{"id":160,"date":"2018-06-03T12:10:16","date_gmt":"2018-06-03T22:10:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/70snightclubreunion.com\/wordpress\/?page_id=160"},"modified":"2018-08-10T10:13:29","modified_gmt":"2018-08-10T20:13:29","slug":"bio-rare_earth_peter_rivera","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/70snightclubreunion.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/bio-rare_earth_peter_rivera\/","title":{"rendered":"BIO – Peter Rivera & Rare Earth History"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Peter Rivera is the original voice and beat of Rare Earth, a very hip band of musicians that played an incredible mix of music comprised of rock, funk, soul, and psychedelic fusion.<\/p>\n

Rivera (stage name) aka Peter Hoorelbeke was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of eleven years old, Pete received his first drum set and practiced to the likes of Glen Miller, Sammy Kaye, and Stan Kenton. The first rock \u2018n\u2019 roll records that he purchased were \u201cTutti Frutti\u201d by Little Richard and \u201cBlue Suede Shoes\u201d by Carl Perkins. It was the charisma of Elvis Presley that inspired Pete into becoming a performer, but it was the Detroit music scene inspired by R&B and Soul music that would define Pete\u2019s future.<\/p>\n

The Sunliners were formed in 1960. The band had been playing \u201cGet Ready\u201d for three years on the club circuit. The Sunliners became a smash in Detroit, but also performed at the hippest nightclubs in New York City. At the height of the bands success \u2026 Motown took notice and signed them to a recording contract. The Sunliners changed their name to Rare Earth<\/strong> and their song \u201cGet Ready\u201d (The albums long version was reduced for radio airplay) caught fire at top black radio stations in Chicago, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington D.C. as a single. After gaining notoriety on the R&B charts, \u201cGet Ready\u201d began to climb on the pop charts, finally reaching #4 on Billboard\u2019s Hot 100.<\/p>\n

\"\"Peter Rivera<\/strong> and Rare Earth<\/strong> became superstars and a part of the Motown legacy.\u00a0 Rivera became the undisputed leader of Rare Earth, the only white band to score hits with the Berry Gordy, Jr. Motown Record label \u2026 \u201cGet Ready,\u201d \u201cI\u2019m Losing You,\u201d \u201cBorn To Wander,\u201d \u201cHey Big Brother,\u201d and \u201cI Just Want To Celebrate\u201d were all Top 40 hits. The albums \u2026 Get Ready (1969), and the live double-album set Rare Earth In Concert (1971)<\/em> won double platinum. Ecology (1970) and One World (1971) achieved single platinum, Willie Remembers (1972) and Ma (composed and produced by Norman Whitfield -1973) went gold.<\/p>\n

In 1974, Rare Earth was the opening act for the California Jam \u2026sharing the stage with Earth Wind & Fire, The Eagles, Seals & Crofts, Black Oak Arkansas, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Emerson, Lake and Palmer.<\/p>\n

Peter Rivera and drummers of his sort are an enigma, and part of a very elite group. Rivera plays drums and sings lead vocals at the same time. But Rivera is an exceptional drummer and is also an extraordinary and soulful lead singer as well as a songwriter.<\/p>\n

\"\"In 1992, Peter Rivera formed the Classic Rock All Stars. The core lineup became Jerry Corbetta (Sugarloaf), Mike Pinera (Blues Image, Iron Butterfly & Alice Cooper), and Dennis Noda (Cannibal & the Headhunters). The band became very successful and toured extensively until Dennis Noda\u2019s death, and the diagnosis of Alzheimer\u2019s to Jerry Corbetta.<\/p>\n

\"\"Although Rare Earth was at the height of its success between 1970 to the mid 70s, a resurgence of their material has been spotlighted on countless advertisements, television shows, movie trailers and motion pictures. \u201cI Just Want To Celebrate\u201d was featured on advertising campaigns for AT&T and the Ford Motor Company, and the tune was highlighted in the motion pictures \u2026 Three Kings, Tropic Thunder, A Knights Tale,<\/em> and most recently at the end of The Expendables 2<\/em> \u2026 to name just a few. \u201cI Just Want To Celebrate\u201d was penned by renowned songwriters Dino Fekaris and Nick Zesses. The song was released on the One World<\/em> album in 1971 and was a #7 hit on the Top 40 charts.<\/p>\n

Rare Earth\u2019s version of \u201cGet Ready\u201d<\/strong> has also been widely exhibited on advertisements, TV, and film. The song was written by another Motown legend Smoky Robinson, and became huge hits for both The Temptations (#29 hit in 1966) and Rare Earth (#4 hit in 1970). Rare Earth\u2019s 21:32 minute version on the album Get Ready<\/em> gained cult status, somewhat like the album version of Iron Butterfly\u2019s mesmerizing psychedelic rock masterpiece, \u201cIn-A- Gadda-Da-Vida.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rare Earth has sold over 30-million records worldwide<\/strong> and was inducted into The Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.<\/em><\/p>\n