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The Amboy Dukes

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Musicians

The Resume

    (1964-1975)
    Born in Chicago, Illinois
    1968 line-up:
    Ted Nugent, lead guitar and vocals
    John Drake, lead vocals
    Steve Farmer, guitar
    Greg Arama, bass guitar
    Dave Palmer, drums
    Andy Solomon, keyboards
    Recorded the albums 'The Amboy Dukes' (1967), 'Journey to the Center of the Mind' (1968), 'Migration' (1969), 'Marriage on the Rocks/Rock Bottom' (1970), 'Survival of the Fittest Live' (1971), 'Call of the Wild' (1973) and 'Tooth Fang & Claw' (1974)
    Recorded the single 'Journey to the Center of the Mind' (1968)

Why they might be annoying:

    Their name came from a novel by Irving Shulman about a Jewish street gang; Nugent later admitted that despite being given copies of the book by many fans, he never read it.
    They were a one-hit wonder.
    Nugent claimed to be unaware of the drug-related connotations of their hit.
    The line-up frequently changed with Nugent as the only constant.
    Nugent said, 'I was so upset internally with the amount of effort I was putting out with the constant human battering I was doing with the musicians. I was bailing them out of jail for breaking into a Coke machine or because they got caught with a joint. I felt like I was a babysitter.'

Why they might not be annoying:

    'Journey' is a classic of psychedelic rock and proto-metal.
    They recorded one of the most memorably titled psychedelic songs, 'Why Is a Carrot More Orange Than an Orange?'
    The band served as a launch pad for Nugent's solo career.
    Nugent and the band reunited to perform at the Detroit Music Awards (2009).

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 108 Votes: 42.59% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 379 Votes: 65.44% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 26 Votes: 88.46% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 66 Votes: 53.03% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 5 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 54 Votes: 77.78% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 134 Votes: 76.12% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 9 Votes: 77.78% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 17 Votes: 76.47% Annoying