Bands that should have called it quits when their lead singer left

[kevinb1994]

Is J Geils still around?  I know after Peter Wolfe left and Geils himself took the lead you never heard from them again.  Wolfe even made it big when he went solo with that Lights Out song as people considered him to be synonymous with the group that had many hits with him.

Geils died a couple of years ago, on 4/11/2017 at age 71.

And it was not long after Chuck Berry had passed away at age 90, just a couple/few weeks prior in fact.

Berry had died on March 18th of that year.

Yeah I wasn't sure of the exact date, but that's not long of a date/time gap IMO.

[spooky]

Is J Geils still around?  I know after Peter Wolfe left and Geils himself took the lead you never heard from them again.  Wolfe even made it big when he went solo with that Lights Out song as people considered him to be synonymous with the group that had many hits with him.

No that's not true, it was Seth Justman the keyboardist who took over back in the 80s when Peter Wolf left. They were only able to make it for one more album that tanked ("You're Getting Even While I'm Getting Odd" ) before calling it quits before they got back together later on. J Geils himself sadly passed away a couple years ago.

Correct.

Fun fact: the band went on tour in later years without J. Geils, who then sued the other members of the band for using the name without him, at which time the other members fired J. Geils from the J. Geils Band.

[Mark68]

Is J Geils still around?  I know after Peter Wolfe left and Geils himself took the lead you never heard from them again.  Wolfe even made it big when he went solo with that Lights Out song as people considered him to be synonymous with the group that had many hits with him.

No that's not true, it was Seth Justman the keyboardist who took over back in the 80s when Peter Wolf left. They were only able to make it for one more album that tanked ("You're Getting Even While I'm Getting Odd" ) before calling it quits before they got back together later on. J Geils himself sadly passed away a couple years ago.

Correct.

Fun fact: the band went on tour in later years without J. Geils, who then sued the other members of the band for using the name without him, at which time the other members fired J. Geils from the J. Geils Band.

So wouldn't that make them...The Band?

[Big John]

^^ The Band was already taken: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Band

[Mark68]

Guess I should have added /s

[hbelkins]

Chicago should really call it quits without Bill Champlin.  I cannot picture the second era of the band without him.  Sure the first era did not have him, but that was when they were more rocking with  Robert Lamm more of a full time vocalist and the late Terry Kath who had a lot to contribute.

The band probably did well changing genre after Kath died as I do not know if they would have been the same as a typical rock band without Terry.  It was more like a new band came forth when they went easy listening and adult contemporary.  Some songs with Champlin in the mix like Hard Habit To Break ( singing co lead with Cetera) and having his voice come into Will You Still Love Me with Cetera's replacement Jason Scheff singing lead on that one, but Champlin singing some lines in the chorus were kind of rocking.  Even the ones with Bill as solo lead like Look Away and Your'e Not Alone had a new type of Chicago sound with his voice.

Nonetheless, I miss his powerful voice.

"Hot Streets" was a really good album. I think it was a worthy successor to the Kath-era, and it was tons better than "X," and in many ways better than "XI," which sounded like a collection of solo pieces instead of a band album. Then, for whatever reason, "13" was released with that collection of songs, which never really took off. The poor performance of that album doomed the band with Columbia. "XIV" tanked and Columbia released them and put out "Greatest Hits Vol. II" as a 15th album to finish out their promised catalog on that label. Warner Bros./Full Moon signed them, "16" shot back up to the top, and the second era (Champlin/Foster) was born.

Myself, I can't take Bill Champlin's voice. It sounds like the proverbial chalk screeching on a chalkboard.

[kevinb1994]

Chicago should really call it quits without Bill Champlin.  I cannot picture the second era of the band without him.  Sure the first era did not have him, but that was when they were more rocking with  Robert Lamm more of a full time vocalist and the late Terry Kath who had a lot to contribute.

The band probably did well changing genre after Kath died as I do not know if they would have been the same as a typical rock band without Terry.  It was more like a new band came forth when they went easy listening and adult contemporary.  Some songs with Champlin in the mix like Hard Habit To Break ( singing co lead with Cetera) and having his voice come into Will You Still Love Me with Cetera's replacement Jason Scheff singing lead on that one, but Champlin singing some lines in the chorus were kind of rocking.  Even the ones with Bill as solo lead like Look Away and Your'e Not Alone had a new type of Chicago sound with his voice.

Nonetheless, I miss his powerful voice.

"Hot Streets" was a really good album. I think it was a worthy successor to the Kath-era, and it was tons better than "X," and in many ways better than "XI," which sounded like a collection of solo pieces instead of a band album. Then, for whatever reason, "13" was released with that collection of songs, which never really took off. The poor performance of that album doomed the band with Columbia. "XIV" tanked and Columbia released them and put out "Greatest Hits Vol. II" as a 15th album to finish out their promised catalog on that label. Warner Bros./Full Moon signed them, "16" shot back up to the top, and the second era (Champlin/Foster) was born.

Myself, I can't take Bill Champlin's voice. It sounds like the proverbial chalk screeching on a chalkboard.

I'm not a fan of Bill Champlin either, I'm not sure why he was even asked to join the band from late 1981 to August 2009.

"13"  had the killer performance of "˜Street Player', although I'm not sure if there was any reason behind its music video. "XIV"  was totally unoriginal (and led to the dismissal of de Oliveira). I'd have to take a hard listen to "Hot Streets"  and see for myself. "X"  and "XI"  was when the band was under pressure by Columbia to head in a more pop direction and Kath wanted to have a solo career. "16"  had "˜Hard To Say I'm Sorry'/Get Away' which I first heard in the family dentist's office when I was growing up. I didn't exactly know who it was playing on the office speakers and wondered if it was a Chicago song I hadn't heard before or not. I was only familiar with the Kath-era of the band on "IX"  at the time. Nowadays I have managed to pick up "VII"  and "VIII"  (the second and third Chicago albums to feature former percussionist Laudir de Oliveira, who was from Rio de Janeiro) in addition to "17"  which was their last album with Peter Cetera (this was done to add to our quite small collection of Chicago albums, which until the middle of this decade had only consisted of "X" , "IX" , "V" , and "VI" –"VI"  being the first Chicago album to feature de Oliveira and "X"  being the fourth to do so).

[kevinb1994]

Is J Geils still around?  I know after Peter Wolfe left and Geils himself took the lead you never heard from them again.  Wolfe even made it big when he went solo with that Lights Out song as people considered him to be synonymous with the group that had many hits with him.

No that's not true, it was Seth Justman the keyboardist who took over back in the 80s when Peter Wolf left. They were only able to make it for one more album that tanked ("You're Getting Even While I'm Getting Odd" ) before calling it quits before they got back together later on. J Geils himself sadly passed away a couple years ago.

Correct.

Fun fact: the band went on tour in later years without J. Geils, who then sued the other members of the band for using the name without him, at which time the other members fired J. Geils from the J. Geils Band.

I remember reading about that and was like "˜wtf'.

[RobbieL2415]

I feel like Great White should have stopped touring after The Station burnt down.

Foreigner without Lou isn't Foreigner to me. And Lou is a cousin of mine on my mom's side of the family.  Him and his brother don't get along too well and Lou isn't in the greatest of health.  And he's had his fair share of failed marriages. But he still tours and performs his old stuff.

[hbelkins]

Saw someone basically claiming "sacrilege" today because Steely Dan is still performing.

[abefroman329]

Saw someone basically claiming "sacrilege" today because Steely Dan is still performing.

" Sacrilege"  is strong, but as far as I'm concerned, the band was Becker and Fagen.

[DandyDan]

I feel like Great White should have stopped touring after The Station burnt down.

One thing I read about that is that Great White splintered into 2 bands and the version that performed at The Station was Jack Russell's Great White. Jack Russell was the singer in the original band.

QUeensryche did something similar when they kicked Geoff Tate out. Geoff Tate's version of Queensryche eventually became Operation Mindcrime.

[spooky]

I feel like Great White should have stopped touring after The Station burnt down.

One thing I read about that is that Great White splintered into 2 bands and the version that performed at The Station was Jack Russell's Great White. Jack Russell was the singer in the original band.

QUeensryche did something similar when they kicked Geoff Tate out. Geoff Tate's version of Queensryche eventually became Operation Mindcrime.

I'm always fascinated by '80s metal bands that play on with different members and sometimes splinter off into two different groups.

The band that became Great White was founded by Russell and guitarist Mark Kendall. Kendall was actually playing with Jack Russell's Great White at The Station and on the tour that continued later that year. Odd that they wouldn't just use Great White, although Kendall had left the band a few years before, after which they went on hiatus. The band reunited a few years after The Station fire, but Russell eventually was out again and continues today as Jack Russell's Great White.

[golden eagle]

TLC tried to go on after Lisa "Left Eye"  Lopes' death. It didn't work.

[hbelkins]

I'm always fascinated by '80s metal bands that play on with different members and sometimes splinter off into two different groups.

Every now and then, one of those "ancestry charts" will float across my Facebook feed. It's amazing how much incestuousness (for lack of a better term) takes place with a lot of those bands. And it's not just 80s bands, either. There's a lot of cross-pollination (again, for lack of a better term) in acts dating back to the 60s and 70s.

And then you have bands that splinter before they make it big. Guns 'n Roses was named for Tracii Guns and Axl Rose. Tracii Guns never made it to GnR's fame; he'd left earlier to form LA Guns (with lead singer Phil Collen, who I first heard of as the singer of a NWOBHM band called Girl in 1980).

And there's a reason Megadeth's "Mechanix" and Metallica's "Four Horsemen" sound alike.

[Gulol]

Jefferson Airplane ... ok, different sound and vibe when they became Jefferson Starship.  But Starship??  Absolutely not!  We Built This City is acknowledged as one of the worst songs of the 80s - even by Grace Slick.  And now that they are known as "Starship, featuring Mickey Thomas".  I'm guessing they're playing the County Fair circuit this summer as the opening act to the pie eating and quilt competitions. 

[Rothman]

Jefferson Airplane ... ok, different sound and vibe when they became Jefferson Starship.  But Starship??  Absolutely not!  We Built This City is acknowledged as one of the worst songs of the 80s - even by Grace Slick.  And now that they are known as "Starship, featuring Mickey Thomas".  I'm guessing they're playing the County Fair circuit this summer as the opening act to the pie eating and quilt competitions.

They still made gobs of money.

[hbelkins]

And there's a reason Megadeth's "Mechanix" and Metallica's "Four Horsemen" sound alike.

Ironically, the news broke yesterday afternoon that Dave Mustaine has throat cancer and Megadeth is calling off their tour.

[kevinb1994]

And there's a reason Megadeth's "Mechanix" and Metallica's "Four Horsemen" sound alike.

Ironically, the news broke yesterday afternoon that Dave Mustaine has throat cancer and Megadeth is calling off their tour.

Don't know if his history of alcoholism and drug abuse had anything to do with it, nor his hard rock/heavy metal vocal style. My sincerest condolences to him and his family, however (despite not agreeing with his notorious lifestyle nor his views).

[KeithE4Phx]

Jefferson Airplane ... ok, different sound and vibe when they became Jefferson Starship.  But Starship??  Absolutely not!  We Built This City is acknowledged as one of the worst songs of the 80s - even by Grace Slick.  And now that they are known as "Starship, featuring Mickey Thomas".  I'm guessing they're playing the County Fair circuit this summer as the opening act to the pie eating and quilt competitions.

Back in the mid '70s, many people (including me) called them "Jefferson Sellout."  A decade later, when Paul Kantner left and took Jefferson with him, it was just "Sellout."

[kevinb1994]

Jefferson Airplane ... ok, different sound and vibe when they became Jefferson Starship.  But Starship??  Absolutely not!  We Built This City is acknowledged as one of the worst songs of the 80s - even by Grace Slick.  And now that they are known as "Starship, featuring Mickey Thomas".  I'm guessing they're playing the County Fair circuit this summer as the opening act to the pie eating and quilt competitions.

Back in the mid '70s, many people (including me) called them "Jefferson Sellout."  A decade later, when Paul Kantner left and took Jefferson with him, it was just "Sellout."

[mgk920]

And there's a reason Megadeth's "Mechanix" and Metallica's "Four Horsemen" sound alike.

Ironically, the news broke yesterday afternoon that Dave Mustaine has throat cancer and Megadeth is calling off their tour.

They were scheduled to be the main stage ('American Family Insurance Amphitheater') act at Summerfest in Milwaukee on 2019-07-04.  That stage will be dark that night instead, no replacement act will be booked.



Mike

[texaskdog]

I remember Foreigner having a different lead singer in the early 90s, but Lou Gramm rejoined later and even had a minor hit.

10,000 Maniacs should’ve given up after Natalie Merchant called it quits.

funny, as much as I couldn't stand Natalie's solo stuff and really liked the Maniacs, they sure fizzled when she left. 

[bugo]

Anyone ever hear the two Doors albums that were recorded as a trio after Jim Morrison died? I've heard them. Not very memorable.

Despite his his fellow band members' talent, the reality was that Jim Morrison WAS The Doors, as far as their fans were concerned.  Manzarek, Krieger, and John Densmore should have taken the hint, and called it quits when Morrison died in 1971.

The Doors were sometimes marketed as Jim Morrison's band. Several of their album covers feature large pictures of Morrison and small pictures of the other band members. Hell, they named their fifth album "Morrison Hotel". I am of the opinion that all four band members were equally important and a version of the Doors without Jim Morrison lacked the magic they had with Morrison.

[bugo]

I'm always fascinated by '80s metal bands that play on with different members and sometimes splinter off into two different groups.

And there's a reason Megadeth's "Mechanix" and Metallica's "Four Horsemen" sound alike.

Temple of the Dog has a song called "Times of Trouble" that uses the same music with Pearl Jam's "Footsteps" The music for both songs was written by Stone Gossard who was in both bands at the time. Chris Cornell wrote the lyrics for "Times of Trouble" while Eddie Vedder wrote the lyrics for "Footsteps".

"Times of Trouble":
https://youtu.be/ZcL3M6B-WR4</youtube>

"Footsteps":
https://youtu.be/DUd9PaWXRSk</youtube>