# Rock n Roll Urban Legends **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 25, 2005, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-n-roll-urban-legends/327769 "2005-10-25T03:41:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2005, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-n-roll-urban-legends/327769/81 "2005-10-26T22:13:42Z")
Dating from my youth… KISS was the masked version of Van Halen. ---
**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2005, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-n-roll-urban-legends/327769/82 "2005-10-26T22:16:25Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Marilyn Manson was not the kid who played Paul in “The Wonder Years.” [Hijack with vague memories] I heard Fred Savage (who played Kevin on The Wonder Years) on a radio show, and he told a story about meeting Marilyn Manson. He said that he told MM that he was a big fan, and MM said “What are you talking about? We worked together for years.” [/Hijack] ---
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2005, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-n-roll-urban-legends/327769/83 "2005-10-26T22:41:31Z")
> [@vl\_mungo](#): > > Dating from my youth… KISS was the masked version of Van Halen. When I was in Junior High, it was rumored that KISS stood for Knights In Satan’s Service. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2005, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-n-roll-urban-legends/327769/84 "2005-10-26T23:18:35Z")
I once heard that Motley Crue were/are made. ---
**Author:** ![Meaty\_Beaty\_Big\_and\_Bouncy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Meaty\_Beaty\_Big\_and\_Bouncy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meaty_Beaty_Big_and_Bouncy)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2005, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-n-roll-urban-legends/327769/85 "2005-10-26T23:23:44Z")
> [@libwen](#): > > Actually, that defense lawyer’s name is Geoffrey Fieger. Seeing as he never lets us Michigan residents forget who he is . . . That’s right, I knew that. I stand corrected. :smack: Just seeing if you knew… yeah, that’s the ticket. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2005, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-n-roll-urban-legends/327769/86 "2005-10-26T23:57:27Z")
I know two urban legends about Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane: 1. She did NOT actually name her baby ‘god’. In 1970, it was still kind of a novelty for a rock & roll chick to be having a baby, so she was hounded by the press while she was with child. Slick wisecracked to a few reporters from “Rolling Stone” magazine that she planned to name the baby god “with a small ‘g’, so the kid won’t get a big ego.” She assumed the reporters would not take her seriously, since she was well-known for rattling off oddball wisecracks. But sure enough, the news ran wild with the story that the hippie acid-queen naming her baby ‘god.’ She never seriously intended to do that. (she actually did name her daughter ‘China’, which for the times was unusual, but far less controversial and not really so out-there anymore.) 2. According to hearsay, Slick sang the ‘number counting’ song on “Sesame Street.” You remember that animated bit with the pinball machine, the groovy music and a voice belting out “onetwothree FOUR FIVE sixseveneightnineten Eleven TWELVE.” Lots of people believe that’s Slick singing. Although I’ve never heard this definitely refuted, I remain skeptical. ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-n-roll-urban-legends/327769/87 "2005-10-27T02:24:19Z")
May I once again repeat, Alice Cooper DID NOT kill a chicken onstage! The chicken was thrown onto the stage from the audiance. Alice picked it up and threw it back, alive. The crown ripped it to bits. Bad _bad_ crowd! ---
**Author:** ![Good\_Egg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@Good\_Egg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Good_Egg)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-n-roll-urban-legends/327769/88 "2005-10-27T02:36:42Z")
> [@An Arky](#): > > I once heard that Motley Crue were/are made. 😕 I once heard they were talented. Another urban legend for sure. ---
**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:** [October 27, 2005, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-n-roll-urban-legends/327769/89 "2005-10-27T02:49:42Z")
> [@Good Egg](#): > > 😕 > > I once heard they were talented. Another urban legend for sure. Now that’s crazy talk. ---
**Author:** ![MissGypsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@MissGypsy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissGypsy)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-n-roll-urban-legends/327769/90 "2005-10-27T02:58:49Z")
> [@BMax](#): > > When I was in Junior High, it was rumored that KISS stood for Knights In Satan’s Service. When I was in elementary school, I read a letter in my older sister’s teen magazine about KISS standing for Knights in Satin Service. I was puzzled for the longest time, thinking it was something about the fabric in their costumes, and now it suddenly makes sense! Some 13-year-old misspelled “Satan” in her irate letter! Love it when the pieces all fall into place like that! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-n-roll-urban-legends/327769/91 "2005-10-27T03:15:36Z")
> [@BMax](#): > > When I was in Junior High, it was rumored that KISS stood for Knights In Satan’s Service. I read somewhere back then, that Paul Stanley claimed it stood for Keep It Simple, Stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Torgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@Torgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-n-roll-urban-legends/327769/92 "2005-10-27T03:21:29Z")
I’ve got two doozies: 1.) All four ex-Beatles got together in 1975 in a Los Angeles studio to try out some new material and see if a reunion was viable but it wasn’t so they didn’t. The tapes were destroyed. 2.) In between albums and tours Keith Moon would actually \*forget how to play the drums. \* Moon had no interest in practicing (word has it he didn’t even keep a set at home) and he would require extra rehearsal time to get back up to speed. ---
**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:** [October 27, 2005, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-n-roll-urban-legends/327769/93 "2005-10-27T03:37:12Z")
> [@betenoir](#): > > I thought it was closer to a lovin’ spoonful. Of Pearl Jam? ---
**Author:** ![Good\_Egg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@Good\_Egg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Good_Egg)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-n-roll-urban-legends/327769/94 "2005-10-27T04:04:17Z")
> [@Dr. Rieux](#): > > I read somewhere back then, that Paul Stanley claimed it stood for Keep It Simple, Stupid. I actually read gen’s book and I think he said they wanted it something memorable and wanted to call it F_u_c\*k. But then, it wouldn’t have bene marketable and Gene is all about marketing. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-n-roll-urban-legends/327769/95 "2005-10-27T04:10:14Z")
> [@Dr. Rieux](#): > > I read somewhere back then, that Paul Stanley claimed it stood for Keep It Simple, Stupid. (No cite) I’ve heard from somewhere “reliable” (I can’t remember where) that they actually wanted to call the band F—, but the record company knew it was a kiss of death for their career in getting stocked in record stores (pun intended). So they called it KISS. They also said they wanted you to think of a kiss when you thought of them, which considering Gene’s attitudes, is quite a holdback. ---
**Author:** ![Good\_Egg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@Good\_Egg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Good_Egg)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-n-roll-urban-legends/327769/96 "2005-10-27T04:31:49Z")
> [@Cardinal](#): > > (No cite) I’ve heard from somewhere “reliable” (I can’t remember where) that they actually wanted to call the band F—, but the record company knew it was a kiss of death for their career in getting stocked in record stores (pun intended). So they called it KISS. They also said they wanted you to think of a kiss when you thought of them, which considering Gene’s attitudes, is quite a holdback. what I said. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-n-roll-urban-legends/327769/97 "2005-10-27T12:03:44Z")
> [@Waterman](#): > > I don’t know that this qualifies as an urban legend but I went to see John Lee Hooker at a small dive in the Fillmore District of S.F. in the summer/fall of 1970 and I remember him walking out onto the stage (which consisted of moving other chairs to the side in the middle of the bar seating area) with a six pack in one hand and his guitar in the other. He never touched the guitar until he had downed three of the cans of beer and then proceeded to embark on a four hour playing session that was, to put it mildly, just awesome. Waterman, not saying it didn’t happen. BUT John Lee drank very little. Maybe 1 beer and he was partial to Heineken. Now that was 10 years later when I hung out with him and the band… ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-n-roll-urban-legends/327769/98 "2005-10-27T15:53:27Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > I always heard that the little “pitter patter” part at the beginning of “Ramble On” was Bonham playing on his drum stool, but I don’t know whether that’s true or not. I’m pretty sure (but can’t find the liner notes) that the introduction is Bonham on bongos, or Viram Jisani on tabla. He had to be their dealer, because when you’ve got John Bonham, there’s _no earthly reason_ to bring in another drummer. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-n-roll-urban-legends/327769/99 "2005-10-27T17:25:38Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Marilyn Manson was not the kid who played Paul in “The Wonder Years.” I laughed my ass off the first time I heard that, because the kid that _did_ play Paul sat behind me in health class in ninth grade (when he was in school at all, of course), and the very idea _still_ makes me giggle. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2005, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-n-roll-urban-legends/327769/100 "2005-10-27T20:25:28Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > Marilyn Manson has never been a minister of the Church of Satan. I’m sure I read his account of meeting Anton LaVey & at least being given an honorary ordination. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-n-roll-urban-legends/327769.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-n-roll-urban-legends/327769.md?page=6)