Primus
Primus are an American experimental rock band, formed in El Sobrante, California in 1984 by singer and bassist Les Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth. The band currently comprises Claypool with guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde, and drummer Tim "Herb" Alexander. Their sound is characterized by eccentric lyrics, Claypool's bass-first songwriting style, and influences drawn from progressive rock, metal, funk and psychedelic music.
They achieved mainstream success in 1991 when their second studio album, Sailing the Seas of Cheese, was released by major label Interscope Records, supported by the charting single "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver". Their albums Pork Soda (1993) and Tales From The Punchbowl (1995) both charted in the top ten on the Billboard 200. The band have remained intermittently active into the present day, most recently releasing an EP, Conspiranoid, in 2022.
Primus have often been associated with The Residents; the former have regularly noted The Residents as a primary influence, and recorded a medley of covers of The Residents' "Hello Skinny" and "Constantinople" in 1989. The Residents made a brief onstage appearance with Primus in January 1996 at the release party for Primus' album Tales From The Punchbowl; Claypool has since appeared with The Residents at their 50th Anniversary secret show at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in January 2023.
History
Primus was formed in El Sobrante, California in 1984, by singer and bassist Les Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth. The duo were initially accompanied by a LinnDrum drum machine, until later being joined by Claypool's friend Vince "Perm" Parker. This line-up recorded the band's first demo tape, recorded under the name "Primate", before Parker left the group, to be replaced by Peter Libby. With Libby, the band recorded their second demo tape (and first under the name Primus). Shortly thereafter, Libby was replaced by Robbie Bean, who was himself replaced by Tim "Curveball" Wright in 1986, who remained with the band until 1988.
Wright was was replaced by Jay Lane, and the line-up of Claypool, Huth and Lane recorded the demo tape Sausage before Lane left to return to his previous group, the Freaky Executives. Huth left the band shortly thereafter, having recently become a father. During this time, Claypool recorded the album The Sane Asylum with his previous band, Blind Illusion, which also featured guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde.
LaLonde and Claypool left Blind Illusion in late 1988 to reform Primus. In January 1989, they were joined by Tim "Herb" Alexander, and a month later the trio recorded a live album, Suck on This. The initial pressing was funded by a loan from Claypool's father; the band later signed a deal with Rough Trade Records for national distribution. In December 1989, Primus recorded their first studio album, Frizzle Fry. In 1990, they signed a one-album deal with Caroline Records to release Frizzle Fry on condition that Caroline also obtained the rights to reissue Suck on This.
They signed to Interscope Records in 1991, releasing their second studio album, Sailing the Seas of Cheese, in 1991. The album featured the band's first charting single, "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver". Their next two albums, Pork Soda (released in 1993) and Tales From The Punchbowl (released in 1995), both charted in the top ten on the Billboard 200, and were certified platinum and gold respectively by the RIAA.
Drummer Tim "Herb" Alexander left Primus in 1996, and the band recorded two more studio albums, 1997's Brown Album and 1999's Antipop, with drummer Bryan "Brain" Mantia, before going on hiatus in 2000. They resumed activity in 2003, reuniting with Alexander and releasing the EP and DVD Animals Should Not Try To Act Like People. Primus would tour sporadically throughout the decade, before Alexander left the band again in 2010, this time being replaced by the band's early drummer Jay Lane, who appeared on their seventh studio album Green Naugahyde, released in 2011.
Lane departed in 2013, and Alexander once again returned to Primus, recording two further studio albums, Primus & The Chocolate Factory (a cover album of songs from the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, released in 2014) and The Desaturating Seven (a concept album based on Ul de Rico's children's book The Rainbow Goblins, released in 2017). An EP, Conspiranoid, followed in 2022.
Primus and The Residents
The Residents have often been noted as a primary influence on Primus; Les Claypool has noted that he is often accused of being a member of The Residents due to the similarity of his voice to that of The Singing Resident.[1] Despite this not being the case, Primus and The Residents have long been associated with each other, beginning with Primus recording a medley of two Residents covers, "Hello Skinny" and "Constantinople", early in their career.
The Residents made a notable (and, at the time, rare) public appearance at the release party for Primus' album Tales From The Punchbowl in January 1996, promoting their CD-ROM game Bad Day on the Midway and studio album Have a Bad Day; The Singing Resident himself appeared onstage with Primus at the event, performing "Hello Skinny" with the band.
Claypool has continued to be associated with The Residents, being interviewed for the 2015 documentary film Theory of Obscurity: A Film About The Residents, and providing the foreword to Aaron Tanner's 2022 coffee table art book The Residents: A Sight For Sore Eyes, Vol. 1. Most recently, Claypool performed "Hello Skinny" again with The Residents at their 50th Anniversary secret show at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in January 2023.
Discography
Studio albums
- Frizzle Fry (1990)
- Sailing the Seas of Cheese (1991)
- Pork Soda (1993)
- Tales From The Punchbowl (1995)
- Brown Album (1997)
- Antipop (1999)
- Green Naugahyde (2011)
- Primus & The Chocolate Factory with The Fungi Ensemble (2014)
- The Desaturating Seven (2017)
See also
- Les Claypool
- Tales From The Punchbowl
- Theory of Obscurity: A Film About The Residents
- 50th Anniversary secret show