Tad The Controversy Over 8 Way Santa 

Criminally underrated band

Tad is my favorite of the Seattle scene and one of the best bands of the era. Criminally underrated! Tad and The Screaming Trees are both awesome bands that were held back by their boyband good looks.

The thrift store picture cover was awesome and I see why they did it. But stealing Pepsi's logo was a really dumb idea!

I was in a band in the 90s and we used the McDonalds logo on tshirts but we sucked so nobody cared.

Solid band. I always thought they'd be a tad more famous. .

When Chris Cornell was in Audioslave and on his solo career, the rest of Soundgarden formed a new group with TAD and they named it Tadgarden. The group lasted until Soundgarden reformed in 2010.

"Inhaler" is one of my all time favorite records. It holds up so good, heavy and cool, produced by J Mascis, MEGA underrated band

I had 8 Way Santa way back in the 90's. I can't remember how I first heard of Tad back then, but this album was my only exposure to them.

Love this band. Still listening to them today!

The guy on 8 Way Santa kinda looks like magician Doug Henning.

My band opened for Tad in 1989 in TN. They were so incredibly tight...and loud!!!

I guess you could say it was a _jinx. . ._

I loved Tad,and also Hog Molly,one of Doyle's later bands.

Seeing Tad in the subscribe feed was literally a shock. Godlike grunge band. Brothers of Sonic Cloth is good too

Gruntruck was another insanely underrated Seattle Band! Look into them please!

The publicity around the cover of 8 Way Santa only helped their career. Soon after they signed a major label deal and made two albums. The first one, Inhaler, is one of the best Seattle records ever! What tanked Tad's career was their image. They weren't pretty on the eyes like Nirvana or Soundgarden.

The man in the photo is Kimball Weber, and he is a Factory Services Manager at Boeing. His LinkedIn photo looks just like he does on the album cover, except bald and 40 years older. The girl is Patricia Rogers, and her and Kimball were married at this time in the late 70s to early 80s. Sadly, Patricia Rogers died in 2016. She got $2,500 from Sub Pop in the lawsuit...hardly worth suing for and probably all went to paying legal fees.

Literally listening to 8way now on vinyl. Sounds so good still. Always held these guys and Helmet on the same level of epicness

Grease Box by Tad is such an awesome song.

8-Way Santa must be a reference to certain LSD tabs.

I like Tad a lot better than any of the other grunge bands except maybe The Screaming Trees. Or Mudhoney. This is a cool channel. Thanks. 👍🏻

I remember the ad for the 8 Way Santa album. I thought it was cool. I never knew about the lawsuit or story behind it so thanks. Good video.

My favorite band of all time! Thanks for posting!

Inhaler is a masterpiece.

The Pepsi logo isn't why TAD lacks the fame of other Grunge bands lol. A few actual reasons are: Tad Doyle was extremely obese (superficial but it played a role), TAD's music didn't have the pop element that Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, and even Soundgarden had. Nirvana's Bleach and TAD's God's Balls came out around the same time, and while both are amazing pioneering albums, you can clearly tell that Nirvana had more potential to appeal to a wider audience.

Ironically, a lot more attention has been given to that picture because of the controversy. I barely looked at it when I was a kid, but now it's focused on by everyone.

BTW God's Balls was their debut not 8-way Santa

Tads lack of success proves how the grunge of just being themselves, staying grounded with raw look and sound was marketing. Tads being ugly was listed as what prevented them from making it on MTV. Got to have attractive guys to sell the fashion and records!

Such an underrated album, the fact that didn't get much radio play like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, or even Soundgarden did that same year is mind-blowing! They had a good amount of variety on this album (even before they got signed to major label). This album was very heavy, dark, angry but also very melodic for the Seattle sound at the same time. The majority of their songs on the album were the noisy, sludgy, raw (and even melodic) Grunge/Alternative Metal songs that they were most known for stylistically. Where as a few of the other songs on their album were non-metallic, guitar driven, melodic, almost power pop influenced (in a way), Alternative Rock songs (Flame Tavern, 3-D Witch Hunt, Plague Years) that should have absolutely gotten radio play (even for the time).

The old photo from the thrift shop, not a bad decision, the Pepsi cover, bad decision. Tad was a good band, they remind me of Helmet a bit.

Always thought Tad ripped! Underrated band.

I was really looking forward to Tad's next album: _Mickey Mouse™ fucks a Big Mac®_

Tad was a great band with super raw aggressive groove. I first got to see them live with Primus in 1991 on the 8-Way Santa tour and loved it. I expected great things for them but these really dumb legal moves did enough damage to keep them from heading to bigger success I think. Thanks for highlighting a lesser praised band like Tad.

copyright in a photograph is the property of the person who presses the shutter on the camera. Now im no lawyer.

I am so fucking sick of posting of the tip ten grunge records and not see 8 way Santa mentioned. Its fucking bullshit.

HELLZ YEAH!! TAD!!! GRUNGE PIONEERS!! Thanks Syd!!

I had one album of theirs. I had Inhaler and I think I only really liked one song (Leafy Incline).

I think that Peter Bagge “Your Flesh” T-shirt that Tad is wearing is incredibly awesome

I saw Tad open for Nirvana at Raji’s in Hollywood, pretty awesome show.

Now that’s a band that shouldn’tve had their picture on the album cover.

I’m not convinced that Tad were inspired by Alice in Chains.

Man, thats so unfair, Tad deserves so much more

Using the Pepsi logo was a bit silly! Could you please do a segment on Roky Erickson🙏🤘

Their album 'Inhaler' is great.

Tad last 2 albums were so good

Whats the background music playing

Just bad luck more than anything. Tad rocked

Let’s get a video about Michael Hutchence from INXS.

Saw TAD and NIRVANA at a tiny club in philly ...The copyright stuff always pisses me off ...But I'm a huge NEGATIVLAND fan ...Drink it up !

Loved this band back in the day but not a very smart move

that thrift photo is awesome though...

TAD was THE Seattle band

Intresting with Rockn Roll history. What is the song in the background of this documentary?

TAD, you are THE MAN! Endless respect

That kinda sucks they didn't do anything wrong or even that controversial compared to how some bands tried to market themselves. Tough break

Great album

There could be another whole video on Tads near misses with success.

Love!!! Jack Pepsi. What moron attorney agrees to sue an underground band for using a recognizable logo. I can maybe understand a cease and desist, but a lawsuit 🤷‍♂️

God's Balls was Tads debut album.

With their bad fortune Tad would probably be sued by LeafyIsHere because the band had a song called "Leafy Incline" off of their Inhaler album in 1993...even though Leafy the RU-vidr wasn't even born until 1995.

Thought a photo was public property when someone abandons the picture in the manner that they did...obviously werent too concerned being all of their photos were left in a photo album out w the trash/thrift items...

Hey what’s the story behind the band Hum??

I have the original Jack Pepsi CD. Totally wish I had 8 Way Santa but I think the original art was only vinyl.

There is AWAYS a photo release form that needs filed and um... what’s it it called?.....oh yeah!!!! IT NEEDS TO BE SIGNED

I have that Tad album cover on my Facebook from many years ago. I haven't heard the album I just liked it so much and thought it was funny. I know of Tad mostly because Kurt Cobain talked about them a lot in interviews. And tour with them in a small van.

Great record, had it with original cover on yellow vinyl, don’t loan your records out kids.

Most overlooked band of all time! Was Sub-Pop' fault on both counts!!

I remember reading an interview with these guys in some metal mag in like 1990 or 91 or something like that, and the dude was ranting about teaering toilets out the wall in mcdonalds on acid and how he had greased up viking dwarves trapped in a sex dungeon under his house. He was clearly baked off his skull and just making shit up and it was fucking hilarious. I kinda wanna know if the mcdonalds story is true though. Pretty sure the greasy viking sex dwarf isnt though lol

TAD chipped my tooth at Pain in the Grass! IM GOING TO STAGE DIVE!!! And he did

TAD kicks ass!

Without sounding too nasty here, I was around the Vancouver/Seattle scene when this band was "gaining momentum" and the big complaint that people around me had about the band, was Tad's singing. Even by punk standards it was substandard

Are you planning on doing a video about Silkworm?

Those were dumb moves. Maybe she shouldn't have left her picture in a thrift shop, (which wouldn't have been her choice if _her ex-husband_ had been the one to put it in the shop in the first place), but _they_ shouldn't have used it for their album cover _without permission._ What a load of excuses.

if you bought a photo how is it not yours?

Tad's problem was shitty horrible people. Not them.

Why take chances? Get Glad! Unfortunately, they did what they should not have. And they did not get away with either one of the two foolish risks. I am human, too. But you have to be wise when there is so much at stake. I am sorry about their career. But you live and learn.

Yes! I always wondered about the cover, thank you...tad rules btw

I would have bought all those banned album covers and be rich today.

I'd love a video about Pond - Pond's first album was fucking fantastic. They were totally shit on by Sony as well.

Over a picture.

Long live Tad. I don’t have much sympathy for Pepsi. They can suck it. And Christian singer that wanted to deny her past…. good luck. Love that stoned ass pic. Hope all is well with you, lol

Interesting story. But isn't this why companies have legal depts? So that they could avoid law suits?

Great stuff as always. BUT everytime you put a picture that's not of the band or related to it (like the random lawsuit footage or pick up one) I get sucked out of the story.

Well... I hate to say this but you know, some bands just take advantage of situations like that to promote themselves, they just should have to think of another cool album cover (cause you know that second one was not that inspired). Think of all of those cannibal corpse covers, Carcass or appetite for destruction from Guns N Roses the content was alot more offensive and in the end it just make something rare that any fan would like to collect...

Do one called "What's the Deal with MudHoney?"

10 to 1 all those "mistakes" were calculated, albeit boneheaded "meta-marketing" ploys by Poneman and Pavitt. Free publicity is everything and all these guys think they're fucking geniuses.

Anyone ever seen the movie The Funhouse? If so let me know about the name TAD.

Ordered the book before finishing the video

You should do a jimmies chicken shack band

wood goblins!

Gods Balls!!!

I like the shot of the group. Ed gein tee lol.

A) always have a Plan B; and DO NOT mess around w a multi billion dollar corporation, even in jest!

I know not everyone gives a shit about graphic design or marketing...but when you're in a band you have to give a shit about that kind of stuff so that whatever message you're trying to get across isn't made toxic by stupid shit you didn't think about. With that said...design your own art work...then things like this won't happen.

I’ve requested Twisted Sister like ten times.... I think you just choose the subjects you like.... A band many people remember. How many people remember “Tad”?

I think tad did just fine, just some angry people with grudges that ruined their flow

Badluck

8-Way Santa was a disappointment for me. Essential Tad, the kind that I think is truly grungy, are their first two outputs, "God's Balls" and "Salt Lick", the latter, except for the song "Loser", is ferocious and one of my all-time favorites.

Do an annihilator video

A couple of bands I'd like to see covered are Mad at Gravity and Evans Blue.