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[MUSIC] THE SAVAGE ANIMAL
"Name Changers" |
04.27.11 |
BY MIKEY MIGO
I’ve always been a fan of origin stories when it comes to band names. I’ve written about it, read about, and have talked about it many times. The best artists can name themselves anything and their music will speak for itself. Over time the silliest of band names become acceptable and accomplished. Some of the biggest bands of all time are The Beatles, Nirvana, Led Zeppelin, etc. Time and talent has made us look past the obvious and completely ignore how ridiculous some band names are. To me, it comes down to what looks good on paper, what sounds good being introduced on the radio, and what sounds good being chanted back at you. If you can accomplish that then you should be okay as long as you make good music.
The origin stories are fun and cool, but after awhile you can’t really look back. It is identification, it is branding, and it is arenas full of t-shirts. Then some artists and bands just do the unthinkable and change their name. After years of success, identification, and time the band or artist, for whatever of many reasons, up and decide to change their name.
Is it a Rebranding?
Reinvention?
Legally obligated?
That’s what we’re looking at today.
Prince = Symbol = Prince again!
For years Prince Rogers Nelson made his fame and fortune by the moniker of “Prince”. The man in purple put out some of the best albums of the 1980’s and revolutionized sexual pop music. Then in 1993 Prince had some legal drama with his record label. His rebellion was a logo. It looked like a male/female logo with some extra imagery. It was silly, but it was effective. As much as I remember people groaning and rolling their eyes at this, people were talking. If it’s Prince or “The Artist Formerly Known as Prince” or a symbol or the other random writing pseudonyms he has used, he’s more than a name.
Cat Stevens = Yusuf Islam = Yusuf
He was born Steven Demetre Georgiou, he went with the name Cat Stevens. He had some pretty big hits and become loved by a lot of people. After a near death experience in 1976 he started his conversion to Islam. By the end of 78 he changed his name to Yusuf Islam. He then left the music business. He focused on his spirituality and faith, but still made the rare appearance here and there. In recent years I’ve seen him pop up a little more, mostly just going by “Yusuf”.
The Fresh Prince = Will Smith
In the late 80’s hip hop got a kick in the ass from DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. They were the first rap group to win a Grammy in 89 with “Parents Just Don’t Understand”. There were other fun tracks that dominated the times. Then the super charisma of The Fresh Prince took over. He landed the acting gig on “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” and from there his career took off. But as he got older… and richer… he strayed away and quickly morphed into “Will Smith”. I could see that looking better in a movie credit, but he really didn’t HAVE to go that route with music. Would “Going to Miami” be any less lame? Would “Get Jiggy Wit It” be ANY less “Jiggy”? I don’t think so. I don’t care how many times Hilary rejected him or how many times Uncle Phil tossed him out… at least DJ Jazzy Jeff kept it real.
Crosby, Stills & Nash = Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Crosby, Stills & Nash did tons on their own. They rocked the 60’s and beyond. They had two Top 40 hit singles on their debut album and were doing well for themselves. The band used hired guns for a lot of the music. Stills did a lot of it, but they would need more to be able to tour. This lead to Neil Young being added to the band. They fit well together and made some decent music. The Déjà Vu album specifically. From there and still today, there’s always that chance that you could see all four of them perform together, a lot of the times the original three, and sometimes in other random combos. It’s all pretty interchangeable, but Young being there is always the coolest.
Snoop Doggy Dogg = Snoop Dogg
When he started in the business he took on the name and persona of Snoop Doggy Dogg. He showed up strong on Dre’s album and then his Doggystyle album was great as well. I knew it was late 90’s or early 00’s, but I really didn’t have a clue as the exact moment he dropped the “Doggy”. I took to his imdb page and the last credit
Tupac Shakur = Makaveli
When Pac was in prison he read up and studied up on Niccolo Machiavelli. He was so inspired and motivated by the words that he started calling himself “Makaveli”. In fact, his last album was released under the name. It was a darker departure for Pac, but was never really put on the same level as his bigger albums. Still, in this case it was a risk he took. I don’t know if Makaveli would have been his name from then on. He could have revisited the character or had it represent a certain era like how Bowie had Ziggy Stardust. I doubt it, but who really knows.
Jefferson Airplane = Jefferson Starship
This band was formed in the mid 60’s. They had tons of success during this time period. The tracks “White Rabbit” and “Somebody to Love” are two of the biggest 60’s rock songs and I couldn’t imagine classic rock radio without them. They’d eventually break up a bit. A few members stuck together and changed their name to Jefferson Starship. This lasted for awhile, but never got to their previous level of success. Over the years the band has formed other projects and did other things together, but the original Airplane rocked. If they had stuck together and kept on as Airplane one might think they might have been the most successful female fronted rock band of all time. Hell, they might be…
Puff Daddy = P. Diddy = Diddy
Sean Combs doesn’t have to worry about anything. He has production, his own music, clothes, fragrances, he’s in movies, and he doesn’t seem to really care about sticking to one name. Sean Jean is a brand he pushes, Sean Combs is the actor, and then when it comes to music he reinvents himself (or waters himself down) more and more all the time. Sadly, other than his real name and perfume spray, his gimmicks are silly. I’m sure there’s a backstory, but how can you take a rapper serious who is named “Puff Daddy”? Then “P.Diddy” sounds like something a southern man would call his nether regions. And finally “Diddy”? The ONLY “ditty” that’s of any relevance was Johnny Cougar’s reference to a “little diddy about Jack and Diane…” Speaking of which…
John Cougar/Johnny Cougar = John Mellencamp = John Cougar Mellencamp
I finish this up with an Indiana homeboy. Johnny Cougar was his first name on his own. Before this he did some local bands, but his first release was under the “Johnny Cougar” name. In 83, the year of my birth, Johnny Cougar became John Cougar Mellencamp. I think this was the name he had during the biggest period of his career. He had hit albums, Farm Aid, and was there for the MTV boom. From there he dropped the animal references and just went with John Mellencamp. I want to make fun of the silliness of the Cougar name, but in reality it’s pretty bad ass. I’d much rather be Mikey Cougar MiGo than Mikey Diddy MiGo. So is life…
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