What band started off as the Polka Tulk Blues Band?

The band that started off as the Polka Tulk Blues Band was Black Sabbath.

The group formed in Birmingham, England, in 1968 from musicians connected to two local bands. Tony Iommi and Bill Ward had played in Mythology, while Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler had been associated with Rare Breed. The early lineup briefly included slide guitarist Jimmy Phillips and saxophonist Alan “Aker” Clarke, making it larger and more blues-oriented than the classic quartet.

The unusual name did not last long. It was shortened to Polka Tulk, and the group then became known as Earth. After developing a darker, heavier sound and discovering that another band already used the name Earth, the musicians adopted Black Sabbath in 1969. The name was inspired by a song written about Butler’s frightening nighttime vision and by the 1963 horror film Black Sabbath.

The main historical wrinkle is that the band passed through several names before becoming famous. Polka Tulk Blues Band was an early name, not a separate successful act that later merged with Black Sabbath.