Psychic Tomato: Rock n Roll Hall of Famer - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Steve M. · 06-09-2005, 10:37 PM

Before Kiss, there was Psychic Tomato.

Psychic Tomato in 1973 - Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss, Strom Thurmond (now Ace Frehley, alias Fred Ace.)

Psychic Tomato was the group Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley founded with Peter Criss and a young giuitarist named Strom Thurmond. They played songs about eating sponge cake, saying hello ("Hi!", which lasted as long as it took to say "Hi"), saying farewell ("Bye!", which lasted as long it took to say "Bye"), life's embarrassing moments ("I Wet My Pants") and the meaning of life in iambic pentameter. Their act sounded like a commercial dead end to Neil Bogert when he signed them to a recording contract, so he had them do songs about virgins and sluts, changed Thurmond's name to Ace Frehley, and told them, "Keep it simple, stupid." Thus the name Kiss was culled from the acronym.

Bogert had them work out a new act at a Benihana of Tokyo in St Cloud, Minnesota as the house band, and a traveling kabuki troupe that performed there one night gave Kiss the idea for the stage act that would make them dirty rotten stinkin' filthy rich. So here's the question: Should the original group Psychic Tomato be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

Pros:

Live At the Saint Cloud Benihana is a millstone - er, milestone among concert albums

"Sponge Cake" is one catchy song.

A rumored cover of "A Horse With No Name" on helium is supposed to be really cool!

They performed for a five-year-old girl in 1973 who would grow up to become Debra Messing.

The one studio record Psychic Tomato made, "Be a Mime," has echoes of "Strutter" in it.

Cons:

No one took them seriously in those clown suits.

Ace Frehley shared his previous name with a hated South Carolina senator.

They opened up for the New York Dolls once by spraying each other with whipped cream and throwing custard pies at the audience, which caused everyone to be arrested following a major food fight, denying the Dolls a shot at mainstream success!

And the biggest con against them. . .

I have now just made all of this up.

ABlairican Pie · 06-10-2005, 12:25 AM

Psychic Tomato is the most influential band of the 70's. They rocked harder than Zeppelin, they wrote better lyrics than Bernie Taupin with Elton, and their stage presence was more captivating than Donna Summer.

I predict that Psychic Tomato will make it into the R&R HOF a lot sooner than
Black Sabbath, Rush, and Budgie.

PSYCHIC TOMATO. THE GODS OF ALL THAT IS ROCK. THERE IS NONE HIGHER.

Steve M. · 06-10-2005, 09:16 PM

PSYCHIC TOMATO ROCKS!!

Steve M. · 03-26-2012, 11:26 PM

Madonna got into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame before Psychic Tomato! This is an outrage! Their Love Water Pistol LP is a superb album, the best album of Moldavian folk songs played on ukuleles ever made!

ABlairican Pie · 03-27-2012, 05:38 PM

We should start a letter-writing campaign to induct PT into the HOF, and if it doesn't work, we'll send Ms. Madonna a message--with TOMATOES!!!!!!!

Steve M. · 03-27-2012, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ABlairican Pie

We should start a letter-writing campaign to induct PT into the HOF, and if it doesn't work, we'll send Ms. Madonna a message--with TOMATOES!!!!!!!

The mushier the better!

And once PT is inducted, getting Family and Rush in will be easy!

"Do you think you'll end up in the rock and Roll Hall of Fame?" "Is it air conditioned?" - a question posed to Neil Peart in 1989, and his response

Steve M. · 03-29-2012, 11:16 PM

Now out - an LP of demos from Psychic Tomato in their "wigless" period!

Steve M. · 03-29-2012, 11:34 PM

Plus - Ace Frehley's real first solo album, back when he was still calling himself Strom Thurmond!

Steve M. · 02-17-2013, 11:12 PM

LONG LIVE PSYCHIC TOMATO!

Steve M. · 02-18-2013, 11:48 PM

an early shot of Strom Thurmond (now Ace Frehley) after switching from a uke to a Strat.

Got that pure feel . . . such good responses . . . but the picture has a mustache!

ABlairican Pie · 02-19-2013, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve M.

an early shot of Strom Thurmond (now Ace Frehley) after switching from a uke to a Strat.

Got that pure feel . . . such good responses . . . but the picture has a mustache!

Hmmm, makeup and mustaches....I don't know if that's a good idea....even if you're King Diamond.

Okay, so King Diamond makes it work for him. Strom Frehley, not so much.

ABlairican Pie · 02-19-2013, 08:37 PM

When are they going to have a Psychic Tomato Convention??

Steve M. · 02-19-2013, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ABlairican Pie

When are they going to have a Psychic Tomato Convention??

Yeah, I want to know, when too! Maybe Debra Messing can host it - or get Debbie DiMarco, whose party they recorded their live set at, to start a convention? Praise be to the Tomato!

ABlairican Pie · 02-20-2013, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve M.

Yeah, I want to know, when too! Maybe Debra Messing can host it - or get Debbie DiMarco, whose party they recorded their live set at, to start a convention? Praise be to the Tomato!

MORE 'MATO MERCH!!!!!!!!!

Steve M. · 02-20-2013, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ABlairican Pie

MORE 'MATO MERCH!!!!!!!!!

Tomato t-shirts!

View Poll Results: Should Psychic Tomato be induceted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Why not? They're no worse than Samurai Kumquat!	3	60.00%
Maybe later, after Gene, Peter, Paul and Strom (Ace) gets in as Kiss.	2	40.00%
Not until they're inducted separately for their 1978 solo albums.	1	20.00%
No way! The R&RHoF board won't even get the joke!	2	40.00%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 5. You may not vote on this poll

06-09-2005, 10:37 PM	#1
Steve M. Back on the road to reality Forum Superstar Join Date: Nov 07, 2003 Location: New Jersey Posts: 33,307	Psychic Tomato: Rock n Roll Hall of Famer Before Kiss, there was Psychic Tomato. Psychic Tomato in 1973 - Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss, Strom Thurmond (now Ace Frehley, alias Fred Ace.) Psychic Tomato was the group Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley founded with Peter Criss and a young giuitarist named Strom Thurmond. They played songs about eating sponge cake, saying hello ("Hi!", which lasted as long as it took to say "Hi"), saying farewell ("Bye!", which lasted as long it took to say "Bye"), life's embarrassing moments ("I Wet My Pants") and the meaning of life in iambic pentameter. Their act sounded like a commercial dead end to Neil Bogert when he signed them to a recording contract, so he had them do songs about virgins and sluts, changed Thurmond's name to Ace Frehley, and told them, "Keep it simple, stupid." Thus the name Kiss was culled from the acronym. Bogert had them work out a new act at a Benihana of Tokyo in St Cloud, Minnesota as the house band, and a traveling kabuki troupe that performed there one night gave Kiss the idea for the stage act that would make them dirty rotten stinkin' filthy rich. So here's the question: Should the original group Psychic Tomato be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Pros: Live At the Saint Cloud Benihana is a millstone - er, milestone among concert albums "Sponge Cake" is one catchy song. A rumored cover of "A Horse With No Name" on helium is supposed to be really cool! They performed for a five-year-old girl in 1973 who would grow up to become Debra Messing. The one studio record Psychic Tomato made, "Be a Mime," has echoes of "Strutter" in it. Cons: No one took them seriously in those clown suits. Ace Frehley shared his previous name with a hated South Carolina senator. They opened up for the New York Dolls once by spraying each other with whipped cream and throwing custard pies at the audience, which caused everyone to be arrested following a major food fight, denying the Dolls a shot at mainstream success! And the biggest con against them. . . I have now just made all of this up.
	__________________ I don't really get out a lot. When I do go out, I couldn't be happier. I love being in a nice milieu. I'm as happy as a clam. Just as long as I'm not in some club playing hip-hop. You hear that sort of thing in a lot of places. That's not my milieu. Rock and roll is good-time music. I love rock. So did my parents. Last edited by Steve M.; 03-26-2012 at 11:28 PM.

06-10-2005, 12:25 AM	#2
ABlairican Pie Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Dec 12, 2001 Location: Living where cats reign more Supreme than a pizza. Posts: 31,619	The Greatest band who ever put the "AND" in Rock and Roll. Psychic Tomato is the most influential band of the 70's. They rocked harder than Zeppelin, they wrote better lyrics than Bernie Taupin with Elton, and their stage presence was more captivating than Donna Summer. I predict that Psychic Tomato will make it into the R&R HOF a lot sooner than Black Sabbath, Rush, and Budgie. PSYCHIC TOMATO. THE GODS OF ALL THAT IS ROCK. THERE IS NONE HIGHER.
	__________________ Release the kitties. --Nathan Explosion

03-26-2012, 11:26 PM	#4
Steve M. Back on the road to reality Forum Superstar Join Date: Nov 07, 2003 Location: New Jersey Posts: 33,307	Madonna got into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame before Psychic Tomato! This is an outrage! Their Love Water Pistol LP is a superb album, the best album of Moldavian folk songs played on ukuleles ever made!
	Last edited by Steve M.; 02-17-2013 at 11:11 PM.

03-29-2012, 11:16 PM	#7
Steve M. Back on the road to reality Forum Superstar Join Date: Nov 07, 2003 Location: New Jersey Posts: 33,307	Now out - an LP of demos from Psychic Tomato in their "wigless" period! Attached Images

06-10-2005, 09:16 PM	#3
Steve M. Back on the road to reality Forum Superstar Join Date: Nov 07, 2003 Location: New Jersey Posts: 33,307	PSYCHIC TOMATO ROCKS!!

03-27-2012, 05:38 PM	#5
ABlairican Pie Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Dec 12, 2001 Location: Living where cats reign more Supreme than a pizza. Posts: 31,619	We should start a letter-writing campaign to induct PT into the HOF, and if it doesn't work, we'll send Ms. Madonna a message--with TOMATOES!!!!!!!

03-29-2012, 11:34 PM	#8
Steve M. Back on the road to reality Forum Superstar Join Date: Nov 07, 2003 Location: New Jersey Posts: 33,307	Plus - Ace Frehley's real first solo album, back when he was still calling himself Strom Thurmond! Attached Images

02-17-2013, 11:12 PM	#9
Steve M. Back on the road to reality Forum Superstar Join Date: Nov 07, 2003 Location: New Jersey Posts: 33,307	LONG LIVE PSYCHIC TOMATO!

02-18-2013, 11:48 PM	#10
Steve M. Back on the road to reality Forum Superstar Join Date: Nov 07, 2003 Location: New Jersey Posts: 33,307	an early shot of Strom Thurmond (now Ace Frehley) after switching from a uke to a Strat. Got that pure feel . . . such good responses . . . but the picture has a mustache! Attached Images

02-19-2013, 08:37 PM	#12
ABlairican Pie Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Dec 12, 2001 Location: Living where cats reign more Supreme than a pizza. Posts: 31,619	When are they going to have a Psychic Tomato Convention??