Ride Captain Ride

"Ride Captain Ride"
Single by Blues Image
from the album Open
B-side	"Pay My Dues"
Released	April, 1970
Format	7" 45 RPM
Genre	Rock
Length	3:45 3:07 (7" version)
Label	Atco / Atlantic
Writer(s)	Mike Pinera, Frank Konte
Producer(s)	Richard Podolor

"Ride Captain Ride" is a song recorded by the American rock band Blues Image. The song was co-written by the band's singer-guitarist Mike Pinera and keyboardist Frank "Skip" Konte. It was included on the group's 1970 album, Open. Released as a slightly shortened single in the spring of 1970, it shot up the charts, eventually reaching No. 4 in the USA and Canadian charts, making it Blues Image's first (and only) Top 40 chart hit. The guitar fills and main solo were performed by Kent Henry. Mike Pinera plays the guitar solo at the end of the song.

The song was inspired by the number of keys on Pinera's Rhodes piano. Pinera said, "Okay, I need a first word. And what came into my head was '73.' I liked the rhythm, and I went, '73 men sailed up, from the San Francisco Bay.' ... The song sort of just wrote itself from there."^[1]

The song was eventually remixed as a "psychedelic space version".

Popular culture

"Ride Captain Ride" was covered by Blood, Sweat & Tears on their 1975 album New City and was the lead track on Side One. It is also notable as an early effort by uber-producer Jimmy Ienner. Live versions can be found on their albums In Concert and Live And Improvised.

"Ride Captain Ride" can be heard in the beginning of the episode "The Serpent's Egg" (Season 1, Episode 5) from the TV Series DEFIANCE. Played on Raider Radio, broadcast from the top of The Arch, by Alak Tarr (Jesse Rath)

"Ride Captain Ride" was the surfing song in the indie game "Tales of The Drunken Paladin."

"Ride Captain Ride" can be heard in both of the films Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Diggers.

The rock band Phish has covered the song on a few occasions including on 05/28/1989 in Hebron, NY, 12/10/1999 in Philadelphia, 10/24/2010 in Amherst, Mass, 06/08/11 in Darien, NY, 06/29/12 in Noblesville, IN., 08/19/2012 in San Francisco, CA, 09/02/2012 in Commerce City, CO, 12/30/2012 in New York, New York and 10/26/2013 in Worcester, Mass. ^[2]

"Ride Captain Ride" can also be heard in the episode "Namaste" from the TV series LOST.

The Comedy Central roast of William Shatner used "Ride Captain Ride" as the entrance theme for Mr. Shatner.

References