5 Fake Bands With Real Chart Hits

Culture Sonar ^ | 8/28/23 | Sharon Oliver

[willgolfforfood]

Like Boston?

[SunkenCiv]

The Monkees were not fake, they just recorded a bunch of songs most of which they didn’t write, and some of their cover versions were hits. May as well call Linda Ronstadt fake, particularly since she’s never written a song.

Of course, now that Mike Nesmith has passed, the band is now The Monkee.

[Vaduz]

Strangest band name I’ve seen was in the 70’s I believe Ultimate Spinach they had at least one album I know of.

[newfreep]

Glen Campbell, as a member of the Wrecking Crew, played on most of the Beach Boy hits.

[Colt1851Navy]

The band Brooklyn Bridge played at a beer joint on 59th Street in Manhattan for years, right in the shadow of the Queensboro Bridge, but they did not have GPS's and Iphones back then, so they got the name wrong.

[Hyman Roth]

KISS. They were not really a band. More like a marketing firm. They knew two chords.

[FreedomPoster]

Speaking of well known session men, the Mussel Shoals documentary is pretty awesome. I think this is the one I watched on a plane flight a few years ago.

https://www.amazon.com/Muscle-Shoals-Greg-Freddy-Camalier/dp/B0DMMDMQC5

[FreedomPoster]

So you’re saying The Rolling Stones are a fake band?

[FreedomPoster]

Muscle, mea culpa.

[Tellurian]

Michael Nesmith's music video "Rio" seeded the idea for MTV

[FreedomPoster]

Lynyrd Skynyrd is in that category.

[John Milner]

“The Banana Spits”

What would a banana spit? They don’t even have seeds.

[RckyRaCoCo]

Was a Beach Boy for about 4 months(1965), subbing for Brian Wilson?

[discostu]

Mick plays guitar sometimes, and harmonica not nearly often enough. So I think they make the cut.

[rbg81]

Yes. If you believe their song “Rock and Roll Band”.

[rbg81]

I thought Uriah Heep was a pretty inspired name for a band (inspired by Dickens).

[Vaduz]

Yes

[newfreep]

Way back in the day, I saw the BBs here in Dayton when GC was the tour bassist replacing BW.

Fast forward, when GC recorded “Wichita Lineman”, he borrowed the 6-string bass from Carol Kaye (”The Wrecking Crew”) to play the guitar solo on that track.

[RckyRaCoCo]

Where are/were you on the Carol Kaye/Hal Blaine feud?

[newfreep]

Feud? What feud?

They were amazing musical talents that played on thousands of tracks.

Fun fact...Carol Kaye began as a LA-area jazz guitarist for local groups incl Big Bands. She was invited to a session and, when the bassist couldn’t make it, she filled in and the rest is history.