This Is Just A Tribute: The Legend Of Tenacious D

Jackson Sawa | August 30, 2019 9:12 am

Founded in 1994, Tenacious D is the passion project of actors Jack Black and Kyle Gass. Both musicians, the two came together to form the comedy rock duo which has been dubbed as "the greatest band on earth." As they're both hilarious in nature with a knack for the guitar and crude humor, it didn't take long for them to acquire a niche following of equally outrageous and eccentric fans. The duo would go on to release their own film, Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny, taking their success to new heights. Consider yourself a fan of "the D?" Here are some interesting factoids that'll blow your mind like "Master Exploder."

Their Name Was Inspired By Something You Might Not Expect

Picture Of Marv Albert
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Ethan Miller/Getty Images

In Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny, Black and Gass decide on their band name because of the coincidental birthmarks each has on their buttocks. Unfortunately, that's not how it went down. In reality, they got their name from sportscaster Marv Albert. Yep, strangely enough, Tenacious D took inspiration from sports.

Supposedly, the two were jamming out, expanding their minds, and watching basketball while brainstorming a name for their band. After a particularly impressive play, Albert commented "They're showing some tenacious D out there," and the name dilemma was settled.

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Their First On-Screen Appearance Was In A Film Ranked As One Of The Worst Ever

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Jack Black and Kyle Gas in Bio Dome
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
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Released in 1996, Bio-Dome, starring Pauly Shore and Stephen Baldwin, bombed just about as hard as any movie could. Earning itself a 5% on Rotten Tomatoes, which stands today, the film went on to win Pauly Shore his third Razzie Award.

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Although it's considered to be a classic by audiences with interesting taste, it's most likely only a few die-hard fans who noticed this hidden Easter egg. For a brief moment, Jack Black and Kyle Gass can be seen performing as a folk-metal duo, sharing the big screen for their first time.

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Inward Singing Isn't A Joke

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Jack Black with his hand to his ear
Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images for Marshall Headphones
Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images for Marshall Headphones
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Performed as a short skit on their self-titled debut album, Black describes to Kyle Gass his invention of inward singing. He describes the process as inhaling at the same time as you exhale as a way to never having to cease belting out notes.

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While the skit may seem like a comedic filler in the album, it's actually a legitimate singing technique. It can be traced all the way back to Inuit throat singing in which vocalizing the inhalation is a key part of the sound. Black might have known this all along.

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They Work Closely With David Grohl

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Dave Grohl as Satan
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema
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While Jack Black and Kyle Gass may seem like a couple of jokesters playing guitars, they're actually very well connected in the music world. One famous musician they're good friends with is Dave Grohl, the former drummer for Nirvana and frontman of the Foo Fighters.

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They're so friendly, in fact, that Grohl has played on every one of their albums. Grohl was impressed with them seeing them play a show at the Viper Room and the three hit it off. This led to them having cameos in each other's music videos and Grohl playing the role of Satan in The Pick of Destiny.

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They Had A Brief Television Series

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HBO Promo
HBO
HBO
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After releasing their Tenacious D Demo tape in the late 1990s with Andrew Gross, HBO offered them a show based on the tape and Jack Black's work on Mr. Show. Titled Tenacious D, the show premiered on HBO in 1997, following after Mr. Show. Three half-hour shows were produced about the band, with only one episode being released that year and the other two in 2000.

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According to Gass, the show was canceled after HBO requested ten episodes, although Gass and Black would have had to give up their roles as executive producers. They would rather not have a show at all than do that.

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Their Desire For Creative Control Led To The Pick Of Destiny

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Recording a song
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema
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At first, Black and Gass couldn't be happier to have a television show, especially on HBO. However, once HBO wanted the duo to relinquish creative control and give up their positions as executive producers, they began to have second thoughts.

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In the end, they decided that a show they didn't have full control over wasn't worth it in the long run. Instead, they opted to do a movie that was all theirs and graced audiences with Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny.

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They Don't Like Playing Big Shows

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Tenacious D jamming out
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic.com
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic.com
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Even though the band has been honored to play with some of the biggest acts in the rock and metal communities, they aren't always thrilled to play in front of large audiences.

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Black even admitted, "Pretty much every concert we've ever done, we’re trying to find a way to cancel the show at the last minute. There are people out there chanting, 'D! D! D!’ And that’s something that causes nauseous-ness when you hear it backstage." Of course, once they take the stage, they transform into the gods of rock that they are.

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They've Stirred Up Controversy At The Grammys

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Posing for a picture
Sean tSabhasaigh/WireImage
Sean tSabhasaigh/WireImage
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Everyone remembers when Jethro Tull beat out Metallica in 1988 for the Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance, the first time it was ever a category. A similar situation occurred in 2015 when Tenacious D won the same category.

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Safe to say, not everyone agreed with the decision, especially against groups such as Anthrax, Motörhead, and Slipknot. However, this wasn't the D's first time getting flack in regards to the Grammys. After Rize of the Fenix was nominated for Best Comedy Album in 2012, people criticized the Grammys for even nominating them.

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Tim Robbin's Indirectly Brought The Group Together

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Tim Robins at a hotel
NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images
NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images
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The origins of Tenacious D can actually be traced back to 1986 when the two met as fellow members of The Actors' Gang Theater troupe in Los Angeles, which was co-founded by Tim Robbins. At first, the two weren't exactly friends, as Gass was the primary musician for the troupe and saw Black as a threat to his position.

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However, on a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland, the two befriended each other and became close. Black started learning guitar at 23 and would frequent Gass' apartment where he would trade lessons from Gass in exchange for fast food, particularly Jack in the Box.

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John Kricfalusi Directed One Of Their Music Videos

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Josh Brasted/FilmMagic
Josh Brasted/FilmMagic
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John Kricfalusi, a rather eccentric animator and the creator of the Nickelodeon series The Ren & Stimpy Show, has even worked with Tenacious D. After being fired from Nickelodeon in 1992, Kricfalusi went on to direct and produce animated television commercials and music videos, with one of his clients being Tenacious D.

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He was hired to direct a rather scandalous music video for the group's song "[expletive] Her Gently." Produced for $40,000, the video was animated by Kricfalusi's team, featuring Black and Gass as two cherubim angels giving the Devil some tricks of the trade.

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Tenacious D Collaborated With Jack White In A Project Known As "Jack Gray"

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Jack White, Jack Black, Kyle Gass
Twitter/Consequence of Sound
Twitter/Consequence of Sound
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In August 2019, Jack Black and Kyle Gass released a video blog showing their recent meeting with Jack White in Nashville. there, the trio came together to create a new song which is titled "Jack Gray."

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Per Jack Black: "Now we're heading over to Jack White’s house to record a single. Me and Gass have been working on a jam—it’s not quite done, but I think that’s where Jack White gonna come in and help pull us over the finish line. This is a legendary collab. The D with Jack Black. Everyone’s been waiting for it. Now it’s here."

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They're Politically Involved And Are proponents Of A Particular Plant

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On stage performing
Noel Vasquez/WireImage
Noel Vasquez/WireImage
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Considering that they can be seen numerous times smoking the devil's lettuce in The Pick of Destiny, it's no surprise to learn that the two are big on marijuana. Although their major stoner days are most likely behind them, chances are, their position on the plant hasn't changed.

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In the past, the pair have been known to perform for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws as well as at the benefit concert for Barack Obama's campaign. They emerged once again in 2010, lending their voices in protest against Arizona's harsh immigration laws.

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An Easter Egg In The Pick Of Destiny

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Master Exploder scene
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema
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Unless you know what he's talking about you'd probably miss it, but Jack Black gave a hint to this favorite place to visit in Alaska in Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny. While most people might associate Alaska with nature, Black associates it with his favorite strip club in Anchorage.

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During the scene when the band plays "Master Exploder," there's an actor sitting at the bar with a shirt that says, "Great Alaska Bush Company," the name of Black's beloved club.

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You Win Some, You Lose Some

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Poster For Tenacious D
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema
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Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny was released worldwide on November 22, 2006. With the soundtrack being released around a week earlier, the film only grossed a total of $13,426,450 worldwide, far below its $20 million budget and $40 million marketing costs.

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Although the film is considered to be a box office bomb, the soundtrack did relatively well. It reached No.8 on the Billboard Hot 200, No.10 in the UK, and topped the iTunes chart. However, within the same year, DVD sales showed that the film had become a cult classic.

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"Tribute" Owes Its Creation To Metallica's "One"

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Tribute music video
Epic
Epic
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By far, one of Tenacious D's most popular songs is "Tribute," the band's first single on their self-titled debut album in 2001. The song tells the story of Black and Gass playing the greatest song in the world to a demon, only to later forget how it went. Supposedly, the song came about after Black played Gass the song "One" by Metallica, claiming it was the "greatest song in the world."

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So, they decided to try and write the greatest song of all time. Black later suggested that they write the song as a tribute to the greatest song, and the song launched them into stardom.

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They Had A YouTube Show

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Animated series drawing
YouTube/Tenacious D
YouTube/Tenacious D
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In September 2018, Tenacious D released their first episode of Post-Apocalypto, a YouTube series that was also their first project together in six years. The hand-drawn six-part series follows Jack Black and Kyle Gass who get into some absurd situations while navigating the world after a nuclear holocaust.

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Every frame of the show is hand-drawn by Black himself with Black and Gass doing all of the voices. With the final episode, a soundtrack album was released, marking the band's fourth LP.

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The Pick Of Destiny Had Plenty Of Influences

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Black and Gass crossing guitars
Scott Legato/Getty Images
Scott Legato/Getty Images
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When asked by Entertainment if there were any major influences that went into the making of the film, Tenacious D had no shortage of answers. Of course, they named This is Spinal Tap as one of their biggest because "that is the benchmark." Unsurprisingly, they also cited Cheech and Chong as well as Beavis and Butthead.

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However, one that most people might not expect is Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. They claim they got a lot of inspiration for their Satan from the man painted red who tears out people's hearts.

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Some Scenes In The Movie Were Taken From Their TV Show

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Singing open mic night
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema
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If you're a true Tenacious D fanatic, you may have noticed that some scenes in the film were actually rewritten from their HBO show. One of the most obvious is the open mic night in which JB and KG perform their song "History."

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This is actually one of the first scenes in the very first episode of the show. In addition, the same actors that play Lee and the announcer were both used in the 1997 episode. Lee is even wearing the same "Tenacious D Rocks shirt."

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There Are Numerous References To Their First Album In The Pick Of Destiny

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Rock-off scene
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema
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The 2006 film has a few references to the band's 2001 debut album, Tenacious D. For instance, Ronnie James Dio has a cameo in the beginning of the film, which is a callback to their song "Dio."

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Furthermore, after they have won the rock-off against Satan, they try to re-record what they had played. They claimed that it was "the greatest song in the world," a direct reference to their hit track "Tribute." During the actual rock-off, they also claim that they're going to rock the Devil's socks off, an allusion to their song "Rock Your Socks Off."

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They Used To Let The Audience Choose Their Name

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Photo shoot in the bathroom
Scott Gries/Getty Images
Scott Gries/Getty Images
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Before 1994, and the band had an epiphany to call themselves Tenacious D while high and watching basketball, they never had a true name. So, at their first concert as a duo, they let the crowd decide on what they should be called during their show.

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The choices the audience voted on were "Pets or Meat," "Balboas Biblical Theater," and Gass' favorite, "The Axe Lords Featuring Gorgazon's Mischief." While these are all splendid ideas, there's no better fitting name than Tenacious D.