Namesakes #114: Wind

This week's Namesakes comes with thanks to Ernie, who's a big fan of one of today's bands. We'll get to them eventually, but first... a bunch of artists who chose to name themselves after a bout of flatulence.

WIND #1

Originally a San Fernando high school band called The Coachmen, these guys found the answer to success was blowing in the Wind when they changed their name and landed jobs playing at Hollywood parties for the likes of Jayne Mansfield and Peter Lawford. The White House even asked them to entertain the Mexican president during his visit to the States. 

They later changed their name to The Moorpark Intersection before settling on Morning, a name under which they released a trio of well-regarded psych-pop LPs in the early 70s. Here they are, passing gas, in 1966... 

The Wind - He Who Laughs Last (Laughs Best) 

THE WIND #2

Also in 1966, we find these Texans stealing a few notes from The Kinks...

The Wind - Don't Take Your Love Away

WIND #3

Before he started pestering his downstairs neighbour and keeping an eye out for yellow ribbons to see if he was still in with a chance - before Dawn, in other words - Tony Orlando had a severe bout of the Wind. This was their biggest hit, according to a website I found which gives a new definition to the word "thorough"...

“Make Believe” climbed to #1 in Grand Rapids (MI) and Sioux Falls (SD), #2 in Vancouver (BC), Wilmington (DL), Victoria (BC), Idaho Falls (ID), Simcoe (ON), and Oswego (NY), #3 in Orlando (FL) and Medicine Hat (AB), #4 in Salem (OR), Escondido (CA), Boston and Battle Creek (MI), #5 in Manchester (NH), Oshkosk (WI) and Oak Park (IL), #6 in Hamilton (ON), Clarksburg (WV) and Birmingham (AL), #7 in Toronto, Portland (ME) and Washington D.C., #8 in Albany (NY), Cincinnati (OH), Edmonton (AB), Geneva (NY), Philadelphia, Cleveland (OH), Columbus (OH) and San Diego, #9 in Kalamazoo (MI), Council Bluffs (IA), Salt Lake City, Muncie (IN) and Lansing (MI), and #10 in Easton (PA) and Milwaukee.

Wind - Make Believe

WIND #4

Hirsute Germans who started out calling themselves Bentox, and later became the wonderful Corporal Gander's Fire Dog Brigade, which clearly deserves further investigation. Here they are, letting one rip, in 1973...

Wind - Josephine 

WIND #5

From 1977, a big blast of soft rock cheese-cutting from Noo Joisey...

Wind - A Good Man's Hard To Find

THE WIND #6

Retro-beat and (not particularly powerful) power-pop act The Wind blew out of Miami in 1979 and were still trumping away under a variety of guises, including Tan Sleeve and Noel Coward's Ghost, well into the 21st Century...

The Wind - Some Friend (You Turned Out To Be)

WIND #7

Chicago soul collective from 1981. Sadly, I can't find their single "Don't Let Them Tell You" online, but they took a nice photo, and I didn't want them to feel left out.

WIND #8

Pumping Italian disco cover of the Patrick Hernandez hit, from 1983.

Wind - Born To Be Alive

WIND #9

And here we have Ernie's favourites. I'll hand you over to the expert...

After a less than stellar solo career as Andy Andres, which included a German language version of the Paul Evans smash, young Andreas Lebbing became the lead singer of top pop act Wind under his real name. 

The Wind of change paid off for him. In 1987 they took "Lass die sonne in dein herz" to second place in Eurovision behind Johnny Logan. Feast your eyes on the lady with the keytar and the enormous shoulder pads of the man playing the steel drums. And, yes, that is indeed one half of the future Milli Vanilli showing he could mime guitar playing as well as he could mime singing.

Let the sun into your heart...

Wind - Lass Die Sonne In Dein Herz

W.I.N.D. #10

Italian rockers who started out in the 90s trying to be a US hair metal band and eventually evolved into a more bluesy sound. They'll go far(t).

W.I.N.D. - Temporary Happiness

WIND #11

Greek "power/epic/heavy" metal band, eating too many baked beans in the 90s...

Wind - Jacques De Molay

WIND #12

Finnish "Ambient Dungeon Synth" from 1998. I have to confess that "Ambient Dungeon Synth" did not sound like I expected it to. That said, I still don't think they'd have stood a chance against Johnny Logan.

Wind - Veil of Death pt. I 

WIND #13

Gassy Pennsylvanians who appear to have released a heckuva lot of "passionate music with high-flying flute, guitar acrobatics and killer chorus sections" on their bandcamp page over the past twenty years...

I'm just waiting for George to complain that there's no flute in the track I chose...

Wind - Butterfly

I don't know about you, but after all that, I'm pooped. 

Which Wind blows you away... and which are the stinkers?