The appearance of Belly the rapper in @Paul-Wad’s best list, and talk elsewhere of the Smells Like Teen Spirit hitmakers, has reminded me of a thread I’ve been meaning to post for ages: acts who ‘borrow’ their name from another.
Are we really that short of bandnames? Especially when a quick Google can tell you if it has already been taken.
Belly (the Canadian rapper).
Belly (90s Throwing Muses spin-off band).
Belly (the band) had a new album out and toured this year. I imagine there were some disappointed rap fans at their gigs.
Placebo (90s Nancy Boy hitmakers)
Placedo (1974 jazz band)
Nirvana (90s SLTS hitmakers)
Nirvana (60s psych band)
Morphine (newish alt-country band)
Morphine (90s jazz-rock trio)
I’m sure the hive mind can think of other examples.
IanP says
A while back I got a gig alert from one of the ticket agencies telling me Belly the band were playing down the road from me at Oslo in Hackney – a tiny venue.
A day later an apology was sent out to say it was Belly the rapper and they really shouldn’t have used a photo of the band in the original email.
No idea how many tickets they sold, but I would have thought a lot of fans would have jumped at the chance of such an intimate gig.
moseleymoles says
The Charlatans and Suede have both have to append ‘UK’ ‘British’ or ‘London’ to avoid confusion with US based bands. Ozric Tentacles have not had to do this.
davebigpicture says
The Beat are The English Beat in the US, I believe.
aardvarknever says
Even before they diverged into two bands.
Wikipedia reports that in Australia they were known as “The British Beat”.
Junior Wells says
True dat
Moose the Mooche says
The London Suede is a fantastic name. Very 60s.
Rigid Digit says
The Quireboys also adopted the “London …” monicker.
There wasn’t a band in the US called The Quireboys but they changed it anyway
fentonsteve says
Edith: that should be Placebo, not Placedo…
JQW says
Bill Evans, jazz pianist, played with Miles Davis
Bill Evans, jazz saxophonist, played with Miles Davis
Mark-Almond – UK 70s jazzers
Marc Almond – one half of the TLHs.
John Adams – Purlitzer prize-winning contemporary US composer
John Luther Adams – Purlitzer prize-winning contemporary US composer
fentonsteve says
Paul Goodwin: opera conductor
Paul Goodwin: Cambridge-based singer-songwriter
I can’t really blame Paul for the name, as he didn’t come up with it.
Mike_H says
Dave Stewart – prog keyboard whizz (Egg, Hatfield & The North, National Health etc.) duetted with Barbara Gaskin on pop single and album projects.
David A. Stewart – guitarist/composer partner of Annie Lennox in Tourists and Eurythmics, record producer.
Colin H says
Speaking of Evans… I think he made an album or had a group at one point in the 50s called Quintessence. In Ladbroke Grove at the end of the 60s, however…
Related to this, when I decided to call my 2016 album of chamber-prog instrumentals ‘Sunset Cavaliers’, I Googled it to find that I had been beaten to it by a dog-grooming parlour in California. I went ahead with the title, though, confident that there couldn’t possibly be any consumer confusion.
Gary says
There’s The Larks:
And then there’s The Larks:
duco01 says
Air – French electronic band that did “Moon Safari”
Air – 1970s free jazz band led by Henry Threadgill
Paul Wad says
Away from music, the Rochdale v Barnsley game earlier this season threw up something similar, which turned out to be a commentator’s nightmare. Rochdale started the game with Jordan Williams in their eleven. On 79 minutes, Barnsley made a substitution, bringing on…Jordan Williams. Only for Rochdale to make a substitution a minute later, bringing on…yet another Jordan Williams!
Cue chants from the stands of ‘there’s only three Jordan Williams’!
Surely that even beats Hartlepool’s feat in a 2-1 win over Notts County in 2013, when their goals were scored by Peter Hartley and James Poole.
dai says
Amazing also that peak 70s era Leeds Utd produced 3 (or 4) famous musicians, Mick Jones (The Clash and Foreigner), Billy Bremner (Rockpile) and Allan Clarke (The Hollies).
Rigid Digit says
and not forgetting Norman Hunter (backing vocals for Napalm Death) and Trevor Cherry (father of Eagle Eye and Neneh)
Mike_H says
2 different keyboard players called Bob Harris were at different times in Frank Zappa’s bands.
Bob the first in the ’71 Flo & Eddie “Vaudeville” Mothers and Bob the second in the early ’80s band with Steve Vai (that particular Bob also sang falsetto).
Neither of them introduced the acts on OGWT, correctly identified the New York Dolls as substandard or continues to this day to mumble and play records/introduce live acts for BBC Radio.
Paul Wad says
And wasn’t the reserve goalie yet another Dave Stewart, to go with the two above. Actually, the Leeds Dave Stewart died recently.
Rigid Digit says
Another great chant:
when Andy Goram was said to have a mild form of schizophrenia, the chant at Ibrox was:
“Tow Any Gorams … there’s only two Andy Gorams”
dai says
See also “There’s only two Gary Stevens”
Leicester Bangs says
Eighteen years ago, freelancing on a men’s lifestyle magazine, I was excited about the debut album from drum & bass eardrum abusers Bad Company, which I had on promo. Bad Company were a pretty big noise in D&B at this point, mainly because of a track called The Nine, which is still often cited as the best drum & bass track ever. So having got hold of the album, which was brilliant, I was feeling pretty hip and cutting-edge and keen to introduce this exciting new sound to our readers. At this point I had, crucially, never heard of the Paul Rodgers’ Bad Company.
So I said to the editor, ‘Do you know Bad Company?’ ready to give him the lowdown on how they were currently shaking up the scene.
‘Bad Company? Yeah, of course,’ he says, witheringly, and I think, Wow, he’s got his finger on the pulse. No need to give him the pitch.
‘I was wondering if I could review the new album?’
‘No, I don’t think so, mate.’ Practically sneering. ‘It’s a bit old hat.’
Off I slunk, destroyed. And I spent a good fortnight wondering how come we were reviewing the likes of Eels and Moloko but not Bad Company, and how this older guy who seemed to spend all of his time in meetings with management knew so much about drum & bass that he already considered Bad Company old hat — until, at last, on a visit to HMV, the penny dropped. Ah well.
fishface says
Sports…a new wavey band from Oz….really quite good.
The Sports….band from the US….listed on Google as erm, wizards.
Sports Band….not a band at all….more a watch.
Sports Direct….a shop.
Paul Wad says
As an avid fan and record collector of Stephen Duffy, who for a short time just went under his surname, I was less than impressed at the arrival of the Welsh Amy Winehouse wannabe about 10 years ago. My saved search of ‘Duffy’ in the music category of eBay brought up much larger numbers than it previously had, but I suddenly had all of her stuff to wade through, whilst trying to track down that elusive 7″ of Baby Impossible.
Still, I can’t imagine collectors of The The have much joy on eBay either.
JQW says
The Eagles – Washington DC based R&B vocal/instrumental group. Recorded the original version of ‘Tryin’ To Get To You’, later recorded by Elvis Presley.
The Eagles – Bristol based instrumental band, their soundtrack EP to the film Some People sold well in 1962.
(The) Eagles – Californian country/rock behemoth.
Paul Wad says
My parents didn’t have many albums when I was young, but one they did have was Smash Hits by the Eagles (the Bristol one). I used to love it, Sukiyaki being my favourite track. For a short while I did think that they were also the Hotel California Hitmakers, but when I was younger I had also presumed they were as big as the Shadows, although I have to admit that I played my parents’ single of Wonderful Land a lot more. Still love that track. Stars Fell On Stockton was the b-side, if I remember correctly.
I was in the Dolphin pub in Robin Hood’s Bay about 15 or so years ago and there was a small band in the front bar playing instrumental tunes, with a strong leaning towards the Shadows. The lead guitarist was quite a bit older than the others. Between songs I asked if they could play Wonderful Land, but the older guy said the others didn’t know it. Anyway, they had half an hour break and when they came back the first number they played was…Wonderful Land. Whilst we had resumed our drinking and chatting, they’d spent their break learning it. Now that’s dedication to your, albeit small, audience!
Colin H says
We’re forgetting the late 60s British rockers Iron Maiden (previously called ‘Bum’ – I have the Melody Maker advert announcing the change), no relation to the late 70s British rockers of that name.
Moose the Mooche says
So Bum became Iron Maiden?? I’d always assumed Bum had split…. owing to musical differences.
Black Celebration says
A joke I heard in a playground in the 70s:
Why are hippies like toilet paper?
Because they like to dig the groove.
davebigpicture says
Also form the 70s
A hippy found an old lamp, rubbed it on his loon pants and a genie appeared.
“I can grant you one wish,” said the genie.
“I wanna be uptight, outa sight and in the groove,” said the hippy.
The genie turned him into a tampon.
Wilson Wilson says
I was a big fan of late-90s post-Levitation shoegaze types Dark Star. So I was quite excited to see their name cropping up a couple of years ago, on Warp Records of all places. It was of course another band…
duco01 says
“Dark Star”? That would be a good name for a song, wouldn’t It? it could be, like, a long improvised number which has a couple of short verses and then wanders off into space for about 27 minutes. That would be great!
Wilson Wilson says
And maybe there could be dozens of different recordings? No, that’d be crazy!
Freddy Steady says
Well, there’s the Originals and the New Originals.
That’s actually my favourite Spinal Tap joke.
Rigid Digit says
The Chords – Mod Revivalists
The Chords – 1950s Doo-Wop group
The Gents – late period Mod Revivalists
The Gents – Northern Irish Wedding Show Band
James Taylor – Hammond organist from Rochester
James Taylor – Guitarist who has seen Fire and seen Rain
The Outlaws – Southern Country-infused Boogie Blues to rival Lynyrd Skymyrd
The Outlaws – Joe Meek house band featuring Chas Hodges, Richie Blackmore
dai says
Ah you beat me.
Rigid Digit says
Skid Row – Irish band featuring future Thin Lizziers Lynott, Bell and Moore
Skid Row – pretty boy GnR wannabe Hair Metallers
hubert rawlinson says
Saw a concert in a pub in Newcastle for Richard John Thompson, he must have used his full name to avoid confusion with the beret* wearing guitarist.
Unfortunately that is the full name of the beret*wearing troubadour.
There was considerable confusion.
* not necessarily a beret but I can’t be bothered to find out anymore.
Bartleby says
Ian (A) Anderson, folk musician, writer, broadcaster
Ian (S) Anderson, bloke from the Tull
fentonsteve says
The Great Divide – mid-80’s funk-pop band feat. Boo Hewerdine
The Great Divide – Texas bluegrass band
Black Type says
Davy Jones – Cute, cheeky-chappie singer in The Monkees.
Davy Jones – queer-eyed singer in various forgettable 60s Sarf Lahndon beat combos. Never heard of again.
Moose the Mooche says
He must have got stuck in his locker.
John Walters says
The British Drifters changed their name to avoid confusion with the the American sweet soul outfit……..Then became The Shadows.
Also (not 100% sure on this). Didn’t The Byrds insert their famous Y into their name again to avoid confusion with Ronnie Wood’s band The Birds.
Sniffity says
The Turtles were originally going to be The Tyrtles, as a response.
Mike_H says
I was under the impression they chose the name The Byrds as an homage to The Beatles, who they admired, and that they deliberately mis-spelled the name because The Beatles name was an intentional mis-spelling.
Addendum to another post further up:
As well as Mick Jones of The Clash and Mick Jones of Foreigner, there’s the late Mickey Jones, guitarist and singer of Man.
Also there’s John Williams the British classical guitarist and composer of “Cavatina” from “The Deer Hunter” and there’s the prolific American film composer also named John Williams.
Moose the Mooche says
Again… The British Drifters is a great name… some kind of comment on the end of Empire. Very 50s.
Bamber says
Howzabout the original OMD?
The Ozark Mountain Daredevils.
Paul Wad says
How about Hazel Dean, 80s Hi-NRG popster and Hazeldine, 90s alt. country combo.
or
The Dust Brothers, 90s UK DJs and remixers, forced to change their name to The Chemical Brothers after objections by the US Dust Brothers (whom the Chems originally were paying homage to), the DJs and producers of such classic records as Beastie Boys’ Paul’s Boutique, Beck’s Odelay and, er, Hanson’s MmmBop.
johnw says
The two pairs of bands I can proffer are:
Blue – 70’s glam band & 90’s duffer/teen pop band
Jet – 70’s glam rock fallout band that was mainly the British members of Sparks after the Maels went back to California & the Do You Want To Be My Girl hitmakers.
There’s also power pop balladeer American David Mead who shouldn’t be confused with noodly UK guitarist David Mead. Emusic’s awful filing lead me to that error!
retropath2 says
Anyone muddled up their El-P with ELP.
Disappointment surely in either direction. (Both??)
Paul Wad says
Fanfare For The Common Squeegee Man Shooting?
Moose the Mooche says
EMF – gratifyingly obscure Brit hip hop act who released the rather excellent Rough Potential in 1989. Also, some spirited young chaps who apparently made a record about not believing it – a Victor Meldrew tribute perhaps.
Moose the Mooche says
Space – 70s electro pop merchants
Space – erratic 90s scallies with a singer who used an unexplained Mexican accent
Paul Wad says
You’re also forgetting…
Space – early 90’s ambient KLF spin off, whose sole album started life as the first The Orb album, until Jimmy Cauty left The Orb and took the recordings with him, removing Alex Patterson’s contributions, added bits and released it as Space. As a fan and collector of all things KLF, the Space album isn’t high on my list of favourites.
Wilson Wilson says
LFO – British electronic act
LFO – American boyband