Bands with 100% turnover in membership: can you think of any?

[Tummler]

Can you think of a band that has undergone a 100% turnover in membership but continued to record and release new material under the same name? In other words, can you think of a band that has released two albums with no overlap in band members between the two albums?

(Boy bands like Menudo don't count. "Bands" like that are actually choirs, and no one cares if a choir changes its singers over the years!)

I can think of only one: the grindcore band Napalm Death. Their original, founding lineup was totally gone by the time they finished their first album, Scum, in 1987. What's more, the lineup from Scum was totally gone within three or four years. They've continued to release albums on a regular basis, but with a lineup that was a part of neither the first album nor the founding of the band. The closest thing to an original member in the current lineup is the bassist, who joined the band on the Scum tour.

In the "close, but no cigar" category is the black metal band Mayhem. Their lead singer killed himself (a gruesome photo of the crime scene was used as a subsequent album cover), and the guitarist was murdered (stabbed 29 times) by Varg Vikernes of the black metal band Burzum. Afterwards, Mayhem was "re-formed" by the drummer, who was not an original member. However, I think he managed to recruit a bassist and vocalist from an earlier demo and incarnation of the band.

[neverborn]

1. Oh yeah, Black Metal Circle drama!

I love Mayhem! and old Burzum! WOO~

Did Emperor? I know Faust went to jail... and I think someone else committed suicide?

[Tummler]

5. Let's run down the black metal police blotter

First, "Dead" of Mayhem blew his head off.

Euronymous of Mayhem was, of course, murdered by Vikernes/Grishnack. Vikernes is rotting away in a Norwegian prison, where he continues to record cheesy "Viking" music on a synthesizer.

Jon Nodtveidt, the founder/singer/guitarist of Dissection, is in prison for murdering an Algerian immigrant. He's scheduled to be released no later than 2006.

Faust, the drummer from an early incarnation of Emperor, is also in jail for murder. The replacement drummer was arrested for some reason or another. Founder/guitarist Samoth spent two years in jail for church burning but returned to Emperor afterwards.

I can't think of any other deaths or major crimes, but I'm not an expert on "the scene." Maybe I should dig out my copy of the Lords of Chaos book ...

[neverborn]

16. Indeed.

Yeah... Emperor had a pretty impressive turnover rate O_O

Faust is in jail for murdering a homosexual man, isn't he?

Hey, Grishnackh made great music back in the day. He'll be out of prison soonish?

[Tummler]

23. Yes, I think that's the story with Faust

He claimed that the man was trying to pick him up, hence his justification for the murder. :eyes: Actually, upon further study, it seems that Faust is out of prison now. He and Jon Nodtveidt (who is also free, apparently) had planned to work on a new Dissection album, but that fell apart. The two Dissection albums are classic, so I hope that Nodtveidt will follow through on the new album.

I don't know anything about the length of Vikernes' incarceration. I'd always assumed he'd be in for a long time, but with the short sentences for Faust and Nodtveidt, I probably shouldn't assume anything.

What's your favorite Burzum album? Mine is definitely Hvis Lyset Tar Oss. I'm also a big fan of the Darkthrone album Transilvanian Hunger, for which Vikernes wrote a few songs.

Burzum MP3s! (on edit: only excerpts from songs)

[neverborn]

27. Vikernes...

Agreed on the favorite Burzum album.

What's your favorite Mayhem? Mine's De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas -- I also like A Grand Declaration of War.

Vikernes got 21(?) years, the same age he was when he killed Euronymous. That's considered a "life sentence" there.

[livetohike]

2. Savoy Brown

Kim Simmonds was the founder and lead guitarist. Seems they had a million different band members, but Simmonds remained and is still working today.

[David__77]

3. What? Boy bands don't count?!

Seriously, when I read the title of your thread, all I could think of is boy bands and dance groups. Some DO have a little bit of personality-based flair, but it's true that in these cases, the producers are the real substance, not the members.

[Speck Tater]

4. The Boston Pops. The London Philharmonic.

The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields.
Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Concertgebouw Orkest Amsterdam
Handel & Haydn Society
Oregon Mozart Players
Imperial Orchestra Wien

Gosh, the list just goes on and on...

[Tummler]

7. See the "Menudo" note

No one (well, no one cool) cares about turnover in orchestras and choirs! :evilgrin:

[Speck Tater]

8. Well,

I have certainly NEVER been accused of being cool. :)

[Tummler]

10. Join the club!

:hi:

In the original post, I should have asked only for groups that tend to write and perform their own material. Of course, it's also interesting to hear of performers outside those restrictions.

[Liberal Veteran]

6. The Supremes come damn close.

Mary Wilson is the only member of the original group that stuck around.

[coloradodem2005]

9. I can think of some that have turned over all but one member.

Black Sabbath (Tony Iommi, guitar)
Guns & Roses (Axl Rose, vocals)
Whitesnake (David Coverdale, vocals)
Deep Purple (Ian Paice, drums, percussion)

[phaseolus]

11. Jefferson Airplane - Jefferson Starship - Starship

not an expert, but I kinda sorta remember that at one point it had a completely different lineup. Took something like 500 albums, many of them very forgettable, to get to that point.

[AntiCoup2K4]

32. True. The final CHEESY Starship lineup had no original Airplane members...

Grace Slick is thought of as an original Airplaner, but she actually replaced original singer Signe Anderson on the second Airplane album.

[arwalden]

12. Menudo! So That's How They Stay So Young Looking.

[Tummler]

14. At age 18, they are kicked out of the group,

...slaughtered, and fed as Soylent Caliente to the newly hatched Menudo singers. That way, the new ones obtain the power of their predecessors.

Thus, their real secret is Menudo-fed Menudo!

Ricky Martin is the only one who escaped.

[TheWizardOfMudd]

13. What about Pure Prairie League?

I believe Vince Gill was their front man/vocalist/songwriter in the band's later years before he went out on his own.

[Doctor_J]

31. I think Larry Goshorn was in the whole time

[Emboldened Chimp]

15. Up With People!

[jmowreader]

26. Up With People falls under the Menudo Rule

Since UWP formed new casts every year, they show even higher turnover than Menudo.

[ender]

17. grateful dead...

yeh, a couple guys never left... but theyhad sooooo many different members.

[KG]

22. only the keyboard players.

the first three GD key players are dead - pigpen, keith gotchaux, and brent mydland.

[Servo300]

18. Styx, almost....

James Young (JY) is the only original member left.

[Beaker]

19. Deep Purple?

do they have any members that were in every incarnation of the band?

[mitchum]

20. The Velvet Underground...

in their last pitiful days, Maureen Tucker was the only "real Velvet" still in the band, but she wasn't their original drummer (Angus McLisle was)

[Whitacre D_WI]

35. Angus Maclise was a great percussionist.

Midheaven Mailorder has a couple of albums of his (never released during his lifetime).

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

21. Fleetwood Mac, shortly before the release of their "Pengin" album...

...it was a big, ugly scandal.

Fleetwood Mac didn't want to go out on tour. Their manager put another band on the road and called them "Fleetwood Mac." Rolling Stone reported one incident in which a disgruntled fan yelled to the band "Who the f**k are YOU?" and the singer replied "We're Fleetwood Mac, who the F**k are YOU?" Here are two URLs I found:

http://www.songfacts.com/artistfacts/detail.lasso?id=210

"Manager Clifford Davis sent out a fake version of Fleetwood Mac on tour in 1973. It was centered around (Bob) Weston and (Dave) Walker. The real band got an injunction and stopped them from playing as Fleetwood Mac. They changed their name to Stretch. Mick Fleetwood took over most managing responsibilities for Fleetwood Mac."

...and...

http://www.fmlegacy.com/qmag1990.html

"To promote their 1973 LP Mystery To Me, the band set out to tour America. But when it was revealed that Mick's wife Jenny (sister of Patti Boyd/Harrison/Clapton) was having an affair with Bob Weston, the tour ended in disarray, with Weston fired, soon followed by Walker. Mean while, Davis put together a fake Fleetwood Mac (there was not one bona fide member in their ranks) to fulfil the live commitments. The resulting legal dispute went in the real band's favour "But I'm sure he's doing quite fine," Mick grimaces drily. "He's still collecting royalties from us."

[ironflange]

24. The Mousketeers

Before you jump on my ass, please note that this ensemble includes both boys and girls.

[Tummler]

25. Frankie Goes To Hollywood?

I brought the subject up with a friend who suggested that Frankie Goes To Hollywood might have undergone a total membership turnover.

Can anyone confirm?

[Lou_C]

28. Spinal Tap

:shrug:

[jpgray]

29. Soft Machine--Mike Ratledge held on for a long time, though (nt)

[AntiCoup2K4]

30. Quiet Riot

Randy Rhoads founded the band in 1976 and by the time they got a US record deal in late 82 only "singer" (and I use the term loosely) Kevin DuBrow remained from the original band. And then a few years later, he was fired, leaving NO original members in the band. Though I guess they're back to their "Metal Health" lineup now.

Deep Purple isn't even a band anymore, they're a temp agency for musicians. Ian Gillan (not the original singer) plus whoever he can get in the band for a tour or two. I refuse to acknowledge any "Deep Purple" configuration that doesn't have both Gillan & Ritchie Blackmore present, but that's not likely to happen again.

[SmileyBoy]

33. Nirvana turned over three or four members.

First lineup:

Kurt Cobain
Chris Novoselic
Dale Crover

Replaced Dale Crover with Dave Foster (1988),

Replaced Dave Foster with Chad Channing (1989),

Replaced Chad Channing with Dave Grohl (1991),

Added Pat Smear (1993).

Last lineup:

Kurt Cobain
Chris Novoselic
Pat Smear
Dave Grohl

[SmileyBoy]

34. Van Halen's pretty damn close.

David Lee Roth and later Eddie Van Halen. :(