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'''Challenger, Gray & Christmas''', with headquarters located in [[Chicago, Illinois]], is the oldest executive outplacement firm in the US. It has offices in 52 cities in the US and [[Canada]], and has operations in [[Japan]] and [[Mexico]]. The firm also conducts regular surveys and issues reports on the state of the economy, employment, job-seeking, layoffs and [[executive compensation]]. They also conduct one-off surveys on such subjects as workplace bullying, lost productivity due to the Super Bowl, and working women. Their core business, finding jobs for laid-off executives, is unusual in that they will only accept as clients people whose former companies will sponsor the client's job search.
'''Primus''' is the name of a popular [[rock band]].
<ref>{{cite web |author= |http://www.challengergray.com/services/whoarewe.aspx |title=Who are we? |publisher=Challenger, Gray & Christmas |accessdate=2007-06-22}}</ref>
==Notes==
(For the Transformers Deity ''Primus'', see [[Primus (Transformers)]]).
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[[Image:primuswik.jpg|right|thumb|Primus circa 2003]]
== Members ==
* [[Tim Alexander|Tim "Herb" Alexander]] (joined group [[1988]]), [[drums]]
* [[Les Claypool]], [[bass guitar|bass]] and vocals
* [[Ler LaLonde|Larry "Ler" LaLonde]] (born c. [[1969]]; joined group [[1989]]), [[guitar]]
* [[Todd Huth]] (left group [[1989]]),[[guitar]]
* [[Jay Lane]] (left group [[1988]]), [[drums]]
* [[Brian Mantia|Brian "Brain" Mantia]] (joined group [[1997]]), [[drums]]
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Primus' first album, the live album [[Suck on This]], was released in [[1989]] on Claypool's Prawn Song record label (a parody of Led Zeppelin's Swan Song Records). They gained a cult following in their hometown of [[Berkeley, California|Berkeley]], and released their first studio album - [[Frizzle Fry]] - the following year.
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Primus began to gain popularity, especially after the release of [[Sailing the Seas of Cheese]] on Interscope in [[1991]], the first single, ''Jerry was a Racecar Driver'', obtaining significant radio time. The reaction to the album was good enough that [[1993]]'s [[Pork Soda]] debuted at number 7 on the Billboard charts, and for Primus to earn a headlining spot on the [[Lollapalooza]] tour later that year.
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[[1994]] saw the release of [[Riddles are Abound Tonight]] (under the name Sausage), a reunion of the original Primus lineup (Claypool-Huth-Lane).
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[[Tales From The Punchbowl]] was released in [[1995]], scoring their biggest hit yet with the Grammy Award nominated -- ''Wynona's Big Brown Beaver'', and releasing a hit video of the same song featuring the band dressed up as mannequin cowboys. Due to the song's nature, both suggestive and explicit, the video received little airplay despite profuse fan requests.
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Alexander left the band in [[1996]] due to creative differences and was replaced by [[Brian Mantia]] of [[Praxis (band)|Praxis]] and [[Buckethead]] after Claypool played with him on a tour of his solo album, [[Les Claypool and the Holy Mackerel]]. (Interestingly, Mantia was one of the many drummers Claypool auditioned for Primus before settling with Alexander - Mantia bowed out before because of a foot injury).
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[[1997]]'s [[Brown Album]] was a departure from previous Primus albums, with its cruder production values and more straightforward song structure. (Interestingly, [[Tom Waits]] names it as his favorite Primus album, though some fans openly hated it).
The cover [[EP]] [[Rhinoplasty (album)|Rhinoplasty]] was released in [[1998]], and in [[1999]], [[Antipop]] was released. Featuring for the first time outside musicians and producers such musicians as [[Tom Morello]], [[James Hetfield]], [[Tom Waits]], [[Matt Stone]] (co-creator of [[South Park]]), and [[Fred Durst]], many fans regard Antipop as an effort by the band to sell out to the mainstream. The album met with litle success, and in 2000, Primus went on an indefinite hiatus. As Claypool would later state, they simply burned out.
In late [[2003]] Claypool reunited with original Primus drummer Tim Alexander and guitarist Larry LaLonde to record a DVD/EP called [[Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People]], which Claypool described as the first DVD with supplementary music, as opposed to the contrary. The band staged a two month tour in which they performed two sets per show, the second consisting of their 1991 release ''Sailing the Seas of Cheese'' in its entirety. 2004 saw them continue touring, and even performing their 1990 release ''Frizzle Fry'' in its entirety.
== Career ==
* [[1984]] The band formed in [[El Sobrante, California]]
* [[1985]] [[Todd Huth]] and [[Jay Lane]] joins '''Primus'''
* [[1989]] released first album, ''[[Suck on This]]'', on self-administered label [[Prawn Song]]
* [[1990]] signed with Caroline Records and released ''[[Frizzle Fry]]'',
* [[1991]] signed with [[Interscope Records]] and released ''[[Sailing the Seas of Cheese]]''; appeared in film [[Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey]]
* [[1992]] ''[[Miscellaneous Debris]]'' (all covers) released
* [[1993]] headlined Lollapalooza festival, released ''[[Pork Soda]]'' which debuts in top 10
* [[1995]] ''[[Tales from the Punchbowl]]'' released; [[Tim Alexander|Tim "Herb" Alexander]] leaves band, Brian "Brain" Mantia joins.
* [[1997]] ''[[Brown Album]]'' released
* [[1998]] ''[[Rhinoplasty (album)|Rhinoplasty]]'' (all covers) released
* [[1999]] ''[[Antipop]]'' released
* [[2000]] band went on indefinite hiatus
* [[2003]] ''[[Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People]]'' EP/DVD released with original drummer Tim Alexander
==External links==
*[http://www.primusville.com/ Official website]
*[http://www.frantzell.org/arne/primuska.htm Primus Misinformation webpage]
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'''primus''' is [[Latin]] for 'the first one'.
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In [[Scotland]], a '''primus''' is the [[Anglicanism|Anglican]] clergyman known as a [[primate (religion)|primate]] in other parts of the world.
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A '''Primus''' is also a kind of [[portable stove]].
[[de:Primus]] [[es:Primus]] [[fr:Primus]] [[it:Primus]]
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'''Primus''' is also the name of a [[God]] in several of the [[Transformers (toyline)|Transformers]] animated series and [[comic book]] timelines.
[[Category:Alternative musical groups]] [[Category:Rock music groups]] [[Category:American musical groups]]
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