Artist names and their changes:

[bob_32_116]

are you interested in dong another group of ten bob_32, or would you rather someone else have a go so you can play the game?

Well, I did kind of hijack the thread from its original purpose, so someone else can supply a set of names now, or else we can just discuss name changes in general.

I may supply some later if I think of them.

[CRAZY-HORSE]

ok,
heres ten more artists/bands that changed, or had their names changed before they became who we now know them:
like bob_32's list,
feel free to make a guess for one or all of the ten listed below,
I will give clues to the ones that aren't guessed within a day or two to maybe make it easier for subsequent guesses

1...STARFISH COLDPLAY[B] (I don't know how why they started with that name?)[/B]
Clue #1: one of the biggest selling artists since 2000

2...NERK TWINS BEATLES[B] (14yo Paul/16yo John were playing in a workingmans bar and didn't have a name, the patrons started calling them Nerk Twins
.............................it as a derogatory name, they later became Silver Beets, Silver Beetles, Quarrymen prior to their more famous name)[/B]
Clue #1: 1960s band

3...DETOURS THE WHO

4...RAVENS KINKS
Clue #1: sibling rivalry

5...FARRIS BORTHERS INXS

6...PIONEERS SMALL FACES (vocalist Steve Marriot was approached by Jimmy Page on three occasions to 'front' his new band Led Zeppelin, Marriot declined
..........................everytime as he was then forming his own followup band, Humble Pie with Peter Frampton)
Clue #1: vocalist turned down offer to front #9 on the list

7...RAIN OASIS
Clue #1: off stage antics often overshadowed the music

8...BLUE BOYS ROLLING STONES
Clue #1: 1960s-present

9...NEW YARDBIRDS LED ZEPPELIN

10...TWO TONES BUDDY HOLLY & THE CRICKETS (they then called themselves The Beetles before settling on their more famous name)
Clue #1: there were more than three of them but only six legs

[bob_32_116]

I assume Farris Brothers (not "borthers") would be INXS?

Starfish: The Church did an album of that name, so would it be The Church?

New Yardbirds: I suppose that would be a band containing former Yardbirds members, which only leaves a couple of possibilities - I will guess Led Zeppelin.

[CRAZY-HORSE]

two out of three aint bad bob_32....

Farris Brothers were indeed INXS

and New Yardbirds were also Led Zeppelin

a very good guess on Starfish being The Church, but alas, that one is incorrect, that said, I probably would have made the same guess.

the correct answers will be put alongside the lesser known names of those bands.

[bob_32_116]

I have an idea I should know who "Rain" are/were, but I can't think of it.

[bob_32_116]

I won't insult you by asking you to guess the name by which Agnetha, Anna-Frid, Benny & Bjorn became much better known. Not exactly snappy, is it?

Clearly somebody had a word in their ear and suggested maybe it would be a good idea to adopt a name that did not take the MC half an hour to announce.

Not that that ever seemed to bother Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich.

[Jerome]

The 'Detours' was the early name for 'The Who'. Remember reading about it somewhere.

[ClassicalIsTheBest]

[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]George Gershwin's grandfather was Jakov Gershowitz. His son, Moishe Gershowitz, changed his surname to Gershwine. George Gershwin was born Jacob Gershwine, commonly pronounced 'Gersh-vin.' Years later, George changed the spelling of his surname to 'Gershwin' after he became a professional musician.

[bob_32_116]

The 'Detours' was the early name for 'The Who'. Remember reading about it somewhere.

I wouldn't have known that. Didn't they also call themselves "The High Numbers"?

[CRAZY-HORSE]

Correct Jerome....

and also correct bob_32, that would have been the first clue to the answer had no one got The Detours.

well don't both of you.

as a footnote, and from Pete's "who I am" autobiography, Roger was the last member of the original Who to join The Detours,
it was his suggestion to change the name to High Numbers as that name sounded more English than detours, who he thought sounded like
it should be the name of a black American group, which at the time was ok because they covering old American black blues artists.
it was only when they became High Numbers that with Roger out front that Pete decided to try to write his own songs, and the rest is music history.

and heres a general clue for the remaining artists/bands in the list:
there is another artist in the list who also had multiple names prior to their fame.