"I Could've Been A Contender" 11/30/07

[Pete70s]

Back to featuring artists/bands, though I do hope more people go back and check out my "Contender" post from last week.



Rare Earth

They weren't the first white act signed to Motown, they weren't even the first rock band. But they were the first of either to become successful. Their 1969 smash "Get Ready" kicked off a string of successful singles and albums that would last into the early 70's. "Get Ready" (22 minutes long in it's album form), became a career-defining song for the group. This cover of a lesser-known Temptations hit would be the second Motown cover in less than a year to become more successful for a white rock band (the other was Blood, Sweat & Tears cover of Brenda Holloway's minor 1967 hit "You've Made Me So Very Happy").

In a classic chicken/egg case of "which came first?", the band carried the name of the Motown subsidiary label they recorded for. I had to do some research to find out if the band was named after the Rare Earth label, or if the label was named after the band. It turned out to be the latter, believe it or not! The band got their name in 1967, and signed to Motown in '69. Motown was forming a new subsidiary to target FM rock radio. The label had just been formed, and the band jokingly suggested that Motown should call it "Rare Earth". Little did they know, they would!

A string of hits followed "Get Ready", among them "Born To Wander", another Temptations cover "(I Know) I'm Losing You", "I Just Want To Celebrate" (quite possibly the hardest rocking single to ever be a hit on Motown), and "Hey Big Brother".

Rare Earth were a "nameless, faceless band" somewhat, as there would be no "stars" in the group, just musicians. The original group consisted of Saxophonist Gil Bridges, singer/drummer Pete Rivera, bassist/trombonist John Parrish, guitarists Rod Richards and Ray Monette, percussionist Edward "Eddie" Guzman, and keyboardist Kenny James. However, the line-up would change several times over the years.

The hits stopped coming in 1972, but the group would briefly appear again on the singles chart in 1978 with the disco-flavored "Warm Ride". Still with Motown (the Rare Earth label had folded into the Prodigal subsidiary in 1976), it would be their last brush with success before fading into obscurity. Three of the members would die (I think Pete Rivera is one of them), and Gil Bridges is the only original member in the current touring band.

And, as usual, I don't think we'll see them inducted into the Hall of Fame anytime soon....

[Ken]

Hey Pete!

I'm a big fan of Rare Earth, they had such a great sound! I have their Anthology on CD and a few 45's as well.I remember my oldest brother having a few of their albums on 8 - track.

I don't recall hearing of Pete Rivera's death - very sad.

It's a real shame that they will never be inducted into the Hall of Fame. It's also a real shame that Jann Wenner has a say who goes in and who doesn't

[Pete70s]

kenfrank said:

I don't recall hearing of Pete Rivera's death - very sad.

I'm not 100% sure, I just seem to rememeber reading somewhere that he had died.

BTW- Happy belated Birthday, Ken!

[Dawn]

That's interesting about the record label being named after the band; I would have guessed it was the other way around. I found a mention of a band named UFO that also recorded an album under the Rare Earth label in 1971; I wonder if they were the same band that recorded Too Hot to Handle, etc. later in the '70s?

I have a couple original Rare Earth 45s, as well as a greatest hits collection on cassette that I hope to upgrade to CD sometime. They had quite a few good singles, my favorite of which is probably Born to Wander. Warm Ride was a great comeback effort, and it's a shame that no more hits followed for them.

[Ken]

pete70s said:

kenfrank said:

I don't recall hearing of Pete Rivera's death - very sad.

I'm not 100% sure, I just seem to rememeber reading somewhere that he had died.

BTW- Happy belated Birthday, Ken!

Thanks Pete!

[Pete70s]

admin said:

I have a couple original Rare Earth 45s, as well as a greatest hits collection on cassette that I hope to upgrade to CD sometime. They had quite a few good singles, my favorite of which is probably Born to Wander. Warm Ride was a great comeback effort, and it's a shame that no more hits followed for them.

Dawn, if you have the "Born To Wander" 45, check out the b-side, "Here Comes The Night". It's a great tune (though not a cover of the Beach Boys tune).

[H2IZCOOL]

I remember them well, and have several of their 45s. I did not know that the label was named for the group. That's pretty cool! it's not a common occurance; the only other label that comes to mind that has that same distinction is Rolling Stone. I'm sure there are others.

I remember being surprised when I found out it was a Motown subsidiary. They sure didn't sound soul.

The only other artist that I can recall being on that label was R. Dean Taylor.

[Pete70s]

h2izcool said:

The only other artist that I can recall being on that label was R. Dean Taylor.

Believe it or not, Meat Loaf also had a record out on Rare Earth. It went to #71 on the Billboard chart. Does anyone remember the song? ;D ;D ;D

[55dodger]

You know Pete, I've always liked Rare Earth. I remember the 22 minute Get Ready. I think I even got it live on vinyl. Different kind of sound then what was coming out of Motown, but worth listening to then, and timeless now.

[Pete70s]

admin said:

That's interesting about the record label being named after the band; I would have guessed it was the other way around. I found a mention of a band named UFO that also recorded an album under the Rare Earth label in 1971; I wonder if they were the same band that recorded Too Hot to Handle, etc. later in the '70s?

I couldn't find any info about the UFO, other than there was an album.

However, Rare Earth (the label) had a band called Toe Fat signed, which featured future members of Uriah Heep.

[jbd]

know who else had a big hit on RARE EARTH records?...R DEAN TAYLOR and the classic INDIANA WANTS ME.

i have that STONEY & MEAT LOAF album on vinyl. it was re-issued after the mega-success of BAT OUT OF HELL.

RARE EARTH is one of my top bands ever!
to show how much i dig 'em, here's a review i wrote of one of RARE EARTH's compliations and posted online a few years ago:

jukeboxdavesalbums (03/28/02)
RARE EARTH-GREATEST HITS AND RARE CLASSICS: Rare Earth was something of an oddity at Motown: an all white, self contained rock act that played with soul. Starting with a gritty revamping of the Temptations' Smokey Robinson sired classic GET READY and following up with a similarly reworked (I KNOW) I'M LOSING YOU (another Tempts hit), they were powered by the mighty vocal yowling of sticksman Peter Hoorelbeke and Gil Bridges' woodwind accents. Worthy follow-ups included life affirming anthem I JUST WANT TO CELEBRATE, HEY BIG BROTHER's hypnotic pulse, and the against type (and Bee Gees assisted) disco charter WARM RIDE, but even the non hits ("Rare Classics") deserve a spin. BIG JOHN IS MY NAME is a funky, chunky slab of fuzz tone, wah wah injected psychedelia, while HUM ALONG AND DANCE invites you to do just that. At twenty cuts, GREATEST HITS is perhaps too much of a groovy thing for the uninitiated, but better too much Rare Earth than too little, I always say.
RATING: FOUR BIG BEATS

[jbd]

i should probably mention that PETER's better known "stage name" is RIVERA, and he's still one helluva vocalist to this day...truly one of the most soulful white singers ever!