Namesakes #46: Bush

Calling your band "Bush" must seem like a hilarious idea. Because, guess what, "bush" is slang for pubic hair! I said "pubic hair"!!!

Here are some bands who laughed all the way to the bank... although in most cases, I'm guessing it was only the piggy bank.

THE BUSH #1

Garage rockers from Rialto, California who released a bunch of singles in the mid-60s. Many years later, their recorded output was collected on an album called Got Bush If You Want It! Also known as The Bushmen (but that might well be next week's post).

BUSH #2

Canada in 1970 is where we find our next Bush. They released one album and one single, and toured with Steppenwolf and Three Dog Night (who also covered the track below as the B-Side to Joy To The World). Band members went on to join The James Gang and Guess Who, as well as offering tour support for Alice Cooper and Lou Reed. 

La BUSH #3

6 and a half minutes of Belgian disco from 1977. You can thank me later.

BUSH #4

Finnish soft rock from 1990, made for AM radio... which I guess makes this an Ambush. 

I'm here all week.

BUSH #5

Bush were one of the biggest bands of the 90s, apparently. Not that we were aware of that in their native country where they managed one Top Ten hit in March 1997, and an also ran Top 30 mention a few months later. In the States though, their debut album went 6 times Platinum. They were also huge in Canada, where their lawyers tried to sue the 70s Canadian Bush to prevent them from using the name they got to first. British Bush lost the case and for a while were forced to release their albums as Bush X in Canada, until an amicable settlement was arrived at.  

BUSH #6

German "hard trance" from 2001. With the deepest apologies to my dance music friends, this makes me understand why God wanted to set that bush on fire in the Bible.

When I typed "Bush" into discogs, there were almost 2500 entries with that word in their name, so you'll excuse me if I missed a few. When I typed "Bush" into google... well, I had some explaining to do.

Of course, we all know that the greatest Bush of all has the first name Kate, but as she's not allowed to play today... which is your best Bush?