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The Amboy Dukes Biography |
| The Amboy Dukes were 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.
Ted Nugent, then 17, formed the band when he moved to Chicago in the 60's. Nugent had heard of a Detroit Rolling Stones cover band called Amboy Dukes that had just broken up, and took the name for his new band. The The Detroit Amboy Dukes had actually themselves stolen the name from a Brooklyn street gang of the same name (see Louis Buchalter). A book called The Amboy Dukes about teen-ager gang lifestyle was published in the 1940s. Written by Irving Shulman, it was circulated widely in mass market paperback and considered "hot stuff" in that more innocent time. It was filmed in 1949 as "The City Across The River," starring a young Tony Curtis. In interviews Ted Nugent said he has been given the book on many occasions but still hasn't gotten around to reading it. The Pre-Nugent, Amboy Dukes formed in Detroit in 1965 and nearly had a British guitar player as its lead. James Patrick "Jimmy" Page was originally named the lead guitar after responding to an advertisement in Pop Weekly magazine. Jimmy Page, then just a session musician in England, never actually joined the band since he did not want to give up his stable career. The Amboy Dukes then found guitarist Ron Medeiros who recently moved to Detroit from the Boston area music scene. In 1966 Ron Medeiros left the band to form his own band the Tangerine Zoo. After Ron Medeiros departure, the band broke up going their separate ways. Vocalist Bob Lehnert took the name and when contacted by a young Ted Nugent agreed to let him use the name providing he could sing vocals. Ted Nugent agreed, but changed the name to The Nugent Amboy Dukes when he formed the group in Chicago in 1967. Lehnert left the group over "creative differences" in 1967. This lead to several band shake-ups and instability, despite signing a record deal with Mainstream Records and releasing numerous albums and singles. The Amboy Dukes released a number of albums with Mainstream Records. Having run their course with Mainstream Records, they signed with Polydor Records around 1970. At this time Amboy Dukes song titles would display such period flavor as "Why Is a Carrot More Orange Than an Orange" and "The Inexhaustible Quest for the Cosmic Cabbage"; the latter number was a multi-part epic that incorporated both Béla Bartók and The Beach Boys. The band quickly grew tired of Polydor Records and signed with Frank Zappa's DisCreet (Warner Brothers) label. They released two more albums and then broke up. While the other Amboy Dukes receded into obscurity, Nugent, as the "Motor City Madman", became a very successful and quite visible solo musician, hunter, and political controversialist.
The disparity in career outcomes has led to differing recollections among the former Dukes about what happened during the band's lifetime. Nugent claims to have been the leader of the band, and at times the "babysitter" for the rest of the band, and that when he took a few months off the band fell apart. And despite the apparent drug references of many of their songs, Nugent fervently denies significant drug use. The other members of the band, such as Gary Hicks, viewed the band differently. They say guitarist Hicks and singer Drake were the main songwriters and the de facto leaders of the Amboy Dukes; Nugent was not the "leadman". In an interview , Drake deprecated Nugent's creative role in the Amboy Dukes, and mentioned some rather embarrassing personal details about Nugent. From Drake's point of view, Nugent was the one who needed babysitting - he was a spoiled brat and none too intelligent. Hicks did emphasize that Nugent was the only member not involved in drug activity and promiscuous sex with groupies, so on that matter everyone is in agreement. Band line-ups 1967 1968 Journey to the Center of the Mind saw another member shake-up:
Migration saw another line-up: Taken from Wikipedia The following text is from an email sent by Bob Lehnert on February 24, 2010: "Denis, I was never in the original band in Detroit. Ted suggested we use the name because the Detroit Amboy Dukes were no longer together. Ted and I met summer of '65 standing in line to see The Shadows of Knight at the Cellar in Arlington Heights, Il. I had already formed the band of Gary Hicks on guitar, Dick Treat on bass, Gail Uptadale on drums and I was playing guitar and singing. We were looking for a lead guitarist. In casual conversation with my date while in line I mentioned that fact and Ted, who was also on line and standing behind me chimed in "I play lead guitar." I believe it was the very next day he came over and played for me and I immediately was blown away and put down my guitar and became the front man lead vocalist.
Ted could not wait to get back to Detroit and took the willing members with him right after playing a graduation party with me in Monroe. I spent 67-69 in college and the Navy and in 1970 I moved to Memphis where I'd grown up and had a career as a writer/photographer for Memphis Music News.
I have been a performer ever since and continue to make my living as a musician/producer/performer all over the world being based in Florida.
Thanks to Bob Lehnert for all the information! |
