Katie Peterson
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When Oasis, known initially as Rain, formed in Manchester in 1991, Britain had no idea what was coming, but it was going to be something big. In its 18-year career, the band became one of the hottest bands in Brit Pop. They were not without their controversies, though, going through numerous lineup changes and many spouts between its key members, brothers Liam Gallagher (lead vocalist) and Noel Gallagher (lead guitarist and vocalist).
It is because of these things that the crazy stories about them over the years have become just as popular as their music, yet there are still many more things to learn.
Here are 29 interesting Oasis facts you may be surprised to learn.
1. A Poster Inspired Their Name
Who knows what Oasis would have been called had it not been for a poster in Liam Gallagher’s bedroom? He and his older brother, Noel, had an Inspiral Carpets tour poster in their room. Oasis Leisure Centre was among the venues listed, and the rest is history.
Related: 25 Performers We Wish We Could See One More Time
2. Noel Gallagher Once Quit the Band
Brothers will be brothers. During a U.S. tour in 1994, Liam Gallagher apparently got fed up with his older brother and threw a tambourine at Noel while they were on stage. This prompted the latter to temporarily quit the band. While camping out in San Francisco, he penned the future popular acoustic track “Talk Tonight.”
3. They Were Sued by a Beatles Parody Band
Here’s a controversial entry to mix up the interesting Oasis facts. In 1994, they were sued by Rutles’ member Neil Innes. Reportedly, Oasis’ hit “Whatever” sounded like Innes’ “How Sweet to Be an Idiot,” which was part of a solo album he did. The member of the Beatles parody group now shares co-writing credit on “Whatever.” Oh, the irony.
4. They Ripped Off a Coca-Cola Jingle
Oasis has had no end of legal troubles when it came to copyrights, as proven by these interesting Oasis facts. They were also sued after releasing their song, “Shakermaker,” because of its similarities to the 1971 hit song, “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony),” made famous for being a jingle for Coca-Cola. Oasis was ordered to pay damages.
5. “Wonderwall” was Named After George Harrison’s First Solo Album
Oasis’ connection to the Beatles certainly isn’t all bad. Their most famous hit, “Wonderwall,” was named after George Harrison’s 1968 solo album, Wonderwall Music. The instrumental album was the first solo release of any of the Beatles and the first release for their label, Apple Records.
6. Liam Gallagher Flaked on a Tour
In 1996, while embarking on one of their U.S. tours, Liam Gallagher reportedly didn’t show up for part of it, saying he didn’t want to go. It seemed things wouldn’t be able to go on without the band’s lead singer, but Noel Gallagher saved the day. He sang most of the songs and took the band on the road anyway.
7. Noel Gallagher Hoped Blur Members Would Die of AIDS
Now that’s not very nice. Oasis and Blur were the biggest rival bands of the 1990s. It was so intense that Noel Gallagher was quoted by a reporter saying he hoped that Blur singer Damon Albarn and Blur bassist Alex James would “catch AIDS and die.”
8. Liam Also Didn’t Play MTV Unplugged
It seems that these interesting Oasis facts are telling us that Liam Gallagher was not a reliable bandmate. Prior to quitting the tour mentioned in our previous fact, he also left the band high and dry for their MTV Unplugged performance. He didn’t just not show up, though. He made things worse by heckling his brother between songs while drinking a beer from the balcony.
9. Andy Bell Didn’t Know How to Play Bass
Before Oasis embarked on their 1999 tour, Paul “Guigsy” McGuigan, the band’s bassist, up and quit. Andy Bell, formerly of the shoegaze band Ride, was his replacement despite having never played bass before.
Liam Gallagher said of it, “If he can play the guitar, he can play the [expletive] bass.”
10. Be Here Now is the fastest-selling album in Britain
Be Here Now was Oasis’ third studio album, released on Aug. 21, 1997. On the day of, it sold more than 350,000 copies and doubled that number by the end of the week. Not only was it the fastest-selling album in England at the time, it remains the fastest-selling album in British history.
11. (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? Dominated the 1990s
Be Here Now may be the fastest-selling album in British history, but Oasis’ second studio album (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? was just as successful. The album was the best-selling album of the 1990s, even above Madonna and the Spice Girls.
12. Noel Gallagher was Drunk When Naming Oasis’ Fourth Studio Album
Standing on the Should of Giants is an epic name for an album, but it becomes one of the interesting Oasis facts when you consider how it came about. Noel Gallagher was drunk at a bar in England when he saw the quote on the side of a two-pound coin. After writing it down on a pack of cigarettes, he showed it to the rest of the band the next day. Thus, the album title was born.
13. Noel Gallagher Wrote Most of the Band’s Songs
By the time Oasis’ career came to an end, they had more than 100 original songs in their repertoire. Most of those songs, including the band’s biggest hits, were thanks to Noel Gallagher, who is credited on 105 of those songs, though some also include sample credits by other artists. From there, Liam Gallagher wrote 13, partnering with Gem Archer on “Love Like a Bomb,” Archer penned an additional five, and Andy Bell also wrote five.
14. Noel and Liam’s Favorite Beatles Song
Noel and Liam Gallagher may have had a tumultuous relationship that often made headlines, but they agreed on a number of things. Among them is their favorite Beatles song, “Ticket to Ride.”
Both are also fans of the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, the Who, and the Sex Pistols.
Related: 34 Best Rolling Stones Songs
15. The Beatles’ Rooftop Concert Inspired “Supersonic” Promo
You might as well take inspiration from the best of the best. When shooting their promo for “Supersonic,” Oasis took inspiration from the Beatles’ famous rooftop concert by also performing on a roof.
Related: Paul McCartney Biography
16. “Live Single” Cover Features John Lennon’s Childhood Home
We’ve certainly made it clear that the Oasis members have a thing for the Beatles. The cover for their single, “Live Forever,” features Mendips, the childhood home of John Lennon.
17. More Inspiration from the Beatles
Oasis has used no end of Beatles songs to help supplement the sound of their own hits. John Lennon’s “Imagine” supplied the intro to “Don’t Look Back In Anger,” and the ending of “She’s Electric” comes from “With A Little Help From My Friend.” The same goes for the ending of “Whatever,” which is copied from The Beatles’ “Octopus Garden.”
Oasis has also been known to perform two Beatles covers, “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away” and “I Am The Walrus.”
18. Noel Gallagher Has a Learning Disability
Noel Gallagher has dyslexia, and although he wrote many of the band’s songs, it wasn’t easy for him to do so because of it. The condition often slowed the process down because he would have to rewrite the lyrics over and over until they were in the right places.
Gallagher has commented on this in the past. “When I write, I’ll give it to someone else to read, and they’ll say, ‘This doesn’t make any sense.’ And then I’ll read it back to them, and they’ll say, ‘Half the words are missing.’ But to me, they’re there.”
Related: 15 Famous Musicians Who Are Dyslexic
19. Noel and Liam Did Not Get Along
While that’s not necessarily a surprising entry on this list of interesting Oasis facts, what Noel Gallagher had to say about it definitely qualifies.
He once said, “It’s a good thing we don’t live in the United States where guns are accessible because I’d have blown his head off by now. The problem is, I can’t fire him because my mom would kill me.”
Related: 18 Best Sibling Bands
20. Oasis’ Pre-Show Meal
There are plenty of artists and bands who have revealed some pre-show rituals and meals over the years, but Oasis’ has to be the strangest. Before going on stage, all the band members insisted on eating beans on toast.
21. Noel’s Favorite Movie
Noel Gallagher apparently loves escaping to a galaxy far, far away. His favorite movie is Star Wars.
22. Liam Gallagher was a Model
Liam Gallagher reportedly signed a $75,000 modeling contract with Versace. Perhaps his diva-like attitude makes a little more sense now.
23. Liam Gallagher Owns a Clothing Line
He’s not just a model but a fashion designer. Liam Gallagher launched his Pretty Green clothing range in 2006, which is still available in close to 300 outlets across the United Kingdom.
The range is inspired by Gallagher’s love of the “mod” style and is named after a song by The Jam.
24. Liam Gallagher Has Been Arrested
In 1996, Liam Gallagher was arrested for suspicion of possessing a controlled substance, specifically cocaine. Around the same time, Gallagher was kicked out of a pub by a bouncer who suspected that he had been “snorting cocaine in the loo.”
25. Liam Gallagher Doesn’t Know How to Drive
When Liam Gallagher revealed in 2019 that he never learned how to drive, it indeed became one of those interesting Oasis facts to add to any such list. Even further, he also revealed that he never learned how to swim.
26. Noel Gallagher is Left-Handed
While that alone is not the most interesting of the Oasis facts, it is when you consider that he played guitar right-handed.
27. Noel Gallagher was Abused
Noel Gallagher may have grown up in the same house as Liam Gallagher, but somehow, he was the only one of the two to get abused by their alcoholic father. Only he and his eldest brother, Paul, were abused, although Noel would later say in the Supersonic documentary that his father “beat the talent into him.”
It would later take four years of speech therapy to resolve his stammer, which was made worse by the abuse.
28. Noel Gallagher Hates the Royal Family
You can’t win everyone over, and just because Noel Gallagher is from Britain, it doesn’t mean he’s a fan of the monarchy. He’s not wavered on that in recent years, often making remarks regarding all the conflict surrounding Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle.
“Prince Harry, surely no one takes him seriously. He’s just a mad little kid,” Gallagher said during an appearance on The Matt Morgan Podcast. He further added, “I don’t like do-gooders in general. They [expletive] wind me up.”
29. Noel Gallagher is Tight with Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp has done several collaborations with Oasis over the years. In fact, he played a guitar part on the recording of “Fade Away” when Noel Gallagher just couldn’t get it right.
The two reportedly remain good friends to this day.
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