The Litter

Tom Murray joined after auditioning at the Minnesota State Fair

The band name referred to a “litter of puppies”, not trash or garbage — a misconception later reinforced by the album title $100 Fine

Early lineup changes

In 1967 Tom “Zip” Caplan replaced Bill Strandlof. Strandlof had recorded Action Woman, Legal Matter and Soul Searchin’ for the album Distortions. Caplan played lead guitar on the remaining tracks.

Live reputation & stage show

The Litter were pioneers in the Mid-West for their extreme live performances:

First Mid-Western band to use lights and strobes on stage

First to use fire and smoke effects

Dan Rinaldi was the first Mid-Western musician to smash equipment on stage

“Action Woman”

Written by Warren Kendrick, Action Woman was a major regional hit but never charted nationally.

Recorded by The Litter in November 1966

Often mistakenly credited as first recorded by The Electras

Original 45 rpm pressings are highly sought after by collectors

Re-released in 1968 with Whatcha Gonna Do About It? as the B-side

The song has been covered by:

The Lime Spiders

The Hypstrz

Naz Nomad and the Nightmares (The Damned)

The Tall Boys

Live covers include performances by The Replacements, Ken Hyland, and Jordan and the Half Transplants.

Albums

Distortions (1967)

Title suggested by Warren Kendrick due to widespread fuzz guitar use

Soul Searchin’ was originally titled (Just A Little) Soul Searchin’ on the single

The Mummy was arranged by Zip Caplan and Bernie Bomberg, inspired by the 1932 Boris Karloff film

All sound effects on I’m A Man were created using instruments

$100 Fine (1968)

Fewer copies pressed than Distortions (approx. 1,000)

Album title inspired by a “No Littering – $100 Fine” road sign

Blues One was the first Litter song written entirely by band members

Apologies to 2069 was added after recording, constructed from tape experiments

Later years & recordings

Signed to ABC Probe Records; recorded Emerge – The Litter

Only Litter album to chart in Billboard

Reached #1 in Puerto Rico and gained European success

Touring issues due to distribution problems

The band recorded unreleased material in California with Larry Loofbourrow and Ted Dooley. These tracks remain unreleased.

Bootlegs & legacy

All Litter albums have been bootlegged since the early 1980s

The Litter – Rare Tracks is not an official album

A fake band toured Europe in the 1980s under the Litter name

Venues & associations

The Litter played major venues including The Electric Theatre (Chicago), The Peppermint Lounge (New York), the Cheetah Club (Los Angeles), and the Chicago Amphitheater. They appeared on television shows such as Hullabaloo and shared bills with acts including The Who, Cream, Led Zeppelin, Blue Cheer, Joe Cocker, and Iron Butterfly.

Documentation

The band has been extensively documented in books and publications such as Billboard, Cream Magazine, Goldmine, The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll, and The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music.

Between 1966 and 2000, there were twelve different incarnations of The Litter.