last update: 01/01/01
History:
- BP in high school
"I loaned [the Buck Pets] my amp for the 10th
grade talent show (they played a Pretenders song... don't remember which
one and I think a Clash song). Also, a little bit of trivia that you may
or may not know, Chris was the featured guitarist in 10th grade on a
song that was written and sung by the school's History teacher (i think
his name was Mark). The song played on Texas Tapes, a local radio
station's Sunday night local band showcase."
contributed by Bob Henderson
Songs:
- Walk up to the Pay Phone
"In one song on To The Quick they say 'Got to walk up to the pay
phone....' I assume this line comes from the fact they had no telephone at
their apartment. They used to live about two or three blocks from a
convenience/liquor store on Knox-Henderson and would have to walk up there
to make calls."
contributed by Bob Henderson
- Avenue Fitzhue Blues?
"When I was talking to Chris and
Ian I asked them about 'Ave. F Blues' (my favorite song). They said it was written
partly on the steps of their old apartment on Fitzhue (pronounced fitz-hugh) Avenue
in Dallas.... it's not too far from the Cotton Bowl in Dallas and I thought it
was kind of cool to get a piece of Buck Pets history."
contributed by Brian Rook
- Louise Post?
According to Ian Beach, "Song for Louise Post" was written for
the Louise Post who later formed Veruca Salt. This was also
supposedly mentioned in a Veruca Salt article that appeared in Spin
magazine a while back.
Mercurotones album:
- Saints and Snakes?
"During the early 90's I lived a few houses down from them in Dallas.... Around
the same time i went over to the house one day and Chris, Ian and a
friend of ours Chris Fedak (I think he is thanked on the first album)
went to a local art supply store. Chris S. wanted to buy a cool looking
blank book to write lyrics in. I remember all of us being very wasted in
the art store. At one point Chris told me the name of the album
(Mercurotones) was going to be called Saints and Snakes (something to do with his and Andy's astrological signs). I thought it was a really cool
name."
contributed by Bob Henderson
- Mercurotones cover model
"The Mercurotones cover was supposedly done as a likeness of 'Walter,'
Chris' dog. (St. Louis was their last date before heading back to Dallas and
'Walter' was all he was talking about. I guess he really was missing him.
He was crazy about that dog!)"
contributed by Brian Rook
- More Walter
"The dog, Walter (I guess that was his name, it sounds right) was a Black
Lab (I am pretty sure). He was a puppy when they first got him and he was
awesome. They really loved that dog. I remember (though this is very vague)
going to the apt. one night to hang out and watch basketball and Chris and
Ian (and I think Chris Fedak) were really pissed about something. Turns out
someone stole the dog, or something like that...."
contributed by Bob Henderson
- Mercurochrome/Mercurotones
The Buck Pets wanted to call their second album
"Mercurochrome" (after the anesthetic), but for legal reasons had to call it
Mercurotones. This didn't stop the CD version of the album from
having "Mercurochrome" stamped on the CD itself.
contributed by Kristi Singer
Media notes:
"Best Looking," Mademoiselle "album cover awards"
An anonymous fan reports that the Buck Pets won "Best Looking" in the Mademoiselle magazine "album cover awards," for their 1st album on Island. (Anyone seen this?)
- Buck Pets sampled by Sonic Youth?
"Sonic Youth sampled the Buck Pets on one of their CD's. I don't know
which one, it's either Goo or the one with the nasty, scary looking dolls
on the cover [Dirty]. In one song they sample at the very beginning a song from the
B.P.'s first CD. It's only for a second but if you know the Buck Pets songs
you will immediately know what I am talking about. I saw them one night
playing in Deep Ellum (one of the last times I saw them, before I moved to
New York) and I saw Andy before the show. We hung out and I mentioned this
to him, he said someone else told him this but he didn't believe them.
After I said that he said he would definitely check it out.... pretty cool
if they really did."
contributed by Bob Henderson
I've personally checked out both albums (fine records in their own right), but didn't hear anything definite. I heard something similar to the flanged guitar at the beginning of "Lost" on Dirty, and there's a song on Goo with a very brief, tuning-a-radio kind of short sample with what sounds like a bit of "How Delicious She Looks." Have any other BP/SY fans out there checked either album out?
- Buck Pets on a Billboard chart?
I've never heard the BP on the radio (except the time I requested "Walk it to the Payphone" in '94 from my friend Jon, who was DJ'ing at WUOG in Athens, GA), but they actually charted with "Libertine." It entered the Billboard Modern Rock Chart on February 9, 1991, and spent 2 weeks in the Top 40, peaking at #25.
- Buck Pets on mTV?
Part of "Libertine" was used in the soundtrack of MTV's "House of
Style" a few years back (while Cindy Crawford was the host).
contributed by Brad Calvert
People:
- Future drummer Ricky Pearson is included in the thank-you
section of Mercurotones.
- What two people have worked on album(s) by both the Buck Pets
and the Red Hot Chili Peppers? Producer Michael Beinhorn and drummer
Jack Irons.