Ted Nugent – Stranglehold

Song

"Stranglehold" is a single and the first track from Ted Nugent's self-titled 1975 album.

The vocals are by Derek St. Holmes. However, the "Sometimes you wanna get higher" verse is sung by Nugent. Nugent admits that the song was cowritten by Rob Grange, who received no share.

"Stranglehold" – a guitar-driven track, over eight minutes long - set the stage for Nugent's career, its guitar solo having been recorded in a single take. “I used delays to create this really wild guitar duet with Ted," said producer Tom Werman. "It was like two guys were playing. I sent it off to Ted for his approval. He called me up and said, ‘I love what you did with Stranglehold – but don’t ever do that again without asking me.’”

'Stranglehold' has been ranked 31st greatest guitar solo of all time by Guitar World.

Album

Ted Nugent is the debut studio album by American hard rock musician Ted Nugent. The album was released in September 1975, by Epic Records. It was released after the disbanding of his former group The Amboy Dukes.

Background

Tired of The Amboy Dukes' lack of effort and discipline, Nugent decided he had enough and left the group. He took a three-month vacation (his first ever) clearing his head in the Colorado wilderness, spending his time deer hunting and enjoying the outdoors. Renewed, Nugent returned to civilization in search of a new direction and a new band. Joining him in the Ted Nugent Band were former Amboy Duke Rob Grange on bass, along with Cliff Davies (ex-If) on drums and finally, from a local Michigan band called Scott which had opened for the Dukes previously, a singer/guitarist named Derek St. Holmes.

The new group hit the road and then the studio, forming the songs which would send their first album into the Billboard Top 30 and into the multi-platinum range. The first track, "Stranglehold", would set the stage for Nugent's career: an eight-minute plus guitar attack with vocals by St. Holmes and Nugent, a long solo played on Nugent's Gibson Byrdland guitar recorded in one take and a unique phase bass guitar effect by Grange.

St. Holmes' sang tracks such as "Queen of the Forest", "Hey Baby", "Just What the Doctor Ordered" and "Snakeskin Cowboys", the latter featuring an 8-string Hagström bass played by Grange, which would prove to be staples of the band's concert tours for years to come. "Motor City Madhouse" is an ode to Ted's hometown of Detroit.

The album was produced by Tom Werman and former If manager Lew Futterman. Nugent said about the album, "If anyone wanted to know what rock 'n roll was all about, that's the only album they'd need".

"One had to recognize that there was a definite synergy between the band and Nugent", said producer Tom Werman.

Artist

Theodore "Ted" Nugent (Detroit, 13 dicembre 1948) è un chitarrista e cantante statunitense.

La carriera di Ted Nugent ebbe inizio nel 1965, quando fondò The Amboy Dukes, gruppo di Chicago con cui ottenne un moderato successo, in particolare con Journey to the Center of the Mind (1968), fino alla prima metà degli anni 1970. Fu dalla metà della decade che il chitarrista avviò il proprio progetto solista col quale diverrà più noto. Durante i primi anni 1990 Nugent prese parte al supergruppo dei Damn Yankees, formato con Tommy Shaw, ex chitarrista degli Styx, e Jack Blades, ex bassista dei Night Ranger.

Durante la sua lunga carriera, Nugent è stato oggetto di polemiche e critiche per le nette posizioni politiche dimostrate. Apertamente di destra e schierato con il Partito Repubblicano, ha appoggiato la liberalizzazione delle armi, la caccia agli animali, sostenendo inoltre posizioni contrarie all'uso di droghe.

Nel corso della sua carriera è stato soprannominato: "The Motor City Madman", "The Nuge", "Uncle Ted", "Terrible Ted", "Sweaty Teddy", "Deadly Tedly", "Great Gonzos" e "Theodocious Atrocious".

Here I come again now baby
Like a dog in heat
Tell it's me by the clamor now baby
I like to tear up the street
Now I been smokin' for so long
You know I'm here to stay
Got you in a stranglehold baby
You best get oughta the way

The road I cruise is a bitch now baby
But no you can't turn me round
And if a house gets in my way baby
You know I'll burn it down

You ran the night that you left me
You put me in my place
Got you in a stranglehold baby
You better trust your f-a-t-e...

Yeah sometimes you wanna get higher
And sometimes you gotta start low
Some people think they gonna die someday
I got news I've got to go
Come on come on up
Come on come on up
Come on come on up
Come on come on up
Come on come on come on come on baby
Come on come on come on come on up
Come on come on come on come on baby
Come on come on come on
Road I cruise is a bitch now
You know you cant turn me round
And if a house gets in my way
You know I'll burn it down
You ran the night that you left me
You put me in my place
I got you in a stranglehold baby
That night I crushed your face

Eccomi di nuovo baby
Come un cane in calore
Dimmi che sono io dall' clamore ora baby
Mi piace bagnare le strade
Ora ho fumato così a lungo
Tu sai che io sono wui per restare
Ti ho preso in una stretta alla gola baby
Fai il tuo meglio per uscirne

La strada che ho percorso è una puttana ora baby
Ma no non mi farai voltare indietro
E se una casa si si mette in mezzo baby
Tu sai che la brucierò

Tu hai corso la notte in cui mi hai lasciato
Mi hai messo al mio posto
Ti ho preso in una stretta alla gola baby
Sarebbe meglio che ti fidassi del tuo fato

Yhea certe volte vuoi alzarti
E certe volte vuoi partire dal basso
Alcune persone pensano pensano che un giorno moriranno
Ho delle notizie che devo andare
Dai forza vieni
Dai forza vieni
Dai forza vieni
Dai forza vieni
Forza Forza Forza Froza baby
Forza Forza Forza Forza su
Forza Forza Forza Froza baby
Forza Forza Forza
La strada che ho attraversato è una puttana ora
Tu sai che io non mi volterò
E se una casa si mette in mezzo
Tu sai che la brucierò
Tu hai corso la notte in cui mi hai lasciato
Mi hai messo al mio posto
Ti ho in una stretta alla gola baby
Quella notte ti ho distrutto la tua faccia