What's in a name - Heavy Metal

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by aashton, Feb 24, 2003.

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  1. aashton

    aashton Here for the waters... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Gortshire, England
    I have always imagined that Heavy Metal is so named because of Led Zeppelin - in my own little world of the mind I think Led Zeppelin is a take on the phrase Lead balloon as used in the phrase "That thing will fly about as well as a lead baloon". So Led is a hip version of Lead (and Lead is a Heavy Metal :) ) and Zeppelins are way cooler than balloons :cool:

    I have read elsewhere that the phrase was originally attributed as originating in reference to any number of folk including Jimmi Hendrix, Blue Oyster Cult, Steppenwolf and Lester Bangs.

    Can anyone shed any light on this dark subject :)

    All the best - Andrew
     
  2. ZIPGUN99

    ZIPGUN99 Active Member

    I sort of remember Lester Bangs in CREEM magazine using the term "heavy metal" to describe Iggy & the Stooges.

    I don't know when it came out, late '60's maybe? But there was a band called "Haphash and the Colored Goat with the Human Host and the Heavy Metal Kids". I never heard it, though!
     
  3. jamesmaya

    jamesmaya Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Don't know when the term "heavy metal" was first used to describe a rock genre, but "heavy metal thunder" was used in Steppenwolf's 1968 "Born To Be Wild", borrowed from the William Burroughs novel "Naked Lunch".

    Jim W.
     
  4. chrischross

    chrischross New Member

    Location:
    Vancouver, WA
    http://phrases.shu.ac.uk/meanings/178700.html has it as:

    A military term for heavily fortified tanks/guns etc. The expression belongs to the 'Nova Express' novel by William Burroughs. A journalist in Cream magazine used this expression for the first time in 1968 to describe a performance of the band MC5 from Detroit. Soon the same magazine began to name such acts as MC5, The Stooges, Amboy Dukes and so on as 'heavy metal'.



    That "journalist in Cream" has gotta be Lester.
     
  5. jamesmaya

    jamesmaya Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Thanks chrischross. I stand corrected about the WB novel!

    Jim W.
     
  6. chrischross

    chrischross New Member

    Location:
    Vancouver, WA
    Love this quote:

    Lemmy of Motorhead explains the attraction (to Heavy Metal): "It's fast and it's aggressive and it's rebellious and their parents hate it. That's always been the mark of good rock and roll-if your parents hate it, it's good."
     
  7. John B

    John B Once Blue Gort,<br>now just blue.

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    Andrew,

    I believe this is one of those times where your "own little world of the mind" makes a love connection with the larger reality of life.:)

    If memory serves, Jimmy Page picked up on Keith Moon's use of the phrase.

    John
     
  8. aashton

    aashton Here for the waters... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Gortshire, England
    Re: Re: What's in a name - Heavy Metal

    The offspring from that union will certainly wear Paisley :) Black leather Paisley :)

    &ru
     
  9. Mick Jones

    Mick Jones Senior Member

    I hate to be pedantic here, as Haphash and the Colored Goat is a really great name for a 60's group, but they were actually Hapshash and the Coloured Coat.
     
  10. pinkchry

    pinkchry New Member

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    Also contrast Lead Zeppelin with Iron Maiden


    Read that in a book once.
     
  11. rontokyo

    rontokyo Senior Member

    Location:
    Tokyo, Japan
    Don't forget the line "Heavy metal thunder" in "Born To Be Wild."
     
  12. Pat

    Pat Forum Detective

    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    ...or I. Ron Butterfly (Iron Butterfly)!!!
     
  13. Ian

    Ian Active Member

    Location:
    Milford, Maine
    I saw an interview with an English music critic (the name escapes me) on a 8 or 10 part history of R&R who claimed that he coined the term in a review of a Hendrix concert where he called Jimi's playing "A rain of heavy metal". But I'd take that with a grain of salt.
     
  14. R. Cat Conrad

    R. Cat Conrad Almost Famous

    Location:
    D/FW Metroplex
    Having just checked out this thread I have to add a dissenting opinion as to WHO (pun intended) supplied the "lead balloon"/Led Zeppelin inspiration. John B is correct that, as LEGEND has it, Keith Moon supplied the inspiration, but apparently the credit may have been incorrectly attributed to Moon by Moon himself, showman that he was! According to a claim made much later by John Entwhistle, Moon was given credit for the offhand remark which HE made in the presence of Moon. I don't recall whether there were any other witnesses to back up his claim, perhaps roadie or two, but over the years John apparently became a bit annoyed by this misapplied credit and and tried to set the record straight.

    Regardless of where the truth resides, it is an interesting bit of trivia! ;)

    :cheers:
    Cat
     
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