Band2Band

July 27, 2004 8:03 AM

B2B. Band to Band links. 6 degrees for music.
posted by srboisvert (27 comments total)

Despite the fact that the Bay City Rollers are nowhere to be found here, this was an amusing place to kill 15 minutes. 22 degrees of separation between Yes and Black Flag. That sounds about right.
posted by psmealey at 8:10 AM on July 27, 2004

I was surprised at how many pretty small hardcore bands (Lincoln, 1.6 Band, etc.) are included. Fun to see how old friends' bands are connected to bands like L.A. Guns.
posted by drobot at 8:19 AM on July 27, 2004

Dimmu Borgir is a mere 15 degrees of separation from Chic.
Wings and The Meatmen are 18 degrees apart.

What a well put together page. Someone stayed up very late working on this. Excellent.
posted by chicobangs at 8:25 AM on July 27, 2004

Check back every once in a while. According to what I've heard, it's a work in progress, and they pretty much add one band at a time. Or something like that.
posted by LionIndex at 8:35 AM on July 27, 2004

It's official. There's no connection between Emerson, Lake and Palmer and Black Flag.

Also: where's Velvet Underground?
posted by swift at 8:38 AM on July 27, 2004

25 degrees of separation between the Beatles and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
posted by kozad at 8:54 AM on July 27, 2004

17 between Ratt and Modest Mouse
posted by jpoulos at 8:59 AM on July 27, 2004

22 between AC/DC and King Missile
somehow I thought it'd be less.
posted by Peter H at 9:14 AM on July 27, 2004

4 between Velocity Girl and the Misfits.
posted by sudama at 9:16 AM on July 27, 2004

No Linda Ronstadt? No Ink Spots? No Einsturzende friggin' Neubauten? No Gregorian Monks? No Murder of Bryan Adams? No Urge Overkill? No TMBG? No Ed's Redeeming Qualities? No Presidents of the United States of America, ferfucksake?

Of course some stuff isn't there yet, including a few acts that would make some of those connections a little shorter and the scope of the page a little wider. But really, you jaded freaks could write for Maximum Rock'n'Roll.

There's seven hundred some-odd bands there. Cut the dude some slack.
posted by chicobangs at 9:18 AM on July 27, 2004

If there's a connection between Yes and Black Flag, there's a connection between ELP and Black Flag, since Greg Lake was in King Crimson and ELP and Bill Bruford was in Yes and King Crimson. I'm also willing to bet that there's a much closer Yes/Black Flag connection than 22 steps, and that really prolific session players aren't too well represented—you think they've got every Tony Levin connection in there?
posted by kenko at 9:20 AM on July 27, 2004

Where's the Ramones? Oh well, pretty fun.
posted by Outlawyr at 9:25 AM on July 27, 2004

Dimmu Borgir is a mere 15 degrees of separation from Chic.

I know they kinda look like goth chicks but.... oh, sorry, mis-read. ;)
posted by Dark Messiah at 9:26 AM on July 27, 2004

The Fall? Joy Division?
posted by DelusionsofGrandeur at 9:41 AM on July 27, 2004

No solo artists? (I know Eric Clapton was in Cream, but he should also be listed solo, for his far more extensive work since Cream.) No Grateful Dead? No Allman Brothers?

And for chrissakes, what about New Edition->Bell Biv Devoe & Bobby Brown?
posted by msacheson at 9:54 AM on July 27, 2004

Work! In! Progress!

Jesus fucking Christ, it's not meant to be definitive.
posted by LionIndex at 10:00 AM on July 27, 2004

Where's the Ramones?

Were any Ramones ever in any other bands? I know they did some guest shots on other bands' albums, but I don't think the Ramones are a good candidate for this sort of game.
posted by jpoulos at 10:01 AM on July 27, 2004

I'm not sure how accurate this will be. Tracking somebody like Jimmy Page who was a session musician in a lot of bands will be difficult. Without tracking the sessions he was in many links will be much longer than they would be otherwise.

There are a few people/bands that I did notice were used between many different bands, even bands I picked at random and never heard of.
posted by substrate at 10:03 AM on July 27, 2004

jpoulos, Tommy Erdelyi produced & played on dozens of other people's records, and Marc Bell drummed for the Voidoids and many other 70's New York bands. And Joey guested on a few other albums as well. And Dee Dee was in the Heartbreakers, wasn't he?

If this fellow is at all smart, he's reading this list and checking it twice, but obviously, the indie/underground/punk/metal skew is going to change how it's maintained.

If you're looking for more mainstreamish connections, you might want to have a look at the incredible work of Pete Frame.

(No Spinal Tap?)
posted by chicobangs at 10:04 AM on July 27, 2004

No Brian Eno, either, and he's connected to tons of people.
posted by kenko at 10:07 AM on July 27, 2004

There needs to be an imdb for music.
posted by swift at 10:17 AM on July 27, 2004

A friend of mine figured out a mere 5 steps between Sid Vicious and Duke Ellington...quoth Mr. Sawyer:

sid -> johnny rotten (umm.. the "sex pistols")
johnny rotten -> afrika bambaata ("world destruction" single)
afrika bambaata -> james brown ("unity" single)
james brown -> louis bellson ("soul on top")
louis bellson, drummer for the duke ellington orchestra in the early fifties, replacing sonny greer.

...So if this project continues, I think the connections will become quite close...
posted by bendybendy at 10:20 AM on July 27, 2004

swift: allmusic does a pretty good job.
posted by signal at 10:23 AM on July 27, 2004

No Bacon Brothers?
posted by grateful at 10:24 AM on July 27, 2004

Also, Sonny Vincent is the Kevin Bacon of punk rock. He's the one degree between the Velvet Underground, MC5, the Offspring and Bell Rays.
posted by bendybendy at 10:26 AM on July 27, 2004

My husband & I often play this game on long car trips, though our rules are more flexible (guest appearances on a record count, as does producing it). He's pretty good -- I think he recently got from James Brown to the Fall in under eight steps.

I never liked the Firm, though it seems like they're in the middle of every connection I make on this site. I'd actually blocked them out of my memory.
posted by lisa g at 11:14 AM on July 27, 2004

Also, Sonny Vincent is the Kevin Bacon of punk rock.

I actually got a promo from him about a year ago. I'd never heard of the guy and then found out he was this insanely prolific old-school punker. After hearing his album I was kinda let-down; it seems as though he's never changed his style in the last 30 years. (Not that there's anything wrong with that, but when you're doing punk, I'm sorry there are only so many ways to arrange 3 chords. ;) )
posted by Dark Messiah at 12:47 PM on July 27, 2004