should bands carry on when there's only one original member?

[dmccombe7]

Whitesnake are a good example of this debate IMO. Coverdale being the only original member. The band have gone thru various styles since the Marsden, Moody and Murray days and been quite successful thru them all. 

Personally i've not been a big fan since Neil Murray left. The commercial rock style wasn't really for me and they just sounded a bit too much like other bands. Lack of identity even these days i couldn't tell you who is in the band other than Coverdale.

Same goes with Alice Cooper. After the original band split the band members were just "there" altho Alice Cooper band did produce some amazing albums like Welcome to my Nightmare which is one of my fav Cooper albums.

Dave 

Dave

[gjones]

The Waterboys have had approx 85 members since the mid eighties when they were formed. A few years ago Mike Scott reformed the Fisherman's Blues lineup for a one off tour. The musicians in the band these days doesn't include Steve Whickham (The fellow who fiddles) who was a huge part of The Waterboys original sound, which is why I'm unlikely to bother going to see them again.

Edited October 18 by gjones

[casapete]

48 minutes ago, gjones said:

The Waterboys have had approx 85 members since the mid eighties when they were formed

Blimey, that’s going some! 
I was going to mention Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes - my favourite band, who have

got through a lot of members since 1975, but maybe not quite that many. They are still recording

and touring, although IMO are past their best days / lineup. 

[12stringbassist]

You get bands who continue and evolve over many years - I'd cite Dr feelgood as a band that has shed original members gradually and once the last of those left, the question obviously arises - should they stop? Obviously not. They have kept an audience (maybe smaller than in their heyday) and serve them.

I liken most bands to WH Smiths. Some one leaves, it's still WH Smiths.

 

I have to hold back a snigger at a certain band in the North West who BOUGHT a band's name for £1500 and trot out some 60's clunge... introducing the songs as THEIR hits... (the bit I find funny).... but they are keeping working and making some people happy. Their website has an honest band history and you can see that the current line-up is nothing much to do with the originals.

 

 

[musicbassman]

30 minutes ago, 12stringbassist said:

a certain band in the North West who BOUGHT a band's name for £1500

 

Oh go on, do tell us who this is.......... 😉

[MacDaddy]

"Sports teams like the Yankees and Arsenal do not claim to be the same as their historic counterparts, such as the Yankees of the 1998 World Series or Arsenal's 1970-71 double-winning team. They represent the franchise's ongoing legacy rather than reenacting past achievements. In contrast, a band with one original member performing the original hits might give the impression of recreating past performances rather than representing a continuous legacy.

Bands often build their identity around their founding members and original lineup, which significantly contributes to their creative output and public image. When only one original member remains, the band's identity may feel more like a tribute act rather than a continuation of the original entity."

[casapete]

2 hours ago, 12stringbassist said:

have to hold back a snigger at a certain band in the North West who BOUGHT a band's name for £1500 and trot out some 60's clunge... introducing

I worked with a band calling themselves ‘The Easybeats’ in the 1980’s. They were playing at a club

where I was in the resident band. After me commenting about how none of them sounded Australian,

one of them admitted they’d bought the name and used it to get on 1960’s tours etc. I remember them

playing ‘Friday on my mind’ ( which I think was the original band’s only UK hit ) and then just random

60’s covers for the rest of their set. Not sure anyone in the audience either knew or cared! 

[police squad]

56 minutes ago, casapete said:

I worked with a band calling themselves ‘The Easybeats’ in the 1980’s. They were playing at a club

where I was in the resident band. After me commenting about how none of them sounded Australian,

one of them admitted they’d bought the name and used it to get on 1960’s tours etc. I remember them

playing ‘Friday on my mind’ ( which I think was the original band’s only UK hit ) and then just random

60’s covers for the rest of their set. Not sure anyone in the audience either knew or cared! 

I worked with a bloke who was going to buy the 'First Class' monika. 

luckily it didn't happen

[Stub Mandrel]

Fairport Convention have got through about 25 members and although Simon Nichol was in the original lineup, he was absent or many years.

 

No one seems to get exercised about this.

[PaulWarning]

I think most folk are happy to go and hear songs they love, played well, it doesn't really matter how many original members there are

[dmccombe7]

11 hours ago, PaulWarning said:

I think most folk are happy to go and hear songs they love, played well, it doesn't really matter how many original members there are

That's true unless you've paid £100 to hear what is basically a tribute band. I think some tribute bands might actually be charging that kind of money these days. I'm thinking The Aussie Floyd band that play large concert hall style venues 

Dave

[meterman]

Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets only have one original Pink Floyd member (well, two if you include Guy Pratt who played bass with the post-Roger Waters incarnation of the band) and they restrict their set to the Syd Barrett era, and stop the repertoire to just before “Dark Side Of The Moon”. 
 

They might only have one original Pink Floyd member in the band but I’d still go and see them playing all the 1967-72 Pink Floyd material. 👍

[dmccombe7]

7 hours ago, meterman said:

Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets only have one original Pink Floyd member (well, two if you include Guy Pratt who played bass with the post-Roger Waters incarnation of the band) and they restrict their set to the Syd Barrett era, and stop the repertoire to just before “Dark Side Of The Moon”. 
 

They might only have one original Pink Floyd member in the band but I’d still go and see them playing all the 1967-72 Pink Floyd material. 👍

Yep some mates went to see him and said it was a brilliant night.

I'd go see that too but i like most things Floyd related.

Dave

Edited October 19 by dmccombe7

[Woodinblack]

27 minutes ago, meterman said:

They might only have one original Pink Floyd member in the band but I’d still go and see them playing all the 1967-72 Pink Floyd material. 👍

 

I think probably even if they didn't have pink floyd members, there aren't many groups that do pre-dark side floyd material. 

[Woodinblack]

47 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

That's true unless you've paid £100 to hear what is basically a tribute band. I think some tribute bands might actually be charging that kind of money these days. I'm thinking The Aussie Floyd band that play large concert hall style venues 

 

Yeh, but if you want to see a tribute band and are prepared to pay £100 to hear them, you know what you are paying for, and I assume agree to it.

[Burns-bass]

16 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

Yep some metes went to see him and said it was a brilliant night.

I'd go see that too but i like most things Floyd related.

Dave

I think that’s because they’re free to experiment and enjoy the material not slavishly stick to it like tribute bands do.

 

Ive not seen them but a friend who did said the musicians looked like they loved it!

[dmccombe7]

2 minutes ago, Burns-bass said:

I think that’s because they’re free to experiment and enjoy the material not slavishly stick to it like tribute bands do.

 

Ive not seen them but a friend who did said the musicians looked like they loved it!

Does Guy Pratt not do the bass in it. ?

Dave

[meterman]

3 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

Does Guy Pratt not do the bass in it. ?

Dave

Yes, he’s the bassist in the band. The drummer is Nick Mason of course, and so there’s the Pink Floyd connection. 
 

The keys player is Dom Beken, and the rhythm guitarist is Gary Kemp, of all people! The lead guitarist is Lee Harris who’s played with The Blockheads and Wilko Johnson as far as I remember. Cracking band, live 👍

 

One of my friends was the support act on their first tour. She was absolutely in awe of them, and also blown away by getting to play in all the beautiful old European theatres and outdoor performance spaces. 

[prowla]

1 hour ago, meterman said:

Yes, he’s the bassist in the band. The drummer is Nick Mason of course, and so there’s the Pink Floyd connection. 
 

The keys player is Dom Beken, and the rhythm guitarist is Gary Kemp, of all people! The lead guitarist is Lee Harris who’s played with The Blockheads and Wilko Johnson as far as I remember. Cracking band, live 👍

 

One of my friends was the support act on their first tour. She was absolutely in awe of them, and also blown away by getting to play in all the beautiful old European theatres and outdoor performance spaces. 

Guy Pratt & Gary Kemp do the Rockonteurs YT channel.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz902KiwFM9FthzFVd-WUlQ

[TimR]

8 hours ago, meterman said:

Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets only have one original Pink Floyd member (well, two if you include Guy Pratt who played bass with the post-Roger Waters incarnation of the band) and they restrict their set to the Syd Barrett era, and stop the repertoire to just before “Dark Side Of The Moon”. 
 

They might only have one original Pink Floyd member in the band but I’d still go and see them playing all the 1967-72 Pink Floyd material. 👍

 

Yes. But they're not pretending to be Pink Floyd.

 

Likewise the Austrailian Pink Floyd are clear they're not Pink Floyd. 

 

 

[TimR]

Richard Street continued the Temptations 'Sound of Motown' for a few years, up to his death in 2013, as 'the last surviving member' although he wasn't on early records other than a few as a backing singer.

 

Some friends went to see the show and weren't impressed. A lot of these shows wouldn't be out of place at holiday camps. 

[Geek99]

On 18/10/2024 at 09:53, gjones said:

The Waterboys have had approx 85 members since the mid eighties when they were formed. A few years ago Mike Scott reformed the Fisherman's Blues lineup for a one off tour. The musicians in the band these days doesn't include Steve Whickham (The fellow who fiddles) who was a huge part of The Waterboys original sound, which is why I'm unlikely to bother going to see them again.

He played on u2war album 

[Mickeyboro]

3 hours ago, TimR said:

Richard Street continued the Temptations 'Sound of Motown' for a few years, up to his death in 2013, as 'the last surviving member' although he wasn't on early records other than a few as a backing singer.

 

Some friends went to see the show and weren't impressed. A lot of these shows wouldn't be out of place at holiday camps. 

Don’t knock all holiday camps - you can see decent music at some of them!

 

I would rather see the Temptations done well by a tribute than be worried about an original member. And I’m lucky enough to have seen the ‘original’ Supremes and Four Tops.

Edited October 19 by Mickeyboro

[NancyJohnson]

Just echoing a few of the comments here, years ago I saw a double header at Guildford Civic Hall of Brian Connolly's Sweet and Les Gray's Mud.  Not a great experience; ageing frontmen backed by young bucks.  I believe at one point there may have been three versions of The Sweet out there, surviving member Andy Scott is still out there gigging and using the Sweet name.

 

I'm sure there's bands out there trading off a name where there's no a single original member; I'd have respected Connolly and Gray more if they'd just gone out under their own name rather than using Sweet/Mud.

 

End of the day, bands are like football teams, many of which are simply a revolving door of talent.  Personally, I'm of the belief that once your primary singer goes, then that should be that.  Using 10cc as an example, the classics were all sung by Creme/Stewart/Godley, all of whom flew the nest decades ago; I have friends who try and catch Gouldman's 10cc as often as possible, even travelling abroad and combining the gig with a city-break.  They've asked whether we'd be interested and have declined the offer; to me if they broke out Rubber Bullets, I want Lol and Kevin to be singing and I couldn't get past that, otherwise isn't it effectively karaoke?

 

 

[Geek99]

36 minutes ago, NancyJohnson said:

… Kevin to be singing and I couldn't get past that, otherwise isn't it effectively karaoke?

 

 

Agreed. A currently imaginary Simple minds 2 would not be simple minds without at least some core members, even if they played it note for note.