Solo artists who outshone their original band

[Bridgehouse]

34 minutes ago, darkandrew said:

Also sometimes works in reverse - some artists have left their band for greater things only to return some years later with their tails between their legs - e.g. Gary Barlow and the other Take That boys kind of fizzled out pretty quickly as solo artists but when they got back together as Take That they arguably had more success than they did originally. The same could probably be said of the Spice Girls - would Geri or Mel C sell out stadiums as solo artists? Probably not.

 

Robbie does regularly though

[Paul S]

Joe Walsh got a mention in the OP but his purple patch solo stuff was before he joined the Eagles.  That isn't knocking him - I think he is one of the good guys - just adjusting the time line.

[NancyJohnson]

There's a little subjectivity on the word outshone; there's the implication that the artiste's sales have blitzed that of the original band or whether creatively (from a personal perspective) the solo material is somehow better than that of the original.

A handful of names came to mind immediately; Rod Stewart, Donald Fagen, Paul Weller, but the main one for me was David Sylvian.  The guy's output since ending Japan/Rain Tree Crow has been pretty stellar.  Expansive, exploratory, but lest we forget, patchy in places.  I adore early Japan, those first three albums, but it was very much diminishing returns for me, I fell more out of love with every album, but the bulk of what Sylvian has done is completely different from that croony sub-Roxy type of thing that was happening at the end.  Large instrumental pieces, straight pop songs and installation material.  He's certainly outshone Japan from that perspective, but I doubt he's outshone from a sales/unit/££ perspective.

[darkandrew]

12 hours ago, Bridgehouse said:

Robbie does regularly though

It's strange that Robbie did so well as solo artist compared to the others. Was it his timing, his management after leaving or just luck? Probably a combination of all 3 I'd guess. He's also a very good example of where success is not just about talent but also (or possibly in Robbie's case, more about) personality.

Edited November 18, 2018 by darkandrew

[HazBeen]

Since most artists do not land a record deal 1st try AND generally hone their skills in bands at school/uni etc. would it not be fair to say that any artist that becomes known and appreciated for their work has outshone the original band?

[Japhet]

To flip the question on its' head, I loved a lot of Nils Lofgren's stuff and saw some great live shows by him before he became one of Bruce Springsteen's sidekicks.

[casapete]

22 minutes ago, Japhet said:

To flip the question on its' head, I loved a lot of Nils Lofgren's stuff and saw some great live shows by him before he became one of Bruce Springsteen's sidekicks.

Love a bit of Nils myself, but could be argued that when he left Grin to go solo he had more success? When the offer came to join Bruce his solo career had maybe become a bit static so it was an offer he couldn’t refuse. Best thing is that he still does an occasional solo tour doing smaller venues, so best of both for him. Lovely player and a top bloke too.

[ezbass]

Sting; Eric Clapton; Peter Gabriel; Ozzy (at a pinch); Richard Thompson.

[mikel]

8 hours ago, darkandrew said:

It's strange that Robbie did so well as solo artist compared to the others. Was it his timing, his management after leaving or just luck? Probably a combination of all 3 I'd guess. He's also a very good example of where success is not just about talent but also (or possibly in Robbie's case, more about) personality.

And hooking up with a good songwriter helps.

[darkandrew]

26 minutes ago, mikel said:

And hooking up with a good songwriter helps.

Absolutely. And as a certain Reginald Dwight said on a similar topic: “if it weren’t for Bernie Taupin, there’d never be an Elton John”.

Edited November 18, 2018 by darkandrew

[Happy Jack]

Anyone mentioned Steve Hillage yet?

[spectoremg]

On 16/11/2018 at 18:03, Bridgehouse said:

George Michael.

Um...Wham was de facto GM's band.

[spectoremg]

On 16/11/2018 at 15:23, EliasMooseblaster said:

The "Excellent Joe Walsh" thread that began a few days ago got me thinking: I can take or leave the Eagles, and given the choice I'd rather put on some of Walsh's solo stuff. But is he a rare beast in this respect?

Usually, I feel like the offshoot solo album is a chance for members of a band to try something different, but it's never quite as good or exciting as the stuff they did with the band that made them famous in the first place. Often, they're 45-minute collections of absolute dross which reek either of self-indulgence or cashing in. But once in a while, you come across one which stands head and shoulders above the music they were making with their original band.

So who - for you - should have thumbed their nose at their original band years ago and just carried on making solo albums?

This isn't about your faves, no-one would have heard of Joe Walsh if it wasn't for the Eagles.

[Bridgehouse]

5 minutes ago, spectoremg said:

Um...Wham was de facto GM's band.

But George always protested that old Andy Ridge did far more than it appeared on the vids.. 

[spectoremg]

Just now, Bridgehouse said:

But George always protested that old Andy Ridge did far more than it appeared on the vids.. 

That's cos GM was a very generous bloke. The songwriting credits tell a different story.

[Bridgehouse]

Just now, spectoremg said:

That's cos GM was a very generous bloke. The songwriting credits tell a different story.

I don’t think it was the songwriting credits he was referring to tho...

[arthurhenry]

1 hour ago, Happy Jack said:

Anyone mentioned Steve Hillage yet?

Yes; I did on page 1.

[ezbass]

55 minutes ago, spectoremg said:

This isn't about your faves, no-one would have heard of Joe Walsh if it wasn't for the Eagles.

That depends on your age and musical preferences surely. I was a JW fan long before I discovered The Eagles.

[stingrayPete1977]

I like some of Charlotte Hatherly's stuff after she left Ash. 

[steantval]

1 hour ago, spectoremg said:

This isn't about your faves, no-one would have heard of Joe Walsh if it wasn't for the Eagles.

Speak for yourself, some of us are of a certain age and I was well into JW (James Gang) well before The Eagles.

James Gang debut album 1969.

Eagles debut album 1972.

Edited November 18, 2018 by steantval

[casapete]

Nobody mention Chuck Berry yet? After leaving Johnnie Johnson's trio to go solo he went on to become a key figure in the history of rock'n'roll.

[Cat Burrito]

Geri Halliwell? 

 

 

[Bridgehouse]

12 minutes ago, Cat Burrito said:

Geri Halliwell? 

 

 

Is that her ginger wig?

[kevvo66]

Scott walker 👍

[Colonel36]

Dusty Springfield