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.
We Ain't Got 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 lyrics to The Blues Magoos's song 'Nothing Yet' present an optimistic outlook on life and a call to action, encouraging listeners to pursue their dreams and not be held back by their mistakes or circumstances. The opening lines suggest that life can be unpredictable and difficult, with highs and lows, but that it's important not to let adversity defeat you. The second verse emphasizes the importance of taking initiative and seizing opportunities when they arise, rather than waiting for success to come to you.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of determination and confidence, with the repeated refrain of "we ain't got nothin' yet" serving as both a reminder of how far the singer and his bandmates have to go in order to achieve their goals, and a declaration of their belief that they will succeed, no matter what obstacles they may face. The chorus, with its energetic guitar riff and catchy melody, is particularly effective in conveying this sense of optimism and drive.
In essence, 'Nothing Yet' is a classic example of the kind of feel-good, motivational rock song that has become a staple of the genre over the years. Its upbeat message and catchyhooks make it a crowd-pleaser, while its lyrics continue to resonate with audiences today, nearly fifty years after its original release.
Line by Line Meaning
One day you're up and the next day you're down
Life is unpredictable and can be full of ups and downs
You can't face the world with your head to the ground
You must stay confident and keep your head held high in the face of adversity
The grass is always greener on the other side, they say
People tend to think that there are better opportunities elsewhere
So don't worry, boys, life will be sweet some day
It's important to stay positive and believe that things will get better
We made enough mistakes
We've had our fair share of missteps and errors
But you know we got what it takes
Despite our mistakes, we have the ability to overcome and succeed
Nothin' can hold us and nothin' can keep us down
We are resilient and can overcome any obstacle
And someday our names will be spread all over town
We have the potential to achieve great success and recognition
We can get in while the getting is good
We should take advantage of opportunities while they're available
So make it on your own, yeah, you know that you could
We have the ability to succeed on our own
We got to make the break
We need to take action and make things happen for ourselves
'Cause we got too much at stake
We have a lot to gain and a lot to lose, so we must give it our all
Oh, we ain't got nothin' yet
We may not have achieved success yet, but we have potential
No, we ain't got nothin' yet
We still have a ways to go to achieve our goals
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
donnyrecordsnyc
The song is about making it big in the music industry. I'm old, I know this but here's the lyrics:
One day you're up and the next day you're down
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, oh
Oh, 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, oh
Oh, 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
Kathryn Titus
This ROCKS!!! ONE OF MY FAVORITES FROM MY CHILDHOOD.
Nice cameos by Jayne Mansfield, Anita Ekberg and Joey Heatherton.
I wonder if Mariska Hargitay has seen this footage of her mom!
I haven't heard this one in a long time, first time I've seen the video footage! This was such a great top 40 hit back in the day.
Sally B
What a great song! Takes me right back to the 60's...I love garage band music . <3
David Zimmerli
Listening to these songs from my long-ago youth make it seem like I've lived at least 1,000 years ......
Bob Hopkins
This is still fresh, man could we have a repeat of this...bleeping hot!! Makes you dance, move, it's happy music!!
Benjamin Villa
One of the best 60s songs.
What a incredible time it was. I was just starting my teens when all this great music hit the radio.
Russell Strong
Love it … I admit it …sometimes I play that three times in a row !!
thamy.
tô viciada nessa música
Josh B
Dang, wish music like this was still popular today
Westtexas7
@Andrew Byrne We looked. It sucks. Imagine the Doors playing a bill with any current band. Doors would blow them off the stage.