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Musical Groups Without Any of the Original Members Left,

Declan A Walsh

Can you think of musical groups, i.e. NOT vocal groups, that do not, or did not when they broke up, have any of their original members left?

The first one that comes to mind is English pub rock/blues group Doctor Feelgood.

Technically, another one is American country rock band Poco as they continued to perform on an ad-hoc basis for a couple of years after their remaining founding member Rusty Young retired.

Any more examples?

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Anesthetize

Two examples of bands whose last original member left early in the band's life:

Napalm Death. Their last original member, Nik Bullen, left the band in 1986 when they were recording their first album Scum. Both sides of that album feature different line-ups apart from the drummer Mick Harris (who wasn't an original member).

Opeth could count as well. Mikael Akerfeldt wasn't an original member of the band, despite it being always seen as "his" band. The last original member David Isberg left in 1992.

Declan A Walsh

The Bay City Rollers is another example. Bassist Alan Longmuir was the last original member to leave in 2016.

[Deleted User]

Foreigner at the moment - Mick Jones didn't play on last year's tour.

Declan A Walsh

Prog rock band Yes is another example.

Declan A Walsh

The Hollies, which was formed in 1962, do not have any of their original members left in their line up. Lead guitarist Tony Hicks was in the line up for all their record releases, but did not join until 1963. Drummer Bobby Elliot also joined that year, and was not involved in some of their early single releases. Original lead vocalist Allan Clarke was the last founding member to leave the group in 2000.

loyatemu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118543925#Comment_118543925

Technically true, but Yes have been through so many members over the years though, Howe and White are in the current lineup and have been in the band (on and off) for decades. Howe is on virtually all of their big records, he just missed the first one.

bureau2009

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118594112#Comment_118594112

But in fairness, Tony Hicks and Bobby Elliot were and are part of the Hollies since they hit the bigtime.

bureau2009

The Drifters!

Not even an accountant could work out their all-over-the-place history!

youngblood

Sugababes

Declan A Walsh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118594167#Comment_118594167

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118594170#Comment_118594170

I'm excluding vocal only groups - see my opening post. Those kind of groups, when they last a long time, tend to change members.

I find it more interesting when it happens to groups that play music, hence the thread title.

Declan A Walsh

The former Irish folk group The Dubliners is another one, just about. When the last remaining original member Barney McKenna died in April 2012, the group continued until the end of that year with Gerry O' Connor taking his place as banjo player.

Thin Lizzy has continued on without its original singer and bassist Phil Lynott, and last remaining original member and drummer Brian Downey finally left the group in 2013.

bodhrandude

I'd be inclined to say Kraftwerk these days, none of the members from the seventies I don't think is in the group anymore.

Declan A Walsh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118620297#Comment_118620297

No - founding member Ralf Hütter is in the current lineup. He was one of two founding members back in 1969, along with Florian Schneider who left in 2008.

olestoepoke

Dexy's midnight runners comes to mind, they had a lot of changes over the years. Heart, the Hollies were two that I think have no original band members left at all

Declan A Walsh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118621538#Comment_118621538

Yes, I mentioned The Hollies in one of my previous posts.

Dexys Midnight Runners is definitely not one as lead vocalist Kevin Rowland is a constant presence throughout its history. In fact, without Kevin, there would be no Dexys. Heart is not one either as sisters Anne and Nancy Wilson have been in every line up.

endacl

Berlin Philharmonic. Don’t know if they count? They only do covers?

olestoepoke

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118621847#Comment_118621847

Love when a poster gets up on a high horse to prove another wrong when they are the ones who are wrong hilarious lol.

"When you think of Heart, you think of the Wilson sisters — Ann with the impossibly huge voice, and Nancy with the shredding guitar licks of songs like "Barracuda." But neither Wilson sister is an original member of Heart — although they took over almost immediately after they joined."

Declan A Walsh

I stand corrected and am suitably humbled re Heart - Wikipedia let me down!

Interesting link: others to add to to the list include Quiet Riot, Blood Sweat and Tears, Naplam Death, Canned Heat, Humble Pie, Judas Priest, Iron Butterfly, The Little River Band and Blackfoot.

RayCon

Tangerine Dream

loyatemu

should probably mention the Velvet Underground, whose final album and tour featured none of the original four members. When John Cale left/was kicked out after their second album he was replaced with Doug Yule. By the time of their 4th (and in most people's mind, final) album "Loaded" it was just Yule and Lou Reed plus a bunch of session musicians. Reed then quit to go solo leaving Yule to complete any remaining touring commitments. He recorded a new album with the touring band which he had planned to release under his own name but the record company insisted on using the VU name and it came out as "Squeeze", often cited as one of the worst albums of all time (which is possibly unfair, but it's not great).

When the VU reunited for a tour in the 90s and were inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame, Yule was pointedly not invited.

Declan A Walsh

Canned Heat are another example of a group without any original member left in its most recent line up. Drummer Adolfo "Fito" de la Parra has been a member since 1967, making him by far the longest lasting member of Canned Heat, but the band was formed in 1965 and there were a few drummers before him.

Declan A Walsh

Prog Rock band Atomic Rooster is another example. The band has been around since 1969 with none of the original members involved anymore. Two of its current line-up (Pete French and Steve Bolton) have a long association with the band, having first joined in 1971.

Declan A Walsh

None of the original members of The Wurzels are still in the band, which formed in 1966. It should be pointed out, though, that accordian player Tommy Banner has been in the band since 1967. Both himself and long-standing singer, and banjo player, Pete Budd, who joined in 1974, were in the band when they had a couple of hit singles in the mid-seventies, such as The Combine Harvester. EDIT: Pete joined in 1972 as a guitarist and banjo player, and became lead vocalist in 1974 on the death of the original singer.

DJ_Eoghan

Sepultura, think Igor Cavalera was the last original member to leave the band.

Declan A Walsh

The LAs 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.

Declan A Walsh

Prog Rock band Renaissance, which was formed in 1969 by two ex-members of The Yardbirds, have had no original member in its line up since the 1970s. It should be pointed out that its current lead vocalist, Annie Haslam, has been in the band since 1971, and, so, was in Renaissance when it had its only big hit single Northern Lights in 1978. Since the demise in 2012 of long-standing guitarist and composer Michael Dunford, who joined in 1970, Annie is the only member that goes back to the 1970s. Bassist Mark Lambert was originally in the band for a two year period in the 1980s and rejoined in 2015.

But, still: no original member left!

Anesthetize

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118831851#Comment_118831851

Correct.

Paulo Jr is the closest they have to an original member now, having been with them since 1984. Although they had another bass player for a brief period before him.

Declan A Walsh

Scottish pop band Marmalade (or The Marmalade as it was called previously) have been around since the 1960s, or the early 1970s if you think The Marmalade was technically a different band. Its last remaining original member Graham Knight left in 2010. Current lead vocalist and lead guitarist Sandy Newman has been in the band since 1975, so they have been around a long time. Guitarist and keyboardist Alan Holmes is not that far behind, having been in the band since 1980.

Declan A Walsh

Canterbury-based rock band Soft Machine formed in 1966 has not had any original members since the early 1970s. The majority of its most recent line up do go back to the 1970s though.

Declan A Walsh

Pop band Smokie have had no original members left since the death of bassist Terry Uttley in 2021.