This is the New Mitch Ryder On-Line FAQ's and Info Board. This board was designed to answer the most frequently asked questions about Mitch Ryder, Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels, other bands, agents, managers, etc. that Mitch has been associated with during his career.
The New Mitch Ryder On-Line Web Site and Avengers Fan Forum FAQ
Mitch Ryder FAQ
- Are Mitch & The Wheels in the RR Hall of Fame?
- Is the David Dodd book worth the read?
- Is the story about where Mitch got his name true?
- Where can I find an up-to-date show schedule?
- Can I send Mitch a personal message?
- Is it true that Mitch was signed to Motown Records?
- Who do I contact to book Mitch for a show?
- Mitch mentioned in an Avengers chat that he owned a unique guitar- does he play?
Merchandise - The New Mitch Ryder On-Line Store FAQ
- Where do you buy the items you have for sale at the on-line store?
- Where can I find "Never Kick A Sleeping Dog" on CD?
- What's the story on the "Jenny Take A Ride" 45?
- Why can't I buy the JBird CD's at the on-line store?
- Are the "autographed" items you have genuine?
- Can you send me a free autographed photo of Mitch?
Misc. FAQ
- Can you give me some info on the group "Detroit"?
- Do you know how I can contact any of The Wheels?
- Is it possible to get a backstage pass for one of Mitch's shows?
- Can you tell me when Mitch will be coming back to Germany to perform?
- What does Barry Kramer have to do with Mitch?
- Did Mitch and The Wheels get back together for the Woodstock Festival?
- Who are the members of Mitch's current band?
- I have read so many bio's on Mitch & The Wheels. Is there one that stands out?
- Who is Joe Gutc and why did he accompany Mitch on his recent Germany tour - instead of one of the guitar players in his current band?
- What can you tell me about the drummer in Mitch's current band?
Any questions? Email faq(at)mitchryder.com
The New Mitch Ryder On-Line Web Site and Avengers Fan Forum FAQ
- Is the New Mitch Ryder On-Line web site the "Official" Mitch Ryder web site? This web site formally went on line in April of 1998 as an "Official" website endorse by Mitch Ryder and his management. In early September, 2000 Mitch Ryder withdrew his endorsement for personal reason. At the same time, the web site's host, ESI, Inc.(Mitch's booking agency)was instructed to remove the site from its on line server. Mitch's decision to revoke his endorsement of the web site had absolutely nothing to do with the web site or its content.
- Is there a Mitch Ryder fan club I can join? The closest thing that we have to a traditional fan club is the Avengers Fan Forum at The New Mitch Ryder On-Line Forums When we were the official web site we did have an Avengers packet available which included a subscription to the newsletter, a button, an audio tape and an official Avengers Access Pass. It is almost impossible to run a "fan club" without Mitch's sponsorship, but who know what the future may bring.
- How do I join the Avengers fan forum? The url for the Avenger's Fan Forum is The New Mitch Ryder On-Line Forums You can join at the site. One of the managers must approve all membership request.
- Where did you find the great pictures on the web site? Our web site photo album, our Memorabilia page and the Avengers photo album - most of the photographs, especially the ones from the 60's and 70's are the property of our Webmaster, Annette. Some of the photos were given to us by fans who wanted to share them with other fans and others are from various publications.
Mitch Ryder FAQ
- Are Mitch & The Wheels in the RR Hall of Fame? If it was left up to the Avengers they would be! But sadly they have not been inducted into the Hall, although they have been nominated several times. You can sign our Petition for the induction of Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by going to the On-Line Petition.
- Is the David Dodd book worth the read? "Playing It Straight" by David Dodd is a book filled with personal conversations on Recovery, Transformation and Success. David's conversation with Mitch is insightful as well as informative. The stories subtitle states, "Mitch Ryder is a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. He released a string of hits throughout his career - ..... and continues to perform and release new material in the United States and throughout Europe." It is not only worth the read but you will be truly enlightened!
- Is the story about where Mitch got his name true? According to Mitch the story is true and one of the names that was considered was Michael Rothchild! Here is the short version of the story......The then Billy Lee & The Rivieras opened for The Dave Clark Five. They torched the hometown audience for 90 minutes, the Four Seasons' producer Bob Crewe was hooked. And in February, 1965, the five Detroit teenagers relocated to New York City and bided their time for a few months playing Greenwich Village clubs for survival money. The name was the first to go (a conflict with The Rivieras who recorded "California Sun"), hence the legendary story of Lee/Levise flipping through the Manhattan phone directory and coming across the name Mitch Ryder. The Rivieras became The Detroit Wheels and album cover photos of the band on top of oil cans or surrounded by discarded tires punched the automotive image home.
- Where can I find an up-to-date show schedule? We find ourselves spending much too much time trying to keep our site schedule up to date. We suggest you search PollStar for a current schedule.
- Can I send Mitch a personal message? We are no longer in a position to assure that your message will indeed be read by Mitch. As far as we know, he is still receiving email at mitch@esientertainment.com Any email messages intended for Mitch and received by us will be forwarded to his email address.
- Is it true that Mitch was signed to Motown Records? Early in his career Mitch did audition for Motown's Barry Gordy and Eddie Holland. But after complimenting his vocal abilities told him that they needed original material and sent him packing. Mitch fronted a group of black musicians called the Peps. The Peps got an audition with Mrs Thelma Gordy for her Tamla record label. Mrs Gordy did signed them, but for various reasons - mostly economic - Mitch split.
- Who do I contact to book Mitch for a show? Entertainment Services International, Inc. is the name of Mitch's booking agency. They can be contacted at Bookings or at their website ESI. INC. http://www.esientertainment.com Please tell them you were referred by The New Mitch Ryder On-Line web site.
- Mitch mentioned in an Avengers chat that he owned a unique guitar- does he play? In a direct quote from Mitch in 1971 he expressed his feelings about his future. "My big dream is to one day play guitar on one of my albums. It's like you're been accepted for one thing and so you're got that to your credit. The natural thing with a singer is to play guitar because the two compliment each other. That way, I could have the exact kind of music I want behind my voice"
Merchandise - The New Mitch Ryder On-Line Store FAQ
- Where do you buy the items you have for sale at the on-line store? We scour record conventions, we bid on auction items, and we have made wonderful alliances with several vendors. Annette has even been to the "Estate Sales" of some of the most well known agents and pr people in the rock music industry. We welcome your "want lists"!
- Where can I find "Never Kick A Sleeping Dog" on CD? The "Never Kick A Sleeping Dog" LP has never been released in the US in the CD or cassette format. Several Canadian and European fans have copies of this LP in the CD format as issued by a sub division of Line Records in Germany. Apparently it was a limited release only in Canada and Europe. Several inquiries have been made to the record company seeking to have the LP released on CD or the conditions of the sale of the rights to the LP- the record company hasn't shown any interest one way or the other.
- What's the story on the "Jenny Take A Ride" 45? The "Jenny Take A Ride" 45 was released with a label error. Rumored to have been discovered by a clerk at a New York City well known record shop, the 45 was immediately pulled from the bins. Bob Crewe ordered the label corrected and the 45 re-shipped! The 45 sold at least a million copies and rock historians have questioned just how many more copies could have been sold had it not been pulled from the shelves while the error was corrected. The 45 with the error has been sold for as much as $200 (as reported by Goldmine Magazine)!
- Why can't I buy the JBird CD's at the on-line store? The webmaster for the "Official" Mitch Ryder web site, agreed not to offer the CD's for sale on the "Official" site as a part of an agreement with Mitch and JBird Records. Since we lost our "Official" status we are within our legal rights to re-sell the CD's at the on-line store and can not be > obligated to any previous agreement. However, the webmaster agreed to the original conditions of the agreement and will not go back on her word despite everything that has happened.
- Are the "autographed" items you have genuine? Each one of the autographed items we offer comes with a Certificate of Authenticity. Each item has been authenticated as the true and actual signature/autograph of Mitch Ryder and any other person who may have signed/autographed the item.
- Can you send me a free autographed photo of Mitch? Our web site and Avenger fan forum are supported through the sales we make through the on line store. We have several autographed photos in stock at the On-Line Store for sale. We are sorry, but we are unable to send you a "free" autographed photo!
Misc. FAQ
Can you give me some info on the group "Detroit"? Mitch and Johnny Bee were the cornerstones of The supergroup, "Detroit" which was formed in 1970. Forming the nucleus of the 100% Detroit based band were:
Mitch Ryder - vocals Johnny "Bee" Badanjek - drums & vocals Dirty Ed - congas & tambourine Steve "Decator Gator" Hunter - lead guitar W.R. Cooke - bass & vocals Bret Tuggle - guitar Harry Phillips - keyboard The groundbreaking LP "Detroit with Mitch Ryder" wasn't a huge seller and the band broke up shortly thereafter. In the ensuing years, the LP become a sort after collectors item mainly because of the bands rendition of the Lou Reed classic, "Rock N' Roll."
- Do you know how I can contact any of The Wheels? As far as we know the only member of The Wheels on line is the drummer - ~JOHNNY BEE BADANJEK~ The Official Johnny Bee Badanjek Web Site
- Is it possible to get a backstage pass for one of Mitch's shows? Mitch has severed "ALL" ties with our Webmaster, the web site and the Avenger's fan forum. We are no longer in a position to even request such a thing. You might try emailing Mitch - perhaps he might consider your request.
- Can you tell me when Mitch will be coming back to Germany to perform? Watch his schedule at http://www.pollstar.com. The Germany dates last year were added in the Spring.
- What does Barry Kramer have to do with Mitch? Barry Kramer, the proprietor of the famed rock magazine, Creem, at one time was Mitch's manager. Barry managed Mitch during the time of the "Detroit-Memphis Experiment."
- Did Mitch and The Wheels get back together for the Woodstock Festival? Mitch did manage to get all The Wheels back together for one night, but not to perform at Woodstock. On September 17, 1969, Mitch and The Wheels performed for a small audience at another festival in Sarnia, Ontario Canada.
- Who are the members of Mitch's current band? Mitch's current band is made up of some of the best musicians to ever come out of Detroit. All of these musicians are not only extremely talented - they are personable friendly guys.
Barry Wallace George - Bass Robert Gillespie - Lead Guitar ? - Keyboards Bobby George - Guitar Tommy "Kid Blood" Clufetos - Drummer
- I have read so many bio's on Mitch & The Wheels. Is there one that stands out? Here it is: MITCH RYDER & THE DETROIT WHEELS If the Righteous Brothers (q.v.) were the kings of blue-eyed soul, Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels were the princes.
Ryder was born William Levise, Jr., in Detroit on February 26, 1945. He performed as Billy Lee in a high school band called Tempest before turning heads in a black Detroit soul club called the Village. At 17, he was skilled enough to record an R&B single ("That’s The Way It’s Going To Be"/"Fool For You") for the Detroit gospel label Carrie in 1962 and to start making gigs fronting the Peps, a black vocal trio. Levise was appearing with the Peps at the Village early in 1964 when he ran across a group that included Jim McCarty, Earl Elliot, and John Badanjek. Together with rhythm guitarist Joe Kubert, they joined forces as Billy Lee & The Rivieras and by mid-summer had attracted a fanatical local following that caught the ear of Motor City DJ Bob Prince. Prince began booking Lee & The Rivieras as an opening act at a club/casino north of Detroit, but their live performances were so potent that the unrecorded group was soon head- lining over major Motown artists. Prince then arranged for the Rivieras to record a tape in Badanjek’s basement, and that demo brought Four Seasons producer Bob Crewe to a Detroit performance where the Rivieras opened for the Dave Clark Five. They torched the hometown audience for ninety minutes, Crewe was hooked, and in February 1965, the five Detroit teenagers relocated to New York City and bided their time for a few months playing Greenwich Village clubs for survival money. The name was the first to go (a conflict with the Rivieras who recorded "California Sun"), hence the legendary story of Lee/Levise flipping through the Manhattan phone directory and coming across the name Mitch Ryder. The Rivieras became the Detroit Wheels and album cover photos of the band on top of oil cans or surrounded by discarded tires punched the automotive image home. What followed was a wild two-year ride trough the star-making machinery of the record industry that brought them fame but no fortune and tore the group apart in the process. Not that the first Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels single, "I Need Help", exactly set the charts on fire. That waited until late 1965, when "Jenny Take A Ride!" climbed to #10 as the Wheels welded Chuck Willis’ "C.C. Rider" to Little Richard’s "Jenny,Jenny", and cannily tossed in an advertisement for their live show along the way (the backing vocals changed to "See Mitch Ryder" during the second verse). "Little Latin Lupe Lu" cemented their commercial appeal when it reached #17 and set the general outline of the band’s most popular sound--an R&B standard or two revved up, Wheels-style, with Mitch’s peerless soul shouting ripping away over the top. That approach bordered on becoming a formula, particularly after "Break Out", the first attempt at a bigger, brassier sound, only made it to #62 and the ballad "Takin’ All I Can Get" barely cracked the Billboard Hot 100. Late in 1966, the "Devil With A Blue Dress On" & "Good Golly Miss Molly" medleys exploded over the airwaves and indelibly stamped the high energy Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels sound on anyone within an earshot as they hit #4 on the charts. Which was a shame, really, because the albums kept showing other dimensions of Ryder’s skills as an interpretive singer. Certainly, tracks like "Shakin’ With Linda", "Shake A Tail Feather", "Just A Little Bit", and "Sticks And Stones," fit The Wheels mold to a T. But "I Like It Like That" spotlighted Ryder’s ability to tone down for the kind of slow-drag, New Orleans R&B that emphasized his smooth delivery and immaculate phrasing. And he showed real signs as a midnight rambler songwriter on "I Had It Made" (musically, a thinly veiled re-write of James Brown’s "Out Of Sight") and the intriguing "Baby Jane", which sounded like a bizarre but happening cross of the Sir Douglas Quintet and the Velvet Underground Early in 1967, the proto-typical, riff-rockin’ "Sock It To Me-Baby!" became Ryder’s final top ten single, despite being banned on several stations for being too sexually suggestive. The brassy "Too Many Fish In The Sea & Three Little Fishes" reverted to the medley formula, but it was the final chart entry (at #24) for Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels because Crewe’s long running Svengali notions of (ahem) putting The Wheels in motion back to Detroit and working with Ryder as a solo artist were finally bearing fruit. After a final single (the first credited to Mitch alone), pairing the syncopated "Joy" with the hard-riffing "I’d Rather Go To Jail", Crewe packed Ryder off to Las Vegas with a big band in tow. Crewe had big plans--wretchedly excessive plans as the What Now My Love album, released in mid- 1967, may be the most godawful piece of overblown dreck ever associated with a major artist. Divorced from the powerdrive of The Wheels, swamped by saccharine strings and pompous pretense poetry by Rod McKuen and music by Jaques Brel on a Mitch Ryder album?!?), the fact that Ryder somehow got the title track up to #30 might rank as the most amazing feat of his career. It was the final straw. Ryder bailed out of his contract with Crewe, who promptly milked the last bit of mileage he could by slapping horn tracks over the R&B tunes The Wheels had covered and putting out the Mitch Ryder Sings The Hits album. Instead of immediately returning to Detroit, Ryder took a down-home detour to Memphis to record the Detroit-Memphis Experiment album with Stax luminaries Booker T. & The MGs and the Memphis Horns for Dot. Liner notes containing phrases like "After being raped by the music machine that represents that heaven-on-earth, New York b/w Los Angeles" and "Mitch Ryder is the sole creation of William Levise, Jr.", left little doubt about his feelings over the Crewe experience. It was the only time Ryder recorded with a bona-fide soul band. "Liberty" shows it was a two-way exchange. Ryder’s Detroit bred rock ’n’ roll energy goosed the musicians just as their innate funkiness moved Ryder’s singing in new directions. But fine, fine music didn’t spell commercial success, and Ryder returned home to a reunion with The Wheels drummer John Badanjek in the short-lived supergroup Detroit, which lasted just long enough to record one monster of a heavy duty rock ’n’ roll album in 1971. "Long Neck Goose" updated the classic Wheels sound as Ryder digs into the tune with a ferocious glee; but the climatic moment was "Rock’N Roll," kicked off by a mountainous guitar riff while Badanjek bounced a cow-bell off your skull at regular intervals. It was so powerful aperformance that Lou Reed was quoted as saying that was how the song was supposed to sound, and proved it by recruiting guitarist Steve Hunter for his Rock N Roll Animal phase after Detroit disintegrated. An embittered Ryder left the active performing scene then, heading to Denver and working a day job for five years and honing his songwriting skills at night. After returning to Detroit,he formed a band and released the confessional, autobiographical How I Spent My Vacation and then Naked But Not Dead on his own Seeds and Stems label. That helped trigger a resurgence of European interest in Ryder. As a result, he released several additional albums--Live Talkies, Got Change For A Million, and Smart Ass--in the early ‘80s on the German Line label. He came back to a major American label for the John Cougar Mellencamp-produced Never Kick A Sleeping Dog in 1983, highlighted by a world-weary , gritty version of Prince’s "When You Were Mine" that cut the original and all others to shreds. Single tracks--"Bow Wow Wow Wow" for Was Not Was and a satirical take on Oliver North called "Good Golly Ask Ollie"--were his only subsequent domestic releases. SOURCE: CD liner notes (see below) RECOMMENDED CD: Rev Up! The Best of Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels (Rhino)
- Who is Joe Gutc and why did he accompany Mitch on his recent Germany tour - instead of one of the guitar players in his current band? Joe is an extremely talented guitar that was a member of Mitch's different bands, most notedly his "Summer Vacation band. Joe also played guitar during some of Mitch's past tours of Germany so I guess Joe was chosen to accompany Mitch because he is well known to the German fans.
- What can you tell me about the drummer in Mitch's current band? Tommy "Kid" Blood Clufetos is one of the finest drummers around and don't let his age deceive you - read " some of his press clippings -
DOWNBEAT December, 1993 TOM CLUFETOS a 13-year-old drummer from Rochester, Mich. was recently voted best drummer in North America under age 17 by Pearl Corp. Clufetos has played with Greg Bissonette, Danny Gatton, Chuck Berry, the Pointer Sisters, Jerry Lee Lewis, and has toured nationally with his dad's group, Tommy C. & The Gamut Band. MODERN DRUMMER December, 1995 "ON THE MOVE" TOM CLUFETOS is a seasoned professional with over two years of national tours and a regional recording under his belt-and he is barely out of junior high! This gifted fifteen year old has been playing since early childhood, and has developed his drumming skills to the point where he placed first in Pearl's national drum competition in Vancouver, BC in both 1993 and 1994. In June 1994 Tom was named by Pearl as the "best drummer in North America over the age of 17." (He was actually only fourteen at the time, but had been placed in the upper age group based on his remarkable abilities.) Contest wins aside, Tom is still a working drummer, playing 50's and 60's covers on two to three gigs a week with Tommy C & The Gamut Band. The band has done two national tours opening for many '50s/60s artists. Tom has also had the opportunity to back several of those artists, including Chuck Berry, Martha Reeves, the Drifters, the Coasters, and Lou Christie. He also performs drum clinics at schools in his home town of Rochester, Michigan. A video taken from one such clinic dramatically demonstrates Tom's versatility and fluid playing style. Tom plays a Pearl Prestige Custom kit with Sabian cymbals and DW pedals. His goals are "to attend the University of North Texas, get the chance to play with Maynard Ferguson, and hopefully move on to become a solid and reputable studio and live drummer." But first he has to graduate from high school!
