Saturday July 30, 2022 “Ride Captain Ride” The Blues Image
We’re sailing up from San Francisco today wth the Blues Image.
I have heard a handful of suggestions surrounding the meaning of this song covering everything from Sir Walter Drake’s voyage to secret CIA missions but according to the song’s co-writer and Blues Image lead singer Mike Pinera, the band needed one final track for their album and he made this tune up in the studio.
The seventy-three men sprung from the keyboard of the Fender Rhodes electric piano which has seventy three keys on it and the rest was pure imagination. A top ten 1970 song “Ride Captain Ride” would be the only hit for the Blues Image but band members would move on to other groups like Iron Butterfly, Three Dog Night, Steppenwolf and Alice Cooper.
Blues Image was formed in Tampa, Florida in 1966 by singer-guitarist Mike Pinera, singer-drummer Manuel Bertematti, singer-percussionist Joe Lala, keyboardist Emilio Garcia, and bassist Malcolm Jones. They were later joined by keyboardist Skip Konte when Emilio Garcia left the band to become a pilot.
Blues Image moved to Miami in 1968, where they were instrumental in helping promoters form the most innovative music venue in South Florida, Thee Image. Blues Image became the house band at the club, which featured bands like Cream, Grateful Dead, and Blood, Sweat & Tears.
Stay safe and well…and today is our last sea adventure, maybe we’ll hit the rails next.