Milkwood with Richard Otcasek and Benjamin Orzechowski, later to become Rick Ocasek and Benjamin Orr of The Cars:

Sky with Doug Fieger, later to become the leader of The Knack:

The Deep Feeling with Jim Capaldi, one of the future founding members of Traffic:

Graduate with Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, pre-Tears For Fears:

13th Floor Elevators who I believe somehow morphed into ZZ Top?

Stalk-Forest definitely morphed into Blue Oyster Cult.

The Soul Giants...the Mothers of Invention

In the early 60's, Roy Estrada and Dave Coronado formed a band called the Viscounts. When their drummer quit, Roy bumped into Jimmy Carl Black in a local music store and Black immediately offered his services as a drummer. The band soon changed its name to the Soul Giants. When the Soul Giants auditioned at a newly opened club in Inglewood called The Broadside, the club owner told them that they would get the job if they would take Ray Collins as a singer (Collins had been working as a carpenter at The Broadside at the time). The Soul Giants added Ray, who eventually replaced their singer and the line-up was thus: Roy Estrada - bass / Jimmy Carl Black - drums / Ray Collins - vocals / Dave Coronado - saxophone / Ray Hunt - guitar.

When Hunt left the band, Collins contacted his acquaintance from Pal Studios Frank Zappa. Black: "Frank came down and tried out with the band and he liked what we did, and we liked what he did, so he joined. A month later the saxophone player Davey Coronado left the band, leaving the position of leadership wide open. Frank took over as leader, and his very words were, "If you will play my music, I will make you rich and famous."

According to FZ, the band changed it's name to The Mothers on Mother's Day, 5/10/1964; however, by all accounts, FZ joined the Soul Giants after his arrest on pornography charges on 3/26/1965. Unless Frank was referring to "the Muthers" power trio (with Les Papp and Paul Woods), which is unlikely, this is the first minor (?) descrepancy in the documented history of The Mothers.

Dan Hicks was originally in the 1960's Charlatans.

Chelsea - with Peter Criss, although he's not singing this version.



Lyn Christopher - with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley on backing vocals.



Wicked Lester - Gene and Paul more up front.

Steel Mill - Bruce Springsteen with future E Streeters Steve Van Zandt, Danny Federici, and Vinnie Lopez.

Quarterflash was once called "Seafood Mama" with a different 2nd guitarist.

The Kaiser Chiefs used to be called Parva.

Before they were CCR, they were The Golliwogs.

Debbie Harry singing lead for Wind in the Willows, a hippie folk-rock outfit, ca. 1968.

Goodbye Mr. MacKenzie performing their eponymous single, with Shirley Manson of Garbage on tambourine and vocals. 1988. I actually love this song.

Hate to do this to her, but Tori Amos was once Y Kant Tori Read (also I'm pretty sure the awesome Josh Freese played drums in this crapfest but I am not 100% positive) :

The Hassles with Billy Joel



Attila, also with Billy Joel

I like that song!

The Quarrymen. The lead singer never amounted to much.

Lyme And Cybelle - Follow Me


Lyme = Warren Zevon

He did okay. He went on to be part of The Nurk Twins & Johnny And The Moondogs. After that I'm not sure...

Morrissey in the 70s: