Hidden Treasures - Revolving Doors

[Scott]

Revolving Doors...

Almost all of our favorite Classic Rock bands have gone through personnel changes, with very few exceptions we find bands that change, grow, evolve, fade away, come back etc.. All due to personnel decisions. But a select few have gone through constant change, the credited band members never seem to be the same album to album.

 

How do these bands deal with personnel changes constantly? I’m looking at two bands who were under constant change yet sustained a high level of success for the majority of their existence. I will look at two tracks each, one track from an early incarnation and one from a later version of the band, maybe, somehow, hearing the contrasting tracks will tell us something about how good the core of the band really was...

 

Who's missing? Who did you follow and support no matter what changes were made?

 

PLAYLIST --> http://snack.to/ahps6f59

 

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During the early 1970s, when Jefferson Airplane was disbanding, singer-guitarist Paul Kantner recorded Blows Against the Empire. This was a concept album featuring an ad hoc group of musicians (centered around Kantner, Grace Slick, Joey Covington, and Jack Casady of Jefferson Airplane; Crosby & Nash; and members of the Grateful Dead & Santana) credited on the LP as "Jefferson Starship".

Kantner and Slick released two follow-up albums: Sunfighter, and Baron von Tollbooth & The Chrome Nun. Bassist David Freiberg was given equal billing on the latter album. In 1974, Slick released Manhole, her first solo album. It was on that album that Kantner and Slick next worked with Pete Sears. With Casady now devoting full attention to Hot Tuna, the musicians on Baron von Tollbooth & the Chrome Nun formed the core of a new lineup that was formally reborn as "Jefferson Starship" in 1974. Kantner is credited with discovering teenage guitarist Craig Chaquico during this time.

In 1978 Slick's alcoholism became a problem, which led to two consecutive nights of disastrous concerts in Germany in June 1978. On the first night, fans ransacked the stage when Slick and the band failed to appear. On the second night, Slick, in a drunken stupor, shocked the audience by swearing and making sexual references throughout most of her songs. She also reminded the audience that their country had lost World War II, repeatedly asking "Who won the war?"

Balin soon left the band as well leaving Kantner and company to find a new lead singer in Mickey Thomas (who had sung lead on Elvin Bishop's "Fooled Around and Fell in Love"). Thomas joined the group in 1979 with new drummer Aynsley Dunbar, who had previously played with Journey. After the 1979 release of Freedom at Point Zero, the new lineup toured, augmented by saxophonist Steve Schuster. In early 1981 Grace Slick returned to the band, rejoining in time to sing on one song, written by Pete and Jeannette Sears, "Stranger", on the group's next album, Modern Times (1981). Slick remained in the band for Jefferson Starship's next two albums, Winds of Change (1982) and Nuclear Furniture (1984). One noted personnel change in the group between the two albums was Dunbar leaving in August 1982, replaced by Donny Baldwin, who had performed with Thomas in the Elvin Bishop Group.

Red Octocpus - 1975 1 - Fast Buck Freddie

Winds of Change - 1982 2 - Can't Find Love

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In the late 60s, Roy Wood had an idea to form a new band that would use violins, cellos, string basses, horns and woodwinds to give their music a classical sound in the direction "that The Beatles had left off". Jeff Lynne, was excited by the concept. In January 1970, Lynne accepted Wood's second invitation to join the band on the condition that they focus their energy on the new project. ELO's debut concert took place on 16 April 1972 with a line-up of Wood, Lynne, Bevan, Hunt, Wilfred Gibson, Hugh McDowell, Mike Edwards, Andy Craig and Richard Tandy. Tensions soon surfaced between Wood and Lynne due to problems with management. During the recordings for the band's second LP, Wood left the band taking cellist McDowell and horn/keyboard player Hunt with him.

During the recording of the third album, Gibson was let go, Mik Kaminski joined as violinist and Walker left, while remaining cellist Edwards finished the cello parts. The resulting album, On the Third Day, was released in late 1973. Hugh McDowell who had left the band the previous year returned for the subsequent American Tour in support of the album. After the release of Eldorado, bassist and vocalist Kelly Groucutt and cellist Melvyn Gale joined, replacing de Albuquerque and Edwards respectively. The line-up stabilized as the band took to a decidedly more accessible sound.

In 1981 ELO's release the concept album Time. The band embarked on their last world tour to promote the LP. It was the first ELO tour without cellists. The live line-up was completed with Louis Clark and Dave Morgan playing the string parts on synthesizers. Secret Messages followed in 1983. The album's release was followed by news of no tour to promote the LP, and that drummer Bevan was now playing drums for Black Sabbath and Kelly Groucutt had left the band. Bevan was expressing a desire to join Black Sabbath permanently and Lynne and Tandy were recording tracks for the Electric Dreams soundtrack under Jeff Lynne's name. However, Lynne was contractually obligated to make one more ELO album. Lynne, Bevan and Tandy returned to the studio in 1985 to record Balance of Power. Lynne, with the 7-piece line-up that supported Time (with the exception of bassist Groucutt being replaced by Martin Smith), played a small number of live ELO performances in 1986. ELO effectively disbanded after that final show in Stuttgart in 1986.

In 2001 Zoom, ELO's first album since 1986, was released. Though billed and marketed as an ELO album, the only returning member other than Lynne was Tandy, who performed on one track. Guest musicians included former Beatles Ringo Starr and George Harrison.

On The Third Day - 1973 3 - Dreaming of 4000

Balance of Power - 1986 4 - Getting to the Point

Note: Playlist link is above the content, but you can also click on any image as well.

[RJhog (Admin)]

First of all, my favorite Jefferson Starship album is Modern Times.  Out of these two songs, although both are good, I'm giving the edge to Mickey Thomas.  Something about his vocals provides a thicker sound.  I think he does backing vocals as well, at least it sounds like it.  So I think it was a change for the better, until the MTV era and We Built This City showed up.  

For ELO, both of these albums are terrific.  You mentioned the album Time, and out of all of the ELO albums I've ever heard, it is the only one I just don't like at all.  Dreaming Of 4000 is a fantastic song.  There's an alternate version on the RM CD that is a bit more raw, but it rocks as well.  That riff is killer.  Killer I say.  And Getting To The Point is an absolute hidden gem.  

Which leads me to my statement...ELO, for me, is all about Jeff Lynne's voice.  It's one of the best voices I've ever heard.  So, no matter who comes and goes, I'm gonna like ELO as long as Lynne is singing (except for the album Time).

In other news, before listening to this, I went to lunch, where, while thinking about this subject, thought of another thread that I'm gonna start.

[Scott]

I love the album TIME, its one of them that I have owned on Vinyl, CD, Remastered CD, etc...  Of all the ELO release, Time and Discovery hold up highest for me

[RJhog (Admin)]

Isn't it amazing how 2 people can hear things so differently?

[Niels (Mod)]

The first time, I really noticed Jefferson Starship was in '85, when I heard and bought the single "We Build This City". I loved that song, and it's still the sound of '85 to me. I've never heard these songs, but I really like the first one. The second, I don't really care for.

ELO is Jeff Lynne. Jeff Lynne is ELO. Bev Bevan ia also an important member, but no ELO without Jeff Lynne. Every other member of that band is of no matter to me. For me, Roy Wood is the guy who every year around December sings "Christmas every day". I like ELO, but only the greatest hits. My double-cd with all the hits is enough for me. The first song is good, I like it. The second is not so good, rather terrible in fact. Yuk!

To answer your second question: No!

[Gordon Williams]

Track one is the only track I've heard before, and it's great to hear it again! Great song. Also really like track two. I really need to get some more Starship, I think.

ELO is just a band I've never gotten into that much, but I enjoyed this post. Good topic for discussion!

[Scott]

Thanks!  Im actually a big Jefferson Starship fan, but I prefer the Kantner/Slick/Balin version that produced the following albums...

 

• Dragonfly
• Red Octopus
• Spitfire
• Earth

 

All 4 of which are worthy of purchasing, right now!

[Scott]

True that ELO is Lynne and will always be Lynne, but it didn't start that way, which I found interesting...

[Niels (Mod)]

Ah, it should had been "no one" instead of "no".

[Jon]

Ooooh...I have all four of these albums!

I love that "Winds Of Change" album, so much so that I picked up the remastered version that also includes "Nuclear Furniture" which I didn't like. Now I do. The remastered version of WOC sounds so much better than the original CD release. 

I'm kinda burnt out on ELO since I recently finished my jaunt thru their whole catalog. TO be perfectly honest, O had only owned maybe 5 ELO albums throughout my dainty life span, so was a little suprised that I had missed out on some good stuff. "On The Third Day" is a good album, the previous two were kinda...weird. And "Balance Of Power" was much better than I thought it would be. 

On a sidenote, "Zoom" is being re-released in the next couple weeks, remastered with bonus tracks, but I have the original one and I'm fine with that. 

Nice list Scott! Now if you would accept the awesomeness of "Cyclorama", maybe then I'll respect you in the morning.

[Scott]

I don't own the first two ELO either...  Though I have heard them, they've never worked for me, but Id rather put them on repeat for day than listen to cyclocrapa ....

[RJhog (Admin)]

Or The Raven That Insisted On Boring The Shit Out Of RJ...

[Jon]

Shh...it's your sleepy time.