One Direction in trouble: Bands forced to change their name
Published Apr 12 2012, 12:19 BST | By Mayer Nissim
Another band, also called One Direction, want damages and an injunction because of their name, and their manager has promised he won't be "pushed around" by Simon Cowell.
We can't see Zayn, Harry, Niall, Liam and Louis being called anything else but if it does happen, they'll be in good company. Here are some other bands who had to come up with something new when the lawyers came knocking.
Little Mix
One Direction aren't the first X Factor group to have these problems. Last year's winners Little Mix started off as Rhythmix before a charity of the same name started a campaign. The girls apparently came up with the new name with their mentor Tulisa.
© PA Images
Liberty X
And talent show groups have history even further back with name changes. The cruelly-dubbed 'Flopstars' (Hear'Say pipped them to the Popstars crown) were called Liberty, until 1990s R&B band Liberty piped up. With a little help from The Sun, they added the "X" and became Just A Little bit cooler-sounding.
Led Zeppelin
After The Yardbirds disintegrated in 1968, Jimmy Page formed the New Yardbirds with Robert Plant. The Old Yardbirds weren't too happy, and, following a quip from The Who that Page's new group would go down like a "lead balloon" and a tweak from manager Peter Grant, Led Zep were born.
Suede, The Charlatans and (The) Verve
Some bands just don't put in the effort. A lounge singer caused Suede to have the hideous London add-on in the US, while The Charlatans UK sounds like a business subsidiary. When Jazz label Verve Records had it out with Richard Ashcroft, the group added "The" to their name everywhere.
© WENN
© Rex Features / James McCauley
Westlife
Originally named Westside before realising that name was already taken, Nicky Byrne lobbied for the group to be called West High. He lost out to the rest of the gang and the boys went on to be one of the most commercially successful groups of the '00s.
Spinal Tap
"There was another group in the East End called The Originals and we had to rename ourselves... The New Originals," Nigel Tufnel explained. David St Hubbins continued: "They changed their name back to The Regulars and we thought well, we could go back to The Originals but what's the point?" They later became The Thamesmen before settling on Spinal Tap.
> One Direction perform 'Moments' on tour - video
Move through our gallery of One Direction on their yacht in Australia below:
Copyright: Newspix/Rex Features
Harry Styles prepares to dive into the water in Sydney.
Good! It's about time these fake posers were brought down a peg or two. Even though I have never heard the US band and probably never will do I hope they win, Simon Cowell can't buy everyone off.
June 6th 2012 at 3:42pm
Genuinely prefer the music of the American band. The only reason the uk version are doing well is all the money being pumped in to promoting and marketing them... otherwise they'd probably just be a good sounding band struggling to get discovered. Hope the american guys win the battle and use the money wisely!
May 1st 2012 at 2:14pm(+1 like)
I hope One Direction US takes One Direction UK and makes an example out of them. Simon Cowell had been asked many times to change the groups name and refused, so now this is the greedy bastards wake up call! Way To Go One Direction USA ALL THE WAY.
April 17th 2012 at 11:49am(+1 like)
Can I just say something here? We all know P. Diddy right? He's got to use that name in the UK and New Zealand, even though he's been just Diddy since 2005. That is because an English DJ called Richard "Diddy" Dearlove (who, just like the American One Direction, was nowhere as famous as his namesake) was already called Diddy. P. Diddy was successfully sued by Dearlove and had to pay him £100,000 in damage costs.
Also, Santigold. She used to be Santogold, but a jeweller called Santo Gold threatened legal action and so she changed her name to Santigold.
I admit I'd never heard of the American One Direction until now, but they have every right to complain, regardless of their success.
April 16th 2012 at 10:25pm(+1 like)
We need a new Led Zeppelin.
April 13th 2012 at 9:21pm