Unusual Rock Trivia?

[dtripoli]

The term, 'Rock n Roll' has been attributed to Alan Freed who coined the word in the late 50's.
Thanks to his wife's nagging, we are all rock n rollers and not skip n dancers.
Alan was on his way out to the radio studio with the intent to start calling this new brand of music, "Skip n Dance" music.
Right before he got to the door to leave his wife yelled out to him,
"Honey, the washer is acting up again! Did you call the repair man?"
"What's wrong with it this time?"
"It's on spin cycle and it's rocking and rolling all over the place!"

A lightbulb went off in his head and that night on the air he said, "Hey kids, here's another rocking and rolling song"
...and the rest is history.

Hat tip: the Onion

 

[two fingers]

Timothy B. Schmit replaced Randy Meisner twice. First in Poco, and later in the Eagles.

Fans of Jimmy Buffet are known as "Parrotheads". The term originated at a concert in Ohio in the 70s. Timothy B. Schmit was a member of Buffet's band that year (The Coral Reefer Band). Jimmy was commenting how some of the same fans would show up to his shows every year just like Deadheads, only wearing Hawaiian shirts and parrot hats. Schmit coined the term "Parrotheads" during that conversation and it stuck.

 

[two fingers]

He also played bass on the studio version of "Gimme 3 Steps"

It's a fantastic bass line if you play it correctly. Sadly, few play it correctly.

 

[Son of Wobble]

Steve Marriott, vocalist extraordinaire and guitarist for Small Faces and Humble Pie was originally a successful child actor. (He also turned down Jimmy Page's invitation to be the singer for Led Zeppelin. It's only then that Page went looking and found Robert Plant.)

Here he is in a movie. (He's seated at the middle of the table.)



Here he is rocking it out. What an amazing singer!

If Steve Marriott had made it as an actor instead of as a muso, then Paul Weller (Jam, Style Council) would have had to cast around elsewhere for a stlye to appropriate.

 

[Alkali Ike]

This is one I learned from TB: Once upon a time overdrive really was OVERdrive, pushing your amp beyond its specs till it burst into flame. Grand Funk Railroad's bassist, Mel Schacher, used to have his tech sit on a stool behind his tube amp with a pair of oven mitts, replacing tubes mid-song as they blew out one after the other.

Having heard some old GFR live track on the radio today, I can totally believe it. The bass is making sounds no bass should be able make. Beautiful dirty sounds.

 

[dxb]

They Might Be Giants' lineup for many years was John, John, Dan, Dan, and Dan.

Band Of Dans - TMBW: The They Might Be Giants Knowledge Base

 

[packhowitzer]

the eagles were linda ronstadt's backup band

 

[41hzWizard]

This isn't really trivia, but it's kinda of cool. I know no photo and it didn't happen....
In 1982 or so, I went with a friend to see Girlschool, for the 3rd or 4th time. We were sitting at the bar drinking beer when these two gorillas came walking up to me. The big one, as if there was a small one, looked at me with a look like he was going relieve me of my teeth, then with a smile said "The girls want you back stage....NOW!" and slapped the guest pass on my chest so hard he knocked me off the stool. We then followed the guys to where the girls were. It was by far my BEST ever concert experience. Partied with the band, watched the show from back stage, and partied more after. At least I was smart enough to keep the guest pass and their autographs by sticking them on the back of the album as soon as I got home.

 

[snarebear]

Tony Iommi did a stint as Jethro Tulls guitarist, an can be seen in the Rolling Stones R&R Circus with them. Sorry too puter illiterate to link stuff.

 

[JimmyM]

Kurt Cobain did a stint with Ratt on drums before forming Nirvana. Never recorded anything, but played with them in their early days.

Angus Young's real name is Percival Sweetwater Young III.

Fred Durst sang with a boy band called Syncere before forming Limp Bizkit.

Fred Schneider of The B-52's produced all of Duran Duran's hit albums.

 

[Son of Wobble]

This isn't really trivia, but it's kinda of cool. I know no photo and it didn't happen....
In 1982 or so, I went with a friend to see Girlschool, for the 3rd or 4th time. We were sitting at the bar drinking beer when these to gorillas came walking up to me. The big one, as if there was a small one, looked at me with a look like he was going relieve me of my teeth, then with a smile said "The girls want you back stage....NOW!" and slapped the guest pass on my chest so hard he knocked me off the stool. We then followed the guys to where the girls were. It was by far my BEST ever concert experience. Partied with the band, watched the show from back stage, and partied more after. At least I was smart enough to keep the guest pass and their autographs by sticking them on the back of the album as soon as I got home.
View attachment 1077957

Just to be clear: You are saying that the band picked you out of the crowd as being a tasty morsel, and brought you back stage as to serve as eye candy?

If so, it needs to be a sticky or something, cause it's that awesome. Envy!

 

[Novarocker]

Not sure if it's well known, but Lemmy was a roadie for Hendrix numerous times. You can see him standing by amps in many videos of Jimi. Oh and if you listen to some of him in Hawkwind, you can see where he got he style for Motorhead...

 

[41hzWizard]

Just to be clear: You are saying that the band picked you out of the crowd as being a tasty morsel, and brought you back stage as to serve as eye candy?

If so, it needs to be a sticky or something, cause it's that awesome. Envy!

You know when you look at it like that, it is pretty freaking awesome. But yeah, that is what happened. I hadn't thought of it for awhile, but when I was reading some of the posts it made me think of it, and I still have the album with the pass and autographs on the back. Your reply made me laugh out loud, and put a big oh smile on my face, because I had never really thought about it like that. As I sat here with a smile remembering that night, my 21 year old walked in and asked why I was grinning so big. He look over my shoulder read my post and your reply, then asked me how come nothing like that ever happens to him, and why didn't I ever tell him the story about it before, and what else I haven't told him. I just smiled and said nothing.

 

[tangentmusic]

Tony Iommi did a stint as Jethro Tulls guitarist, an can be seen in the Rolling Stones R&R Circus with them. Sorry too puter illiterate to link stuff.

You're right man.
Here's your proof

 

[PDGood]

I'm reading Rolling Stone's history of Rock and Roll and it has some goodies in it.

The term "gold record" was created as an advertisement for Elvis so people would know what an incredible number of records he was selling.

Steve Stills auditioned for the Monkees. He also encouraged his friend, Peter Tork, to do so.

Ray Manzarek of the doors played piano in the band originally. Their first record deal was a failure but they got some good gear out of it including the Vox organ for which he became famous.

 

[fhm555]

[

...Missing Persons had 3 former members of Frank Zappa's band...Journey had it's roots in Santana...

Lowell George was also in The Mother's of Invention until Frank Fired him and told him to go home and start his own band.
Neal Schon was 15 when he turned down Eric Clapton's offer to join his band and went with Santana instead.

...How many guitarists haven't we heard of being thought of replacing Brian Jones in the Stones, and so too after Mick Taylor left? There's Jeff Beck, Roy Buchanan, and numerous more that was "considered" by both Keef and Mick, but they ended up doing this or that or miss auditions. Future members and considerations were all over the place if you'd like. One can't verify or deny anything of these claims anyway. Who auditoned for this or that...

Alabama guitarist David Wayne Perkins played with a raft of people over the years including The Wailers and The Rolling Stones, where he's credited with three cuts on Black And Blue. He did Court And Spark for Joni Mitchell, Bill Wyman's solo project that yielded the album Monkey Grip, Played on Levon Helm's self titled solo album, John Prine's Storm Windows, played bass for Lonnie Mack, and a long list of others.

Santana's drummer was just 17yo when he played there to near a quarter million people(?)!

Neal Schon was also a teenager at Woodstock when he played with Santana.

...Neil also is a lover and collector of Lionel Trains...

I'm not sure if he still does, but Neil owned Lionel at one time.

 

[HolmeBass]

Tommy Chong (of Cheech & Chong) can play guitar pretty well & was in a band that had a Billboard hit:



the guitar isn't actually discernible in the song, but when the video shows an image of the single "Chong" is clearly on the writing credits

They toured with the Jackson 5 as well as Ike & Tina.

And thus Blind Melon Chitlin was born!

 

[HolmeBass]

There was a whopper in the recent George Harrison bio, "Behind That Locked Door."
Author contends that George only ended up playing his tour of Japan because his buddy
Eric Clapton generously offered his own services and that of his band to help coax George
back on to the stage.
Sometime during rehearsals for the shows, Clapton's baby suffered that tragic and deadly
fall. Clapton was an emotional mess, but having made a commitment to George, he nonetheless
kept his commitment to the tour, and he joined his band and Harrison in Japan in anticipation
of the gigs. But Clapton became even more unnerved when the distraught mother of his deceased
child appeared at the hotel in search of comfort from Clapton, from whom she was estranged.
According to the biographer, Harrison told Clapton, "Don't worry mate, I'll look after her." And then he proceeded
to have a week long affair with the woman, which he rather inelegantly conducted in full view of Clapton's band,
only terminating the affair when his wife and son eventually appeared to join the tour.

What is that saying about no good deed going unpunished?

Well, maybe it was payback for Layla?

 

[HolmeBass]

David Gates of Bread and Leon Russell travelled west together to find fame. Rick James and Neil Young were in the same band at one time.

Wait, Rick "Super Freak" James and Neil Young together??

 

[Son of Wobble]

Myna Birds. Rick James, front center; Neil Young, far right.

James was a navy reservist who went underground rather than serve in Vietnam;
he hid in plain sight and fronted this band circa '65 while a deserter from the navy reserve.
He was eventually arrested and served a year before becoming a staff writer for Motown.
He didn't sign as a solo artist until '77. All of which is to say, it took over a decade for James
to become an overnight sensation (which is of course the rule more than the exception).