Purple Toupee [SEP] record label
", which Linnell perceived as a "one-dimensional caricature" of the decade. In a nod to this inauthenticity, the lyrics are intentionally misleading, and do not accurately represent the events they reference. Two Prince songs—"Purple Rain" and "Raspberry Beret"—also served as sources of inspiration for "Purple Toupee".
Promotion.
Bar/None Records promoted "Purple Toupee" by pasting fake labels on 8-track tapes by other artists. The cartridges, disguised as a release from TMBG, were mailed to radio stations,
B-sides compilation "Miscellaneous T". The title referred to the section of the record store where TMBG releases were often found as well as to the overall eclectic nature of the tracks. Though consisting of previously released material (save for the "Purple Toupee" b-sides, which were not available publicly), it gave new fans a chance to hear the Johns' earlier non-album work without having to hunt down the individual EPs.
In early 1992, They Might Be Giants released "Apollo 18