Like most bands, The Electric Mayhem has experienced more than a few ups and downs nearly 50 years since its inception. That they are all still alive to tell the tale says much. But what skeletons lurk in the closet one of the tightest bands in showbiz?
Dr. Gerald Teeth Jr, D.D.S.
Coming from an affluent family of doctors (Dr. Gerald Teeth Sr. and Dr. Tina Teeth), Gerald’s path in life was neatly laid out for him. A chance meeting as a child saw him jamming on harmonica with an older musician on guitar (future Mayhemer, Floyd) only to be chastised by his mother, lest the mouth organ wear away the enamel on his teeth. Teeth were the family business and Gerald wasn’t one to disappoint, despite the allure of life as a musician, and duly he qualified as a practising dentist.
He was cagey about revealing his decidedly un-rock ‘n’ roll beginnings to others, though he was ever the entertainer. Appearing on Johnny Carson‘s ‘Tonight’ show in March 1975, he declared his music as “catastrophe music, a towering inferno of bongo drums“. When pushed on his beginnings, the truth was somewhat mangled:
“Well, ya see, I was working in demolition before this. I was blowing up buildings and one day I looked down in the street and saw a bunch of kids boogying to my blasting. So I knew I’d found my milieu. I also figured there was a lot of money to be made and I should make some of it, or a lot of it. I don’t know. Most of it.” When asked about his distinctive grin, Dr. Teeth explained, “I melted down three gold records to get this tooth. You might say I put my money where my mouth is.”
The story behind his gold peg has changed depending on his mood and who was asking the question: he has also claimed that he got it from a voodoo princess named Tianna in Tupelo, and later that it’s a gold cap, made from his Great Granddaddy’s solid gold floss case.
Usually seen with a distinctive feathered hat, he is generally said to have based his act on that of Dr John, though this is more likely down to his appearance and habit of scrambling sentences than musical style. Despite establishing himself as band leader, vocalist and keyboardist, Teeth’s tenure was short-lived. First, after a revolt by the other band members, the band became known simply as, ‘The Electic Mayhem’, with Teeth removed from the title. He was later relegated to backup singer and keyboardist and also drives the band’s psychedelic tour bus He did not feature in the Muppets orchestra pit when it is referenced throughout the show.
Teeth also occasionally worked in the studio with Solid Foam which featured in the ‘Jim Henson Hour‘. He is in a romantic relationship with Penny Waxman of Wax Town Records. In his spare time, he keeps bees.
Sgt. Floyd Pepper
The elder statesman of the band, Floyd plays left-handed bass and over the years has moved over to lead vocals more often than not. His military title is adopted due to his love of The Beatles (he often wears a red jacket reminiscent of that of George Harrison on the Sgt. Pepper album cover) and not through active service. Though considered a beatnik and counterculture figure, his pithy asides are at odds with his real life. He is the adopted parent of The Electric Mayhem’s drummer, Animal, who was left abandoned on his doorstep as a child.
Although using several different bass guitars including the odd Gibson, over the years he is usually seen with a Fender model of some description. He has a general distrust of anything modern or progressive and has little time for those outside of the music business, and is often found backstage sarcastically mocking anyone close by.
As per his surname, reference has been made to his passing similarity to Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason, as well as Jeff ‘Skunk’ Baxter, occasional member of The Doobie Brothers, Spirit and Steely Dan. His vocal delivery is somewhat Willie Nelson-esque. Appearing alongside him on a 1979 episode of The Muppet Show, guest Dizzy Gillespie declared, “Man, that bass player Floyd – he’s a real mover.” During the band’s downtime, Floyd is said to have made a fortune composing and playing TV ad jingles.
Animal
Son of LaVerne, also a notable drummer, drummer Animal is the adopted child of Floyd Pepper. Named due to his primal behaviour, it is likely his birth parents abandoned him due to his erratic behaviour. Animal has done more than most to perpetuate the stereotype of the rock drummer being a monosyllabic Neanderthal, though claims that he is based specifically on Keith Moon, John Bonham, Ginger Baker, or Levon Helm are to be taken with a pinch of salt. Obsessed with percussion, food, and women, Animal’s musical style errs towards full-throttled attack, with slower musical pieces raising his significant eyebrows.
Animal featured in two particularly notable drum battles – one against Harry Belafonte; and the other against Buddy Rich, who he ignominiously crowned with his kit after losing. Other encounters include Dave Grohl and James Coburn. Animal was eventually made a resident of a Santa Barbara clinic for anger management, though he returned to the drum kit when the allure proved once again too much.
- The majority of Animal’s drum parts were actually played by jazz drummer Ronnie Verrell, a performer even Buddy Rich admired (it was the pair who actually duelled in the show). Verrell backed stars such as Nat King Cole, Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey, though spent much of his career as a session musician, playing on the soundtracks to ‘The Avengers’, ‘Thunderbirds’, and ‘Captain Scarlet’. He spent ten years as part of Jack Parnell‘s ATV Orchestra, the sound behind The Muppet Show.
Zoot
Burned out and mentally all at sea, sax player Zoot is committed to his instrument, even though on occasion he forgets what it is. This isn’t so surprising given that the appearance he’s best known for – playing the bum note at the end of the Muppet Show theme – is emitted from a baritone sax, whereas he appears to always play an alto sax. To add to the confusion, his usual tones are that of a tenor saxophone.
Zoot – real name ‘Zootowski’ – is Jewish, as referenced more than once, though details about his life are generally hard to grasp. It is suggested he sleeps rough at least some of the time and as the years progress and his lack of verbal communication becomes more acute, it is intimated that he is an alcoholic. He was briefly in a relationship with guitarist, Janice before she moved on to Floyd. He is sometimes seen to apparently be hallucinating, at other times seemingly confused as to his whereabouts and has an appalling memory.
His perma-shades and hat look are derived from Argentinian sax player Gato Barbieri, perhaps best known for composing the score to Bertolucci’s ‘Last Tango in Paris‘. In later years he took up photography as a means of capturing his view of the world.
- Zoot’s sax parts are played by Frank Reidy, part of Jack Parnell’s orchestra. He had spent many years playing with everyone from Benny Goodman to Laurie Johnson. He can be heard on the soundtracks to ‘Captain Scarlet’ and ‘Space: 1999 and was also part of the musical troupe backing up The Goons.
Janice
Janice (the name is a nod to Janice Joplin – her look to Joni Mitchell and Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary) is the lead guitarist and backing vocalist (with the odd lead) in Electric Mayhem. Like Floyd, she plays left-handed and is nearly almost seen playing a Gibson Les Paul. She is seen dancing with Zoot in the first episode of The Muppets but later appears to be in a steady relationship with Floyd Pepper.
Something of a flower child (even her mother’s name was Daisy), she has the perma-sunny disposition of late 60s California chick coupled with a ditzy enthusiasm that leads her to sometimes animatedly enter conversations about the wrong subject. Janice has pretensions of becoming an actor, regularly appearing in Veterinarian’s Hospital as a nurse. An incident in which she ate expired marshmallows and hallucinated is not believed to have had any lasting effects on her.
Lips
Trumpeter Lips only appeared in the final season of the original run of The Muppet Show. The shaggy-haired and goateed Lips rarely spoke and when he did it was little more than a mumble.
Daz Lawrence
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