

Before he became Patti Smith’s lead guitarist, Lenny Kaye compiled the 2 album set, Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era. Released in 1972, the two-LP set covered American garage rock and psychedelia from the years 1965 to 1968 and was a major influence on punk rock. Rhino Records reissued an expanded version of the set in 1998, with 118 tracks in total. I’m profiling and rating each of these 118 tracks, working backwards.
Track 57/118: (We Ain’t Got) Nothin’ Yet by the Blues Magoos
From: The Bronx, New York
Aphoristic Rating: 8/10
(WE AIN’T GOT) NOTHIN’ YET – Blues Magoos [2:10]
(Ronald Gilbert/Ralph Scala/Michael Esposito/Emil Thielhelm)
Personnel/RALPH SCALA: vocals, organ * MIKE ESPOSITO: lead guitar * EMIL “PEPPY” THIELHELM: guitar, vocals * RONNIE GILBERT: bass, vocals * GEOFF DAKING: drums
Produced by BOB WYLD & ART POLHEMUS for LONGHAIR PRODUCTIONS
Recorded in New York, NY
Mercury single #72622 (10/66); Pop #5
The Blues Magoos were formed in 1964, originally known as The Trenchcoats. Playing in clubs around Greenwich Village, they changed their name to the Bloos Magoos, before settling on the final spelling. They marketed themselves as a psychedelic band – their debut is titled Psychedelic Lollipop. But there’s plenty of garage band in their DNA as well.
The Blues Magoos’ best-known song is their third single, ‘We Ain’t Got Nothin’ Yet’, their first release for Mercury Records. It reached #5 on the Billboard Charts.
The song’s bass and organ parts closely resemble Joe Osborn’s bassline for Ricky Nelson’s 1962 version of ‘Summertime’; a George Gershwin cover. The same riff later powered Deep Purple’s 1970 single ‘Black Night’ – the group were told they needed a single for their debut album In Rock, and quickly wrote a song around the borrowed bassline. The Deep Purple single reached #2 on the UK charts – a little unfair when Nelson’s ‘Summertime’ only just scraped into the Billboard top #100.
Despite the riff recycling, there’s plenty to enjoy with harmonies and swirling organ.
The Blues Magoos stuck around long enough to record six albums, including a 2014 reunion album, Psychedelic Resurrection. Emil “Peppy” Thielhelm (aka “Peppy” Castro) was the band’s only constant member. He later joined the cast of Hair and scored a top 40 hit in 1981 with ‘Breaking Away’, with his new band Balance.
A 1967 cover was released by UK band The Spectres – they’d shortly rebrand themselves as Status Quo.
Read More
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Nuggets II: Get Yourself Home by The Fairies

Nuggets: Run, Run, Run by The Gestures

Nuggets II: Flight from Ashiya by Kaleidoscope

Nuggets: Codine by The Charlatans

Nuggets: A Public Execution by Mouse

Nuggets: Dirty Water by The Standells

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Nuggets: Incense and Peppermints by Strawberry Alarm Clock

Nuggets: Blackout of Gretely by GONN

Nuggets: Louie Louie by The Kingsmen

Nuggets: It’s Cold Outside by The Choir

Nuggets: I Need You by The Rationals

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Nuggets: I Live in the Springtime by The Lemon Drops

Nuggets: The Witch by The Sonics

Nuggets: Psychotic Reaction by Count Five

Nuggets: Just Like Me by Paul Revere & the Raiders

Nuggets II: Why Don’t You Smile Now by Downliners Sect

Nuggets II: Nothin’ by Ugly Ducklings

Nuggets: Beg, Borrow, And Steal by The Rare Breed

Nuggets: Respect by The Vagrants

Nuggets II: I’m Your Witchdoctor by Chants R&B

Nuggets: Journey to Tyme by Kenny and the Kasuals

Nuggets: Oh Yeah by The Shadows of Knight

Nuggets: Stop! Get A Ticket by Clefs of Lavender Hill

Nuggets: I’m Five Years Ahead of My Time by The Third Bardo

Nuggets: I See the Light by The Five Americans

Nuggets II: Glendora by Downliners Sect

Nuggets II: I Wish I Was Five by Scrugg

Nuggets: Strychnine by The Sonics

Nuggets: Nobody But Me by The Human Beinz

Nuggets II: One Third by The Majority

Nuggets: You Must Be A Witch by The Lollipop Shoppe

Nuggets: No Friend of Mine by The Sparkles

Nuggets: She’s About A Mover by Sir Douglas Quintet

Nuggets: Follow Me by Lyme & Cybelle

Nuggets II: Bat Macumba by Os Mutantes

Nuggets: Little Girl by Syndicate of Sound

Nuggets: Liar, Liar by The Castaways

Nuggets: Diddy Wah Diddy by Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band

Nuggets II: No Good Without You Baby by The Birds

Nuggets: The Little Black Egg by The Nightcrawlers

Nuggets: Moulty by The Barbarians

Nuggets: Why Pick On Me by The Standells

Nuggets: Double Yellow Line by The Music Machine

Nuggets: Put the Clock Back on the Wall by The E-Types

Nuggets: Johnny Was A Good Boy by Mystery Trend

Nuggets: Double Shot (Of My Baby’s Love) by The Swingin’ Medallions

Nuggets II: I’m Just A Mops by The Mops

Nuggets II: How Does It Feel to Feel by The Creation

Nuggets: Wooly Bully by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs

Nuggets: It’s A-Happening by The Magic Mushrooms

Nuggets: I Think I’m Down by the Harbinger Complex

Nuggets: Blue's Theme by Davie Allan & the Arrows

Nuggets: Out Of Our Tree by The Wailers

Nuggets II: The Train to Disaster by The Voice

Nuggets: You Ain’t Tuff by The Uniques

Nuggets: Time Won’t Let Me by The Outsiders

Nuggets: (We Ain’t Got) Nothin’ Yet by the Blues Magoos

Nuggets: Journey To The Center Of The Mind by The Amboy Dukes

Nuggets: Hold Me Now by The Rumors

Nuggets: (Would I Still Be) Her Big Man by The Brigands

Nuggets II: The Bitter Thoughts Of Little Jane by Timon

Nuggets II: Sad by The (Australian) Playboys

Nuggets: Love's Gone Bad by The Underdogs

Nuggets II: Bad Little Woman by The Wheels

Nuggets: Open Up Your Door by Richard & the Young Lions

Nuggets: Sit Down, I Think I Love You by The Mojo Men

Nuggets: Can’t Seem To Make You Mine by The Seeds

Nuggets: Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out) by The Hombres

Nuggets II: No More Now by The Smoke

Nuggets: So What! by The Lyrics

Nuggets: Why Do I Cry by The Remains

Nuggets II: Touch by The Outsiders

Nuggets: Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl by The Barbarians

Nuggets: Run, Run, Run by The Third Rail

Nuggets: What Am I Going to Do? by The Dovers

Nuggets II: You Can Be My Baby by The Red Squares

Nuggets II: Real Crazy Apartment by Winston’s Fumbs

Nuggets: I’m Gonna Make You Mine by The Shadows of Knight

Nuggets: Maid of Sugar – Maid of Spice by Mouse and the Traps

Nuggets: Knock, Knock by The Humane Society

Nuggets: A Question of Temperature by The Balloon Farm

Nuggets: Night Time by The Strangeloves

Nuggets II: When The Alarm Clock Rings by the Blossom Toes

Nuggets: Primitive by The Groupies

Nuggets: Live by The Merry-Go-Round

Nuggets: Sweet Young Thing by The Chocolate Watchband

Nuggets: Lies by The Knickerbockers

Nuggets: Pushin’ Too Hard by The Seeds

Nuggets: Get Me to the World on Time by The Electric Prunes

Nuggets: Hey Joe by the Leaves

Nuggets II: Rosalyn by The Pretty Things

Nuggets II: Pictures of Matchstick Men by The Status Quo

Nuggets: Voices Green and Purple by The Bees

Nuggets: Last Time Around by The Del-Vetts

Nuggets: Talk Talk by The Music Machine

Nuggets: Don’t Look Back by The Remains

Nuggets: Laugh, Laugh by The Beau Brummels

Nuggets: I Ain’t No Miracle Worker by The Brogues

Nuggets: Outside Chance by The Turtles

Nuggets: An Invitation to Cry by The Magicians

Nuggets: Spazz by The Elastik Band

Nuggets II: Kicks and Chicks by The Zipps

Nuggets: Open My Eyes by Nazz

Nuggets: Story of My Life by The Unrelated Segments

Nuggets: My World Fell Down by Sagittarius

Nuggets: Bad Girl by The Zakary Thaks

Nuggets II: Here Come the Nice by The Small Faces

Nuggets: Action Woman by The Litter

Nuggets II: Dance Around the Maypole by Acid Gallery

Nuggets: Are You Gonna Be There (At The Love In) by The Chocolate Watchband

Nuggets: 7 and 7 Is by Love

Nuggets: Psycho by The Sonics

Nuggets: Mirror Of Your Mind by We The People

Nuggets: Going All the Way by The Squires

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Nuggets: Too Many People by The Leaves

Nuggets: Fight Fire by The Golliwogs

Nuggets: One Track Mind by The Knickerbockers

Nuggets II: No Presents For Me by The Pandamonium

Nuggets: I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night) by The Electric Prunes

Nuggets: Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear White by The Standells

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Nuggets II: It’s My Fault by The Rattles

Nuggets: Falling Sugar by The Palace Guard

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Nuggets: Steppin’ Out by Paul Revere & the Raiders

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****10/10****
Sorry…
Oh well. Maybe next week. I bet you’ll give that one 10/10!!!
I do like The Sonics.
And the next week after that too!!!!!
Normally I just do one per fortnight, so the suspense will be longer.
Actually Syndicate of Sound is next, which is what I thought. That’s a definite 10 out of 10, Sonics is kind of borderline for me.
Oops, almost skipped that one.
Don’t even have to listen to it. Pretty popular tune back in the day. Must have heard it a thousand times. Pretty good tune.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard it outside of Nuggets. It would certainly be better if classic hits radio had way bigger playlists and played stuff like this.
Oh, wow. No, sizeable hit over here. Very few of my generation wouldn’t recognize it.
That video is great. I wonder if it was from American Bandstand. I didn’t know Ricky Nelson did a version of Summertime. I actually like Ricky Nelson. And his hit Garden Party is one of my top 100 singles of the ’70s, I think.
I don’t know much about Ricky Nelson, but his version of Summertime was good.
I listened to Summertime and it was cool. Not only the bass line is the same as Blues Magoos but the guitar lines too, kinda sorta. It’s not the best Summertime I ever heard though. It ain’t Janis Joplin, I’ll tell you that.
I remember this. Thanks for bringing it back. Snappy tune with a lot going for it.
I didn’t know it at all before Nuggets.
I loved this song back in the day, as I’m so old I remember hearing it on the radio. Still holds up.
As I said in other comments, I’ve never heard it on the radio.
I love this song…I remember it on the Easy Rider soundtrack. Great raw garage rock…I’m a sucker for that organ.
I didn’t realise it was on Easy Rider. The organ’s pretty cool.