Tommy the Cat

"Tommy the Cat"
Single by Primus
from the album Sailing the Seas of Cheese
Released 1991
Genre Funk metal, experimental rock
Length 4:15
Label Interscope
Songwriter(s) Claypool/Huth/LaLonde/Alexander
Producer(s) Primus
Primus singles chronology
"Jerry Was a Race Car Driver"
(1991)		 "Tommy the Cat"
(1991)		 "Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers"
(1991)

"Jerry Was a Race Car Driver"
(1991)		 "Tommy the Cat"
(1991)		 "Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers"
(1991)

"Tommy the Cat" is a song by the band Primus, released on their third album, Sailing the Seas of Cheese.[1]

Recording

The song contains spoken word portions (as the voice of Tommy the Cat) interspersed with the singing of Les Claypool. In their live performances Claypool does both parts himself, but singer Tom Waits provided the voice of Tommy the Cat on the studio version from Sailing the Seas of Cheese. The song features a complex slapping bass line by Les Claypool, as well as drum opening with a striking similarity to the song Moby Dick by Led Zeppelin.

Release

Primus released "Tommy the Cat" following their first major label single, "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver". In concert, Claypool started introducing all of their other songs by saying "This next song is not Tommy the Cat", apparently due to the popularity the song had gained after a video was released and played on MTV.[2]

The song was briefly featured in the 1991 film Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey during the 'Battle of the Bands' portion of the movie, where Primus was shown performing it.

The song was also used in the teaser trailers for South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut.

References

  1. ↑ tommy the cat single. "Primus album review". last.fm. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  2. ↑ single popularity. "Seas Of Cheese". the daily guru. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
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