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Biography
Infobox musical artist | name = The Amboy Dukes| image =| caption =| image_size =| background = group_or_band| origin = Detroit, Michigan | instrument =| genre = Hard rock , acid rock , psychedelic rock , heavy metal music|heavy metal | years_active = 1964–1975| label = Mainstream Records|Mainstream Polydor Records|Polydor DiscReet Records|DiscReet | associated_acts =| website =| current_members =| past_members = Ted Nugent Bob Lehnert Gary Hicks Dick Treat Gail Uptadale Steve Farmer Dave Palmer John Drake Rick Lober Bill White Andy Solomon Greg Arama Rusty Day The Amboy Dukes were an United States|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 . The band's name comes from the title of a novel by Irving Shulman about a Jewish street gang of the same name in the Brownsville, Brooklyn|Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn during the 1940s. In the UK the group's records were released under the name of The American Amboy Dukes owing to the existence of a homonymous British group.
The band went through a number of personnel changes during its active years. Bassist Greg Arama died in 1979. The group contributed to the foundations of Heavy metal music|heavy metal and progressive rock . http://books.google.com/books? id=04KtwVkHNv0C& pg=PA1& dq=Cromagnon+band& lr=#v=onepage& q=Cromagnon%20band& f=false A History of Rock Music:1951-2000 by Piero Scaruffi
In 2008, The Amboy Dukes were inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame. http://www.michiganrockandrolllegends.com/mrrl-hall-of-fame/96-amboy-dukes The band's biggest hit, "Journey To The Center Of The Mind", was voted a Legendary Michigan Song that same year. http://michiganrockandrolllegends.com/legendary-michigan-songs-inductees
The original Amboy Dukes performed April 17, 2009 at the Detroit Music Awards at The Fillmore Detroit . Their performance began with the song " Baby, Please Don't Go|Baby Please Don't Go ", from their 1967 debut single. Followed by "Journey to the Center of the Mind", and ending with Mitch Ryder 's "Jenny Take A Ride" (featuring original Ryder drummer Johnny "Bee" Badanjek). In recognition of the band's contribution to rock music history, they received a Distinguished Achievement award.cite web | url= http://www.spin.com/articles/nugents-amboy-dukes-reunite-after-30-years | title=Nugent's Amboy Dukes Reunite After 30 Years | accessdate=18 July 2009
Later careers
Steve Farmer currently teaches in the Redford Township, Michigan|Redford Township district of Michigan . He also performs with backing bands at various venues in and around the Detroit area.
Rick Lober is a classically trained composer best known in the greater Detroit metro area for his frenetic style of keyboard playing. Since the early 1990s, he has been in and out of the studio, appearing as performer/songwriter on the Steve Farmer (musician)|Steve Farmer CD Journey to the Darkside of the Mind (Saint Thomas Records, STP0069) completed in 2000. He is currently working in the studio and performing live with local Detroit rock legend Jeffrey Faust and his band "The Woodsman", which performs throughout Michigan and Canada.
Band line-ups
1964
The Nugent Amboy Dukes began in the Chicago metropolitan area|Chicago area in 1964,cite web | url= http://www.tednugent.com/music/news/Archived/default2009.aspx? PostID=827267 | title=TED NUGENT Discusses AMBOY DUKES Reunion On WBSX-97.9X | accessdate=16 August 2009 and played such venues as The Cellar (teen dance club)|The Cellar in the northwest suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois|Arlington Heights ."Ted, White, and Blue: Nugent Recalls Some Career Milestones." http://www.tednugent.com/hunting/news/2008/default.aspx? PostID=539794. Retrieved 2008-11-30 They moved back to Detroit in 1968. The members included the following:
Bob Lehnert (vocalist)
Ted Nugent (lead guitar)
Gary Hicks (guitar, vocals)
Dick Treat (bass, vocals)
Gail Uptadale (drums)
1967
After a band shuffle for signing a deal with Mainstream Records of New York , the band members who released their debut album, The Amboy Dukes (album)|The Amboy Dukes , were:
John Drake (vocals) ex-Lourds
Ted Nugent (lead guitar, vocals)
Rick Lober (keyboards)
Steve Farmer (musician)|Steve Farmer (guitar, vocals) ex-Gang
Bill White (bass, vocals)
Dave Palmer (drums) ex-The Galaxy Five, ex-The Citations
1968
Journey to the Center of the Mind saw another member shake-up:
John Drake (vocals)
Ted Nugent (lead guitar, vocals)
Steve Farmer (guitar, vocals)
Andy Solomon (organ, piano, vocals)
Greg Arama (bass)
Dave Palmer (drums)
1969
Migration (The Amboy Dukes album)|Migration saw another line-up:
Rusty Day (Russell Edward Davidson) (vocals, harmonica) ex-Rusty Day & The Midnighters
You Talk Sunshine, I Breathe Fire - buoyed by the success of the "Journey" 45, they released this non LP in 1968 (Mainstream 693). It didn't chart.
The Best of the Original Amboy Dukes - released after The Amboy Dukes left Mainstream Records (Mainstream S/6125) in 1969, http://www.discogs.com/Amboy-Dukes-The-Best-Of-The-Original-Amboy-Dukes/master/366433 failed to chart.
Journey To The Darkside of The Mind , released in 2000, saw a rebirth of the Amboy Dukes by Steve Farmer (musician)|Steve Farmer and original keyboardist Rick Lober , sans Ted. (Saint Thomas Records STP 0069) - didn't chart.
http://www.motorcitymusicarchives.com/survival.html The recording of Survival of the fittest
http://www.chromeoxide.com/amboy.htm The Amboy Dukes at Chrome Oxide
DEFAULTSORT:Amboy Dukes, The Category:American hard rock musical groups Category:Musical groups established in 1964 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1975 Category:Rock music groups from Michigan Category:Musical groups from Detroit, Michigan Category:Mainstream Records artists
