Band name meanings/bands original names

[Pevenseagull]

Toploader, named after the practice of putting all of the dope in a joint at one end so that the person rolling the joint gets to smoke all of the gear.

 

[Pevenseagull]

The Smiths named as an antidote to the pretentious name of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

 

[Pevenseagull]

According to John Squire 'The Seahorses' didn't get their name from an anagram of 'He Hates Roses'. But I don't believe him.

 

[Pevenseagull]

Here's a couple of good ones

Suede, a homage to Felt (who became Denim)

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

ABBA were originally BABA

 

[Moshe Gariani]

The Merton Parkas were mods from South London

 

[joeinbrighton]

I am not sure if it's an urban myth, but is heard that REM's Everybody Hurts was written by michael stripe after the death of Kurt Cobain.

It's definitely an urban myth as Everybody Hurts was on an album that was released in 1992 and Kurt Cobain didn't die until 1994.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

It's definitely an urban myth as Everybody Hurts was on an album that was released in 1992 and Kurt Cobain didn't die until 1994.

Arguably the worst ever Urban Myth then?

 

[Superphil]

CRASS were named after the line in Ziggy Stardust "The kids were all Crass", they called themselves Stormtrooper prior to that.

 

[joeinbrighton]

The Kooks took their name from a song/lyric by David Bowie.

 

[unklbrian]

Syramip - of 'Skinhead Moonstomp' fame - originally 'The Pyramids' of 'Train Tour to Rainbow City' fame

 

[unklbrian]

And then there's the world famous visually impaired singer/songwriter who released records under the confusing moniker of 'Eivets Rednow' in 1968

 

[The Large One]

The Parliaments - a 1950s and 60s doo-wop band - changed their name in 1970 to... Parliament.

 

[half time scores]

The Longpigs, name given by cannibals for human meat.

Jefferson airplane was a roach clip.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

How the Jackson 5 got their name really is a fascinating story.

 

[Superphil]

The Parliaments - a 1950s and 60s doo-wop band - changed their name in 1970 to... Parliament.

Ian Astbury formed The Southern Death Cult in the early 80s. After disbanding that group in 1983 he formed a new group called The Death Cult, which after a while he disbanded, and formed a new group, called..... The Cult

 

[Nibble]

The song Stuck In The Middle With You (clowns to the left etc is actually about Billy Connolly.

 

[AIT76]

Not exactly correct. It was the name given to the German regiment that abused the girls, not the women/ girls themselves.

Sorry, don't agree. It came from a book 'House Of Dolls' that describes an area of the camp where the women were kept.

 

[Dr. Notthenineo'clocknews]

Sparks first album was released under the name Halfnelson

 

[Se20]

The Kooks took their name from a song/lyric by David Bowie.

So did Simple Minds, from a line in Jean Genie