As bandmembers die, how lengthy can a gaggle proceed earlier than it’s not the identical group? – National

When I used to be rising up in Winnipeg, there was an old school Good Fellas-type supper membership at 579 Portage Ave. referred to as Club Morocco.

Opened in 1954 by a man named Harry Smith, the place ran weekly advertisements within the Winnipeg Free Press promoting the leisure for the approaching week to go together with its signature Chinese buffet. Not solely did Harry showcase native acts, however he usually introduced in out-of-towners. Before the Star Trek franchise took off with motion pictures within the late Nineteen Seventies, Nichelle Nichols — Lt. Uhura, in fact — was generally the featured singer. But the group I bear in mind seeing marketed essentially the most was The Ink Spots.

They had been a pop vocal group from New York fashioned in 1934, who recorded for Decca and broke up in 1954. But if the group ended within the Fifties, how was Harry capable of e book them at Club Morocco by way of the Nineteen Seventies and ’80s? Extreme dilution, that’s how. There was a schism throughout the unique lineup and The Ink Spots splintered time and again and once more. There might have been dozens of Ink Spots, none of which had any unique members and even reliable ties to the group that fashioned in 1934. All of them in some way managed to commerce on that title and legacy for years.

We’re beginning to run into the identical downside at present with bands cherished by Boomers and Gen Xers. As the bands of their youth splinter and die off member by member, we’re beginning to see a disaster of authenticity. When is the band we go to see NOT the band we wish to see?

Fake bands, like we noticed with The Ink Spots, are nothing new. Frankie Goes to Hollywood — notorious for his or her British and MTV hits Relax and Two Tribes — launched a tour of the U.S. The downside was this group was a whole faux with no unique members and was fashioned with out anybody’s information or consent. Out entrance was a man who referred to as himself Davey Johnson and claimed to be precise singer Holly Johnson’s brother, which, in fact, he wasn’t. Yet this FGTH managed to play gigs all through the U.S. for nearly two years.

Cobbled-together reunions have additionally been an issue. Remember when The Doors hit the street once more? Wait: The correct title of this group was The Doors of the twenty first Century and embody simply two unique members; keyboardist Ray Manzarek and guitarist Robby Krieger. Jim Morrison, nonetheless stubbornly lifeless since 1971, was unable to take part. His place was taken by Ian Astbury of the Cult. Drummer John Densmore couldn’t make it due to a foul case of tinnitus, so Stewart Copeland of the Police stuffed in. Despite authorized issues with their use of the title, they continued to gig till Manzarek died in 2013.

As time marches on, the issues with authenticity are rising. Classic rock artists are dying, leaving huge holes of their teams that can’t be stuffed.

ZZ Top, for instance. For 51 years, the group consisted of the unbreakable trinity of Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard, and Dusty Hill, promoting an estimated 50 million albums. But then on July 28, 2021, Hill died after being hospitalized with a hip damage and since then, ZZ Top has carried on with a bass participant named Elwood Francis. Question: Given the all-for-one-one-for-all picture of the unique three hombres, is that this nonetheless ZZ Top?

The identical query may be requested of Lynyrd Skynyrd, who actually haven’t been the identical since that deadly aircraft crash in October 1977 that killed founding member, frontman, and lyricist Ronnie Van Zant. Skynyrd regrouped 10 years later and has carried on ever since. Today, guitarist Gary Rossington is the one unique member. Somehow listening to at present’s lineup play Freebird simply doesn’t really feel proper, contemplating that 13 former members of the band are lifeless. Yet they’re going to tour in 2023 with — look ahead to it — ZZ Top.

Even weirder is the case of The Allman Brothers. Duane and Gregg Allman fashioned the band in 1969 with Dickey Betts, Berry Oakley, Butch Trucks, and Jaimoe Jameson. Duane died in a motorbike accident in 1971 and Gregg succumbed to liver most cancers in 2017. There’s a model of the Allman Brothers nonetheless taking part in gigs with a lineup that doesn’t embody a single member of any version of the unique band. A promoter got here up with the concept of buying and selling on the Allman Brothers model by protecting the music alive utilizing youthful gamers. A tribute band? Not in response to the promoter or the Allman’s property. The undertaking has its full endorsement. Watch for them on the street in 2023.

Outside of Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, KISS has had a revolving door coverage with lead guitarists and drummers ever since Ace Frehley and Peter Criss began going squirrelly within the early Nineteen Eighties. Now that the band is approaching its closing FINAL reveals (or so they are saying), Simmons has mused about protecting KISS alive with replacements for him and Paul. Hey, there’s nonetheless a Glenn Miller Orchestra though Miller died throughout World War II. Why not?

Then there’s the unusual state of affairs of Foreigner. They’ll start an 18-month farewell tour subsequent that would possibly embody sole unique member Mick Jones, however due to well being points (and the truth that the dude is sort of 80), he won’t make it to all the gigs.

Let’s think about a couple of others:

• Fleetwood Mac, decreased to 3 (Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood, and John McVie) following the irreparable estrangement of Lindsey Buckingham and the current dying of Christine McVie.
• The Eagles, with simply Don Henley, Joe Walsh, and Timothy B. Schmidt remaining from the basic lineup.
• The Rolling Stones: Mick, Keef, and Ronnie. That’s it.
• The Who, down to simply Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend since John Entwistle handed in 2002. Keith Moon has been gone since 1978.
• Journey: Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain are all who stay from the group’s imperial section of the Nineteen Eighties.
• Steely Dan is down to simply Donald Fagen following the dying of Walter Becker.
• The Beach Boys: It’s simply Mike Love.
• Emerson, Lake & Palmer, on the street in 2023 with solely drummer Carl Palmer. The different two members have died.
• Yes: Only Steve Howe stays from the prog-rock glory years.
• Blood, Sweat & Tears, Quiet Riot, Ratt: Still touring however with ZERO unique members. (We may put GWAR on this camp, however given the way in which they’ve all the time operated, we’ll give them a go.)

There are lots extra, however I feel you get the concept.

The state of affairs will solely devolve additional till these basic acts are the equal of Ted Williams’ head in a cryogenic chamber. But don’t low cost metaverse know-how, holograms, and avatar productions (assume ABBA Voyage; the Bee Gees and Cher are reportedly in one thing related.) There’s method an excessive amount of cash to be made on nostalgia.

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Alan Cross is a broadcaster with Q107 and 102.1 the Edge and a commentator for Global News.

Subscribe to Alan’s Ongoing History of New Music Podcast now on Apple Podcast or Google Play

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