The Amboy Dukes -

The Amboy Dukes were an American hard-rock band that released three 1967–68 albums on Mainstream Records. They scored a 1968 Billboard Top 20 hit with “Journey to the Center of the Mind,” a psychedelic anthem included in the Nuggets series. On later releases, they’re billed as Ted Nugent & The Amboy Dukes.

Members: Ted Nugent (bass, guitar, percussion, vocals), Steve Farmer (rhythm guitar, 1968-70), Dave Palmer (drums, 1968-70), Bill White (bass, 1965-68, 1972), Rick Lober (keyboards, 1965-68), John Drake (vocals, 1967-68), Greg Arama (bass, 1968-70), Andy Solomon (keyboards, 1968-71), Rusty Day (vocals, 1969), K.J. Knight (drums, 1971), Bob Ruzga (bass, 1971), Rob Grange (bass, 1972-74), David Gilbert (vocals, 1972), Keith Johnstone (drums, 1972), John Angelos (lead vocals, harmonica, 1972), Joe Vitale (drums, piano, flute, 1972), Gabriel Magno (flute, keyboards, 1973), Vic Mastrianni (drums, 1973-74), Andy Jezowski (vocals, 1973-74)

Background

The Amboy Dukes formed in 1965 in the Chicago suburbs when guitarist Ted Nugent assembled singer Bob Lehnert, bassist Richard Treat, drummer Gale Utpadel, and rhythm guitarist Gary Hicks.

Nugent previously formed the Royal High Boys in Detroit with drummer Tom Noel. The group evolved into the Lourds, with singer John Drake, guitarist John Finley, and bassist Pete Primm. The Lourds won a Detroit-area battle of the bands and opened a Cobo Hall concert with the Supremes and the Beau Brummels. Nugent moved with his family to Palatine, Illinois, in 1965 and attended St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights. He adopted the Amboy Dukes name from a defunct Detroit R&B group, which took the name from the 1947 Irving Shulman novel.

The Chicago lineup played Nino’s Pizza Hall in June 1965 and a Lake Park High School dance in Roselle that October. The band also appeared at the Cellar, an Arlington Heights teen club frequented by local rock groups. In March 1966, the Dukes played the opening of the Bat-Cave in Park Ridge. Nugent subsequently recruited former Lourds singer John Drake to replace Lehnert. The revised lineup continued at the Cellar through the following school year.

Nugent returned to Detroit upon graduating from St. Viator in 1967 and contacted local manager Bob Hankins. He and Drake reorganized the Dukes with bassist Bill White, drummer Dave Palmer, rhythm guitarist–vocalist Steve Farmer, and keyboardist Rick Lober. Farmer came from the Gang, a Southfield group whose members included bassist Greg Arama. The new six-piece developed a repertoire of blues and R&B covers alongside originals by Nugent with lyrics by Farmer.

The Detroit lineup played Northland Mummp in Southfield in September 1967 and Arena Gardens in Port Huron that October. The group also shared an October bill at Northland Mummp with Bob Seger and the Last Heard. The Dukes signed with producer Bob Shad’s New York-based Mainstream Records in 1967 for their self-titled debut album.

Discography:

The Amboy Dukes (1967)
Journey to the Center of the Mind (1968)
Migration (1968)
Marriage on the Rocks / Rock Bottom (1970)
Survival of the Fittest (live, 1971 • Ted Nugent & The Amboy Dukes)
Call of the Wild (1974 • Ted Nugent & The Amboy Dukes)
Tooth, Fang & Claw (1974 • Ted Nugent’s Amboy Dukes)

Sources:

Resources and notes

Ted Nugent Q&A: Controversy, His Life, and Garage-Rockin’ in the Suburbs — April 2012 interview in which Nugent dates the Chicago formation to 1965 and discusses the Lourds, St. Viator High School, and the Cellar. (Daily Herald)
Wheeling High Class of 1966 to Hold 50th Reunion — Local alumni account identifying the five original Chicago musicians, including bassist Richard Treat and drummer Gale Utpadel, both Wheeling High graduates. (Daily Herald)
The Amboy Dukes Family Tree — Shows List — Bruno Ceriotti’s personnel and concert chronology, compiled with assistance from Nugent and fellow musicians. Documents the Royal High Boys, the Lourds, Chicago engagements from June 1965, the Drake substitution, and Detroit concert dates. (Rock Prosopography 102)
Amboy Dukes — Michigan Rock and Roll Legends biography covering the Royal High Boys, the Lourds, Nugent’s relocation, Detroit management, the revised lineup, and the Mainstream contract. Gives the manager’s surname as Henkins, contrary to the Hankins spelling on subsequent record credits. (Michigan Rock and Roll Legends)
Steve Farmer Interview — June 9, 1999 interview with Farmer concerning the rivalry between the Gang and the Lourds, the musicians’ eventual association, and the Detroit music scene. (Steve Farmer Official Website Archive)
Journey to the Center of the Mind — Original Album Credits — Reissue listing that reproduces the 1968 Mainstream LP personnel and credits, including Bob Hankins as manager and Bob Shad as recording supervisor. (Underground Solution)
Mainstream Records — History — Label history covering Bob Shad’s establishment of Mainstream in New York in 1964 and the company’s late-1960s rock releases. (Mainstream Records)
The Amboy Dukes — Nugent’s official discography confirms the November 1967 release of the self-titled Mainstream debut. (Ted Nugent Official Website)