Namesakes #55: Survivor

Sometimes, the simplest task can take forever. All I wanted was an image that represented a survivor... all I got was page after page focussing on a reality TV show where they dump a bunch of idiots on a desert island and you can guess the rest.

Here are a bunch of bands called Survivor. But after you've listened to them all, which will be... y'know.

SURVIVOR #1

Der! Der der der! Der der der! Der der derrrrrrrrr!

That's all you need to know about this Survivor, right?

Wrong. Because I just discovered that founder member Jim Peterik used to be in The Ides of March, and was the lead singer on the excellent Vehicle. 

But besides that...

Der! Der der der! Der der der! Der der derrrrrrrrr!

SURVIVOR #2

The "der der derrr!" Survivor formed in Chicago in 1978. A couple of years earlier, in Shreveport, Louisiana, these guys started making a racket. They didn't get a record out until '79 though... which might account for why youtube describes them as "The Other Survivor".

SURVIVOR #3

Also in 1979, in Pennsylvania, Judy Thomas was hoping to get her record played on the airwaves. Presumably it didn't happen, as discogs have no record of the "forthcoming album" mentioned on the label.

SURVIVOR #4

Japanese indie band from 1996, with the only track they ever seem to have set down on wax, 撤離 (which translates as 'Withdrawal', apparently).

SURVIVOR #5

Umcha umcha umcha dance tune from the year 2000, featuring Tongy. You know. Good old Tongy.

Rather disappointed that I was able to find this on the tube of you, but couldn't find the British punk band called Survivor with their sole 1978 release Pastiche. Epic fail, as the hipsters no doubt say.

There were also plenty of bands called The Survivors, but I'm not about to go digging into those unless you ask me really nicely. Having listened to the Survivors above, which would you like to be washed up on a desert island with?