Rock n Roll Urban Legends

[vl_mungo]

Dating from my youth… KISS was the masked version of Van Halen.

[Rucksinator]

@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]

[BMax]

@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.

[An_Arky]

I once heard that Motley Crue were/are made.

[Meaty_Beaty_Big_and_Bouncy]

@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.

[Don_Draper]

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.

[zoogirl]

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!

[Good_Egg]

@An Arky

I once heard that Motley Crue were/are made.

I once heard they were talented. Another urban legend for sure.

[Mr.Blue_Sky]

@Good Egg

I once heard they were talented. Another urban legend for sure.

Now that’s crazy talk.

[MissGypsy]

@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!

[Dr.Rieux]

@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.

[Torgo]

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.

[Askance]

@betenoir

I thought it was closer to a lovin’ spoonful.

Of Pearl Jam?

[Good_Egg]

@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 Fuc*k. But then, it wouldn’t have bene marketable and Gene is all about marketing.

[Cardinal]

@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.

[Good_Egg]

@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.

[China_Guy]

@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…

[Jurph]

@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.

[Draelin]

@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.

[FriarTed]

@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.