It’s Amazing How Songs Like Ride Captain Ride Never Fade Away

The great songs “Ride Captain Ride,” was a massive hit for the band Blues Image in 1970. For those of us who grew up in the 1970’s there are certain songs that are never forgotten. “Ride Captain Ride,” was on of those magical tunes that found itself a home on both AM and FM radio. It was a pop song with a great rock feel. Defining the song was a deep voiced low tenor that was common on early 1970’s radio. The songs addictive hook and swashbuckling chord changes made it a favorite among fans of popular music at the dawn of the 1970’s.

The song “Ride Captain Ride,” was written by Mike Pinera and Frank “Skip” Konte. It was released in 1970 on the Blues Image album entitled Open. It was the band’s second album. The debut album was released in 1969 but spawned no hit singles. “Ride Captain Ride,” was a huge hit for the band as the song reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100. The song opened with a great electric piano trill that segued into a cool vocal that literally took the listener on a melodic ride that cultimated in an incredibly uplifting and wonderfully written and performed chorus.

The early 1970s was a great time for popular music. There was no use of electronics or drum machines. All the music was written and performed on real instruments that musicians knew how to play. There was a definite art to writing hit pop songs and the early 1970’s delivered some of the best of them. From Todd Rundgren through Billy Joel, Elton John, James Taylor, Carol King and so many more, the early 1970’s was a golden period for pop music radio.

Blues Image were not the only band to have a hit with the song “Ride Captain Ride.” The legendary band Blood Sweat and Tears also enjoyed some success with the song. Blood Sweat and Tears recorded the song for their 1975 album New City. Their version was a little more funked up complete with the classic Blood Sweat and Tears horn section and the soul infused blues vocals of David Clayton-Thomas.

Over time, the version however that we all remember is the original by Blues Image. The song has withstood test of time and has been featured on many televisions shows including Defiance and the current hit Scorpion. It’s a classic 1970’s tunes that stands as one of the early 1970’s most loved songs