He Sells Sea Shells
Band Name Origins, Final Recordings, Shell’s Unlikely Beginnings, and Salty LanguageAl and Marty, hosts of Fun Facts and Sidetracks, broadcast from their studio in a converted oil tanker and cover off music trivia, company history, the origins of word and lots more. They explain where several bands got their names (including Radiohead, Motörhead, Simple Minds, Roxette, The Rolling Stones, The Pretenders, Judas Priest, Deep Purple, Jet, Panic! at the Disco, Death Cab for Cutie, Flock of Seagulls, Lady Gaga, Nazareth, and Franz Ferdinand). They discuss notable artists’ final recorded songs or last material, including Otis Redding (“Sittin’ On The Dock of the Bay”), Janis Joplin (“Mercedes Benz”), Jim Morrison (“Riders on the Storm”), Elvis (“Way Down”), John Lennon (working on “Walking on Thin Ice” and demo “Grow Old with Me”), Amy Winehouse (“Body and Soul”), Freddie Mercury (“Mother Love”), Warren Zevon (“Keep Me in Your Heart”), Chris Cornell (“You Never Knew My Mind”), David Bowie’s “Blackstar” track (“Lazarus”), and Glen Campbell (“I’m Not Gonna Miss You”), plus last recordings by bands breaking up - Roxy Music’s “Avalon,” The Police’s 1986 tracks, The Beatles’ last full-group session “Because,” and Cream’s “Badge”. They then trace Shell from an 1833 London seashell/antiques business to bulk oil shipping, the first tanker through the Suez Canal, a 1907 merger with Royal Dutch, wartime roles, “Seven Sisters” status, and supertankers and end with an etymology segment linking “salary,” “salad,” “salsa,” “sausage,” “salami,” “sauce,” and “sauté” to salt.00:00 Welcome and Setup01:35 Band Names Origins03:32 Deep Purple Sidetrack04:09 More Name Inspirations06:42 Last Songs Intro07:08 Sudden Final Recordings15:07 Lennon Sidetracks19:30 Knowing It Was The End23:04 Bowie and Gervais Story25:58 Glen Campbell Farewell26:41 Bands Final Tracks27:06 Guest Vocalist Discovery27:53 Session Musicians Pay28:38 Police Final Sessions31:18 Police Live Memories32:19 Beatles Last Recording33:43 Cream Goodbye Album35:05 Shell Origin Story37:48 Oil Tankers And Branding43:21 Wars And Seven Sisters46:54 Modern Shell Mega Projects50:49 Salt Words Etymology54:54 Wrap Up And FarewellIf you have a fun fact you’d like us to share, send us an email to: [email protected] or leave us a comment online at our social pages on Facebook or Instagram Thanks for listening and never be afraid to get sidetracked.The boring disclaimer: We do try to double-check all of the facts we talk about. If something isn’t quite correct, we humbly apologise. Credit to our many sources including, A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs, Tim from Kicking Harold, Mental Floss, Wikipedia and so many more.
