Les Claypool

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Leslie "Les" Edward Claypool is a bassist and lead singer, best known for his work with the alternative rock band Primus. Born on September 29, 1963, in Richmond, California, Claypool's mastery of the electric bass has brought him into the spotlight with his funky, creative playing style. Though he cites bass virtuoso Geddy Lee of Rush as his greatest influence, Claypool mixed heavy metal finger-tapping, along with a Larry Graham-like slap technique to develop his own unique style. Claypool has earned respect as one of rock's premier bass talents and has become an influence on younger bassists in recent years.

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Biography

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Early years

Les Claypool was born on September 29th 1963 in Richmond, California, but was raised in El Sobrante, California in a working class family with a history of working in auto-mechanics. Les's parents divorced when he was a young child, but he claims to have had a decent childhood, citing that he was never abused or severely bullied.

As a teenager, Claypool was turned on to rock music such as Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix by classmate Kirk Hammett (of Metallica fame). After picking up the bass at the age of fourteen and developing his chops in the school jazz band, Claypool played in a local cover band called the Tommy Crank Band where he was able to develop his slap technique through listening to Stanley Clarke and Larry Graham. He also bought his first Carl Thompson bass, his trademark four string piccolo. (He now owns six, including a multi-wood fretless 6-string called the Rainbow Bass.)

In 1986, after the tragic death of Metallica bassist Cliff Burton, Claypool auditioned to play bass for Metallica. It is rumored that he failed to obtain the position, because his style was "too funky". In Metallica's Behind the Music, Claypool said that during the audition he wanted the others to "jam on some Isley Brothers tunes", after Lars Ulrich asked whether he's "not really used to playing this kind of music". James Hetfield remarked jokingly that Claypool didn't win the job because "he was too good".

In 1987 Claypool produced the sophomore Suicidal Tendencies album Join The Army. Claypool would in the future co produce many Primus albums [1].

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Primus

In the late 80s, Claypool played in the band Blind Illusion with future Primus guitarist Larry Lalonde. Primus began as Primate with Claypool's friends Todd Huth and Jay Lane in 1989, though Huth and Lane left shortly thereafter to pursue other projects. Claypool replaced them with metal guitarist Lalonde and electic drummer Tim Alexander. Primus began selling out local clubs with their out-of-control live act and irreverent approach to music (their catchphrase was "Primus sucks!").

From 1989 to 2000, Primus steadily became one of the most bizarre bands to gain significant mainstream airplay, headlining Lollapalooza in 1993, appearing on David Letterman and Conan O'Brien in 1995, and even making an appearance at Woodstock '94 where they performed their Pork Soda hit "My Name is Mud" with predictable results (Claypool claims to still have mud in his speakers).

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Primus and beyond

The year 2000 saw Primus on indefinite hiatus, leaving Claypool to form Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, a jam band in the vein of Phish. The band debuted at the New Orleans Jazz Festival and played a number of other festivals including moe down. In October he officially disbanded Primus. This allowed him to return to his musical roots, playing songs by bands like Pink Floyd, King Crimson, and the Beatles. Claypool has called the Frog Brigade his "mid-life crisis band." In addition to two live albums (one being an exact cover of Pink Floyd's Animals), the Frog Brigade has released one studio album, 2002's Purple Onion. Claypool has also collaborated with Trey Anastasio and Stewart Copeland in jam-rock project Oysterhead.

Claypool also collaborated with virtuoso guitarist Buckethead, funk keyboardist Bernie Worrell, and former Primus drummer Brain under the name Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains, whose concerts pushed the improvisational envelope by preparing no material and not rehearsing beforehand. At one of their shows they prepared sandwiches onstage for the audience members to eat.

In late 2003 Claypool reunited with former Primus drummer Tim Alexander and guitarist Larry LaLonde to record a DVD/EP called Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People, which Claypool described as the first DVD with supplementary music, as opposed to the contrary. The band staged a two month tour in which they performed two sets per show, the second consisting of their 1991 release Sailing the Seas of Cheese in its entirety. They continued touring into 2004, even performing their 1990 release Frizzle Fry in its entirety.

Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains re-united in 2004 to record The Big Eyeball in the Sky, an album with equal parts instrumental and vocal songs. The band began an 18-state tour of the US on September 24, 2004. The album features only one guest, the child-like multi-instrumentalist Gabby La La (noted as Gabby Lang on Les Claypool's Frog Brigade's Purple Onion) on vox and sitar. She also opened on every show( sometimes to scathingly negative reviews) during the 2004 tour as a solo act with sometimes members of Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains.

Claypool recently produced and performed on Gabby La La's first album, Be Careful What You Wish For.... He's also performed select shows with her (including the 2005 edition of the Bonnaroo Music Festival and has added her to his new touring band, Les Claypool & His Fancy Band (also featuring Skerik on saxaphonics, Mike Dillon on percussion, and Jay Lane on drums). Gabby La La is the first artist Les has signed to his label since Charlie Hunter in 1993.

At the end of 2005, Claypool released 5 Gallons Of Diesel, a video retrospective of all of his work away from Primus.

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Future plans

Claypool has confirmed that he will be releasing a solo album, Of Whales and Woe, on May 30, 2006. The tracklist was announced on Les Claypool's website and is as follows:

  • 1. Back Off Turkey
  • 2. One Better
  • 3. Lust Stings
  • 4. Of Whales and Woe
  • 5. Vernon the Company Man
  • 6. Phantom Patriot
  • 7. Iowan Gal
  • 8. Nothin' Ventured
  • 9. Rumble of the Diesel
  • 10. Robot Chicken
  • 11. Filipino Ray
  • 12. Off-white Guilt[2]
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Electric Apricot

Currently, Claypool is working on his first attempt at film, Electric Apricot. The movie is to be a spoof of the jam band scene centered on the fake band, Electric Apricot, in the mockumentary tradition of Spinal Tap. The band was originally rumored to include Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead and Ratdog on guitar but those rumors were slowly put to rest after their first low-key show. The group is currently still performing low-key shows in the California area (most recently High Sierra Music Festival for the filming of the movie. The members of the band go by the assumed names (real identities in parenthesis) of Steve Hampton Trouzdale (Adam Gates) on bass and vocals, Steve "Gordo" Gordon (Brian Kehoe) on guitar and vocals, Herschal Tambor Brillstien (Jonathan Korty) on keyboards and vocals, and of course Lapland "Lapdog" Miclovik (Les Claypool) on drums and vocals. The film debuted on March 15th and received praise from fans of Les Claypool. No DVD release date has been announced, but during a Q+A session at the Tiburon Film Festival where the film debuted Claypool said that the film would indeed have an accomponying soundtrack CD. Claypool also said that the band would possibly perform a few select shows, but a tour is unlikely as Adam Gates, AKA Electric Apricot bassist Steve Hampton Trouzdale, has a job at Pixar Studios which makes touring difficult. Electric Apricot's website can be found at www.electricapricot.com

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South of the Pumphouse

South of the Pumphouse is Les Claypool's first book, set to be released on July 15, 2006 by Akashic Books. No detailed description of the book has yet been released, only that it's a dark, clever tale of brothers, murder, drugs, and fishing.

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Personal life

Claypool is currently working on the long-awaited 8th full length Primus album set for a release in spring or summer 2006. He lives in Sebastopol, CA with his wife, Chaney Claypool, his son, Cage Oliver Claypool, and his daughter Lena Tallulah Claypool. His home is called "Rancho Relaxo" after a Simpson's episode where Marge gets sent to a spa of the same name. He records most of his music at his home. He is famous for his wacky sense of humor and overall very eccentric personality. He has recently been very open about his liberal politics and his dissatisfaction with current president George W. Bush, as he supported Michael Moore's controversial documentary Fahrenheit 9/11. Claypool is an avid fisherman and even appeared as a special guest on a 2004 taping of Fly Fishing the World filmed in Idaho and a 2005 taping in Quebec, Canada. Both episodes are available on the extras section of 5 Gallons Of Diesel. Some have expressed displeasure at Primus' stylistic changes and immediately criticize Claypool for it, perhaps because of his experimentation with the jam band scene during Primus' hiatus, despite the fact that the band plays all of their old material live. His trademark image is his many hats, it is rare to see Claypool not wearing a hat.

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Discography

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With Primus

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With Sausage

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With Les Claypool and The Holy Mackerel

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With Les Claypool's Frog Brigade

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With Oysterhead

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With Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains

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Les Claypool

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Other album credits

  • Join The Army (1987, by Suicidal Tendencies, producer)
  • The Sane Asylum (1988, by Blind Illusion)
  • Bone Machine (1992, by Tom Waits, featuring Les Claypool on bass on 1 track)
  • Victor (1996, by Alex Lifeson, featuring Les Claypool on bass on 1 track)
  • Boggy Depot (1998, by Jerry Cantrell, Les played bass on the last two tracks)
  • Garage Inc. (1998, by Metallica, Les Claypool plays banjo on track 10 disc 1)
  • Monsters & Robots (1999, by Buckethead, Les Claypool and Brain play on select tracks. Japanese import features them on "Remote Viewer # 13" )
  • Mule Variations (1999, by Tom Waits, featuring Les Claypool (bass) on 1 track)
  • Crank It Up (2002, Les covered the Commander Cody classic Hot Rod Lincoln)
  • The Deep End, Volume 2 (2002, by Gov't Mule, featuring Les Claypool (bass and vocals) on 2 tracks)
  • The Deepest End (2003, by Gov't Mule, featuring Les Claypool (bass and vocals) on 2 tracks)
  • Real Gone (2004, by Tom Waits, featuring Les Claypool (bass) and Brian (drums) on select tracks)
  • Attention Dimension (2005, by Jack Irons, featuring Les Claypool on Shine On You Crazy Diamond)
  • Side One (2005, by Adrian Belew, featuring Les Claypool (bass) and Danny Carey (drums) on the first 3 tracks)
  • Be Careful What You Wish For... (2005, by Gabby La La, featuring Les Claypool on drums and bass)
  • Side Three (to be released late 2005/early 2006, by Adrian Belew, featuring Les Claypool (bass) and Danny Carey (drums))
  • Trios (1994, by Rob Wasserman, featuring Les Claypool (bass on track 9)
  • Trilogy (2004, by Rob Wasserman, featuring Les Claypool. 24-bit Remaster)
  • Big Bottom Pow Wow (1994, by Firehose, featuring Les claypool via telephone call)
  • Significant Others (by Limp Bizkit, featuring Les claypool on the unlisted bonus track called "the mind of les." The demo tape for the album features Les on "Hell of a Band.")
  • The Spent Poets (by The Spent Poets, The song The Rocks In Virgina's Dress features Les Claypool on drums.)
  • Live at Slims - Turbulance Chest (by Phonopsychographdisk, featuring Les Claypool on bass)
  • The Wild Bouquet (by The Wild Bouquet, featuring Les Claypool on bass on track 10)
  • GUITARS THAT RULE THE WORLD (Various Artists, featuring Les Claypool on "Filet Of Soul")
  • Live On (1999, by Kenny Wayne Sheppard Band, featuring Les Claypool on track # 9)
  • Germ's Choice: A KUSF Compilation (1988, featuring Primus demo of "tommy the cat")
  • Chef Aid: The South Park Album (1998, featuring 2 songs by Primus)
  • Brainscan (soundtrack) (1994, featuring Primus)
  • The FAMILY VALUES TOUR 1999 (1999, Various Artists featuring 2 live Primus songs)
  • The BEAVIS AND BUTTHEAD EXPERIENCE (1993, featuring Primus)
  • MTV SPORTS & MUSIC FESTIVAL (1998, featuring "Kalamazoo" by Primus)
  • Radio 501 (1993, Promo CD for Levi jeans)
  • Bonnaroo Vol. 2 (Various artists featuring "Number Two" by Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains)
  • Concrete Corner: October Sampler 2004 (Various artists featuring "Junior" by Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains)
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TV theme songs

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Videography

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VHS

  • Miscellaneous Debris (to go along with the EP released about the same time).
  • Cheesy Home Video (1992)
  • Horrible Swill (Fan Club Promo VHS, subtitled "A Tawdy Look at Primus on the road in 1998")
  • Videoplasty (1998, 85 minutes)
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DVD

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Equipment used

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Basses

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Amplification

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See also

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External links

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