From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Tue Feb 25, 2003  4:38 pm
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Mitch Ryder
 
MITCH RYDER

Born William Levise Jnr., 26 February 1945, Detroit, Michigan

An impassioned singer, bearing an aural debt to Little Richard, Mitch 
Ryder spent his formative years frequenting the clubs on Woodward 
Avenue in Detroit, watching many of Tamla/Motown's star attractions.
Having outgrown two high school bands, Levise formed Billy Lee And
The Rivieras in 1963. Jim McCarty (lead guitar - later of Buddy Miles
Express and Cactus), Joe Cubert (rhythm guitar), Earl Elliott (bass) 
and 'Little' John Badanjek (drums) completed the group's early line-up.
They recorded two singles for local labels prior to their 'discovery' by 
producer Bob Crewe, who signed them to his New Voice label and gave
the quintet a sharper name : Mitch Ryder And The Detroit Wheels.
Towards the end of 1965 they secured their first hit with the frenzied
"Jenny Take A Ride" (# 10), a raw and earthy performance which set 
new standards in 'blue-eyed' soul. Uninhibited at a time of increasing
sophistication, Ryder successfully captured the power of his black
inspirations. Subsequent releases showed a similar verve and the group
reached its zenith with the medley of "Devil With A Blue Dress On &
Good Golly Miss Molly" (# 4). From there, however, the formula became
predictable and more studied recreations failed to emulate its fire. The
Wheels were summarily fired in 1967 as the singer was coaxed towards
safer fare, even recording a version of Gilbert Becaud's "What Now My 
Love" (Et Maintenant). Ryder and Crewe split up in rancorous circum-
stances but a union with guitarist Steve Cropper resulted in the excellent 
"Detroit/Memphis Experiment" (1969). 

In 1971 Ryder reunited with John Badanjek to form Detroit, a hard-edged
seven-piece rock band of great promise which disintegrated prematurely.
The singer then abandoned music, nursing a throat ailment which threatened
his one-time livelihood. In the late 1970s he resumed performing and although
later releases lack the overall passion of those initial recordings, there are
moments when that erstwhile strength occurs. After a 15-year absence from 
the charts, there was a minor comeback (# 87) in 1983 with the Prince 
composition "When You Were Mine", produced by John Cougar Mellencamp
(an ardent Ryder fan).

In the '90s Mitch Ryder continued to be a major concert attraction. A primary
influence on Bruce Springsteen, the architect of Detroit's 'high-energy'
performers, the MC5 and the Stooges, Mitch Ryder's talent should not be
underestimated. 

CD: Rev-Up : The Best Of Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels (Rhino, 20 tracks).
Website: http://www.mitchryder.com/ryder.html