Representative Albums: "A Gathering of Promises," "Hot Smoke"
Representative Song: "Hot Smoke and Sasafrass"
Biography
Though typically overshadowed by International Artists labelmates the 13th Floor Elevators, Bubble Puppy enjoyed arguably the greatest commercial success of all the Texas psychedelic bands, scoring a Top 20 pop hit with "Hot Smoke & Sasafrass." The roots of the group lie in the Corpus Christi-based Bad Seeds, a trio comprising singer/guitarist Rod Prince, bassist Roy Cox, and drummer Clayton Pulley (later replaced by David Fore); with the 1967 addition of guitarist Todd Potter, the foursome changed their name to Willowdale Handcar, finally settling on Bubble Puppy a year later. Their raw, garage-psych sound soon landed the group a deal with the famed Texas label International Artists, which issued Bubble Puppy's debut LP, A Gathering of Promises, in 1969; despite the runaway success of "Hot Smoke & Sasafrass," subsequent singles including "If I Had a Reason," "Days of Our Time," and "What Do You See?" stiffed, prompting the quartet to change its name to Demian. A self-titled effort followed in 1971 on ABC/Dunhill, but when the single "Face the Crowd" garnered little attention, the band dissolved. In 1977 Prince and Potter teamed under the name Sirius, recruiting bassist George Rarey and drummer Mark Evans to record 1979's Sirius Rising; in 1987, the original Bubble Puppy lineup reunited, drawing influence from the latter-day Texas rock of ZZ Top for their comeback LP, Wheels Go Round. Cox subsequently fronted the BluesKnights. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
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, 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'sBrave New World. [1] Bubble Puppy's live debut was as the opening act for The Who in San Antonio.
Bubble Puppy scored a Top-20 U.S. hit in 1969 with their single, "Hot Smoke & Sasafrass". 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. The song was also covered internationally, by The Mooche in the UK.[5]
In 1969, Bubble Puppy released their only full-length album, A Gathering of Promises. However, despite Bubble Puppy's early success with the "Hot Smoke & Sasafrass" single, they experienced numerous conflicts with International Artists, and parted ways with the label in 1970.
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.
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, released as the LP, Wheels Go Round.[7]
Roy Cox founded The Blues Knights and issued a CD entitled "Before I Go" in 1999. 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.
Members
Rod Prince - Lead Guitar / Vocals
Roy Cox - Bass Guitar / Vocals
Todd Potter - Lead Guitar / Vocals
David Fore - Drummer / Vocals
Discography
Albums
A Gathering of Promises (1969)
Demian (1970)
Wheels Go Round (1987)
Hot Smoke (2000)
References
^Vorda, Allan (1994). Psychedelic Psounds. Borderline Productions., p57
