Also, if youre trying to think of a band name i suggest checking out the book finnegans wake by james joyce. Those names are profound, clever, silly, provocative or downright obscure. Mar 23, 20 impotent sea snakeswhen the editorial board at the weeklings asked me to contribute a column about the 50 best band names to go along with their 50 best series, this was the first band that came to mind. Aug 30, 2019 25 worst original names of famous bands. Can anyone tell me how the following bands got their name. Aug 05, 20 the gypsy punk band from new york citys lower east side didnt pull their name from a book title, but from the ukrainianborn russian author nikolai gogol. Their singer told the band about a school project he did, in which he came up with names of imaginary rock bands. A big, openitanywhere book created for music fans and popculture followers of all ages, the band name book explains how or where the bestnamed bands in history got their names.
Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Composition of sound in march 1980, vince clarke, martin gore, and andy fletcher formed a band called composition of sound. Adam and the ants were an english new wave band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The beatles were an english rock band, formed in liverpool in 1960 and widely regarded as the most influential acts of the rock era. Beck hansen, known by stage name beck, is an american singer, songwriter, producer and multiinstrumentalist. The name stuck because they were using it the first time a club manager liked their show enough to invite them to return. This name was inspired at a slade concert, where bassist tom petersson commented that the band used every cheap trick in the book as part of. But once the group got hot themselves landing a deal with atlantic records in 1994.
Black sabbath originally earth blues company, then shortened to earth till the idea was discarded due another band using it. If youre wondering the same thing, we did some research to find out how this famous band got its name. Rock names, the first comprehensive guide to the origins of the names of rock bands, tells the often obscure, sometimes hilarious stories behind. Here is a look at 14 interesting backstories to how bands got their names. Avenged sevenfold taken from the book of genesis, from the passage if cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly lamech seventy and. This book promises just what it says, its the definitions of how all the famous rock bands got their names and why. In the book, opet is the name of the location for an ancient empire which translates to city of the moon. There was an older woman with a large bouffant coif and cateye glasses on a beaded. The san diegobased metalcore band got their name from william faulkners novel as i lay dying. What are some interesting ways bands came up with their name. In the novel, opet is the name of a fictional phoenician city in south africa. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel.
List edit this is a sortable list, ordered alphabetically, starting with the name that the band is best known as, followed by the bands original name, and any other names they previously used in. What is the reason for the name the doors for the band. The band got their name from the british unemployment benefit form ub40 that you fill out to go on the dole. The 50 greatest band names of all time the weeklings. Finally, i know why bread decided on that stupid stupid name, and why the ramones name means so much to them. Jan 18, 2020 thats how famous bands got their names.
Rock names, the first comprehensive guide to the origins of the names of. Gogol is famous for forging a path for writers like kafka and dostoevsky, and the band intends to do the same, merging eastern european music into the englishspeaking world. Mar 06, 2020 the original names of 30 popular bands. His brother would always have to give him a nickel back as change.
Weve gathered the origins behind the names of some of your favorite bands, and some of them may surprise you. When the idea struck him that this was the band s name, everything else started to fall in place. Many notable bands originally went by different names before their mainstream breakthrough. Could rat salad, mookie blaylock or polka tulk blues band have ever turned into the huge rock bands they became if they never changed their names. The name comes from michael endes fantasy book and movie, the neverending story. Today, in honor of our articles sponsor 311 whose name came from a naked encounter with omaha police we examine how some of the most famous bands in the world got their names. Acdc are an australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers malcolm and angus young. Capitol eventually figured out that they couldnt have a band called the crackers on their label, and the group was given the name that their friends and neighbours in woodstock called them. They had to adopt their most recent name after djs kept introducing the band as the guess who, because, in an attempt to be mysterious, that his how they labelled their music when they sent it to stations. Theyre all here, as we count down how rocks 100 biggest bands got their names, from acdc to zz top. Although as i lay dying stole their name from william faulkners famous novel, frontman tim.
Band names were often supplied by their booking agents staff, one of whom, a history enthusiast, eventually christened them jethro tull after the 18thcentury agriculturist. Iss are my favorite underground band, with a gloriously provocative name that falls neatly in line with their sexuallyobscene lyrics. Its usually either a stroke of luck or you stick with a bad name for long enough that it becomes good just based on the history behind it. Uriah heep after using several names during their developing years, manager gerry bron suggested uriah heep, based on the horrible little character from charles dickens novel, david copperfield.
Here are 10 bands named after book characters, passages or titles. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. Jan 01, 1994 rock names, the first comprehensive guide to the origins of the names of rock bands, tells the often obscure, sometimes hilarious stories behind hundreds of acts from the 1950s through the 1990s, including. Impotent sea snakeswhen the editorial board at the weeklings asked me to contribute a column about the 50 best band names to go along with their 50 best series, this was the first band that came to mind. Synthpoppers heaven 17 also took their name from the book, as did 90s indie alsorans campag velocet.
From james bond films to cult classic films, here are 10 bands that got their names from movies and television. This list does not include former band names that have only minor differences, such as stylisation changes, with the bands final band name. Several metalcore bands seem to find literature to be a treasuretrove of material for band names. In the book, billy tallent note the extra l reunites with a band that eventually falls apart.
Uriah heep after using several names during their developing years, manager gerry bron suggested uriah heep, based on the horrible. The bands listed here must be notable, can be from any genre of music, and includes vocal groups whose members do not play instruments. Rock n roll call a book on how bands got their names. Singer matt healy took his band s name from scribbling in a book of beat poetry hed acquired from an artist. Oct 31, 2017 their singer told the band about a school project he did, in which he came up with names of imaginary rock bands. When they got their own record deal in 1968, they told capitol that the band was called the crackers. Jul 17, 20 when i was in high school, a dear friend started a music promotion group, and i spent hours and hours coming up with a list of names for it, which has, unfortunately, been lost in the sands of time or, more precisely, the toxic drifts that made up my room as a teenager. May 07, 2014 could rat salad, mookie blaylock or polka tulk blues band have ever turned into the huge rock bands they became if they never changed their names to van halen, pearl jam, and black sabbath. How arcade fire, led zeppelin, nirvana, vampire weekend, and 532 other bands got their names dolgins, adam on. This deathmetal band derived their name from the word opet from wilbur smiths 1972 novel the sunbird. How arcade fire, led zeppelin, nirvana, vampire weekend, and 532 other bands got their names paperback by adam dolgins. Wed have opened it up to less famous bands, but it turns out most of those are named after semen and after about five hours of wading through that, the research. You have to be inventive to come up with new names.
While lead singer tim lambesis liked the name of the book, he believes that its themes and story don. How arcade fire, led zeppelin, nirvana, vampire weekend, and 532 other bands got their names. When john, paul, and george first came together as a band in 1958, they called themselves the quarry boys. Knowing how to start a band is something anyone can learn and do, even if poorly.
Band names are often obscure what the heck does the beatles mean. I am unsure of the bands you have mentioned, but i can answer a couple of australian bands and how they came up with their name. Check out these 22 bands and the stories behind their names, below. Billy talent got their name from a character in the novel hard core logo by michael turner. They are named after aldous huxleys 1954 book the doors of perception, which was about huxleys experience with psychedelic drugs, namely mescaline. They were called the rain, which was a reference to a beatles bside, before the brit pop band changed their name to oasis. The gypsy punk band from new york citys lower east side didnt pull their name from a book title, but from the ukrainianborn russian author nikolai gogol. The head of the german cocacola team asked them to use their fantasie imagination to come up with the name. Where bands got their names page 3 gretschtalk forum. The beatles inspired by buddy holly,whos backing group was the crickets.
What are some interesting ways bands came up with their. Quentin millsfenn uptown magazine winnipeg holiday gift guide 2008 20081204 the band name book lists an impressive numbermany hundreds of themwith brief descriptions and background information. The band name book delivers the scoop on how pop and rock bands both famous and obscure got their names. As they decided to tour outside of their hometown of escatawpa, mississippi and into foley, alabama, they came up with their official name as they saw a building with a sign with most of its letters. There are also some bands that came up with their name in the simplest way possible, but still a great myth and legend can surround the name. One of the guys got nicked, so they called the band 28 days. The velvet underground took its name from the novel the velvet underground by michael leigh about the secret sexual subculture of the early sixties. Inspire a love of reading with prime book box for kids discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1. How 25 local bands got their names cover story colorado. Its a completely worthless book, except that you can open to any random page and find at least five 23 word phrases that make excellent band names.
One of the names was deaf leopard, and with a few edits, they took off. The gypsy punk band from new york citys lower east side didnt pull their name from a book title, but from the ukrainianborn russian author. Based in new york, adam dolgins began his career at the influential satire magazine spy. On the back page there were loads of suicidal messages and it was dated 1st. Mar 08, 2017 if youre wondering the same thing, we did some research to find out how this famous band got its name.
Doors 1965 huxley in turn took his title from the visionary work the marriage of heaven and hell. This list of original names of bands list only former official band names that are significantly different from the eventual famous name. Book titles that would make great band names derek attig jul 17, 20. This is a list of band names, with their name origins explained and referenced with reliable. Different ways to look at the names of bands and song titles. Lance taylor aka kevin donovan, better known by the stage name afrika. Here are 12 bands that changed their name just before they got famous.
Not since schoolboys doodled fantasy bands in their rough books have there been so many expletives. Regardless, the band name is unifying and memorable. The name opeth was taken from the book sunbird 1972 by author wilbur smith, and was originally spelled opet. Evanescence when asked where they got their name, they responded, the dictionary. Before they became the cure, they were the easy cure, which was born out of the name of a song that was written by lol tolhurst, the original drummer of the band. Edith makes a paper chain was a caption from a 60s arts and crafts book. You asked where these bands got their names, and cliff is here to answer. Without a doubt, the most important aspect to marketing anything is the name. By the end, youll be able to cut through the legendary lies and, maybe more importantly. The connections between these two practicesbandnaming and booktitlingoccurred to me not long ago, and it. According to ucr desperate times lead to goofy suggestions, and thats reportedly how this band which had already considered then discarded winking candidates like no one, the group and the hair finally decided on a successor title to the deto. Before u2 got famous, they were a fivepiece rock band called the hype in 1977. Heres how 22 bands got their names alternative press. May 28, 2009 today, in honor of our articles sponsor 311 whose name came from a naked encounter with omaha police we examine how some of the most famous bands in the world got their names.