Rock On The Net: Toad The Wet Sprocket (original) (raw)

Toad The Wet Sprocket consists of Glen Phillips (vocals, keyboard and guitar), Todd Nichols (guitars and vocals), Randy Guss (drums), and Dean Dinning (bass, vocals, and keyboard). The group members met in high school and later formed the band in 1986 in California and named themselves after a Monty Python sketch. The band started as 4 friends from high school having fun playing music together with little intention of striking it big or making a career out of music.

Toad's first LP, Bread And Circus, was recorded independently (for $650) as the band played local bars. The band was soon signed with Columbia Records on the condition that Bread And Circusbe released "as-is" - and it was in August, 1989. The band then hit the road to promote themselves and the LP.

Toad The Wet Sprocket released Pale.
Phillips said of their luck, "I think the thing that saved us a lot of grief is that we fell into this by accident... we got signed in the summer after what was going to be our last year together... when the summer ended, I was suppose to go off to college."

Toad's folk-influenced alternative/rock style became successful to a large audience with their third LP release, Fear. The band found success on the radio with tracks such as the Top 10, "All I Want" and "Walk On The Ocean." The LP also features Glen Phillip's wife Laurel appearing on the track "Butterflies."

# 53 Singles Artist of the Year

Toad The Wet Sprocket hit the Top 40 with "All I Want."

Toad The Wet Sprocket hit the Top 10 with "All I Want."

Toad The Wet Sprocket hit the Top 40 with "Walk On The Ocean."

# 91Singles Artist of the Year

# 65Singles Artist of the Year

Toad The Wet Sprocket released Dulcineawhich contained the hits "Fall Down" and "Something's Always Wrong."Q magazine said of the LP, "...the quietly considered craftsmanship that has earned them favorable comparisons with R.E.M. and Crowded House remains in evidence here..."

Toad The Wet Sprocket recorded a cover tune for a Kiss tribute LP, Kiss My Ass - "Rock And Roll All Night."
Toad The Wet Sprockettopped the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart for 6 weeks with "Fall Down."

Toad The Wet Sprocket hit the Top 40 with "Fall Down."

Toad The Wet Sprocket hit the Top 40 with "Something's Always Wrong."

The band released In Light Syrup - a collection of unreleased material and b-sides.
Toad The Wet Sprocket hit the Top 40 with "Good Intentions."

Toad The Wet Sprocket released Coil (after many delays) with the track "Come Down."

The band spent their summer touring with the H.O.R.D.E. tour.

Toad The Wet Sprocket could be heard on the soundtrack to I Know What You Did Last Summer with their version of The Beatles' "Hey Bulldog."

Toad The Wet Sprocket decided to go their separate ways and split up after 12 years of making music together. "Emerging differences" was sites as the reason for the breakup, and Glenn Phillips stated, "in recent months it became harder to keep everyone satisfied within the confines of the band... it felt like if we stayed together much longer, the tensions would hurt both the music and our friendships." Todd Nichols added: "we were together longer than we ever thought we'd be... we never thought it would turn into a career but it did, and good one at that... but after 12 years it was time for a change."

Toad The Wet Sprocket released a greatest hits collection: P.S. (A Toad Retrospective).

In Light Syrup was certified gold.

Toad The Wet Sprocket reunited to open for some Counting Crows shows.

Toad The Wet Sprocket began touring again.

# 362 on the Top Pop Artists of the Past 25 Years chart.

Toad The Wet Sprocket released New Constellation.

• September 17: Toad The Wet Sprocket released Starting Now.