reservation. I was 16 when it hit the charts and happy that The Raiders had a hit!! Paul Revere was a heck of a businessman (Rest In Song Uncle Paul) and knew what would sell and what wouldn't. I am also a quarter Cherokee. Thank you for a great video on the song and its background! ✌👍
Thanks for watching!
@@ProfessorofRock Thank you for presenting The History of Rock'n'Roll that appeals to ALL Rock Fans!! Keep Rocking!!! 👌👍✌👏
His name was Paul Revere Dick!
Hal Blaine, Louie Shelton, and Carol Kaye did EVERYTHING in the sixties up to the late 70s.
What a rhythm section!!!
They did most of the Beach Boys and Monkees among others.
NEVER EVER forget Glen Campbell. Could play every Stringed Instrument And Bagpipes as well. "Bonaparte's Retreat" proves that. Top Vocalist on Songs like Jimmy Webb's unforgettable "Wichita Lineman." This "Wrecking Crew" ace was recruited by Elvis Presley to join an incredible Backup band that at times included Ronnie Milsap and Ronnie Tutt. Glen Campbell modestly declined the very generous offer.🤔🎤🎼🎵🎶🎸🎹🎻🥁🏴B.W.
"The Crew" backed up BOTH Elvis Sinatra and Frank Sinatra! Proving how Musically versatile that they really were.🤔B.W.
This song has always held a high place in my mental music library as well as physical library. I purchased the cassette as one of my first Columbia records 12 cassettes for a penny ( Queens greatest hits and Van Halens 1984 were also in that same order). Music has always played a pivotal role in my development/life and this song has always ranked in the top 10. Thanks for the memories
😊
I was a camp counselor for years. The kids were divided up into 4 "tribes", one of which was the Cherokee. Because of the popularity of this song all the kids wanted to be in the Cherokee tribe. We had so much fun, with competitions, stories, campfires and pretty much getting into as much as we could, even as counselors. Frequently we had actual tribal members who came in to talk about what had happened to the Native Americans. It made history live for all the kids and remains one of my fondest memories. To the kids there was nothing cooler than having actual Native American ancestry and I know there were quite a few tall tales about that too! Great video.
Sadly, that is called "cultural appropriation." Did you have any Irish, English, German or French tribes? We are not mascots and we do not wear costumes. We wear regalia. There is a big difference.
I do agree with you. It is necessary to remember when this happened. In the 70s when I was a young teen counselor, political correctness was far away still. There was so little accurate history of Native Americans being taught in schools and what was there was frequently incorrect. As the camp brought in Native American speakers, a better history was related to all of us. The Trail of Tears and the history of Tecumseh, were just a couple I remember word for word more than 50 years later. In that era tv, books and movies provided even less accurate history and were frequently perpetuating stereotypes. In the balance it was far more positive than negative for the campers. I understand your comment and am glad that things are changing .@@bridgettbwilson
@kc-sz3ym In today’s political climate, it was so refreshing to have read your thoughtful response to @bridgettbwilson.
If only more could have such a perspective…thank you!
@@chlebscototally agree with your reaction here. That was a Very positive response. Personally I think getting upset because a group of kids used a tribal name when they are in the active pursuit of learning about the tribe is a little short-sighted. I can understand disapproving if it was just teams for a sporting game, but here they were actually attempting to teach these kids about the different native tribes and that's a wonderful thing, with no appropriation involved.
The fact that the participant remembered it 50 years later so clearly means it had a deep impact on everyone involved. That's a good thing!
One of my favorite songs in 1971. I must have played my 45 hundreds of times. Loved it! I enjoy your deep dive on so many songs. More 60s and 70s please!
Being British I’d not heard this version before, but loved the Don Fardon version from my childhood. It was very solemn, befitting the subject matter, and actually highlighted for me the shameful injustice the native Americans had suffered, as prior to that I’d only ever seen cowboys and Indians on the telly where the cowboys were the goodies and the ‘Indians’ were baddies to be defeated. Thanks for another great episode Professor!
there were no goodies and there were no baddies..just cowboys & indians
I live in SE TN where the trail ran right through town.
I remember listening to this when it came out on my little AM radio on WLS out of chicago.
Great segment Adam!
Bravo 👏👏👏
Thanks for listening!
My dad gave me a turquoise blue radio, I wish I still had it, it was so cool. I lived in Northeast Texas, and I listened to WLS out of Chicago, too. I thought it was so amazing that I was listening to a radio show broadcast in Chicago.
Marvin Rainwater is my Great Grandfather.
Thanks for this episode.
I appreciate this channel man, awesome!
Professor, thank you for such a respectful analysis. You're a fantastic music and cultural historian, thank you!
Thank you kindly!
I remember the first time I saw them perform this song on TV and fell in love with it. Later years some of the costumes Paul wore just added to it in my mind, and it's always been a favorite.
I fell in love with this song as a kid, and still love it! ❤
Very cool!
@@ProfessorofRockI had the 45!😊
@@ProfessorofRockJust thought I'd mention, that I believe Loudermilk also wrote The Mountain Is High by Dick and Dee Dee. 😊😊😊
":Indian Reservation" was an L.A. hit and reached #1 on the 93 KHJ Boss 30 in June 1971. (also #1 on the Billboard Hot 100) It was on the chart for 11 Weeks.
Sang along with this song in the 70's and often cried it moved me so. Still does when I hear it. 😥💪🏽❤
This has always been one of my favorite songs. Love the way that you bring the story of the song to life. Thanks
Remember this song quite fondly. I was 11 when I first heard it and immediately loved it. Thanks Professor, I had no idea of the history of the song. Let alone, that only one Raider was on the recording. As for that organ outro....absolutely classic. Funny, how the line "and all the beads we made by hand, are nowadays made in Japan ", was meant to be derogatory. Today, we associate Japan with quality, but back then we associated it with trashy trinkets. Funny how the tables turn.
I view the lyrics "the beads we made by hand is nowadays made in Japan" as how capitalism has erased creativity and one's way of life, but again, anything creative be it a song, a piece of art, etc, is subject to interpretation.
Oh man! Paul Revere & The Raiders!!! Professor, you are just WALKING THROUGH ALL my favorite songs and bands from my lifetime!! EPIC!!! Thank You for these videos, they bring back such robust memories of listening to music on an old Victrola and when AM radio had the only contemporary music stations before FM became a thing . . .
I was a little kid when this song came out. I remember it playing on the radio while my sister and I were playing loud - as kids often do. My mom told us to be quiet so she could listen to the song. She really liked it, apparently. So did we. ❤
How have I not heard this story before!?! Amazing story I guess you have to have a great imagination to be a great songwriter. I remember this song very well, we would all sing the chorus on the playgrounds when I was young, lol. It still is a fantastic song that definitely is one of the best protest song bringing light to a real issue. Great episode professor!!
Thanks for listening! It's an insane story right?
@@ProfessorofRock one of the craziest I have ever heard!
The chorus is certainly memorable. Definitely an important song especially when talking about indigenous history!
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 definitely is, good call, how have you been Lilly?
@@MyName-pl7zn Been having anxiety issues for a week but always look forward to POR’s stories…they are a respite from all the stress with school!
I've been waiting for you to do this one! One of my favorites during the 60's (70's). Loved the Paul Revere and the raiders show. Have such a heart for the indigenous peoples, and have heard these lyrics so frequently in my mind all these decades. Thanks for this one PofR!
I talked with JD several times. He was, indeed, a teller of tall tales.
Awesome episode Professor! Learned alot from this episode I never knew! Thanks for keeping the music alive!👍
You bet!
John D. Loudermilk also wrote the often covered song "Tobacco Road" best known by the Nashville Teens but also covered by The Animals, Blues Magoos, Lou Rawls, David Lee Roth and many others.
Man, Mark Lindsay was a major teen idol in the 1960s. I would race home to catch Where the Action Is.
What a great show!
My sister had a massive crush on Mark. She was 11 when this came out.
One of my favorite songs growing up. Love it. Thank you for covering it! Brought back good memories. 😀
I've always loved this song - it was on one of the first albums I ever owned (a K-TEL compilation), and to this day it's in my Top Rated playlist! Well done, Adam.
Another K-tel initiate! I started out with those too! An almost ridiculous diversity of genres, 20+ songs on one record! Olivia Newton-John and Elton John on the same record, (were they related? I didn’t know)! James Brown and Derick and the Dominoes on the same record? Kiss and Hot Butter’s Popcorn ? It was all on one album!
I remember Cherokee Nation, (my memory of the title), very much! Also Cher’s Half Breed!
I had long since forgotten this song. I remember hearing it playing on the radio when my Dad was shaving before going to work. Using an old fashioned safety razor 🪒 and shave cream. It was a frequently played song for years. I think that Sonny & Cher, sang it on their variety show as well one time? Great presentation of this golden old hit! Thank you for sharing all of these classics! Your channel has become one of my favorites on TH-cam! Thanks again, Professor!
Some stories are fun, some are tragic; this was just plain poignant man. I don't know whether to cheer or mourn. This has to be one of my top-5 favorite episodes for sure.
'Corse I'm talkin 'bout the story of the song. Not the tale of the disgruntled song writer!!🤣
What an incredible story.
I am a huge PR&R Fan and am so happy to hear the recognition they deserve on this channel! I have had the pleasure of meeting Mark a couple of times and Paul once,both great honors,I even got to kiss Mark on the cheek❣️ Paul was just to funny...Rip Mr Revere!
I remember listening to this song in the early 70s on my little hand-held transistor radio, pressed to my ear. It was sweeping *and* inspiring. It was my first awareness of injustice as a grade school kid.
What an episode. I remember this song growing up in the 70s, along with the solo hits you covered. Fascinating story.
Loudermilk was joking thinking they'd have better sense than to believe such a ridiculous story!
WOW...another GREAT ONE Adam, GREAT "investigative" research! 🤘🏻😎
Wow. I have never heard that story. I remember the song though. I also remember an advertisement they ran back then about people littering, and a tear coming down from a Native American's eye when he saw it.
THanks for sharing.
OH, I’ve seen that commercial! Iron Eyes Cody.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 That brings back memories, doesn't it? :)
I'm from New Zealand, 59yo and this song helped in no small way to instill in me a profound empathy for the victims of racism and hatred. One of my top 5 all time favourites
I cried at the end of this. I'm an 1/8th Cherokee and so glad to have a bit of native in me.
All the power to you.
I can never forget this one. It was the first music I ever owned. I was born in '73, but I was given a 45 with PRAR's Indian Reservation on one side and Popcorn by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass on the other. I loved the show S.W.A.T., primarily for that tune, and Indian Reservation became my favorite song. It is still one of my faves to this day.
In my house my mom played tons of music. Herb Albert made great music!!
The Theme from SWAT was also a #1 hit song.
My late ex-husband was an enrolled member of the Northern Cheyenne tribe, and he dismissed all the people who claimed to be part Cherokee. This song, however, made me cry when I first listened to it.
I always took Negative look at people who claimed Cherokee descent. Then my sister got on ancestry and chased our father’s lineage waaaay back.
The most interesting find great great grandfather’s mother was Cherokee. He was forced off his land and took the trail of tears.
The general in charge of that displacement was a guy named Winfield Scott. The man my maternal grandfather and favorite uncle were named after.
I was seven when this song came out in 1971. I was too young to understand politics at that age. But even so, the first time I heard it it made an impression on me and I never forgot it. Two years later, the Occupation at Wounded Knee protest occurred. I somehow linked the song to that incident, and for years I thought it was a 1973 tune. Much later I heard one of those earlier slow versions (I can’t remember which one) and then realized that it wasn’t an original Raiders song. I was also a faithful listener of American Top 40 every week, but I don’t remember hearing that wild John D. Loudermilk story! Great video, Professor! Keep up the great work!!! ❤
Interesting post, thanks for sharing.🦋
I saw Paul Revere & The Raiders, The Grass Roots, & Gary Puckett and The Union Gap when I was 5th-6th grade at local college in Va! I still remember his awesome keyboard decked out to look a 55 Ford (?), working lights etc! It was awesome! Paul also put one of those toy monkeys with symbols on it, & after it working, Paul “shot” it with a fake gun 🤣🤣🤠🤘. Oh and Roll On Wrecking Crew!!!🤘
Very cool!
Yes, those shows came much later, but I loved them. Rob Grill, who was the Grass Roots front man was a friend of mine. Sadly, there’s still a band going around using the name. No original guys.
What year was it?
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 87-88?
This was one of my all time favorite childhood songs, And later in life as a single dad I'd take my daughter to the Great Smokey Mountains in Cherokee N.C. from Fla. Every Summer where she learned about her Mother's heritage. And when we'd get there I'd pop in my home burned CD that had Indian Reservation on it and we'd sing that song going up into the Mountains to hike all the killer trails to the best waterfall's in the USA.
I've got a slow traveling tear rolling down my cheek right now from this story Professor! Thank you for all the GREAT Musical memories you resurrect from our aging minds.
We had a poster of Mark on our bedroom wall. My sister was a huge fan of Paul Revere and the raiders! I had aposter of Bobby Sherman! 😊😊😊
Very cool! Where'd you grow up?
@@ProfessorofRock South Plainfield, New Jersey! Just lost my sister a year ago,but I still have her albums,PRATR is definitely in there! Great stuff my son owns a shop that sells records and all things musical related. He turned me on to you! I need to get one of those 1984 tees for my son but when I go to your store all there is is white tees with your logo. Help! I need it by Christmas! Happy Thanksgiving!
Did you have a poster of the 5th Dimension? I would have!
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 No but I love them!
I remember when it was a hit in high school. I absolutely loved it! I bought the 45 and would sit in front of my record player and play it over and over. Thanks for bringing it back to memory. Timeless!
This is one of my top 10 favorite songs 🎵 of all time!I know Mark Lindsey and knew Paul Revere.
Back In The Saddle Naturally
Get me an interview with Mark!
Naturally!
Have you met both of them?
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Hey Silly Lilly, 😜 yes I met them 1st in the 80's. Once in the 90's my daughters met Mark I forget where now. Earlier this morning when I started my comments this morning I remembered then. It was so good to see a fellow Cherokee. This song whenever I hear it I have to hear 👂 it multiple times. The writer of this song met my girls and his daughter and grandchildren. I told you months ago that this was one of my favorite songs. This is one of the many reasons that I chose the 70's as my favorite decade of songs!
We used to sing this song without the least knowledge of the history of this song. It wasn't until later that we connected the history with the song. Lindsey made this song stand out for a lot of people. It didn't hurt that Mark Lindsey was the cutest guy on two legs!
It is roughly 3,600 miles from San Francisco to New York. The trail of tears could not have been 5,000 miles long. More important than the number of miles were the conditions of that forced relocation. IIRC, it was initiated in September, which meant that much of the march occurred in Winter. They had scant provisions for food, water, clothing, medical care, or shelter. These conditions surely contributed to the death toll. It wasn't even possible to bury the dead in the winter as the ground was frozen.
Wow. That’s rough.
That wasn't a single route - there were multiple routes. But, yes, in total it was over 5000 miles in a system of trails traveled by the various tribes: Cherokee, Creek, Chickasaw, Choctaw and Seminole. (Edit: "Trail System of Tears" doesn't quite have the same ring to it as "Trail of Tears".)
The whole time I was listening to this I was thinking the story didn’t quite make sense, didn’t ring true. Then the reveal that it wasn’t was a huge relief.
Loved this song. So meaningful
Amen!
One of my faves growing up. I practically wore my big sister's .45 out, I played it so many times.
Very cool!
Awesome!
Mark Lindsey had some other real good solo hits after his stint with The Raiders such as "Miss America" and "Silverbird" from the early '70's.
Mark also played the long sax solo on The Raiders nice ballad "Melody For An Unknown Girl" which is on their Midnight Ride and greatest hits LP/CD's.
Also " Arizona"
I've got not one drop of American Indian blood but I have come to know many Original Americans and I personally feel some shame for the losses because of the treatments, the thievery. I can't go back to change it, but I feel love for all of the people, who are my brothers and sisters in spirit.
Love the story and the song. Sounds like Laudermilk could have been an author. Reminds me of some other songs of the 70's that had fictional back stories.
Which other songs are you referring to Ted?
@ProfessorofRock - Two songs that instantly came into my head were: "Seasons in the Sun" by Terry Jacks and "Love Rollercoaster" by The Ohio Players. The rumor for "Seasons in the Sun" was that Terry Jacks wrote and recorded the song while he was dying from a terminal illness. I didn't find out until much later that he didn't even write the song. "Love Rollercoaster" was rumored to have accidentally recorded a murder that occurred in one of the other rooms in the recording studio while the band was recording the song. All fictional, yet memorable.
That's a great point. Some people who make up stories and fabrications about their lives would be well served to instead turn them into pros and publish them as short stories and novels.
He should have been an author because this is well written prose!
Laudermilk could have been a fan of Mark Twain who said, "Never let the truth get in the way of a good story."
I've always loved that song and I just knew that this was what it was going to be about. Thanks
Great story Prof. I grew up in the same area as A.Jackson and went to the State Park a lot growing up. I learned about his courageous feats and tough reputation in school. But when I learned about the Trail of Tears my whole opinion of him changed. The way Native Americans were made to leave their homes and walk thousands of miles to start over with nothing. Or in 1814 Our gov. Paying between $50 to $100 for every American indian skull brought in. They were guilty of believing Our gov. Treaties and were robbed of their land and killed for their trust. My grandfather who raised me was 1/2 Cherokee. So that made it hit home a little more. I love our country, just not the criminals running it. But things have changed now. Things like this could never happen again. Right? We can trust them. 🇺🇸
No. No, we cannot trust them. Not until they pay restitution for what they have stolen from our people to every living descendant with Indigenous DNA. Sadly, that is less than 500,000 people left in the USA when we were once over 30 million.
In several states, it will be illegal to teach about history such as Trail of Tears because we don’t want to confront our history. I say teach the good and bad, and let’s hope we learn from our mistakes and sins!
Andrew Jackson, a complex subject. Mr. Jackson is the sole reason much, most, or even ALL of the USA is not today an English possession. Had Jackson's army not defeated the British at the Battle of New Orleans, the British might well have taken the whole of the Louisiana Purchase from the USA. By 1814 the British had defeated Napoleon, and thus considered the sale from Napoleon's France invalid. The British would have had no qualms The indian tribes in the area of the Louisiana purchase had fought on the side of Britain in several recent wars, as well as in the French and Indian War in the disputed USA-Canada border area, so the USA as a whole considered most indian tribes as enemy combatants allied with Britain. It was WAR, and war is nasty, evil, oppressive, bloody, and just generally Hell on Earth. The British loss at the Battle of New Orleans essentially made the British respect the USA militarily and stick to the terms of the Treaty of Ghent, and cease in trying to take New Orleans and much of the Missisippi. I'm not trying to blindly defend President Jackson, or the Trail of Tears, only to point out that there was a wartime context at the time and war is hell. I do absolutely condemn the atrocities perpetrated on various indian tribes in the process. I also consider President Jackson one of our greatest presidents, for many reasons, including "He killed the bank", but do agree the Trail of Tears could be viewed as leaving a stain on his otherwise brilliant record.
@bigdaddy735, do you have a reference source for the "$50 to $100 for each American Indian skull?" Not that I doubt, just would like to have enough info to place into proper historical context, timeline, location, governmental agencies and politicians involved, etc.
@@jdaniels1313even if Jackson lost in New Orleans the treaty of Paris had already been written and signed. The battle of New Orleans had no impact on territorial decisions. Jackson’s victories in Florida were much more important leading to the future annexation of Florida.
When I want to escape the tube garbage that makes me feel bad I turn to you my brother. Thanks for making respectable content that makes people feel better. Not easy to find on TH-cam but you knock it out of the park every time. God bless.
You mention the Raiders sax player who had the early childhood encounter with a lawnmower...Same was true with John Denver. He had part of a foot cut off by a lawnmower early on. Ultimately, & very sadly, that's how his exwife Annie, helped the coroner in California identify him, when he crashed his plane..Then there was Jim Croce, Jerry Garcia, Django Reinhardt & even Dr.John, who became a piano player, after being shot through the left hand. How many more music greats where there like this?
See, I did not know this about John Denver until now! 😳
Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath had two of his fingers cut off at the end joints and is one of the most influential guitarists of all time.
I loved that song from the first time I heard it when I was really little. I actually saw them do a little concert in the late 70s at Disneyland. Great show!!
What did they play there?
@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 They played the hits that they had, and they did some covers of songs like Born to be Wild. They sounded great.
I have no Indian ancestry...pure Anglo Saxon, but I did grow up in the '70s. I remember well this song. It and a movie called "Billie Jack" were instrumental in developing my outlook on our nation's history. I saw first hand how the Hopi were treated in a little town in Arizona.
My sister, Carma, I have not forgotten!
This is one of those hits back then that everybody agreed on
I remember riding in my uncles 1948 Pontiac. He did not care for Rock&Roll, so I would play the radio low. This song comes on, and he reaches over and cranks it up loud!
I loved this song! My era for sure!
Very cool! The 70s ruled!
@@ProfessorofRock 💯
I love that song still play it occasionally! I was only six yrs old when it came out, I know I listened to it often my sister had the 45 ,still does! Great memories and thanks for the story.
I was so poor I had a knock-off Members Only Jackt. Lol! Another excellent job, Prof. Love this song and did not know this back story. Crazy.
Ha! Thanks Mark!
I wish I had one.
My little niece that summer in '71 played that 45 allllllll day, every day, and it drove me NUTS. But it IS a good song, and I'm glad to know Mark Lindsay has Cherokee blood. I've since found out I have Powhatan blood! I grew up on the Trail of Tears in MO, and always have felt that was a terrible scar on our nation's history. Thx for the great story!
Drove you nuts ? 😂😂 it was definitely a great song tho...
Absolutely love your podcasts, Adam!! You really bring the backstories of Rock to life with your differnt series such as Revelations. I keep listening every evening, hoping that one day I'll hear the backstory of a song I heard many years ago... a song that I cannot find anywhere. For years I've been looking for this song I heard on my car radio in the summer of 1976 (if I recall correctly...) The song started with a light symphonic opening and the chorus repeated the line "That was then, this is now..." BUT I cannot find it anywhere!! Anyone have a clue to what I'm talking about?? I can remember the DJ saying "The name of that song has nothing to do with the words..."
I doubt this is the song you're looking for but The Monkees recorded a song in 1966 called, That was then, This is now". I didn't hear a symphonic beginning so maybe some band did a cover version in '76? Good luck hunting for it.
My sister who was 12 years older than me had all those Paul Revere and the Raiders albums and when I started getting heavy into music they were right up there with the Beatles to me.
My sister was CRAZY about Paul Revere and the Raiders. When they came to Chicago, she found out where they were staying, and talked my dad into driving her and her friends over to the hotel, where they joined with many, many other screaming teenagers standing under Mark Lindsay’s balcony; their dads, lined up behind them, leaning on their cars, arms folded across their chests. Finally, the Raiders appeared, the girls swooned, the crowd went wild, and then Mark Lindsay told them all to go home. :)
Considering all the great music of the era, it amazed me that this made it anywhere near #1
what a wild story... the fact he made that all up is sort of hilarious...
i suspected it was bogus just by where he pulled over to sleep out the storm...
great song, great backstory.
That story sounds exactly like a story Roberto Clemente told about being kidnapped, then after they discovered who he was, drove him at high speed to the ballpark, just making the game.
I have Cherokee on both sides of my family (not enough to count for anything). I heard this song when I was a little kid in the mid 70s.
Always loved 60s music because my mom would dance around the house. Good memories.
Always great and informative episodes Adam!!
JJ -South Alabama
Great stuff professor. ❤❤
All indigenous peoples suffered at the hands of unscrupulous policy. 😮However, no one alive today is accountable.
I bought this song when I was 12 years old and was oblivious to it's true depth of meaning for a long time. I've seen Mark Lindsey perform this live twice on the happy together tour. he was incredible kicking his leg up over his head in his 70s lol while performing the song kicks. mark had to retire recently I've heard. highly recommend the happy together tour if you have the opportunity.
What an incredible story and research by yourself. The lying toe rag but at least there was a kind of happy ending. Ive never heard of this song or artist before but very fascinating
I remember listening to this song when it came out. I bought the 45 of it. It is still a favorite of mine. The music and the lyrics resonate with everyone who has been victimized or discriminated against in some way.
New to your channel. What a fantastic “deep dive” behind the scenes. I remember hearing this song played on the school bus taking us to the YMCA summer camp. I appreciate the details you uncovered, especially all the participants (and the other projects they’ve worked on). Phenomenal! Consider me a BIG fan (and a new subscriber)
Great song. My junior high music teacher used to play it in class all the time. I’d never heard of the crazy story the songwriter made up about how he composed it. Another great video Professor.
I’m curious do you have any videos on 1960s garage rock music? Bands such as The Seeds, The Yarbirds, The Stooges, etc? It’s a genre I like a lot and feel that should still have some popularity. But I think it’s mostly not listened to much anymore. Some great bands and songs from that genre.
Keep up the great content!!
I JUST heard this story like last week on an old Casey Kasem American Top 40 show!
Awesome! Wow. what a coincidence!
Premiere Radio edited in a piece with Larry Morgan talking about how John came clean about the story later on in the 70s. Premiere had Larry do a similar piece about Barry Sadler during a rerun that had Casey Kasem playing "Ballad of The Green Berets" as an AT40 extra.
@@raylsullivan- haha, I certainly bought it hook, line & sinker!
Of course I’d heard this song. I remember it being a favorite of mine at the time but I’d completely forgotten about it over the years. Given its tremendous popularity I’m surprised it’s not heard more often today.
Think I was in grade 11 or 12 when this came out, big hit and lots of air play at the time. Never heard the kidnapping story but what a great bit of background and a reminder that not everything one hears is true.. 🍺😎
That's right.
The kidnapping part was insane!
We can't change the past, it's done. Sometimes, all we can do is keep it in the memories of future generations, just like the tribes' medicine men. So glad that this song did that for the Cherokee Nation ❤️
I'm 66 so of course I know that song. I also fell for the story on American top 40: hook, line and sinker. I have a tiny bit of native American in me (1/128th) but my wife was 1/4 Navajo, so my children are all 1/8th. I have always felt that the native Americans were pushed around unfairly which added to the appeal of the song.
Thanks for the comment!
Mistreatment of indigenous people still persists today. We are grateful for their resilience.
Just like so many other 60s pop acts, (Paul Revere and) The Raiders had their comeback hit in the 1970s, and it also became their swan song.