User:Random89/supergroup

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I will be reworking the supergroup page in hopes of dramatically altering its basic structure. Please feel free to help out, it would be much appreciated.


In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe rock music groups composed of members who had already achieved fame or respect in other groups or as individual artists. The term took its name from the 1968 album Super Session with Al Kooper, Mike Bloomfield, and Stephen Stills. Perhaps the earliest example would be the band Cream, whose members, Ginger Baker, Eric Clapton, and Jack Bruce were all widely respected musicians in Britain. The term has sometimes been applied more loosely by certain music writers to groups that sold huge numbers of albums and headlined massive concerts regardless of the previous fame of their individual members, such as the band Led Zeppelin, wherein only Jimmy Page was well known at the time the group formed. However, the term as correctly applied refers to the architecture of the group, not the achievements.

"Supergroup" also generally does not encompass existing bands whose members achieved individual fame after the band's founding, though some have chosen to retroactively deem such bands (including Queen, Genesis and Yes) to be supergroups. There are also instances in which an existing band added a prominent new member or members, where the resulting group might have been considered a supergroup had it not kept its original band name, such as Van Halen after recruiting Sammy Hagar and Gary Cherone, and The Eagles after hiring Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit. By any standards, it is not a rigidly defined category and has become, more than anything, a marketing term.

Supergroups (of the strict definition) tend to be short-lived, often lasting only for an album or two, perhaps because of the natural conflict of egos between established stars. Additionally, supergroups are often formed as side projects that are not intended to be permanent.

In jazz, although it is more common for famous artists to play together, the term is rarely used.


Contents

[edit] Early Supergroups

With the commercial success of high-profile bands, dating back to the Beatles, musicians began to gain fame in their own right, not just as backers of a single famous artist. It was natural for the most talented musicians to want to make music together. It was this mutual desire to play together that was the impetus behind the formation of what is usually recognized as the first supergroup, Cream. The term that was applied to the union of Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Jack Bruce]] began to be given to more bands which had been built in a similar way, out of already recognizable names. The coalition of Crosby, Stills, and Nash (later Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young) is another early example, given the success of their prior bands (The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, and The Hollies respectively).


[edit] List of notable supergroups

This list is of each band's founding line-up, and members who joined within a year of founding.

This list contains only groups which have performed more than a single song or live show together.

1960s
Founded Band/project name Members Notes
1966 Cream Albums: Fresh Cream, Disraeli Gears, Wheels of Fire, and Goodbye.
1968 Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young)
Albums: Crosby, Stills & Nash, Déjà Vu, Four Way Street, and more.
1969 Blind Faith Albums: Blind Faith

[edit] 1970s
Founded Band/project name Members Notes
1970 Emerson, Lake & Palmer Albums: Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Tarkus, Trilogy, and more
1972 Beck, Bogert & Appice Albums: Beck, Bogert & Appice, Live in Japan
1973 Journey
Albums: Journey, Look into the Future, Next, and more
1973 Bad Company Albums: Bad Company, Straight Shooter, Run With the Pack and more.
1977 UK Albums: U.K., Danger Money, Night After Night and more.

[edit] 1980s
Founded Band/project name Members Notes
1981 Asia Albums: Asia, Alpha, Astra, and more
1984 The Firm Albums: The Firm, Mean Business
1984 Power Station
Albums: Power Station, Living In Fear
1985 Mike + the Mechanics Albums: Mike + The Mechanics, The Living Years, Word of Mouth, Beggar on a Beach of Gold, Mike + The Mechanics
1986 Emerson, Lake & Powell Album: Emerson, Lake & Powell
1986 GTR Album: GTR
1988 Bad English Albums: Bad English, Backlash
1988 Keith Richards and the X-pensive Winos Albums: Talk Is Cheap, Main Offender
1988 Traveling Wilburys Albums: Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3
1989 Damn Yankees Their power ballad "High Enough" produced the first #1 Single of Nugent's career.

[edit] 1990s
Founded Band/project name Members Notes
1990 Temple of the Dog
1991 Down

Albums: NOLA (1995), Down II: A Bustle in Your Hedgerow (2002), Down III: Over the Under (2007)
1994 Mad Season
1999 A Perfect Circle

[edit] 2000s
Founded Band/project name Members Notes
2000 Oysterhead Albums: The Grand Pecking Order (2001)
2001 Audioslave Albums: Audioslave (2002), Out of Exile (2005), Revelations (2006)
2001 Zwan Albums: Mary Star of the Sea (2001)
2002 Velvet Revolver Albums: Contraband (2004), Libertad (2007)
2005 Angels and Airwaves Albums: We Don't Need To Whisper (2006), I-Empire (2007)
2005 +44 Albums: When Your Heart Stops Beating (2006)
2005 Army of Anyone Albums: Army of Anyone (album) (2006)
2006 The Good, the Bad & the Queen Albums: The Good, the Bad & the Queen (2006)
2007 Another Animal Albums: Another Animal (album) (2007)


[edit] Project supergroups

These were often one-show or one album projects, though some played more than one show, because all or most members were involved in other bands or groups.

Founded Band/project name Members Notes
1968 Super Super Blues Band Albums: Super Blues, Super Super Blues Band
1968 The Dirty Mac Albums: The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus
1969 The Plastic Ono Band Albums: Live Peace In Toronto 1969, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band, Sometime In New York City
1992 Praxis Albums: Transmutation (Mutatis Mutandis), Sacrifist, Metatron, Live in Poland, Transmutation Live, 1984, Mold, Warszawa, Collection, Tennessee 2004, Profanation (Preparation for a Coming Darkness)
1998 Liquid Tension Experiment Albums: Liquid Tension Experiment, Liquid Tension Experiment 2
2006 Tipton, Entwistle & Powell Albums: Edge of the World. The album was released in 2006, but was recorded in the mid-1990s.


2007 Liquid Trio Experiment Albums: Spontaneous Combustion

[edit] Charity supergroups

Main article: Charity supergroup

These are usually one-shot projects, organized to create a charity record to raise money or awareness for a cause or charity.


[edit] References


[edit] See also