Butthole Surfers (EP)
Encyclopedia
Butthole Surfers is the debut studio EP
by American
punk
band Butthole Surfers
, released in July 1983
. It is also known as Brown Reason to Live and Pee Pee the Sailor (see "Title controversy"). All songs were written and produced by the Butthole Surfers.
The album was originally released on Alternative Tentacles
. Butthole Surfers and 1984's Live PCPPEP
were reissued as the Butthole Surfers/Live PCPPEP
CD on Latino Buggerveil
in 2003. The 12-inch vinyl
version is still available from Alternative Tentacles, and is listed as Brown Reason to Live.
The center label on Butthole Surfers vinyl printings invites listeners to erroneously play the record at "69 RPM," a joke referencing the famous sex position. The album's back cover features a mildly distorted image of famed Mexican
luchador Santo
.
, crashing drums
, and heavily distorted
guitar
topped off with largely nonsensical, barely intelligible lyrics, alternately sung by lead vocalist Gibby Haynes
and guitarist Paul Leary
. Haynes also plays saxophone
and eardrums on some tracks. Unlike later Surfers albums, no electronic instrumentation is present.
Some songs, such as "The Shah Sleeps in Lee Harvey's Grave" and "Suicide," appear to be either mockeries of, or sloppy attempts to mimic, the hardcore
style of music that was rising in popularity amongst then-contemporary American punk fans. "The Revenge of Anus Presley" is likely a Black Flag
and Henry Rollins
parody. Others, including "Hey" and "Bar-B-Q Pope," are better indicators of the psychedelic
direction the band would take on future albums.
Having parted ways with their original drummer, Scott Matthews, shortly before entering the studio, the Surfers used a number of different percussionists on this album. The last of them, King Coffey
, is still with the band to this day. Bassist Bill Jolly was also a relatively new addition, joining after original bass player Quinn Matthews quit at the same time as his brother, Scott. Jolly would also play on the Surfers' first official live release, Live PCPPEP
, and their first full-length album, Psychic... Powerless... Another Man's Sac
.
Most of this album is often included in the band's live performances, including "The Shah Sleeps...," "Hey," "Something," "Bar-B-Q Pope," and "Suicide."
Two songs from the album, "The Shah Sleeps..." and "Bar-B-Q Pope" are available for download on the MP3 section of the Butthole Surfers official website.
's 2003 reissue of the EP, together with 1984's Live PCPPEP
on a single CD, is titled Butthole Surfers/Live PCPPEP
. Perhaps most importantly, it is listed as Butthole Surfers in the "Discography" section of the band's official website.
That said, Brown Reason to Live has a strong claim to title rights, and many fans refer to it by that name. The 12-inch vinyl
edition was, and still is, sold as Brown Reason to Live through original label Alternative Tentacles
, but it is unclear if it was initially released as such. Also, though the words "Brown Reason to Live" did not appear on the original album's packaging, 'A BROWN REASON FOR LIVING' was etched into the runout grooves of early pressings of this release and 'Brown Reason To Live' was included below the band's name on later Alternative Tentacles printings (see image). Finally, Latino Buggerveil's reissue of this album is listed as Brown Reason to Live (together with Live PCPPEP) on iTunes
.
As for Pee Pee the Sailor, the album has never been officially released or marketed under that name. That title is derived from Alternative Tentacles' vinyl editions, which include a cartoon of a Popeye
-esque character with buttocks for a face printed on the record's center label, and the words "Pee Pee the Sailor" written next to it. This cartoon is in addition to the label's humorous suggestion that listeners play the record at 69 RPM. "Pee Pee the Sailor" is featured on the disc art of the 2003 reissue.
, California
's Whisky a Go Go
, where they had opened for the Dead Kennedys
and T.S.O.L. The band gained an early admirer in Kennedys lead vocalist Jello Biafra
, who also ran the Kennedys' Alternative Tentacles
record label
. Biafra told the band that, if they got someone to loan them studio
time, Alternative Tentacles would reimburse the studio once the album was complete.
According to guitarist
Paul Leary
, the band then talked Bob O'Neill, owner of San Antonio, Texas
' BOSS Studios, (a.k.a. Bob O'Neill's Sound Studio, a.k.a. the Boss), into loaning them the required time. Joe Pugliese, a San Antonio music promoter, recalled that lead singer Gibby Haynes
slept at the studio during these sessions. Mike Taylor, an engineer at BOSS Studios, assisted with the EP's production. Taylor would later record and assemble the contents of 1984's Live PCPPEP
.
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band Butthole Surfers
Butthole Surfers
Butthole Surfers is an American alternative rock band formed by Gibby Haynes and Paul Leary in San Antonio, Texas in 1981. The band has had numerous personnel changes, but its core lineup of Haynes, Leary, and drummer King Coffey has been consistent since 1983. Teresa Nervosa served as second...
, released in July 1983
1983 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1983.-January-April:*January – ZTT Records is founded.*January 8 – The UK singles chart is tabulated from this week forward by The Gallup Organization...
. It is also known as Brown Reason to Live and Pee Pee the Sailor (see "Title controversy"). All songs were written and produced by the Butthole Surfers.
The album was originally released on Alternative Tentacles
Alternative Tentacles
Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label originally based in San Francisco, California and was established in 1979. It was originally used as the label name by the Dead Kennedys for the self-produced single "California Über Alles", and after realizing the potential for an independent...
. Butthole Surfers and 1984's Live PCPPEP
Live PCPPEP
Live PCPPEP is a live EP, and first official live album, by American punk band Butthole Surfers, released in September 1984. All songs were written by the Butthole Surfers, and recorded live at The Meridian in San Antonio, Texas on March 25, 1984....
were reissued as the Butthole Surfers/Live PCPPEP
Butthole Surfers/Live PCPPEP
Butthole Surfers/Live PCPPEP is the third compilation album by American punk band Butthole Surfers, released in January 2003. All songs were written by the Butthole Surfers....
CD on Latino Buggerveil
Latino Buggerveil
Latino Buggerveil is an independent record label and publishing company that was founded by psychedelic noise-punk band the Butthole Surfers.The label's first release was the 1987 album A Texas Trip, a various artists compilation which was co-released by Caroline Records...
in 2003. The 12-inch vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
version is still available from Alternative Tentacles, and is listed as Brown Reason to Live.
The center label on Butthole Surfers vinyl printings invites listeners to erroneously play the record at "69 RPM," a joke referencing the famous sex position. The album's back cover features a mildly distorted image of famed Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
luchador Santo
Santo
Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta , more widely known as El Santo , was a Mexican Luchador enmascarado , film actor, and folk icon....
.
Music
The Surfers introduced themselves to the world with seven songs full of throbbing bassBass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, crashing drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, and heavily distorted
Distortion (guitar)
Distortion effects create "warm", "dirty" and "fuzzy" sounds by compressing the peaks of a musical instrument's sound wave and adding overtones. The three principal types of distortion effects are overdrive, distortion and fuzz. Distortion effects are sometimes called “gain” effects, as distorted...
guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
topped off with largely nonsensical, barely intelligible lyrics, alternately sung by lead vocalist Gibby Haynes
Gibby Haynes
Gibson Jerome "Gibby" Haynes is an American musician, radio personality, and painter, and the lead singer of the group Butthole Surfers.-Early life and career:...
and guitarist Paul Leary
Paul Leary
Paul Leary is an American musician from Austin, TX, best known as the guitarist for American rock band Butthole Surfers. He is also the producer of a number of songs and albums by other bands, including U2, Sublime, the Meat Puppets, Daniel Johnston, The Reverend Horton Heat, Pepper, Maggie...
. Haynes also plays saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
and eardrums on some tracks. Unlike later Surfers albums, no electronic instrumentation is present.
Some songs, such as "The Shah Sleeps in Lee Harvey's Grave" and "Suicide," appear to be either mockeries of, or sloppy attempts to mimic, the hardcore
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
style of music that was rising in popularity amongst then-contemporary American punk fans. "The Revenge of Anus Presley" is likely a Black Flag
Black Flag (band)
Black Flag was an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. The band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band...
and Henry Rollins
Henry Rollins
Henry Rollins is an American singer-songwriter, spoken word artist, writer, comedian, publisher, actor, and radio DJ....
parody. Others, including "Hey" and "Bar-B-Q Pope," are better indicators of the psychedelic
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
direction the band would take on future albums.
Having parted ways with their original drummer, Scott Matthews, shortly before entering the studio, the Surfers used a number of different percussionists on this album. The last of them, King Coffey
King Coffey
King Coffey is an American drummer, best known for being the drummer of the psychedelic/noise rock band the Butthole Surfers. He began drumming in a Fort Worth hardcore punk band called The Hugh Beaumont Experience. Around that same time he published a fanzine called Throbbing Cattle...
, is still with the band to this day. Bassist Bill Jolly was also a relatively new addition, joining after original bass player Quinn Matthews quit at the same time as his brother, Scott. Jolly would also play on the Surfers' first official live release, Live PCPPEP
Live PCPPEP
Live PCPPEP is a live EP, and first official live album, by American punk band Butthole Surfers, released in September 1984. All songs were written by the Butthole Surfers, and recorded live at The Meridian in San Antonio, Texas on March 25, 1984....
, and their first full-length album, Psychic... Powerless... Another Man's Sac
Psychic... Powerless... Another Man's Sac
Psychic... Powerless... Another Man's Sac is the first full-length studio album by American punk band Butthole Surfers, released in December 1984 by Touch and Go Records and Fundamental Records. All songs were written and produced by the Butthole Surfers....
.
Most of this album is often included in the band's live performances, including "The Shah Sleeps...," "Hey," "Something," "Bar-B-Q Pope," and "Suicide."
Two songs from the album, "The Shah Sleeps..." and "Bar-B-Q Pope" are available for download on the MP3 section of the Butthole Surfers official website.
Title controversy
Though this EP is also known as Brown Reason to Live and Pee Pee the Sailor, Butthole Surfers is its official title. First, "Butthole Surfers" were the only words to appear on the front cover of its original release. Furthermore, Latino BuggerveilLatino Buggerveil
Latino Buggerveil is an independent record label and publishing company that was founded by psychedelic noise-punk band the Butthole Surfers.The label's first release was the 1987 album A Texas Trip, a various artists compilation which was co-released by Caroline Records...
's 2003 reissue of the EP, together with 1984's Live PCPPEP
Live PCPPEP
Live PCPPEP is a live EP, and first official live album, by American punk band Butthole Surfers, released in September 1984. All songs were written by the Butthole Surfers, and recorded live at The Meridian in San Antonio, Texas on March 25, 1984....
on a single CD, is titled Butthole Surfers/Live PCPPEP
Butthole Surfers/Live PCPPEP
Butthole Surfers/Live PCPPEP is the third compilation album by American punk band Butthole Surfers, released in January 2003. All songs were written by the Butthole Surfers....
. Perhaps most importantly, it is listed as Butthole Surfers in the "Discography" section of the band's official website.
That said, Brown Reason to Live has a strong claim to title rights, and many fans refer to it by that name. The 12-inch vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
edition was, and still is, sold as Brown Reason to Live through original label Alternative Tentacles
Alternative Tentacles
Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label originally based in San Francisco, California and was established in 1979. It was originally used as the label name by the Dead Kennedys for the self-produced single "California Über Alles", and after realizing the potential for an independent...
, but it is unclear if it was initially released as such. Also, though the words "Brown Reason to Live" did not appear on the original album's packaging, 'A BROWN REASON FOR LIVING' was etched into the runout grooves of early pressings of this release and 'Brown Reason To Live' was included below the band's name on later Alternative Tentacles printings (see image). Finally, Latino Buggerveil's reissue of this album is listed as Brown Reason to Live (together with Live PCPPEP) on iTunes
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
.
As for Pee Pee the Sailor, the album has never been officially released or marketed under that name. That title is derived from Alternative Tentacles' vinyl editions, which include a cartoon of a Popeye
Popeye
Popeye the Sailor is a cartoon fictional character created by Elzie Crisler Segar, who has appeared in comic strips and animated cartoons in the cinema as well as on television. He first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929...
-esque character with buttocks for a face printed on the record's center label, and the words "Pee Pee the Sailor" written next to it. This cartoon is in addition to the label's humorous suggestion that listeners play the record at 69 RPM. "Pee Pee the Sailor" is featured on the disc art of the 2003 reissue.
Background
The sessions for Butthole Surfers were made possible by an earlier Surfers concert at Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
's Whisky a Go Go
Whisky a Go Go
The Whisky a Go Go is a nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard, on the Sunset Strip.-History:...
, where they had opened for the Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1978. The band became part of the American hardcore punk movement of the early 1980s. They gained a large underground fanbase in the international punk music scene....
and T.S.O.L. The band gained an early admirer in Kennedys lead vocalist Jello Biafra
Jello Biafra
Jello Biafra is an American musician, spoken word artist and leading figure of the Green Party of the United States. Biafra first gained attention as the lead singer and songwriter for San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys...
, who also ran the Kennedys' Alternative Tentacles
Alternative Tentacles
Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label originally based in San Francisco, California and was established in 1979. It was originally used as the label name by the Dead Kennedys for the self-produced single "California Über Alles", and after realizing the potential for an independent...
record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
. Biafra told the band that, if they got someone to loan them studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
time, Alternative Tentacles would reimburse the studio once the album was complete.
According to guitarist
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
Paul Leary
Paul Leary
Paul Leary is an American musician from Austin, TX, best known as the guitarist for American rock band Butthole Surfers. He is also the producer of a number of songs and albums by other bands, including U2, Sublime, the Meat Puppets, Daniel Johnston, The Reverend Horton Heat, Pepper, Maggie...
, the band then talked Bob O'Neill, owner of San Antonio, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
' BOSS Studios, (a.k.a. Bob O'Neill's Sound Studio, a.k.a. the Boss), into loaning them the required time. Joe Pugliese, a San Antonio music promoter, recalled that lead singer Gibby Haynes
Gibby Haynes
Gibson Jerome "Gibby" Haynes is an American musician, radio personality, and painter, and the lead singer of the group Butthole Surfers.-Early life and career:...
slept at the studio during these sessions. Mike Taylor, an engineer at BOSS Studios, assisted with the EP's production. Taylor would later record and assemble the contents of 1984's Live PCPPEP
Live PCPPEP
Live PCPPEP is a live EP, and first official live album, by American punk band Butthole Surfers, released in September 1984. All songs were written by the Butthole Surfers, and recorded live at The Meridian in San Antonio, Texas on March 25, 1984....
.
Side 2
- "Bar-B-Q Pope" – 3:36
- "Wichita Cathedral" – 2:22
- "Suicide" – 1:24
- "The Revenge of Anus Presley" – 2:25
Personnel
- Gibby HaynesGibby HaynesGibson Jerome "Gibby" Haynes is an American musician, radio personality, and painter, and the lead singer of the group Butthole Surfers.-Early life and career:...
- lead vocals ("Hey," "Wichita Cathedral," and "Suicide"), saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846... - Paul LearyPaul LearyPaul Leary is an American musician from Austin, TX, best known as the guitarist for American rock band Butthole Surfers. He is also the producer of a number of songs and albums by other bands, including U2, Sublime, the Meat Puppets, Daniel Johnston, The Reverend Horton Heat, Pepper, Maggie...
- guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, lead vocals ("The Shah Sleeps in Lee Harvey's Grave," "Something," and "Bar-B-Q Pope") - Bill Jolly - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- King CoffeyKing CoffeyKing Coffey is an American drummer, best known for being the drummer of the psychedelic/noise rock band the Butthole Surfers. He began drumming in a Fort Worth hardcore punk band called The Hugh Beaumont Experience. Around that same time he published a fanzine called Throbbing Cattle...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
("Bar-B-Q Pope" and "Wichita Cathedral") - Brad Perkins - drums on "The Shah Sleeps in Lee Harvey's Grave" and "The Revenge of Anus Presley"
- Various musicians - drums (all other tracks)