Date: Fri, 22 Sep 1995 10:20:44 -0700 
      From: Brant Dewdrops
      (nelson@EGGNEB.ASTRO.UCLA.EDU) 
      Subject: cocteau origin FAQ


> concerning bands that have taken their names from other bands' songs, i think
> you may have confused catherine wheel with the cocteau twins who took their
> name from an obscure simple minds song (so i've read. i've never actually
> heard the song or anything!) or perhaps both bands did...

There's a Simple Minds song called "Colors Fly and Catherine Wheel"
on the New Gold Dream album.

> has anyone ever heard that simple minds song?

The song "The Cocteau Twins" was one they had in their live show
before their first album Life In A Day. It was eventually recorded
with different lyrics and the title changed to "No Cure" for
Life In A Day. The music remained the same. Probably the only place the
original song exists is on a live tape Robin Guthrie has, and Robin tells
me that the original lyrics were about "two gay men who were into
Jean Cocteau," thus the origin of the rumor that
that's where the Cocteaus got their name, "from two gay friends
who were into Jean Cocteau," something which Robin said
himself in an interview ages ago. Well, it's true in sort of a skewed
sense, but it's really that they took their name from this old
unreleased Simple Minds song.