Let It Be

In 1984 Green Jello released Let It Be, an 8 song 7-inch 45 EP, on their own label, American Jello Parti Productions, Inc. The cover artwork (designed by Manspeaker) was a parody of The Beatles' Let It Be album cover. Recorded in Bill's bedroom and at a local band reheasal hall, the album featured the theme song "Green Jello Theme Song" (the band's initial manifesto/call to arms), as well as early songs "I've Got Poo-Poo On My Shoe" (later "Shitman"), "Whip Me Teenage Babe" (later "House me Teenage Rave"), "Hill, Hill", "Do The Howie" (a song about the bumbling rent-a-cop at the band's High School Alma Mater, Kenmore West High School, sung to the tune of Van McCoy's The Hustle), the 1-second long "Icrog" "The Ice Cream Song" and "I'll Buy You Any Major Appliance You Want Baby, Ooo Ooo".

Road to success

In 1988, Bill and the band met GWAR, who showed the band how to make the papier maché and foam rubber suits which became their trademark. With characters such as "Shitman" (a giant, walking corn-filled poop monster), "Cowgod", "Rock n Roll Pumpkin", and "Toucan Son of Sam", the band's live show became an over-the-top adventure in absurdity, now consisting of 13 members.

Video only?

In 1991, the band was signed by indie label Zoo Entertainment. Because of Green Jello's strong visual presence, the band opted to be the "World's First Video Only Band" and released its 3rd album, Cereal Killer, on longform video only. Consisting of music videos for each song, as well as a behind-the-scenes feature, the video album quickly became an underground hit, selling in excess of 100,000 copies. Due to overwhelming demand, the band released the EP Green Jello SUXX in 1991, consisting of four songs from the Cereal Killer video album. Eventually in 1992, the band re-signed with Zoo Entertainment and released the full audio album Cereal Killer Soundtrack.

Lawsuits

At the height of the band's fame, Green Jello was plagued by multiple lawsuits. In 1992, they were sued by Kraft Foods for trademark infringement. Due to the name "Jello", and more so the band slogan "GREEN JELLO SUCKS!", the band were forced to change their name to Green Jellÿ, with an umlaut over the ÿ. This umlaut, according to the band, "changed the 'Y' sound to an 'O' sound". The band was forced to re-release their album and long form video, as well as change all merchandise carrying the "Jell-o" name.

15 minutes?

In 1994, Green Jellÿ took what money they had left and opened Green Jelly Studios, an audio and visual production house on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. The production house made music videos for other artists, as well as production pieces for TV and film. It was here that Green Jellÿ recorded and filmed their 4th album, 333. Focusing more on the musical side, and even featuring non-comedy songs, the album was a more eclectic gathering, ranging from heavy metal to alt rock to dance music. Due to problems with the record company and virtually no promotion, the album failed to make waves. The long form video for the album was never properly released, and is extremely hard to find. The album spawned "The Bear Song" which appears in the Jim Carrey film Dumb and Dumber, but failed to chart. Though the new album was never properly released it did receive a 1995 grammy nomination for best long form video.

Life after Jellÿ

• Joe Cannizzaro (Dunderhead) became a television/video producer and was a videographer for DreamWorks Animation SKG.
• Gary Helsinger (Hotsy Menshot) is now director of A&R West Coast at Universal Music Publishing.
• Bill Manspeaker (Moronic Dictator, Marshall "Duh" Staxx) was the owner of Qtopia, a night club in Hollywood, but recently sold the club due to the heavy drug use at the venue. He is currently working on his alien abduction film 'Motel 666', starring the world famous Suicide Girls.
• Danny Carey is now the drummer for the multi-platinum progressive hard rock band Tool.
• Keith McCormack has been teaching English in China and continues to play guitar for fun with his young son.
• Kim O'Donnell (Sadistica) is now a Hollywood visual effects artist, having worked for Disney, and on such films as Con Air, Armageddon, X-Men 2, Spiderman 2, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and Flight of the Phoenix, among others.
• Bill Tutton went on to join El Vez, Geraldine Fibbers and other bands.
• Jim Laspesa (Mick Stadium) went on to play with Dave Davies of The Kinks, The Muffs, Baby Lemonade and others.
• CJ Buscaglia (Jesus Quisp) became a producer and engineer, working on various album projects for many artists in the 1990's including Love & Rockets, Goo Goo Dolls and others.
• Marc Levinthal (Pippi Rockstocking) went on to work in film scoring and other literary and musical projects.

The Tool connection

• Danny Carey from Tool was a member of Green Jellÿ for five years, and played drums on the album Cereal Killer. He is also featured in the video for "Electric Harley House (Of Love)", among others.

• Maynard James Keenan, vocalist for Tool, was also once a "member" of Green Jellÿ. On the song Three Little Pigs Maynard sang backing vocals (he sings the falsetto "Not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin.") Maynard is also mentioned in the song "Green Jello Sucks" in the lyric "Maynard, and Poopie - they're both insane!"

• The song "Message To Harry Manback" on Tool's Ænima album was based on a real message left on Gary Helsinger's (Hotsy Menshot) answering machine by a friend of a friend from Italy who was stealing his roommate's belongings. "Harry Manback" is a reference to Gary Helsingers more-than-ample back hair. Bill and Gary were once roommates with Maynard James Keenan and Danny Carey.

• Tool was signed to the same label as Green Jellÿ, the now-defunct Zoo Entertainment.

• Tool's first EP had songs recorded live at the Green Jello loft(which is noted on the cd).

References

• Biography Official biography from the now defunct ihategreenjelly.com
• All Music Guide biography by Steve Huey
• Green Jellÿ Lyrics