Biography
The psych-punk outfit the Humane Society originated in Simi Valley, California, in 1965 under the initial name the Innocents. Singer/guitarist Danny Wheetman, lead guitarist Jim Pettit, rhythm guitarist Woody Minnick, bassist Richard Majewski, and drummer Bill Schnetzler made up the lineup. Producers Dick Torst and Dick Parker discovered the musicians during a performance on a flatbed truck stationed outside a neighborhood record store. Liberty Records released the debut single "Tiptoe Through the Tulips With Me" in spring 1967; cut shortly before Tiny Tim’s smash novelty rendition, the A-side scored local success in Los Angeles. Enduring recognition, however, attaches to the B-side "Knock, Knock," a ferocious and strikingly raw specimen of proto-punk brilliance later featured on the first Nuggets box set in 1998. After Liberty turned down a proposed follow-up, the band moved to New World and delivered the 1968 single "Lorna," though the release drew little notice and the group disbanded soon afterward.