Why did so many '80s band names consist of the same word twice?

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er, the go go's to thread.

and what is it with 80's bands with double same word names reforming? duran duran, liquid liquid and now medium medium

― stirmonster, Monday, 23 August 2004 16:44 (nineteen years ago) link

it's deja vu all over again

― amateur!!st, Monday, 23 August 2004 16:45 (nineteen years ago) link

didn't know Bourgie Bourgie was a band, but it's an incredibly great song.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Monday, 23 August 2004 16:50 (nineteen years ago) link

There was a time in my single-digits youth where I thought Duran Duran was a man named Duran, surname Duran.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 23 August 2004 16:50 (nineteen years ago) link

cocaine

― kyle (akmonday), Monday, 23 August 2004 16:51 (nineteen years ago) link

you don't want to, but you know you're going to do it again

― sexyDancer, Monday, 23 August 2004 16:52 (nineteen years ago) link

(Nick, isn't there now a comedy-band or something called Duran Sirhan?)

― nabisco (nabisco), Monday, 23 August 2004 16:53 (nineteen years ago) link

1983 might have been some sort of zero year in the cosmic time wheel and the collective unconscious reflects this in mirror forms, (or cocaine.)

― sexyDancer, Monday, 23 August 2004 16:57 (nineteen years ago) link

Excepter Excepter

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Monday, 23 August 2004 17:05 (nineteen years ago) link

bad drugs

― kephm (kephm), Monday, 23 August 2004 17:06 (nineteen years ago) link

there was a boyband in the mid 90s called Orange Orange

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Monday, 23 August 2004 17:07 (nineteen years ago) link

Selzer Selzer!

― sexyDancer, Monday, 23 August 2004 17:08 (nineteen years ago) link

There's a Chicago band now called Chin-Up Chin-Up. I saw them open up for Broken Social Scene, and they had a nice jazzy indie-pop thing going for them until the horrible singer came in.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 23 August 2004 17:11 (nineteen years ago) link

selzer selzer rocked! it's high time acute put out a retropsective cd.

― stirmonster, Monday, 23 August 2004 17:14 (nineteen years ago) link

Guru Guru weren't from the '80s though

― Mike Ouderkirk (Mike Ouderkirk), Monday, 23 August 2004 17:21 (nineteen years ago) link

...and who could forget Cava Cava?

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Monday, 23 August 2004 17:22 (nineteen years ago) link

For wat its wort,

"Talk Talk" were named after the song "Talk talk talk talk" which appeared on a "independant labels" compilation on Beggars Banquet I forget the title something to do with "Streets" but it was the first beggars banquet LP anyhow.

But anyway, the band who did the song was Mark Hollis' first group. So, I guess they junked the old 'new wavey' name and picked one that was in-vogue thanks to Duran.

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 23 August 2004 17:25 (nineteen years ago) link

I seem to remember reading somewhere that Elfman originally intended to shorten Oingo Boingo's name each time they put out a new record by removing one letter from each end (i.e. their 2nd album should have been by Ingo Boing), but the record company poo-pooed the idea.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Monday, 23 August 2004 17:30 (nineteen years ago) link

These days it's all about saying the same thing three times: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, !!!.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 23 August 2004 17:33 (nineteen years ago) link

see also
rema rema

― rentboy (rentboy), Monday, 23 August 2004 17:36 (nineteen years ago) link

Push Push

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Monday, 23 August 2004 17:40 (nineteen years ago) link

y'alls forgot Tora Tora

― Joseph McCombs, Monday, 23 August 2004 17:41 (nineteen years ago) link

I have a cava cava record. easy to forget.

I heard Rema Rema for the first time yesterday. Damn that's cool stuff. Any band that gave us the Wolfgang Press and Renegade Soundwave has to be good...

Selzer Selzer will be performing Talk Talk by the Music Machine this CMJ.

my social life's a dud, my name is really mud. I'm up to here in lies, guess I'm down to size, TO SIZE!

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Monday, 23 August 2004 17:41 (nineteen years ago) link

I've heard this. It's great. It's "Talk Talk" (the song; as in "All you do to me is...") done punk rock.

The full title of the album is Streets: Select Highlights from Independent British Labels.

― Mr. Snrub, Monday, 23 August 2004 17:42 (nineteen years ago) link

Sigue Sigue Sputnik

― Leeeter van den Hoogenband (Leee), Monday, 23 August 2004 18:33 (nineteen years ago) link

No one has mentioned Mr. Mister yet!!!!!

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 23 August 2004 18:34 (nineteen years ago) link

no one except jay!

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 23 August 2004 18:37 (nineteen years ago) link

tom tom club (sort of?)

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 23 August 2004 18:38 (nineteen years ago) link

Lisa Lisa

― sexyDancer, Monday, 23 August 2004 18:39 (nineteen years ago) link

tora tora

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 23 August 2004 18:41 (nineteen years ago) link

(shit, someone beat me to them.)

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 23 August 2004 18:42 (nineteen years ago) link

and, anticipating the modern triple-word-score trend, there was tony! toni! tone!

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 23 August 2004 18:44 (nineteen years ago) link

grab grab the haddock

― zappi (joni), Monday, 23 August 2004 18:44 (nineteen years ago) link

Don't forget Danger Danger and their hot hot singles "Naughty Naughty" and "Bang Bang"

― Avi (Avi), Monday, 23 August 2004 18:45 (nineteen years ago) link

I was disappointed to find that Seagull Screaming Kiss Kiss Her didn't form until the 90s. (Although the name is inspired, of course, by the 1980s song.)

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 23 August 2004 18:49 (nineteen years ago) link

There's a Chicago band now called Chin-Up Chin-Up. I saw them open up for Broken Social Scene, and they had a nice jazzy indie-pop thing going for them until the horrible singer came in.
-- jaymc (jmcunnin...), August 23rd, 2004 1:11 PM. (later)

Totally irrelevant to the matter at hand, but their bass player got killed in a hit-and-run accident outside the Empty Bottle a few months back. It was after a show that I went to (though I think we left earlier).

Oh, and there's another local band called Bang Bang.

― n.a. (Nick A.), Monday, 23 August 2004 18:50 (nineteen years ago) link

Jay? Who's that? I see no Jay.

― Blind Dipshit (Dan Perry), Monday, 23 August 2004 18:51 (nineteen years ago) link

Yeah, I read about the bass player's death, but I didn't want to get all macabre on this thread, you bastard.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 23 August 2004 19:02 (nineteen years ago) link

It even expanded to music "journalism". Here in Denmark, there was a music tv show called 'Monday Monday'. It was not broadcasted on Tuesdays.

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Monday, 23 August 2004 19:38 (nineteen years ago) link

The song "Talk Talk" (released under the name The Reaction) was actually co-written by Mark Hollis' brother Eddie Hollis - from Eddie and the Hot Rods fame...

― Jack Battery-Pack (Jack Battery-Pack), Monday, 23 August 2004 19:40 (nineteen years ago) link

Bow Wow Wow?

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Monday, 23 August 2004 19:41 (nineteen years ago) link

No one has mentioned Mr. Mister yet!!!!!
-- VengaDan Perry (djperr...), August 23rd, 2004 3:34 PM. (Dan Perry)

Mr. Mister
-- jaymc (jmcunnin...), August 23rd, 2004 1:20 PM. (jaymc)

― THE PINNACLE OF PEDANTRY (nickalicious), Monday, 23 August 2004 19:42 (nineteen years ago) link

Jacob Two Two and the Hooded Fang

― sexyDancer, Monday, 23 August 2004 19:43 (nineteen years ago) link

WET WET WET

― Seeking Redemption In Low Places (Dan Perry), Monday, 23 August 2004 19:56 (nineteen years ago) link

The first time I ever heard of Madonna was in an ad for a local record store ("KEMP MILL RECORDS BREAKS ITS OWN RECORD!") and she was incorrectly but convincingly referred to as Madonna Madonna.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Monday, 23 August 2004 20:06 (nineteen years ago) link

mighty mighty (who weren't very mighty at all)

― zappi (joni), Monday, 23 August 2004 20:07 (nineteen years ago) link

can i see 'the the' in the list above. dont think so.

― mark e (mark e), Monday, 23 August 2004 20:15 (nineteen years ago) link

1st post.

― Alba (Alba), Monday, 23 August 2004 20:25 (nineteen years ago) link

ah ha. missed the first answer. text browsers are hard work for text searches. move along ..

― mark e (mark e), Monday, 23 August 2004 20:26 (nineteen years ago) link

Duran Duran Duran!

and Cava Cava is one word, no?

― superultramega (superultramarinated), Monday, 23 August 2004 20:49 (nineteen years ago) link

Skipping 15 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

kon kan

― purple patch (electricsound), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 04:21 (nineteen years ago) link

...and then there was Mary Mary of Gaye Bikers On Acid (no relation to the 00s Mary Mary of "Shackles (Praise You)")

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 06:42 (nineteen years ago) link

also tracy tracy from the primitives

― purple patch (electricsound), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 07:31 (nineteen years ago) link

Is !!! the logical, arsehole conclusion of this shite tred?

― Jimmybommy JimmyK'KANG (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 07:39 (nineteen years ago) link

Don't think anyone's mentioned Grong Grong, an Aussie noise band from the late eighties.

Songwise, how about 'Doot Doot' by Freur?

― NickB (NickB), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 07:55 (nineteen years ago) link

grong grong get away with it because they're named after an australian country town..

― purple patch (electricsound), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 07:58 (nineteen years ago) link

(i'm glad they didn't call themselves wagga wagga)

― purple patch (electricsound), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 07:58 (nineteen years ago) link

How fine it would be if that were also how Lubed Goat got their name.

― NickB (NickB), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 07:59 (nineteen years ago) link

The name Bam Bam and the Calling has just popped into my head for no apparent reason. I barely remember who they were. Irish perhaps?

― NickB (NickB), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 08:04 (nineteen years ago) link

bourgie bourgie were fucking rubbish.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 08:11 (nineteen years ago) link

b-b-b-but paul quinn!!

― purple patch (electricsound), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 08:11 (nineteen years ago) link

NEVERTHELESS.....

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 08:12 (nineteen years ago) link

Chin Chin, of Switzerland.

― OleM (OleM), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 09:08 (nineteen years ago) link

xpost: Bam Bam was/were a Chicago house act. ("Give It To Me" was the Big one.)

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 09:22 (nineteen years ago) link

Lulu started it in the '60s.

― Jez (Jez), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 12:06 (nineteen years ago) link

The Adjective Nouns was a great phase from about 86-90.

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 12:29 (nineteen years ago) link

Guru Guru? 80s 80s?

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 12:31 (nineteen years ago) link

Humpe Humpe.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 12:32 (nineteen years ago) link

Marky Mark?

― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 13:11 (nineteen years ago) link

Xiu Xiu is a contemporary example of this 2X name phenomenon.

― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 13:19 (nineteen years ago) link

Yeah Yeah Noh

― Stephen Boyle (SBoyle), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 16:49 (nineteen years ago) link

-- Johnny Fever (johnny.feve...), August 23rd, 2004.

wow, that's brilliant, especially because that means by their 4th album they would have been Go Boi!!!!!!

― Al (sitcom), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 16:54 (nineteen years ago) link

Didn't they change their name to Boingo on their last couple of (disappointing) albums?

― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 18:30 (nineteen years ago) link

The best thing about Oingo Boingo was they were in this movie:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082676/

A movie about foosball starring Leif Garrett!

― wetmink (wetmink), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 18:40 (nineteen years ago) link

six years pass...

Chin Chin, of Switzerland.
― OleM (OleM), Tuesday, August 24, 2004 10:08 AM (6 years ago)

Thought I was going to get to be the first one to mention these guys. Coming up next on my working-music stereo. Probably followed by the new Zun Zun Egui, in fact.

― emil.y, Saturday, 5 March 2011 16:01 (thirteen years ago) link

I think there is something intentionally childish about it. One of my siblings had an imaginary childhood friend named "Chair Chair." I think it's going for liberating primitive childish absurdity. It makes me think of "dada" too. What about the general importance of repetition in the 80s (especially thinking of minimalism and electronic dance, and perhaps disco)?

― _Rudipherous_, Saturday, 5 March 2011 16:36 (thirteen years ago) link

I'm not sure why then however.

― _Rudipherous_, Saturday, 5 March 2011 16:38 (thirteen years ago) link

Because to say the same word twice in a row tends to be to babble and not add content (give or take countless exceptions--like, doesn't repeating the same word in Chinese, for instance, sort of act as an intensifier? at least some of the time?).

― _Rudipherous_, Saturday, 5 March 2011 16:41 (thirteen years ago) link

kinda surprised there wasn't an art-damaged 80s band named Foot Foot

― herbal bert (herb albert), Saturday, 5 March 2011 16:46 (thirteen years ago) link

Well, it can act as an intensifier in other languages too - "very very good" is better than "very good" and "sehr sehr gut" is the same.

I'm not convinced about the childish thing, unless it's done with specifically childlike words - in fact, usually I'd say that more childlike would be similar and rhyming words (can't think of band names other than Oingo Boingo, but stuff like that and 'Mellow Yellow' etc). Repetition in band names does tend to be poeticism without meaning, though, which, to be honest, is pretty much what lyrics are.

― emil.y, Saturday, 5 March 2011 16:48 (thirteen years ago) link

xpost

Would totally be in a band called Foot Foot.

― emil.y, Saturday, 5 March 2011 16:49 (thirteen years ago) link

dada doesn't refer to the word/sound children tend to use...

xpost

― got electrolytes (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Saturday, 5 March 2011 16:56 (thirteen years ago) link

Yeah, but it evokes that same primal/childish or child-like association. As for the "real" origin of "dada," there are contradictory accounts of how the word was adopted (surprise, surprise), but the Dadaists seemed to relish the potentially childish meanings (e.g., rocking horse).

Well, it can act as an intensifier in other languages too - "very very good" is better than "very good"

Good point.

― _Rudipherous_, Saturday, 5 March 2011 17:08 (thirteen years ago) link

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