Sunday, May 22, 2011

Psychedelic Pioneers: The Blues Magoos


The Blues Magoos





The Blues Magoos were a rock group formed in The Bronx, New York. They were at the forefront of the psychedelic music trend as early as 1966.

The band formed in 1964 as "The Trenchcoats". The original members were Emil "Peppy" Thielhelm aka Peppy Castro (vocals and guitar), Dennis LePore (lead guitar), Ralph Scala (organ and vocals), Ronnie Gilbert (bass) and John Finnegan (drums). The band made a name for itself in various clubs in Greenwich Village. By 1966 the band had changed its name to fit in with the psychedelic vibe of the times - to the more conventional Blues Magoos. They also made some line-up changes, bringing in Mike Esposito as lead guitarist, and Geoff Daking as drummer.

Like their name, the group's sound was of the psychedelic variety. Mercury Records signed the band to a record deal in late 1966 and the group's debut album, Psychedelic Lollipop was released shortly thereafter. It was one of the first records to contain the word "Psychedelic" on the sleeve.


In a tour of the US in 1967 they were the opening act followed by The Who and then the headliners Herman's Hermits. The group's biggest song, "We Ain't Got Nothin' Yet", was released as a single in 1967 and hit number 5 on the US charts and was used for the movie Easy Rider in 1968.




The Music of The Blues Magoos

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