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Bands that Replaced Lead Singer with Existiing Member when Lead Singer Left

  • 13-02-2017 8:27pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,222 ✭✭✭


    This is an easy enough concept - it's just hard to say in a short sentence! Can you think of bands where the lead singer left and was replaced by a member that was already in the band, i.e.,one of the musicians?

    Probably, the most famous example is Genesis. Lead vocalist Peter Gabriel left and drummer Phil Collins took on the lead vocal duties. Other examples include: Nick Heyward of Haircut 100 replaced by Marc Fox, a percussionist in the band; Limahl of Kajagoogoo replaced by bassist Nick Beggs (best known for Life in the Big Apple), Tim Smith of Midlake replaced by guitarist Eric Pulldo (e.g. The Young and The Old).

    i'm sure there are plenty more examples. Remember - I'm talking about bands where there was one main lead vocalist - not ones where they already liberally shared the lead vocals.


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,286 ✭✭✭✭briany


    Don't know if this counts because there was a name change but Bernard Sumner took over from Ian Curtis on vox after Curtis's death and carried on with the same members, forming New Order.

    Also, I could have sworn there was a very brief period in the Darkness' history after Justin Hawkins left and before they went on hiatus and done other projects that they had their bass player Richie Edwards doing lead vox. Really feel like I remember him fronting the band and singing One Way Ticket to Hell on TotP with them.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,222 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    briany wrote: »
    Don't know if this counts because there was a name change but Bernard Sumner took over from Ian Curtis on vox after Curtis's death and carried on with the same members, forming New Order.

    Also, I could have sworn there was a very brief period in the Darkness' history after Justin Hawkins left and before they went on hiatus and done other projects that they had their bass player Richie Edwards doing lead vox. Really feel like I remember him fronting the band and singing One Way Ticket to Hell on TotP with them.

    I thought of the Joy Division / New Order connection too, but decided against it on the basis that officially it was a different band. As regards One Way Ticket to Hell, Justin Hawkins was the lead vocalist on that song but he may have left the band some time after the release of the album it was from, so another may have mimed to it! That said, it could be the case that Richie Edwards took over the vocals in the band after Justin left - I just don't know.


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    The Buzzcocks. Howard Devoto left and started Magazine, guitarist Pete Shelley took the vocals, bass player Steve Diggle switched to guitar, and history was made. They signed their first record contract on the day Elvis died.

    Same song:

    Howard:


    Pete:


  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 11,837 Mod ✭✭✭✭Say Your Number


    briany wrote: »

    Also, I could have sworn there was a very brief period in the Darkness' history after Justin Hawkins left and before they went on hiatus and done other projects that they had their bass player Richie Edwards doing lead vox. Really feel like I remember him fronting the band and singing One Way Ticket to Hell on TotP with them.

    Richie took over rhythm guitar and vocals, they also brought in a new bass player and changed their name to Stone Gods, they finished when the Darkness reformed, which is a shame cos they were heavier and minus the contrived wackiness.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,286 ✭✭✭✭briany


    Richie took over rhythm guitar and vocals, they also brought in a new bass player and changed their name to Stone Gods, they finished when the Darkness reformed, which is a shame cos they were heavier and minus the contrived wackiness.


    Yeah, I know about Stone Gods, and agree that they were a very good band, but I do have this memory of Edwards singing with them as the Darkness, just when that second album dropped and Justin dropped out due to substance abuse issues, but before any sort of hiatus was officially announced. If it did happen, it would have been a very brief period, lasting mere weeks, if that, during the confusion as to whether the band would continue, or it could never have happened at all and it's just my memory playing tricks on me. :rolleyes:


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  • Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 2,159 Mod ✭✭✭✭Oink


    Manic street preachers. Main singer disappeared. Guitar player took over.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,246 ✭✭✭judeboy101


    Queen springs to mind, they still play gigs without Freddie but with some yank


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 40,061 ✭✭✭✭Harry Palmr


    /\ Read the thread title again! /\

    The Doors - After Morrison's death guitarist Robbie Krieger took over


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,794 ✭✭✭Squall Leonhart


    Juniper. Damien Rice quit as lead singer and drummer Paul Noonan took vocals, renamed the band to Bell X1.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,990 ✭✭✭Cool_CM


    Oink wrote: »
    Manic street preachers. Main singer disappeared. Guitar player took over.

    Richie didn't sing and couldn't really play guitar.
    He was great at writing amazing lyrics and being **** cool though!


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 40,061 ✭✭✭✭Harry Palmr


    Ian McLagan replaced (or more accurately took over sole vocal duties) when Steve Marriott left The Small Faces to join Humble Pie, but they also got in some bloke called Rod Stewart soon after!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,286 ✭✭✭✭briany


    Jerry Cantrell had been the main backing vocalist for Alice in Chains, but after Layne Staley died and Alice started playing again, Jerry was lead vocalist for a short while and now is co-lead vocalist with his rhythm guitarist, William DuVall.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,222 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    Bumping this thread up because there is a more recent example. Bear in mind what the thread is about, namely a departing lead singer being replaced by an existing musician from the band. Some of the examples that were given in this thread were not applicable because either (a) the person who left was not a singer, or (b) the new singer was new to the band as well! Look at my opening post to remind you.

    Anyway, the more recent example is Kasabian. Kasabian's main lead vocalist Tom Meighan left in 2020. Sergio Pizzimo, its guitarist and occasional lead vocalist, took over all the lead vocal duties.

    Post edited by Declan A Walsh on


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,153 ✭✭✭✭loyatemu


    2nd-division 90s Trip-Hop band the Sneaker Pimps - they actually sacked their female vocalist with whom they'd enjoyed decent success, and one of the anonymous background guys took over vocals. They were promptly dropped by their record label and saw out the rest of the career in obscurity.

    Surprised no-one has mentioned Pink Floyd yet as Syd Barrett was very much their lead singer before mental illness led to his departure. Bassist Roger Waters and new guitarist Dave Gilmour share vocals on most of their subsequent records, and occasionally keyboard player Richard Wright as well.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,297 ✭✭✭paul71


    I was about to mention that. I went to school with them.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 253 ✭✭mct1


    Moody Blues. When Denny Laine left, guitarist Justin Hayward took over as lead singer.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,749 ✭✭✭GerardKeating


    Genesis ,

    When Peter Gabriel left, Phil Collins took over lead vocals.



  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 92,890 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    Does The Prodigy count ?

    AC/DC of course.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,222 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,222 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    Justin Hayward was not an existing member of the band when Denny Laine left. He came into the band as Denny's replacement as guitarist. So he does not count. Also, the band shared the lead vocals around anyway.

    The Prodigy does not count as it is largely instrumental. The guys who eventually did some vocals were mainly dancers.

    ACDC does not count either as, as there was no time in the band's history that a lead vocalist left the band to be replaced by an existing musician.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,222 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    English indie pop band The Chesterfields. Dave Goldworthy was the original lead singer. They folded in the 1980s and reformed a few times in the following decades. Dave died from an accident and the subsequent reformed band featured its long-running bassist, and one of the original founding members, Simon Barber as lead vocalist.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,108 ✭✭✭trashcan


    Yeah, was about to correct that. James was always the singer. Genesis and Joy Division/New Order were the two that came to mind for me straightaway.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,222 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    Thanks for that. I mentioned Genesis in the first post. I ruled out New Order on the basis that they were officially a different band from Joy Division.



  • Registered Users Posts: 379 ✭✭Leilak


    Bruce Dickenson replaced Paul Dianno in Iron Maiden



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,222 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    That does not count as he was not an existing member of the band. Look at the first post for examples of what I mean.



  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    its not unusual that a band appears on a mimed promotional show minus a singer and gets another member to mime it


    killing joke got a dummy singer and the drummer mimed




  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    The misfits reformed without Danzig and at one point had the bass player sang, but in fairness who gives a sh1t about bands that reform without the actual songwriter



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 265 ✭✭rpirl


    The band Yuck would probably fit the bill... Daniel Blumberg did nearly all the lead vocals on the debut album after co-writing most of the songs with Max Bloom

    Blumberg left after the debut and Bloom (who I think had only sung one song on the debut) stepped up to become frontman / lead singer



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,222 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    After Fun Lovin' Criminals original frontman Huey Morgan left, existing member Brian Leiser, who played a number of instruments, took over the lead vocals.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 21 The Homeball


    Lot so them in Metal. When Martin Van Drunen left Pestilence, guitarist Patrick Mameli took over. Guitarist Jeff Waters is now singing in Annihilator, they've had plenty of singers over the years. Bassist Jeff Walker took over from Sanjeev in Carcass. Guitarist Pepper Keenan took over from Karl Agell in COC. Loads more.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 265 ✭✭rpirl


    A guy called Eoin O'Kelly fronted The Hitchers when they started out... after a few singles / EP's he left and the rest of the band shared lead vocals on future releases



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