The Amboy Dukes (album)

The Amboy Dukes
Studio album by The Amboy Dukes
Released	November 1967
Genre	Psychedelic rock, blues rock, garage rock, acid rock
Length	37:39
Label	Mainstream
Producer	Bob Shad
The Amboy Dukes chronology
The Amboy Dukes (1967) Journey to the Center of the Mind (1968)

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Allmusic	[1]

The Amboy Dukes is the first studio album released by The Amboy Dukes. It was released in November 1967 on Mainstream Records (stereo S/6104, mono 56104). The Amboy Dukes interested a record label that primarily produced jazz albums in their music. Nugent assembled a new band of the best local Detroit players to secure a recording contract with them. He immediately brought in the soulful baritone voice of John (J.B.) Drake as lead vocalist. He had a long history with Drake in a local band called The Lourds. Nugent and Drake then recruited the remaining players. Steve Farmer was known as a solid rhythm guitarist, lyricist, composer and vocalist and was a natural fit with Nugent. He came from a local group called The Gang. Dave Palmer was a solid drummer and percussionist with experience in two local bands, The Galaxy Five and The Citations. Bill White was a solid bass player and Lober was an eclectic keyboardist rounding out the new garage super group.

The album featured seven group composed originals with six of them composed by the emerging songwriting team of Nugent & Farmer. This album features a soulful, bluesy, psychedelic garage sound throughout. Included was their first single "Baby, Please Don't Go, a cover of a delta blues song by Big Joe Williams which charted. Also included were a cover from The Coasters along with covers of British groups Cream and The Who that were added for good measure. The intense debut album charted and was a great initial showing for a new rock group on a jazz label.

A remastered CD reissue was released in 1992 by Mainstream Direct Ltd. with two bonus tracks (MDCD 910). The bonus tracks included on the remaster add two more group composed originals by Nugent & Farmer.

Track listing

Side one

1. "Baby, Please Don't Go" (Big Joe Williams) – 5:35
2. "I Feel Free" (Jack Bruce, Pete Brown) – 3:42
3. "Young Love" (Ted Nugent, Steve Farmer) – 2:45
4. "Psalms of Aftermath" (Nugent, Farmer) – 3:19
5. "Colors" (Nugent, Farmer, Rick Lober, Bill White) – 3:20

Side two

1. "Let's Go Get Stoned" (Valerie Simpson, Nick Ashford, Jo Armstead) – 4:24
2. "Down on Philips Escalator" (Nugent, Farmer) – 3:00
3. "The Lovely Lady" (Farmer) – 2:58
4. "Night Time" (Nugent, Farmer) – 3:11
5. "It's Not True" (Pete Townshend) – 2:42
6. "Gimme Love" (Nugent, Farmer) – 2:43

CD bonus tracks

1. "J.B. Special" (Nugent, Farmer) – 2:33
2. "Sobbin' in My Mug of Beer" (Nugent, Farmer) – 2:22

Personnel

• John (J.B.) Drake – vocals
• Ted Nugent – guitar
• Steve Farmer – guitar
• Rick Lober – piano, organ
• Dave Palmer – drums
• Bill White – bass

References