The Amboy Dukes was an American rock music band of the late 1960s and early 1970s from Detroit, Michigan, best remembered for their hit single "Journey to the Center of the Mind", and for launching the career of Ted Nugent. The band's name comes from the title of a novel by Irving Shulman about a Jewish street gang of the same name in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn during the 1940s. The band went through a number of personnel changes during its active years. Bassist Greg Arama died in 1979. The group helped in the foundations of heavy metal and progressive rock.[1]

In 2008, The Amboy Dukes were inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame. The band's biggest hit, "Journey To The Center Of The Mind", was voted a Legendary Michigan Song that same year.

The original Amboy Dukes performed April 17, 2009 at the Detroit Music Awards at The Fillmore Detroit. Their performance began with the song "Baby Please Don't Go", from their 1967 debut single. Followed by "Journey to the Center of the Mind", and ending with Mitch Ryder's "Jenny Take A Ride" (featuring original Ryder drummer Johnny "Bee" Badanjek). In recognition of the band's contribution to rock music history, they received a Distinguished Achievement award.[2]

Later careers

Steve Farmer currently teaches in the Redford Township district of Michigan. He also performs with backing bands at various venues in and around the Detroit area.

Rick Lober is a classically trained composer best known in the greater Detroit metro area for his frenetic style of keyboard playing. Since the early 1990s, he has been in and out of the studio, appearing as performer/songwriter on the Steve Farmer CD Journey to the Darkside of the Mind (Saint Thomas Records, STP0069) completed in 2000. He is currently working in the studio and performing live with local Detroit rock legend Jeffrey Faust and his band "The Woodsman", which performs throughout Michigan and Canada.

Band line-ups

The pre-Nugent Detroit band was as follows:

• Ron Crawford (lead guitar & vocals)
• Dave Opatik (guitar & vocals)
• James (Gary) Jackson (bass)
• Ben Vineyard (drums)

1964

The Nugent Amboy Dukes began in the Chicago area in 1964,[3] and played such venues as The Cellar in the northwest suburb of Arlington Heights.[4] They moved back to Detroit in 1968. The members included the following:

• Bob Lehnert (vocalist)
• Ted Nugent (lead guitar)
• Gary Hicks (guitar, vocals)
• Dick Treat (bass, vocals)
• Gail Uptadale (drums)

1967

After a band shuffle for signing a deal with Mainstream Records of New York, the band members who released their debut album, The Amboy Dukes, were:

• John Drake (vocals) ex-Lourds
• Ted Nugent (lead guitar, vocals)
• Rick Lober (keyboards)
• Steve Farmer (guitar, vocals) ex-Gang
• Bill White (bass, vocals)
• Dave Palmer (drums) ex-The Galaxy Five, ex-The Citations

1968

Journey to the Center of the Mind saw another member shake-up:

• John Drake (vocals)
• Ted Nugent (lead guitar, vocals)
• Steve Farmer (guitar, vocals)
• Andy Solomon (organ, piano, vocals)
• Greg Arama (bass)
• Dave Palmer (drums)

Migration saw another line-up:

• Rusty Day (Russell Edward Davidson) (vocals, harmonica) ex-Rusty Day & The Midnighters
• Ted Nugent (lead guitar, vocals)
• Steve Farmer (guitar, vocals)
• Andy Solomon (keyboards, sax, vocals)
• Greg Arama (bass)
• Dave Palmer (drums)

Discography

• The Amboy Dukes, The Amboy Dukes' first album, was released in November 1967 Mainstream Records (56104 mono and S/6104 stereo). It crept into the top 200 and its highest was #183. It contained the debut single "Baby Please Don't Go" which did not chart.

• Journey to the Center of the Mind, The Amboy Dukes' second album, was released in April 1968 on Mainstream Records (56112 mono (promo only) and stereo S/6112 stereo). It crept into the top 100 and its highest position was #74. The single of the same name peaked at number 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100 pop chart. The album and song were classic examples of acid rock; for example, the original album cover depicted fifty different kinds of marijuana-smoking devices.

• Migration, The Amboy Dukes' third album, was released in fall 1968 on Mainstream Records (stereo only S/6118). It failed to chart. In the UK, it can be found in mono, catalog number is London/Mainstream HAT 8393.

• You Talk Sunshine, I Breathe Fire - buoyed by the success of the "Journey" 45, in 1968 they released this non LP, (Mainstream 693). It didn't chart.

• The Best of the Original Amboy Dukes released after The Amboy Dukes left Mainstream Records (Mainstream S/6125), failed to chart.

• Marriage on the Rocks/Rock Bottom (1970)

• Survival of the Fittest Live (At the Eastown Theatre, Detroit) as Ted Nugent and The Amboy Dukes in 1971 (Polydor 24-4035). Charted #129.

• Call of the Wild was released in 1973 on Frank Zappa's DiscReet Records after the band left (Polydor - Discreet 2181) - didn't chart.

• Tooth Fang & Claw released in 1974 was the last album (DiscReet 2203) - didn't chart.

• Journey To The Darkside of The Mind, released in 2000, saw a rebirth of the Amboy Dukes by Steve Farmer and original keyboardist Rick Lober, sans Ted. (Saint Thomas Records STP 0069) - didn't chart.

References

1. ^ [1] A History of Rock Music:1951-2000 by Piero Scaruffi
2. ^ "Nugent's Amboy Dukes Reunite After 30 Years". http://www.spin.com/articles/nugents-amboy-dukes-reunite-after-30-years. Retrieved 18 July 2009. 
3. ^ "TED NUGENT Discusses AMBOY DUKES Reunion On WBSX-97.9X". http://www.tednugent.com/music/news/Archived/default2009.aspx?PostID=827267. Retrieved 16 August 2009. 
4. ^ "Ted, White, and Blue: Nugent Recalls Some Career Milestones." http://www.tednugent.com/hunting/news/2008/default.aspx?PostID=539794. Retrieved 2008-11-30

External links

• classicbands.com
• Motorcitymusicarchives.com
• The recording of Survival of the fittest
• The Amboy Dukes at Chrome Oxide