I grew up on a reservation in New Mexico. This came out when I was a teenager. I can't tell you how it felt to see a band that looked like me. It inspired me to reach for my dreams.

Redbone was the first Native American band to achieve a Top 5 single on the Billboard Hot 100. The genre-defying group mixes a unique blend of deep funk, Tex-Mex R&B, some soul and authentic Native American tribal beats. The single was certified gold, sold a million copies and is a pop radio classic. 1974. This is a love song in which the singer is encouraging his lover to embrace her inner beauty and feel good about herself.

Did anyone ever give you the band member's names? The lead singer is Pat Vegas (the one in white), while the bassist is Pat's younger brother Lolly Vegas (the one in black). The lead guitarist is Tony Bellamy (the one in the tribal costume), and the drummer is Pete Walking Bear. They named the band "redbone" (a slang word for a person of mixed race) because none of them is purely Native. The Vegas brothers were Shoshone/Mexican, Tony Bellamy was Yaqui/Mexican, and Pete Walking Bear was a mix of Cheyenne, Chippewa, and French. Pete left the band in 1972 and was replaced by Butch Rillera (Tony Bellamy's cousin) who like Tony was Yaqui/Mexican. Lolly Vegas unfortunately passed in 2010 at age 70 following a stroke. Tony Bellamy died in 2009 of liver cancer. Pete Walking Bear is now 80 and lives out his retirement in Washington State, while Pat Vegas (also 80) is now a semi-retired activist promoting music education across the country. Butch Rillera (now 82) later became a record producer, and is now retired.

Love seeing my Native American brothers getting some love! 🦅

Redbone was a name they all grew up hearing, as it was a derogatory term for those of mixed Native American/Mexican heritage. They specifically chose the name to redefine it as a good thing...an integral part of who they are, and Come and Get Your Love became a history defining hit.

When Star-Lord's mom died in the movie "Guardians Of The Galaxy", she left him a cassette tape to remember her by....it was called "AWESOME MIX VOL. 1"......it featured this gem by Redbone and other killer songs from the 70's......it gave that movie character and charm unrivaled by other superhero movies!

As a native american im proud to have ben represented by such a good band.

Isn’t it wonderful how music brings all races, religions, etc. together! That was my favorite song for such along time. I love music for that reason!!

Alot of people may not realize but REDBONE almost joined Jimi Hendrix as "The New Experience" and they wrote some songs together. Jimi went so far as telling a radio station "I have really been digging those Vega Brothers" They are all part of the same Southern California tribe that produced drumming great, Randy Castillo (former drummer for Ozzy Osbourne). As musicians REDBONE were highly respected in the industry for their musical versatility

The diversity of musical genres in the 70s is unequaled. You can do a Master's thesis on music of the 70s and it's cultural impact. I was a teenager then. Best times to be alive!!!

The first song on the Guardians of the Galaxy film which featured a soundtrack of all 70s songs. It was the first soundtrack to feature all old songs without featuring at least one new song. To top it off it hit # 1 on billboard hot 100 albums at the time reviving a whole generation of older music.

RedBone was the first native American group to break top Billboard's top 5..No small feat at the time this was released. Much respect to RedBone! ]

This song was also featured in guardians of the galaxy. I remember being a young girl dancing to that song. Thank you for the memories. Keep up the great work.

Jimi Hendrix stated Lolly (Vegas) Vasquez was the best guitarist he ever heard and suggested that they create a band. Knowing they were Native Americans, Jimi also suggested a name that reflects their roots. Redbone is a Canjun term for a "mixed race" person. RIP Lolly (Vegas) Vasquez

I love seeing younger people discover their history through music. Don’t stop learning, you’ll be even more amazed at every level.

I imagine the 70’s were more diverse than even we realized. We were just having so much fun.

I've known of this song for decades and just recently I discovered they were Native American! Great tune! Midnight Special ran from February 2, 1973 until its last episode was on May 1, 1981. I watched many bands play on this show. Once again, what a joy to see the reaction y'all get hearing special songs like Redbone! Love y'all! Keep up the great work!

Yes,, they are a Native American band and we love them so much…

This was a time when people were incouraged to be proud of their Heritage. The Indian Culture has such a deep and beautiful history as well as living thru a lot of heartache. My grandmother would tell me stories about growing up in the Apache Nation. I would sit and listen for hours learning about my ancestors.

The Native American Culture is so amazingly beautiful and meaningful ❣️❣️❣️

This is a great example of a "feel good" song. It's hard not to smile when this song comes on. I've always loved how they so proudly represented their heritage!

WELCOME To the 70s .. When music was fun.. Had a great beat AND NO AUTO TUNE ..The real deal ,,,, The 70s WERE FANTASTIC

I think it's wonderful that so many people are blown away by this song and Redbone. I don't understand why everyone is so surprised that they are Native American..Native Americans CAN Sing!!! Native Americans have SOUL TOO!! These guys should have shot all the way to the top with many top hits had they had the recognition they really deserved. They just are not Reservations and dancing & singing for non-natives at powwows!! Their not the Indians and cowboys. Their not the Noble savage on Dances with Wolves. They are more than an actor with a few parts in modern westerns. They are Real People and not some warrior on horseback..Or just chanting and dancing in regalia ..Seems that is where America wants to keep them..The Romanticized Indian..It's time Redbone gets the most possible recognitions and honor that they deserve as singers and musicians in rock music...I personally believe the government suppressed this song in particular...For some darn reason they want to keep all of us stuck in the past and then turn around and say we are the ones stuck in the past. I am Tsalagi..Father is Paint Clan.. My mother is Chata Sia from the Choctaw Bridges of Oklahoma and some Cherokee from the Cherokee Cokers and my Daddy is also 1/8 th Muskogee..then I have some Scot- Irish, and Belgian..Back in the early 70s my male cousins wore their hair long..I remember my cousin Lois and Caroline going crazy over Redbone..We were so da+# proud that finally there were real Induns singing this song. I played it over and over..Alot of my classmates thought redbone was black and sang for Motown!!

They got the name to describe being people of mixed race. "Redbone" is a Cajun term meaning of mixed race. Among southern African Americans it meant a fairer skinned Black person. The Vasquez-Vegas brothers were of Yaqui, Shoshone, and Mexican heritage. They were born in California and formed the band in Los Angeles. Before that they played jazz, Cajun and Surfer music which got them to open for a Beach Boys tour. It was Jimmi Hendricks' idea to have them show their native heritage.

There was a lot of awareness that came out in music between the mid- 60s into the 70s on Native Tribes. A lot would call the songs racist now. At the time, it brought the issue to the forefront. The second occupation of Wounded Knee happened on February 27, 1973, when 200 members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota took over the town. It put it on the nightly news. It was a stepping stone to the rights Native Americans have now to have control over their own reservations. Still, there are constant challenges for them.

Redbone’s first song to get real airplay was “Witch Queen of New Orleans” and the sound of it was as different as night and day to this and was also sooo much better.

This line-up is Candido"Lolly"Vegas lead guitar/vocals,his brother Pat on bass,Tony Bellamy on rythym guitar/backing vocals and doing the dance and Butch Rillera on drums.Redbone means mixed race,they were all Native American/Mexican American,and a great band.Tony died in 2009 and Lolly in 2010.Pat still performs.

Redbone would bless every stage before performing.

Loved this when I grew in the greatest decade the 1970’s!!!!

I mashed the LIKE button the minute I saw who you were listening to. All of the band members are of Native American & Mexican-American heritage. Lolly Vasquez was the lead singer & guitarist on this song. Another Redbone song I'd love for you to listen to is "Witch Queen of New Orleans". And speaking of New Orleans, y'all really need to check out some Dr. John.

Yes Redbone was Native American, & the Dance is called the "Fancy Dance", Pan-Indian dancing, Fancy Feather or Fancy War Dance is a style of dance some believe was originally created by members of the Ponca tribe in the 1920s and 1930s, in an attempt to preserve their culture and religion. It is loosely based on the War dance. Please react to more, they have many hits out there!!!

LOVE this song!!! This song played on the radio a lot, didn't know until much later that they were Native American...and didn't care, still LOVED the song. Great music!!!

R.I.P. LOLLY & TONY (T-BONE)..THANKS FOR ALL YOU GAVE US MY NATIVE BROTHERS.

Awesome reaction. As a Native Seminole from Brooklyn, it’s nice to see the Natives bringing the funk

My hubby has Choctaw from Oklahoma in his blood. His family absolutely loves this video. So many people that watched Guardians of the Galaxy and loved this song didn't understand it was a Native band! And before Rob Squad questions me on my comments in their videos about understanding most all music...My family is Multiracial. My hubby's Mom German, and his dad is half Black and half Choctaw. My mom was from Mexico and my Dad is Norweigan.

I play this all the time. I was 14 when it came out. I'm 61 and still loving it. Lead singer is beautiful. RIP Lolly Vegas. Their Last names are really Vasquez. They are of Yaqui and Shoshone mixed with Mexican parents.

I'm Native and didn't find out these guys were Native, too, until a few years ago lol. Their song Witch Queen of New Orleans is also very good 👍

Another great song from the Guardians sound track is Brandy by Looking Glass.

When this song & debuted became a huge hit, not knowing what the artists looked like, I always thought this was a black Motown R&B band. Only years later did I discover who Redbone really is. In the early 70s, music was incredible eclectic and Top 40 was filled with every genre -especially 1973-74

I just saw a documentary on Redbone and Elvis saw them live in LA. He told them to use their heritage and don't downplay it. To be proud.

There are quite a few artists that have Native American blood in them, Jimi Hendrix is one. There's a documentary which came out a few years ago called "Rumble" that covers the influence Native Americans had on Rock & Roll.

I have heard and enjoyed this song for years, but I have to say I loved the Native American dance at the beginning.

I grew up in the 70s and listened to this song a bunch. Never knew they were Native American until recently. I'm hooked here in 2023.

most underrated band of the 70's ....love ya #Redbone ..... Blackfoot here ..."much love from hummingbird dancing"

Always liked this song and it was so cool that they were Native Americans too.

The two founders of the band were brothers, from the Fresno area. They are Shoshone and Yaqui. They have written songs for PJ Proby, Bobbie Gentry, and Aretha Franklin.

So happy to have you react to this funky First Nations band, who are glad to share their heritage with dancing & music ! You know when the drums start at the beginning & then the fantastic dancer, then their funk starts & you can’t help smiling & singing to this song 🤩 My First Nations ancestors were horribly treated by colonizers & C Church, we were taught to be quiet & not share the past but now in 2022 things are getting better & the world is watching & listening for reconciliation & acceptance with Pope Francis visiting ( July 25 - 29) First Nations graves blessing Lac St Anne, blessing beautiful babies & apologizing for the past treatment and many, many deaths of children at residential schools! When I hear the drums & watch the dancers it shows the world that Indian people have survived & saved their traditions & languages . Canada 🇨🇦 still has a long way to go to making things right & to reign in the racism that is so prevalent. Redbone has always made me happy & you can’t help but sing this song all day 😻🇨🇦☮️

Oh my God, guys. I remember this song from my childhood (I'm 58), but I've never seen this video WITH the song. It immediately overtook me and I burst into tears. My family are from the Choctaw Indians but all I know is of my great great grandpa in Alabama saving my mom's life when she was a child choking on food. Your video & reaction did something to me.I'm on my fourth time watching it back to back. I don't think I've had enough yet. Thank you & have a blessed day!

I’m 63 it was a great time in the 70s and early 80s, watching the midnight special and Don Kirshner‘s rock concert, watching bands played live. And also going to the Santa Monica Civic Don Kirshner‘s rock concert Black Sabbath, I was 17.

You HAVE to watch Redbone's song "Wounded Knee". You'll be speechless.

What is beautiful about this performance is that it is a live performance.

I loved the way that you recognized and appreciated that they were Native Americans and how surprised and impressed you were that Tony not only danced, but that he was also a member of the group. I also loved how you two reacted to Lolly's change ups and runs while he was singing, and that he was scatting towards the end. Keep in mind now, that this was in the 70's, so no auto tuning or whatnot. It is amazing how a 4-piece band could produce such a rocking sound, as did a lot of bands during that era (The (Young) Rascals). Just pure, raw talent from a bunch of guys who truly enjoyed the creativity of music. They just make me so happy!!

I never get tired of hearing this great song

The band was made up of the Vegas and Vasquez brothers and they were of Shoshone and Mexican heritage. This song came from the 70’s the greatest era of music. I enjoy watching you both discovering new music and enjoying what it has to offer.

You just witnessed a piece of a real Native American "Pow-Wow".

This is a grooving billboard number five from 1974. I remember this on the radio very well

Remember this well from high school 74 or 75. You have to, have to listen to "Heaven" by Los Lonely Boys

Oh my goodness! The only other reactor to do this group was Mr. Video. I kept requesting this from the other reactors I follow. Thank you!👍👍💙💙

Here's what Pat and Lolly said about the song in their interview with the Wall Street Journal... We also worked on the words. We opened the first verse with the word “hail,” like glory to the world: “Hail / What’s the matter with your hair, yeah-yeah / Hail / What’s the matter with your mind / and your sign and-ah oh-oh-ohhh.” The song’s verses refer to the excuses people back then came up with to explain why they were feeling out of sorts. Worrying about your state of mind, your astrological sign, your hair-they all got in the way of natural, honest feelings: “Hail / Nothing the matter with your head, baby / Find it, come on and find it / Hail / With-it baby, ‘cause you’re fine and you’re mine / and you look so divine.” The chorus-“Come and get your love”-is about pure love, without all the overthinking and trendy phrases. Many think the song is just about a man singing to a woman. It is, but it’s also about the coming together of different peoples.

Redbone was also a term among Black Americans for those who had part Native ancestry. It does run deep among many, especially if you go back a couple generations. This is a great song, a big hit back in the day!

Another all native band is Blackfoot from Jacksonville, Fl. Check out their song "Train Train". Their leader Ricky Medlocke was also in Lynyrd Skynyrd. Great song.

We didn't have MTV in my youth. I only saw Midnight Special if I could. I knew the song well. There were magazines, of course, but allowance only goes so far! I only discovered they were Native Americans when I looked them up when a band member's death was reported. I was shocked that I never knew. With the internet, you know everything about a group ... even their names!

I was a teenager when this song came out. Loved it then, still love it today. You couldn't turn on a radio without hearing this tune 3, 4 times a day back then. PEACE!!!!!

I have never forgotten seeing this show that night.

Buffy Saint-Marie is also a indigenous singer that I like to listen too..”You Got to Run”

Truly one of the best 70's songs ever. Never get tired of it. AND its live on Midnight Special!

Lolly had such a great voice....

This was a big hit back in the 70’s, when music was fun, decent and great!!

Redbone one of the Classic Rock groups of the 70's.....and this song was one of theme songs in "Guardians of The Galaxy" movie. Check it out!!!!! and I had no idea you guys were Native American.....I am a Black Native American too......lots of us out here!!! Wow!!! Well now you know other than Cher that there were Native Americans in the music Rock business. You should check out another band whose lead singer is Native American.....Check out "Fire Woman," by The Cult.

Watch the movie Guardians of the Galaxy and you will hear this song at the beginning of the movie.

Got to be one of THE best movie openings, ever!! Chris Pratt dancing to this in Guardians of the Galaxy was so cool..had to go get the soundtrack immediately!! And the best thing about it was it brought back attention to Redbone…such a good tune. Such great memories, thank you for this! ❤️‍🔥❤️

This song was a huge hit back in 1974. It brings back memories of my high school days.

Amber honey, you look so tired. A mommy's work is never done🙏❤

The Native dance is because two of the band members (at least) have indigenous heritage. Great band!

Great reaction to a great tune - pretty "in your face" for 1972!! RIP Lollie.

Loved hearing this song come on my transistor radio back when i was a kid in the 70's. Still on my Playlist today.

Followed you from the very beginning with Thunder Struck… Great job, your wife took you to a new level tho. : ) Be blessed fam

I'll never forget sneeking out to the den and sitting right up against the TV to see them on The Midnight Special. I still crush on them. The original version was 9 minutes. His producer told him it could only be 3 minutes to get Air play. I can't find the long version anymore. ❤❤

Okay. Someone finally found our only famous native rock group. It is the first song in the first movie Guardians of the Galaxy. Note: I always make my wife's ring tone something that makes me smile. She was "My only sunshine" for years. I made it "Come and get your love" because I love this song and growing up Native in Oklahoma it was cool watching them play. Well... everytime my wife called it began with the first sentence of the song which is "Hey, what's the matter with your head now". Well everytime my wife calls is says what's the matter with your head now.... I had to change it. But it made me laugh out loud always.

Redbone is in the records book. They’re the first Native Americans group to hit number one on the billboard charts.

These guys were the first indigenous act of our time back in the day. Now you should check out a current rap indigenous man, Supaman - "Why" always love your genuine reaction 💕

FIRST! SECOND! Love Redbone. Come and get your looove! Misheard lyric from childhood: "Love and guitar love."

its incredible how good they sound live

I always loved this song back in the 70s and today 8/24, loving it even more!

one of the best pop songs ever written. had to be the 70's.

My parents were born in 1910 Kiowa County, Oklahoma. Their parents were early settlers there. I grew up in the Panhandle of Texas, went to the Anadarko Indian Village in the summers as a child. Native American vibes were all around me. And yet . . . I was in my 20s when this song came out, and it NEVER occurred to me that it was a Native American band! This was before videos or internet, I never had occasion to see them. I loved seeing this reaction.

I have LOVED this song forever, I never new that Redbone was a Native American group! Now I love it even more, Native Americans are still the most disenfranchised culture in all of the United States... Their homeland!

I LOVE this song and had no idea they were Native American. Epic.

This band was so groundbreaking and they were the first Native American band to achieve the popular chart success they enjoyed. They were so strong and so vocal about the tragic history of Native American culture after European settlers arrived here. The vocalist was Lolly Vasquez and amazing dancer was Tony Bellamy. They both passed away about 10 years ago.

I love Guardians of the Galaxy for digging up these bones and putting them out there again!

You can't imagine how eagerly we awaited the Midnight Special each week (obviously my brain is fairly elderly but as I remember it Saturday night?). We didn't have anything like KZfaq so our only chance to see all these great acts perform live was TV shows like this one (there was also Don Kirshener's Rock Concert and Austin City Limits) But it was still a fabulous era to grow up in. You guys can take some solace in knowing that you have all of these great performances available at you fingertips. Also, good move Jordan adding Amber to the reviews. I enjoyed you solo but the two of you together are so genuine and obviously having such a great time that you've truly become my favorite reactors! Keep going; so much more to discover and going on this journey with you is honestly like discovering this music all over again. It's like going to Disneyland with little kids. You guys rock!

Loved this SO, SO much in the 70s, watching TV Friday night. Great band, and song, absolutely integral to the first great scene in 'Guardians of the Galaxy'. ✌😘🎶🎸🔥💞👍😉

I was sitting in front the tube when Redbone played on the Midnight Special! Will never forget !

Speaking of Midnight Special, it been so long since I last saw or heard anything of the host Wolfman Jack. He made the show.

I've never met a rock fan that had a problem with the color of the musicians as long as the music is good. It's all about the music.

Being native american we are proud of them. 1870 is when I graduated and also my R & B dancing years.🤎🫶👏 love you both and good health to your family.

Grew up with this music, such a magical time.,. Cherokee myself spent summers on reservation

the moment this one started, we'd hit the dance floor!

And they sound flawless live

Love this band, God bless our Native American❤ People and their ( our) culture❤