Where Did Our ‘The’ Go?

Lonius Monk

Thanks, but we already have that one upthread.

Lma and Louise!!!!

This reminds me of a book called I Hate Rock and Roll by Tony Tyler, where he insists on naming all groups with a "The" in front like the UK press did in the 60s: The Yes, The Cream etc.

Which group was the first to do without "The"? I suspect Them, followed by Love.

I don’t know if there are enough examples to create a thread for the opposite case but Smashing Pumpkins

Which group was the first to do without "The"? I suspect Them

Four Tops

Batman

The Guess Who? started as Guess Who?

too many people say Jesus And The Mary Chain over here. (or they did when they still knew about that band)

Where is that? I've never heard it said that way.

ah Batman is a good one

https://i.discogs.com/QjQkDLBmQd-Y0-onstfU3fEAdM8BunfTH64ogY7-egI/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:519/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTkzNjQ1/MTMtMTQ3OTMwMDkx/NS04ODc0LmpwZWc.jpeg

disc 2, track 5

A friend of mine used to say "The Jesus and Mary Jane." I couldn't move him off of it.

_Which group was the first to do without "The"? I suspect Them_


You mean m? Love those guys

Is this specifically for acts/places/things that once had a 'the' but then removed it? Or anything that feels like it should have a 'the' but doesn't?

Lemonheads gave up on being mis-articled and added a The on their seventh album.

Creation

The Guess Who? started as Guess Who?

They lost their question mark to the Mysterians along the way as well.

Pentangle

ohio state university

Asda

https://i.discogs.com/AKUzfJ92iL4CmqY1r31RibL-jb8o5LRiZNWyZYEO3FI/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:585/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTY2MjM4/NzQtMTQ3OTE3ODQ2/Ni01Mjc5LmpwZWc.jpeg

what was the first rock 'n' roll band not to be called "the something(s)"?

Cure (c. Wish, for that four-letter alt-rock punch)

^ for the unfamiliar: for this album with a four-letter title, the band’s designers came up with a logo that used the same character in four different rotations

As introduced by Robert Elms back in the day:

"From half-spoken shadows emerges a canvas. A kiss of light breaks to reveal a moment when all mirrors are redundant. Listen to the portrait of the dance of perfection: the Spandau Ballet."

Not only The Pink Floyd, but The AMM:

https://i0.wp.com/recordmecca.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/IMG_4183.jpeg

https://nr53.files.wordpress.com/2007/03/videokaf.jpg

Bowery, depending on the situation. It started in the olden days as Bowery Lane. At some point it acquired a "the." Seems to be in transition now.

Letters sent to the Bronx are addressed "Bronx, NY."

the people I heard say "Jesus & The Mary Chain" were in Belgium/Flanders btw (xposts)

American here but I don’t get the JAMC thing… I
thought the name was supposed to refer to a chain, not two people named Jesus and Mary Chain. It just sounds weird without the article.

oh wait nvm lol

Matt Johnson cornered the market?

Heard “Jesus & The Mary Chain” loads in Australia.

yeah me too, by people I was never friends with again

also Pixies never had a “the”

That is not necessary for their inclusion on this thread.

they neither had one nor seem like they should have

My kids and I always scratched our heads over "Winnie-ther-Pooh." Is this some kind of British in-joke?

they neither had one nor seem like they should have

I do sir, and more! and more.

“Baby, baby. .. where did our the go?”

Ben Folds Five

I've just googled it and I'm still not sure if Red Hot Chili Peppers are called the Red Hot Chili Peppers

they neither had one nor seem like they should have

They have a lower case one all over their Wikipedia page, unlike Buzzcocks.

If there can be a newish band called Cults, can I start The Beetle?

I've just googled it and I'm still not sure if Red Hot Chili Peppers are called the Red Hot Chili Peppers

If there can be a newish band called Cults, can I start The Beetle?

Feel like this may work for titles too. For example, the follow-up to The Heroic Trio is Executioners, as if things were so bleak they couldn’t afford or be arsed to put an article in there.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a5/Metalpriestess.JPG

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Age_of_Plastic#/media/File:Buggles_-_The_Age_of_Plastic.png

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/db/Buggles_-_The_Age_of_Plastic.png

https://vinyl-records.nl/rock/usa/photo-gallery/eagles/long-run/eagles-long-run-1213.jpg

Eagles already mentioned by jaymc via a Steve Martin except upthread but thanks for pictorial info.

I don’t know if there are enough examples to create a thread for the opposite case but Smashing Pumpkins

Aargh, excerpt

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bb/Ramones_-_Ramones_cover.jpg

(oops sorry re eagles repeat, i was thread-searching to check so missed that)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/22/Supersnazz.jpeg

I wonder how many bands temporarily drop "The" from their names only for the sake of more elegant graphic design?

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/36/ff/35/36ff359cb6ea34bdb44d525823560c90.jpg

responding to halfway there but for you: there's definitely a rush of the-less bands to coincide with full-on new wave sleeve design but that doesn't mean it's not their name, design is important

http://images.45cat.com/rich-kids-rich-kids-emi-electrola-s.jpg

But no-one was going to go into a record store: "Who is this band Buggles, I was looking for The Buggles?!?" And "the" comes and goes on covers and posters without most of us even noticing.
And a whole lot of band names sound to my ear a lot more stupid without "the".

I mean, why wouldn't bands have one written name and another spoken name?

Madness.

didn't. did. didn't.

https://www.google.nl/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwjdharSiPb2AhVw_HcKHZAOAtQYABAbGgJlZg&ae=2&sig=AOD64_1_mRMwEEhEpvOALAIMHp1oKGToOw&adurl&ctype=5&ved=0CAEQz7YHKA1qFwoTCJDLvNiI9vYCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD
the design thing predates new wave

happy to make a rock contribution. I have finally managed to un-niche myself!

https://media.s-bol.com/2R7xlo5DE8lj/550x550.jpg

Madness is even better because it’s half the band specifically saying “Madness split up, we are a completely new band called The Madness”

(similar: 3/4 of Talking Heads forming a band called The Heads)

like eagles and buggles these two go together:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/67/Welcome_Plastics.jpeg

https://www.vinylnet.co.uk/_assets/_user/images/prods/721937219310_1.jpg

https://www.secondhandvinylrecords.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Kursaal-Flyers-%E2%80%8E–-Golden-Mile-vinyl-record-side-A-label-scaled.jpg

https://i.discogs.com/uVZrDN0-qjr9bJKCgqkYKlHfZ1QQpNve74hVQsXWDqk/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:595/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTQxODgy/MDQtMTM2NTUwMzM4/NC0xNDU1LmpwZWc.jpeg

Golden Earring, formerly known as The Golden Earrings.

The Gambia - officially The Republic of The Gambia - seems to be greedily hoarding the’s