Droogs

The Droogs, a Los Angeles outfit, achieved their strongest recognition across the Atlantic rather than at home. Although their garage-rooted sound never connected with domestic listeners, European audiences responded warmly to the band’s catalog. Music Maniac, the German label, reissued Mad Dog Dreams and Guerrilla Love-In while also issuing the singles retrospective Anthology. Spain’s Impossible Records label put out the 1997 album Atomic Garage.

The group formed in the early 1970s and chose a cover of Sonic’s “He’s Waiting” for its first single in 1973. Five years later the follow-up 45 “Set My Love On You” introduced original material written by vocalist Ric Albin and his brother, guitarist Roger Clay. Additional originals surfaced on the multi-artist anthologies Saturday Night Pogo in 1978 and Ahead Of My Time the year after.

A pivotal shift arrived in the early 1980s when Dave Provost, formerly of the Textones and Dream Syndicate, joined on bass and keyboards. Provost’s contributions surfaced on the four-song EP Heads Examined in 1983 and the full-length debut Stone Cold World in 1984.

Despite appearing to secure a stable path after signing with PVC/Jem, the Droogs still struggled for wider attention. While touring the Midwest behind the 1987 album Kingdom Day, the label declared bankruptcy and folded.

After establishing a firm European audience, the Droogs refocused on the United States and issued Want Something in 1990, mixing tracks from their overseas releases with several bonus cuts.