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.
I Wanna Be There
The Blues Magoos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Traveling all alone
Having all of these heartaches baby
Can′t wait to get home
Just because I'm not around to love you
Don′t think I want someone else instead of you
I wanna be there
I wanna be there
I wanna be there
I wanna be there
To show you I care
Whenever I'm with you baby
Everything is a groove
No time to see you baby
I gotta keep on the move
Think of me believe in me while I'm away
I take the time to dream of you and count the days
I wanna be there
I wanna be there
To show you I care
I wanna be there
I wanna be there
To show you I care
How sad it makes me
Each train that takes me
Farther away from you baby
Living out of a suitcase baby
Traveling all alone
Having all of these heartaches baby
Waiting to get home
Just because I′m not around to love you
Don′t think I want someone else instead of you
I wanna be there
I wanna be there
To show you I care
I wanna be there
I wanna be there
To show you I care
How sad it makes me
Each train that takes me
Farther away from you baby
How sad it makes me
Each train that takes me
Farther away from you baby
The Blues Magoos's song "I Wanna Be There" tells the story of a traveling musician who is constantly on the move and living out of a suitcase. Despite being away from his loved one and experiencing heartaches, he longs to return home and show his partner how much he cares. He reassures his loved one that he wants to be with her and thinks of her often while on the road.
The lyrics convey a sense of longing and sadness for being away from the one you love. The singer feels the pain of being away from his partner, but he holds onto hope for their relationship. The repeated lines "I wanna be there, to show you I care" express his desire to be present and make up for lost time. The verse "How sad it makes me, each train that takes me, farther away from you baby" further emphasizes the sadness and distance felt by the singer.
Overall, "I Wanna Be There" is a heartfelt reminder to always cherish and prioritize those we love, no matter how busy life's journey may get.
Line by Line Meaning
Living out of a suitcase baby
I am constantly on the move, traveling from place to place with my belongings in a suitcase.
Traveling all alone
I am making these trips by myself, without anyone to keep me company.
Having all of these heartaches baby
This lifestyle is not easy and I experience a lot of emotional pain and heartbreak.
Can′t wait to get home
I am eager to return to the place where I feel most comfortable and loved.
Just because I'm not around to love you
Even though I may not be physically present, please know that I still love you and remain faithful.
Don′t think I want someone else instead of you
I am not seeking other relationships while I am away from you, my love is only for you.
I wanna be there
I yearn to be with you, to hold you and show you how much I care.
To show you I care
I want to demonstrate my love for you through my actions and presence.
Whenever I'm with you baby
When I am with you my life is complete, everything feels easy and happy.
Everything is a groove
Being around you puts me in a good mood, everything feels effortless and natural.
No time to see you baby
Unfortunately, because of my work and travel schedule, I rarely have the opportunity to be with you.
I gotta keep on the move
I have to keep traveling and working to make a living, even though it means being away from you.
Think of me believe in me while I'm away
I hope that you think of me often and maintain your faith in our relationship while we are apart.
I take the time to dream of you and count the days
Even though we are apart, I spend my free time dreaming of you and looking forward to the next time we can be together.
How sad it makes me
It saddens me deeply to be away from you and unable to be together.
Each train that takes me
The mode of transportation I use to travel away from you - whether it be train or otherwise - represents the physical distance between us and the heartache it brings.
Farther away from you baby
Each trip I take brings me farther from you, and the separation between us becomes even more difficult to bear.
Writer(s): Ralph Scala, Emil Thielhelm
Contributed by Elijah V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.