Like their name, the group's sound was of the psychedelic variety. They released singles on smaller labels, like Ganim Records and Verve Records, but those singles did not gain the band much recognition. However, Mercury Records signed the band to a record deal in late 1966 and the group's debut album, Psychedelic Lollipop was released shortly thereafter. It was one of the first records to contain the word "Psychedelic" on the sleeve (along with the 13th Floor Elevators' The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators).
The group's biggest song, "(We Ain't Got) Nothin' Yet" was released as a single in 1967, with "Gotta Get Away" as the b-side. The song hit number 5 on the US charts, although it did not fare nearly as well in the UK. The next single by the Blues Magoos, "There's A Chance We Can Make It," was only a minor hit, with its b-side "Pipe Dream" actually charting higher (though neither side hit the top 40). After one more minor chart single with "One By One," subsequent singles were largely ignored by record buyers. Neither of the two albums released after Psychedelic Lollipop, Electric Comic Book (1967) and Basic Blues Magoos (1968), had much success. By 1968, the band was discouraged and they split up.
The group's management had other plans. The band was signed to ABC Records, but most of the members did not go along with this plan. Only Castro agreed and started up a revamped Blues Magoos, with Eric Katz, Richie Dickon, John Leillo and Roger Eaton. In 1969, the band completed Never Goin' Back To Georgia, but that release did not attract public attention either. Eaton left the band, and the other Blues Magoos used session musicians for the follow up Gulf Coast Bound. It did poorly as well and though the Magoos struggled for another two years, they eventually parted ways. In 1981, Castro resurfaced with the group Balance.
The original group's output on CD is now complete. Repertoire has released their three albums in deluxe digi-packages with detailed liner notes. Each CD has bonus tracks which include mono versions of single releases, fan club exclusives, and obscure early recordings. Additionally, Collectibles still has the doubled-up "Lollipop/Comic Book" CD for sale and Mercury's "Kaliedoscopic Compendium" anthology is still available as well. The post-1969 group's output has not been released on CD to date.
After a stint with the rock musical Hair and recording with Mercury label mate Exuma (Tony McKay), Peppy Castro formed Barnaby Bye with fellow cast members Bobby and Billy Alessi. The group released two albums on Atlantic Records, Room to Grow (1972) and Touch (1973). In 1981, Castro resurfaced again with the group Balance whose song "Breaking Away" reached No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In July 2008, the Blues Magoos with original members Ralph Scala, Castro and Geoff Daking reunited for the first time in years for two concerts, including one with The Zombies at the Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza in New York City. In December 2009 they traveled to Spain for the Purple Weekend festival.
In 2014, The Blues Magoos released their first new album in 43 years, titled Psychedelic Resurrection. The Blues Magoos toured in 2015.
Nothin' Yet
The Blues Magoos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can't face the world with your head to the ground
The grass is always greener on the other side, they say
So don't worry, boys, life will be sweet some day
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh
We made enough mistakes
But you know we got what it takes
Oh, we ain't got nothin' yet
No, we ain't got nothin' yet
Nothin' can hold us and nothin' can keep us down
And someday our names will be spread all over town
We can get in while the getting is good
So make it on your own, yeah, you know that you could
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh
We got to make the break
'Cause we got too much at stake
Oh, we ain't got nothin' yet
No, we ain't got nothin' yet
We made enough mistakes
But you know we got what it takes
Oh, we ain't got nothin' yet
No, we ain't got nothin' yet
The song "Nothin' Yet" by The Blues Magoos is a motivational anthem about perseverance and resilience in the face of setbacks. The opening lines suggest that life can be unpredictable and difficult, with its ups and downs. The lyrics then urge the listener not to give up or become discouraged by the challenges they face. The grass may seem greener on the other side, but the song reminds us that the future is full of possibilities and that anything can happen if you keep your head up.
The chorus repeats the refrain "we ain't got nothin' yet," which can be interpreted in different ways. On one level, the phrase suggests that the singer and his friends have not achieved their goals yet, but they are still hopeful and optimistic about the future. On another level, the phrase might represent the idea that material possessions and worldly success are not the most important things in life. The song encourages the listener to focus on their ambitions and dreams and to remember that they have what it takes to succeed, even if they haven't achieved their goals yet.
Overall, "Nothin' Yet" is an uplifting and energizing rock song that encourages listeners to keep striving for success and to never give up on their dreams, no matter how difficult the road may seem.
Line by Line Meaning
One day you're up and the next day you're down
Life is full of ups and downs, sometimes we win and sometimes we lose
You can't face the world with your head to the ground
We have to keep our head up and face our problems with courage
The grass is always greener on the other side, they say
People often think that other people's lives are better than theirs
So don't worry, boys, life will be sweet some day
We should be optimistic and believe that good things will happen to us
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Vocalization without verbal meaning
We made enough mistakes
We have made some mistakes in our lives
But you know we got what it takes
We have the potential and abilities to succeed
Oh, we ain't got nothin' yet
We haven't achieved our goals yet
No, we ain't got nothin' yet
We are not successful yet
Nothin' can hold us and nothin' can keep us down
We should not get discouraged by failures, as they cannot prevent us from succeeding
And someday our names will be spread all over town
We will become successful and famous one day
We can get in while the getting is good
We have to take advantage of opportunities when they arise
So make it on your own, yeah, you know that you could
We are capable of achieving success on our own
We got to make the break
We have to take the necessary steps to succeed
'Cause we got too much at stake
We have a lot to lose if we don't succeed
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, THE ROYALTY NETWORK INC., Royalty Network
Written by: Michael Esposito, Peppy Castro, Ralph Scala, Ronald Gilbert, EMIL THIELHELM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Plumcrazy Preston
1967 was a pivotal year in history. Rock and roll turned truly wild. Male hair turned truly long.
Hippies had arrived.
Drugs had arrived.
The sexual revolution had arrived.
Headbanging music had arrived.
1966 was the last year that some rock and roll had a hint of '50's-ish sound still left.
Something about the vocal harmony in this song here that sounds doo-whoppish.
leslie holocaust
It's much harder to write a song like this than it is to play it. That's what's so beautiful.
Metaphoria
So true and writing is the most important thing
John Conway
Yep. That's why I'm not a big fan of sampling. Someone's already done all of the heavy lifting writing the melodies and then along comes P. Ditty and Pit Bull. 🙄 At least the song's writers get paid...
Metaphoria
@John Conway many times the songs are better or at least good but I get the the original creation is the most important/ difficult like I prefer Thru the wire over the Chaka Kahn version tho its still great
Cuentos Mayores
The sound of the guitar in the main weird riff blew me away. I was literally in the other side of my house and had to come to the living room where the music was playing because that music that was coming out was so thrilling and something I had never listened to before in a guitar. Just amazing
Jersey SmellTours
Once heard
Never forgotten
A very potent musical earworm...
Jeanne Griffin
This song is on fire!! Pure energy!!
Bob Hopkins
Don't know why anyone hasn't replied, well said it's like going 90 down the freeway
H.M. MELD
i love this song
Barbarian Celt Lad
Their lead guitarist gave a few lessons to a young fan named Ace Frehley. I love the stories of music