# Musical groups for whom a name change was a good idea. . .or a bad one **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [April 17, 2025, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-for-whom-a-name-change-was-a-good-idea-or-a-bad-one/1017138 "2025-04-17T15:56:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2025, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-for-whom-a-name-change-was-a-good-idea-or-a-bad-one/1017138/101 "2025-04-19T12:47:39Z")
I also don’t know which fan club Bowie presided, but Morrissey was the president of the British New York Dolls fan club in his youth. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2025, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-for-whom-a-name-change-was-a-good-idea-or-a-bad-one/1017138/102 "2025-04-19T14:34:55Z")
I think it may have been James Jamerson, the bass player for Motown’s Funk Brothers. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2025, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-for-whom-a-name-change-was-a-good-idea-or-a-bad-one/1017138/103 "2025-04-19T14:39:14Z")
Ah, Bowie always has been a musical expert and a connaisseur. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2025, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-for-whom-a-name-change-was-a-good-idea-or-a-bad-one/1017138/104 "2025-04-19T15:01:27Z")
David Johannsen, who had a modest success as songwriter and singer for the New York Dolls, started billing himself as Buster Poindexter after he went solo. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2025, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-for-whom-a-name-change-was-a-good-idea-or-a-bad-one/1017138/105 "2025-04-19T16:44:36Z")
In a way. BP was the moniker he used when not doing stuff as David Johansen (one n, died earlier this year). Buster Poindexter is to David Johansen what Honeydrippers is to LZ. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/HjO6FDCPIzA/hqdefault.jpg "Buster Poindexter ~ Hot! Hot! Hot!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjO6FDCPIzA) ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2025, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-for-whom-a-name-change-was-a-good-idea-or-a-bad-one/1017138/106 "2025-04-19T16:54:56Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Simon & Garfunkel were originally Tom and Jerry, which was just. . .wrong. Hence the opening line of “The Only Living Boy in New York”: _Tom, get your plane right on time_ ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2025, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-for-whom-a-name-change-was-a-good-idea-or-a-bad-one/1017138/107 "2025-04-19T21:31:40Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > The Van Halen brothers named their band Genesis before they found out there was some British group with that name. There’s the similar case of the American band called The Beat and the British band also called The Beat. The former is known in the UK as Paul Collins’ Beat and the latter is known in the US as The English Beat ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2025, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-for-whom-a-name-change-was-a-good-idea-or-a-bad-one/1017138/108 "2025-04-19T22:11:57Z")
The Mamas & The Papas briefly considered Magic Cyrcle as the band’s name. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2025, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-for-whom-a-name-change-was-a-good-idea-or-a-bad-one/1017138/109 "2025-04-19T23:14:06Z")
One early name for Van Halen was Mammoth. Quite an original name, KWIM, just like an early iteration of Queen was known as Smile. I also remember an Australian band in the late 1970s called the Angels who changed their name to Angel City after they found out about a marginally more popular glam-rock band called Angel. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2025, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-for-whom-a-name-change-was-a-good-idea-or-a-bad-one/1017138/110 "2025-04-19T23:24:48Z")
They even had their own version of the “Fish cheer” that spelled out “Jelly,” ending with: — Gimme a Y! — Y! — Because they sued our asses! ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2025, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-for-whom-a-name-change-was-a-good-idea-or-a-bad-one/1017138/111 "2025-04-20T01:18:30Z")
Distant memory of telling my boss the country guy changed his name from George Gay to George Straight. “Oh, really?” ---
**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:** [April 20, 2025, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-for-whom-a-name-change-was-a-good-idea-or-a-bad-one/1017138/112 "2025-04-20T01:32:52Z")
The same happens to The Squeeze, who became known as The UK Squeeze for similar reasons. > [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I also remember an Australian band in the late 1970s called the Angels who changed their name to Angel City after they found out about a marginally more popular glam-rock band called Angel. AFAIK only in the US; here they were and are just The Angels. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2025, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-for-whom-a-name-change-was-a-good-idea-or-a-bad-one/1017138/113 "2025-04-20T01:45:42Z")
Charlotte Caffey, Belinda\_Carlisle, and Jane Wiedlin formed **The Misfits** in LA in 1978. I’m not sure if they became aware of Glenn Danzig’s new band on the East Coast or if they just thought **The Go-Go’s** was a cooler name. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2025, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-for-whom-a-name-change-was-a-good-idea-or-a-bad-one/1017138/114 "2025-04-20T02:59:33Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > I’m not sure if they became aware of Glenn Danzig’s new band on the East Coast or if they just thought **The Go-Go’s** was a cooler name. Having just watched a documentary about the band: their name change more-or-less coincided with their sound evolving. They had started out as a punk band, and as time went on, they moved to more of a pop sound. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2025, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-for-whom-a-name-change-was-a-good-idea-or-a-bad-one/1017138/115 "2025-04-20T07:33:42Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Distant memory of telling my boss the country guy changed his name from George Gay to George Straight. “Oh, really?” Marvin Gay was a bit classier - he just added an “e” at the end. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2025, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-for-whom-a-name-change-was-a-good-idea-or-a-bad-one/1017138/116 "2025-04-20T14:33:09Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Soft White Underbelly went through several other name changes before deciding on Blue Oyster Cult. During the height of their success they still used the name Soft White Underbelly when they wanted to play in small venues. Even when they were playing stadiums they still played clubs using their original name. I think they stopped doing that when it became too widely known it was them. When some dumb high school kid like me knew they were playing in a club in Brooklyn then the secret is out. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2025, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-for-whom-a-name-change-was-a-good-idea-or-a-bad-one/1017138/117 "2025-04-20T20:53:57Z")
Former (dethroned) Miss America Vanessa Williams, who went on to have a very successful musical career, later dubbed herself Vanessa L. Williams when another Vanessa Williams entered the musical picture. Michael J. Fox’s real name and middle initial is Michael A. Fox, but he changed the initial because he didn’t want teen mags dubbing him “Michael, A Fox.” (One time, I was in a hotel, and realized I’d picked the wrong channel when I saw the beginning of a movie with an actor named Michael J. Cox. I told the front desk about the signal slippage, or whatever it’s called, and they blocked it. I didn’t care, but the next people to stay there might have.) ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2025, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-for-whom-a-name-change-was-a-good-idea-or-a-bad-one/1017138/118 "2025-04-20T22:49:27Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > (One time, I was in a hotel, and realized I’d picked the wrong channel when I saw the beginning of a movie with an actor named Michael J. Cox. I told the front desk about the signal slippage, or whatever it’s called, and they blocked it. I didn’t care, but the next people to stay there might have.) I must be missing something. Why would the people staying in a hotel room after you know what you had been watching? ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2025, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-for-whom-a-name-change-was-a-good-idea-or-a-bad-one/1017138/119 "2025-04-20T23:07:39Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I must be missing something. Why would the people staying in a hotel room after you know what you had been watching? I think the idea is that Michael J. Cox movies are of a type that hotel management would very much want to prevent accidental access to, if you know what I mean. I looked him up on [imdb.com](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185164/), and yeah. He’s been quite active. _Talk Dirty to Me 13_, _Trailer Trash Nurses 2_, _Viagra Falls_, and so on. ---
**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:** [April 20, 2025, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-for-whom-a-name-change-was-a-good-idea-or-a-bad-one/1017138/120 "2025-04-20T23:39:45Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > Trailer Trash Nurses 2 Oh, good, I didn’t know that the unresolved relationships in the original Trailer Trash Nurses were finally addressed! Now, where’s this hotel? Back on track, I think a sidenote to this thread would be “Musical groups for whom a FURTHER name change would be a good idea”… … I’ve never like the name Beatles. “Look, it’s like a bug, which is pretty rock and roll, right? But didja notice it’s got the word _Beat_ in there, knowhatImean, eh? Pretty hip, no?” Pretty hip, no. Hard to take them seriously, especially when they started breaking new ground musically. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-for-whom-a-name-change-was-a-good-idea-or-a-bad-one/1017138.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-for-whom-a-name-change-was-a-good-idea-or-a-bad-one/1017138.md?page=7)