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the origins of band names

PostPosted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 2:19 pm
by Pseudo
Happy Friday everybody! Why not kickstart the weekend with a little game of "name the band", using only the origin of each band's name as a hint.

edit: remaining questions in red


BAND NAMES HAVING A LITERARY ORIGIN

1. named after a sex toy appearing in "The Naked Lunch"

2. named after a band mentioned in "A Clockwork Orange"

3. name inspired by a line of William Blake's

4. name taken from a phrase in "Interview With The Vampire"

5. named after a Hermann Hesse novel

6. name inspired by two Belgian comic book characters

7. named after a character in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"

8. named after a Harold Pinter play

9. named after a character in "David Copperfield"

10. named after a gang in a Woody Guthrie novel



BAND NAMES WITH FOREIGN INFLUENCE

11. named after a French fashion magazine

12. the name is Portuguese for grave

13. the name is Spanish for panther

14. name derived from the title of an Italian marxist's political writings

15. the name means "power plant" in the band's native language

16. the name is Spanish for "The wolves"



BAND NAMES TAKEN FROM OTHER ARTIST'S SONGS

17. named after a Talking Heads song

18. name inspired by the Who song "I'm the Face"

19. name taken from a line in "Jean Genie"

20. named after a T-Rex song

21. named originally after a Simple Minds song

22. named after a piece by '30s pianist Peter De Rose



BAND NAMES DRIVED FROM PEOPLE'S NAMES

23. named after an 1800's farmer who invented the seed drill

24. name derived from the first names of two Georgia bluesmen

25. name formed from two band members' surnames and a trucker's magazine

26. named after a pseudonym of Paul McArtney

27. name derived from the high school gym teacher of some founding members of the band

28. name derived wholly from the surnames of two male band members, though the band had female members



NAME THE BAND WHICH ...

29. contacted a deceased witch via ouija board and named itself after her. The name was later adopted by the singer.

30. stuck a pin in a map, and thereby named itself after a city in Michigan

31. adopted its name from a cat owned by an acquaintance of the band

32. added two words to its name due to a request from the record company to make it cleaner. I guess you could say it was a NECESSITY...

33. is named after a Vulcan (i.e. Star Trek) high priestess

34. took its name from a character in Barbarella

35. is named after the hairstyle sported by the female band members

36. took its name from a British social security benefits form

37. was originally going to be named after a brewery in Birmingham. The band eventually took a name having the same initials as the brewery.

38. originally named itself after a public transport authority of a US city, eventually shortening the name.

39. derived its name from the final letters of each of the 5 male band members' names

40. is a euphemistic term for being gassed in a concentration camp

Re: the origins of band names

PostPosted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 3:19 pm
by Footy Chick
36. UB40

Re: the origins of band names

PostPosted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 3:58 pm
by Leaping Lindner
Interesting questions Pseudo - some pretty hard ones there

1. named after a sex toy appearing in "The Naked Lunch" Steely Dan
2. named after a band mentioned in "A Clockwork Orange" Heaven 17
5. named after a Hermann Hesse novel Steppenwolf
9. named after a character in "David Copperfield" Uriah Heep
17. named after a Talking Heads song Radiohead
18. name inspired by the Who song "I'm the Face"The Small Faces (Face was a mod)
23. named after an 1800's farmer who invented the seed drill - Jethro Tull
25. name formed from two band members' surnames and a trucker's magazine Bachman Turner Overdrive (?)
26. named after a pseudonym of Paul McArtney - Paul Ramone - The Ramones
27. name derived from the high school gym teacher of some founding members of the band Lynard Skynard
29. contacted a deceased witch via ouija board and named itself after her. The name was later adopted by the singer. Alice Cooper
30. stuck a pin in a map, and thereby named itself after a city in Michigan Bay City Rollers
34. took its name from a character in Barbarella Duran Duran

Here's one for you. Which band took it's name from a b-side they recorded as another band? They re-recorded the song and it became their signature tune and band name. :wink: :lol:

Re: the origins of band names

PostPosted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 4:09 pm
by Footy Chick
Leaping Lindner wrote:Interesting questions Pseudo - some pretty hard ones there

1. named after a sex toy appearing in "The Naked Lunch" Steely Dan
2. named after a band mentioned in "A Clockwork Orange" Heaven 17
5. named after a Hermann Hesse novel Steppenwolf
9. named after a character in "David Copperfield" Uriah Heep
17. named after a Talking Heads song Radiohead
18. name inspired by the Who song "I'm the Face"The Small Faces (Face was a mod)
23. named after an 1800's farmer who invented the seed drill - Jethro Tull
25. name formed from two band members' surnames and a trucker's magazine Bachman Turner Overdrive (?)
26. named after a pseudonym of Paul McArtney - Paul Ramone - The Ramones
27. name derived from the high school gym teacher of some founding members of the band Lynard Skynard
29. contacted a deceased witch via ouija board and named itself after her. The name was later adopted by the singer. Alice Cooper
30. stuck a pin in a map, and thereby named itself after a city in Michigan Bay City Rollers
34. took its name from a character in Barbarella Duran Duran

Here's one for you. Which band took it's name from a b-side they recorded as another band? They re-recorded the song and it became their signature tune and band name. :wink: :lol:


Kiss??

Re: the origins of band names

PostPosted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 4:11 pm
by Dogwatcher
LL - Icehouse?

Re: the origins of band names

PostPosted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 4:29 pm
by Interceptor
Pseudo wrote:3. name inspired by a line of William Blake's The Doors?
15. the name means "power plant" in the band's native language Kraftwerk
24. name derived from the first names of two Georgia bluesmen Pink Floyd
32. added two words to its name due to a request from the record company to make it cleaner. I guess you could say it was a NECESSITY... Frank Zappa and the Mothers (of Invention)

Re: the origins of band names

PostPosted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 4:35 pm
by Pseudo
Leaping Lindner wrote:Here's one for you. Which band took it's name from a b-side they recorded as another band? They re-recorded the song and it became their signature tune and band name. :wink: :lol:


I don't know but I'll guess Talk Talk.

Icehouse would be my second guess, although I thought the song Icehouse was only released as an A-side overseas, hardly a signature tune.

All your answers correct BTW (of course). FC's answer correct too, so are all of Interceptor's.

Re: the origins of band names

PostPosted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 4:59 pm
by Kahuna
13/ Pantera
14/Scritti Politti

Re: the origins of band names

PostPosted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 5:53 pm
by woodwt
Here's one for you. Which band took it's name from a b-side they recorded as another band? They re-recorded the song and it became their signature tune and band name. :wink: :lol:[/quote]


Hawkwind - motorhead :wink:

Re: the origins of band names

PostPosted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 5:54 pm
by woodwt
35 = blondie :wink:

Re: the origins of band names

PostPosted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 6:16 pm
by godoubleblues
Q6 - Thompson Twins
Q7 - Veruca Salt
Q13 - Pantera
Q35 - B52's
Q36 - UB-40
Q38 - Chicago

Re: the origins of band names

PostPosted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 9:23 pm
by Pseudo
All correct except woodwt's guess at Q35.

24 down, 16 remain.

Re: the origins of band names

PostPosted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 9:49 pm
by Hondo
28 Fleetwood Mac

Re: the origins of band names

PostPosted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 9:53 pm
by Leaping Lindner
A couple of guesses....

11 - Depeche Mode ???
19 - Simple Minds ???

Re: the origins of band names

PostPosted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 10:56 pm
by FattyLumpkin
19. If it's not Simple minds, then The Go-go's ??

Re: the origins of band names

PostPosted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 2:59 pm
by Pseudo
hondo and LL, correctamundo.

13 remain.

Re: the origins of band names

PostPosted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 10:44 am
by Pseudo
Time for hints!
edit: de-coloured items which have subsequently been guessed

4. name taken from a phrase in "Interview With The Vampire"
Australian duo

8. named after a Harold Pinter play
Another source claims that the band got its name from a scene in Dostoyevsky's "Crime and Punishment", although there is no such scene in this novel (yes, I've read it).
LL will hang his head in shame for not getting this one :wink:

10. named after a gang in a Woody Guthrie novel
The book was a (somewhat fictional) autobiography

12. the name is Portuguese for grave
From http://www.thesaurus.com:
Main Entry: grave
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: burial
Synonyms: catacomb, cold storage, crypt, daisy, deep six, dust bin, last home*, mausoleum, mound, permanent address*, pine, pit, resting place, sepulcher, shrine, tomb, vault

16. the name is Spanish for "The wolves"
which in French would be "Les Loups"

20. named after a T-Rex song
A repeated word, like "Talk Talk"

21. named originally after a Simple Minds song
Twins. Not Thompson.

22. named after a piece by '30s pianist Peter De Rose
The song in question was the favourite song of the guitarist's grandmother. English rockers.

31. adopted its name from a cat owned by an acquaintance of the band
Contemporaries of the Beatles. The name sounds persian to me, which is odd since the cat was allegedly siamese.

33. is named after a Vulcan (i.e. Star Trek) high priestess
Four letters and one apostrophe. The Vulcan character appeared in the original series episode "Amok Time" (where Spock is driven by biological urges to return home to Vulcan for mating purposes :shock: ). The character also appeared in an Enterprise episode, and a starship in ST:TNG was named after her.

37. was originally going to be named after a brewery in Birmingham. The band eventually took a name having the same initials as the brewery.
the name sounds like they sampled too much of the brewery's ware, making them "emotional" and "sad"

39. derived its name from the final letters of each of the 5 male band members' names
American boy-band. Once named as the biggest band in the world by Rolling Stone magazine. Spelled with either a leading apostrophe or a leading asterisk.

40. is a euphemistic term for being gassed in a concentration camp
not Dancing at Dachau...

Re: the origins of band names

PostPosted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 11:49 am
by Kahuna
16/ Los Lobos

Re: the origins of band names

PostPosted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 12:01 pm
by Footy Chick
4. savage Garden
20. Duran Duran?

39. Nsync?

Re: the origins of band names

PostPosted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 1:39 pm
by godoubleblues
Q8 - The Birthday Party