 | This article possibly contains original research. (October 2024) |
Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem | |
|---|---|
 The six members of The Electric Mayhem (top, left to right); Floyd, Lips, Animal, (bottom, left to right) Janice, Dr. Teeth, Zoot. | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | The Electric Mayhem |
| Origin | New Orleans, Louisiana, United States[1] |
| Genres | Rock |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Labels | Walt Disney |
| Members | Dr. Teeth Animal Floyd Pepper Janice Zoot Lips |
| Past members | Clifford |
Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, or simply The Electric Mayhem, are an American Muppet rock group that debuted in 1975 on the pilot for the sketch comedy television series The Muppet Show. They are the house band for The Muppet Show, with personalities and appearances inspired by prominent real-life rock music and jazz performers. They subsequently appeared in various Muppet films and television specials and have also recorded album tracks and covered numerous songs.[2] The Electric Mayhem consists of Dr. Teeth on vocals and keyboards, Animal on drums, Floyd Pepper on vocals and bass, Janice on vocals and lead guitar, Zoot on saxophone, and Lips on trumpet. The band's members were originally performed by Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Dave Goelz, and Steve Whitmire, respectively; they are presently performed by Bill Barretta, Eric Jacobson, Matt Vogel, David Rudman, Goelz, and Peter Linz, respectively.[3][4]
The group made their debut in 1975's The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence, the pilot for The Muppet Show. Dr. Teeth and Animal were designed by Henson, Zoot was designed by Bonnie Erickson, while the rest of the original band members were designed by Michael K. Frith. Animal, Floyd and Zoot also played in the Muppet Show pit band, performing the opening and closing themes and underscoring most of the Muppet Show performances. Lips and occasionally Janice appeared in the orchestra in later episodes. Lips joined the band as the sixth member in the fifth season of the series, and made some appearances with the group after The Muppet Show ended production; the group later reverted to its original five member line-up, until Lips returned in 2011's The Muppets.
The band's first film role was performing the song "Can You Picture That?" in The Muppet Movie. They also performed "Night Life" and participated in "The Happiness Hotel" in The Great Muppet Caper and performed "Jingle Bell Rock" in A Muppet Family Christmas. They appeared in The Muppets Take Manhattan (sans Lips) where Dr. Teeth sang "You Can't Take No For An Answer". Following the deaths of two of the group's puppeteers, Henson and Hunt, they were limited to brief instrumental background music throughout the 1990s. However, the Electric Mayhem backed Miss Piggy for a song in The Muppets' Wizard of Oz and performed alongside Miley Cyrus in the 2008 Studio DC: Almost Live television special. They have been a mainstay in the Muppets' viral video efforts of the 2010s and have a featured role in 2015's The Muppets as the house band on the show-within-a-show Up Late with Miss Piggy. The same year, they released two music videos for "Jungle Boogie" (featuring Sam Eagle) and "Kodachrome".
An Electric Mayhem "live" tour with audio-animatronic versions of the puppets and rock band My Morning Jacket performing the characters was proposed by The Walt Disney Company but ultimately abandoned.[5] The band performed a live five-song set at the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival on August 6, 2016.[6][7]
The Muppets Mayhem, a series about the Electric Mayhem recording their first eponymous studio album, premiered on Disney+ on May 10, 2023.[8][9]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
EWwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Suskind, Alex (March 24, 2014). "The Greatest Hits of the Muppets' Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem". New York. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
- ^ Zellner, Xander (May 24, 2023). "Dr. Teeth & The Electric Mayhem Hit No. 1 on a Billboard Chart for the First Time". Billboard. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
- ^ Cordero, Rosy (June 9, 2022). "'The Muppets Mayhem': Saara Chaudry & Anders Holm Join Disney+ Series". Deadline.com. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
- ^ Montgomery, James "My Morning Jacket 'Sad' Over Electric Mayhem Tour" MTV website – June 20, 2011
- ^ Wright, Tolly (August 7, 2016). "Watch Muppets' Band Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem's Debut Live Performance". New York. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
- ^ Kreps, Daniel (August 8, 2016). "Watch Muppets Band Dr. Teeth and Electric Mayhem Make Live Debut". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 7, 2022). "'The Muppets Mayhem' Comedy Series Ordered By Disney+; Lilly Singh Stars, Adam F. Goldberg EPs". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
- ^ Del Rosario, Alexandra (April 5, 2022). "'The Muppets Mayhem': Tahj Mowry Joins Lilly Singh For Disney+ Comedy Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 5, 2022.