BANDS THAT HAVENT MADE PERSONAL CHANGES

just finished watching u2s movie and i asked the following question.

name a band that has had the same members throughout and is still together for over 25 years.
u2 seems like the only band we can name.

is there any other band that has the same lineup or close to it over the years?

I would say the Smithereens but I just found they replaced the bassist a couple of years ago.

The Residents, just because no one really knows for sure.

Except for the O'Rourke period, Sonic Youth has been the same 4 since, what, 1986? 22 years is nothing to sneeze at.

ZZ Top. Same three guys (and same three chords) since 1969.

Can't think of any others who've made the silver anniversary mark, but The Hives, The Donnas, 311 and Radiohead all have been going at least 15 years with no personnel changes.

Cheap Trick and Aerosmith both had personnel changes in the '80s, but the original line-up of each band regrouped. Both bands have endured 20 years since then, with the original line-up and no further changes.

on the flip side, what band has had the most lineup changes? From 74 to 76, the James Gang had a brand new frontline for 3 consecutive albums.

Didn't the Byrds end up with McGuinn as the only remaining original member?

And there's always Menudo

entropy wrote:

> on the flip side, what band has had the most lineup changes?
> From 74 to 76, the James Gang had a brand new frontline for 3
> consecutive albums.


Rob Younger can surround himself with whatever he wants (even The Leaving Trains, or whatever Falling James is calling The Leaving Trains at the moment) and call them New Christs. Kim Salmon has a similiar knack with Scientists, but the king is, of course, Mark E. Smith.

Quote

> on the flip side, what band has had the most lineup changes?
> From 74 to 76, the James Gang had a brand new frontline for 3
> consecutive albums.


Rob Younger can surround himself with whatever he wants (even The Leaving Trains, or whatever Falling James is calling The Leaving Trains at the moment) and call them New Christs. Kim Salmon has a similiar knack with Scientists, but the king is, of course, Mark E. Smith

Would the Mothers of Invention count, or they considered to merely be Zappa's "backup band"? Public Image Limited and Pretenders might qualify as well (since in theory they're supposed to be "bands" instead of singer-with-backing-musicians). Aside from one or two key members Black Flag went through a buncha folks as well (at least 3 singers before Henry, at least 3 bassists if you count Ginn, god knows how many drummers)

BTW would "duos" count for the "no lineup change" award, because I think folks like Erasure and Pet Shop Boys might qualify. Not too mention "record every 5-8 years" folks like Suicide (around since early 70s and still going, if not with as much product as U2)

Fairport Convention has had a fairly consistent lineup since they reuninted in the...late 80s? But during their 60s-70s heyday (no pun intended), they had a different lineup for every album. One record even had no original members.

Awww man, how could I forget Sloan. Same four guys for 16 years. (Man, that's one band I wish I'd heard a lot sooner.)

If duos count, then Sparks is a shoe-in. I don't know if Dinky Diamond or Earle Mankey were actually "in" Sparks. I know that when I used to talk with Jim Goodwin of The Call, who had been part of Sparks' line-up during the Whomp/Angst/Outer Space period, he certainly didn't think he was a part of the band.

I'm not positive if there were any personnel changes throughout any part of the band's career but all the original members of The Reducers are still together. Depending on when they actually formed (1978?) that would make 30 years.

Madness has kept the same lineup since 1977. Of course, the band took time off. And Mike Barson and Chris Foreman both left for a year or two before coming back.

The B-52's have had a few stretches where one member (Kate Pierson or Cindy Wilson) wasn't on board, but I think when the band's been working, they've all been together and the four surviving members will be on the new album this spring. Obviously, Ricky Wilson's death factors in somewhere, but I won't try to figure that out.

Along the same lines, INXS?

Springsteen's E St. Band has featured basically the same lineup for over 30 years. Nils Lofgren, Patty Scialfa and Soozie Tyrell were added, Miami Steve took a brief break, but for all intents and purposes, the band in 1975 is the same band in 2008.

In its current incarnation, Squeeze has 5 members. And 15 former members.

Yep, INXS made it to the 20-year mark without any personnel changes, until the lead singer died. Same can be said for Queen.

Soft Machine had a 100% membership turnover, Mike Ratledge being the last original member to leave.

You could say the same about Jefferson Starship as well with regard to 100% turnover, or does the name change to Starship disqualify after Paul left mitigate that.

The same is true of the Doobie Brothers. (The current touring lineup, though, includes two of the original members.)

And lest we forget, the same is true of the Velvet Underground.

Wasn't Sterling in all versions of VU?

Sterling bailed out of the VU in 1971 & Doug Yule led them for a couple of more years.

Also, I was thinking, in light of the White Stripes, that it would have been interesting if Sterling & Moe worked together as a duo. It wouldn't have been the VU, but it would have been interesting.

I believe Willie "Loco" Alexander was in the post-VU VU.

Doug Yule gets kicked around a lot, but the bass part in "Foggy Notion" is killer.

Willie "Loco" Alexander was indeed a member of the post-Lou VU