Supergroup (music)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

“Supergroup” redirects here. For other uses, see Supergroup (disambiguation).

In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe music groups composed of members who had already achieved fame or respect in other groups or as individual artists. The term took its name from the 1968 album Super Session with Al Kooper, Mike Bloomfield, and Stephen Stills. The coalition of Crosby, Stills and Nash (later Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young) is another early example, given the success of their prior bands (The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, and The Hollies respectively). The earliest example would be the band Cream, whose members, Ginger Baker, Eric Clapton, and Jack Bruce were all widely respected musicians in Britain.

1 List of notable supergroups
- 1.1 1960s
- 1.2 1970s
- 1.3 1980s
- 1.4 1990s
- 1.5 2000s
2 Charity supergroups
3 References
4 See also

The term has sometimes been applied more loosely by certain music writers to groups that sold huge numbers of albums and headlined massive concerts regardless of the previous fame of their individual members, such as the band Led Zeppelin, where in only Jimmy Page was well known at the time the group formed. However, the term as correctly applied refers to the architecture of the group, not the achievements. "Supergroup" also generally does not encompass existing bands whose members achieved individual fame after the band's founding, though some have chosen to retroactively deem such bands (including Queen, Genesis and Yes) to be supergroups. There are also instances in which an existing band added a prominent new member or members, where the resulting group might have been considered a supergroup had it not kept its original band name, such as Van Halen after recruiting Sammy Hagar and Gary Cherone, and The Eagles after hiring Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit. By any standards, it is not a rigidly defined category and has become, more than anything, a marketing term.

Supergroups (of the strict definition) tend to be short-lived, often lasting only for an album or two, perhaps because of the natural conflict of egos between established stars. Additionally, supergroups are often formed as side projects that are not intended to be permanent.

In jazz, although it is more common for famous artists to play together, the term is rarely used.

[edit] List of notable supergroups

This list is of each band's founding line-up, and members who joined within a year of founding.

This list contains only groups which have performed more than a single song or live show together.

[edit] 1960s

Founded

Band/project name

Members

Notes

1966

Cream

Eric Clapton (The Yardbirds, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers)
Jack Bruce (Bluesbreakers, Manfred Mann, Graham Bond Organisation)
Ginger Baker (Graham Bond Organisation)

Albums: Fresh Cream, Disraeli Gears, Wheels of Fire and Goodbye.

1968

Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young)

Neil Young (Buffalo Springfield) joined in 1969

Albums: Crosby, Stills &Nash, Déjà Vu, Four Way Street, and more.

1968

The Dirty Mac

Albums: The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus

1968

Super Super Blues Band

Albums: Super Blues, Super Super Blues Band

1969

Blind Faith

Albums: Blind Faith

[edit] 1970s

Founded

Band/project name

Members

Notes

1970

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Albums: Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Tarkus, Trilogy, and more

1971

Wings

Pete Townshend (of The Who), John Paul Jones (of Led Zeppelin), Kenney Jones (replacement for Keith Moon of The Who), and Robert Plant (of Led Zeppelin) played with the band during and after Rockestra until the band's break-up in 1981.

Albums: Wild Life, Red Rose Speedway, Venus and Mars, and more

1971

Weather Report

Jaco Pastorius and Peter Erskine were the rhythm section during the late 1970s, many other transient members

Albums: Heavy Weather, I Sing the Body Electric, Black Market, and more

1973

Mahavishnu Orchestra

Albums: Birds of Fire, The Inner Mounting Flame, and more

1973

Journey

Aynsley Dunbar (Jeff Beck, Frank Zappa, David Bowie) replaced Prince in 1974

Albums: Journey, Look into the Future, Next, and more

1973

Harmonia

Albums: Musik Von Harmonia, Deluxe, Tracks and Traces

1973

Bad Company

Albums: Bad Company, Straight Shooter, Run With the Pack and more.

1977

Albums: U.K., Danger Money, Night After Night and more.

[edit] 1980s

Founded

Band/project name

Members

Notes

1981

Asia

Geoff Downes (Yes, Buggles)
John Wetton (King Crimson, UK)
Steve Howe (Yes)
Carl Palmer (Emerson Lake and Palmer, Atomic Rooster)

Albums: Asia, Alpha, Astra, and more

1983

The Glove

Robert Smith (The Cure)
Steve Severin (Siouxsie & The Banshees)
Jeanette Landray
Andy Anderson (The Cure)
Martin McCarrick (Siouxsie & The Banshees)
Anne Stephenson (The Venomettes)
Ginny Hewes

Albums: Blue Sunshine

1984

Hindu Love Gods

Albums: Hindu Love Gods

1984

The Power Station

Albums: The Power Station, Living in Fear, Best of, The Power Station: 20th Anniversary Edition

1984

The Firm

Albums: The Firm, Mean Business

1984

Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens / Mahlathini Nezintombi Zomgqashiyo

Simon 'Mahlathini' Nkabinde
Hilda Tloubatla (Mahotella Queens)
Nobesuthu Mbadu (Mahotella Queens)
Mildred Mangxola (Mahotella Queens)
Makgona Tsohle Band

Helped introduce South African "Mbaqanga" music to the USA and Europe.
Albums: Thokozile, Melodi Yalla, Mbaqanga, and more

1985

The Highwaymen

Albums: Highwayman, Highwayman 2, The Road Goes on Forever

1986

GTR

Steve Hackett (Genesis)
Steve Howe (Yes, Asia)
Max Bacon (Bronz)
Phil Spalding (Bernie Torme, Toyah, Mike Oldfield)
Jonathan Mover (Steve Vai)

Album: GTR

1988

Traveling Wilburys

Orbison died shortly after the first album was released. Albums: Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3

1988

Bad English

Albums: Bad English, Backlash

1989

Electronic

This lineup recorded the single Getting Away With It, Following Electronic releases would just be Sumner/Marr with occasional appearances by Tennant

1989

Damn Yankees

Their power ballad "High Enough" produced the first #1 Single of Nugent's career.

[edit] 1990s

Founded

Band/project name

Members

Notes

1991

Contraband

Michael Schenker (Scorpions, UFO, Michael Schenker Group)
Tracii Guns (Guns N' Roses, L.A. Guns)
Share Pedersen (Vixen)
Richard Black (Shark Island)
Bobby Blotzer (Ratt)

Album: Contraband

1994

Mad Season

Album: Above

1995

Neurotic Outsiders

Album: Neurotic Outsiders

1995

Down

Albums: NOLA

1995

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes

Albums: Have a Ball, Are a Drag, Blow in the Wind, Take a Break, Love Their Country

1997

War

Jim Berger (Abruptum, Ophthalamia, Vondur)
David Parland (Dark Funeral)
Peter Tägtgren (Hypocrisy)
Tony Särkkä (Abruptum, Ophthalamia, Vondur)
David Larsson (Hypocrisy)
Lars Szöke (Hypocrisy)

Albums: Total War (EP), We Are War

1998

Cry Cry Cry

Album: Cry Cry Cry

1998

Liquid Tension Experiment

John Petrucci (Dream Theater)
Jordan Rudess (later of Dream Theater)
Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater)
Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel)

Albums: Liquid Tension Experiment, Liquid Tension Experiment 2

1998

Fantômas

Albums: Fantômas (album),The Director's Cut, Millennium Monsterwork 2000,Delìrium Còrdia and Suspended Animation.

1999

A Perfect Circle

Maynard James Keenan (Tool)
Billy Howerdel
Paz Lenchantin (Zwan)
Tim Alexander (Primus)
Josh Freese (The Vandals)
Troy Van Leeuwen (Failure, Queens of the Stone Age)
Jeordie White (Marilyn Manson)
Danny Lohner (Nine Inch Nails)
James Iha (The Smashing Pumpkins)

Albums: Mer de Noms, Thirteenth Step, eMOTIVe

1999

Sinergy

Kimberly Goss (ex-Dimmu Borgir)
Alexi Laiho (Children of Bodom)
Roope Latvala (Stone, Children of Bodom)
Marco Hietala (Nightwish)
Jesper Strömblad (In Flames)
Sharlee D'Angelo (Arch Enemy)
Lauri Porra (Stratovarius)
Tommi Lillman (To/Die/For)
Janne Parviainen (Ensiferum)

Albums: Beware the Heavens, To Hell and Back, Suicide By My Side

1999

Tabla Beat Science

(all of solo fame)

Album: Tala Matrix, Live in San Francisco at Stern Grove

[edit] 2000s

Founded

Band/project name

Members

Notes

2000

Audioslave

Albums: Audioslave, Out of Exile, Revelations

2000

Oysterhead

Albums: The Grand Pecking Order

2000

Deltron 3030

Albums: Deltron 3030

2000

Tomahawk

Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr Bungle, Fantômas)
Duane Denison (The Jesus Lizard)
John Stanier (Helmet)
Kevin Rutmanis (The Melvins, The Cows)

Albums: Tomahawk, Mit Gas

2000

Son Of Sam (band)

Davey Havok([AFI|AFI (band)])
Todd Youth([Samhain|Samhain (band)])
London May(Tiger Army, Samhain)
Steve Zing(Tiger Army, Samhain, The Undead, Mourning Noise)

Albums: Songs From The Earth

2001

The Reindeer Section

Alfie
- Ben Dumville
- Lee Gorton
- Sam Morris
Arab Strap
- Colin Macpherson
- Malcolm Middleton
- Aidan Moffat
Astrid
- William Campbell
- Charlie Clarke
- Neil Payne
- Gareth Russell
Belle & Sebastian
- Richard Colburn
- Mick Cooke
- Bob Kildea
Cadet
- Iain Archer
Eva
- Jenny Reeve
- Sarah Roberts
Idlewild
- Roddy Woomble
Mogwai
- John Cummings
Mull Historical Society
- Colin MacIntyre
Snow Patrol
- Gary Lightbody
- Mark Mclelland
- Jonny Quinn
Teenage Fanclub
- Norman Blake
The Vaselines
- Eugene Kelly
Michael Bannister
Roy Kerr
Paul Fox
Marcus Mackay
Gill Mills
Stacie Sievewright

Albums: Y'All Get Scared Now, Ya Hear! (2001)

You Are My Joy (single) (2002)
Son of Evil Reindeer (2002)

2002

Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains

Album: The Big Eyeball in the Sky

2002

Velvet Revolver

Album: Contraband

2004

The Panic Channel

Album: (ONe)

2005

Queen + Paul Rodgers

Brian May and Roger Taylor (Queen)
Paul Rodgers (Free)

Albums: upcoming^[1]

2005

Purple Ribbon All-Stars

Big Boi (Outkast, solo, producer)
Cee-Lo (Goodie Mob, Gnarls Barkley, solo)
Killer Mike (solo)
BlackOwned C-Bone (Konkrete, solo)
Lil' Brotha (Konkrete, solo)
Supa Nate (Konkrete, solo)
Janelle Monáe (solo)
Scar (solo)
Bubba Sparxxx (solo)
Sleepy Brown (solo, producer)

Albums: Got That Purp, Got Purp? Vol 2

2005

SerialPod

2005

The New Cars

Todd Rundgren
Prairie Prince (Journey, The Tubes, Jefferson Starship)
Kasim Sulton (Todd Rundgren's Utopia, Meat Loaf, The Tubes)
Atom Ellis
Greg Hawkes (The Cars)
Elliot Easton (The Cars)

2005

+44

Album: When Your Heart Stops Beating

2005

Angels and Airwaves

Album: We Don't Need To Wisper

2006

Damnocracy

2006

Army of Anyone

2006

The Raconteurs

Jack White (The White Stripes)
Brendan Benson (Solo)
Patrick Keeler (The Greenhornes)
Jack Lawrence (The Greenhornes, Blanche)

2006

Rock Star Supernova

2006

Abbath (Immortal)
Arve Isdal (Enslaved)
TC King (Gorgoroth)
Armagedda (Immortal)

Albums: Between Two Worlds

2007

Hellyeah

2007

(unnamed band featuring these members)

Albums: The Good, the Bad and the Queen

2007

The Cake Sale

Albums: The Cake Sale

[edit] Charity supergroups

These were usually one-shot projects, organized to create a charity record to raise money or awareness for a cause or charity.

Founded	Band/project name	Project co-ordinator(s)	Notes
1971	The Concert for Bangladesh	George Harrison Ravi Shankar	concert to raise awareness of refugee problems in Bangladesh, raised funds to benefit UNICEF relief fund, released a film of the concert and an album, The Concert for Bangla Desh
1979	Rockestra	Paul McCartney	recorded "Let It Be", "Lucille", "Rockestra Theme", and "So Glad to See You Here" at the Concerts for the People of Kampuchea, to benefit people of Cambodia suffering from Pol Pot's regime; released as a promotional EP and film
1983	ARMS Charity Concert	Ronnie Lane	concert at Royal Albert Hall to support multiple sclerosis research
1984	Band Aid	Bob Geldof Midge Ure	recorded "Do They Know It's Christmas?" charity single for famine relief in Ethiopia
1985	Northern Lights	Bruce Allen	recorded the charity single "Tears Are Not Enough" for famine relief in Ethiopia
1985	USA for Africa	Harry Belafonte Michael Jackson Lionel Richie Kenny Rogers	recorded "We Are the World" charity single for famine relief in Ethiopia
1985	Hear 'n Aid	Ronnie James Dio	recorded the charity single and album "Stars" for famine relief in Africa
1985	Artists United Against Apartheid	Steven Van Zandt	recorded the song and album "Sun City" to protest apartheid in South Africa
1985/1986	Dionne and Friends	Dionne Warwick Gladys Knight Elton John Stevie Wonder	Recorded the song "That's What Friends Are For" as a charity single for the United Kingdom in 1985 and the United States in 1986 for American Foundation for AIDS Research.
1989	Band Aid II	Bob Geldof Midge Ure	re-recording of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" charity single, also for famine relief in Ethiopia
1991	Voices That Care	Peter Cetera David Foster Linda Thompson	recorded charity single "Voices That Care" to raise the morale of U.S. troops in Operation Desert Storm and benefit the International Red Cross
2001	All Star Tribute		covered "What's Going On" to benefit Artists Against AIDS Worldwide
2004	Band Aid 20	Bob Geldof Midge Ure	re-recording of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" 20th anniversary charity single, for famine relief in Ethiopia
2004	Dreamtime Christmas All-Stars		covered "Twelve Days of Christmas"
2005	The North American Hallowe'en Prevention Initiative (NAHPI)		an all star cast of rock artists recorded a satire of the song "Do They Know It's Christmas" named Do They Know It's Hallowe'en?, all proceeds being donated to UNICEF.
2005	One World Project		recorded the charity single "Grief Never Grows Old" to benefit 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami relief