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Musical Groups With Only One Original Member Left

  • 02-03-2022 4:17pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 5,967 ✭✭✭


    Inspired by my previous thread about musical groups with no original members left, here is one about musical groups which have (or had in its last lineup if now defunct) only one original member left in the lineup.

    Here are some examples:

    Angus Young - lead guitarist with ACDC - I don't think I need to explain what he looks like

    Pete Agnew - bassist with Nazareth

    Nick Mason - drummer with Pink Floyd

    Steve Harris - bassist with Iron Maiden. He is the founder and leader of the band (not saying lead vocalist, in case there's confusion there!). As an aside, guitarist Dave Murray is not far behind, not an original member but having been in the band for the majority of its existence and been on all their studio albums.

    Graham Gouldman - bassist, guitarist and sometimes lead vocalist with 10cc (think Dreadlock Holiday in his case!)

    The latter example is an interesting one as he basically kept the 10cc group going with his lineup. It raises the question of when is a band not a band, i.e. in reality, one person with a load of session musicians? For example, I would not give Matt Johnson of The The as an example as it is largely him. An official solo album by him was subsequently re-designated as a The The album! What about Simply Red? It is certainly Mick Hucknall's project these days, but it does have an official lineup, so probably does count. It started off as a band. So, in that context, he definitely is/was the last original member!

    (Previous thread (plug!!):

    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058229095/musical-groups-without-any-of-the-original-members-left#latest )



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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 1,228 ✭✭✭The Mighty Quinn


    Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel. The original disbanded just before Come Up and See Me (Make Me Smile), he recruited new band members to be Cockney Rebel leaving himself as the only original member.

    Lynyrd Skynyrd have only one original member left also, Gary Rossington.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,228 ✭✭✭The Mighty Quinn


    An interesting question to ask instead of "when is a band not a band", but rather, "at what point does a band become a cover band"! My Lynyrd Skynyrd example feels to me largely like a cover band to be honest, there's a bunch of people playing songs they didn't write or have anything to do with.

    I think Thin Lizzy played until relatively recently with no original members, surely that's a cover band? Scott Gorham still plays with them when they perform, and to his credit he was around with them since the 70s and did play on their 4th album onwards (for about 10 albums!) - so probably not a cover band to be fair in this instance, but you get my drift.



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,455 ✭✭✭Masala


    Status Quo.....???? If they still going without Parfitt with only Rossi left



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,967 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    It does count because Rick Parfitt left Status Quo earlier in 2016, before he passed away, and they continued without him, with Francis Rossi being the sole original member left. It does not matter if a group no longer exists, as long as their last lineup had only one original member left.



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,967 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    Here is another example: The Fall. Mark E Smith was the sole remaining original member left until they folded due to his demise.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 24,696 ✭✭✭✭Strumms


    Buzzcocks, just Steve Diggle as the remaining original member, the rest of the band are young lads literally looking half the guys age, … bit of a pîsstake him touring and doing so under the moniker Buzzcocks…it’s not the Buzzcocks. It’s 67 year old Diggle and friends or session lads…

    saw them with original member, songwriter and frontman Pete Shelley in ‘06 and ‘12 and they were excellent… really were, for auld fellas they’d acres of energy, determination and enthusiasm, for lads hitting 50 they were loud, intense and they could play and enjoy themselves.

    Now the lead guitarist is the lead singer, hmm nahhh.



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,967 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    Two German bands with only one remaining original member:

    Ralf Hütter - Kraftwerk - he was one of the two founders of the band.

    Marian Gold - Alphaville - lead vocalist



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,173 ✭✭✭Billy Mays


    Jason Pierce - Spiritualized vocalist and songwriter



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,967 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    The late Steve Bronski was the only remaining original member of the Bronski Beat when the band stopped in 2018 due to his ill-health.



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,967 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    Here's some more:

    Philip Oakey, singer with The Human League. He has been the only remaining original member since founding members Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh left in 1980. Just for clarity, his mate Philip Adrian Wright did not join until 1978 (band started in 1977), but, in any event, he left in 1986.

    Ian Anderson, singer, flautist and sometimes guitarist with Jethro Tull. In fact, for the majority of its long existence, he has been the only original member left!

    Luke Steele, singer and multi-instrumentalist with The Sleepy Jackson. He is better known as the lead vocalist of Empire of The Sun.

    Post edited by Declan A Walsh on


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  • Registered Users Posts: 5,967 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    The Commodores is another example. Keyboardist, trumpeter and guitarist William King is the only member left from the original line up of 1968. In fairness, the other two official members in the current line up have been around a while in the Commodores: drummer and vocalist Walter Orange (1972 and every studio album) and vocalist and keyboardist J.D. Nicholas (1984).



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,967 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    Singer and guitarist David Gedge is the only original member of The Wedding Present left, and its been that way for a long time.



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,967 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    Simon Nicol is currently the only original member left in Fairport Convention from its formation in 1967. It should be pointed out, though, that he did leave the group for five years during the 1970s, and bass player Dave Pegg, who joined the group in 1969, has actually been in the group longer than Simon.



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,967 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    Cast is another example. Its singer John Power is the only original member left.


    The LAs, John Power's previous band where he was its bassist for much of its existence, is a funny one. Does it count when there was only one member, i.e. Mike Badger -it's original vocalist? If so, there are no original members left, i.e. Mike Badger! However, if it does not count until it had other members, the guitarist turned lead vocalist Lee Mavers, who joined the following year, was the only remaining original member left for the majority of its existence.



  • Registered Users Posts: 22,198 ✭✭✭✭endacl


    Cro-mags.

    Both versions.



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,967 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    Guitarist Chris Britton is the only original member left in The Troggs, a band which continues to this day but is most associated with the '60s.


    Here is one that might surprise you. Technically, drummer Mick Fleetwood is the only remaining member from the original line up of Fleetwood Mac. The band was formed in 1967 by its then lead guitarist and main vocalist and songwriter Peter Green. He named the band after the rhythm section that he wanted, namely Mick and bassist John McVie. McVie did not join straight away - Bob Brunning was the first official bassist. Later in the same year, John did join and has been there ever since. There is a live recording featuring Bob, but all other recordings feature John.



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,967 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    There is of course Chic where guitarist and band leader Nile Rodgers is the only remaining original member. One could debate if it really is a band, or a solo act with a large array of session musicians, since the death of his songwriting partner, fellow Chic founder and bassist Bernard Edwards.



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,217 ✭✭✭Tork


    Martin Fry is the only one left in ABC. Technically, ABC is a solo project these days. Does that count?



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,967 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    It's that dilemma again! Simply Red, Chic, The Buzzcocks (Steve Diggle), 10CC (Graham Gouldman). All of them, including ABC, started off as groups. I never included The The because it really was one person's group, i.e. Matt Johnson!



  • Registered Users Posts: 146 ✭✭gabria


    Can't believe the Cure haven't been mentioned yet. They're often thought as Robert Smith & revolving-door backing band. But actually the bassist Simon Gallup has been there since nearly the start



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  • Registered Users Posts: 5,967 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    Here is another one, but it has been dominated by its sole original member for years: Whitesnake with lead vocalist David Coverdale.



  • Registered Users Posts: 60 ✭✭mossie11


    The Eagles: Don Henley is the only original member in the current line up...



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,967 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    Rock and roll band Showaddywaddy has one original member left in its current line up: drummer Romeo Challenger. This was after the only other remaining original member after 2011, bassist Rod Deas, left the band in 2019. (Original member and vocalist Dave Bartram left in 2011.)

    Arguably, The Zombies is another example, with its founder keyboardist and second lead vocalist Rod Argent being the only member still involved from its original formation. It is arguable because it did not really complete its formation until lead vocalist Colin Blunstone became part of the line up, and he is in the current line up.



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,967 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    Drummer Ian Paice is the only original member left in Deep Purple from 1968, and was in every single line up. To be fair, the current bassist Roger Glover first joined in 1969 and was in the band for the majority of its line ups after that, with the exception of 1973-1976. Also, to be fair, current lead vocalist Ian Gillen also first joined in 1969 - he was out of the band between 1973-1976 and 1989-1992. Still, Ian Paice has managed to be there all the way. EDIT: I had left out the singer's name!

    Ritchie Blackmore, a former guitarist with Deep Purple, is the only remaining original member from Rainbow. It has been that way for the majority of its existence in fact! It is very much his band and again it is one of those grey areas.

    Moving from heavy rock to heavy metal... Guitarist and sometimes lead vocalist Paul Samson was the last remaining original member of Samson before it folded in 2002. Again, like others, I think it evolved more or less into his band.

    In an earlier post, I referred to Fairport Convention's only remaining original member (Simon Nichol). Steeleye Span was another folk band, which was formed by an ex-member of Fairport Convention. It, too, has one remaining original member - vocalist Maddy Prior.

    British soul band Hot Chocolate started in 1968 and has one remaining original member in Patrick Olive, who originally was a percussionist, but went on eventually to be the group's bassist as well. To be fair, current drummer Tony Connor and current guitarist Harvey Hinsley have both been in the band since 1970. All three of them have been in every line up since they joined.

    Post edited by Declan A Walsh on


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,967 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    Guitarist Alex Liefson was the only original member from 1968 left in Rush before they broke up. In fairness, bassist and frontman Geddy Lee was in Rush for the vast majority of its existence. Drummer Neil Peart replaced original drummer John Rutsey in 1974, which gave it its most well-known line up.



  • Registered Users Posts: 637 ✭✭✭rtron


    Don't know if it counts but Noel Gallagher and Liam Gallagher.

    Split up to start new versions of the same band.



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,967 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    Well, not exactly. Neither band is Oasis. However, it is true to say that technically Liam Gallagher was the only original member left when Oasis stopped in 2009, as Noel was not actually in the original line up.



  • Registered Users Posts: 60 ✭✭mossie11


    Dave Hill is still touring with Slade



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,967 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    Electronic combo Hybrid, which is currently a duo, has one remaining original member - Mike Truman.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 14,643 ✭✭✭✭loyatemu


    The Beach Boys - the current line up is Mike Love and Bruce Johnston plus a bunch of sidemen, but Johnston only joined in 1965 as a touring replacement for Brian Wilson and was subsequently made a full member (he also left for several years in the 70s).

    The other surviving Boys, Brian W and Al Jardine are currently touring together.

    Fairport Convention - they've had a lot of members over the years, but Simon Nicol is the only original member in the current lineup.



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