Toad the Wet Sprocket

  • Santa Barbara, CA
    hometown
  • Alternative
    genre
  • 1986
    started
  • Bio
    full story
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About Toad the Wet Sprocket

Official Site: http://houseoftoad.com/


Named in honor of a sketch by the Monty Python comedy troupe, Toad the Wet Sprocket became one of the most successful alternative rock bands of the early '90s, boasting a contemporary folk-pop sound that wielded enough melody and R.E.M.-styled jangle to straddle both the modern rock and adult contemporary markets. Singer Glen Phillips, guitarist Todd Nichols, bassist Dean Dinning (the nephew of '50s hitmaker Mark "Teen Angel" Dinning), and drummer Randy Guss formed the group in 1986 in their native Santa Barbara, CA. After honing their sound in local bars, the bandmates entered a nearby studio in 1988 and recorded their debut LP, Bread and Circus, in eight days at a cost of $650. Originally sold as a homemade cassette in Santa Barbara record stores, the album eventually made its way to the Los Angeles offices of Columbia Records, which signed Toad only after agreeing to the band's request to reissue Bread and Circus in its original form, without any alterations or remixes.

The somber Pale, produced by Marvin Etzioni, followed in 1990. After years of persistent touring, Toad the Wet Sprocket's commercial breakthrough followed with 1991's Fear, as the single "All I Want" -- quite nearly left off the album -- became a Top 20 hit. Another single from the LP, "Walk on the Ocean," fared similarly well, and the combination pushed Fear to platinum sales. Three years later, Toad returned with Dulcinea, which generated a third Top 40 hit with the single "Fall Down." While "Fall Down" seemingly catered to the grunge generation with its minor-key riffs and anxious vocals, the bulk of Dulcinea emphasized Toad the Wet Sprocket's acoustic craft, and the band scored another hit with the mellow "Something's Always Wrong."

In Light Syrup, a collection of unreleased material, appeared in 1995. Although it contained the hit song "Good Intentions," the album didn't sell nearly as well as its predecessors, possibly due to the inclusion of "Good Intentions" on the popular Friends soundtrack. Coil, Toad the Wet Sprocket's fifth proper LP, followed in 1997 and suffered a similar fate, yielding one single ("Come Down") but failing to command the attention of Toad's earlier work. Faced with a dwindling stream of hits, the group ultimately split in July 1998, with the compilation album P.S.: A Toad Retrospective surfacing in 1999.

Glen Phillips launched a solo career several years after the band's breakup. He remained the most visible member of the group, collaborating with Nickel Creek and issuing a string of solo releases during the early 2000s. Toad the Wet Sprocket reconvened for several tours during the decade's latter half, with Phillips often serving as the band's own opening act. Apart from the concert recording Welcome Home: Live at the Arlington Theatre, Santa Barbara 1992, however, they failed to release any material. ~ Jason Ankeny & Andrew Leahey, Rovi

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Music

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  • Fall Down
    toad-the-wet-sprocket-00
    Video
    Fall Down
  • All I Want
    toad-the-wet-sprocket-00
    Video
    All I Want
  • 910
    SoundStream
    SoundStream
    song name
    0:00
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    All the music you want, just 10 bucks a month. Try it free.
    • Denomination Blues Pt. 1
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/1/4/2/4/2/990524241.mp3
    • Denomination Blues
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/5/1/4/8/7/263178415.mp3
    • What Are They Doing In Heaven Today?
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/0/2/0/0/8/126280020.mp3
    • Denomination Blues: Part 2
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/0/1/0/0/8/126280010.mp3
    • Lift Him Up That's All
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/2/0/2/5/6/977765202.mp3
    • What Are They Doing In Heaven Today
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/9/4/7/5/6/977765749.mp3

Photos

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  • Toad the Wet Sprocket
    Courtesy of Columbia

News

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  • Toad the Wet Sprocket
    Song Premiere: Toad the Wet Sprocket Find a 'New Constellation'
    www.rollingstone.com
    Alternative-rockers Toad the Wet Sprocket will release New Constellation, their sixth studio album - and first since 1997's Coil - on September 17th o...
    Read More
  • Toad the Wet Sprocket
    Toad the Wet Sprocket Find a 'New Constellation' - Song Premiere
    music.yahoo.com
    Related ContentView Photo Toad the Wet Sprocket Find a 'New Constellation' - Song Premiere Alternative-rockers Toad the Wet Sprocket will release New ...
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Tour Dates

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  • Jul 12 Friday
    Chattanooga, TN, US Track29
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 13 Saturday
    Peachtree City, GA, US Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater
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  • Jul 14 Sunday
    Knoxville, TN, US Bijou Theatre
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  • Jul 15 Monday
    Asheville, NC, US The Orange Peel
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  • Jul 17 Wednesday
    Carrboro, NC, US Cat's Cradle
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  • Jul 18 Thursday
    Virginia Beach, VA, US Neptune Park
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  • Jul 19 Friday
    Charlotte, NC, US Neighborhood Theatre
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  • Jul 22 Monday
    Isle of Palms, SC, US The Windjammer
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  • Jul 24 Wednesday
    Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, US Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
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  • Jul 26 Friday
    Fort Lauderdale, FL, US Culture Room
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  • Jul 27 Saturday
    Saint Petersburg, FL, US State Theatre
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  • Aug 8 Thursday
    Santa Fe, NM, US Sol
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  • Aug 9 Friday
    Arvada, CO, US Arvada Center For The Arts & Humanities
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  • Aug 10 Saturday
    Boulder, CO, US Chautauqua Auditorium
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  • Aug 11 Sunday
    Breckenridge, CO, US Riverwalk Center
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  • Aug 15 Thursday
    St Louis, MO, US The Pageant
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  • Aug 16 Friday
    Kansas City, MO, US Uptown Theater
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  • Aug 17 Saturday
    West Siloam Springs, OK, US Seven
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  • Aug 22 Thursday
    Saratoga, CA, US Mountain Winery
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  • Aug 23 Friday
    West Hollywood, CA, US Troubadour
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  • Aug 24 Saturday
    San Diego, CA, US Humphrey's Concerts by the Bay
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  • Nov 1 Friday
    Boston, MA, US Wilbur Theatre
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  • Nov 6 Wednesday
    New York, NY, US The Bowery Ballroom
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  • Nov 8 Friday
    Englewood, NJ, US Bergen Performing Arts Center
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  • Nov 9 Saturday
    Glenside, PA, US Keswick Theatre
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  • Nov 11 Monday
    Pittsburgh, PA, US Altar Bar
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Discography

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  • All You Want (2011)
    Toad the Wet Sprocket
    All You Want (2011)
  • Welcome Home: Live at the Arlington Theatre, Santa Barbara 1992 (2005)
    Toad the Wet Sprocket
    Welcome Home: Live at the Arlington Theatre, Santa Barbara 1992 (2005)
    Sbme Special Mkts.
  • Coil (1997)
    Toad the Wet Sprocket
    Coil (1997)
    Columbia
  • Dulcinea (1994)
    Toad the Wet Sprocket
    Dulcinea (1994)
    Columbia
  • Fear (1991)
    Toad the Wet Sprocket
    Fear (1991)
    Columbia
  • Pale (1990)
    Toad the Wet Sprocket
    Pale (1990)
    Columbia
  • Bread and Circus (1989)
    Toad the Wet Sprocket
    Bread and Circus (1989)
    Columbia
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