Greatest bands nobody has heard of

[gindie]

Mine is "The Red Elvises". I first saw them perform on the Santa Monica Promenade about 20 years ago. They started touring very heavily and got to see them about 10 years later in Kentucky! The band has changed quite a bit since then, but the guys out front were all from Russia!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFQOlJhu_Gw

[MRG]

A local KC band Steve, Bob and Rich. Later they were known as the Rainmakers.

[harley]

I remember Starcastle. I saw them open for Gentle Giant long, long ago.


I pulled a few out of the dusty recesses of my mind. They aren't totally unknown, but they should have all been much more famous.

Brinsley Shwarz is the band that Nick Lowe came out of before Rockpile.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4ZZtkYTI3o

Danny Gatton isn't unknown to anybody who wanted to be a guitar player, but he never got the fame he deserved. Great guy, too. I was devastated when he killed himself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGGE4CrPvjU

I was a huge fan of another band that just never quite made it. Fanny (originally Fanny Hill) was a kick ass band, one of the very earliest all female groups to almost make it big. June Millington was a killer guitar player. I loved their cover of Hey Bulldog by the Beatles. And I had a major crush on Alice de Buhr, the drummer. She had this sexy Susan Dey vibe going.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6ICOC7Ymug

[Brat]

I just learned of this musician, she is now my favorite:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTa3k9ZrKkc

[Cayman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by UnrealizedPotential I can only think of one and that is Triumph. I could be wrong but I really don't think they are well known. I really liked Triumph. If memory serves they were Canadian.

+1. Saw them in Rockford, Illinois 1983 with my now mate. Great concert made for a great first date.

[brucethebroker]

Mahogany Rush. Saw them at a free concert in Grand Rapids MI in 1974.

You may have heard of the guitar player, Frank Marino.

If you like live Hendrix/Clapton type guitar, give him a try.

[Midpack]

Here’s one I stumbled across that I suspect no one here has heard of, Danny & The Veetos, from the Faroe Islands. The language is Faroese, descended from Old Norse. The song is Eg Litil Var, it’s joyful and uplifting IMO.

Where I heard it:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qYcCPvHtI_I

Official video - better sound quality?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zH81Lg2ndvY

[Zig56]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dawg52 Here's a couple of gals that I stumbled on via Facebook. They do a lot of cover songs there. Kind of a funky style. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE8s3wbb1_0

That’s Larkin Poe, they were the Lovell Sisters, I saw them live a few times.

[Midpack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brat I just learned of this musician, she is now my favorite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTa3k9ZrKkc

I watched her on 60 Minutes last night - simply otherworldly!

[UnrealizedPotential]

Commander Cody and his lost planet airmen

[KCGeezer]

+1. I haven't listened to it in years but I'll have to find my copy of Lost in the Ozone.

[Big_Hitter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KCGeezer +1. I haven't listened to it in years but I'll have to find my copy of Lost in the Ozone.

I have that record and a few others

[golfnut]

I remember Starcastle back in my mid 70s college days In Macomb Ill. They were a poor man's version of YES. I really liked them.

Another band from that era which were great - CLICKER. They were from Wisconsin and played the midwest college circuit.

[Beldar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bada bing My college days were in Indiana circa 1980. There were a couple good local bands that *almost* had their breakthrough. From Indianapolis - Roadmaster:

Roadmaster played at our fraternity house I believe 1978 or so (could be off a year). One of the brothers (part time Disco DJ) knew some of the band members growing up and got them to show.

_B

[Murf2]

Well if we're going with the classics, how bout Dan Hicks & The Hot Licks?

[Murf2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by UnrealizedPotential Commander Cody and his lost planet airmen

Yeah, that made me think of Dan Hicks. Then I thought we should have Asleep at the Wheel in the mix.

[KCGeezer]

Austin Lounge Lizards I think would qualify under obscure bands, Asleep at the Wheel not so much.

[GravitySucks]

Luscious Jackson. Broke up before I could see them live.
https://youtu.be/RylkVFVa-BY

[Mr._Graybeard]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harley Brinsley Schwarz is the band that Nick Lowe came out of before Rockpile. Danny Gatton isn't unknown to anybody who wanted to be a guitar player, but he never got the fame he deserved. Great guy, too. I was devastated when he killed himself.

As a big Nick Lowe fan I knew of Brinsley Schwarz. Nick's music over the last 20 years has taken quite a different track from the great rock n roll he churned out with Rockpile and his Cowboy Outfit. I see him whenever he's in the area. He put out a Christmas album a couple years ago.

Danny Gatton was quite a hot rod tuner in addition to being a brilliant guitarist, IIRC. Great musician.

[Mr._Graybeard]

Quote:

Originally Posted by golfnut I remember Starcastle back in my mid 70s college days In Macomb Ill. They were a poor man's version of YES. I really liked them. Another band from that era which were great - CLICKER. They were from Wisconsin and played the midwest college circuit.

That time was pretty rich for bands from Illinois/Wisconsin ... REO Speedwagon graduated from bar-band status to hitmaker, along with Cheap Trick. There was a band from Beloit that started out as Yancy Derringer and later became The ... Vers. The lead singer was about 6 1/2 feet tall and had major stage presence.