10CC

The line-up of these art rockers from Stockport (England) is impressive, with names as Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley, Lol Creme and, in particular, Graham Gouldman (the latter the spiritual father of such splendid songs as For Your Love, Bus Stop, Look Through Any Window and No Milk Today). 

Producer Jonathan King is supposed to have been the inventor of the name 10CC, convinced as he was that an average ejaculation yields about 9 cc semen and therefore that 10 cc is an enviable quantity. 

Two comments need to be made on this subject. One is that later King came back on his words and claimed the name 'had come to him in a dream' (can happen to any man of course), the other is that the '9 cc-story' is wrong from a biological viewpoint: the end shot of an average man - whoever he may be - actually can not be estimated very well; it varies from 0.1 cc to (yes!) 10 cc.

Volume-wise Premier League, this English band. 

Active: 1972-1983; 1991-1995; 1999-present, GBR

See also: Lovin' Spoonful

Yardbirds, The - Adopt a hobo

Known as the London blues band in which a very young Eric Clapton played for a short while (from October 1963 until May 1965 to be exact), only to walk out upset when the repertoire became too poppy to his taste. 

A yardbird of course is a prisoner or a convict. It is also a nickname for idlers, loafers and hobos, which suggests that the Yardbirds members did not hold themselves in very high esteem. 

There are sources pointing out that jazz musician Charlie Parker was nicknamed Yardbird. His repertoire included a song titled Yardbird Suite. 

Active: 1963-1968; 1992-present, GBR

XTC band name meaning

After a period of going through longer band names (such as The Dukes of Stratosphear, Terry and the Lovemen and The Three Wise Men), the new wave band from Swindon, England changed its ways and it became XTC.

It has been stated that the band name can not be a reference to the well known party drug XTC (with active ingredient MDMA or 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine) because the band came before the drug, but that theory is built on slippery ground, because German manufacturer Merck experimented with MDMA as early as the beginning of the twentieth century. 

E. Merck's patent for MDMA, 1914

XTC's singer/songwriter Andy Partridge once said that an old Jimmy Durante film gave him the idea. In that film Jimmy apparently spoke the immortal words ‘That's it - I'm In Ecs-T-Cy'.

Details about this movie however are nowhere to be found, although there are indications that This Time For Keeps from 1947 is meant. We will keep an eye out and will let you know as soon as it is shown at a cinema near us. 

Uriah Heep band name meaning

Many hold Uriah Heep responsible for the birth of English hard rock, together with Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin. 

The London band earns at least some credit because they published one of the most beautiful record-covers of all time: the cover of their debut LP Very 'eavy, Very 'umble (1970), which at first glance shows the mug of a corpse in a state of decomposition. Upon closer inspection however it concerns a somewhat flattering portrait of the former singer, David Byron.

In America they would have none of it: an alternative cover was brought out there. 

Uriah Heep - Charles Dickens - David Copperfield

Uriah Heep is, as virtually all observant English boys and girls know, an evil character from one of Charles Dickens’ novels, David Copperfield (1850). Heep is a fraudulent bookkeeper who ruins an aunt of the leading character, Betsey. Fortunately he does not escape his deserved punishment, because Uriah ends up in prison. 

Snow Patrol band name meaning

Bangor, in County Down, Northern Ireland, is the birth place of rock band Snow Patrol.

In the early years, when the formation was still called Polar Bear, a less bright friend of the band asked over and over again ‘And how's Snow Patrol?’.

Once it became clear that the name Polar Bear was already being used by another band, the men did not hesitate and changed to the name pitched at them by their friend.

Orbital band name meaning

Duo from Sevenoaks, England, that makes its way in the world playing techno, house, rave and ambient techno. 

Probably named after the ca. 188 km long motorway around London, the M25, universally known as the London Orbital. 

London Orbital is also the title of a book by Iain Sinclair in which the writer tells of his experiences during a walk that took him along the entire course of the London ring road.