THE LOST DISCOGRAPHY


(Click on sleeves to enlarge)

EARLY NON-LP SINGLES & EP'S:

TOMMY LOPEZ & LOS DUG DUG'S -- PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE b/w LUCILA -- RCA VICTOR 76-2216, 1966 -- Could this be the great lost Dug Dug's single? Strangely enough, this newly discovered 45, not known to exist until very recently, has never been mentioned to us by Armando Nava, nor was it included on the expanded CD reissue of Abre Tu Mente. This record appears to feature the band in a backup role similar to that which they would assume on later recordings featuring Angelica Maria and Roberto Jordan. Note that the matrix number of this 45 is lower than that of "Chicotito Si, Chicotito No," which leads one to believe that this single was actually the band's first record release and not "Chicotito Si..." as has long been believed. (Special thanks to longtime Dug Dug's News correspondent Ulises Mavridis, who provided this information to us on June 20, 2004.)


CHICOTITO SI, CHICOTITO NO b/w BRINCA BRINCA -- RCA VICTOR 76-2230, 1966 -- A rather strange early track featuring the band singing the title song of a popular Mexican cartoon series of the time.

BRINCA BRINCA -- 4-song EP: Brinca Brinca (Ain't That Just Like Me), La Forma de los Cosas (Shapes of Things) b/w A-Go-Go (Ooh My Soul), California En Sueños (California Dreaming) -- RCA VICTOR MKE--788, 1966

ANGELICA MARIA & LOS DUG DUG'S -- CINCO DE CHOCOLATE Y UNA DE FRESA -- Soundtrack EP to the film -- RCA VICTOR MKE 1067, 1966

(A somewhat confusing item here. According to Ulises Mavridis, there seems to be two different versions of this EP, both with the same matrix number. Los Dug Dug's perform an instrumental listed as "Tema De Los Dug's" on the first pressing and "Piedra Dorada" on the second. They also back singer/actress Angelica Maria (the lead actress in the film) on "Fiesta de Sociedad." The first pressing includes a vocal number called "La Piedra Dorada" which features Angelica Maria and presumably Los Dug Dug's -- although they are not credited as backing band on the track, the song includes a riff taken from the instrumental "Piedra Dorada" sounding exactly like it does in the instrumental. Can anyone sort this mystery out? Armando?)

STUPID PEOPLE b/w JOY TO PEOPLE -- RCA VICTOR, 1971 -- This single, featuring two early (and much more garagey) versions of songs which were later re-recorded for El Loco, was included as a free bonus 45 in early copies of the first Dug Dug's album. These versions can also be found on the original vinyl issue of 15 Exitos De Los Dug Dug's. (The CD reissue contains the El Loco versions.)

Various 45s of LP tracks:

WORLD OF LOVE b/w LET'S MAKE IT NOW -- RCA VICTOR, 1971

WORLD OF LOVE, LET'S MAKE IT NOW, GOING HOME, I GOT THE FEELING -- RCA VICTOR, 1971 -- These four songs from the first album were released as an EP (with picture sleeve, above) around the same time as the "World of Love" single.

LOST IN MY WORLD b/w IT'S OVER -- RCA Victor, 1971

SMOG b/w YO NO SE -- RCA Victor, 1972

   

BRILLO DE SOL b/w NO TE ASUSTES, ES SOLO VIVIR -- RCA VICTOR, 1974

AL DIABLO b/w YA TE DEJE -- RCA VICTOR, 1974

LA GENTE b/w EL LOCO -- RCA, 1975

I GOT MY EMOTION b/w LET ME BREATH -- RCA VICTOR, 1975 -- The picture sleeve to this 45 actually says "I Got My Motion."

YOU BETTER THINK TWICE b/w I'VE GOT TO RUN AWAY FROM HERE -- RCA VICTOR, 1978

FLYING, FLOATING, ROLLING b/w SHOW ME -- RCA VICTOR, 1979

(The above two singles actually didn't become album tracks until 1985, but as they are better known to most collectors by their inclusions on Abre Tu Mente, I count them as 45s of LP tracks.)


COMPILATIONS:

IMPACTOS NO. 1: AMARILLO A-GO-GO -- RCA CAMDEN CAM--228, 1966 -- A compilation album featuring several Mexican bands performing refritos (Spanish language covers of USA top forty hits), including Los Dug Dug's version of "Hanky Panky" ("Mi novia baila Hanky Panky...") which the band recorded exclusively for this album. Above is an original ad for the record taken from a 1966 RCA Mexico catalog! (Thanks Ulises!)

ROCKIN' TONIGHT -- (Private CD release, 1997)-- Armando Nava and one of his many modern-day lineups of the band (billed on the front cover as "Armando Nava's Dug Dug's") perform cover versions (in English) of "Wild Thing," "In the Midnight Hour," "I Got You (I Feel Good)," and "Born To Be Wild" on this special CD sold only at the band's shows and at their now-defunct nightclub. Other bands on this CD include Five Fingers, who Armando produced for RCA years earlier (see below).


VARIOUS REPACKAGINGS:

DUG DUG'S -- RCA BMG, 1996 -- Self-titled, unofficial compilation disc that steals its cover shot from El Loco to mislead the Mexican music buying public. Look closer at it and you'll see that the album title's missing. A very uneven selection of songs to say the least.

100 AÑOS DE MUSICA -- RCA BMG, 2001 -- Double-disc, 40-track compilation released as part of a massive series of double CDs featuring RCA's most successful Mexican artists released to celebrate RCA's 100th anniversary. Starts off with the entire first album before going all over the place with material from their other four albums. At least they used Armando's remastered versions and not their old dog-eared tapes...


RELATED TO LOS DUG DUG'S:

MAYITA Y KIKO CAMPOS EP -- RCA MKE-794, 1966 -- Yes, yet another lost DD's related EP has recently surfaced featuring the band in a backing role, assisting Mayita and Kiko in refritos of "Blowin' In The Wind" and other early '60s American folk hits. Its matrix number appears to confirm its release date as around the same time as the first DD's EP (MKE-788, listed above).

ROBERTO JORDAN -- Haz Me Una Señal -- RCA CAMDEN, 1968 -- On this album of refritos by this Mexican singer & actor, the song "Juntos Esta Noche" (Let's Spend the Night Together) features his rather unconvincing Mick Jagger impressions accompanied by Los Dug Dug's. I think this track was also released as a single.

RENAISSANCE -- Raff, 1972 -- This rather bizarre attempt at psychedelic music by Alfredo Diaz Ordaz, the son of former Mexican President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz, includes two selections, "I'm Dying" and "The Gift," which feature Armando Nava on flute. Alfredo, who first met the Dug Dug's when they played a show at the Presidential Palace on New Year's Eve 1967, went on to become Thalia's producer, manager, and lover up until his death from cancer in 1994.

PAJARO ALBERTO Y CONJUNTO SACROSAURIO -- Viaje Fantastico -- RCA CAMDEN, 1974 -- This fine album, featuring the former lead singer of the bands Tijuana Five and Love Army, was produced and arranged by Armando Nava. It has been reissued on CD.

PAJARO ALBERTO Y CONJUNTO SACROSAURIO -- Seguir Al Sol b/w Vida -- RCA CAMDEN, 1974 -- This single features two tracks from the above album.

FIVE FINGERS -- RCA CAMDEN, 1978 -- This 70's pop band's album was produced by Armando Nava, who also wrote the Spanish lyrics to their cover version of the Four Seasons' "December 1963 (Oh What A Night)." Even Armando himself admits this one is for true Dug Dug's completists only!


BOOTLEGS:

LOS DUG DUG'S -- Mezcal Records, 1991 -- German bootleg re-release of the first Dug Dug's album in a different cover. Provided many of the band's current psychedelic collector audience with their first taste of the band's music, at least.

EN VIVO EN EL TEATRO BLANQUITA -- (No label, 2001?) -- Yes, an actual live bootleg CD is circulating in Mexico City documenting a late-80s (I think) performance with one of Armando's many later-day lineups playing some unreleased songs ("Yo Quiero Rock," "No Se Deja Controlar" and "El Rock Sigue Encadenado") and a medley of their hits. Available at Tianguis del Chopo flea market in Mexico City on Saturdays, but this is recommended only for the most diehard fans fans of Los Dug Dug's. Buy at your own risk, and those looking for psychedelic sounds, stay away -- this sounds more than a little "eighties." I've been told there is also a video of this performance!


ONE-OF-A-KIND!

Armando Nava himself has exclusive possession of the rarest Dug Dug's 45 of them all: a privately-pressed acetate of unreleased, early demo versions of two first album songs: "World of Love" b/w "Eclipse," recorded in New York City in 1969. This acetate remained in the possession of Frank Mangano Jr., who managed Los Dug Dug's during their stay in New York, until 1998, when it was given back to Armando on his return visit to New York. Your lucky webmaster had the pleasure of handling this precious item on his own turntable and was given permission to make a tape copy of the two songs. And no, you can't have them. The ultimate Dug Dug's holy grail!

Also returned to Armando in 1998 were two reel-to-reel tapes of live performances in New York (all cover versions, unfortunately), and three additional acetates comprising tracks recorded solo by Armando, with a studio band backing him, of a number of soft pop-oriented songs. These acetates were: "God Is Crying (Teardrops in the Sky)" b/w "With the Wind At My Back," "Winter Comes" b/w "Beautiful Green," and a one-sided acetate with a Spanish version of "God is Crying." I'd say these solo tracks were for completists only, but well, you know...