Blues Magoos -

The Blues Magoos were an American garage-rock/psych band from the Bronx that released three albums through 1968 on Mercury. Their 1966 debut, Psychedelic Lollipop, spawned “(We Ain’t Got) Nothin’ Yet,” a Top 5 hit and later Nuggets classic. After a four-fifths lineup overhaul, two further albums appeared in 1969/70 on ABC.

Guitarist/singer Peppy Castro (the only constant) surfaced in the bands Barnaby Bye, Wiggy Bits, and Balance. Original drummer Geoff Daking became an engineer with credits behind J.R. Bailey, Shamek Farrah, Wishbone Ash, Art Webb, and Man’s Theory. Late-period keyboardist Eric Kaz hailed from Bear and made two subsequent albums with American Flyer.

Members: Emil Thielhelm [aka Peppy Castro] (vocals, guitar), Ralph Scala (organ, vocals, 1964-69, Ron Gilbert (bass, 1964-69), Dennis LaPore (lead guitar, 1964-65), John Finnegan (drums, 1964-65), Mike Esposito (lead guitar, 1965-69), Geoff Daking (drums, 1965-69), Ted Munda (vocals, 1969), Joey Stec (vocals, guitar, 1969), Eric Kaz (keyboards, vocals, 1969-70), Roger Eaton (bass, 1969-70), Richie Dickon (drums, 1969-70), John Liello (vibraphone, percussion, 1969-70)

Background

Blues Magoos formed as the Trenchcoats in the Bronx in 1964 when organist–singer Ralph Scala and bassist Ron Gilbert, classmates on the DeWitt Clinton High School golf team, commenced rehearsals with drummer John Finnegan. At a nearby Italian street feast, they met Peppy Castro, a fourteen-year-old rhythm guitarist and singer.

Castro was born Emilio Castro in Manhattan and moved to the Bronx after his mother remarried. His adoptive father gave him the surname Thielhelm, which he used through the original Magoos period. Scala sold the family piano to buy a Lowrey organ and rehearsed blues and Stax/Volt material with Gilbert in the latter’s basement. They completed the initial lineup with lead guitarist Dennis LePore.

The Trenchcoats worked Bronx clubs for small nightly fees before moving into the Greenwich Village circuit at Café Wha? and the Night Owl Cafe. At the Night Owl, the group met Simon & Garfunkel manager Marvin Lagunoff, who secured a one-off Verve Folkways deal and placed them with singer-songwriter-producer Rick Shorter. Under the spelling Bloos Magoos, the group released the Shorter-produced February 1966 single “The People Had No Faces” (b/w “So I’m Wrong and You Are Right”).

LePore left after the Verve single, and Mike Esposito took lead guitar as the group returned to the Night Owl. Esposito came from the Syracuse University music circle that also included Lou Reed. Soon after, Finnegan cleared out for Esposito’s friend, drummer Geoff Daking. Producers Bob Wyld and Art Polhemus of Longhair Productions heard the revised quintet at the Night Owl and signed the group to an independent production deal.

Wyld and Polhemus secured a Mercury contract as the group adopted the Blues Magoos spelling. The band finalized a long-player as Mercury issued their June 1966 second single “Tobacco Road,” an R&B/rock standard recently popularized by the Nashville Teens (b/w “Sometimes I Think About”). Scala, Castro, Esposito, Gilbert, and Daking formed the recording lineup for the ensuing album.

Psychedelic Lollipop

Blues Magoos released their debut album, Psychedelic Lollipop, in November 1966 on Mercury.

Psychedelic Lollipop combines originals with six outside songs, including “Tobacco Road,” and hits for James Brown (“I’ll Go Crazy”) and Big Maceo Merriweather (“Worried Life Blues”). The ten-song set also contains the breakthrough “(We Ain’t Got) Nothin’ Yet” and the album version of “One by One,” later recut for single release.

“(We Ain’t Got) Nothin’ Yet” surges on a recurring bass figure before an Echoplex guitar solo lifts final stretch. “Love Seems Doomed” veers through alternating lead parts and tempo turns, then erupts into a whooping electronic break. “Tobacco Road” coils around Farfisa swells before accelerating into dissonant fretboard noise and a major rave-up. “Gotta Get Away” rattles through rising harmonies, syncopated “heys,” and an emphatic freedom call.

A1. “(We Ain’t Got) Nothin’ Yet” (2:10) – Esposito, Gilbert, Scala
A2. “Love Seems Doomed” (3:02) – Esposito, Gilbert, Scala
A3. “Tobacco Road” (4:30) – John D. Loudermilk
A4. “Queen of My Nights” (2:52) – David Blue
A5. “I’ll Go Crazy” (1:58) – James Brown

B1. “Gotta Get Away” (2:35) – Ritchie Adams, Alan Gordon
B2. “Sometimes I Think About” (3:35) – Esposito, Gilbert, Scala
B3. “One by One” (2:45) – Gilbert, Thielhelm
B4. “Worried Life Blues” (3:45) – Big Maceo Merriweather
B5. “She’s Coming Home” (2:36) – Roger Atkins, Helen Miller

Sessions took place in 1966 at Regent Sound on West 57th Street in New York, where Longhair Productions partners Bob Wyld and engineer Art Polhemus oversaw the album. Esposito conceived the sleeve from his painting of the same name, and the front superimposes a group portrait on the painted image.

Mercury issued “(We Ain’t Got) Nothin’ Yet” as an October single (b/w “Gotta Get Away”), which reached No. 5 in the United States and No. 4 in Canada. Mercury recut “One by One” for a May 1967 single (b/w the non-album “Dante’s Inferno”), which reached No. 71 in the US.

Psychedelic Lollipop peaked at No. 21 on Billboard Top LPs and No. 15 in Canada.

Collectables paired Psychedelic Lollipop with Electric Comic Book on a 1999 CD. Sundazed returned both albums to CD and vinyl in 2011 from first-generation Mercury masters.

Electric Comic Book

Blues Magoos released their second album, Electric Comic Book, in April 1967 on Mercury.

Electric Comic Book shifts the balance toward group compositions, with ten of twelve titles credited to band members. Gilbert and Scala co-wrote five tracks; Esposito earned three writer credits. They include covers of Them (“Gloria”) and Jimmy Reed (“Let’s Get Together”).

“Pipe Dream” thrusts through close harmonies and sparse organ effects with a brash forward rush. “Life Is Just a Cher O’Bowlies” sways on compact guitar figures before harmonies rise into a vaudevillian coda. “Gloria” blares through a harder extended treatment and a distorted midpoint solo. “Let’s Get Together” lurches beneath teetering lead delivery, party chatter, and grungy accompaniment. “Rush Hour” detonates through bullet-zing effects and snarling riffs, then rushes toward a manic last-stop close.

A1. “Pipe Dream” (2:25) – Gilbert, Scala
A2. “There’s a Chance We Can Make It” (2:16) – Gilbert, Scala
A3. “Life Is Just a Cher O’Bowlies” (2:37) – Gilbert, Scala
A4. “Gloria” (6:02) – Van Morrison; a 1965 Them single popularized stateside by the Shadows of Knight.
A5. “Intermission” (1:05) – Esposito

B1. “Albert Common Is Dead” (1:49) – Gilbert, Scala
B2. “Summer Is the Man” (3:00) – Esposito, Gilbert
B3. “Baby, I Want You” (2:43) – Gilbert, Thielhelm
B4. “Let’s Get Together” (3:06) – Jimmy Reed
B5. “Take My Love” (1:51) – Gilbert, Scala
B6. “Rush Hour” (2:36) – Daking, Gilbert, Esposito
B7. “That’s All Folks” (0:09) – Blues Magoos

Early-1967 sessions returned the group to Regent Sound in New York with Wyld and Polhemus. The front extends Esposito’s debut painting concept, and original copies included a folded four-page comic insert tied to the sleeve design.

Mercury issued “Pipe Dream” in February 1967 (b/w “There’s a Chance We Can Make It”). The A-side reached No. 60 in the United States and No. 40 in Canada, while the reverse charted separately at No. 81 in the US. Electric Comic Book peaked at No. 74 on Billboard Top LPs and No. 14 in Canada.

Repertoire issued an expanded CD for the 2004 catalog. Sundazed remastered the album from Mercury tapes for 2011 CD and vinyl editions, with the LP restoring the comic insert.

Basic Blues Magoos

Blues Magoos released their third album, Basic Blues Magoos, in May 1968 on Mercury.

Basic Blues Magoos closes the original Mercury run with the established quintet intact. The album contains all originals apart from their cover of the recent UK Move hit “I Can Hear the Grass Grow.”

“Sybil Green (Of the In-Between)” courses along a hard repeating riff while phased harmonies drift across stereo channels through a fade-return sequence. “I Can Hear the Grass Grow” drives a lower barked lead against a bright guitar figure and swelling group response. “I Can Move a Mountain” grinds through a slow relentless figure beneath overdriven organ layers and repeated gong strikes.

“Scarecrow’s Love Affair” sputters through distorted singing, phased effects, electronic storm, and engine noise. “Accidental Meditation” drifts through quiet plucked figures and hovering theremin-like tones. “Subliminal Sonic Laxative” holds a single low electronic burr. “Chicken Wire Lady” barrels through over-echoed riffs before a backward solo zigzags across closing bars.

A1. “Sybil Green (Of the in Between)” (2:40) – Scala, Gilbert
A2. “I Can Hear the Grass Grow” (2:18) – Roy Wood
A3. “All the Better to See You With” (2:19) – Scala, Gilbert
A4. “Yellow Rose” (2:30) – Thielhelm, Gilbert
A5. “I Wanna Be There” (2:56) – Thielhelm, Scala
A6. “I Can Move a Mountain” (3:49) – Thielhelm

B1. “President’s Council on Psychedelic Fitness” (2:45) – Scala, Gilbert
B2. “Scarecrow’s Love Affair” (4:01) – Thielhelm, Gilbert
B3. “There She Goes” (2:51) – Thielhelm, Esposito, Scala, Gilbert
B4. “Accidental Meditation” (1:40) – Esposito
B5. “You’re Getting Old” (4:15) – Thielhelm, Gilbert
B6. “Subliminal Sonic Laxative” (1:00) – Thielhelm, Esposito, Scala, Gilbert, Daking
B7. “Chicken Wire Lady” (4:05) – Thielhelm, Gilbert

Sessions spanned 1967 into 1968 at the group residence in the Bronx and Regent Sound in New York. Remote-recording specialist Reice Hamel supplied the home rig; Art Polhemus and Bill Szymczyk engineered portions of the album, and Pete Weiss mixed the masters. Wyld and Polhemus produced “I Can Hear the Grass Grow,” “I Wanna Be There,” “I Can Move a Mountain,” and “There She Goes”; Blues Magoos produced the balance.

Photographer Tom Wright supplied the gatefold images after working with the Who on the 1967 Herman’s Hermits package shared by Blues Magoos. The sepia sleeve layers close-up portraits and circular image fragments beneath blue title lettering.

Mercury issued “I Wanna Be There” in August 1967 (b/w “Summer Is the Man”), followed by “There She Goes” in September (b/w “Life Is Just a Cher O’Bowlies”). “I Wanna Be There” reached No. 133 in Billboard’s Bubbling Under survey. “I Can Hear the Grass Grow” followed in August 1968 (b/w “Yellow Rose”).

Repertoire expanded the album on CD in 2004 with six mono single sides, including the Ganim pairing “Let Your Love Ride” and “Who Do You Love.” BGO grouped all three Mercury albums with related bonus tracks in a remastered two-CD set.

Mercury Split and ABC Reformation

The Mercury quintet split after Basic Blues Magoos amid disputes over finances and musical direction. Scala, Gilbert, and Daking moved to Los Angeles, recruited singer Ted Munda, and issued the April 1969 Ganim single “Let Your Love Ride” (b/w “Who Do You Love”). Joey Stec replaced Munda before the unit dissolved amid a dispute over the Blues Magoos name.

Castro placed a Village Voice advertisement and assembled a new Latin-oriented group with keyboardist Eric Kaz, bassist Roger Eaton, conguero Richie Dickon, vibraphonist John Liello, and drummer Herbie Lovelle. Longhair management connected the Blues Magoos name to an ABC contract and persuaded Castro to retain it. Litigation with the former members delayed the completed album for more than six months.

Never Goin’ Back to Georgia

Blues Magoos released their fourth album, Never Goin’ Back to Georgia, in September 1969 on ABC.

Never Goin’ Back to Georgia presents the reconfigured band with vibes, sundry percussion, and auxiliary flutist Dean Evenson. The album includes versions of Elvis Presley (“Heartbreak Hotel”) and Albert King (“The Hunter”). They also cover Joe Cuba Sextet (“El Pito,” retitled “Never Goin’ Back to Georgia”) and Sam & Dave (“Broke Down Piece of Man”), with “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” drawn from the blues repertory.

“Heartbreak Hotel” sways in triple meter around mallet-led breaks and an off-kilter arrangement. “Gettin’ Off” prowls through dissonant piano passages and jagged solo turns. “Never Goin’ Back to Georgia” uncoils through conga-led motion, chiming figures, flute passages, and sparse group calls across long instrumental stretches. “Georgia Breakdown” drifts slowly as woodwinds spread across rhythm section before a smooth quiet close.

A1. “Heartbreak Hotel” (4:10) – Mae Boren Axton, Tommy Durden, Elvis Presley
A2. “Heart Attack” (4:14) – Willie Dixon
A3. “The Hunter” (4:15) – Al Jackson Jr., Booker T. Jones, Carl Wells
A4. “Feelin’ Time (I Can Feel It)” (3:57) – Thielhelm, Kaz
A5. “Gettin’ Off” (5:27) – Liello

B1. “Never Goin’ Back to Georgia (El Pito)” (7:19) – Joe Cuba, Jimmy Sabater
B2. “Broke Down Piece of Man” (6:17) – Steve Cropper, Joe Shamwell
B3. “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” (5:18) – Jimmy Cox
B4. “Georgia Breakdown” (6:47) – Thielhelm, Kaz, Liello, Eaton

Sessions took place in early 1969 at Regent Sound Studios in New York with producer-arranger Bob Wyld and engineer Bob Liftin, a concurrent soundman for Roberta Flack on her Atlantic debut, First Take. Sterling Sound engineer Lee Hulko mastered the album.

American illustrator Philip Hays supplied the front image, and Peter Strongwater photographed the group. Henry Epstein and William Duevell designed the gatefold around Wyld’s cover concept. The front places four figures in an open field beneath a broad blue sky.

ABC issued “Heartbreak Hotel” in July 1969 (b/w “I Can Feel It”), followed by “Never Goin’ Back to Georgia” in November (b/w “Feelin’ Time”). The title single reached No. 113 in Billboard’s Bubbling Under survey.

Gulf Coast Bound

Blues Magoos released their fifth album, Gulf Coast Bound, in September 1970 on ABC.

Gulf Coast Bound retains Kaz, Liello, Dickon, and Thielhelm from the ABC debut. The revised rhythm section introduces bassist John Cooker LoPresti and drummer Jimmy Payne. Saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis joins the six-track set. Kaz figures in five of six composition credits; Ellis alone receives credit for “Magoos Blues,” while “Sea Breeze Express” carries a full-ensemble credit.

“Slow Down Sundown” grinds beneath drawn-out singing as saxophone breaks cut across a sustained vamp and odd cries trail into a tambourine fade. “Can’t Get Enough of You” stalks on a measured cowbell figure, then opens midway into long guitar and vibraphone solos. “Magoos Blues” broods over a grim bassline before stretching into long instrumental exchanges.

A1. “Gulf Coast Bound” (3:51) – Kaz, Thielhelm
A2. “Slow Down Sundown” (6:09) – Kaz, John Andreolli
A3. “Can’t Get Enough of You” (12:21) – Kaz

B1. “Magoo’s Blues” (7:54) – Alfred Ellis
B2. “Tonight the Sky’s About to Cry” (4:14) – Kaz, Andreolli
B3. “Sea Breeze Express” (4:13) – Kaz, Thielhelm, Ellis, Dickon, Payne, Liello, LoPresti

Sessions occurred in March 1970 at Regent Sound Studios in New York with returning producer Bob Wyld and engineer Bob Liftin. Wyld extended the production partnership from all five original-era albums, while Liftin also worked on contemporary sessions by Roberta Flack and the Allman Brothers Band.

Designer Ron Lieberman framed a moonlit seascape in yellow against a teal field. Photographer Bob Gruen supplied the sleeve imagery near the start of his association with John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

ABC issued “Gulf Coast Bound” in November 1970 (b/w “Sea Breeze Express”). Vivid Sound released a Japanese paper-sleeve CD in March 2021, and Life Goes On returned the album to vinyl in the 2024 catalog.

Later Activity

Castro joined the Broadway production of Hair and formed Barnaby Bye with Billy and Bobby Alessi, followed by Wiggy Bits and Balance. Eric Kaz released If You’re Lonely and Cul-De-Sac before joining American Flyer, while Geoff Daking built a recording-engineering career and established Daking Audio.

Castro, Scala, and Daking reunited under the Blues Magoos name for New York concerts in July 2008, including a Fillmore New York date with The Zombies. The revived group released Psychedelic Resurrection in 2014 through Kayos Music, then issued “Nowhere Is Somewhere” in 2022 as a final recording. Ron Gilbert died on February 16, 2024, in Los Angeles.

Discography: