Where did that band get that name? Quiz

Answer: From the names of friends.

While the R&B group is usually associated with the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack, they actually began charting in 1967 with "New York Mining Disaster 1941". The record was sent to disc jockeys with a white label containing only the title of the song. Disc jockeys assumed it was a Beatles release and give it considerable airplay.

They followed up with "To Love Somebody" and a string of hits ensued. Early band names were Rattlesnakes and Wee Johnny Hayes & the Bluecats. The band was introduced to radio DJ Bill Gates by promoter Bill Goode . Gates renamed them the "Bee Gees" after his and Goode's initials. Accordingly, the name was not specifically a reference to "Brothers Gibb", despite popular belief.

Answer: AC/DC

As related on their interview on VH1's series "Behind The Music" series, one of the Young brothers saw the letters "AC/DC" on a sewing machine while the band was forming. It stood for Alternating Current/Direct Current. They confessed that they had no idea that it was also slang for bi-sexual, causing a few misunderstandings in their early career. Bachman Turner Overdrive arrived at their name from a combination of the band members' last names and the trucking magazine "Overdrive". Blue Cheer is a 60's nickname for high-quality LSD. Tommy Tutone gave us "867-5309/Jenny".

They derived the name from the nickname of lead singer Tommy Heath.

Answer: Village People

According to the VH1 show "Behind the Music" the band members were recruited form a local New York paper in the Greenwich Village area. The Village inhabitants were known their their flashy and outrageous way of dressing. Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo organized the band and insisted they never be called The Village People, simply Village People.

In 1978 "Macho Men" and YMCA" put the band on the charts. Frankie Garcia was the lead singer for Cannibal and the Headhunters. He earned the nickname "Cannibal" after he had bitten someone during a street fight when he was younger.

They scored a US Top 30 hit with "Land Of 1000 Dances". The Iron Maiden was a torture device with folding-doors which were studded with sharp iron spikes. Styx admittedly named themselves after the mythical river Styx.

Answer: The Four Seasons

A band was first called called the Varietones. According to Frankie Valli on their bio website the band auditioned to appear at a New Jersey bowling alley called The Four Seasons but were turned down cold. They then adopted the name of the place. MC5 is simply an acronym for the Detroit band Motor City Five. The Atlanta, Georgia, based SOS Band had the best selling tune in America in August, 1980, with "Take Your Time (Do It Right)". They used an acronym which stood for "sounds of success".
After meeting a singer named Troy Shondell a twelve year old Tommy James called his new band The Shondells.

Answer: Dire straits

According to Classic Bands website and Dire Strait's website they simply took their name from their financial conditions at the time they were plugging away to get into the music business. Of course, the conditions didn't persist after the release of "Sultans of Swing" in the late seventies.

The Association got their name when singer Terry Kirkman's wife went to the dictionary to find a better name that Artistocrats and found Association of the same page. San Francisco area band Beau Brummels named themselves after the English character of the same name. Mothers of Invention originally wanted to call themselves simply mothers, but their label suggested adding the latter part of the name.

Answer: From a piece of road construction equipment.

Buffalo Springfield served as a springboard for the careers of Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Richie Furay and Jim Messina. Their biggest and most well known hit was "For What It's Worth". The band only lasted two years. According to the book "For What It's Worth: The Story of Buffalo Springfield" they took their name from the brand name of a heavy asphalt roller they saw while stuck in Los Angeles traffic. The Hollywood Argyles took their name from the fact that the studio where they recorded "Ally Opp" was at the corner of Hollywood and Argyle streets.

Answer: Bad Company

According to band's official website, they took their name directly from the 1972 Robert Benton Civil War movie. In the film "Bad Company", a reworking of "Oliver Twist" set in 1863, several young Civil War draft dodgers flee West. Jeff Bridges' character is based on the Artful Dodger.

The Searchers took their name from the 1956 John Wayne movie of the same name. Buddy Holly said he got the inspiration for the song "That'll Be The Day" from a line John Wayne said in the movie. Blue Oyster Cult came from a combination of a recipe that the band's manager read in a book and the band's fascination with the occult.

Originally called the Salty Peppers, Earth, Wind and Fire signed with Warner Brothers and renamed themselves after the elements in the astrological chart.

Answer: The New Christy Minstrels

According to their website, the took their name from Christy's Minstrels, a performing group founded by Edwin Pearce Christy. In the 1840s Christy organized an ensemble of white performers in blackface that sang Negro spirituals and popular songs. They were popular throughout the US and in England. Originally called the Mascots, The O'Jays were named after Cleveland disc jockey Eddie O'Jay, who helped the band out in their early days. The Nottingham, England, group Paper Lace reached the top of the Billboard Pop chart in 1974 with "The Night Chicago Died". They got their name from lace products manufactured in their hometown. Reo Speedwagon was a model name for a line of trucks built by REO Motors. REO is derived from the initials of Ransom Ely Olds who left Oldsmobile to form REO in 1905.

Answer: Question Mark and the Mysterians

Bass player Larry Borjas said that he came up with the name after watching a Japanese sci-fi movie on television. "The Mysterians" is about invaders who try to take over Earth after their own planet has been destroyed. Procol Harum was originally called The Paramounts.

Their manager wanted a name change and came up with Procul Harun, which was the pedigree name of a cat. The band mis-understood the name over the phone and spelled it Procol Harum. Originally called The Makers, Spandau Ballet patterned their name after Spandau Prison. Supposedly there were hangings there in which the victims would twitch and jump doing the "Spandau Ballet". Supertramp was named after a book called "Autobiography Of A Supertramp" written by R.E. Davies in 1910.

Answer: Deep Purple

Guitarist Ritchie Blackmore related that he selected the band name simply because his grandmother liked the Bing Crosby tune "Deep Purple". The Kingston Trio started out as a Calypso group. Since Kingston, Jamaica, was a hot spot for Calypso music they adopted the name. In a 2007 interview band member Bob Shane revealed that not one of the members had ever been to Jamaica. Two of the members of Gary's band were late for rehearsal one day. When they finally showed up Gary Lewis asked "where have you Playboys been?". Founder Al Kooper said that he came up with the name Blood Sweat and Tears while gazing at a Johnny Cash album cover. The album was called "Blood Sweat & Tears". Contrary to popular belief the group was not named after Churchill's famous quote.