Blues Magoos

Blues Magoos
The band in 1967.
Background information
Origin	The Bronx, New York, United States
Genres	Psychedelic rock, garage rock, blues rock, acid rock
Years active	1964–1970, 2008–present
Labels	Mercury, Verve, Ganim Records, ABC, Repertoire, Collectables
Members	Ralph Scala Emil "Peppy" Thielhelm Ron Gilbert Mike Esposito Geoff Daking Jon Finnegan John Leillo Eric Kaz Roger Eaton Richie Dickon Dennis LePore

The Blues Magoos are an American rock group from The Bronx, New York, United States. They were at the forefront of the psychedelic music trend, beginning as early as 1966. They are best known for the hit song "(We Ain't Got) Nothin' Yet".

The band was formed in 1964 as "The Trenchcoats". The original members were Emil "Peppy" Thielhelm aka "Peppy" Castro (vocals and guitar), Dennis LePore (lead guitar), Ralph Scala (organ and vocals), Ron Gilbert (bass) and Jon Finnegan (drums). The band made a name for itself in various clubs in Greenwich Village. By 1966 the band had changed its name to fit in with the psychedelic vibe of the times – first to the Bloos Magoos, then to the more familiar Blues Magoos. They also made some line-up changes, bringing in Mike Esposito as lead guitarist and Geoff Daking as drummer.

Like their name, the group's sound was of the psychedelic variety. Their single "So I'm Wrong and You Are Right" b/w "The People Had No Faces" on Verve Records did not gain the band much recognition. However, in late 1966 Mercury Records signed the band to a record deal and the group's debut album Psychedelic Lollipop was released shortly thereafter – one of the first records to contain the word "Psychedelic" on the sleeve (along with the 13th Floor Elevators' first album, The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators, and The Deep's Psychedelic Moods, both also from 1966). They played often at the Chess MateCoffeehouse, a mostly folk venue in Detroit owned by Morrie Widenbaum that also hosted bands like Southbound Freeway and Siegel-Schwall Blues Band. In a tour of the US in 1967 the Blues Magoos were the opening act, followed by The Who and the headliners Herman's Hermits.