Leslie Edward "Les" Claypool (born September 29, 1963) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musicianA musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and
writerA writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, best known as the lead vocalist and bassist in the band
PrimusPrimus is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by Lane, though the latter two departed...
. Claypool's playing style on the
electric bassThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
mixes
tappingTapping is a guitar playing technique, where a string is fretted and set into vibration as part of a single motion of being pushed onto the fretboard, as opposed to the standard technique being fretted with one hand and picked with the other...
,
flamencoFlamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
-like strumming, whammy bar bends and
slappingIn music, the term slapping is often used to refer to two different playing techniques used on the double bass and on the bass guitar.-Double bass:...
.
Claypool has also self produced and engineered his solo releases from his own studio "Rancho Relaxo". 2006 saw the release of a full-length feature film
Electric ApricotElectric Apricot: Quest For Festeroo is a mockumentary film by Primus lead-man Les Claypool, featuring himself as well as others using pseudonyms. The band Electric Apricot played occasional shows in 2004 and 2005, unannounced, in the California area for footage. The Electric Apricot also made an...
written and directed by Claypool as well as a
debut novelA debut novel is the first novel an author publishes. Debut novels are the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to publish in the future...
South of the PumphouseSouth Of The Pumphouse is a 2006 novella by rock musician Les Claypool. The book can be described as a tragic tale containing themes of family, racism, drugs, and misconceptions...
.
Early years
Claypool was born September 29, 1963
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1330178/ in
Richmond, CaliforniaRichmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. It is located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a residential inner suburb of San Francisco, as well as the site of heavy industry, which has been...
,
but was raised in
El Sobrante, CaliforniaEl Sobrante is a census-designated place in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The population was 12,669 at the 2010 census...
in a working class family with a history of working as auto mechanics.
A close family friend, Rhys Hickman, taught him the basics of the slap bass technique, which he mastered throughout his educational period. His early education included Collins Elementary School and
De Anza High SchoolDe Anza High School is a secondary school located in Richmond, California, named after Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza.The school originally opened in 1955. In 2005 local voters passed Measure J, a bond measure which included $161 million to completely rebuild the De Anza campus...
, where he was a personal friend of
Kirk HammettKirk Lee Hammett is the lead guitarist and a songwriter in the heavy metal band Metallica and has been a member of the band since 1983. Before joining Metallica he formed and named the band Exodus. In 2003, Hammett was ranked 11th on Rolling Stones list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time...
.
In 1986, after the death of
MetallicaMetallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
bassist
Cliff BurtonClifford Lee "Cliff" Burton was an American musician, best known as the bass guitarist for the American heavy metal band Metallica....
, school friend Kirk Hammett encouraged Claypool to audition for Metallica as Burton's successor. In Metallica's
Behind the MusicBehind the Music is a television series on VH1. It originally ran from 1997 to 2006, before it was stopped and only aired new episodes sporadically. The series places its generality on documentation of musical artists or groups who are interviewed and profiled, and discuss how their careers became...
, Claypool said that he jokingly asked the others if they wanted to "jam on some Isley Brothers tunes" during the audition, a reference to his little experience of the
thrash metalThrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
scene.
James HetfieldJames Alan Hetfield is the rhythm guitarist, co-founder, main songwriter, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering a classified advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler,...
remarked that Claypool was not awarded the job because "he was too good" and "should do his own thing". Claypool would later admit that he wouldn't have fit in with the band and "would've looked like a freak". The bass slot was instead given to
Jason NewstedJason Curtis Newsted is an American bassist known for his work with Metallica, Voivod and Flotsam and Jetsam. Joining Metallica in 1986 after Cliff Burton's death, Newsted remained a member until 2001, making him the band's longest-serving bassist...
, who played with Metallica until his departure in 2001. For several years before forming Primus, Claypool worked as a carpenter in El Sobrante. Claypool has cited
Larry GrahamLarry Graham, Jr. is an African American bass guitar player, both with the popular and influential psychedelic soul/funk band Sly & the Family Stone, and as the founder and frontman of Graham Central Station...
,
Chris SquireChristopher Russell Edward "Chris" Squire , is an English musician, known as the bass guitarist and backing vocalist for the progressive rock group Yes. He is the only member of the group to appear on every album.-Before Yes:...
,
Tony LevinTony Levin is an American progressive rock musician, specializing in bass guitar, Chapman stick and upright bass ....
,
Geddy LeeGary Lee Weinrib, OC, better known as Geddy Lee , is a Canadian musician, best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Canadian rock group Rush...
,
Paul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
,
Geezer ButlerGeezer Butler is an English musician and songwriter. Butler is best known as the bassist and lyricist of heavy metal band Black Sabbath. He was also involved in Heaven & Hell from 2006 to 2010.-Career:Butler formed his first band, Rare Breed, with old friend John "Ozzy" Osbourne in the autumn of...
,
Bootsy CollinsWilliam Earl "Bootsy" Collins is an American funk bassist, singer, and songwriter.Rising to prominence with James Brown in the late 1960s, and with Parliament-Funkadelic in the '70s, Collins's driving bass guitar and humorous vocals established him as one of the leading names in funk...
,
Stanley ClarkeStanley Clarke is an American jazz musician and composer known for his innovative and influential work on double bass and electric bass guitar as well as for his numerous film and television scores...
,
John Paul JonesJohn Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
, and Sting as his musical influences
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/les-claypool-p64967.
Primus
PrimusPrimus is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by Lane, though the latter two departed...
began as Primate with Les Claypool, guitarist
Todd HuthTodd Richard Huth is an American guitarist. He is best known as an original member of the band Primus, along with bassist/lyricist Les Claypool....
and various drummers, most notably
Jay LaneJay Lane is an American drummer from the San Francisco Bay Area. He is currently a member of Primus, as well as Bob Weir's RatDog, Scaring the Children with Weir and Rob Wasserman, and the hip hop/jazz fusion group Alphabet Soup. In 2002, Lane was named "drummer of the year" by the California...
, in the mid-1980s, though Huth and Lane left shortly thereafter to pursue other projects. Claypool replaced them with guitarist
Larry LaLondeLarry "Ler" LaLonde is a guitarist who currently plays in Primus along with Les Claypool and Jay Lane...
and drummer
Tim AlexanderTim "Herb" Alexander is an American musician, best known as the former drummer for the rock band Primus. Tim played on the Primus recordings Suck on This to Tales from the Punchbowl, before leaving the band in 1996, only to rejoin in 2003 for the EP Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People...
in 1989 (Tim "Herb" Alexander left the band in 1996 and was replaced by Brian "Brain" Mantia).
From 1989 to 2000, Primus steadily became one of the most bizarre bands to gain significant mainstream airplay, headlining
LollapaloozaLollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
in 1993, appearing on
Late Show with David LettermanLate Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
and
Late Night with Conan O'BrienLate Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
in 1995, and even making an appearance at
Woodstock '94Woodstock '94, often called the "commercial Woodstock" or "Mudstock", was a music festival organized to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the original Woodstock Festival of 1969...
where they performed their
Pork Soda-Personnel:Primus*Les Claypool – basses, mandolin, vocals*Larry LaLonde – guitar, six-string banjo*Tim "Herb" Alexander – drumsProduction*Derek Featherstone – engineer*Leslie Gerard-Smith – project coordinator...
hit "
My Name Is Mud"My Name Is Mud" is a song by alternative rock/metal band Primus and is the first single from the 1993 album Pork Soda. The lyrics are written from the point of view of a blue-collar man, Alowishus Devadander Abercrombie, who has murdered his friend after an argument...
" and were pelted with mud (Claypool claims to still have mud in his speakers). In 1991, the band was featured in the cult classic movie
Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey, performing ,"
Tommy the Cat"Tommy the Cat" is a song by the funk metal band Primus, first released in 1989 on their live first album, Suck on This. The studio version was released on their third album, Sailing the Seas of Cheese....
" live. Also, in 1997, they were asked to play, and record, the theme song for the animated television show
South ParkSouth Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
. Claypool and
Tom WaitsThomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
have recorded on each other's records since 1991 and have continued to do so. In 1999, he let Activision use the song "
Jerry Was a Race Car Driver"Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" is the first single of Primus's 1991 album Sailing the Seas of Cheese. The song tells the stories of two characters, Jerry, an ill-fated race car driver who collides with a telephone pole while driving intoxicated and Captain Pierce, a retired fireman.-Composition and...
" on the hit video game
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater-Reception:The game was very well-received by most critics, scoring an outstanding 92 on Metacritic based on 18 reviews for the PS1 version. IGN gave the N64 version of the game a 9.1 out of 10 praising the gameplay for "genius control, combo system and design" despite little criticism with sound...
. In 2000, Primus went on indefinite hiatus.
In mid 2003, Claypool reunited with former Primus drummer
Tim AlexanderTim "Herb" Alexander is an American musician, best known as the former drummer for the rock band Primus. Tim played on the Primus recordings Suck on This to Tales from the Punchbowl, before leaving the band in 1996, only to rejoin in 2003 for the EP Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People...
and guitarist Ler LaLonde to record a DVD/EP called
Animals Should Not Try to Act Like PeopleAnimals Should Not Try to Act Like People is a career-spanning retrospective DVD plus bonus EP by Primus, released on October 7, 2003. The title was inspired by a crayon-made story book written by guitarist Larry LaLonde's son, and the cover depicts a sculpture made by long-time Primus collaborator...
, which Claypool described as the first DVD with supplementary music, as opposed to the contrary. In October of that year, 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-Personnel:Primus*Les Claypool – electric bass, string bass, six-string fretless bass, clarinet, vocals*Larry LaLonde – electric guitar, six-string banjo*Tim "Herb" Alexander – drums, water jugProduction*Chris Bellman – mastering...
in its entirety. They continued touring into 2004, now performing their 1990 release
Frizzle Fry-Personnel:Primus*Les Claypool – electric bass, electric fiddle bass, string bass, vocals*Larry LaLonde – electric guitar, acoustic guitar*Tim "Herb" Alexander – drumsProduction*Todd Huth – second acoustic guitar on "Toys"...
as the second set, as documented on the DVD
Hallucino-Genetics-Personnel:Primus*Les Claypool – bass, vocals*Larry LaLonde – guitar*Tim Alexander – drumsProduction*Zoltron – producer*David Lefkowitz – management*Jesse Rice – project coordinatorMedia...
: Live 2004.
In Mid-August 2006, a DVD release entitled
Blame It on the Fish was added to the listings of Amazon and other online shops. Shortly thereafter, the website
The PRP reported that a rumor had surfaced implying that the band was quietly planning a North American tour for November/December 2006. On October 17, 2006, Primus released both their first greatest hits CD
They Can't All Be Zingers and their third DVD
Blame It on The FishBlame It on the Fish: An Abstract Look at the 2003 Primus Tour de Fromage is a DVD by Primus that was released on October 17, 2006. It was directed by Matthew J. Powers and produced by Powers Philms and Frizzle Fry Inc. This DVD contains clips of songs and interviews taken from Primus' 2003 Tour de...
, subtitled
An Abstract Look at the 2003 Primus Tour De Fromage.
They Can't All Be Zingers includes sixteen digitally remastered songs that span their entire career, including a previously unreleased and extended version of "
Shake Hands with Beef"Shake Hands With Beef" is the name of a single from the Brown Album by the alternative rock band Primus.-Music video:The video, directed by Les Claypool, features him, Larry LaLonde, and new drummer Bryan Mantia dressed in orange and brown playing atop a garbage can, while a family grills up a...
", the
Tom WaitsThomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
collaboration "Coattails of a Deadman," and "Mary the Ice Cube" from the 2003 DVD and EP
Animals Should Not Try to Act Like PeopleAnimals Should Not Try to Act Like People is a career-spanning retrospective DVD plus bonus EP by Primus, released on October 7, 2003. The title was inspired by a crayon-made story book written by guitarist Larry LaLonde's son, and the cover depicts a sculpture made by long-time Primus collaborator...
. Blame It on the Fish: An Abstract Look at the 2003 Primus Tour De Fromage contains live footage from the band's 2003 reunion tour, interview segments and behind the scenes footage. The DVD includes a 70 minute feature film and 90 minutes of bonus material, including a 30 minute
mockumentaryA mockumentary , is a type of film or television show in which fictitious events are presented in documentary format. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on current events and issues by using a fictitious setting, or to parody the documentary form itself...
about the band in 2065.
Blame It on the Fish is directed by Matthew J. Powers, who directed
Never Been Done, a documentary about
Jon ComerJon Comer is the first professional skateboarder with a prosthetic limb . He is featured in the award winning documentary "Never Been Done". Jon earned the respect of skateboarding legends like Tony Hawk, Steve Caballero, and Mike Vallely who admire Jon’s success and determination. Jon...
.
Claypool has let the video game
Guitar Hero 2 use the Primus song, "John the Fisherman," one of two songs in the game using the original recording instead of a cover.