What is most ridiculous false information you have heard or read about prog music, from newspapers or from friends? These are few examples:

Ian Anderson was a lead singer of Yes (this was from greatest polish journal)

Robert Fripp secretly played the bass in Close To The Edge

Jimmy Page composed the middle part of Owner Of A Lonely Heart.

The last two comes from my friend, when he was a young boy and had no access to Internet.

Please post similar false information, or mistakes. Your own invention is also welcome

I forgot to mention something better: The album Animals with Battersea Powerhouse on a cover was recorded by U2, according to some female newspaper

Radiohead arn't Prog.

Ipacial Section wrote: Radiohead arn't Prog.

Their not in my opinion

Peter Gabriel was booted out of Genesis rather than left of his own accord

Moogtron III wrote: I read somewhere that Bill Bruford left Yes in '72 because he thought the band was moving towards a direction that was too much commercially oriented

It is true. I heard the same from one of the radio interviews with YES members. YES direction on "Close To The Edge" seemed commercial only to Bill Bruford, it doesn't mean the band was commercial in general.

RaphaelT wrote:   What is most ridiculous false information you have heard or read about prog music, from newspapers or from friends?

Russian edition of the "Classic Rock" magazine (not a bad magazine at all) is sometimes a "king of small nonsenses". Most of articles are taken from English edition, but it seems people who make translations often are far from rock music. 

Examples.

1. Chrissie Hynde from PRETENDERS changed her sex twice in one magazine. One article told "he" about Chrissie, while another article described her as a female singer.

2. About John Wetton after leaving URIAH HEEP : "Later he played in Great Britain and Asia". 

3. About Heather Findlay of MOSTLY AUTUMN: "His harsh voice in such songs like Black Rain..."

I read in a prog magazine that The War of the Worlds featured Rick Wakeman, Keith Emerson, Jen Luc Ponty, Ian Anderson on flute and Bill Bruford.

The owner of this Peruvian magazine was a friend that recieved a cassette copy with no credits the same day I recieved it, the guy that made the copies told us the story, but my friend printed it in his magazine without checking the info as I suggested him (On those days without Internet the Prog news were almost unvaillable in Perú).

Poor guy, this was the second and last number, because he recieved so many letters that had to give up.

Iván

PS: Eugene Salamati wrote:

About John Wetton after leaving URIAH HEEP : "Later he played in Great Britain and Asia".

LMAO

It was discussed on another thread but I also heard that Steve Howe couldn't read music. I also heard he couldn't really play the guitar before joining Yes and he wrote "Clap" and "Mood For A Day" by ear and experimentation.

There was also play certain albums or songs backwards and you got various satanic or subliminal messages. 

Then there's Ian Anderson photos being labelled as Jethro Tull as if that was his name.

Then there's Pink Floyd referred to as "He" insted of "They". Also, there's Pink Floyd albums under "F" in the stacks of music stores. 

EDIT: I also remember a rumour an album coming out with Downes, Lake and Palmer. Either never materialized or just a rumour. Who knows?

Just remembered another:

Waaaaay back when, it was rumoured that the band Klaatu was really The Beatles reformed and secretly recording under another name.

It didn't help that the band itself didn't tour and were rather reclusive. The band also didn't spend much effort to deny this, since it was good for album sales.

darren wrote: Just remembered another: Waaaaay back when, it was rumoured that the band Klaatu was really The Beatles reformed and secretly recording under another name. It didn't help that the band itself didn't tour and were rather reclusive. The band also didn't spend much effort to deny this, since it was good for album sales.

I had forgotten that!!!

darren wrote: It was discussed on another thread but I also heard that Steve Howe couldn't read music.

I don't know for sure whether Steve Howe can read music now, but in the beginning of his career he couldn't. I always thought he is classically-trained musician and I was surprised when read in Chris Welch book "Close To The Edge. The Story of Yes" that Steve is a self-taught guitarist.

More are coming back to me...

That squealing sound in Pink Floyd's "Echoes" was a recording by Greenpeace of a harpooned and dying whale. In an interview with David Gilmore, he said the sound came about when he accidentally plugged a guitar into a guitar pedal backwards, loved the sound and went with it.

During "The Wall" tour, Syd Barrett applied for a job as a roadie for Pink Floyd. Some rumours say he did work as one... under an assumed name, naturally.

When ELP was forming, their original intent was to have Jimi Hendrix join them. Jimi was seriously considering it but he died of an overdose. (I don't know if it's true or if it's just to set up that they'd be called HELP).

Speaking of Mr. Hendrix:

He came off stage. Someone picked up his guitar and it was out of tune. Jimi later picked up the guitar and, without retuning, walked out and played a brilliant encore. The idea is that he could bend the strings to pitch as he played. Mind you, I've heard other versions of the same story but with Eddy Van Halen and The Edge.

I'm sure I'll remember more, I've always loved urban myth- type stories.

Then there's The Mudshark, The Zappa Gross Out Contest and Alice Cooper biting the head off a chicken... Ah, never mind.

When someone in my school said they play 'Punk progressive'..

I said no such thing exist and claimed that such remark was foolishly made by Greenday fans..

Well, he mainly likes Blink 182 and he described me how he plays the drums and how his playing probably makes their music progressive..

I personally find it stupid...

Geck0 wrote: Freddie Starr Ate My Hamster! Sorry, not prog I know, but it never happened apparently. Ooh, I have one, not properly prog-related, but some friends of mine claim Peter Green's playing on Albatross is by a session musician..., I don't believe this for one moment! I did think for a brief moment that Dave Stewart of Hatfield and The North was the guy from the Eurythmics and Curve, but I didn't think that was the case. Some true facts: Jimi Hendrix played a comb and paper on "Crosstown Traffic". Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water" is about a Frank Zappa concert and the venue burning down. Apparenlty Jeff Beck when he was in the Yardbirds, never bothered to tune his guitar properly...

Both Dave Stewarts appeared on the same Steve Hillage album - I think it was Open? - and one of them was credited as David Stewart.

And the whole prog thing started with "Confusion will be my Epitaph"

Geck0 wrote: I didn't know that, that's amusing. All we need now is: Dave Stewart - keyboards Dave Stewart - keyboards Phil Miller - guitar Steve Miller - vocals Steve Miller (R.I.P.) - piano Richard Sinclair - bass/vocals David Sinclair - keyboards Pip Pyle - drums Artimus Pyle (Lynyrd Skynyrd) - drums Pye Hastings Jimmy Hastings - Saxophone Confusion!

And introducing the Anderson Singers (the Von Trapps of the prog world):

Ian Anderson (the Tull one)

Ian Anderson (the other one, the Anglo-Celtic folk singer)

Jon Anderson  (occasional guest singer with Bela Fleck)

Moira Anderson (the Scots opera singer)

Miller Anderson (Keef Hartley Band)

And lyric writer: Hans Christian Anderson

With the rest of  Stewart family: Rod, Al and their driver Jackie

Bruce Dickinson-Lead singer of Iron Maiden

OR

Bruce Dickinson-Responsible for mixing various men at work albums

Chipiron wrote: I have read somewhere that Genesis kept playing in the 80s...

Just false rumours, I can tell you.

Not prog but I read:

Joni Mitchell told a group of session musicians to "play more orange". She didn't know how to read music and could only describe music in terms of colour. She thought everybody thought of music this way.

Actually, it's true. The story was from an interview of Ms. Mitchell herself.

My favourite... how did I foget? (again, not prog... sorry):

George Harrison was depressed about the direction that the Beatles were going, his wife left him for his best friend and he was strung out on drugs and feeling sick. He hadn't touched a guitar in weeks. His friend Eric Idle dropped off a gift (a new guitar). That afternoon, despite being in the depths of dispair, George sat quietly in his garden and wrote "Here Comes The Sun".

I heard this one at some kind of seminar. I forget what the point of the story was supposed to be. No, I don't believe it.

darren wrote: Not prog but I read: Joni Mitchell told a group of session musicians to "play more orange". She didn't know how to read music and could only describe music in terms of colour. She thought everybody thought of music this way. Actually, it's true. The story was from an interview of Ms. Mitchell herself. My favourite... how did I foget? (again, not prog... sorry): George Harrison was depressed about the direction that the Beatles were going, his wife left him for his best friend and he was strung out on drugs and feeling sick. He hadn't touched a guitar in weeks. His friend Eric Idle dropped off a gift (a new guitar). That afternoon, despite being in the depths of dispair, George sat quietly in his garden and wrote "Here Comes The Sun". I heard this one at some kind of seminar. I forget what the point of the story was supposed to be. No, I don't believe it.

Beautiful story... Here's another that should have been truth but I'm afraid it wasn't:

Jose Carreras (from Barcelona) and Placido Domingo (from Madrid) hated each other to death until Carreras got leukemia (I think it's written like that). He spent many years visiting the most expensive doctors until he spent all his fortune. Eventually, an association in Madrid cured him for free. When he was again healthy and had returned to singing, he investigated and found out that the association was funded by Domingo, who had created it secretly to avoid losing a great voice like Carreras' one. They became real friends and (that's the sad part) created "The Three Tenors"

Hope you liked it...

There is a rumor that Frank Zappa ate sh*t on stage in NY at the 70s... i dont know if its true... but it sounds kinda shocking..

Eugene Salamati wrote: Moogtron III wrote: I read somewhere that Bill Bruford left Yes in '72 because he thought the band was moving towards a direction that was too much commercially oriented   It is true. I heard the same from one of the radio interviews with YES members. YES direction on "Close To The Edge" seemed commercial only to Bill Bruford, it doesn't mean the band was commercial in general.

No, he just felt he and the band had accomplished the best that they could possibly accomplish at that point.  They had reached their peak, and there was no topping themselves from there, it was all downhill.  In a way, he was right. Although they still had 3 great albums in them after he left, Close to the Edge and Yessongs was their peak.