Talk:ZZ Top/Archive 1

Untitled
I've incorporated the following miscellaneous entry made by 81.250.180.111 on June 12th into the page and deleted the original text, but I leave the original here in case someone else wants to do something different... -- Ds13 01:13, 18 Jun 2004 (UTC)
 * The band have a second degree particular texas humor (Woke Up With Wood...) Billy GIBBONS (Rev' GIBBONS) have a very bluesy guitar touch with worldknown heavy sound that you can identify at the first note. They are three really sons of Robert Johnson, the proof is that they are sponsor of the Delta Blues Museum. There an important fan activity around the "BoyZZ" due to the Peter Zurich's website www.lowpft.com and a fabulous shows library maintened by Gregory K. DEETER (Houston Texas) with the help of Albert PHELIPOT in sound re-engineering (Vosges FRANCE) on www.zzlive.com (twice unofficial sites) ZZ TOP really shows their talent on stage and today explore new musical ways.

Dusty Hill Vocalist
I noticed that the first paragraph lists BFG as the vocalist, however, I think that Dusty Hill is the primary vocalist??? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 63.84.61.74 (talk • contribs) 1 September 2005


 * This is not true. Dusty sings some songs, but most are sung by Billy. -Ilithios


 * It's partly true, in that Dusty sang on the hits "Tush", "Heard It On the X", as well as "Viva Las Vegas". Dusty also filled in lead vocals on a lot of live material as evidenced by the recorded 1980 Rockpalast show. 68Kustom (talk) 01:58, 4 May 2008 (UTC)

It's not 'partly true' - they guy used the term 'primary vocalist'. That would be Billy; both he and Dusty sing lead but Billy has done it for far more songs. 86.128.254.188 (talk) 04:14, 4 January 2010 (UTC)Al

La Grange
Anyone ever hear this song?? It's the same tune as the chirstain Rock Song Spirit in the Sky. This creeped me out the first time, because this is one of the all time catchiest tunes, so they stole one of their most popular songs from Spirit in the Sky. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Person7 (talk • contribs) 15 December 2005


 * Not so. The bass lines are similar but not the same, the meter of the song is different, the chord progression is similar but not exactly the same, the melody is completely different (Spirit in the Sky has sort of a happy melody, Lagrange is more bluesy).  Also, Spirit in the Sky is not a christian rock song... the writer, Norman Greenbaum, is Jewish and wrote as a tongue in cheek commentary. Paulmeisel 02:56, 2 January 2006 (UTC)


 * In actuality, they both stole these riffs from folks like John Lee Hooker and Bo Diddley, at least in so much as there is stealing when it comes to blues riffs. -Ilithios


 * I'd say "LG" also bears a LOT of resemblance to a speedier "Green Onions"! To say ZZ plagiarized the riff is a bit harsh. Musicians often take up pieces another's work and embellish them. 68Kustom (talk) 02:01, 4 May 2008 (UTC)


 * It would be nice if there was an actual musician in here but then there wouldn't be a discussion. And all yous guys could get back to fixing this crappy article. Because as it stands it's embarrassing. Leave the music to the musicians. Try hard. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.217.148.48 (talk • contribs) 30 May 2008

Chart History
Where is the statistics for ZZ Top on the Hot 100 singles chart? You can't tell me that they never had a #1 single- Jason 21 February 2006
 * I can tell you that quite definitively. Because it is so. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.138.235.243 (talk • contribs) 7 September 2007

Would you care to tell us what Billy Gibbons said & Band Name
In the very last sentence of the last paragraph of the introductory section, the author says that Billy Gibbons recently revealed the origin of the ZZ Top name in his new book. Well, pal, the next sentence would be a damn good place to tell us what he revealed. Hokeman 02:00, 9 March 2006 (UTC)
 * Came here to post this. Could someone who's read the book please enlighten us? —Preceding unsigned comment added by DGJM (talk • contribs) 12 April 2006
 * The origin of the band's name is sorely missing from this article. According to the German Wikipedia article, it was a mashup of the names of Blues musicians ZZ Hill and BB King, with "Top" being used as a synonym for "King".

Like so: ZZ Hill + BB King = ZZ King = ZZ Top.

I'm sure someone out there is competent to add the relevant info to the article. Thanks, Maikel (talk) 15:37, 20 April 2013 (UTC)

Come on People -Billy, Dusty and Frank deserve better than this
(Why? This is not a ZZ Top promo page, this is supposedly a collection of "facts" which will tell the truth.) The extended hiatus in the late 1970's was also due to the death of Bill Ham's wife. (incorrect, Cecile Ham was murdered in 1991, way after what you stated. This is a matter of public fact.)

I'll give you a hint: The Delta Blues Museum is located in Clarksdale, Mississippi.

Many consecutive ZZ Top albums were recorded in Memphis. That might warrant mentioning in the article.

Which band member accidently shot himself and in what region of his body? Better check your facts again. (Dusty accidentally shot himself in the abdomen with a 38 cal 2 shot over and under nickel plated derringer. It was a weapon which he kept in his boot. His friends will tell you that he often handled guns very carelessly, especially when drinking heavily.)

The article says that Gibbons got his nickname "Reverend" because he became an ordained minister so he could perform a wedding. How about he became a Notary Public in the State of Texas so he could perform a wedding. Becoming an ordained minister just so you could perform one wedding would be a little much.--Hokeman 17:04, 24 March 2006 (UTC)


 * Yes they do deserve better. Everyone does. But that's not going to change the 'tardos' hanging out here. They're beyond hope. Bloody wikitardos. IQs smaller than their shoe sizes. Wikipedia sucks. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.217.148.48 (talk • contribs) 30 May 2008

Hall of Fame
On person said 2003, one said 2004. Which is it? these kind of contradictions make what could be a great website into an unreliable jumble of crap. I personally don't know or I'd fix it, so someone do it.Gopherbassist 00:54, 20 May 2006 (UTC)

Suggest merge of Bill Ham into ZZ Top
Suggest merge of Bill Ham into ZZ Top. Bill Ham was ZZ Top's manager and publicist, which isn't enough to meet the notability criteria of WP:BIO. ("Widely recognized entertainment personalities and opinion makers (ie - Hollywood Walk of Fame)") But he deserves a better mention in the ZZ Top article. --John Nagle 06:00, 21 May 2006 (UTC)

Can't say I agree with this, but that's why I started the article. Ham is widely known to be instrumental to this band's success, in much the same way that George Martin was to the Beatles--or, perhaps more appropriately, like James Guercio of the group Chicago, having constructed their entire image and run all their publicity as well as produced all their albums and all their stage show productions. I'm also a little startled to see that some of the personal data on him was simply removed, such as the horrible murder of his wife in the 1990s. Ham is also legendary for having managed to get the band some exceptionally good record deals. --Dean Esmay 05:42, 22 May 2006 (UTC)

Trivia
Why does the Trivia include every instance of any movie ever using a ZZ Top song on its soundtrack? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 206.125.54.94 (talk • contribs) 30 September 2006
 * No kidding. This is one of the most ridiculously overgrown trivia sections I've ever seen. At the very least, it could be broken down into sections or something, but the best thing is to incorporate anything that can reasonably be worked into the article, then cut out the rest. --Lawikitejana 05:30, 28 October 2006 (UTC)
 * Chicken Farm? Chicken *Ranch*. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.122.48.13 (talk • contribs) 12 November 2006


 * and, what happened to the trivia section? it was apparently entirely deleted:
 * # (cur) (last) 15:48, 26 April 2007 Cubs Fan (Talk | contribs) (22,872 bytes)
 * # (cur) (last) 10:37, 24 April 2007 SmackBot (Talk | contribs) m (27,386 bytes) (Date/fix the maintenance tags or gen fixes)
 * --Luminifer 09:37, 24 June 2007 (EST)


 * "ZZ Top's "Sharp Dressed Man" is an unlockable song on the video game Guitar Hero, for the Playstation 2."
 * so what? Another example of deletable triv. 128.40.71.130 16:00, 14 August 2007 (UTC)

Okay, here is the trivia section. I think it includes lots of info that should be included in the article. I agree that it is long but I disagree that deleting it without mentioning by 68.122.2.12 was the right thing to do. Jenser 17:09, 14 August 2007 (UTC)
 * Jimi Hendrix named Billy Gibbons his favorite guitar player during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
 * Punk icons Black Flag were great fans of ZZ Top. Get In The Van (singer Henry Rollins' tour diary from his stint in Black Flag) makes frequent mention of ZZ Top.
 * Billy Gibbons has often been referred to as The Reverend Willy G. In 2002, he made that title official and was ordained so he could perform a Dallas wedding.
 * In December 1984, Dusty Hill accidentally set off a derringer he kept in his boot and shot himself in the stomach. He fully recovered.
 * The band appeared in the film Back to the Future Part III playing period (i.e. 1885) equivalents of their instruments. They performed a very "unplugged" version of "Doubleback"; the original version of the song (recorded with their customary modern instruments, of course) played over the closing credits of the film.
 * The inside sleeve of the album Fandango, features an overhead shot of U.T. Memorial Stadium, taken Sept. 1, 1974, where ZZ Top headlined that evening to a crowd of 80,000 at what was billed as "ZZ Top's First Annual Texas Size Rompin' and Stompin' Barndance and Barbecue".
 * ZZ Top is a sponsor of the Delta Blues Museum. In 1988, the band commissioned John Bolin to create an electric guitar made from timber salvaged from the cabin in which electric blues pioneer Muddy Waters (nee McKinley Morganfield) was born. The resulting instrument (dubbed "Muddywood") is a white solid-bodied guitar with a green stylized image of the Mississippi river running from the headstock to the end of the guitar body. It was later sent on a tour of various Hard Rock Cafe locations to promote the Delta Blues Museum, and is now on display at the museum's Clarksdale, Mississippi headquarters.
 * In keeping with the tejano flavor of the band, Billy Gibbons uses a modified antique Mexican peso coin instead of a guitar pick. It is rumored that the peso helps produce the distinctive chirping sound prominent on "Squank", "La Grange" and other songs, but this sound can be achieved without it (the technique is known as a pinch harmonic). Gibbons is often credited as inventing this sound, but there are earlier recordings of it (for instance by Leslie West on his first album).
 * In an interview with BBC TV's Later with Jools Holland, when asked the band's greatest influence, greatest inspiration etc. Billy Gibbons answered every question by pointing at Bo Diddley.
 * ZZ Top did a commercial for Honda in Japan for the (almost coincidental) car, the Honda Z.
 * Ironically, Frank Beard is the only member of the band without a full beard, only a mustache. He did, however, sport a tidy beard in early 2001 - 2003.
 * The band has the distinction of being the hard rock band with the most singles to reach the Hot Dance Music/Club Play, with three. "Legs", "Sleeping Bag", and "Velcro Fly" are the singles that reached this chart.
 * The band did an appearance at the end of W.A.S.P.´s video for the song "Blind In Texas", from their album "The Last Command" (1985). In this video, the ZZ Top guys tell the W.A.S.P. boys which way they must go.
 * Appeared as Three Men in a Tub in Mother Goose Rock N' Rhyme (1990).
 * Jon Glaser does a comedic routine on the Invite Them Up CD/DVD about his dead father being a former member of ZZ Top.
 * In the 1998, Alan Ayckbourn play "Comic Potential" the characters Adam and Jacie dance to "My Head's In Mississippi." The play is set in the future and Adam, who has never heard of the group, calls them "Zed Zed Top" (using the British pronunciation of 'Z') when he comes across an old CD of theirs.
 * On the cover for the compilation album "Greatest Hits" a stage light covers part of the H cleverly changing the title from "Greatest Hits" to "Greatest Tits"
 * In the episode of The Simpsons entitled The Old Man and the Key, when Grandpa Simpson drives off with his girlfriend Zelda, three old men with long beards and sunglasses appear as a clip of "Sharp Dressed Man" is played.
 * They appeared on King of the Hill in 2007. Dusty Hill is Hank Hill's cousin. Hill appeared with the rest of band.
 * The song Sharp Dressed Man features in the highly acclaimed Playstation 2 game Guitar Hero.

Missing Picture
I hate to add to the seemingly abundant problems with this page, but it seems the main picture of the band won't load because it 'doesn't exist' on wikipedia... Mk623SC20K 13:30, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

Wasn't he a guest on Bones???
I don't know if I'm just being fooled by an impersonator, but it seems to me that Billy Gibbons (bearded one) of ZZ Top was featured in at least 2 episodes of Bones as Angela's father in the episodes The Man in the Fallout Shelter and in Stargazer in a Puddle. Are there any other Bones nuts who can confirm this and perhaps add it to the article? Muchas gracias - AmandaWins 22:38, 24 June 2007 (UTC)

Original drummer
Did not ZZ Top have a different drummer for its very first 1970 single? 172.162.235.174 05:27, 19 August 2007 (UTC)
 * I don't know other players but both Hill and Beard were not playing. Gibbons and some other guys whose names are unknown for me. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 77.105.96.124 (talk) 05:11, 17 April 2008 (UTC)

Album pictures
I like this feature you added. —Preceding unsigned comment added by SilverPwnzor (talk • contribs) 21:42, 27 October 2007 (UTC)

Best way to handle post-2000 news?
The article seems to disintegrate into almost bullet-point style entries in the post-2000 section. We dealt with it in the 1990's section, I'm sure it can be cleaned up in this newer section as well. Random name (talk) 11:33, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

bones
ZZ Top starred n Bones tv. Should be in article - 86.136.48.148 (talk) 02:19, 25 February 2008 (UTC)

Spinning guitars
Pardon my ignorance, but I thought the spinning guitar was one of ZZ Top's trademarks. If so, it isn't mentioned anywhere in this article. --ScottAlanHill (talk) 05:21, 27 February 2008 (UTC)


 * I've noticed that, too. Their trademark car, beards and guitar-spin may not be artistically significant, but it's at the core of their pop appeal and is a trademark of their visual style. I'm a little stunned no one's added this. 131.96.47.17 (talk) 18:19, 10 March 2011 (UTC)


 * Mind you, the spinning guitar business was pre-dated by a good three or four years by one of the guitarists in Saxon (it was a long time ago so I can't remember which one). Mr Larrington (talk) 14:50, 11 January 2012 (UTC)

Main photo--what!
Hey, the main photo in the article shows only Billy and Dusty, a real insult to "ol' Frank" (as I once heard Billy call him onstage). Seeing as the text states the band has the longest-running original lineup, can't we have a pic with all three guys? 68Kustom (talk) 02:09, 4 May 2008 (UTC)

Substantial edit.
Ok, y'all, I edited hard without consulting, but I felt the article needed it. I did not change the general layout or spirit of the original version, but instead added some relevant and verifiable words about ZZ albums, singles, and history.

I also moved the custom guitars info from the intro to the 'cars' section. I still think we need a better photo showing all three ZZs.

I hope I didn't stomp on anyone's boots. 68Kustom (talk) 05:54, 4 May 2008 (UTC)


 * Still doin' a bit of fixin', but I think the additions are workin' fine. Please don't do an automatic revert to an earlier version without reading first. I chewed over each change. Creedence is great music for editing. Hope ya like it, ZZ everyone! 68Kustom (talk) 07:04, 4 May 2008 (UTC)

Blues Rock or Hard Rock?
Is ZZ Top a blues rock band or a hard rock one? I changed "hard" to "blues" yesterday but someone seem to have reverted it. 89.28.45.40 (talk) 8 June 2008

Small news items
Just a question - how big do news items need to be to get a mention in here? There's a lot of one-liner style notes of places ZZ top have played in the "beyond 2000" section, and I'm not entirely sure they're all worth noting. Random name (talk) 10:44, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

Queens of the Stone Age?
Why are they listed as an 'associated act'? They aren't otherwise mentioned in the article. K1da42 (talk) 15:32, 12 August 2008 (UTC)

In popular culture
Is this section really useful? I checked the pages of a few other bands, and they don't seem to have this. It comes across as a rather pointless pile of trivia. Random name (talk) 09:28, 26 April 2009 (UTC)

Bad news folks
ZZ Top had their Youtube account suspended. Here is my rant video: User:BuddyBoy600  —Preceding undated comment added 12:24, 10 May 2009 (UTC). =Voice== Question... is his voice really like that or does he change it sound like that. kinda weird ya think? 24.18.201.174 (talk) 23:31, 11 August 2009 (UTC)

RECYCLER TOUR
WHO WAS THE BAND THAT HEADLINED WITH ZZ TOP ON THIS TOUR? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.142.163.21 (talk) 22:42, 1 October 2009 (UTC)

Recording Eliminator
Lots of urban legends about recording "Eliminator", probably spread by Billy Gibbons just for fun. Engineer Terry Manning says the following:

... I will address certain specific musical or technical issues, and I'll begin with your guitar amp question.

THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO ROCKMAN USED ON THIS RECORDING! Not a little bit, not a tiny bit; NOT ANY. I don't know how these stories get started. Billy may indeed have used Rockman at a later date, after I left the situation, but I did not allow it when I was working with him. He did bring one in to try, but I was not satisfied with the sound, compared to an amplifier.

The amp used, almost exclusively, on Eliminator was a Legend. This was about a 50 watt hybrid unit, employing a tube/valve preamp, and a transistor power amp. This is the amp which has a finished wood case, and a rattan-type cane grill. It has one 12" Celestion speaker. Legend were later bought by, or at least distributed by, Gibson, but they were independent when we started using them. I still have this amp; it is almost new. A couple of years ago I plugged one of the Eliminator guitars into it, just to see...there was the sound!

The guitars were custom built by Dean. Dean were out of Chicago, and were trying to break into the high end (a la Jackson, PRS) market. They were very nice, albeit different, instruments. Subsequently however, they got a contract with Sears to make guitars, so they opted for the big bucks, Korean manufactured, low end market instead. But the ones we used were very nicely made. There were two which we employed. One was somewhat like a cross between a Flying-V and a Moderne shape, very long "ears," and the other was a sort of a warped, pointy Stratocaster-y shape. Both guitars had a single DiMarzio Super Distortion high output pickup, and almost no controls. I don't think there is even a tone control...what would you need one for? They have big, heavy, brass bridge/tail pieces bolted into the body. These guitars were very live, very resonant, and would verge on resonant feedback at all times; they were also very hard to keep in tune because of this. But they were always alive. Billy has the first one mentioned, and he gave me the latter, which I still have.

The guitar was recorded with basically only one setup; one amp (Legend), one speaker (12"), one guitar (Deans, the two were almost exactly the same), one mic (AKG 414B-ULS, I still have it) in one position (about 5" from the cone, placed at a slight angle off axis), one mic pre (the SpectraSonics console). 98% of ALL guitar on this album, whether lead or rhythm was done this way. Any variations were from the player himself, who, remember, did not even have a tone control. That's how good Billy was back then. We did use very briefly a small amp by Ross, but we didn't like it much, and I think only a tiny part or two was kept from this, if any.

Here's a link: —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.208.34.244 (talk) 19:08, 8 December 2009 (UTC)

Can openers?
Pardon my ignorance, but the lead says, "Gibbons may wear black biker boots and neck chains with beer can openers." [emphasis added] Is this referring to pull tabs (as opposed to, say, churchkeys)? I was further wikifying the lead and realized I probably shouldn't link it to can opener... - dcljr (talk) 19:51, 31 December 2009 (UTC)
 * Can opener is a church key. 155.213.224.59 (talk) 14:48, 18 July 2014 (UTC)

"is"/"are"
I know that American English uses "is" when referring to bands, where in British English we would usually say "are", but is it really natural in AmE to say "ZZ Top is almost always pictured wearing sunglasses"? To me, this sounds totally weird, even after trying to make allowances for the AmE way of doing things. I'm sorely tempted to change it, but maybe I shouldn't? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.152.241.252 (talk) 04:11, 13 January 2010 (UTC)

The British, Canadians, and Australians have an irritating -- and ungrammatical -- habit of treating objects with multiple components as if they were plural nouns. For example, they say "the group are...", when "group" is a singular noun. A group is, two or more groups are. There is only one ZZ Top -- therefore, "ZZ Top is...".

As for "ZZ Top is almost always pictured wearing sunglasses"... The group does not wear sunglasses, the members of it do. It should be... "ZZ Top's members are almost always pictured wearing sunglasses." WilliamSommerwerck (talk) 16:47, 30 October 2010 (UTC)


 * "Is" is correct here for American grammar. No use arguing about it. Seems to me it's best not to correct UK vs US English endlessly, or whine about (not that I'm saying you are). 155.213.224.59 (talk) 14:46, 18 July 2014 (UTC)

Second removal of edits
I have undone these suspicious edits for the second time.

In the first two paragraphs, these edits have:


 * Removed the pronunciation guide with no explanation.
 * Broken the link to one of the bandmembers.
 * Made random and ungrammatical changes to a literal quote.
 * Removed the attribution from a quote.

Some subsequent changes look plausible, while others are strange and un-English-like. I apologise if these edits are well intentioned, but, taken as a whole, they look as if they're messing up the article. 86.150.102.124 (talk) 13:45, 16 January 2010 (UTC)

I have reverted the edits again. Taken individually, some of them seem constructive. However, the fact that there are four or five apparently unconstructive edits in just the first few paragraphs makes me very suspicious about all of them. Please explain your reasons for making the seemingly unconstructive changes (such as those listed above). 86.133.54.73 (talk) 00:26, 20 January 2010 (UTC)

2000 and Beyond
In this section, it says; "Clive Davis wanted to do a collaboration record (in the mode of Carlos Santana's successful Supernatural) for this album. In an interview in Goldmine magazine, artists Pink, Dave Matthews, and Wilco were among the artists slated for the project." But there's no follow up on this. Was the album done this way? If not, why not? It's just left hanging. Resinguy (talk) 19:43, 5 March 2010 (UTC)

Recent News - Playing with Tom Petty
They've recently done a few concerts with Tom Petty. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.125.123.238 (talk) 21:11, 7 July 2010 (UTC)

"fake drum machines"
What is that supposed to mean? The drum machines were not real? Biased language, unnecessary. I'll leave it to you, the true fan(s)((?)), to fix it -- an act of contrition.71.238.107.165 (talk) 18:57, 22 August 2010 (UTC)

Needs history for 1969 to end of 1970s
This is a huge deficiency in this article and makes it look as if it's MTV-generation only. Horrible, horrible. And would be good to add some pix from their golden era of the 1970s, too. Tres Hombres, all that. It's amazing that their entire formative decade is absent from this "History."Plutonium57 (talk) 12:52, 10 September 2010 (UTC)
 * Someone had nuked that section of the article. It has since been restored.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.140.17.57 (talk) 00:23, 16 September 2010 (UTC)

Original Members?
The third paragraph said, "After over 40 years of performing with the same original members, the band continues to tour and record music."

This contradicts the first paragraph, which clearly states that Billy Gibbons, Dan Mitchell and Lanier Greig formed ZZ Top in 1969, and that Greig and Mitchell were replaced by Dusty Hill and Frank Beard later that same year.

Assuming the earlier statement to be true, Gibbons is the only original member. Yes, the current lineup has existed for a long time, but Hill and Beard are not original.

I have changed the sentence to read "After over 40 years of performing with the same members..." --Mfwills (talk) 12:40, 14 January 2011 (UTC)


 * The change you've made is correct. Also, the former members should be listed in the former members section under Wiki guidelines. Burbridge92 (talk) 20:28, 5 October 2011 (UTC)

Can we bring back the cars and motorbikes?
I noticed these were removed without mentioning in the change log or the talk page. Before that the section was marked for two problems:

''This section has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. It needs additional references or sources for verification. Tagged since July 2009. Its tone or style may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. Tagged since July 2009.''

I would like to receive feedback as to what exactly is meant by this. No mention on the talk page of these problems. I had worked quite a bit on the references for their vehicles and plan to bring that section back. Your input is appreciated. Jenser (talk) 23:36, 30 January 2011 (UTC)

Anthony Barajas and Peter Perez
These names are currently listed as original members. In nearly 30 years of reading everything I can find about the band, I have never come across references to these people.

"ZZ Top formed its initial lineup in 1969, consisting of Anthony Barajas (bass and keyboards) and Peter Perez (drums and percussion). "

In the absence of any source material to back up the above statement, I would say that this is vandalism. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 31.105.251.125 (talk) 20:54, 19 July 2012 (UTC)


 * I agree. However the other previous mentions, the ones previously listed in the infobox, were real members of the band, and something needs to be done about that considering their names keep getting removed. Regards, Burbridge92 (talk) 15:43, 10 September 2012 (UTC)

Reference to Eliminator and Linden Hudson
It is so interesting to watch this ZZ Top wiki article constantly revert back to "fluff" and a band promo article. The references to Linden Hudson (and other historical bits of info) keep disappearing. Wikipedia constantly proves that it's not actually encyclopedic at all, but only manipulated by those who are written about and their fans. What would have to happen in order to have actual, factual history and info in Wikipedia? The references shown with regard to Linden Hudson are extremely real, truthful, documented and backed up,and shown as coming from real and highly regarded references. One of these references is Rolling Stone Press and another is from a book written by ZZ Top's stage manager of 15 years. Wikipedia will not get sued with references like these. Also, the references to David Blayney keep disappearing (at the bottom in the reference list) as well. David Blayney was with ZZ Top from the very beginning, remained with them and was their stage manager for 15 years. When he retired from the group he wrote a very well respected book which revealed much about the group from a neutral point of view. But he keeps disappearing from this article as well. Someone is afraid? Some of the other references at the bottom which always seem to remain and never get deleted are liner notes from album jackets (written by the band's management for Christ's sake). It's amazing to see this type of thing happen time and time again. What is Wikipedia? Apparently this article is monitored and cleaned by (probably) the ZZ Top band and management. Show us that this is wrong. Is this information? Or just BS and hype? In the talk sections I see comments such as: "this seems suspicious, but I haven't actually checked the references". But you don't think all the fluff is suspicious? Get off your back side and check the references, or give it up. Some people actually read Wikipedia articles and believe what is there (although I don't know why sometimes). If Wikipedia has little to do with truth, information and iron solid reference materials, then just state it right here so we can all see it, and then we can all move on. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Texasman444 (talk • contribs) 16:51, 23 June 2013 (UTC)

Ok. The jig is up now as far as the Linden Hudson question. On June 3, 2013 Billy Gibbons gave an interview to MusicRadar.com, interview given to Joe Bosso (Joe Bosso is ex-Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine and ex-Vice President of A&R at Island Records). In this interview Billy Gibbons stated (with reference to El Loco, the pre-curser to Eliminator): “This was a really interesting turning point. We had befriended somebody who would become an influential associate, a guy named Linden Hudson. He was a gifted songwriter and had production skills that were leading the pack at times. He brought some elements to the forefront that helped reshape what ZZ Top were doing, starting in the studio and eventually to the live stage. “Linden had no fear and was eager to experiment in ways that would frighten most bands. But we followed suit, and the synthesizers started to show up on record. Manufacturers were looking for ways to stimulate sales, and these instruments started appearing on the market. “One of our favorite tracks was Groovy Little Hippie Pad. Right at the very opening, there it is – the heavy sound of a synthesizer. For us, there was no turning back.” (end quote). Billy is not yet admitting to anything about "Eliminator", but he's taken 30 years to even say this much. Any questions? This is just fact, and pop history. No big deal.

Former members
As the article clearly states, Lanier Grieg, Dan Mitchell, Billy Ethridge, and Michael "Cadillac" Johnson were all members of ZZ Top early in the band's history. The page Template:Infobox musical artist sets out the guidelines by which members in the infobox are meant to be listed. I am aware that whenever the former members have been added to the infobox (as per the guidelines) they have been removed. Anyone with an idea of how to solve this problem is welcome to comment on this post. My personal preference for the infobox would be to follow the guidelines and list the members, but failing this my preference would be a link in the former members section of the infobox to another members section lower down the page which provides names and instrumentation with years of service (as is found on many other Wikipedia pages). Any preference? Kind regards, Burbridge92 (talk) 16:18, 10 September 2012 (UTC)
 * There are unfortunately buttloads of "reliable sources" that state Dusty Hill was a founding member of the band and people are very protective of their image. I don't think there's much to do other than watch and revert. - Immigrant laborer (talk) 16:23, 14 September 2021 (UTC)

Racism
What about the allegations that ZZ Top is a racist band? --197.86.98.152 (talk) 17:05, 12 March 2014 (UTC)
 * Have these allegations been made by a notable person, in a reliable source? Martinevans123 (talk) 17:39, 12 March 2014 (UTC)

References with conflict of interest?
Does it seem strange that one of the references at the bottom of the ZZ Top page is a liner note from one of their albums? Liner notes are fluff, propaganda, BS, PR, made up by the band. Why could this be a reference to prove truth in any way shape or form? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Texasman444 (talk • contribs) 19:20, 25 March 2015 (UTC)