RON NAGLE
Photo by William Pruyn
Songwriter for the stars and his solo/band career
Interview by Robert Pally
(October 2024)
Ron Nagle, born in 1939 in San Francisco, started his musical career in the mid-sixties with the psychedelic band The Mystery Trend. In the seventies he went solo, worked with Jack Nitzsche, released one hell of an album with Scott Matthews under the name The Durocs and wrote songs for The Tubes, Barbara Streisand, Pablo Cruise and Dave Edmunds. From then on, Ron Nagle only released new albums sporadically. The last one was Introducing... The Many Moods Of Ron Nagle in 2018. This had to do with his other career as a very well-known sculptor. But that is another story. In the interview, Nagle talks about the first single he bought, the greatest happiness of his childhood, working with Scott Mathews, which of his lyrics he is most proud of and how he would like to be remembered.
Childhood / Youth
PSF: Was music important in your family?
RN: Not particularly although my father owned an appliance/radio store. It sold 78's vinyl records which I liked to listen to since I was 3 years old. There are pictures of me carrying around records everywhere I went. I was also given piano lessons as a child.
PSF: Do you remember the first LP or single you bought? Why did you buy it?
RN: The first single I bought was "Money Honey" by Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters. Written by Jessie Stone, AKA Charles Calhoun, One of my favorite songwriters. I was intrigued by the drone-like intro to the song. It reminded me of a bagpipe and the lyrics were a narrative and visual nature that really appealed to me. I was about 11 years old when I bought that record and was the envy of my classmates.
PSF: What made you become a musician?
RN: Being inspired by other musicians, songwriters, record producers & other people's music.
PSF: What was the greatest happiness of your childhood?
RN: My 48 Ford Coupe.
PSF: What was your first love: Music or Art?
RN: Probably music because it was more accessible to me.
The Mystery Trend
PSF: What triggered the formation of this band?
RN: Being inspired by the British Invasion, a love for rhythm & blues, pop, and the fact that we were all somehow affiliated with the art world, be it teachers or students.
PSF: How did you approach songwriting?
RN: The songwriting was split between myself and the guitar player Bob Cuff. Lyrically, there was not a lot of collaboration. Usually, the lyrics came first.
PSF: What was the first song you wrote as Mystery Trend?
RN: There are two that I remember- "What's Real" and the other is called "Do I."
PSF: What part did drugs play in the songwriting process?
RN: We smoked a lot of pot in those days.
PSF: Why only one single ("Johnny Was A Good Boy") in 4 years existence? What is the song about?
RN: The song is about a mass murderer, who when interviewing his neighbors in the newspaper, could not comprehend how somebody like Johnny, "who was a good boy and loved animals could do such a thing."
PSF: Apparently, the band changed their name to the Mystery Trend, a mishearing of the "Mystery Tramp" featured in the lyrics to Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone." TRUE?
RN: Yes, true.
Durocs (1979)
PSF: How did you meet Scott Mathews and what is so good about working with him?
RN: I met Scott Mathews through a mutual friend John Blakeley who knew I was looking for a drummer who could play a great grove and was not interested in percussive virtuosity. It became apparent that he knew as much as I did about pop music.
PSF: How did you come up with the name The Durocs?
RN: A duroc is the name of a particular breed of pigs and is known for their intelligence and large genitals. Having the sound 'Roc' gave us more creditability.
PSF: What was the biggest success for you with The Durocs?
RN: Unquestionably, "Don't Touch Me There," performed by The Tubes. and two other Songs recorded by Barbra Streisand, "Cabin Fever" and "Don't Believe What You Read" on her Superman Album.
PSF: Why no 2nd Durocs album?
RN: The record company pulled the plug.
PSF: Why did you never play Live?
RN: We were more interested in making music in the studio than performing live for the public. The studio was everything to us.
Solo, etc
PSF: Why did you stop releasing solo albums after Bad Rice for 38 years?
RN: Because I became more interested in art.
PSF: What means success to you?
RN: True happiness is hard to find.
PSF: Which song lyric are you must proud of? Why?
RN: From the song "Cabin Fever" (Barbara Streisand covered it), "Church bells were ringing and I heard angels singing on the day that I said I do, he gave me a kiss and I thought wedded bliss was a mother to be's dream come true." And from "Don't Touch Me There"'s chorus- "The smell of burning leather as we hold each other tight as our rivets rub together flashing sparks into the night at this moment of surrender if you really care don't touch me there."
PSF: What elements must a good pop song have for you?
RN: Depends on the song
PSF: What keeps you going?
RN: The next Song and my grandchildren.
PSF: How come you worked with Jack Nitzsche?
RN: We loved his work with Phil Spector and Neil Young and he was a certified genius. We became very good friends.
PSF: What song should they play at your funeral?
RN: "Some Guys Have All the Luck" by the Persuaders.
PSF: What made you return to music in 2010 with CD She Lies?
RN: I retired from teaching and I missed recording.
PSF: When did you have the most fun ('60's, '70's, '80's, '90's, etc.)? Why?
RN: The '70;s. I got to work with some great people on some great projects.
PSF: Which is your favorite album and why?
RN: The two that kept coming to my mind are Bachelor #2 by Aimee Mann, excellent writing, and Something Else by the Kinks, also brilliant.
PSF: How do you write your songs?
RN: Infrequently.
PSF: How would you describe your character?
RN: That's for someone else to determine.
PSF: How would you like to be remembered?
RN: As an artist of many mediums.
Discography:
The Mystery Trend
So Glad I Found You (1999), Compilation Reissue, Original 1964-65 Recordings
Bad Rice (1970) -Ron Nagle Original LP
Double Disc Reissue 2015 Includes Pre-Cooked Converted The Bad Rice Demos.
The Durocs (with Scott Matthews): LP 1979 Original Released
The Durocs, Reissued 2012 with Bone-Us Tracks
Tan Mantis (2006) John Blakeley & Ron Nagle
Ron Nagle Solo Albums (Featuring Scott Mathews):
More or Less: Now and Then, Ron Nagle included in the Book Nagle, Ron 2010.
She Lies (2010)
Spread the Love (2013)
Introducing... The Many Moods of Ron Nagle (2018)
