The Ugly Ducklings
Encyclopedia
The Ugly Ducklings were a five piece garage rock
group based in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
, most notable during the mid 1960s.
They released six singles
in 1966 and 1967 on the Yorktown and Yorkville labels
, and one album
, Somewhere Outside in 1967. In the summer and fall of 1967, the band's fifth single "Gaslight" became a Top 40 hit
across Canada, peaking at #17 on the RPM Chart, and reaching #1 on CHUM 1050 in Toronto on October 2 that year, displacing The Rolling Stones 2 sided hit, "Dandelion/We Love You. Their first three singles also made the local 1050 CHUM AM charts in Toronto.
), Roger Mayne (lead guitar
), John Read (bass
), and Robin Boers (drums
). In their early days their music was partially influenced by The Who
, The Rolling Stones
, The Yardbirds
and The Kinks
, however the band was still able to create a rough individual sound typified by their solid garage-punk
original material and raw delivery.
The Ugly Ducklings recordings
have since been featured on several 1960s garage rock compilation album
s, including the Garage Beat 66, Pebbles
and Nuggets
series. Perhaps in response to their wider recognition via these compilation albums, the band released an album in 1980 called Off the Wall that included new recordings of two of their 1960s songs "Nothin'" and "Hey Mama Keep Your Big Mouth Shut", and nine new original songs.
In 1998, three CDs
of the band's material were released in a three month period. The first release, Too Much Too Soon, on Pacemaker was arguably superior to the subsequent Unidisc Releases, being much closer to the sound of the original releases. The Unidisc CDs suffer from doctored sound and overblown echo effects which destroyed the sound of the original mixes, especially on the tracks on Somewhere Outside. Also, in 2006, an exact reproduction of the original Somewhere Outside LP was reissued by Sundazed Records
featuring the original cover art.
A previously unreleased live version of "I'm a Man
" (recorded in the band's spacious rehearsal hall in Scarborough, Ontario
in November, 1966) was issued by Sundazed Records
in 2004. In 2007, YouTube
videos of the band, were posted; including a performance sporting a previously unreleased song, "Hangman", from early 1968 and a "live" performance of "Nothin' " at the Peel Pub in Toronto in 2000. In 2007, lead singer Dave Bingham made available five unreleased albums by the band on eBay, as well as up-dated versions of "Somewhere Outside", "Off The Wall" and "S.N.A.F.U." All of these releases were dedicated to the memory of Roger Mayne (a progenitor of the fuzztone guitar), who died in September 2004.
In July of 2011, Pacemaker Records of Toronto released 2 CDs of Ugly Ducklings material. "Somewhere Inside" ( a "Live" radio show from Nov. 1966) & "Thump & Twang" a "Live" demo of the group from early 1968, featuring Mike McKenna
on lead guitar. The disc featuring McKenna includes versions of "Hangman" & "You Can't Judge A Book" as heard on their respective videos on YouTube. The "Somewhere Inside" disc features a remastered version of the "Live recording of "I'm A Man" along with unreleased demos & "Live" performances from 1966.
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
group based in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, most notable during the mid 1960s.
They released six singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in 1966 and 1967 on the Yorktown and Yorkville labels
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, and one album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Somewhere Outside in 1967. In the summer and fall of 1967, the band's fifth single "Gaslight" became a Top 40 hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
across Canada, peaking at #17 on the RPM Chart, and reaching #1 on CHUM 1050 in Toronto on October 2 that year, displacing The Rolling Stones 2 sided hit, "Dandelion/We Love You. Their first three singles also made the local 1050 CHUM AM charts in Toronto.
Career
The group was formed in 1965 with Dave Bingham (lead vocals, harmonica), Glynn Bell (rhythm guitarRhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
), Roger Mayne (lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
), John Read (bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), and Robin Boers (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
). In their early days their music was partially influenced by The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, The Yardbirds
The Yardbirds
- Current :* Chris Dreja - rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Jim McCarty - drums, backing vocals * Ben King - lead guitar * David Smale - bass, backing vocals...
and The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
, however the band was still able to create a rough individual sound typified by their solid garage-punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
original material and raw delivery.
The Ugly Ducklings recordings
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
have since been featured on several 1960s garage rock compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s, including the Garage Beat 66, Pebbles
Pebbles series
Pebbles is an extensive series of compilation albums in both LP and CD formats that have been issued on several record labels, though mostly by AIP...
and Nuggets
Nuggets
- Music :* Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968, a compilation of U.S. psychedelic rock released between 1965 and 1968...
series. Perhaps in response to their wider recognition via these compilation albums, the band released an album in 1980 called Off the Wall that included new recordings of two of their 1960s songs "Nothin'" and "Hey Mama Keep Your Big Mouth Shut", and nine new original songs.
In 1998, three CDs
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
of the band's material were released in a three month period. The first release, Too Much Too Soon, on Pacemaker was arguably superior to the subsequent Unidisc Releases, being much closer to the sound of the original releases. The Unidisc CDs suffer from doctored sound and overblown echo effects which destroyed the sound of the original mixes, especially on the tracks on Somewhere Outside. Also, in 2006, an exact reproduction of the original Somewhere Outside LP was reissued by Sundazed Records
Sundazed Records
Sundazed Records is a record label based in Coxsackie, in the Catskills of New York. It specializes in obscure and rare recordings from the 1950s to the 1970s.Label founders Bob Irwin and his wife Mary started the label in 1989...
featuring the original cover art.
A previously unreleased live version of "I'm a Man
I'm A Man (Bo Diddley song)
"I'm a Man" is a song written and recorded by Bo Diddley in 1955. A moderately slow blues with a stop-time figure, it was inspired by an earlier blues song and became a #1 R&B chart hit. "I'm a Man" has been acknowledged by Rolling Stone magazine and has been recorded by a variety of artists,...
" (recorded in the band's spacious rehearsal hall in Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
in November, 1966) was issued by Sundazed Records
Sundazed Records
Sundazed Records is a record label based in Coxsackie, in the Catskills of New York. It specializes in obscure and rare recordings from the 1950s to the 1970s.Label founders Bob Irwin and his wife Mary started the label in 1989...
in 2004. In 2007, YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
videos of the band, were posted; including a performance sporting a previously unreleased song, "Hangman", from early 1968 and a "live" performance of "Nothin' " at the Peel Pub in Toronto in 2000. In 2007, lead singer Dave Bingham made available five unreleased albums by the band on eBay, as well as up-dated versions of "Somewhere Outside", "Off The Wall" and "S.N.A.F.U." All of these releases were dedicated to the memory of Roger Mayne (a progenitor of the fuzztone guitar), who died in September 2004.
In July of 2011, Pacemaker Records of Toronto released 2 CDs of Ugly Ducklings material. "Somewhere Inside" ( a "Live" radio show from Nov. 1966) & "Thump & Twang" a "Live" demo of the group from early 1968, featuring Mike McKenna
Mike McKenna
Mike McKenna is a professional Canadian rock / blues guitarist noted for his electric slide playing. He is also notebale as a professional sound engineer...
on lead guitar. The disc featuring McKenna includes versions of "Hangman" & "You Can't Judge A Book" as heard on their respective videos on YouTube. The "Somewhere Inside" disc features a remastered version of the "Live recording of "I'm A Man" along with unreleased demos & "Live" performances from 1966.
Singles
- "Nothin'" / "I Can Tell": York Town 45001 [first pressings on black label with silver lettering; second pressings on colored label]
- "She Ain't No Use to Me" / "10:30 Train": York Town Y-45002
- "Just in Case You Wonder" / "That's Just a Thought That I Had in My Mind": York Town Y-45003
- "Just in Case You're Wondering" / "That's Just a Thought That I Had in My Mind": York Town Y-45003 [1st pressing - withdrawn and very rare].
- "Not for Long" / "Postman's Fancy": Y45005 [withdrawn after 2 weeks - rare]
- "Gaslight" / "Rimb Nugget": Yorkville YV 45013
- "Epilogue" / "I Know What To Say" Yorkville YV-45017 [withdrawn after 1 week]
- "Gaslight" / "Nothin'2: Arc Records 1976
- "Just In Case You Wonder" / "Tobacco Road": Arc Records 1979.
- "The Pain Is Alright" / "Just Another Rock 'n Roll Band": Razor Records 1980.
Albums
- Somewhere Outside: York Town 1967
- Off The Wall: Razor Records 1980
- The Ugly Ducklings - (greatest hits): York Town Records 1981
- Ducktales: Freeway Records 1998
- Too Much Too Soon: Pacemaker Records 1998
- Somewhere Outside: Unidisc Records 1998
- The Ugly Ducklings: Unidisc Records 1998
- Ducks On C.H.U.M.: Freeway Records 2007
- Thump & Twang: Freeway Records 2007
- Metamorphosis: Freeway Records 2007
- Station Days: Freeway Records 2007
- Somewhere Outside - The complete Sessions: Freeway Records 2007
- Off The Wall: Freeway Records 2007
- S.N.A.F.U.: Freeway Records 2008
- Somewhere Inside: Pacemaker Records 2011
- Thump & Twang: Pacemaker Records 2011
External links
- Archive website
- Canuckistan Music review of Somewhere Outside LP
- Canuckistan Music review of Nothin / I Can Tell