Entertainment For Lively Minds
It really is all about the singer, isn't it?
Posted by Iainso on 20 February 2009 - 2:55pm.
See the attached article about INXS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7901279.stm
This got me to thinking. Are there any bands that have enjoyed similar or more sucess after the departure of the front man? I can only think of one:
Genesis.
There must be others (Sugababes possibly, but then they didn't have a lead singer per se).
Any ideas?
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Pink Floyd...
...twice
Good one!
Well done Stimpy. You get a prize. A virtual prize of course!
AC
DC
Again...
..well done. You lot are much quicker than me.
Oh! Got one.
ELO, given that Roy Wood was the original lead singer.
Erm...
Ultravox
Duran Duran
Buzzcocks
Iron Maiden
I bet there's loads more...
Really?
Duran Duran. I did not know that.
Original singer was
Steven "Tin Tin" Duffy
I seem to recall a similar
I seem to recall a similar thinng with the human league? In effect 2 bands came out of it, Heaven 17 and the aforementioned. Stellar success followed. At a stretch you could also say Steely Dan with the departure of David Palmer.
The ubiquitous...
...King Crimson continued to enjoy success following the departure of almost the entire band, several times.
isn't the theory
that the sugarbabes will end up in 20 years times as 3 gay korean blokes?
I believe
Stephen 'tin tin' Duffy originally was the singer, however briefly, or the Durannies
Marillion
come to mind
Gone on to similar or more success?
In terms of finance and monetising the extant fanbase? Yep. In terms of record sales, not at all.
Fairport Convention
Of course, Fairport have rotated personnel in every role for over 40 years, but it takes real dedication to have and then misplace singers as able and distinctive (in their various ways) as Sandy Denny (twice), Iain Matthews, Trevor Lucas and Dave Swarbrick.
Come in Mr Simper?
Deep Purple. Mind you the next few left as well, even if Ian Gillan came back.
Fairport Covention. I'm thinking Judy Dyble, but Sandy left twice before "leaving" altogether, which still didn't stop 'em..(Snap, we were writing together)
Arguably Black Sabbath.
Steeleye Span, if Martin Carthy counts, as at least as lead a vocalist as Maddy Prior.
Manfred Mann: I would say they were just as successful with Mike D'Abo as with Paul Jones
(All very cutting edge, I know.........)
Deep Purple
Twice. And Rainbow. It might be a Richie Blackmore thing.
This being the man whose idea of entertainment...
on plane flights was to take the in-flight magazine, remove the centre pages and replace them with pages from a sex mag involving union between woman and horse. He would then place the magazine in the rack in front of some unsuspecting little old lady and wait for the fireworks to begin....
It's one way to keep yourself amused, I suppose...
You could reverse it
The Human League. The musical side of the band left, leaving it for a time as just Phil Oakey and the multimedia slide-fest of Adrian Wright. So then after pinching Ian Burden from a fellow Sheffield group and spotting Joanne & Susan throwing their magnificent 'carrying heavy shopping' shapes in a club, the rest was pop magic history
Oi
You missed out ex- Rezillos guitarist, Jo Callis.
Ah yes
But he wasn't 'seen' until the Dare sleeve. They had had two proper hits with Sound Of The Crowd and Love Action at that point.
Pictorial evidence
Like Chic via Hovis
http://www.multinet.no/~jonarne/Hjemmesia/Favorittartister/the_human_lea...
Has there been a better pop line-up pic? No.
reminds me...
anyone else here listen to Phill and Phil's Perfect Ten podcast?
And possibly you could include
Joy Division/ New Order?
Saint Etienne
First single Only Love Can Break Your Heart was someone else before Sarah Cracknell took over vocals for good.
Cracknell
Nice pop fact. I never knew that.
Moira Lambert
provided the vocal for Only Love...
More info at http://www.moirasings.com/bio.html
Kiss And Make Up
was another single without Cracknell. Can't remember who it was who sang on that. Great single.
And Google is my friend
Donna Savage of the New Zealand band Dead Famous People.
Did Bob Stanley provide the vocals
on the rather wonderful B side?
"St Etienne's World Cup Theme 1990"
Had a lot of references to John Barnes!
Not sure about
Joy division/ NewOrder as arguably New order have made just a good as record as they did as Joy division i think with JD/NO it may be age thing old new wavers go for JD anyone young it's more NO.
And as for St Etienne they were hardly going when Sarah Cracknell joined and wouldn't be the same with out her classy pop presence and general cool.
*grabs handbag*
Get YOU
JD/NO
Yes, New Order have made fantastic and hugely successful records, but isn't the point that they wouldn't have been New Order without having been Joy Division first? Would they have even been together as a group without Ian Curtis? Possibly, but....you get my drift.
Admittedly not as a hitmaking force...
... but Paul Roberts was lead singer of The Strangers for 16 years, exactly as long as Hugh Cornwell (did I read that he even timed it to be 1 day longer...?)
And not singer-wise, but Depeche Mode went on to become global megastars after main songwriter and founder Vince Clarke left to form Yazoo.
A pedant responds..
I'd love to hear this group 'The Strangers' of whom you speak...!
It's Friday, gimme a break...
... but fair comment.
Merle Haggard's....
....backing band where called the Strangers. Cue much consternation from a friend of mine stood in a record shop with a copy of what he was convinced was a "Merle Haggard & the Stranglers" album. Oh how we laughed on the way to the pub....
Journey....
reformed with the lead singer from the tribute band and went on to sell out enormo-domes throughout the States.
Iron Maiden...
Paul Di'Anno, follwed by the infinitely more popular Bruce Dickinson.
The Doors?
The Doors have been going for much longer after Jim Morrison died, and have released more (admittedly mostly old live stuff... but still) than when he was still in existence.
Admittedly, "Other Voices" and "Full Circle" were lame, but what do you expect?
The tour they did with Ian Astbury wasn't too shabby either.
So, I'm not sure if it counts as anywhere near the same level, but there has been longer activity after the lead singer's death.
the first band
which popped into my head are Queen, who have carried on since Freddie's death (okay Cosmic Rocks was a bit iffy).
Cosmic Rocks
'was a bit iffy'
Nice understatement
Sex Pistols?
Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't their biggest hit "C'mon everybody",with Sid Vicious on vocals?
that post break up thing
was odd. but god save the queen got to #2 or #1 (if you believe the conspiracy theories). that said Paul Cook sang Silly Thing and that got to no.6. Blimey i bought it. And Ronnie Biggs sang on Non One is Innocent and that was a top ten hit too. I think they had more hits post Rotten with various singers than before.
Van Halen & Little Feat
have had at least three each.
Faith No More
had modest success with Chuck Mosely on vocals, before swapping him for Mike Patton and enormous success.
They also put up with Courtney Love for a whole six months before Chuck.
The Shads
have enjoyed great success apres-Cliff. Helps if you don't actually need a singer..
Mercury Rev
lost their original singer after their first or second album. They didn't do too badly, eventually.
The Tremeloes
enjoyed considerable chart success following the departure of front man Brian Poole. Also the Searchers after Tony Jackson left carried on hit-making.
Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich
enjoyed a hit with 'Mr President' following the exit of whip-cracking front man Dave Dee.
Inspiral Carpets
Had a different singer on their first EP. Noel Gallagher famously auditioned for the gig on the night of the Lockerbie disaster. Charlatans also had the fantastically named Baz Kettley before Tim Burgess
Bigger than Rod?
Faces were more successful than Small Faces. I think I prefer the Small-version, but they were bigger with Rod than with Steve.
I guess most people see them as two different bands, though.
Really? Possibly as a live act...
...but the Small Faces had number one singles and albums in the UK, and the Faces didn't approach that.
Diana Who?
Stoned Love, the first single by The Supremes after Jean Terrel took over from Diana Ross was a big hit all over the world and is regarded by many as their finest single (not least because of Jean’s singing.) Diana Ross’s first solo single Reach Out And Touch Somebody’s Hand, released at the same time, didn’t do nearly as well and it took a while for her solo career to really get going.
The Beautiful South
Changed the female singer a couple of times, didn't they? But that might not count as there was this other guy singing as well.
JUDAS PRIEST
They tried it, didn't work for long, got the old (now also very gay, who'd have thought that one eh?) back and carried on as if nothing had ever happened in the first place!