Why do the Poets of Rhythm have so many names?
spelunk
3,400 Posts
It is really a headache trying to keep them all straight. Is there a good reason that they do this?
Comments
i was only aware of 2 names, what others are out there...
I think at first they were trying to pass off their 45s on Hotpie 'n Candy as "discoveries" from the 60s/70s because they knew real funk collecters weren't interested in anything new, especially because they were the first band in the "deep funk revival" genre.
the Soul-Saints Orchestra
the Whitefield Brothers
the Pan-Atlantics
Bo Baral
etc...
Anyone have any of those Soul-Saints sides for sale? Hotpie or Jazzman is fine.
I don't know their specific reason, but I guess they do it because they can. If they have a fanbase, or still want to expand theirs, fans will flock no matter what. I know when I've done it, it's just to be able to slightly remove it from what I normally do under one name. It's still under one umbrella (ella), but if someone wants to hear something that's more experimental, then they can listen to things I may have done under certain names. It can be nothing more than adding to the bin, but why not?
In their case, I have heard The Whitehead Brothers album (or one of them, I don't know if they made more than that one) and it was very good. Now if I feel like moving on to a new project, then I can and will. If anything, it's interesting to keep track of what an artist does, only for them to throw you off the track, taking you to to three years to discover that you missed about 3 albums and 4 45's.
the Chakachas did the same thing
they have a few different names as well
http://poets.solesides.com/discog.txt
Oh so very helpful. Many thanks.
I don't have that big of an issue with it, it just seems like an odd career move in terms of gaining recognition and getting known.
Cool mulatu sounding 45 on the Motherfunk myspace page.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=56227658
- spidey
Will Holland put out all those magnetic field 7"s a couple of years ago. All under different names. So the poets arn't the only ones doing this.
I thought the Chakachas were german studio musicians that hired a latin band to pose as them on tour. I'd more compare them to Senor Coconut than Poets of Rhythm
makes you look like an idiot on so many different if rather low levels...
at some point they were sick of their old label and wanted to get out of the contract. which was something like 2 records in 8 years or so. their second album came out on a different label. their first label had to put out a compilation after 8 years, because the poets refused to go into the studio and record for them as poets of rhythm.
so they chose to record 45s under different names to avaoid any trouble with their label who wanted them to become the new jamiroquai or something. i guess that's what got it all started???
i don't know if i'm right though. i remember reading that somewhere...