# Cool but useless music trivia **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 17, 2004, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250 "2004-08-17T15:53:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/101 "2004-08-19T02:53:29Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > Talking Heads members Chris Franz and Tina Weymouth had a little side project called the Tom Tom Club, who’s biggest hit was “Genius in Love” (one of the jammingest dance songs of the 20th century). Jammingest, indeed (and terribly, horribly, awfully ripped off by Mariah Sca, er, uh, Carey) but it’s actually _Genius **of** Love_. Whatcha gonna do when you get outta jail? 🆒 > [@seosamh](#): > > Ms Cass had died in the same flat - but not in the same room and certainly NOT having choked on a ham sandwich - on 29th July 1974. Indeed, and hear hear! Cass died while sitting in bed reading, the cause of death was massive heart failure. Some reports indicated that there was a sandwich on the bedside table which is the origin of the hoary tale – no doubt prompted by her size – that she died from piggish eating practices. Paul Shaffer, in addition to his work in with the Blues Brothers, as the bandleader on Saturday Night Live and with David Letterman, co-wrote the disco anthem _It’s Raining Men_. > [@t-keela](#): > > I thought the “real” name of the SNL band in the 70’s was The Not Ready For Primetime Players. Ya say Paulie was in THAT band. The Not Ready for Primetime Players is the ensemble of actors on SNL. (Always was, still is.) The band has always just been called The Saturday Night Live Band. In addition to Paul Shaffer and Howard Shore, another former leader of the SNL Band is G.E. Smith (who also played lead guitar in the backing band for Daryl Hall & John Oates) who was married – at one time – to SNL star Gilda Radner. They were married during the period after Gilda left SNL and before G.E. joined the band. ---
**Author:** ![High\_Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8797f3/32.png) [@High\_Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/High_Cheese)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/102 "2004-08-19T03:14:21Z")
Bill and Taffy Danoff (Starland Vocal Band—“Afternoon Delight”) cowrote “Take me home, country roads.” Mike Nesmith wrote “Different Drum”----Stone Poneys. John Gay wrote a song accompaniment to his “Beggar’s Opera” in 1728 which later morphed to Bertolt Brecht’s “Three Penny Opera” (music by Kurt Weill) in early 50’s which led to Bobby Darin’s famous “Mac the Knife” (1959). John Gay’s original balad was of Macheath…a modern day Robin Hood (at the time). Graham Nash founded The Hollies with Allan Clarke. The band 10cc named themselves after the average volume of male ejaculate. The band Wild Cherry named themselves after the Luden’s cough drops. “Funky Town”----Lipps, Inc.-----Lip synch. “Rapture”—Blondie—the first universally recognized “rap” song. Reginald Kenneth Dwight took the name, Elton Hercules John, from former band members. EJ’s “Someone saved my life tonight” was written after a BT saved him from a loose suicide attempt. The best ever rendition of [“Rocket Man”!?](http://www.farpointstation.org/files/sounds/shatner/transformed_man/William_Shatner_-_Rocketman_(64kbps,mono).mp3) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/103 "2004-08-19T03:23:48Z")
> [@High Cheese](#): > > The band 10cc named themselves after the average volume of male ejaculate. [Nope](http://www.snopes.com/music/artists/10cc.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/104 "2004-08-19T03:28:17Z")
> [@High Cheese](#): > > . > > “Rapture”—Blondie—the first universally recognized “rap” song. Nope. Only the first one to hit #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100. The first recognized rap song of that era was either “Rappers Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang or “General Hospitale” by The Afternoon Delights. Don’t recall which came first. [QUOTE=ltfire] > [@SandyHook](#): > > The 4 Seasons did “96 Tears” under the name of Question Mark and the Mysterians. > > The story I got with this bit of trivia was that someone made a bet with them that if they didn’t record under their own name (and fame) most of the stuff they were doing then would flop. So They took the dare. > > At least that’s the story I heard while drinking some brews many years > > Sorry, wrong on that one. See here:[? and the Mysterians Page](http://www.tsimon.com/mysteria.htm) However, The Four Seasons did record a cover of Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice” under the name “The Wonder Who.” (Don’t recall _why_, though. . . .) ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/105 "2004-08-19T03:29:19Z")
Might be true about the Lovin’ Spoonful, though: [http://www.geocities.com/temptations\_page/origins.html](http://www.geocities.com/temptations_page/origins.html) > [@](#): > > This happy-go-lucky, light pop act’s name is, quite possibly, an allusion to semen. One story has it that the average man ejaculates around a spoonful, thus making it the… uh… Lovin’ Spoonful. Kind of creepy, when you think about it. Actually, the phrase seems to be taken from the MIssissippi John Hurt’s “Coffee Song:” “I love my baby by the lovin’ spoonful.” Which is probably the same idea. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/106 "2004-08-19T03:40:03Z")
> [@Earl Snake-Hips Tucker](#): > > However, The Four Seasons did record a cover of Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice” under the name “The Wonder Who.” (Don’t recall _why_, though. . . .) Pick me! Pick me! I know this one! Four Seasons lead singer Frankie Valli has a distinctive falsetto. When this song was recorded was the first time Valli recorded with the falsetto. Or it’s the other way 'round and it was the first time he recorded WITHOUT the falsetto… At any rate, the band wanted to see if the song would get airplay without the benefit of audience loyalty to Valli’s voice. (PS: Whoever it was back there who corrected me about Bon Scott vs. Keith Moon, thanks. For a second after I posted about Scott, I thought I meant John Bonham.) ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/107 "2004-08-19T04:09:52Z")
All **Monkees** , all the time: **Peter Tork** ’s role was originally auditioned for by Stephen Stills, but he wasn’t pretty enough **Michael Nesmith** ’s mother invented liquid paper **Micky Dolenz** played 12yo Corky (as Micky Braddock) in the 1956 TV show Circus Boy **Davy Jones** ’s (temporary) popularity caused a rising young musician to change his stage name from David Jones to David Bowie ---
**Author:** ![High\_Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8797f3/32.png) [@High\_Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/High_Cheese)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/108 "2004-08-19T04:17:12Z")
> [@Earl Snake-Hips Tucker](#): > > Nope. Only the first one to hit #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100. The first recognized rap song of that era was either “Rappers Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang or “General Hospitale” by The Afternoon Delights. Don’t recall which came first. Sorry. I meant to type “first universally _popular_ rap song” (due to its #1 status). ---
**Author:** ![High\_Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8797f3/32.png) [@High\_Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/High_Cheese)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/109 "2004-08-19T04:39:21Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > [Nope](http://www.snopes.com/music/artists/10cc.htm) Thank you. At first I wasn’t sure which obscure website to believe (yours or mine). But a cursory google search revealed several websites that fortify the claim from the website you linked. I have been disallusioned about this for quite some time. I can no longer even locate the website from which I obtained the erratum two years ago. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/110 "2004-08-19T04:44:56Z")
> [@High Cheese](#): > > Thank you. At first I wasn’t sure which obscure website to believe (yours or mine). But a cursory google search revealed several websites that fortify the claim from the website you linked. I have been disallusioned about this for quite some time. I can no longer even locate the website from which I obtained the erratum two years ago. Since when is [Snopes.com](http://Snopes.com) an obscure site? ---
**Author:** ![High\_Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8797f3/32.png) [@High\_Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/High_Cheese)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/111 "2004-08-19T05:01:37Z")
> [@TellMeI'mNotCrazy](#): > > Since when is [Snopes.com](http://Snopes.com) an obscure site? The moment I heard of it for the first time. Limited use of the www precludes my having knowledge of a great many of the 99999k million accessible web sites. If it’s overly popular, I’ll take your word on it. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Vega](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a9adbd/32.png) [@Lord\_Vega](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Vega)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/112 "2004-08-19T05:22:54Z")
Zep’s first tour in the states, they opened for the Butterfly. The first night went fairly smoothly. The second day, a Butterfly roadie found Bonham sitting at Bushy’s drums, checking them out. The roadie verbally lashed Bonham, “ **Nobody** messes with Bushy’s drums.” Zep manager Peter Grant heard of this, and told the boys to “Blow them off the stage.” Needless to say, the Butterfly did not play the second night. Or any other night of that tour. IIRC, Zep finished the tour as a single act. Cheers, Vega ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/113 "2004-08-19T05:30:52Z")
> [@Lord Vega](#): > > My 2 favorite bands, Iron Butterfly and Led Zeppelin. And, interestingly, both band names are made up of heavy/light words. I often wondered if LZ borrowed this concept unattributed from IB, as they did so many of their songs from old bluesmen. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/114 "2004-08-19T05:41:46Z")
> [@Hoopy Frood](#): > > Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, the guys of ABBA, wrote the musical _Chess_. A vastly darker work than their more upbeat sugary stuff they did for ABBA. (And you knew that the groups name came from the initials of the four members, right? Anni-Fird and Agnetha being the women.) And, of course, no one realizes that the song _One Night In Bangkok_, by Murray Head, is from the show “Chess.” ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Vega](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a9adbd/32.png) [@Lord\_Vega](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Vega)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/115 "2004-08-19T05:44:11Z")
> [@AndrewT](#): > > And, interestingly, both band names are made up of heavy/light words. I often wondered if LZ borrowed this concept unattributed from IB, as they did so many of their songs from old bluesmen. It’s possible, but the “Official” story is a few of the band members were in a pub discussing what name to use. I don’t remember who said what, but one of them suggested “The New Yardbirds”, and someone else replied"That will go over like a lead zepplin". Someone shouted “Band Name!”, much like is done on this board. Well, not really, but they decided to spell it Led so us Yanks wouldn’t try to pronounce it “leed”. Cheers, Vega ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/116 "2004-08-19T05:48:34Z")
> [@Lord Vega](#): > > It’s possible, but the “Official” story is a few of the band members were in a pub discussing what name to use. I don’t remember who said what, but one of them suggested “The New Yardbirds”, and someone else replied"That will go over like a lead zepplin". Someone shouted “Band Name!”, much like is done on this board. Whether it’s true or not I guess nobody can say, but I’d wager that’s the best-known band-naming story out there. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/117 "2004-08-19T06:12:50Z")
> [@Lord Vega](#): > > I don’t remember who said what, but one of them suggested “The New Yardbirds”, and someone else replied"That will go over like a lead zepplin". [http://www.anecdotage.com/index.php?aid=7900](http://www.anecdotage.com/index.php?aid=7900) Moon used the words “lead balloon.” According to the BBC, Led Zeppelin nearly [http://ledzeppelin.alexreisner.com/faq.html](http://ledzeppelin.alexreisner.com/faq.html) from The Who) got word of his plans and predicted the group would go down "like a lead balloon [http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lakes/1897/](http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lakes/1897/) Lead Zeppelin, because, “…it’ll go over like a \*\*\*in’ lead balloon!” (The “a” was later removed from “Lead” so that [http://www.killermovies.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-298127](http://www.killermovies.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-298127) Keith said the whole idea would go down “like a lead balloon”, which was where John got the idea for the name Lead Zeppelin [http://www.fact-index.com/l/le/led\_zeppelin.html](http://www.fact-index.com/l/le/led_zeppelin.html) After those concerts the band’s name was changed to Led Zeppelin after Keith Moon, drummer with The Who, suggested they would "go over like a lead balloon [http://www.intothemusic.net/Led.Zeppelin-0139460000002.html](http://www.intothemusic.net/Led.Zeppelin-0139460000002.html) They took the name Led Zeppelin at the behest of the Who’s John Entwistle (though … Moon), who joked that Page’s new project "would go down like a lead balloon [http://www.talkingelectronics.com/Projects/LED-Zeppelin/LED-Zeppelin.html](http://www.talkingelectronics.com/Projects/LED-Zeppelin/LED-Zeppelin.html) of Led Zeppelin, the defining rock band of the 1970s. Initially conceived as Lead Zeppelin because it was thought they would go over like a lead balloon, Close enough I guess. 🙂 Although…I bet you could find as many cites saying “Zeppelin” instead of balloon. But I’ve got a recording in which Page or Plant (I don’t recall which offhand) confirms the balloon version. That’s the only reason I even brought it up. ---
**Author:** ![buns3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c89c15/32.png) [@buns3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buns3000)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/118 "2004-08-19T06:40:48Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > Again, not according to Billboard. Kylie Minogue’s version only went to #3. Not everybody lives in the US. Minogue’s version went to #1 in Australia and (I think) the UK. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/119 "2004-08-19T06:46:05Z")
That’s Kate Bush singing “jeux sans frontieres” on the Peter Gabriel song “Games without frontiers” (which is English for jeux sans frontieres") On the Holly Cole album Don’t Smoke in Bed, she covers a Mary Margaret O’Hara song. Mary Margaret wrote it in bits and pieces, and left it, in bits and pieces, on Holly’s answering machine. Mary Margaret O’Hara is Catherine O’Hara’s sister. Before Kate Bush was discovered, when her brother sent a tape to David Gilmore, she was in the K.T. Bush band; hence her logo, a chimera of K and T. Kate’s brother Paddy (throb) makes albums under the group name Bushtucker. Holly Cole sings backup on the greates album ever recorded, Jane Siberry’s When I Was a Boy. James White wrote a song for Holly Cole. Victoria Williams has sung backup on James White’s albums. Also on Syd Straw’s albums. Syd Straw’s husband, Tony Margherita, manages Wilco. Victoria Williams is married to Marc Olson, who quit the Jayhawks to manage her career. Jane Siberry stole Lyle Lovett’s pianist, whose style inspired a creative shift for Jane. ---
**Author:** ![buns3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c89c15/32.png) [@buns3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buns3000)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250/120 "2004-08-19T07:01:57Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > If you dig a little deeper, you’ll find that ? is one seriously weird dude. > > He claims to be an alien. Mysteriously (sorry), there’s no mention in that link to the fact that ? and the Mysterians at one time featured Mel Schacher on bass. Mel subsequently went on to much greater fame and fortune in Grand Funk Railroad. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-but-useless-music-trivia/260250.md?page=7)