Bubble Puppy
| Bubble Puppy | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Texas, United States |
| Genres | Psychedelic rock |
| Years active | 1966-1969 2011-present |
| Members | |
| Rod Prince Todd Potter David Fore Jimi Umstattd Mark Miller |
|
| Past members | |
| Rod Prince Roy Cox Todd Potter David Fore Danny Segovia Clayton Pulley Craig Root Rob Hammond |
|
Bubble Puppy is a Texan psychedelic rock band originally active from 1966 to 1969. They are best remembered for their Top-20 hit "Hot Smoke & Sassafras".
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Origins
The group was formed in 1966 in San Antonio, Texas by Rod Prince and Roy Cox. Looking to form a "top gun rock band" based on the concept of dual lead guitars, a staple of southern rock that was highly unusual on the psychedelic music scene, Prince and Cox recruited Todd Potter: a gymnast, saxophone player and guitarist. With the addition of Danny Segovia and Clayton Pulley, the original line up of Bubble Puppy was complete. The name "Bubble Puppy" was taken from "Centrifugal Bumble-Puppy", a fictitious children's game in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World.[1] Bubble Puppy's live debut was as the opening act for The Who in San Antonio.
After several line-up changes, the final roster for Bubble Puppy settled at Rod Prince and Todd Potter on lead guitars, Roy Cox on bass guitar, and David "Fuzzy" Fore on drums. In 1967, Bubble Puppy moved to Austin, Texas[2] and signed a recording contract with Houston-based International Artists, home to the 13th Floor Elevators and the Red Krayola.
[edit] Hot Smoke & Sassafras
Bubble Puppy scored a Top-20 U.S. hit in 1969 with their single, "Hot Smoke & Sassafras". The name was a misheard line lifted from an episode of "The Beverly Hillbillies".[3][4] The single peaked at number 14 on the Billboard 100 and number 15 (RPM) in Canada. In addition, the song was at the top of many radio station playlists over the summer of 1969. The song was also covered internationally, by The Mooche in the UK.[5]
In 1969, Bubble Puppy released their first full-length album, A Gathering of Promises. However, despite Bubble Puppy's early success with the "Hot Smoke & Sassafras" single, they experienced numerous conflicts with International Artists, and parted ways with the label in 1970.
[edit] Demian
Signing Nick St. Nicholas of Steppenwolf as a manager, Bubble Puppy moved to Los Angeles. Their name was changed to Demian (after Herman Hesse's 1919 novel at the suggestion of their manager's wife[6]); this was to avoid contractual difficulties with their previous record company but also because the former name appeared to link them with Bubblegum music.[6]
The group signed to ABC-Dunhill Records and released one self-titled album in 1971, but its failure to perform on the charts led to financial difficulties with the label and, in 1972, the group split up.
[edit] Later years
The members of Bubble Puppy continued to be active in the music industry after the band's demise. Potter and Prince played with Sirius[7] through the late 1970s, and Fore drummed with the Texas punk rock band, D-Day, co-writing their cult hit, "Too Young to Date".
In 1984 the original Bubble Puppy lineup reunited for performances and recordings, and they released their second LP, "Wheels Go Round".[7]
Roy Cox founded The Blues Knights and released two CDs: "Before I Go" in 1999, and "Road To Freedom" in 2001. He formed the NYC Outlaws in September 2007 in New York City, along with Tony Saracene on guitar, Dan Curley on guitar, Cody Willard on guitar, Evan Hammer on bass, and Billy Brooks on drums.
[edit] Reunion
On March 19, 2011, three of the original members of Bubble Puppy reunited for the first time in 25 years for a performance at The Austin Music Awards. The band also added Mark Miller (guitar) and Jimmy Umstattd (bass) to the line-up. David Fore met the two while playing in Austin cover band, the Kopy Kats. David and Mark also played together in the mid-70's in another popular Austin cover band, Zeus.
Bubble Puppy recently performed at The Saxon Pub in Austin, TX on Friday, December 30, 2011.
[edit] Band Members
[edit] Original Members
- Rod Prince - Lead Guitar / Vocals
- Roy Cox - Bass Guitar / Vocals
- Todd Potter - Lead Guitar / Vocals
- David Fore - Drummer / Vocals
[edit] Current Members
- Rod Prince - Guitar / Vocals
- Jimi Umstattd - Bass Guitar / Vocals
- Todd Potter - Lead Guitar / Vocals
- Mark Miller - Guitar / Vocals
- David Fore - Drummer / Vocals
[edit] Discography
[edit] Singles
- "Hot Smoke & Sassafras" / "Lonely" (November/December 1968)
- "Beginning" / "If I Had a Reason" (1969)
- "Days of Our Time" / "Thinkin' About Thinkin'" (Fall 1969)
- "Hurry Sundown" / "What Do You See" (1969/1970)
- "Face the Crowd" / "Love People" (1971)
[edit] Studio
- A Gathering of Promises (1969) International Artists LP #10
- Demian (1971) released under the band name "Demian" on ABC-Dunhill Records
[edit] Live
- Wheels Go Round (1987) recorded at a reunion show in 1984; released on One Big Guitar Records
[edit] Compilation
- Hot Smoke (2000) released on CD by Actual Artists
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- bubblepuppy.com Official Site
