Toad the Wet Sprocket - Definition and Overview

Toad the Wet Sprocket was an American folk pop band consisting of singer Glen Phillips, guitarist Todd Nichols, bassist Dean Dinning, and drummer Randy Guss. The band formed in 1986 at San Marcos High School in Santa Barbara, California, and drew their name from the John Cleese monologue "Rock Notes" on Monty Python's Contractual Obligation Album (1980).

Toad the Wet Sprocket released six original LPs, one compilation album, various singles, a music video compilation, and one live recording, who reissued their independently produced debut Bread and Circus in 1989. Their best-known album is 1991's Fear, which featured the hit singles "All I Want" and "Walk on the Ocean".

Toad the Wet Sprocket formally broke up in July 1998, citing creative differences and strain on the foursome's friendship. Glen Phillips has since embarked on a solo career, and Todd Nichols went on to form the band Lapdog, which currently includes Randy Guss and formerly included Dean Dinning.

Toad the Wet Sprocket temporarily reunited for a 25-date tour in February and March 2003.

Discography

Albums

• Bread and Circus (1989)
• Pale (1990)
• Fear (1991) RIAA certified Platinum
  • "Walk on the Ocean"
  • "All I Want"
• Dulcinea (1994) RIAA certified Platinum
  • "Something's Always Wrong"
  • "Fall Down"
• In Light Syrup (1995) RIAA certified Gold
  • "Brother"
  • "Good Intentions"
• Coil (1997)
  • "Come Down"
  • "Crazy Life"
• P.S. (A Toad Retrospective) (1999) (contains two new tracks)
  • "P.S."
  • "Silo Lullaby"
• (released on October 19, 2004)
  • Recorded live in Santa Barbara, California on September 30, 1992.

Singles/Promotional

• Five Live promo CD (1992)
• All I Want CD single (1992)
• Fall Down CD single (1994)
• Acoustic Dance Party (1994 live album)
• Fly From Heaven CD single (1995)
• Come Down CD single (1996)

Videos

• Seven Songs Seldom Seen (1992 music video compilation)
  • "All I Want"
  • "Walk on the Ocean"

Appearances

Toad the Wet Sprocket songs have also appeared on various soundtracks, samplers and compilations:

• Buffy the Vampire Slayer soundtrack (1992)
  • "Little Heaven" (collected on In Light Syrup)
• Columbia Indestructible compilation
  • "Cinnamon Girl" (live; previously unreleased)
• Coca-Cola sampler (1991)
  • "Walk on the Ocean" (from Fear (Toad the Wet Sprocket album))
• Drop Zone soundtrack (1994)
  • "Fall Down" (from Dulcinea)
• Empire Records soundtrack (1995)
  • "Crazy Life" (from Coil)
• Fear soundtrack (1996)
  • "Something's Always Wrong" (from Dulcinea)
• Friends soundtrack (1995)
  • "Good Intentions" (collected on In Light Syrup)
• I Know What You Did Last Summer soundtrack (1997)
  • "Hey Bulldog" (remake of Beatles song)
• Kiss My Ass (1994 KISS tribute album)
  • "Rock and Roll All Night" (remake of KISS song)
• compilation (1997)
  • "Acid" (previously unreleased?)
• The Best of Columbia Records Radio Hour Volume 2 (1996)
  • "Fly From Heaven" (from Dulcinea)
• So I Married an Axe Murderer soundtrack (1993)
  • "Brother" (collected on In Light Syrup)
• Stop Handgun Violence (2000)
  • "This Is My Life" (previously unreleased)
• soundtrack (1994)
  • "Stories I Tell" (from Fear)
• (1995)
  • "Instant Karma" (remake of John Lennon song)

External links

• Official Toad the Wet Sprocket site (http://www.toadthewetsprocket.com/)
• Toad the WWWet Sprocket fan site (http://sprocket.sytes.net/toad/)
• Official Glen Phillips site (http://www.glenphillips.com/)
• Official Lapdog site (http://www.lapdogmusic.com/)
• Live shows available from The Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org/audio/)