The Wilde Knights

A regional '60s garage band with a tangled history, the Wilde Knights were nevertheless in their brief lifespan responsible for two of the all-time garage classics. "Beaver Patrol," featured on Pebbles, Vol. 1, was perhaps the lewdest '60s garage single. They also recorded the original version of "Just Like Me," which Paul Revere bought from group member and co-songwriter Rick Dey for a few thousand dollars; Revere & the Raiders covered the tune in 1965 for their first really big smash. The Wilde Knights themselves only issued a couple of singles, both in 1965. Prior to that, they had played under the names of the Furys and Pipers IV, releasing a couple of decent Northwest frat rock singles in 1962-63. After the Wilde Knights days, the lineup evolved into Genesis, King Biscuit Entertainers, and American Cheese, all of whom put out generic singles on various tiny labels in the late '60s. The best tracks from the whole menagerie of Wilde Knights-family bands were assembled on a reissue LP in the mid-'80s. ~ Richie Unterberger