Love, inanimate objects, people, and now animals; 1960s band names were all over the place. Here are four bands from the 60s who were inspired to name their groups after various animals, from dogs, to birds, to a vague idea of a creature.
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Band Names Inspired by Animals
The Family Dogg
The Family Dogg was a British group formed in 1966 and known for their elaborate harmonies. The band consisted of Albert Hammond, Steve Rowland, Mike Hazlewood, and Pam Zooey Quinn. Their debut album, A Way of Life, featured prominent artists as guests. These included Jimmy Page, John Bonham, John Paul Jones, and Elton John. That was the only LP they made as just The Family Dogg. Then, the band’s name was changed to Steve Rowland and the Family Dogg in 1970.
The Sandpipers
The Sandpipers, a band named after a bird, formed as a trio in 1966 and put out seven albums with various charting hits. They made a niche for themselves by singing in various languages like Spanish, French, Portuguese, Latin, and Tagalog. The Sandpipers covered the Cuban song “Guantanamera,” for which they are best known, and cracked multiple Top 10 charts. They also received a trio of Grammy nominations in the 60s. These included Best Performance by a Vocal Group, Best Contemporary Group Performance, and Best Album Cover for the 1966 album Guantanamera.
Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night formed in 1967 with Chuck Negron, Cory Wells, and Danny Hutton as primary founders. They added Jimmy Greenspoon, Joe Schermie, Michael Allsup, and Floyd Sneed. The band broke the Top 40 with 21 hit songs from 1969 to 1975, including “Try A Little Tenderness,” “One,” and “Mama Told Me Not to Come.” They often covered songs by outside songwriters, which introduced the works of Randy Newman, Paul Williams, and Laura Nyro. The band is still active today. During concert appearances in 2021, Hutton shared that Three Dog Night was allegedly working on a new album.
The Critters
A band named The Critters formed in New Jersey in 1964 and prominently featured Don Ciccone. They had a string of marginally successful singles, including “Mr. Dieingly Sad,” “Don’t Let The Rain Fall Down On Me,” and “Younger Girl.” The Critters broke up around 1966, when Ciccone, Bob Podstawski, and Jack Decker went to Vietnam. Other member Chris Darway ended up going to art school, and the band went their separate ways. Ciccone would go on to join the Four Seasons, while guitarist Jimmy Ryan toured with Carly Simon. However, in 2007 The Critters reunited, recording a new album before splitting up again in 2013.
Featured Image by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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