Bernard Sumner’s cousin Gordon (Sting) was due to make a guest appearance on New Order’s song for the 1990 World Cup, ‘World In Motion’, but they fell out over a disputed penalty decision during a Manchester United versus Newcastle game.
Small Beer
Inconsequential items of no fixed abode
Two Chords Strummed Earlier Today
Edam
You Better Run From The City Of Refuse
It wasn’t doubts about their relationship which caused Moody Blues drummer Graeme Edge’s girlfriend Sue to refuse to marry him.
Double Dutch
Despite forming in Athens R.E.M. aren’t Greek.
That Ramones Me
Dusty Springfield fans The Ramones originally named themselves after her mid 60s producer, arranger and sometime song writer Ivor Raymonde but on developing their ‘punk’ style decided something grittier was required so shortened it.
Stories that they had been inspired by Paul McCartney signing into hotels as ‘Paul Ramone’ are apocryphal.
Music Fact Bonus!
Ivor Raymonde was father of former Cocteau Twin and Bella Union record label founder Simon Raymonde.
Law! In The Air Age
Art rock band Be-Bop Deluxe were sued by Jazz Journal Magazine for false advertising in 1974 after one of their journalists attended a concert by the group and discovered they had no Be-Bop element to their music.
The Case was dismissed by the Judge as vexatious and widely believed to be a publicity stunt; a fact later confirmed by drummer Simon Fox when a fan discovered by chance that he was related to the journalist in question.
Brown Eyed Charming Man
The distinctive melodic guitar parts of the second Smiths single developed from Johnny Marr working out Buddy Holly’s solo in his version of the Chuck Berry song ‘Brown Eyed Handsome Man’. Knowing the source Morrissey wrote his lyrics partly as an in joke to create ‘This Charming Man’.
Love Sensation
The defining piano part that repeats throughout much of the Black Box track ‘Ride On Time’ was played, uncredited, by Richard Tandy who had been the pianist on ELO’s ‘Evil Woman’ – the track from which it was taken.
Out In The Fjords
During the period in the late 1990s when legal problems left him short of money Gary Moore re-recorded his 1984 hit Out In The Fields with altered lyrics for a Scandinavian Coastal Cruise company but decided at the last moment not to let them use it.