# Myths that form about songs and bands / band members **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [February 11, 2025, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myths-that-form-about-songs-and-bands-band-members/1014173 "2025-02-11T16:37:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2025, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myths-that-form-about-songs-and-bands-band-members/1014173/121 "2025-03-07T23:58:51Z")
The first reference I saw to Rodney Bingenheimer was an ad in a music magazine for a magazine he published called “The Groupie News.” Who’s hung, who’s not hung, who’s kinky, who’s not kinky, etc. It had a picture of a man with his pants around his ankles and his bare fanny pointed at the camera, and Boston guitarist Tom Scholz’s head pasted on it in a late-1970s version of Photoshop that a 7-year-old with a glue stick and blunt scissors could have done a better job on. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2025, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myths-that-form-about-songs-and-bands-band-members/1014173/122 "2025-03-08T00:01:13Z")
In the movie “This Is Spinal Tap”, one of their drummers is wearing a “POISON” t-shirt while performing, although this was before the band became popular, and it was accompanied by a skull and crossbones. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2025, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myths-that-form-about-songs-and-bands-band-members/1014173/123 "2025-03-08T02:42:20Z")
I had thought it a myth that early on, Eddie Van Halen would play with his back to the audience. Supposedly, it was to hide his tapping technique which he almost certainly “picked up” from Steve Hackett. Yet it’s all true. I searched for “Jim Morrison” in this thread so “Did he or did he not whip his dick out in Florida” He was arrested, yet the “case” never went to court as he went to Paris. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2025, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myths-that-form-about-songs-and-bands-band-members/1014173/124 "2025-03-08T05:19:48Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > I searched for “Jim Morrison” in this thread so “Did he or did he not whip his dick out in Florida” He was arrested, yet the “case” never went to court as he went to Paris. All three of the other band members swore at the time and ever after that there was no such exposure. Most notably Robby, who was closest to and facing Jim at the moment of alleged flashing. Jim was guilty of being slobbering drunk, obnoxious, using outrageous and possibly inflammatory language, but as I remember it the indecent exposure was a myth. Regardless, Jimbo was asking for trouble and got it in spades. That’s how this 74 year old remembers it. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2025, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myths-that-form-about-songs-and-bands-band-members/1014173/125 "2025-03-08T07:58:15Z")
Huh, I thought he had gone to Paris and died before the trial. Yet, despite what his bandmates said, he was convicted and got 6 months and a $500 fine, which he appealed. And the last three Doors albums (with Morrison), “The Soft Parade”, “Morrison Hotel” and “LA Woman” were all recorded or released following that incident. So the appeal never made it to court, and if it mattered Gov. Crist pardoned him in 2010. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2025, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myths-that-form-about-songs-and-bands-band-members/1014173/126 "2025-03-08T13:47:50Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > Gov. Crist pardoned him in 2010. I’m sure Jim / Frank was happy to hear that. > **[Docuseries reveals 'signs' Jim Morrison is 'ALIVE' and in New York](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-14447569/Is-REAL-Jim-Morrison-eerie-signs-Doors-star-ALIVE-living-New-York-maintenance-man-according-fan-docuseries.html)** > > Legendary rockstar Jim Morrison's sudden death at the age of just 27 still remains shrouded in mystery more than 50 years after his passing in Paris. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2025, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myths-that-form-about-songs-and-bands-band-members/1014173/127 "2025-03-08T15:08:38Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > I had thought it a myth that early on, Eddie Van Halen would play with his back to the audience. > > Supposedly, it was to hide his tapping technique which he almost certainly “picked up” from Steve Hackett. > > Yet it’s all true. I’ve seen some accounts that say Steve Hackett, and others that say Jimmy Page. I tend to believe the Hackett version myself. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2025, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myths-that-form-about-songs-and-bands-band-members/1014173/128 "2025-03-08T16:47:34Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > I had thought it a myth that early on, Eddie Van Halen would play with his back to the audience. > > Supposedly, it was to hide his tapping technique I read somewhere that Jimi Hendrix did something similar when he was being filmed. While he didn’t turn his back to the audience, he would tell the camera person to not focus on his hands & fingers too much, because he didn’t want others to steal his techniques. Any truth to this? ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2025, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myths-that-form-about-songs-and-bands-band-members/1014173/129 "2025-03-08T17:29:14Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Indeed. I do not for a second believe Lennon there. Seconded. A heavily psychedelic song, in the psychedelic era, from a band that was actively using LSD and made the psychedelic aesthetic part of their image for 3 years, a song whose nonsense title spells out LSD? It just doesn’t wash. The Beatles were somewhat rebellious, but wanted broad appeal (most of their albums contained one of what John called “one of Paul’s grandma songs”. The song was definitely about LSD, and the Beatles simply chose to lie about it. It doesn’t hurt the appeal with people in the know, and it preserves the grandma demographic. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2025, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myths-that-form-about-songs-and-bands-band-members/1014173/130 "2025-03-08T17:32:10Z")
This story is more high-school mythology, but I heard more than once an apocryphal story about a horrendous car wreck that killed all the occupants, but somehow the tape deck kept playing on repeat. When the cops arrived at the scene, the car was playing “Stairway to Heaven” on a continuous loop. (whoa, far out, man) ---
**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:** [March 8, 2025, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myths-that-form-about-songs-and-bands-band-members/1014173/131 "2025-03-08T17:36:35Z")
Wasn’t there once a radio station that had “Stairway to Heaven” on continuous play? ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2025, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myths-that-form-about-songs-and-bands-band-members/1014173/132 "2025-03-08T18:49:01Z")
Or “Free Bird”… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/DsoPp3f5P_M/maxresdefault.jpg "Days Of Graduation") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsoPp3f5P_M) ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2025, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myths-that-form-about-songs-and-bands-band-members/1014173/133 "2025-03-08T19:18:16Z")
I know the cable channel VH-1 had some kind of a charity auction where the winner could program an hour of videos. The winner put up $38,000 and only had them play the German and (rather poorly translated) English version of Nena’s “99 Luft Balloons” (on repeat). Yet that happened. I know there have been movies, “fact” or fiction where a DJ locks himself in a booth and plays a song for hours and hours, As for DJ’s, the song by Iron Butterfly, “Inna Gadda Da Vida” at 17+ minutes was commonly used for a smoke and bathroom break. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2025, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myths-that-form-about-songs-and-bands-band-members/1014173/134 "2025-03-08T20:05:05Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > Seconded. A heavily psychedelic song, in the psychedelic era, from a band that was actively using LSD and made the psychedelic aesthetic part of their image for 3 years, a song whose nonsense title spells out LSD? It just doesn’t wash. So,it looks like there is nothing, no testimony, no fact no evidence that will make some people change their mind over this. The Dude: _Yeah, well, you know, that’s just like, uh, your opinion, man._ > [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Wasn’t there once a radio station that had “Stairway to Heaven” on continuous play? One local station, going over to a new format, played versions of Louie Louie. I liked the marching band version. That sort of thing is not uncommon. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2025, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myths-that-form-about-songs-and-bands-band-members/1014173/135 "2025-03-08T20:28:03Z")
As I understand it, radio stations have to continue broadcasting for “reasons” There was a local AM station that went to all Beatles, including covers. That’s how I heard Shatner’s version of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. I heard that a station in the L.A. area went to all Led Zeppelin ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2025, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myths-that-form-about-songs-and-bands-band-members/1014173/136 "2025-03-08T20:33:04Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > One local station, going over to a new format, played versions of Louie Louie. I liked the marching band version. That sort of thing is not uncommon. When 103.5 FM here in Chicago went from oldies to a hard rock format as The Blaze, they played 44 hours of Ded Leppard’s “Rock Rock (Til You Drop)” on a continuous loops. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2025, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myths-that-form-about-songs-and-bands-band-members/1014173/137 "2025-03-08T20:42:40Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > One local station, going over to a new format, played versions of Louie Louie In 1983 KFJC (radio station for Foothill College) played 63 straight hours/800 versions of the song during their [Maximum Louie Louie Marathon](https://www.louielouie.net/blog/?p=10753) ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2025, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myths-that-form-about-songs-and-bands-band-members/1014173/138 "2025-03-08T21:21:32Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > So,it looks like there is nothing, no testimony, no fact no evidence that will make some people change their mind over this. Yeah, you’re the prime example of this. You just glossed right over a list of reasoned arguments at to why it most likely _is_ about LSD, and your counterevidence is what? A single statement from John Lennon, who’s known to be an unreliable narrator about Beatles matters, plays games with the press, and who’s known not to be honest about the meaning of other songs? That the “facts and evidence” you’re talking about? ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2025, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myths-that-form-about-songs-and-bands-band-members/1014173/139 "2025-03-08T21:54:32Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > > [@solost](#): > > > > Heh, this got me thinking about the lyrics to Lola, specifically the line ‘_…you drink champagne and it tastes just like Coca Cola_’ (or ‘cherry cola’ depending on the version). > > Because ti was cola- priced at champagne prices. At certain clubs- when you “buy a girl a drink” at her urging, they put a very expensive bottle of “champagne” on your tab, but she gets soda. That was certainly part of the mythology at the time (or thereafter - I was in short trousers when Lola was released). Another part of the mythology, which might also be relevant, was that some notorious Soho bars would be harassed by the police, ostensibly to force them to clean up (though the Met police were deeply corrupt at the time, and may have had additional reasons). Part of this harassment might be asking the local authority to revoke the club’s liquor license. The supposed workaround was to sell drinks which were claimed to be alcoholic but which were in fact not, hence (if you believe this version) possibly champagne which tastes like coca cola. j ---
**Author:** ![JacobSwan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@JacobSwan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JacobSwan)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2025, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myths-that-form-about-songs-and-bands-band-members/1014173/140 "2025-03-08T22:06:44Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > As for DJ’s, the song by Iron Butterfly, “Inna Gadda Da Vida” at 17+ minutes was commonly used for a smoke and bathroom break. The extended version of ‘November Rain’ works quite well too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myths-that-form-about-songs-and-bands-band-members/1014173.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myths-that-form-about-songs-and-bands-band-members/1014173.md?page=8)