08/15/2005: "Vodka Collins"

Isn't Vodka Collins a superb name for a band?

YES!

Found this wonderful piece of trivia the other day on the Nippop site:

Vodka Collins was a meteoric glam band that existed from 1971 until 1973, when they split a part over management problems. The band was in fact a supergroup of sorts, consisting of Japan-raised pop star /singer/guitarist Alan Merrill, former The Tempters drummer Hiroshi Oguchi, former Four Leaves backing band guitarist Take Yokouchi (who in Vodka Collins played bass) and Spiders guitarist Hiroshi "Monsieur" Kamayatsu. All four members were known from their previous bands, Kamayatsu perhaps the best-known. The mischievous, fun-loving character from the hugely popular "group sounds" band The Spiders, was in fact, already a bonafide superstar when he joined the group. Merrill was the younger, more fashionable one, and made the band stand out, given that he wrote and sang songs in English.

Merrill was the son of famed jazz singer Helen Merrill and Fatha Hines sax/clarinet player Aaron Sachs. Merrill literally grew up in the music business, and was playing in semi-pro rock bands in NYC at age 14. After his parents split up, Merrill moved to Japan with his mother who married a journalist stationed there. He was soon signed by the famed production company Watanabe Pro. Merrill did modeling for fashion magazines and TV acting, and in 1968 released his first solo album.

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lerevdr on Mon 15-Aug-2005 @ 22:21 e.s.t [permalink]
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