Random Rockin’ Fun Facts
Need to drop some classic and indie rock science on your fellow music nerds? Here are some gems.
Kate Bush has never performed live in concert in the United States.
The three members of the classic Duran Duran line-up named Taylor were not related.
Nick Lowe produced The Damned’s debut record.
Ric Ocasek produced the Bad Brains’ second record.
Todd Rundgren produced Meatloaf’s “Bat Out of Hell.”
Tommy Ramone produced The Replacements’ “Tim.”
Ray Manzarek produced X’s debut “Los Angeles.”
The Lightning Seed’s name comes from a misheard lyric from Prince’s “Raspberry Beret”: “thunder drowns out what the lightning sees.”
Morrissey chose the name The Smiths to rail against pretentious band names like Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Depeche Mode, and Spandau Ballet.
Peter Buck played the same black Rickenbacker guitar on every single R.E.M record.
Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton’s “Islands in the Stream” was written by The Bee Gees.
Barry Gibb is the only songwriter to have four consecutive US #1 hit songs (1978): “Stayin’ Alive,” “(Love Is) Thicker Than Water,” then “Night Fever” and “If I Can’t Have You.”
The Buzzcocks’ “Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve?)” was inspired by the dialogue (“Have you ever fallen in love with someone you shouldn’t have”) in the 1955 film Guys & Dolls.
“Love Will Tear Us Apart” by Joy Division was a response to “Love Will Keep Us Together” by Captain & Tennille.
Billy Bragg and Mike Watt were born on the same day, December 20, 1957.
“A Boy Named Sue” was written by Shel Silverstein.
The first female video that aired (and the second overall video) on MTV was “You Better Run” by Pat Benatar.
The Cars won Video of the Year for “You Might Think” at the first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984.
Weezer’s first show was on March 19, 1992, closing for Keanu Reeves’ band Dogstar.
Dan Seals of England Dan & John Ford Coley is the younger brother of Seals & Crofts member Jim Seals.
The Rolling Stones recorded 36 blues cover songs on their first four studio albums.
Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh added the lyrics “Rust never sleeps” to Neil Young’s song ‘Hey Hey, My My,’ a slogan for Rust-Oleum. Young used it in his Crazy Horse version of the song, as well as for the title of his album.
Many bands had brothers in them but the classic Devo lineup had TWO sets of brothers, Gerald and Bob Casale, and Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh. Brother Jim Mothersbaugh was in the band too but only for 3 years.
Peter Gabriel named his first four solo albums “Peter Gabriel.”
Parliament-Funkadelic were two separate bands on separate labels from the 60s through the early 80s. Parliament began as a doo-wop quintet. Funkadelic were their backing band.
Ellen Foley sang on “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” but was replaced in the video by lip-synching Karla DeVito.
Follow @usedwigs for the latest nonsense.
