So You Want To Be A Rock ‘N’ Roll Star…
M U S I C M O N D A Y
Today’s post asks you to really use your imagination. If you love music as much as I do, perhaps you’ve given some thought as to what you might name your band if you ever had one. What instrument would you play? Would you be lead vocals? Lastly, if you could hand-pick famous band members, who would be in your band? Nothing is off limits — you could choose musicians that have died. We’ll bring them back for this little exercise.
I know these will be difficult questions for most of you — probably not for Guapola or John Philips since I’m pretty sure they think about this stuff often, and by often, I mean daily. I thought it might be fun to suspend reality, just for a moment, and pretend to have real musical abilities/talent. I feel like it’s safe to assume that we all, at one time or another, held a hairbrush or spoon to simulate a microphone and performed our favorite songs in our bedrooms, doors probably locked. Some of you may have done this just last week, like I did… haha!
If you’ve been in a band, please share those details, I’d love to hear about them. I think we all would, right?
So without further ado, I’ll start.
The name of my band would be That Girl. I came up with the name when I remembered that I wanted to be Ann Marie (Marlo Thomas) from the TV show “That Girl” when I was young. (Minus her boyfriend Donald — I never really liked his hair.) I think it’s catchy and sort of retro-y.
- Guitar – Jack White, George Harrison
- Bass – Paul McCartney
- Drums – Charlie Watts
- Vocals – Naturally I’ll choose myself
- Backing Vocals – Cat Stevens
Obviously my choices are pretty awesome. Simply, my band would be amazing. Here are a few of my band members… 
Hi,
Oh yes I remember the days when we thought about being part of a band, lucky for me I realized very early in life, that I was not cut out for singing in any shape or form. 😀
I love the name “That Girl” you can hear the audience screaming hear she comes it’s That Girl, is certainly as a ring to it, and your band members would certainly bring in the crowds. 😀
Yeah, I think I chose well. Hey Mags, I can’t sing either, but for the purposes of this post I’m pretending that I can! Haha!
Good topic. I’d call mine the Stocky Hicks (a play on Hockey Sticks, except I’m now stocky and used to live in Saskatchewan). I’ve always liked the guitar wall put up by the Allmans so I would sign up Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton on leads, and put George Harrison on rhythm. Then I would use my god like powers and resurrect Keith Moon and John Bonham to a Grateful Dead dual drummer thing. I’d play bass, cause no one would be listening to me anyway. I’d have Chris Martin on piano and vocals along with John Lennon and would use Nikka Costa as the female lead singer.
Obviously you haven’t given this any thought. Just as I suspected! Ha! First of all, I like your name. Very clever and memorable. I was thinking about Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page, the two of them being the best in their field, but I think they should be in a harder rock band, Stocky Hicks. Chris Martin and John Lennon on vocals and Piano… Great idea! This is a MAJOR band – imagine the concert…
And I’ll be in the back of it all pretending to play, but really only listening.
I was gonna say, it might be hard to concentrate on your bass performance with all THAT on stage.
I’d name mine The Hysterics. So it wouldn’t be so weird if I ended up crying during a concert. It would be kind of expected, ya know? I’d have Travis Barker from Blink 182 on drums because he’s pretty amazing. I know he’s not a classic, but it’s hard to beat him really. Me on vocals and keyboard (I’d have to learn how to play. Minor detail). Perhaps Tom Petty as my lyrics song writer. Great lyrics and great tunes. I don’t know who I would have for guitar and bass. Maybe Billy Corgan? I don’t know! Awesome post though!
I like The Hysterics. Good name. I also like that you have Tom Petty working the lyrics. Nice. I think this is a tricky thing to do if you are not that into music. just a little fantasy, I suppose…
I can’t play bass but if you are surrounded, who would notice. If you cried you would be part of the show. Good choices all round.
Well, this is something I’ve never thought about before. Let’s see, who I would have in my band would be Christopher Guest and Michael McKean from Spinal Tap playing the guitars, Ringo Star on the drums, waiting in the wings would be John Melloncamp, Janice Joplin, Cat Stevens, Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson. I’d get to stand in the middle and play the tamborine and if I wanted to sing along and/or dance along I could do that too! I’d call out the people wating in the wings at my descretion. And since everybody would be interchangeable when it came to singing and playing instruments I’d have to call my band The Floaters!
I like That Girl better though because it sounds a lot more organized! 😀
The Floaters! Great name and it suits your purposes. I like that you added Christopher Guest and Michael McKean for some comic relief. Maybe you can do that same number, you know, the Stone Henge one? Hahaha! I think you picked some great musicians and vocals. I love Janis Joplin, too. You could stand next to her and you’d look pretty great! Always a plus… I like your tamborine idea as well, sort of like Josie and the Pussycats! Haha!
Haha! I love that Stone Henge number! Can you imagine all those legends and me dancing around the 18″ stone henge. This wa a really fun mental excursion Lisa. I did have a lot of trouble deciding who I would love to see from my perfect vantage point of centerstage (rocking the tamborine) in the thick of things! Oh and then later I thought of Harry Neilson whose genius I just recently started to fully appreciate.I always liked him but didn’t appreciate his talent like I do now. And the same with Janice Joplin. I hated her when I was in high school but now I think she’s one of the most talented singers who ever lived.
I think “That Girl” is a little bit of an ego trip – but I figured as long as I was fantasizing…why not? Notice there are no other females in my group! Haha!
Hahaha! Good thinking! And for alll the swoony guys I’ve got in my band, I don’t really have any competition either except for Janice Joplin and Michael Jackson (maybe). And I’ll tell you right now I have dibs on Cat Stevens! Lisa, just so you know if we should ever share the same venue!
LOL!!!!! The 18″ Stone Henge number is a killer! haha!
I LOVE Harry Nielson, too. Isn’t it funny how we grow to appreciate some artists later in life. It’s like they flesh out and become real people instead of just this voice or hit song. Janice Joplin is an acquired taste. My kids don’t ‘get her.’ She’s just so passionate and that voice! — Crazy talented. Love her.
Haha! If we ever share the same venue, Linda, my life will be complete! (…and by “complete” I mean I’ll be very old and hallucinating!)
For a similar voice, check out Susan Tedeschi on her first couple of albums. Just as raw and powerful when she’s singin.
I’ll check her out. Thanks. Getting compared to Janice Joplin is quite a compliment.
Erm, I wouldn’t be in a band I would just be a one-man show kicking out awesome techno crap.
haha! Yeah, you would be a “studio band” – either that or you could just get on stage with Prodigy. I think they need to get acquainted with their biggest fan.
Too hard a question.
this is a cop out, but I’d play guitar under my own name, and play with absolutely everyone, like Santana has been doing, or Clapton.
Though if I did start a band, I’d go with 4 deaf guys so at least they could play through a set without wretching from my singing voice!
You’d play with “absolutely everyone.” That’s unacceptable. Yes, a total cop out. Ha! I was counting on you! …although, I will say it was a little trickier than I had thought it would be, I’ll give you that. I struggled, as well. You can at least come up with a name for your band. (…and it better not be El Guapo!) ha!
Your answer reminds me of that song… “If there’s a Rock ‘n’ Roll heaven, then you know they’ve got a helluva band.”
Okay, that was NOT LILY replying that was Lisa! I accidentally forgot to log out of Lily’s wordpress account!
Lisa, are you telling us you’re both Lily and Lisa? Is Lily just a younger, crazier Lisa. If so, genius! I shall follow suit and create a young Harper Faulkner. I shall call him, Hemming Weigh and he will have grand adventures in Mexico (since you’ve taken Canada for your Lily). Stand by for updates on Hemming’s life and loves. HFHW
If only I was that clever… Darn it!
Haha! Hemming Weigh! Now THAT is genius. Naturally, he’ll be a younger, heftier, huskier, Harper Faulkner, thus, the name, “Weigh.” I look forward to Hemming’s updates!
** I replied under Lily’s account by accident! I must have been rattled by your answer.
Oh, how about “Haggis”? That’s a band name everyone would remember!
Okay, I’ll accept “Haggis.” Actually it’s quite good and yeah, it’s memorable. Now I can get on with my day! haha!
That’s an easy one! Simply ‘No Band Intended’ :).
Perfect!!! I think you should be lead vocals and dance around the stage. You’d have a huge male following! ha!
Lead vocals? Then I’d have no followers at all :). I was hoping you wanted to sing for me, actually! I’ll do the dancing, though ;).
Now, you have me thinking (which could be dangerous for me today!). I would have a band called the Ladybugs and would be a group of my friends. We would be like The Bangles and have some iconic song that included a day of the week in the title, written by Prince of course. 🙂
HA! I love it! The bangles were so awesome in their hey day. I don’t know any girl who didn’t want to look and sound like them. Of course Prince would write your day of the week song… Hmmm, let’s see, maybe something about Mondays?
Rock
Robert Plant, Vocals
Duane Allman, Guitar
Jack Bruce, Bass
Steward Copeland, Drums
Country
Ray Price, Vocals
Chet Atkins, Guitar
Jimmy Day, Steel Guitar
Buddy Harman, Drums
Big Band
Billie Holiday, Vocals
Duke Ellington, Piano
Buddy Rich, Drums
Charlie Parker, Tenor Sax
I would sit back and enjoy!
Harper – have you ever heard the album of Buddy rich and Max Roach? Incredible drumming, and overall music, it;s one of the bast albums I;ve ever heard.
No, but I’ll sure search for it and then download it! I’m all over the place in music. If it’s well done, I’m down with it! Thanks for the tip. HF
Max and Buddy both doing the Limehouse Blues! How cool is that?!
Yep. Casbah is my favorite track(s) on the album, but there’s nothing bad in the set.
Harper! All I can say is WOW!!! 3 awesome bands for the price of one. I like that you can shift gears going from Rock to Country to Big Band. You’re a true music lover. I’d sit back and enjoy these bands, too. Great job!
Thank you and thank you for the post. I enjoyed thinking about it. Several times I wanted to put down a couple of names, but that would not be in the spirit of the game. Also, thanks to El Guapo, I have some great music to listen to. All joy. HF
My real band I have right now is called “Pissfoot.” It’s just me and my dog and we don’t so much play music as we go around telling people that we do. It’s all covers of the band Switchfoot. McGwire the Dog often urinates on his own foot due to poor aim. That’s our “you’re going to sink like a led balloon!” story of how we got our name. I’ve been in a few other bands with Myspace pages. We never did anything as much as my friends with real musical talent insisted we’d put on a show sometime.
I guess the name of my fake band would be chosen through some terrible online voting. Anything without a random symbol in it. I’d have Lzzy Hale from Halestorm as the singer along with a young Chris Cornell. I love dueling singing. Especially between a man and a woman. No “This is the Last Duet” crap neither. They’d do the Pixies thing and kind of switch off on songs. I’d get the Deleo Brothers from Stone Temple Pilots for drums and whichever guitar the other one plays. If they put up with Weiland they’ll put up with me. I’d have Jimi Hendrix join in so we don’t come off as intolerant. Plus he was pretty damn good and could add into our controversy.
My role would pretty much be like the “Rock Lobster” guy from the B-52’s. I’ll say strange things and be a cult hit with non-fans of the band. Maybe I could use a tamborine too.
Pissfoot sounds like a punk group, actually. I like that you have a story to go with it. Poor little McGwire : (
I like your eclectic choices and throwing Jimi Hendrix in the mix to send a message of tolerance is always a good thing. Haha! I guess you could say he was, “pretty damn good.”
The rock lobster guy is awesome. If your vocals aren’t good, then that’s the way to go. FYI, I saw the B52’s in Central park in the late 70’s or early 80’s… I can’t remember.
My band name would be, ‘No Shows’, since I’m no familiar with enough rock and roll people to put one together, and my skills are limited to comb and tissue paper. Maybe Paul McCartney would be a member, since he did teach Linda to play and sing–sorta.
I’d like John Prine in the group, I think. Janis. Kris Kristopherson. Pete Townsend. Adele on occasion. And, I’d be in the background, pretending to play keyboard and singing during the chorus, “Oh, yeah!!”
For the girl who’s not so familiar with rock ‘n’ roll you’ve done a good job. Paul McCartney must be both patient and kind to have put Linda in his group. Everyone knows her talents were not musical. If he could help her along then he most certainly could guide you, Miss Addie. : ) Good thinking.
I think I might go with my former moniker “Brainvomit” because any rock and roll band name that includes any type of gross bodily function or excretion usually gets a listen. I want the one-armed drummer from Def Leppard because he has one arm and I think it’s awesome he can still drum so well. I want the guy who plays violin for the Zac Brown Band, I want Mac Powell of Third Day just to stare at (and do some lead vocals from time to time), and Eddie Van Halen on lead guitar. Yeah, we would be awesome!
LOVE THIS! “Brainvomit” is definitely a serious rock sounding name. I’m also a fan of the one armed drummer of Def Leppard. He’s amazing. Maybe I’m more impressed with the band that said, hey, you’re still our drummer. It really says something about them. Mac Powell is easy on the eyes – very soulful, indeed. And Eddie Van Halen is a great musician – such good choices! Glad you joined in!
I remember for my birthday a few years ago, my friends dad had a rock band called Mutz Nutz who played covers of old 80s rock bands, he was doing a gig nearby where I live and had me sing Livin’ On A Prayer by Bon Jovi in front of a few hundred people and I got a standing ovation afterwards 😀 best night ever! For that moment I was the man.
Sounds like a great memory. I think if everyone was honest they’d admit they have a rock band fantasy. How could you not? I’m sure the girls were throwing themselves at you. All it takes is a microphone, some pounding rhythms, a good looking guy like yourself, and you’ve got a recipe for groupies deluxe!
Haha too true 🙂 I’m currently sporting a beard and longer hair too which can only help the rock star image. I’m aiming for a ZZ Top beard, but it’s so itchy *scratch*