Thursday 25 October 2012

Short List

Nobody guessed the answer to the previous short list but one (Ariel Sharon and Hosni Mubarak). Prince Johan Friso is in a coma but is unfortunately not a former Middle Eastern leader.

Today's Short List: "Pop groups which have had so many line up changes that the ex-members were able to reform the more-or-less original band under a different name while the official version of the band was still in existence"

17 comments:

Sobers said...

Definitely Bucks Fizz. I think three of the 4 wanted to tour under the original name but someone else owned it so they couldn't.

Mark Wadsworth said...

S, nice one, Wiki confirms.

Unknown said...

Hawkwind, the archetypal band for a mis-spent and joyous youth.

Mark Wadsworth said...

LV, Hawkwind had plenty of line-up changes, but were there ever two versions of the band at the same time - an official one and a parallel one composed of ex-members?

Tim Worstall said...

One of the prog rock bands. ....Erm, ah yes, "Yes" perhaps?

Mark Wadsworth said...

TW, Yes, that's on the list.

The Hickory Wind said...

The Flying Burrito Brothers? I think some of the original members tried to reform, and there is an 'official version' still about somewhere.

Kevin the Chimp said...

Sugababes

Mark Wadsworth said...

CI, that's not only a bit obscure, but you've phrased it as a question.

KTC, spot on! They're on the list.

The Hickory Wind said...

Further research (a bit of Googling) shows the original Burritos never actually reformed. So I withdraw my nominee. Memory playing tricks, as usual.

DBC Reed said...

Nominate the Drifters,although I would n't trust anybody who says they understand all the personnel /name changes.The famous line-up with Ben E King was actually the re-badged Five Crowns.
Something similar is bound to have happened to Spinal Tap but do you have an arbitary reality ban (reality being arbitary a the best of times)?

Mark Wadsworth said...

CI, noted.

DBC, Drfiters looks good. I've watched Spinal Tap and I don't think they got as far as having a parallel band composed of ex-members.

DBC Reed said...

There was some funny business in their early days when they were called the Originals then somebody else turned up calling themselves The Originals so Tufnell&Co called themselves something else then...it all gets totally confusing.I think the parallel group thing must have happened.The official accounts differ from what they actually say in the film ,which you would expect.BTW the Northampton Chronicle and Echo, which has declined into a weekly only now, reported Nigel's birthday as a real event (at the same time they said Shelley died of gout).
I would n't try and check out The Drifters: their evolution is beyond human comprehension.

john b said...

Half of The Beat (who were always called the English Beat in the US) tour the UK as The Beat, while the other half tour the US as the English Beat. Brilliantly, the two Beats are now doing a double-headed tour of America.

Boney M have toured more or less everywhere featuring more or less everyone, including approximately none of the people who appeared on their records.

From 1965 onwards, Beach Boys albums were made solely by Brian Wilson and studio musicians, while the Beach Boys touring line-up featured everyone else and no Brian.

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure they (or their remaining fans, me included) would enjoy the term "pop group" but Wishbone Ash and Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash have been touring at the same time for years. Martin Turner was one of the original WA lineup, and both bands have included members from all over the rock / progressive rock / even pop spectrum.

And bloody good they were, too.

Unknown said...

Re Hawkwind.

There are various versions going around right now and certainly in the recent past. Only Dave Brock's permission allows use of the name Hawkwind, though Turner, Slattery and Ollis (and others) recently perfomed under other names - Space Ritual for one (I think).

Mark Wadsworth said...

LV, so is there, at this moment in time* an official Hawkwind (presumably whichever band has Dave Brock in it) and an unofficial Hawkwind (featuring several ex-members) which are both active, touring, playing Hawkwind songs etc?

* Or has there been, at any earlier moment in time.