# Bands named for a member that is not the lead singer **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [November 26, 2023, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716 "2023-11-26T11:59:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/1 "2023-11-26T11:59:50Z")
The J. Geils Band would count but The Steve Miller Band would not. I could go either way on Santana. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/2 "2023-11-26T12:09:23Z")
Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow definitely counts. Blackmore’s Night partially counts, since Ritchie Blackmore is not the singer but Candice Night is. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/3 "2023-11-26T12:14:46Z")
I assume we mean to exclude bands that don’t normally use a singer at all? Because there are plenty of those in jazz, and in the somewhat smaller genres of instrumental R&B or instrumental rock: The Glenn Miller Orchestra, the James Last Orchestra, Bert Kaempfert & his Orchestra, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass the Arthur Lyman Group, Booker T. and the M.G.'s, and so on. ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/4 "2023-11-26T12:20:33Z")
Fleetwood Mac. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/5 "2023-11-26T12:21:52Z")
Van Halen. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/6 "2023-11-26T12:21:56Z")
Manfred Mann (keyboards) was the first band that came to my mind. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/7 "2023-11-26T12:27:55Z")
Not quite in this category, but similar, is Chichi Peralta, a Dominican percussionist who had a big hit across Latin America circa 1999 called “Procura,” Many assume he is the singer, but he is not. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/8 "2023-11-26T12:49:00Z")
Santana Spencer Davis Group Jeff Beck Group The Alan Parsons Project ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/9 "2023-11-26T12:59:33Z")
Kool and the Gang ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/10 "2023-11-26T13:00:30Z")
As I understand it, Jefferson Airplane/Starship was based on a nickname of a band member. Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/11 "2023-11-26T13:08:25Z")
The Dave Clark Five Mike & The Mechanics Was (Not Was) Bronski Beat ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/12 "2023-11-26T14:01:03Z")
Paul Revere and the Raiders (my first LP… I was surprised that Paul was the ordinary-looking guy in the back). ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/13 "2023-11-26T14:04:16Z")
The blues band **Little Charlie and the Nighthawks**. Little Charle Baty was just playing guitar in the background. The flashy lead singer’s name was Rick Estrin. ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/14 "2023-11-26T14:05:12Z")
The Thompson Twins ---
**Author:** ![bryanmaguire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d07c76/32.png) [@bryanmaguire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bryanmaguire)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/15 "2023-11-26T14:11:17Z")
Thompson Twins are not named after ANY of the members. ---
**Author:** ![Galactus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galactus/32/3581_2.png) [@Galactus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galactus)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/16 "2023-11-26T14:56:32Z")
Ted Nugent ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/17 "2023-11-26T15:18:41Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Was (Not Was) According to wiki, Was (Not Was) was named after the way one of the member’s kids talked. (That’s a lot of was) ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/18 "2023-11-26T15:25:25Z")
> [@Galactus](#): > > Ted Nugent. Admittedly, I only know 2 Ted Nugent songs but the Motor City Mad Man sings both of them. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/19 "2023-11-26T15:31:21Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > According to wiki, Was (Not Was) was named after the way one of the member’s kids talked. Sure, but the _Was_ part of the construction is also the (stage) name of the two musicians who were neither the lead singer, at least of their biggest hits. Not sure if the band name came first, like The Ramones, or if they adopted the stage names first. ---
**Author:** ![Galactus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galactus/32/3581_2.png) [@Galactus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galactus)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/20 "2023-11-26T15:32:43Z")
According to Wikipedia: Despite possessing a distinctive, wide-ranging singing voice, Nugent recorded and toured with other lead singers during much of his early solo career, including [Derek St. Holmes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derek_St._Holmes), [Charlie Huhn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Huhn), [Brian Howe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Howe_(singer)) and [Meat Loaf](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meat_Loaf), only taking on full lead vocal duties later on.[[4]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Nugent#cite_note-meatloaf-4) His biggest hit was 1977’s “[Cat Scratch Fever](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Scratch_Fever_(song))”, on which he sang the lead vocals. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716.md?page=2)