Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade
Encyclopedia
Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade (also known as The Les Claypool Frog Brigade) is one of many musical projects involving Primus
bassist
Les Claypool
. The original band was formed in summer 2000 and consisted of: Les Claypool
(bass
, vocals
), Todd Huth
(guitar
s, vocals
), Jay Lane
(drums
), Jeff Chimenti
(keyboards
), Skerik
(saxophone
), and Eenor (guitar
s, cümbüş
). Les Claypool has described their sound as, "It's kind of a King Crimson
meets Pink Floyd
meets Frank Zappa
type thing."
The band released two live recordings in 2001, Live Frogs Set 1
and Live Frogs Set 2
. Set 1 is a mix of covers and originals, including "Thela Hun Ginjeet
" (King Crimson
) and "Shine On You Crazy Diamond
" (Pink Floyd
). Set 2 is a live cover of the entire Pink Floyd album, Animals. A studio album was also released in 2002 entitled Purple Onion
.
All three album
s were released on Les Claypool
's Prawn Song Records
.
weekends each year. Its initial lineup featured MIRV
on guitar, Skerik
on saxophone
, and both Jack Irons
(ex-Pearl Jam
and Red Hot Chili Peppers
) and Primus' Tim Alexander
on drums. Les had planned on naming the band Les Claypool's Thunder Brigade, but was told by Mountain Aire organizers that the name might sound too heavy for the jamband crowd.
In August 2000, Claypool created a new line-up of the Frog Brigade and took it on a tour that fall. The band consisted of Jay Lane
on drums and Todd Huth
on guitar, who had worked with Claypool in Sausage (which in itself was a re-formation of the first line up of Primus
), guitarist Eenor, who got a place in the band by winning a mail-order competition, Jeff Chimenti
, the keyboardist from Ratdog
(Jay Lane also has worked with Ratdog), and Skerik continuing on saxophone. This version of the band played a show consisting of two sets - the first filled with covers and songs from Claypool's previous bands, and a second set where the band would play all of the Pink Floyd
album, Animals.
Reviews noted that although Claypool was turning towards jam band the cover selections were adventurous and the cross over brought together a unique combination of fans. At the shows it was noted "a peculiar convergence of poncho punks, old Deadhead
s, extravagant funk fans and year-round Halloween revelers supplied one of the least likely rock audiences in recent memory" including both deadhead 'noodle dancers' and a mosh pit
.
After this tour, the Brigade released two live recordings, both taken from the Autumn 2000 concerts by the band in San Francisco. Live Frogs, Vol. 1 contained material from the first, free-form set, and Live Frogs, Vol. 2 was a recording of the band performing Animals.
The Brigade headlined the first SnoCore Icicle Ball in early 2001. The following summer, the band was composed of Claypool, Skerik, Eenor and a new drummer, Paul Svena. Les began writing new material and they began playing single-set live shows. In 2002, Mike Dillon
was added as a percussionist and the Frog Brigade recorded their only studio album to date, Purple Onion
.
In 2003, Eenor left the band and guitarist Bryan Kehoe joined. Throughout their touring schedule the band has changed drummers multiple times. Drummer Paulo Baldi
also entered the rotation in 2003. Baldi, formerly of the Bay Area trio Deadweight
, who have disbanded, is a natural fit along the lines of Tim Alexander and Jay Lane.
In 2002 Claypool formed a new jamband, Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains
, with guitarist Buckethead
, keyboardist Bernie Worrell
, and former Primus drummer Bryan Mantia
(aka Brain). This band had much the same genesis as the Frog Brigade; Formed to play at the Bonnaroo Festival of that year, it has since gone on the road, and recordings have become subsequent live albums.
As of August 2011, the Frog Brigade has not recorded any new material since Purple Onion, and the band has not gone on a major tour since Summer 2003, but has occasionally re-formed to play other one-off shows and music festivals. Claypool toured 2006 and 2007 with Paulo Baldi
, Gabby La La, Mike Dillon and Skerik as Les Claypool's Fancy Band
.
Primus (band)
Primus is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by Lane, though the latter two departed...
bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Les Claypool
Les Claypool
Leslie Edward "Les" Claypool is an American musician and writer, best known as the lead vocalist and bassist in the band Primus. Claypool's playing style on the electric bass mixes tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends and slapping.Claypool has also self produced and engineered his...
. The original band was formed in summer 2000 and consisted of: Les Claypool
Les Claypool
Leslie Edward "Les" Claypool is an American musician and writer, best known as the lead vocalist and bassist in the band Primus. Claypool's playing style on the electric bass mixes tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends and slapping.Claypool has also self produced and engineered his...
(bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
), Todd Huth
Todd Huth
Todd Richard Huth is an American guitarist. He is best known as an original member of the band Primus, along with bassist/lyricist Les Claypool....
(guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
), Jay Lane
Jay Lane
Jay Lane is an American drummer from the San Francisco Bay Area. He is currently a member of Primus, as well as Bob Weir's RatDog, Scaring the Children with Weir and Rob Wasserman, and the hip hop/jazz fusion group Alphabet Soup. In 2002, Lane was named "drummer of the year" by the California...
(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 ....
), Jeff Chimenti
Jeff Chimenti
Jeff Chimenti is an American keyboardist, best known for his ongoing work with RatDog. He is also a member of the post-Grateful Dead bands The Dead and Furthur....
(keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
), Skerik
Skerik
Skerik is an American saxophonist from Seattle, Washington. Performing on the tenor and baritone saxophone, often with electronics and loops, Skerik is a pioneer in a playing style that has been dubbed saxophonics. He is a founding member of Critters Buggin, Garage a Trois and Skerik's Syncopated...
(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 Eenor (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, cümbüş
Cümbüs
The cümbüş is a Turkish stringed instrument of relatively modern origin. Developed in the early 20th century by Zeynelabidin Cümbüş as an oud-like instrument that could be heard as part of a larger ensemble. In construction it resembles both the American banjo and the Middle Eastern oud. A...
). Les Claypool has described their sound as, "It's kind of a King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
meets Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
meets Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
type thing."
The band released two live recordings in 2001, Live Frogs Set 1
Live Frogs Set 1
Live Frogs Set 1 is a live album by Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, released by Prawn Song Records on 10 April 2001. It chronicles the first part of the 8 October 2000 show the Frog Brigade played at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, the second part released as...
and Live Frogs Set 2
Live Frogs Set 2
Live Frogs Set 2 is the second set of live recordings by Les Claypool's Frog Brigade, released on July 24, 2001. The album is a complete performance of the Pink Floyd studio album Animals...
. Set 1 is a mix of covers and originals, including "Thela Hun Ginjeet
Thela Hun Ginjeet
Thela Hun Ginjeet is a single by the band King Crimson, released in 1981. Its tracks are from the album Discipline . The song name is an anagram of "heat in the jungle", which is a reference to crime in the city...
" (King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
) and "Shine On You Crazy Diamond
Shine On You Crazy Diamond
"Shine On You Crazy Diamond" is a nine-part Pink Floyd composition written by Roger Waters, Richard Wright, and David Gilmour. The song is a tribute to former band member Syd Barrett, although it was not originally explicitly written with him in mind. It was first performed on their 1974 French...
" (Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
). Set 2 is a live cover of the entire Pink Floyd album, Animals. A studio album was also released in 2002 entitled Purple Onion
Purple Onion
-Credits:Musicians*Les Claypool - bass , vocals, percussion , guitar , whamola , drums *Jay Lane - drums *Mike Dillon - vibraphone , metal drum , percussion , tabla baya , pandiero , electric bow & arrow , metal sounds , cuica , marimba , metal , tabla *Skerik - saxophone , "fancy" sax...
.
All three album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s were released on Les Claypool
Les Claypool
Leslie Edward "Les" Claypool is an American musician and writer, best known as the lead vocalist and bassist in the band Primus. Claypool's playing style on the electric bass mixes tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends and slapping.Claypool has also self produced and engineered his...
's Prawn Song Records
Prawn Song Records
Prawn Song Records is the record label owned by Les Claypool of Primus. The name and logo are a parody of Led Zeppelin's famous label Swan Song Records.The label was created in 1989 for the initial limited release of the Primus live album Suck On This...
.
History
Claypool formed the band to play the Mountain Aire Festival, a jamband festival that takes place in Northern California on Memorial DayMemorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
weekends each year. Its initial lineup featured MIRV
M.I.R.V.
M.I.R.V. is a band based in the San Francisco, California, Bay Area. Founded in 1994, it initially consisted of the band's namesake guitarist and singer Marc "Mirv" Haggard, bassist Craig McFarland, drummer Jeff Gomes, and guitarist Bryan Kehoe, who also contributed vocals and keyboards...
on guitar, Skerik
Skerik
Skerik is an American saxophonist from Seattle, Washington. Performing on the tenor and baritone saxophone, often with electronics and loops, Skerik is a pioneer in a playing style that has been dubbed saxophonics. He is a founding member of Critters Buggin, Garage a Trois and Skerik's Syncopated...
on 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 both Jack Irons
Jack Irons
Jack Steven Irons is an American musician who is best known as the original drummer of the American rock band The Red Hot Chili Peppers, as well as the former drummer for Eleven and Pearl Jam. He has also worked with Joe Strummer and The Latino Rockabilly War, Redd Kross, Raging Slab, Spinnerette...
(ex-Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
and Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
) and Primus' Tim Alexander
Tim Alexander
Tim "Herb" Alexander is an American musician, best known as the former drummer for the rock band Primus. Tim played on the Primus recordings Suck on This to Tales from the Punchbowl, before leaving the band in 1996, only to rejoin in 2003 for the EP Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People...
on drums. Les had planned on naming the band Les Claypool's Thunder Brigade, but was told by Mountain Aire organizers that the name might sound too heavy for the jamband crowd.
In August 2000, Claypool created a new line-up of the Frog Brigade and took it on a tour that fall. The band consisted of Jay Lane
Jay Lane
Jay Lane is an American drummer from the San Francisco Bay Area. He is currently a member of Primus, as well as Bob Weir's RatDog, Scaring the Children with Weir and Rob Wasserman, and the hip hop/jazz fusion group Alphabet Soup. In 2002, Lane was named "drummer of the year" by the California...
on drums and Todd Huth
Todd Huth
Todd Richard Huth is an American guitarist. He is best known as an original member of the band Primus, along with bassist/lyricist Les Claypool....
on guitar, who had worked with Claypool in Sausage (which in itself was a re-formation of the first line up of Primus
Primus (band)
Primus is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by Lane, though the latter two departed...
), guitarist Eenor, who got a place in the band by winning a mail-order competition, Jeff Chimenti
Jeff Chimenti
Jeff Chimenti is an American keyboardist, best known for his ongoing work with RatDog. He is also a member of the post-Grateful Dead bands The Dead and Furthur....
, the keyboardist from Ratdog
Ratdog
RatDog , is an American rock band. The group began as a side project for Grateful Dead rhythm guitarist Bob Weir and bassist Rob Wasserman. After the Grateful Dead disbanded in December 1995, following the death of Jerry Garcia on August 9, 1995, RatDog became Bob Weir's primary band...
(Jay Lane also has worked with Ratdog), and Skerik continuing on saxophone. This version of the band played a show consisting of two sets - the first filled with covers and songs from Claypool's previous bands, and a second set where the band would play all of the Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
album, Animals.
Reviews noted that although Claypool was turning towards jam band the cover selections were adventurous and the cross over brought together a unique combination of fans. At the shows it was noted "a peculiar convergence of poncho punks, old Deadhead
Deadhead
Deadhead or Dead Head is a name given to fans of the American jam band, the Grateful Dead. In the 1970s, a number of fans began travelling to see the band in as many shows or festival venues as they could. With large numbers of people thus attending strings of shows, a community developed...
s, extravagant funk fans and year-round Halloween revelers supplied one of the least likely rock audiences in recent memory" including both deadhead 'noodle dancers' and a mosh pit
Moshing
Moshing is a dance in which participants push or slam into each other. They also flail their limbs to breakdowns of hardcore punk and its sub-genres. It is most associated with aggressive music genres, such as hardcore punk and heavy metal...
.
After this tour, the Brigade released two live recordings, both taken from the Autumn 2000 concerts by the band in San Francisco. Live Frogs, Vol. 1 contained material from the first, free-form set, and Live Frogs, Vol. 2 was a recording of the band performing Animals.
The Brigade headlined the first SnoCore Icicle Ball in early 2001. The following summer, the band was composed of Claypool, Skerik, Eenor and a new drummer, Paul Svena. Les began writing new material and they began playing single-set live shows. In 2002, Mike Dillon
Mike Dillon (musician)
Mike Dillon is a percussionist, vibraphonist, bandleader, vocalist and songwriter born in San Antonio, Texas. He is a member of Critters Buggin, Les Claypool's Fancy Band and Garage A Trois...
was added as a percussionist and the Frog Brigade recorded their only studio album to date, Purple Onion
Purple Onion
-Credits:Musicians*Les Claypool - bass , vocals, percussion , guitar , whamola , drums *Jay Lane - drums *Mike Dillon - vibraphone , metal drum , percussion , tabla baya , pandiero , electric bow & arrow , metal sounds , cuica , marimba , metal , tabla *Skerik - saxophone , "fancy" sax...
.
In 2003, Eenor left the band and guitarist Bryan Kehoe joined. Throughout their touring schedule the band has changed drummers multiple times. Drummer Paulo Baldi
Paulo Baldi
Paulo Baldi is an American rock drummer and percussionist from the San Francisco Bay Area. He is currently a member of Cake, Les Claypool's Fancy Band, Deadweight, The Faraway Brothers, and the Eric McFadden Experience....
also entered the rotation in 2003. Baldi, formerly of the Bay Area trio Deadweight
Deadweight (U.S. band)
Deadweight is an alternative rock trio from San Francisco, California. Members include Ben Barnes ,Sam Bass and Paulo Baldi . Deadweight began as a duo of Barnes and Bass who were graduates of San Francisco Conservatory of Music later joined by Baldi. Their first demo was produced by Jason...
, who have disbanded, is a natural fit along the lines of Tim Alexander and Jay Lane.
In 2002 Claypool formed a new jamband, Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains
Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains
Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains was an experimental supergroup featuring bassist Les Claypool, guitarist Buckethead, keyboardist Bernie Worrell and drummer Bryan "Brain" Mantia.-History:...
, with guitarist Buckethead
Buckethead
Brian Carroll , better known by his stage name Buckethead, is a guitarist and multi instrumentalist who has worked within several genres of music. He has released 34 studio albums, four special releases and one EP. He has performed on over 50 more albums by other artists...
, keyboardist Bernie Worrell
Bernie Worrell
George Bernard "Bernie" Worrell, Jr. is an American keyboardist and composer best known as a founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic and for his work with Talking Heads. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic...
, and former Primus drummer Bryan Mantia
Bryan Mantia
Bryan "Brain" Mantia is a contemporary rock drummer. He has played with bands like Primus, Guns N' Roses, Praxis and Godflesh, and with other popular performers such as Tom Waits, Bill Laswell, Bootsy Collins and Buckethead...
(aka Brain). This band had much the same genesis as the Frog Brigade; Formed to play at the Bonnaroo Festival of that year, it has since gone on the road, and recordings have become subsequent live albums.
As of August 2011, the Frog Brigade has not recorded any new material since Purple Onion, and the band has not gone on a major tour since Summer 2003, but has occasionally re-formed to play other one-off shows and music festivals. Claypool toured 2006 and 2007 with Paulo Baldi
Paulo Baldi
Paulo Baldi is an American rock drummer and percussionist from the San Francisco Bay Area. He is currently a member of Cake, Les Claypool's Fancy Band, Deadweight, The Faraway Brothers, and the Eric McFadden Experience....
, Gabby La La, Mike Dillon and Skerik as Les Claypool's Fancy Band
Les Claypool's Fancy Band
Les Claypool's Fancy Band was a lineup of musicians on tour with Les Claypool from 2005 to 2008. The band consisted of Claypool on bass, Skerik on tenor and baritone saxophone, Mike Dillon on vibraphone, marimba, tabla, cuíca and percussion, Gabby La La on sitar, ukulele and theremin and Paulo...
.
Discography
- 2001: Live Frogs Set 1Live Frogs Set 1Live Frogs Set 1 is a live album by Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, released by Prawn Song Records on 10 April 2001. It chronicles the first part of the 8 October 2000 show the Frog Brigade played at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, the second part released as...
- 2001: Live Frogs Set 2Live Frogs Set 2Live Frogs Set 2 is the second set of live recordings by Les Claypool's Frog Brigade, released on July 24, 2001. The album is a complete performance of the Pink Floyd studio album Animals...
- 2002: Purple OnionPurple Onion-Credits:Musicians*Les Claypool - bass , vocals, percussion , guitar , whamola , drums *Jay Lane - drums *Mike Dillon - vibraphone , metal drum , percussion , tabla baya , pandiero , electric bow & arrow , metal sounds , cuica , marimba , metal , tabla *Skerik - saxophone , "fancy" sax...