Bands who change there singers

Links234 · 29-10-2015 1:21am

One really interesting band is Journey, because listening to them now, you wouldn't even notice they changed singer since Arnel is such a spot-on vocal doppelganger for Steve Perry it's not even funny. Just compare the two performances:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEVKoeVYugA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-7I1dRo7WQ

Ursus Horribilis · 29-10-2015 1:24am

Pink Floyd. Their original frontman Syd Barrett left the band after their first album to be replaced by a little known singer/guitarist called David Gilmour.

Wrongway1985 · 29-10-2015 1:56am

KungPao wrote: »

Foreigner are still going, but with all random people doing the donkey work while one or two original members are still there. Just not the same without that bloke with the perm-mullet.

Mick Jones is the only original member, Kelly Hansen is a much better singer than Lou Gramm (certainly these days) but has only done one album, Foreigner actually changed their singer before but that didn't go so well they had to bring Gramm back.

GaryTLynch · 29-10-2015 2:09am

What about when the singer is the last remaining original member of the band? Leaving the legal arguments out of it (rights to the band name, song writing credits etc), should the singer continue to use the band name, continue as a solo artist or form a new band altogether? I suppose the most famous (or infamous) example of this scenario is Axl Rose and the Guns N Roses name.

bodhrandude · 29-10-2015 2:37am

Azalea wrote: »

Yes, when Phil Collins took over vocals from Peter Gabriel.

Before that, I really didn't understand any of their work. Too artsy, too intellectual. It was on Duke where Phil Collins' presence became more apparent. I think Invisible Touch was the group's undisputed masterpiece. It's an epic meditation on intangibility. At the same time, it deepens and enriches the meaning of the preceding three albums.
Listen to the brilliant ensemble playing of Banks, Collins and Rutherford. You can practically hear every nuance of every instrument. In terms of lyrical craftsmanship, the sheer songwriting, this album hits a new peak of professionalism. Take the lyrics to Land of Confusion: in this song, Phil Collins addresses the problems of abusive political authority. In Too Deep is the most moving pop song of the 1980s, about monogamy and commitment. The song is extremely uplifting. Their lyrics are as positive and affirmative as anything I've heard in rock.

I would say it was more the album And Then There was Three and the hit single Follow You Follow Me in 1977 that sealed Collins vocal involvement with Genesis.

Bobby Baccala · 29-10-2015 3:30am

Jefferson Airplane went through a lot of singers, some great and some a bit meh. What a band though!

sligojoek · 29-10-2015 3:30am

Deep Purple. Ian Gillan and David Coverdale were two fine singers. When Ritchie left they were never the same.

unjedilike · 29-10-2015 3:41am

Azalea wrote:

Before that, I really didn't understand any of their work. Too artsy, too intellectual. It was on Duke where Phil Collins' presence became more apparent. I think Invisible Touch was the group's undisputed masterpiece. It's an epic meditation on intangibility. At the same time, it deepens and enriches the meaning of the preceding three albums. Listen to the brilliant ensemble playing of Banks, Collins and Rutherford. You can practically hear every nuance of every instrument. In terms of lyrical craftsmanship, the sheer songwriting, this album hits a new peak of professionalism. Take the lyrics to Land of Confusion: in this song, Phil Collins addresses the problems of abusive political authority. In Too Deep is the most moving pop song of the 1980s, about monogamy and commitment. The song is extremely uplifting. Their lyrics are as positive and affirmative as anything I've heard in rock.

Read this again and pretend you're Patrick Bateman.

unjedilike · 29-10-2015 3:42am

Also Pearl Jam

Anesthetize · 29-10-2015 8:05am

KungPao wrote: »

Joy Division/New Order is an interesting one. 1st singer was superior and had character but after he died they went super electro and got super big. Would they have turned into electro gods with Ian Curtis?

I believe Joy Division would have ended up sounding like New Order anyway. They were already using synths around the time of Closer so there were signs that they were going in that direction.

ToddyDoody · 29-10-2015 9:00am

PTH2009 wrote: »

What bands would not benefit from changing there lead singers ???

I think you use 'their' in this context.

Carry on

)

Kev W · 29-10-2015 9:43am

When the Misfits replaced Danzig with Michale Graves they became a completely different band, but still a great one.

Anesthetize · 29-10-2015 4:29pm

Kev W wrote: »

When the Misfits replaced Danzig with Michale Graves they became a completely different band, but still a great one.

I thought they became a very average band living off the Misfits brand. They became more like a franchise.

To me the Misfits ended when Danzig quit.

Kev W · 29-10-2015 4:31pm

Anesthetize wrote: »

I thought they became a very average band living off the Misfits brand. They became more like a franchise.

To me the Misfits ended when Danzig quit.

The fact that I came to know them through the 90s stuff first and then the original stuff may be the difference here.

I'd agree with your description applied to the current incarnation, though.

Son0vagun · 29-10-2015 5:35pm

BlaasForRafa wrote: »

Close? He was better. If Tony hadn't been paranoid from years of cocaine use that version of the band could have gone on for years. Dio could not only sing but write songs which Ozzy couldn't.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-og87crqsCE

Sorry I disagree. Sabbath with Ozzy were the greatest Hard Rock group, with Dio they were just another band. And Dio could not write songs like Geezer could back in the Ozzy years.

jimgoose · 29-10-2015 5:37pm

Judas Priest just wouldn't be Judas Priest without Rob Halford.

asherbassad · 29-10-2015 5:51pm

Strumms wrote: »

How many bands went on to become either equally as good or better / successful having changed their lead singer for someone else.... It just doesn't work.

huh?

Have you ever heard of Iron Maiden?

Bonzo Delaney · 29-10-2015 10:32pm

Guns n Roses is a strange one where the lead singer got rid/alienated the rest of the band an then it all went to muc.
The rest of the band continued on as basically guns n roses with out axl,
with moderate success trading on
Slash's name. A perfect example that no band member is bigger than the sum of the parts.

tigerboon · 29-10-2015 11:21pm

P4DDY2K11 wrote: »

Jefferson Airplane went through a lot of singers, some great and some a bit meh. What a band though!

Jefferson Starship Blows Against the Empire on in the background right now. JA were, in my opinion, the band of the sixties. Some of the early seventies Jefferson Starship and side projects is brilliant as well. Their eighties Starship stuff was pure crap though!

bnt · 29-10-2015 11:33pm

Any Marillion fans here? I have some sad news for you: Fish left the band back in 1988, and it looks like the new (?) guy - Bogart or whatever his name is - isn't going to step aside any time soon ... :P

PTH2009 · 29-10-2015 11:51pm

Links234 wrote: »

One really interesting band is Journey, because listening to them now, you wouldn't even notice they changed singer since Arnel is such a spot-on vocal doppelganger for Steve Perry it's not even funny. Just compare the two performances:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEVKoeVYugA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-7I1dRo7WQ

arnel is an amazing singer hes huge in his native country. I remember going to journey/foreigner in the o2 in 2011 and there were more philopinos there than irish.

Azalea · 30-10-2015 12:57am

unjedilike wrote: »

Read this again and pretend you're Patrick Bateman.

Zat's ze joke

bodhrandude · 30-10-2015 2:13am

Leftfield made a nice comeback in 2010 using a few different vocalists, although I don't know if Toni Halliday sang the original Orignal live with the band the first time round in 1994/95, but the singer here does a decent enough job at RockNess festival in 2010.

Bands who change there singers

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