THE
NAME:
When
you’re called Toad The Wet Sprocket, the most frequently asked question
asked is:
“Where
the heck did that name come from?”
The
answer is simple enough. The British comedy troupe known as Monty Python
put out an album sometime in the seventies called CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION.
One of the tracks was called “Rock Notes” where a befuddled journalist
announces:
“Rick
Stardust, lead electric triangle player with Toad The Wet Sprocket, has
had to have an elbow removed following their recent worldwide successful
tour of Finland.”
The
guys in Toad, teen-agers at the time, thought the name was so bad that
it was good. Good enough for a fledgling band that had jokingly referred
to their act as “Three Young Studs and Glen.” It was probably meant to
be temporary at the time, and yet it has survived as their moniker for
over ten years.
And
there’s a bit more to the story. In December of 1995 Toad had a platinum
album award (DULCINEA) made up for Eric Idle, one of the original Monty
Python members, and a mutual friend delivered it to the surprised comedian.
The band immediately received a letter from the gracious and surprised
Idle, who informed Toad that he originally thought of the name for a TV
sketch because he wanted “to think of a name so silly and unusual no one
would ever consider it for a group.”
No
one, except of course, four young men putting together their first band
in Santa Barbara. When Idle first heard the band and their name on the
airwaves, he said he “nearly drove off the road. It was spooky but I was
also very thrilled.” So were the guys in Toad when they received his thank
you note.
THE
BEGINNING:
“How
did the band get together?”
An
early Toad press release says that they are “a band born of friendship
rather than design,” and over ten years later that still holds true. Guitarists
Todd Nichols and Glen Phillips, bassist Dean Dinning and drummer Randy
Guss met through the drama club at San Marcos High School, an institution
boasting such alumni as model Kathy Ireland and actor Anthony Edwards.
Growing up in one of the most beautiful cities in the USA, the four teen-agers,
who started rehearsing in their parent’s garages after high school let
out, found a common fear amidst the palm trees and red tiled roofs of sunny
Santa Barbara, a fear of “ruts.”
“We
didn’t want to lead the same sort of mundane, suburban life we saw all
around us,” Glen told an interviewer in 1991, describing the motivation
that led to the creation of Toad. “We hoped to always be trying something
that we hadn’t done before. We didn’t want to get to our thirtieth
birthdays thinking that we’d already lived the best years of our lives.”
As the guys in Toad individually approach that milestone age, they have
plenty to look forward to, but back on September 3, 1986 their goal was
simple enough: win the talent night contest at a local restaurant called
“Joe’s Two.” Of course they had no way of knowing that that evening’s performance
would be the first of over 1000 shows that they would play together, especially
after they went home without the prize money.
BREAD
& CIRCUS
“Did
Toad really record their first album for 650 bucks?”
The
answer is “yes.” BREAD & CIRCUS took 8 days to record and mix in 1988,
thanks to the efficient and inexpensive studio known as Camp David in Thousand
Oaks, California, owned and operated by the personable David Vaught, who
also mixed and engineered the album. Originally released as a home-made
cassette in Santa Barbara area music stores, Toad’s management team of
Chris Blake and Brad Nack made sure the tape was readily available to the
numerous record companies located a hundred miles south in Los Angeles,
and one of them (Columbia Records) signed Toad in 1989. As part of the
deal, Toad insisted that BREAD & CIRCUS be released without any alterations
or remixing. Even the cover art, a painting by co-manager Nack, stayed
exactly the same when Columbia put it out later that year.
Nine
years after it’s release, BREAD & CIRCUS still sells a few hundred
copies a week, making it percentage-wise one of the most profitable albums
ever released while the four guys who recorded it can still say they’ve
never been a member of any other band except Toad.
PALE
“Who
is Marvin Etzioni?”
Before
Toad signed their deal with Columbia, they were ready to record their second
album, once again using their own funds and their own friends in the process.
In their search for a “real” producer, managers Chris Blake and Brad Nack
suggested an old friend from the L.A. music scene named Marvin Etzioni,
a talented musician who had played and written songs for the popular country-rock
band Lone Justice. Etzioni’s “roots” approach in the recording studio led
to another low-budget (as in approximately $6500 for the entire album)
and no frills session that resulted in PALE. Toad once again insisted that
PALE be released by Columbia without any alterations or remixing. Without
that intervention, it’s doubtful that any label would have put out such
a uniformly gentle yet downbeat record. If it’s a rainy day, you’re all
alone and your life seems to have no purpose, then PALE is the album for
you. It appears to be a favorite among those who were teenagers in 1990.
In the following years, “Marvin” (as he is simply known in the music biz)
has remained a close friend of the band, and he even performed at Randy’s
wedding. He also produced the track “Brother” for the “So I Married An
Axe Murderer” soundtrack (later to appear on IN LIGHT SYRUP) and toured
with the band as an opening act in 1992. Currently Marvin moonlights as
a studio player with such friends as Maria McKee and Dogs Eye View while
pursuing solo ventures as a singer, songwriter and producer.
THE
TOURS:
All
of the following acts toured with Toad The Wet Sprocket; True Or False:
1)
Wild Colonials
2)
Soul Asylum
3)
Rusted Root
4)
Rembrandts
5)
Milla
6)
Odds
7)
Marvin
8)
Letters To Clio
9)
Hootie & The Blowfish
10)
Lemonheads
11)
Gin Blossoms
12)
Ziggy Marley
13)
Geggy Tah
14)
Jane’s Addiction
15)
Michael Penn
16)
Melissa Etheridge
17)
Deborah Harry
18)
Jackson Browne
19)
B-52s
20)
Billy Bragg
21)
The Grays
22)
Midnight Oil
23)
Wasted Tape
24)
Counting Crows
25)
Chris Whitley
26)
Bon Jovi
27)
Cranberries
28)
Wallflowers
29)
Marcy Playground
30)
Dave Matthews Band
Actually,
the answer is a combined “true” and “false.” Every one on the list has
shared the same stage on the same night with Toad in one way or another,
but only the “odd” numbered acts on the above list have toured with Toad.
The “even” numbered acts have been on the same bill with the band for one
or two nights. Click to see where and when.
FEAR:
“Is
it true that “All I Want” was nearly left off the album FEAR?”
Yes.
Difficulties encountered while recording the tune left the band frustrated
and ready to abandon it all together as Todd describes in the notes to
the songbook “Collection:” “It almost didn’t make it on the record. We
really didn’t like it very much, and it was hard to get in tune. It wasn’t
until it was finally mixed down that it took on a shape that worked, but
up until that point, we didn’t know where it was going to go. It was very
surprising that it turned out to be a hit.” And a hit it was, Toad’s biggest
selling single to date, providing Toad with their first major radio and
MTV breakthrough. Yet even after the recording sessions for FEAR were over,
the song’s fate was in doubt. A memo sent to Columbia Records from producer
Gavin MacKillop’s manager on March 13, 1991 states: “I spoke with Gavin
about the need to limit the mixing to 14 songs. His only hesistation
about providing a list of the final 14 (for the FEAR album) is that there
is apparently some difference of opinion about what should be on the list.”
The
memo goes on to list 5 songs already mixed, 8 more on which everyone involved
had agreed upon (including “Good Intentions,” which would not be released
until IN LIGHT SYRUP) and then “2 songs on which not everyone is in agreement.”
Those songs were “All In All” (another future IN LIGHT SYRUP track) and
“All I Want.”
The
memo concludes: “In order to arrive at 14 songs, a decision would have
to be reached on “All in All” and “All I Want.” This is obviously an issue
for Sony and the band.”
Fortunately
for all in involved, “All I Want” was chosen as the last track to complete
FEAR, an album which remains Toad’s biggest seller ever.
THE
TV TUNES AND SOUNDTRACKS
“What
movies and TV shows do Toad songs appear in?”
Toad
listeners probably know that two of the tracks that appeared on the IN
LIGHT SYRUP collection were culled from soundtrack albums. “Little Heaven”
was written for the “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” (1992) prom dance scene
and “Brother” was recorded for the Mike Myers comedy: “So I Married An
Axe Murderer” (1993). As discussed earlier, the song “Good Intentions”
sat in a vault for 4 years before gracing the FRIENDS TV show CD (1995).
Yet there have been other Toad tunes heard on movies and television. “Fall
Down” pops up in the Wesley Snipes action flick, “Drop Zone” (1994) and
“Stories I Tell” shows up in “Pushing The Limits,” a 1994 skiing adventure
made in France.
On
the boob tube, Toad’s music has provided the background for the 1995 Surfer
magazine series seen on ESPN, and “Fall Down” was one of first tunes heard
on the short-lived “My So Called Life” series (1994) starring Claire Danes.
Another show popular with teen-agers, “Party Of Five,” used “Walk On The
Ocean” for its pilot episode as well as four other tunes on subsequent
shows.
As
for late-night TV, Toad first played “All I Want” on the old “Late Night”
with David Letterman show (3/31/92) and subsequently returned for three
more stints (twice in 1994, once in 1996) on the revamped “Late Show.”
Jay Leno has had the band visit the “Tonight Show” twice (1992 and 1996).
Three other hosts whose shows are now defunct had Toad play for them: Dennis
Miller (5/11/92), Arsenio Hall (12/11/92) and Jon Stewart (5/5/95).
DID
YOU KNOW THAT:
-
Glen is
a voracious reader who doesn’t even own a TV?
-
Dean’s
uncle is the late Mark Dinning who had a hit in the 50’s with “Teen Angel”?
-
Todd is
a 14 handicap golfer and plays in several annual charity tournaments?
-
Randy
is an avid Lakers fan and rotisserie baseball team owner?
DULCINEA:
“Who
is Gavin MacKillop?”
As
a producer and all-around studio maven for three of Toad’s six albums,
Gavin MacKillop has played a major role in shaping the sound and success
of the band for the past six years. The man behind the console for FEAR,
DULCINEA and COIL was born 35 years ago in Scotland and got his start as
an engineer in 1981 at Virgin Records’ studios in England, working alongside
legendary producer Steve Lillywhite and recording such bands as Simple
Minds, Big Country, and Echo and the Bunnymen.
His
first production offer came three years later from the group
General
Public and resulted in a hit album, ALL THE RAGE, and single, “Tenderness.”
He finished off the decade doing free-lance work before moving to the States
in 1990 and beginning his relationship with Toad a year later by producing,
mixing and recording the group’s first platinum album, FEAR. In the fall
of 1993 he and the band took up residence at one of MacKillop’s favorite
studios, The Site in Northern California, and recorded another best seller
in DULCINEA. MacKillop and the band took advantage of the studio’s accomodations
and “live-in” mode by recording the songs in a “live” setting with minimal
overdubs. Two years later, a number of tracks recorded for, but left off
of FEAR and DULCINEA, appeared on IN LIGHT SYRUP, including the MacKillop
produced hit “Good Intentions.” When Toad began recording COIL in the summer
of 1996, they realized they could use a little help in their brand new,
self-built studio, and it soon became obvious who to call: Gavin.
“To
me, (recording) is all about great songs and great lyrics,” MacKillop once
told Billboard magazine.
“However,
I don’t think there are any hard and fast rules to anything, because every
record you do is different, and I find that exciting.” Indeed, each record
he has produced for Toad has captured a different stage and sound of the
band’s career, and to this day MacKillop and the band remain friends, both
inside and outside the studio.
THE
SANTA BARBARA RAPE CRISIS CENTER
“What
charities are supported by Toad?”
Throughout
their career, the members of Toad have been involved with and have contributed
to various charities, including Amnesty International, Rock The Vote and
Concerts For The Environment. In their hometown of Santa Barbara,
California, the band turns their attention to the local Rape Crisis Center,
which provides anonymous counseling and comfort to victims of sexual abuse.
To help raise funds for the Center, Toad has staged an annual benefit concert
for the last four years which has featured the likes of Soul Asylum and
Hootie & The Blowfish, as well as popular local acts like Spencer The
Gardner and Corrie Sipper.
On
the national scene, Toad headlined a benefit show in 1993 for the Rock
For Choice organization and since 1995 they have allowed RAINN (Rape, Abuse
& Incest National Network) to set up tables and distribute literature
at their shows. Perhaps the largest audience ever to see Toad perform was
at the N.O.W. (National Organization of Women) rallies held at the
Washington Mall on April 9th, 1995 and April 5th, 1992. Over a half million
spectators attended the latter date, and numbers approaching that attended
the former. Toad’s concern for victims of abuse and women’s rights in general
is reflected most strongly in “Hold Her Down,” a hauntingly powerful track
from the FEAR album, with an equally striking video directed by close friend
Dana Tynan. In a letter to radio stations explaining the nature of the
song, Glen wrote:
“Hold
Her Down” was written a couple of years ago as a personal response to the
tragic experiences of people close to me. It was my way of dealing with
my anger, and of expressing my awe at the strength they had in surviving
such a senseless and terrible assault. It is uncomfortable to have
the song released as a single at all...it has the potential danger to be
taken at “face value” because of it’s somewhat graphic nature. It’s not
a pleasant song‹it is angry and ugly, but sexual assault can’t be portrayed
as anything but ugly. It is, however, a very personal piece, and not a
contrivance. It should be a disturbing song‹but it is not without hope.”
IN
LIGHT SYRUP
“How
many ‘Mailing List only’ recordings have Toad produced?”
In
late 1990, Toad began writing and recording demos for their third album,
and decided to send a cassette of two new songs, “Walk On The Ocean” and
“All In All” to the few thousand listeners who had signed up for their
Mailing List. So they had some artwork drawn up, and under the title of
“Rock and Roll Party All Night” a tradition was born. Two years later,
the band put together a Volume 2 with left-overs from the FEAR album:
“Hobbit
On The Rocks” and “Are We Afraid.” About that time, Toad released their
first commercially available single “All I Want” sided with the non-album
track “All She Said” (an out-take from the PALE sessions) and another precedent
was set of releasing singles with non-LP bonus tracks. The bonus tracks
from subsequent singles and three movie/TV soundtrack tunes provided the
bulk of material for IN LIGHT SYRUP, along with the song “Chicken” which
was part of “Rock and Roll Party All Night Volume 3.” This mailing list
volume also included “P.S.” which was left off of BREAD & CIRCUS and
PALE, and eventually IN LIGHT SYRUP as well. The band chose another tune,
“Janitor” for I.L.S. instead, making “P.S” the only Toad tune to have been
rejected for three albums! So all in all, three mailing list singles have
been sent out to the over 65,000 listeners that have signed up in the past
eight years.
THE
VIDEOS
“How
many videos have Toad made?”
Toad
made seven videos for songs from their first three albums that were packaged
together in the video anthology “Seven Songs Seldom Seen.” Since then,
five more have been filmed, including three from DULCINEA and one each
from IN LIGHT SYRUP (“Good Intentions” with guest star Courtney Cox) and
COIL (“Come Down.”)
COIL
“Did
Toad really record in a homemade studio?”
Yes.
After a year and a half of touring in support of DULCINEA, the four members
of Toad returned home to Santa Barbara for some much needed rest. When
the topic of a “next album” came up, all agreed that it would be nice to
record it somewhere in the vicinity of their homes. After all, Glen and
his wife Laurel had one baby to look after and another on the way while
Randy and his wife Heather were also expecting. Ideas of renting a large
home and furnishing it with recording equipment came and went before Todd
took it upon himself to buy some property and install a studio in one of
the older buildings on the site. Throughout the spring and summer of 1996
Todd worked on the building project along with Dean and long-time Toad
pal Jonas Marquez. Finally, after getting the “bugs” worked out the COIL
sessions began in earnest, resulting in the band’s “fifth” album (not counting
the IN LIGHT SYRUP compilation.)
