Ride Captain Ride

1970 single by Blues Image

"Ride Captain Ride"

Single by Blues Image
from the album  Open
B-side| "Pay My Dues"
Released| 1970
Genre| Rock
Length| 3:45
3:07 (7" version)
Label| Atco / Atlantic
Songwriter(s)| Mike Pinera, Frank Konte
Producer(s)| Richard Podolor
Blues Image singles chronology
| "Lay Your Sweet Love on Me"
(1969)  | "Ride Captain Ride"
(1970)  | "Gas Lamps and Clay"
(1970)

|
|

"Ride Captain Ride" is a song recorded by the American rock band Blues Image. It was co-written by the band's singer-guitarist Mike Pinera and keyboardist Frank "Skip" Konte and 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 US and Canadian charts, making it Blues Image's only Top 40 chart hit. It reached No. 23 in Australia.

The longer version repeats the chorus several times before the instrumental coda leaves the song.

The guitar fills, and main solo were performed by Kent Henry. Pinera plays the guitar solo at the end of the song.

The number of keys on Pinera's Rhodes piano inspired the song. 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]

In the lyrics, the crew invites others to ride to a new land where they will feel free. However, the local people are too preoccupied with life's troubles to hear or answer their call. When the crew sets sail, they are never seen or heard from again. The Captain rides with his crew on a mystery ship, which disappears forever.

## Chart history

[edit]

### Weekly charts

[edit]

| Chart (1970)  | Peak
position

|

Australia (Kent Music Report)  | 23
Canada RPM Top Singles  | 4
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[2] | 4
U.S. Cash Box Top 100[3] | 5

### Year-end charts

[edit]

| Chart (1970)  | Rank

|

Canada[4] | 84
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[5] | 32
U.S. Cash Box[6] | 28

## Certifications

[edit]

Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

United States (RIAA)[7] | Gold  | 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

## Covers

[edit]

The song was covered by Blood, Sweat & Tears in the album New City from 1975.

The song has been performed live many times by Phish with Page McConnell on lead vocals, notably during the "Ian's Farm" show on May 28, 1989.[8]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Schweiber, Dave (June 26, 2001). "The Captain Rides Again". St. Petersburg Times. Archived from the original on January 9, 2008. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
2. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 – ISBN 0-89820-089-X
3. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 7/11/70". tropicalglen.com.
4. ^ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". collectionscanada.gc.ca. July 17, 2013.
5. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1970/Top 100 Songs of 1970 | Music Outfitters". www.musicoutfitters.com.
6. ^ "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1970". tropicalglen.com.
7. ^ "American single certifications – Blues Image – Ride Captain Ride". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
8. ^ "Ride Captain Ride History - Phish.net". phish.net.

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