Although created in St. Louis, Missouri PAVLOV'S DOG relocated to New York. According to industry legend the band's first manager, Ron Powell, signed the band on the strength of a live radio show to ABC Records for a record breaking advance reputed to be over the half a million dollar mark. The act scored major press coverage at the time as the deal was announced as the biggest in American recording history to date. Another radio show- this time in New York supporting JOURNEY- secured the production team of BLUE OYSTER CULT svengalis Sandy Pearlman and Murray Krugman as producers for the debut album which was cut at the CBS New York studios.

PAVLOV'S DOG, forged in 1973 and originally billed as PALOV'S DOG AND THE CONDITION REFLEX SOUL REVUE AND CONCERT CHOIR, comprised of vocalist David Surkamp, ex REO SPEEDWAGON guitarist STEVE SCORFINA, former HIGH ON A SMALL HILL bass player Rick Stockton, keyboard players Doug Rayburn and Doug Hamilton and MIKE SAFRON on drums whose previous credits included playing with legendary Rock n' Rollers CHUCK BERRY, BO DIDDLEY and ALBERT KING. Convention notwithstanding, PAVLOV'S DOG also included violinist Siegfried Carver (real name Richard Nadlar).

On the eve of the ABC release the label mysteriously dropped the band. Powell apparently secured a rapid response deal from Columbia Records for yet another mammoth adance to save the day. Confusion reigned though as both ABC and Columbia claimed ownership of 'Pampered Menial' and quite bizarrely stores received pressings from both labels.

The band's debut, 'Pampered Menial', whilst never destined to be a commercial hit, became a favourite on the college circuit. Surkamp's eerie high pitched vocal style made the band easily distinguishable and in the UK 'Melody Maker' magazine proclaimed it as the best debut of the year.

PALOV'S DOG were in actual fact fighting a losing battle with album sales as the ABC versions went straight into the bargain cut out bins meaning all sales would not count for any chart position.

The band splintered after the inaugural release with Surkamp opting to continue as Carver and Hamilton quit en masse. Further sessions were undertaken with the veteran YES / KING CRIMSON drummer Bill Bruford and ROXY MUSIC's saxophonist Andy Stockton. Additional musicians included acoustic guitarist Tom Nickeson and STEELY DAN guitarist Elliot Randell. Initially Safron was to stand aside in favour of Bruford but retain his seat for live work. When the second record 'At The Sound Of The Bell' emerged, once more produced by Pearlman and Krugman, it pointedly neglected to credit the original drummer as a band member. Safron undertook a few months of touring before leaving. Overall response to the sophomore outing was muted. Nickeson manouevered over to keyboards and Kirk Sarkisian, from Florida Funksters PUNCH, took over on drums.

In 1976 work began on a projected third album with a working title of 'Has Anyone Seen Siegfried?', produced by Mark Spector and John Jansen, but these sessions would remain shelved. Surkamp, who meantime had guested on MICHAEL QUATRO's 'Dancers, Romancers, Dreamers And Schemers' album, quit as Columbia dropped the band. The band were by now admitting in public that despite the heavyweight advances they were broke and more than one was fighting drug addiction.

Surkamp and Rayburn relocated to Seattle creating MADSHADOWS. Former members Scorfina and Safron later teamed up with ex HEAD EAST guitarist Mike Somerville in the SOMERVILLE-SCORFINA BAND.

It is worth noting that David Surkamp released a 1980 solo single, 'Louie Louie', on the British record label Butt Records before forming Pop Rock act HI-FI in collusion with FAIRPORT CONVENTION's Ian Matthews. With this group he released an album rather strangely titled 'Moods For Mallards' on the Shanghai label in 1983. Surkamp also involved himself in session and jingle work but would also reuinite with Scorfina in the MEMPHIS UNDERGROUND. MIKE SAFRON, along with Carver, founded CHILDREN and Safron would later front STRANGERS issuing one early 80's album. He would also issue a solo 1982 record 'Steal The Night Away' on the mysterious Kanned Goose label.

Nickeson would join forces with erstwhile REO SPEEDWAGON personnel in the ill fated GULLIVER prior to resurrecting the PAVLOV'S DOG name in alliance with Scorfina for an 'official' bootleg album under the pseudonym of the ST. LOUIS HOUNDS. Limited to 1000 copies Elliot Randall once more put in a showing and Jeff Baxter handled second guitar.

1983 witnessed a PAVLOV'S DOG, albeit minus Hamilton and Stockton, reformation for a series of hometown nostalgia gigs. The group reformed proper in 1990 for the Telectro released 'Lost In America' album. Centred upon Surkamp and Rayburn the record featured contributions from both Scorfina and Sarkisian.

STEVE SCORFINA would take the solo route in 1999 releasing the 'Polychrome Love Songs' opus. A later version of the band- billed as PAVLOV'S DOG 2000- gigged during the late 90's with Safron fronting a band comprising of Steve Simon, Hunter Springer, Julie Moreno, Ron Vince and Tom Tarantino. Strangely Surkamp also used the same band name for a series of Italian gigs at the turn of the millennium.

BLUE OYSTER CULT guitarist Allen Lanier sessioned on the PAVLOV'S DOG albums albeit anonymously.

PAVLOV'S DOG reunited for live action in 2004. A hiatus of over five years was broken by singer David Surkamp in 2007 when he presented his second solo album 'Dancing On The Edge Of A Teacup'.