| Ted Nugent | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 1975 [1] | |||
| Recorded | 1975 | |||
| Studio | The Sound Pit, Atlanta | |||
| Genre | Hard rock | |||
| Length | 38:52 | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Ted Nugent chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Ted Nugent | ||||
Ted Nugent is the debut studio album by American rock musician Ted Nugent. The album was released in September 1975 by Epic Records. It was Nugent's first release after the disbanding of his former group, The Amboy Dukes.
 | This section needs additional citations for verification .(November 2021) |
Tired of The Amboy Dukes' lack of effort and discipline, Nugent decided he had enough and left the group. He took a three-month vacation (his first ever) clearing his head in the Colorado wilderness, spending his time deer hunting and enjoying the outdoors. [4] Renewed, Nugent returned to civilization in search of a new direction and a new band. Joining him in the Ted Nugent Band were former Amboy Duke Rob Grange on bass, along with Cliff Davies (ex-If) on drums and finally, from a local Michigan band called Scott which had opened for the Dukes previously, a singer/guitarist named Derek St. Holmes.
The new group hit the road and then the studio, forming the songs which would send their first album into the Billboard Top 30 and into the multi-platinum range. The first track, "Stranglehold", would set the stage for Nugent's career: an eight-minute plus guitar attack with vocals by St. Holmes and Nugent, a long solo played on Nugent's Gibson Byrdland guitar recorded in one take and a unique phase bass guitar effect by Grange. St. Holmes' sang tracks such as "Queen of the Forest", "Hey Baby", "Just What the Doctor Ordered" and "Snakeskin Cowboys", the latter featuring an 8-string Hagström bass played by Grange, which would prove to be staples of the band's concert tours for years to come. "Motor City Madhouse" is an ode to Ted's hometown of Detroit.
The album was produced by Tom Werman and former If manager Lew Futterman. Nugent said about the album, "If anyone wanted to know what rock 'n roll was all about, that's the only album they'd need". [4]
"One had to recognize that there was a definite synergy between the band and Nugent", said producer Tom Werman.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [5] |
| Classic Rock | [6] |
| Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 8/10 [7] |
In 2005, Ted Nugent was ranked number 487 in Rock Hard magazine's book The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time. [8]
"Stranglehold" has been ranked 31st greatest guitar solo of all time by Guitar World . [9]
All songs are credited as "written and arranged by Ted Nugent", except "Hey Baby", which is credited as "written and arranged by Derek St. Holmes". In Martin Popoff's book Epic Ted Nugent, Nugent admits that "Stranglehold" was co-written by Rob Grange, who never received a royalty share. [4] Derek St. Holmes claims the album was co-written by the whole band, and that Nugent took sole credit as a way to not pay them royalties. [10]
| No. | Title | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Stranglehold" | Derek St. Holmes and Ted Nugent (interlude only) | 8:22 |
| 2. | "Stormtroopin'" | Derek St. Holmes | 3:07 |
| 3. | "Hey Baby" | Derek St. Holmes | 4:00 |
| 4. | "Just What the Doctor Ordered" | Derek St. Holmes | 3:43 |
| No. | Title | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "Snakeskin Cowboys" | Derek St. Holmes | 4:38 |
| 6. | "Motor City Madhouse" | Ted Nugent | 4:30 |
| 7. | "Where Have You Been All My Life" | Derek St. Holmes | 4:04 |
| 8. | "You Make Me Feel Right at Home" | Cliff Davies | 2:54 |
| 9. | "Queen of the Forest" | Derek St. Holmes | 3:34 |
| No. | Title | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Magic Party" | Derek St. Holmes | 2:55 |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
| Year | Title | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | "Hey Baby" | Billboard Hot 100 (US) [15] | 72 |
| Country | Organization | Year | Sales |
| U.S. | RIAA | 1986 | 2× Platinum (2,000,000) [16] |
| Canada | CRIA | 1978 | Gold (50,000) [17] |
Cat Scratch Fever is the third studio album by American rock musician Ted Nugent. It was released on May 13, 1977, by Epic Records. Vocalist Derek St. Holmes, who had left the band during the recording of the album Free-for-All, had come back for touring in 1976 and was again the principal lead singer on this album.
The Amboy Dukes were an American rock band formed in 1964 in Chicago, Illinois, and later based in Detroit, Michigan. They are best known for their only hit single, "Journey to the Center of the Mind". The band's name comes from the title of a novel by Irving Shulman. In the UK, the group's records were released under the name of the American Amboy Dukes, because of the existence of a British group with the same name. The band went through a number of personnel changes during its active years, the only constant being lead guitarist and composer Ted Nugent. The band transitioned to being Nugent's backing band before he discontinued the name in 1975.
Derek St. Holmes is an American rock musician, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitar player for Ted Nugent's early solo career. After splitting from Nugent in 1978, St. Holmes worked with various artists, most notably the Whitford/St. Holmes project with Brad Whitford, who had then recently parted ways with Aerosmith. He has also reunited with Nugent on several occasions.
Tooth, Fang & Claw is the sixth studio album by the Amboy Dukes, credited as "Ted Nugent's Amboy Dukes". The band's second release on DiscReet Records, it was the final album released under the Amboy Dukes name before Ted Nugent launched his solo career the following year.
Weekend Warriors is the fourth studio album by American hard rock musician Ted Nugent. It was released in November 1978 by Epic Records.
Live at Hammersmith '79 is a live album by American rock musician Ted Nugent, consisting of a performance originally broadcast on the King Biscuit Flower Hour, recorded during the second set of a sold-out night at London's Hammersmith Odeon in 1979 and not released until 1997.
Little Miss Dangerous is the ninth studio album by American hard rock guitarist Ted Nugent. It was released in March 1986 by Atlantic Records.
Scream Dream is the sixth studio album by American hard rock musician Ted Nugent. The album was released in June 1980 by Epic Records, and reached number 13 on the Billboard 200. It was his last studio album to feature drummer Cliff Davies.
State of Shock is the fifth solo studio album by American rock musician Ted Nugent. It was released in May 1979 by Epic Records.
Full Bluntal Nugity is a live album by the American hard rock guitarist Ted Nugent, recorded on New Year's Eve (12/31/2000) at Ted Nugent's annual Whiplash Bash in Detroit, MI. A live DVD with the same title was released in 2003 by Eagle Rock Entertainment.
Free-for-All is the second studio album by American rock musician Ted Nugent. It was released in September 1976 by Epic Records, and was his first album to go platinum.
Double Live Gonzo! is a live album by the American hard rock guitarist Ted Nugent, released as a double LP in 1978. In addition to live versions of songs from previous albums, this double album also contains original material played live, including: "Yank Me, Crank Me" and "Gonzo". The album has reached 3× Platinum status in the United States.
Nugent is the seventh studio album by the American hard rock musician Ted Nugent. It was released in 1982 by Atlantic Records.
Penetrator is the eighth studio album by American rock musician Ted Nugent. It was released in February 1984 by Atlantic Records.
If You Can't Lick 'Em... Lick 'Em is the tenth studio album by American hard rock guitarist Ted Nugent. The album was released in February 1988, by Atlantic Records and reached No. 112 in the Billboard 200 US chart. It also marks the first album to feature Nugent as the sole lead vocalist after only providing secondary lead vocals on previous albums.
Theodore Anthony Nugent is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and political activist. He initially gained fame as the lead guitarist and occasional vocalist of The Amboy Dukes, a band formed in 1963 that played psychedelic rock and hard rock. After dissolving the band, he embarked on a successful solo career. His first three solo albums, Ted Nugent (1975), Free-for-All (1976) and Cat Scratch Fever (1977), were certified multi-platinum in the United States. His latest album, Detroit Muscle, was released in 2022.
"Stranglehold" is a song by American rock musician Ted Nugent, the first track from his self-titled debut 1975 album. The vocals are by Derek St. Holmes. However, the "Sometimes you wanna get higher" verse is sung by Nugent. Nugent admits that the song was co-written by Rob Grange, who received no share.
Cliff Davies was a British drummer.
Sweden Rocks is a 2006 live album by the American hard rock guitarist Ted Nugent, recorded at the Sweden Rock Festival in 2006. It was also released at the same time as a live DVD. Bassist Barry Sparks would depart Nugent's band shortly after, at which time Greg Smith took over.
Rob Grange is an American bassist, best known for his work with psychedelic rock band The Amboy Dukes and with Ted Nugent, as well as his unique phase bass lines in the song "Stranglehold".
