Chart Music

[Hot Pepsi]

That was actually Thomas Dolby trivia disguised as Foreigner trivia. I can't stand Foreigner.

Same. Though they're better than REO Speedwagon.

[Lang Spoon]

I think Sarah Bee wrote for the grizzled remains of late period Melody Maker (along with Kulkarni, I think). Stopped reading mostly by mid 97 so not sure.

[Beatle Simon]

I always confuse It Bites with Go West

With me, It Bites blurs into Cutting Crew, who then blur into Mister Mister - 'I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight' mega-mixes into 'Broken Wings.'

When Go West had their first hit, 'We Close Our Eyes', in early '85, I was studying for my CSEs so dropped ouut of following the charts for a bit, and that song with King's 'Love and Pride' and Stephen Tintin Duffy's 'Kiss Me' all blurred into one long song.

[Hot Pepsi]

For no particular reason, Paul Rudd and Jimmy Falloon recreated Go West's video. It's sort of entertaining.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=af6L1jBZGYA

[Toby Gymshorts]

Apparently after their initial chart bothering pop, they dabbled in prog, and then heavy, and are still relatively active, and took a leaf out of Spandau's book a few years ago by sacking the original lead guitarist/singer.

A certain Francis Dunnery, who records and tours solo these days. He's very good, if you like that kind of thing (which I'm sure I've demonstrated I do).

[Third rate Leszno]

Frankie Dunnery was a couple of years above me at school.

[Satchmo Distel]

Go West gives me a Village People earworm rather than conjuring up one of their own songs. Did the band name itself after the song (and if so, are there other examples of bands named after songs?)

[Auntie Beryl]

Must be quite a few.

Radio Head was a track on the last Talking Heads album "Blind" in 1988.

[ad hoc]

Deacon Blue (named after the Steely Dan track)

[Jah Womble]

Couple of all-Scottish examples: The Cocteau Twins borrowed their name from a Simple Minds song title, while Strawberry Switchblade lifted theirs from an Orange Juice tune.

Pretty Girls Make Graves - who were popular for about half an hour during the noughties - took their name from a Smiths song. I forget which one.

Wet Wet Wet (Scritti Politti) and Lightning Seeds (Prince) both lifted theirs from the bracketed artists' lyrics.

[ad hoc]

Shakespeare's Sister are another band named after a Smiths song

[hobbes]

When I remember them, I always confuse It Bites with Go West, and usually have to Google

Yes, me and my mate have this problem. Especially if we close our eyes.

[Janik]

Plastic People of the Universe - Prague band named after the Frank Zappa song, Plastic People. A band of historical importance, not for their music but for their impact on politics (for details look up Charter 77 and also the Tom Stoppard play Rock and Roll).

And a Scottish counter-example - the Belle and Sebastian* song and album The Boy with the Arab Strap was named after/nicked the name of Arab Strap. Leading to a falling out between the two bands.
* - who themselves are named after a novel and film. Think up some original titles, you lazy sods.

[Satchmo Distel]

Pretty Girls Make Graves was a song on The Smiths' first album, albeit probably the weakest (and somewhat sexist)

[Jah Womble]

(Yep, I was just being facetious...)

[WOM]

Try putting 'whakka whakka' after your gags and see if that helps.

[Jah Womble]

Y'see, that's the thing about throwaway comments. If you 'don't' throw them away, they tend to go off rather quickly.

(But - 'whakka whakka'? What are you doing, pitching a new beer ad slogan?)

[WOM]

It's an over-hopped craft IPA...I'm being ironic.

[G-Man]

Ironic in a whakka whakka way?

[WOM]

Is there any other?

[Satchmo Distel]

I've been living in the US so long that I've forgotten how to read irony

[Jon]

Must be quite a few.

Radio Head was a track on the last Talking Heads album "Blind" in 1988.

Ooh, I love that track. More than anything radiohead ever did. But it was from true stories, their penultimate album.

And blind was the first track off their last album but the album was called naked.

[Crystal Staples]

Shakespeare's Sister are another band named after a Smiths song

Their #1 single was knocked off the top by another band in the category, Right Said Fred.

[Gerontophile]

I've been living in the US so long that I've forgotten how to read irony

[Jah Womble]

Their #1 single was knocked off the top by another band in the category, Right Said Fred.

Nice facting there.

The Sisters Of Mercy, of course, derived their moniker from the title of a suitably-cheery Leonard Cohen choon.

Edit: Death Cab For Cutie just came up on my Facebook feed - so there's another one (from an old Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band song ref).