Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968



Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era is a groundbreaking compilation album of American psychedelic and garage rock singles released in the mid-to-late 1960s. It was assembled by Jac Holzman, founder of Elektra Records, and Lenny Kaye, later lead guitarist for the Patti Smith Group. The original double album was released on LP by Elektra in 1972 with liner notes by Kaye that contained one of the first uses of the term "punk rock". It was reissued with a new cover design by Sire Records in 1976 and expanded into four-CD box set by Rhino Records in 1998.

Influence and reissues
Jon Savage, in his history of the UK punk rock scene, England's Dreaming, cites Nuggets as a major influence on punk bands and includes it in his essential punk discography, alongside Iggy and the Stooges' Raw Power and The Velvet Underground "White Light/White Heat"

Many other compilation albums took their cue from Nuggets, including the Pebbles, Rubble - 20 volumes of mainly UK psychedelia released in the 1980s - and Back From the Grave series. Nuggets spawned an entire cottage industry of small record labels dedicated to unearthing and releasing obscure but worthy garage and psychedelic rock music from the 1960s.

In 1998 Rhino brought the original LP to CD, reproducing the original song sequence and liner notes. However, rather than releasing a single-disc release of the original LP, Rhino put the original disc in a box set with three other discs, an extra 91 songs in total that were not on the original LP. Contrary to popular belief, many of the songs were American Top 40 hits: more than a third of the original Nuggets would fall into that category, while Rhino's expanded set featured such smash hits as "Incense and Peppermints" by Strawberry Alarm Clock (#1), "Louie, Louie" by the Kingsmen (#2), "Wooly Bully" by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs (#2), "Little Bit o' Soul" by the Music Explosion (#2), and "Time Won't Let Me" by the Outsiders (#5).

"Louie, Louie", "Laugh, Laugh", "Farmer John", "Psycho", "The Witch", and The Gestures' "Run, Run, Run" fall outside the set's stated time frame of 1965–1968; "Louie, Louie" having been released in 1963 and the rest in 1964.

In 2006 in Europe (and again in 2012 worldwide), Rhino released a remastered version of the original album on a single compact disc in a miniaturized replica of the original gatefold sleeve. This version was also released (in 2012) in double album LP and digital formats. The 2012 version included updated release notes from Kaye and Jac Holzman.

In 2003, the album was ranked number 196 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Side one

 * 1) The Electric Prunes: "I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)" (Annette Tucker, Nancie Mantz) – 3:02 (#11)
 * 2) The Standells: "Dirty Water" (Ed Cobb) – 2:50 (#11)
 * 3) The Strangeloves: "Night Time" (Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, Richard Gottehrer)– 2:35 (#30)
 * 4) The Knickerbockers: "Lies" (Beau Charles, Buddy Randell) – 2:46 (#20)
 * 5) The Vagrants: "Respect" (Otis Redding) – 2:17
 * 6) Mouse: "A Public Execution" (Knox Henderson, Ronnie Weiss) – 3:02
 * 7) The Blues Project: "No Time Like the Right Time" (Al Kooper) – 2:49 (#96)

Side two

 * 1) The Shadows of Knight: "Oh Yeah" (Ellas McDaniel) – 2:51 (#39)
 * 2) The Seeds: "Pushin' Too Hard" (Richard Marsh) – 2:39 (#36)
 * 3) The Barbarians: "Moulty" (Barbara Baer, Douglas Morris, Eliot Greenberg, Robert Schwartz) – 2:37 (#90)
 * 4) The Remains: "Don't Look Back" (William McCord) – 2:45
 * 5) The Magicians: "An Invitation to Cry" (Alan Gordon, James Woods) – 2:59
 * 6) The Castaways: "Liar, Liar" (Dennis Craswell, Jim Donna) – 1:56 (#12)
 * 7) The 13th Floor Elevators: "You're Gonna Miss Me" (Roky Erickson) – 2:31 (#55)

Side three

 * 1) Count Five: "Psychotic Reaction" (Craig Atkinson, John Byrne, John Michalski, Kenn Ellner, Roy Chaney) – 3:09 (#5)
 * 2) The Leaves: "Hey Joe" (Billy Roberts) – 2:53 (#31)
 * 3) Michael and the Messengers: "Romeo & Juliet" (Bob Hamilton, Fred Gorman) – 2:02 (#129)
 * 4) The Cryan' Shames: "Sugar and Spice" (Fred Nightingale) – 2:33 (#49)
 * 5) The Amboy Dukes: "Baby Please Don't Go" (Big Joe Williams) – 5:41 (#106)
 * 6) Blues Magoos: "Tobacco Road" (John D. Loudermilk) – 4:44

Side four

 * 1) The Chocolate Watchband: "Let's Talk About Girls" (Manny Freiser) – 2:45
 * 2) The Mojo Men: "Sit Down, I Think I Love You" (Stephen Stills) – 2:25 (#36)
 * 3) The Third Rail: "Run, Run, Run" (Arthur Resnick, Joey Levine, Kris Resnick) – 1:57 (#53)
 * 4) Sagittarius: "My World Fell Down" (Geoff Stephens, John Shakespeare) – 3:52 (#70)
 * 5) Nazz: "Open My Eyes" (Todd Rundgren) – 2:47 (#112)
 * 6) The Premiers: "Farmer John" (Dewey Terry, Don Harris) – 2:29 (#19)
 * 7) The Magic Mushrooms: "It's-a-Happening" (David Rice, Sonny Casella) – 2:47 (#93)



Disc one
Same tracks in same order as original double album.

Disc two

 * 1) The Music Machine: "Talk Talk" (#15)
 * 2) The Del-Vetts: "Last Time Around"
 * 3) The Human Beinz: "Nobody but Me" (#8)
 * 4) Kenny & the Kasuals: "Journey to Tyme"
 * 5) The Sparkles: "No Friend of Mine"
 * 6) The Turtles: "Outside Chance" (written by Warren Zevon, Glenn Crocker)
 * 7) The Litter: "Action Woman"
 * 8) The Elastik Band: "Spazz"
 * 9) The Chocolate Watchband: "Sweet Young Thing"
 * 10) Strawberry Alarm Clock: "Incense and Peppermints" (#1)
 * 11) The Brogues: "I Ain't No Miracle Worker"
 * 12) Love: "7 and 7 Is" (#33)
 * 13) The Outsiders: "Time Won't Let Me" (#5)
 * 14) The Squires: "Going All the Way"
 * 15) The Shadows of Knight: "I'm Gonna Make You Mine" (#90)
 * 16) Kim Fowley: "The Trip"
 * 17) The Seeds: "Can't Seem to Make You Mine" (#41)
 * 18) The Remains: "Why Do I Cry"
 * 19) The Beau Brummels: "Laugh, Laugh" (#15)
 * 20) The Nightcrawlers: "The Little Black Egg" (#85)
 * 21) The Gants: "I Wonder"
 * 22) The Five Americans: "I See the Light" (#26)
 * 23) The Woolies: "Who Do You Love?" (#95)
 * 24) The Swingin' Medallions: "Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)" (#17)
 * 25) The Merry-Go-Round: "Live" (#63)
 * 26) Paul Revere & the Raiders: "Steppin' Out" (#46)
 * 27) Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band: "Diddy Wah Diddy"
 * 28) The Sonics: "Strychnine"
 * 29) Syndicate of Sound: "Little Girl" (#8)
 * 30) Blues Magoos: "(We Ain't Got) Nothin' Yet" (#5)
 * 31) Max Frost and the Troopers: "Shape of Things to Come" (#22)



Disc three

 * 1) The Hombres: "Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out)" (#12)
 * 2) The Golliwogs: "Fight Fire"
 * 3) New Colony Six: "At the River's Edge"
 * 4) The Daily Flash: "Jack of Diamonds"
 * 5) lyme & cybelle: "Follow Me" (#65) (written by Warren Zevon, Violet Santangelo)
 * 6) The Choir: "It's Cold Outside" (#68)
 * 7) The Rare Breed: "Beg, Borrow and Steal" (#28, when re-issued as Ohio Express)
 * 8) Sir Douglas Quintet: "She's About a Mover" (#13)
 * 9) The Music Explosion: "Little Bit O' Soul" (#2)
 * 10) The E-Types: "Put the Clock Back on the Wall"
 * 11) The Palace Guard: "Falling Sugar"
 * 12) The Gestures: "Run, Run, Run"
 * 13) The Rationals: "I Need You"
 * 14) The Humane Society: "Knock, Knock"
 * 15) The Groupies: "Primitive"
 * 16) The Sonics: "Psycho"
 * 17) The Lyrics: "So What!!"
 * 18) The Lollipop Shoppe: "You Must Be a Witch"
 * 19) The Balloon Farm: "A Question of Temperature" (#37)
 * 20) Mouse and the Traps: "Maid of Sugar - Maid of Spice"
 * 21) The Uniques: "You Ain't Tuff"
 * 22) The Standells: "Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White" (#43)
 * 23) The Mojo Men: "She's My Baby"
 * 24) Unrelated Segments: "Story of My Life"
 * 25) The Third Bardo: "I'm Five Years Ahead of My Time"
 * 26) We the People: "Mirror of Your Mind"
 * 27) The Shadows of Knight: "Bad Little Woman" (#91)
 * 28) The Music Machine: "Double Yellow Line"
 * 29) The Human Expression: "Optical Sound"
 * 30) The Amboy Dukes: "Journey to the Center of the Mind" (#16)



Disc four

 * 1) The Chocolate Watchband: "Are You Gonna Be There (At the Love-In)"
 * 2) The Leaves: "Too Many People"
 * 3) The Brigands: "(Would I Still Be) Her Big Man"
 * 4) The Barbarians: "Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl" (#55)
 * 5) Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs: "Wooly Bully" (#2)
 * 6) The Strangeloves: "I Want Candy" (#11)
 * 7) The Kingsmen: "Louie Louie" (#2)
 * 8) The Knickerbockers: "One Track Mind" (#46)
 * 9) The Wailers: "Out of Our Tree"
 * 10) Harbinger Complex: "I Think I'm Down"
 * 11) The Dovers: "What Am I Going to Do"
 * 12) The Charlatans: "Codine"
 * 13) The Mystery Trend: "Johnny Was a Good Boy"
 * 14) Clefs of Lavender Hill: "Stop - Get a Ticket" (#80)
 * 15) The Monks: "Complication"
 * 16) The Sonics: "The Witch"
 * 17) The Electric Prunes: "Get Me to the World on Time" (#27)
 * 18) The Other Half: "Mr. Pharmacist"
 * 19) Richard and the Young Lions: "Open Up Your Door" (#99)
 * 20) Paul Revere & the Raiders: "Just Like Me" (#11)
 * 21) We the People: "You Burn Me Up and Down"
 * 22) The Lemon Drops: "I Live in the Springtime"
 * 23) Fenwyck: "Mindrocker"
 * 24) The Rumors: "Hold Me Now"
 * 25) The Underdogs: "Love's Gone Bad" (#122)
 * 26) The Standells: "Why Pick on Me" (#54)
 * 27) The Zakary Thaks: "Bad Girl"
 * 28) GONN: "Blackout of Gretely"
 * 29) The Bees: "Voices Green and Purple"
 * 30) Davie Allan & the Arrows: "Blues' Theme" (#37)

The Nuggets series
In the mid-to-late 1980s, Rhino released a series of fifteen albums that bore the Nuggets name. The first twelve of these albums each focused on either a specific garage-rock subgenre or location, while the last three took a more global approach. This series provided much of the source material for the box set.

In 2001, Rhino released Nuggets II: Original Artyfacts from the British Empire and Beyond, 1964-1969, a four-CD box set. While the original Nuggets focused on the American scene, the second compilation shifted its focus to the rest of the world, collecting cuts from the United Kingdom (such as the Pretty Things and Small Faces), Australia (the Easybeats), New Zealand (the La De Das), Canada (the Guess Who and the Haunted), Japan (the Mops), Iceland (Thor's Hammer), Peru (We All Together) and Brazil (Os Mutantes).

In 2004, Rhino released two more compilations using the Nuggets title, Hallucinations: Psychedelic Pop Nuggets from the WEA Vaults and Come to the Sunshine: Soft Pop Nuggets from the WEA Vaults. Both discs were released through Rhino's internet-only label Rhino Handmade in limited pressings of 7500 each.

Rhino also released a four-CD set of recordings by bands influenced by the original Nuggets, titled, Children of Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From The Second Psychedelic Era, 1976-1995, in late 2005.

Nuggets Volume 2
Lenny Kaye, who compiled the original Nuggets double LP set, also compiled a second volume that was never released. Many of the cuts appeared on the later Nuggets releases, but some did not. Below is the tentative track listing for Lenny Kaye's unreleased second Nuggets volume.


 * 1) The Lovin' Spoonful – "Do You Believe in Magic" (Kama Sutra)
 * 2) The Outsiders – "Time Won’t Let Me" (Capitol)
 * 3) The Left Banke – "Walk Away Renée" (Smash)
 * 4) Syndicate of Sound – "Little Girl" (Bell)
 * 5) The Balloon Farm – "A Question of Temperature" (Laurie)
 * 6) Swingin' Medallions – "Double Shot of My Baby’s Love" (Smash)
 * 7) The Gentrys – "Keep On Dancing" (MGM)
 * 8) The Music Machine – "Talk Talk" (Original Sound)
 * 9) The Five Americans – "I See the Light" (Abnak/HBR)
 * 10) ? & the Mysterians – "96 Tears" (Cameo)
 * 11) Richard & The Young Lions – "Open Up Your Door" (Phillips)
 * 12) The Beau Brummels – "Laugh, Laugh" OR "Just a Little" (Autumn)
 * 13) Clefs of Lavender Hill – "Stop-Get a Ticket" (Date)
 * 14) The Rainy Daze – "That Acapulco Gold" (Uni)
 * 15) The Elastik Band – "Spazz" (Atco)
 * 16) The Mystery Trend – "Johnny Was a Good Boy" (Verve)
 * 17) The Good Rats – "The Hobo" (Kapp)
 * 18) The Yellow Balloon – "Yellow Balloon" (Canterbury)
 * 19) The Gestures – "Run Run Run" (Soma)
 * 20) The Choir – "It’s Cold Outside" (Roulette)
 * 21) Bobby Fuller Four – "I Fought the Law" (Mustang)
 * 22) The Myddle Class – "Free as the Wind" (Tomorrow)
 * 23) The Evil – "Whatcha Gonna Do About It?" (Capitol)
 * 24) The Gants – "Road Runner" (Liberty)
 * 25) The Music Explosion – "A Little Bit of Soul" (Laurie)
 * 26) The North Atlantic Invasion Force – "Black on White" (Mr. G)
 * 27) The Monocles – "Spider and the Fly" (Chicory)
 * 28) The Lollipop Shoppe – "You Must Be a Witch" (Uni)
 * 29) The Kaleidoscope – "Just a Taste" (Epic)
 * 30) Gonn – "Blackout of Gretely" (Emir)
 * 31) The Squires – "Goin’ All the Way" (Atco)
 * 32) Link Cromwell – "Crazy Like a Fox" (Hollywood)