This is Huggy Bear. When I didn't have many friends, he was always my friend. He's a bit of a recluse these days, living up on top of a CD tower, keeping watch. He lost his nose in the great Nip The Dog incident back in the 80s, but other than that he's in pretty good condition for a fifty year old teddy. Anyway, he's here to welcome you all to this week's Namesakes. Bands named after Teddy Bears...
THE TEDDY BEARS #1
Probably the most famous of our Teddy Bears today... or infamous, considering one of their members ended up in prison for murder.
Yes, this is the group that counted among its membership one Harvey Phillip Spector, along with Annette Kleinbard and Marshall Leib. Interesting fact about Annette - who soon after changed her name to Carol Connors: she co-wrote the lyrics to the Rocky theme song Gonna Fly Now. You didn't know it had lyrics? Well, it does. Not too many, but I hope she was sufficiently rewarded for her contribution by Mr. Stallone.
Phil Spector formed the Teddy Bears in 1957 after graduating high school, recorded their huge hit the following year, and disbanded the group at the end of the 50s, choosing to concentrate instead on producing some of the best records of the 60s... as well as being an all-round git. Genius and twattishness so often go hand in hand.
The Teddy Bears - To Know Him Is To Love Him
LOS TEDDY BEARS #2
Mexican Teddy Bears from the early 60s, most famous for recording a whole album of Beatles covers in Spanish. They would arguably achieve greater success once they changed their name to Los Onvis. Which I think is Spanish for The UFOs. Remind me of that when I do a UFO Namesakes.
Los Teddy Bears - La Bruja Loca
THE TEDDY BEARS #3
Florida Teddy Bears, active in the mid-60s. This was their only single...
THE TEDDY BEARS #4
Norwegian Teddy Bears, perhaps more Teddy Boys, from the early 80s.
The Teddybears - To Tette Badehette
TEDDY BEARS #5
In a similar vein, French rockabilly Teddy Bears from... 1997 (!?)
Teddy Bears - Je Dois des Sous
TEDDYBEARS #6
Swedish punks, active since the early 90s, known for wearing big bear heads on stage. Originally called Skull before changing their name to Teddybears STHLM and then losing the STHLM (no idea). In 2006 they recorded a single with Iggy Pop on lead vocals which was used on the soundtrack of the new Superman movie earlier this year. This is where I first heard them...
Teddybears - Punkrocker (feat. Iggy Pop)
TEDDY BEARS #7
Ramshackle, camera-shy Teddy Bears from Portland, Oregon, found on the camp of bands...
Teddy Bears - I Think This Could Be Love
This was one of those weeks when discogs promised far more bands than I was able to track down music for. So count yourself lucky there are only seven to listen to. Special mention to a band called I Vomit Teddy Bears from the early noughties (they do still appear to have a myspace page if you're interested).
Which is your Big Ted?
Punkrocker is a fantastic record that the hipsters amongst us have been enjoying for many years so #6 win by a country mile. Apart from #1 the others aren't much to write home about.
ReplyDeleteAs regards #2 you may want to consider a future edition featuring Los Ovnis. My research for my current tour of the Americas has found at least three, this lot and and counterparts from Bolivia and Peru.