Bands at The Great Gig in the Sky

[Lord Fellatio Nelson 6,132]

I have been looking into the background of The Drifters.

I'm fucked if I can really untangle the original to later line ups.

I would imagine that the ORIGINAL Drifters line up is now long gone to worm food.

 

[maryportfuncity 9,987]

20 minutes ago, Lord Fellatio Nelson said:

I have been looking into the background of The Drifters.

I'm fucked if I can really untangle the original to later line ups.

I would imagine that the ORIGINAL Drifters line up is now long gone to worm food.

 

 

 

Untangling the Drifters is a mug's game. As long ago as 1969 there were legal wrangles over who they were and who owned the name and the best way to imagine it is that the name has always been a brand, owned by managers who hired the talent. The original line ups go back to the early 50's and if you could assemble everyone who was ever a drifter you'd have a crowd bigger than most of the audiences they pull these days!

 

 

[DemBones 34]

1 hour ago, maryportfuncity said:

 

 

Untangling the Drifters is a mug's game. As long ago as 1969 there were legal wrangles over who they were and who owned the name and the best way to imagine it is that the name has always been a brand, owned by managers who hired the talent. The original line ups go back to the early 50's and if you could assemble everyone who was ever a drifter you'd have a crowd bigger than most of the audiences they pull these days!

 

 

It’s a problem with several of those early vocal groups where the group name itself is more valuable for touring revenue than who’s actually singing the songs. The Drifters and the Ink Spots are the most extreme examples, but many others like the Platters and The Coasters have had the same legal issues with various touring groups of disputable legality using their names. It’s actually led some US states to pass laws in recent years that don’t allow groups to advertise themselves as being a particular band unless at least one original member of the group is performing with them.

 

The Kingston Trio is another group where all the original members are gone, although there is an official (authorized) lineup including relatives of the original members that still performs. Bob Shane, the last original member, just died in January.

[Handrejka 1,840]

20 hours ago, msc said:

Well for duos you've got the London Boys, two UK top ten hits in the 80s, who both died when their car was hit on a tour by a drunk driver in 1996.

 

 

 

Yes, it does get stuck in your head over and over and over again...

 

That same year all of Brazilian satirical rock band Mamonas Assassinas were killed in an aeroplane crash.

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamonas_Assassinas

 

Wasn't there a French disco band who were all killed in a house fire or did I dream that?

 

[Joey Russ 7,118]

Trying to figure out some other bands from the 1950s.

There’s Bill Haley and the Comets who of course made the classic “Rock Around the Clock”. From what I can tell, everyone who played during that session is dead apart from saxophone player Joey Ambrose, who had a concert as recently as January 2020. Al Rex, a bass player in the group from the 1950s but didn’t play on the track is also apparently still alive. 
Ronald Isley is the only Isley Brother from the original group left, although some other folk who joined later is still alive. 
The Moonglows appear to all be dead, but there is (very brief original member) Danny Coggins who I can’t find anything about, so might be a group that is in limbo where we assume he’s dead but we don’t know for sure. 
Original members of The Flamingos appears to be all dead, although Tommy Hunt and Terry Johnson (who sang on their biggest record to date) still seem to be alive. 
 

[Clorox Bleachman 2,008]

22 minutes ago, Joey Russ said:

Trying to figure out some other bands from the 1950s.

There’s Bill Haley and the Comets who of course made the classic “Rock Around the Clock”. From what I can tell, everyone who played during that session is dead apart from saxophone player Joey Ambrose, who had a concert as recently as January 2020. Al Rex, a bass player in the group from the 1950s but didn’t play on the track is also apparently still alive. 
Ronald Isley is the only Isley Brother from the original group left, although some other folk who joined later is still alive. 
The Moonglows appear to all be dead, but there is (very brief original member) Danny Coggins who I can’t find anything about, so might be a group that is in limbo where we assume he’s dead but we don’t know for sure. 
Original members of The Flamingos appears to be all dead, although Tommy Hunt and Terry Johnson (who sang on their biggest record to date) still seem to be alive.

The original members of The Four Aces went from all being alive in 2009, to all dead by 2013.

[Death Impends 7,361]

The Browns were intact at the start of 2015, gave a bunch of us DDP points for the next couple years, and were down to zero by 2019.

[Lard Bazaar 3,687]

6 hours ago, Lord Fellatio Nelson said:

I have been looking into the background of The Drifters.

I'm fucked if I can really untangle the original to later line ups.

I would imagine that the ORIGINAL Drifters line up is now long gone to worm food.

 

I’ve found the most effective way to untangle drifters is to squat over a mirror with an Afro comb.

[En Passant 2,930]

10 minutes ago, Lard Bazaar said:

I’ve found the most effective way to untangle drifters is to squat over a mirror with an Afro comb.

Mrs Bazaar, you have a forthrightness only matched by some of the more in your face stand up comedians as a rule. But that's a standout quality image even in that company. Eugh and Kudos in equal measure.

[DemBones 34]

4 hours ago, Handrejka said:

Wasn't there a French disco band who were all killed in a house fire or did I dream that?

 

 

You’re probably thinking of the Club Cinq-Sept fire in 1970. 146 dead, including all six members of the band Les Storms, according to Wikipedia.

[Lard Bazaar 3,687]

8 hours ago, En Passant said:

Mrs Bazaar, you have a forthrightness only matched by some of the more in your face stand up comedians as a rule. But that's a standout quality image even in that company. Eugh and Kudos in equal measure.

Thank you. I’m here all week. 

[maryportfuncity 9,987]

11 hours ago, Joey Russ said:

Trying to figure out some other bands from the 1950s.

There’s Bill Haley and the Comets who of course made the classic “Rock Around the Clock”. From what I can tell, everyone who played during that session is dead apart from saxophone player Joey Ambrose, who had a concert as recently as January 2020. Al Rex, a bass player in the group from the 1950s but didn’t play on the track is also apparently still alive. 
Ronald Isley is the only Isley Brother from the original group left, although some other folk who joined later is still alive. 
The Moonglows appear to all be dead, but there is (very brief original member) Danny Coggins who I can’t find anything about, so might be a group that is in limbo where we assume he’s dead but we don’t know for sure. 
Original members of The Flamingos appears to be all dead, although Tommy Hunt and Terry Johnson (who sang on their biggest record to date) still seem to be alive. 
 

 

Ah, yes Ron Isley, second string vocalist for the first few gigs who's been out front most of the time. The 78 year old is still working. His younger brother and incendiary guitarist Ernie is back in the line up too (having jumped ship for Isley-Jasper-Isley for a bit). Ernie was first performing in 1973 (having been only two years old when his big brothers kicked off in the 50's) so he's a veritable nipper at only 68. 

[Handrejka 1,840]

18 hours ago, DemBones said:

 

You’re probably thinking of the Club Cinq-Sept fire in 1970. 146 dead, including all six members of the band Les Storms, according to Wikipedia.

 

Yes, that's it. Thank you.

[Death Impends 7,361]

On 13/04/2020 at 11:05, Spade_Cooley said:

I think this is the release that has the oldest living person on it, Al G. Wright is still with us aged 103 (turns 104 in July).

 

 

Randomly popped into the 110 Club and found what has to be the record holder for the above - Lois Holden (previously Lois Russell), member of obscure gospel group the Gospel Stars, turned 110 in February. The Gospel Stars released several singles, along with the first Motown album.

[Slackhurst Broadcasting 330]

Re bands with many members, The Fall are counted as having had 66 different members. Only 3 of them are now deceased (including 2018 Death Lister Mark E. Smith). With the later members having been born in the late 80s/early 90s, it could be a very long time till there’s a last survivor.

[Sir Creep 7,011]

On 21 Feb 2022 The Stranglers will have all reached 70.  I didn’t realise Jet Black was 10 years older than his mates though, and at 81 a great name for the actual Deathlist.

[Toast 14,795]

1 hour ago, Sir Creep said:

On 21 Feb 2022 The Stranglers will have all reached 70.  I didn’t realise Jet Black was 10 years older than his mates though, and at 81 a great name for the actual Deathlist.

 

Jet's been on some of my pools for a while.  His health is not good and he had to give up touring with the band several years ago.

[Sir Creep 7,011]

14 hours ago, Toast said:

 

Jet's been on some of my pools for a while.  His health is not good and he had to give up touring with the band several years ago.

I think I read (maybe from you) some heart issues.  In any case 81 an outlier in the music industry. I’d say keep JB on your lists, Toast.

[Joey Russ 7,118]

Does anyone know what happened to the band members of Africa 70? I believe the two most prominent members (Fela Kuti and Tony Allen) are now dead, but I’m more interested about other members that were also involved in the group...

[Joey Russ 7,118]

On 20/04/2020 at 07:45, Sir Creep said:

On 21 Feb 2022 The Stranglers will have all reached 70.  I didn’t realise Jet Black was 10 years older than his mates though, and at 81 a great name for the actual Deathlist.

That run at all of the classic lineup being alive has ended sadly...

[Sir Creep 7,011]

On 20/04/2020 at 08:45, Sir Creep said:

On 21 Feb 2022 The Stranglers will have all reached 70.  I didn’t realise Jet Black was 10 years older than his mates though, and at 81 a great name for the actual Deathlist.

Well shit.... who knew it was Dave Greenfield who would leave us, a mere two weeks hence. 

[Joey Russ 7,118]

We can now add the backing band for Miles Davis on Kind of Blue to the list of deceased bands.

[Joey Russ 7,118]

On 13/04/2020 at 14:00, Joey Russ said:

Al Rex, a bass player in the group from the 1950s but didn’t play on the track is also apparently still alive. 

Well, not alive anymore...

[Slackhurst Broadcasting 330]

With the death of Steve Priest the Sweet are down to their last survivor, guitarist Andy Scott. Presumably it also means there’ll only be one version of the band still playing live.

[Joey Russ 7,118]

We can now add the original duo of Silver Apples onto this list