The Swedish band ABBA were named after a track from a favourite album of guitarist Björn Ulvaeus, Captain Beefheart’s Safe As Milk. That song was in turn named after an American confectionery bar Abba-Zaba.
Music Fact
Facts about music.
In The Court Of The Local Tennis Club
King Crimson fans are known as Prognosticators.
A Grand Day Out
Ariana Grande decided on her stage name at the age of six after watching a DVD of Wallace & Gromit in the Nick Park animation ‘The Wrong Trousers’.
Hobby Horse
Frank Zappa wrote his composition for drums and melodic percussion ‘The Black Page #1’ after reading Laurence Sterne’s ‘The Life And Opinions Of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman’ which contains a purely black page.
Insight
Rowan Atkinson’s character Mr Bean was based on Ian Curtis, the singer of the Salford and Manchester post-punk band Joy Division.
Rat Race
Jerry Dammers chose the name Two Tone for his Record Label primarily to save on printing costs.
In Another Life
Tony Williams enjoyed a singing career with The Platters before getting behind the drum set for Miles Davis and later on his jazz fusion band Lifetime.
Boom Boom
Dr. Feelgood’s single, ‘Toast and Marmalade’ had to be re-recorded after being beaten to release by the Street Band hit on a similar theme. Nick Lowe supplied the new lyrics for what was now, ‘Milk And Alcohol’.
Out On Highway 61
The Zimmer Frame was invented by Bob Dylan whilst convalescing after his 1966 motorcycle accident.
You Ain’t Heard Nothing Yet
Canadian rockers Bachman Turner Overdrive formed originally as a novelty Doo-wop group The Bachmen whose songs were based on the work of their favourite composer JS Bach. That influence can still be heard as late as the title track of the 1974 album Not Fragile.