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Artist/Band
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Song/Piece
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From Album
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Engage!
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Blues Image |
Ride Captain Ride |
Open |
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| The collector writes: Probably the most well-known of the musicians from this band is Mike Pinera, who later went on to play with Iron Butterfly on their too little heard last album “Metamorphosis”. Mike played lead guitar, was the lead singer on “Ride Captain Ride”, and wrote that hit. Blues Image was Latin rock, similar to Santana. | |||
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many years ago, i was told that the subject of the song “ride captain ride”, performed by blues image, was the uss pueblo, which was taken into port by the north koreans on january 23, 1968.. is this true?
Blues Image – “Open”, their second album in 1970. A band with tremendous potential. They were formed in Florida, USA, in the mid sixties, by guitarist Mike Pinera, later of Iron Butterfly fame. Their music was a stunning combination of hard rock with a Latin feel. They opened up their own club, The Image, giving themselves a perfect platform to present their unique brand of music to an appreciative crowd. They split at the beginning of 1971, with Pinera joining Ramatam in 1972, and in 1973, forming The New Cactus Band with percussionist Manuel Bertematti. Drummer Joe Lala went on to become a much sought after and respected musician, featuring with the likes of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Joe Walsh and Manassas. Visit their website.
As well as Mike Pinera Blues Image also had the talents of percussionist Joe Lala who went on to play on so many albums by numerous artists including CSN, Don Felder, Manassas, The Outlaws and many, many, many more. In fact I would argue that Joe Lala had much more success after Blues Image than Mike Pinera. The former bass player of Blues Image Malcolm Jones is apparently a distant cousin of mine (we are both from Cardiff, Wales) and it was through relatives that I was introduced to their self titled debut album in 1969 a year before Ride Captain Ride emerged on the airwaves.
Re. Kevin Bearden: “…was the uss pueblo…”
I asked the author this morning and he said “my lyrics were similar to Pueblo story, but a coincidence”.
Well, I also have heard that Ride Captain Ride is about the USS Pueblo, however, the songs says 73 men and the Pueblo actually had 83 (minus one who was killed) so I don’t know. There could have been 10 officers and 73 men I suppose in Navy terms.
Blues Image, in my humble opinion, were NOT “Latin” Rock but more Blues Rock, hence their name ‘Blues Image.’
I was told the same story about the song, around the time that it was released onto top 40 radio. I think it’s quite possible, though I’d have to know more details about the Pueblo incident to verify it.
I have always loved this song since first hearing it circa 1970, and while I have nothing personally to contribute as to what this song is actually talking about, note the following site from a Viet Nam War veteran and poet who wrote this about the song (pretty interesting):
http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewpoetry.asp?AuthorID=14742&id=108859
Anyway, thanks for the song which I downloaded the mp3 version just to play it at work. Lot of vets here, and while I’m not one, I like to reminisce sometimes.
Interestingly enough, I recently met on the phone and today in person with Allan Mason, who was the drummer in Blues Image. He told me they recorded Ride Captain Ride and the rest of the album at Criterion Studios in Miami. He went on from there to do a short stint as the drummer for Firefall on tour (not any of the recordings).
We had a fun time catching up on that era, I’m a drummer as well. . . .
Allan now owns Broadcast Network News. . . .
Hope that is useful info. . .
re: USS Pueblo
I heard the same thing at the time of the songs release that it was about the USS Pueblo incident.
The lyrics match well. It was a spy (mystery) ship. It did call for help. It caused a political storm. The sailors gained massive public support during the Vietnam debates (be amazed at the friends…). A popular bumper sticker was “Remember the Pueblo”.
One of the news magazines at the time, either Life or Look was allowed a photo session with the prisoners from the Pueblo being held in North Korea. They were portrayed being well treated. The songs line, “We can laugh our lives away and be free once more,” was said to reference that encounter.
I have never been able to confirm the connection and was trying to do so when I found your site.