Nuggets II: Nothin’ by Ugly Ducklings

Mick Jagger’s favourite Canadian band released this pissed-off slice of garage rock in 1966.

Nothin'—Ugly Ducklings

• Track 88, disc 4
• Year: 1966
• From: Toronto, Canada.

8/10

More about Nuggets II

Credits

4/7. NOTHIN’ – The Ugly Ducklings (Canada)
(Dave Byngham/Roger Mayne)

PERSONNEL/DAVE BYNGHAM: vocals * ROGER MAYNE: lead guitar * GLYN BELL: rhythm guitar * JOHN READ: bass * ROBIN BOERS: drums
Produced by TOMMY GRAHAM
Recorded in Toronto, Canada
Yorktown single #45001 (1966) [Canada]

The Ugly Ducklings

The Ugly Ducklings formed in Toronto, playing garage rock influenced by The Rolling Stones, The Pretty Things, The Yardbirds, and The Who.

There’s not much biographical information about this Canadian band on the usual places (AllMusicGuide, Wikipedia). But there’s a great interview with drummer Robin Boers on this gloriously old-school website – here’s an excerpt:

RB: Well this girl we knew, Luba, was the president of the Rolling Stones fan club in Canada, and asked if we wanted to meet the band. This was when they played at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto the first time, in 1965. Of course, we said yes! They had a whole floor at The King Edward Hotel. Unbeknownst to us, Jagger had been in his limousine, and heard our song, ‘Nothin’, on the radio, and said, “Whoa, who’s this band?!” And he wanted to meet us.

T: Right, that’s when Mick Jagger gave his famous quote, “The Ugly Ducklings are my favourite Canadian band.”

RB: Yeah, that’s how that quote got started.

T: Unbelievable. So, you hung out with the Stones…it must have been hilarious with Brian Jones and Glynn Bell in the same room… they looked like identical twins.

RB: Oh yeah, we had Brian and Glynn, back to back, trying to figure out who was who. The two of them were five foot eight, and Jagger’s a bit a comedian, so he’s goofing around, asking “who’s who?” It was fun. I talked for quite a while with Keith Richard. And Charlie didn’t have much to say. He just told me he plays what Mick and Keith tell him to.

T: Right, you opened for them that night?

RB: No, that would have been ridiculous. They asked us to play the next time they were in town, which we did….in ’66. But in the meantime, we headlined ‘The Toronto Sound’ show at Maple Leaf Gardens for 22,000 people. We did a bit of a The Who thing, with Glynn trashing his guitar….

Robin Boers, Terrascope

Nothin’

There hasn’t been much garage rock on Nuggets II so far – it’s often more psychedelic or chamber pop. But the Canadian ‘Nothin” sounds like its American cousins, aggressive and influenced by the British Invasion.

The Ugly Ducklings’ stridently pissed-off “Nothin'” stands as one of the high-water marks of Canadian ’60s punk. “Baby, you know I need . . . nothin’!” snarls singer Dave Byngham, giving his no-good woman the brush-off over a confident barrage of Stonesy guitars and some great rattling drums. Guitarist Roger Mayne kicks in a savage guitar solo to match the vehemence of the song’s lyrics.

Mike Stax, Nuggets II liner notes

The sound is raw, not surprising given that the recording cost $330, but The Ugly Ducklings are polished for a garage band. Singer Dave Bingham is charismatic, and the rhythm section is tight.

The Aftermath

The Ugly Ducklings only made one album in their prime, but reunited for 1980’s Off The Wall (a weird choice for an album name when Michael Jackson enjoyed a massive hit in 1979 with Off the Wall).

Read More

• Nuggets II Song by Song
• 1960s Album Reviews

[the-post-grid id=”59701″ title=”More Nuggets”]