Pop Pranks

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

What are some of the best pranks pulled on fans, the public or press? Anything from circulating 'Paul-is-dead' rumors to the Frogs' envelope-pushing albums ('It's only right and natural' and 'Racially yours'). [Note: totally realize that by classifying the Frog's recording career as prank-driven is slightly reductionist, but there is something to be said for the idea of 'play' clashing against pop music taste/sensitivities/boundaries...]

Couldn't find a thread on this, so have at it...

― Jason, Wednesday, 4 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

the KLF deleting their whole damn catalog has to be up there . . . i don't know all the details of what they did, though.

― aulophobia, Wednesday, 4 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

the residents & plunderphonics very existence, negativland's U2, the dwarves - the phony murder of "he who has no name" - got them kicked off sub pop (i hear "he who has no name" is named chester , btw, which explains his desire to be nameless).

― fritz, Wednesday, 4 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Bill Drummond - Mad Prankster or Mad Nutter? Either way, highly entertaining....

Ping Pong Bitches and/or Baby Amphetimine......madness on unsuspecting folks.

People who thought Spinal Tap were actually a group.

Kevin Sheilds disappearing acts.

― ktremaineoyouwiththeflowers!, Wednesday, 4 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I still think that Negativland's prank press release associating themselves with the David Brom murder case, while questionable, revealed a lot about the media and their willingness to jump on a story without verifying the facts.

― Sean Carruthers, Wednesday, 4 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I was going to say the Dwarves murder story, but someone beat me to it.

Ummmm....does that Garth Brooks Chris Gaines thing count? That was a prank wasn't it? It wasn't? Oooh...I'll get my coat.

― alex in nyc, Wednesday, 4 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Metal Machine Music .

― anthony, Wednesday, 4 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Britney Spears is dead.

The Ramones.

― JM, Wednesday, 4 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

On fellow bandmates? Keith Moon blowing up the drumset on The Smothers Brothers show, without telling the rest of The Who, and nearly burning the whole set down.

― Sterling Clover, Thursday, 5 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The entire Poptones roster?

― masonic boom, Thursday, 5 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i think i've guessed how this ones going to go...

― gareth, Thursday, 5 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"We KNoW WHo You aRe ReaLLY" SeZ:

Kevin Sheilds disappearing acts.

Last time I chex0red, Mr K Sheilds was, for reasons which are beyond my ken, appearing w/thee lamentable PRML SCRM. Perhaps that's what U meant? That playing fer that bunch of /<-L4Y/|\0rZ is some kind of "Prank".....

xoxo

― "Una Persson", Thursday, 5 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Prank played on rock star - Julie Burchill & Tony Parsons giving Iggy laxatives before a show & telling him they were diet pills, that's a pretty good one.

― duane, Thursday, 5 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yes, PRML SCRM have Mani from Manc chancers, the Stone Roses, as well. What is Bobby G doing, just running a "Battersea dogs home" for lost guitar boys from the class of 89?

― masonic boom, Thursday, 5 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

it could be suggested that primal scream themselves are a huge pop prank on the great record buying public. that is, if the public had bought the records

― gareth, Thursday, 5 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Black Sabbath were legendary for playing pranks, mostly on Bill Ward. Like 'set Bill's beard on fire'. Fantastic.

― Add, Thursday, 5 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Best aborted pop prank: Grace Slick's plotted dosing (dosage?) of Nixon.

― adam, Thursday, 5 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I believe Beatle Paul credited a song he wrote for someone else (maybe peter & gordon) to a fictitious name, just to see if it would do well without his imprimatur. Of course i can't recall whether it did do well, so it's not much of a story.

I once put out a CD that contained an instrumental called "Clive Davis". The liner notes claimed that the album made use of Random Mixdown Technology (RMT): 8 versions of the song had been recorded, each featuring a different band mmber's lead vocal, and an instrumental version. Chance would determine which version would appear on your copy of the CD. I did get lots of letters -- okay, some -- from kids asking for specific versions. I had to write back and tell them there weren't any other versions, it was a "joke." Sounds awfully mean and stupid to me now, but I think it may have been the most exciting thing about the song.

― Mr. Mark Lerner, Thursday, 5 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

don't forget, k shields was also with j masics, i think, producing mascis more light.

― ernest, Thursday, 5 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I believe Beatle Paul credited a song he wrote for someone else (maybe peter & gordon) to a fictitious name, just to see if it would do well without his imprimatur.

Didn't one of the record companies pull a prank like this with the new Donny Osmond single some years back, on the presumption that putting his name on a something would mean none of the music directors at radio across the U.S. would even bother with it?

― Sean Carruthers, Thursday, 5 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Didn't one of the record companies pull a prank like this with the new Donny Osmond single ... Ayup. They did this with "Soldier of Love" back in 1989. Worked, too, to the world's undying chagrin. Gloria Estefan just tried the same trick with a single a month or two ago, but it didn't go so well.

Those aren't really pranks, though. I still consider "Soy Bomb" my favorite rock prank in recent memory.

― Joseph McCombs, Friday, 6 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.