What was the original name for the Stone Temple Pilots?

The original name for Stone Temple Pilots was Mighty Joe Young.

The San Diego band began under the name Swing before changing to Mighty Joe Young. The group consisted of vocalist Scott Weiland, brothers Dean and Robert DeLeo on guitar and bass, and drummer Eric Kretz. Under the Mighty Joe Young name, they recorded a demo around 1990 and built a local following.

The band changed its name after learning that a blues musician already claimed the name Mighty Joe Young. They eventually settled on Stone Temple Pilots, partly inspired by STP Motor Oil stickers and the possibilities of the initials. The name change happened before the band's major-label breakthrough.

Another common mix-up is saying Mighty Joe Young was the band's only earlier name. Swing came first, while Shirley Temple's Pussy was a brief alternate name used during the transition. After signing with Atlantic Records, the group released Core in 1992 as Stone Temple Pilots, launching a successful run of albums associated with the 1990s alternative-rock scene.