Supergroup

The title of this article is ambiguous. For the supergroup in geology, see group (geology) .

A supergroup or superband (English; German supergroup ; from Latin-English super , 'about') is a well-known band or musical formation whose members have previously become known as soloists or members in another well-known formation.

The term is widespread in popular music ; Examples are Cream and the Traveling Wilburys . The term is also used in serious music ; an example of this are The Three Tenors .

term

Jann Wenner , the editor of " Rolling Stone ", attributed the title of the first supergroup in the field of pop music to the band Cream, founded in 1966 by Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker .

Many supergroups are based on ideas from record companies and managers who primarily pursue commercial interests. Therefore, most “supergroup projects” are very short-lived: The band Blind Faith , founded by managers Robert Stigwood and Chris Blackwell , only released one album; The band GTR , based on an idea of ​​former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett and Yes and Asia manager Brian Lane , broke up while working on their second album. A number of such projects even failed before the new band could release an album, including XYZ , a band with Chris Squire and Alan White from Yes and Jimmy Page and Robert Plant from Led Zeppelin .

Delimitation problems

In some music genres or scenes it is common for musicians to change bands frequently. For example, bassist and singer John Wetton played with Mogul Thrash , King Crimson , Roxy Music , Uriah Heep , Family , U. K. , Wishbone Ash and Asia , of which only U. K. and Asia can be considered supergroups. The other bands had already existed before and were not explicitly founded as a supergroup at the time of his admission as a band member.

There are also points of contact with the numerous duet projects by well-known singers as well as short-term collaborations between well-known musicians, which are limited in time from the outset ( e.g. Liquid Tension Experiment by musicians from Dream Theater and King Crimson ). Neither of these can be counted among the supergroups.

Examples

"Supergroups" have been called since the second half of the 1960s:

• Asia (since 1981), with Steve Howe from Yes , Greg Lake and Carl Palmer from ELP , Pat Thrall , and others. a.
• Band Aid , a charity super group for various occasions
• Black Country Communion (2010)
• Blind Faith (1969), with Eric Clapton ( Yardbirds , John Mayalls Bluesbreakers , Cream ), Ginger Baker ( Graham Bond Organization , Cream ), Steve Winwood ( The Spencer Davis Group , Traffic ) and Ric Grech ( Family )
• Cream (1966), with Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce ( John Mayalls Bluesbreakers , Manfred Mann ), and Ginger Baker
• Crosby, Stills and Nash (1968) with David Crosby ( The Byrds ), Graham Nash ( The Hollies ), Stephen Stills and Neil Young (both previously with Buffalo Springfield )
• Emerson, Lake and Palmer (1970–1998), with Keith Emerson ( The Nice ), Greg Lake ( King Crimson ) and Carl Palmer ( The Crazy World of Arthur Brown , Atomic Rooster )
• Humble Pie (1969), composed of prominent soloists from the bands of the time Small Faces , The Herd , Spooky Tooth and Apostolic Intervention
• Living Loud (2003–2005) with Steve Morse , Don Airey , Bob Daisley , Lee Kerslake and Jimmy Barnes
• Prophets of Rage (2016) from Tom Morello , Tim Commerford , Brad Wilk (all Rage Against the Machine ), Chuck D ( Public Enemy ) and B-Real ( Cypress Hill )
• Traveling Wilburys (1988–1990) with George Harrison ( Beatles ), Jeff Lynne ( Electric Light Orchestra ), Bob Dylan , Roy Orbison and Tom Petty ( Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers))
• Notting Hillbillies (1989–1998) with Mark Knopfler and Guy Fletcher from Dire Straits , Brendan Croker ( The Mekons ), Marcus Cliffe ( The Manfreds ), Paul Franklin and others
• De Toppers (since 2005)
• The Highwaymen (1985-1995)
• The Honeydrippers (1981–1984) with Robert Plant , Jimmy Page (both Led Zeppelin ), Jeff Beck , Nile Rodgers , Dave Weckl , and others. a.
• Them Crooked Vultures (since 2009) with Josh Homme ( Queens of the Stone Age , Kyuss ), John Paul Jones ( Led Zeppelin ) and Dave Grohl ( Foo Fighters , Queens of the Stone Age, Nirvana )
• Chickenfoot (since 2008)

See also

• All-Star (disambiguation) - for bands with the suffix " All Star "

Web links

• metal-hammer.de : Supergroup (October 2, 2017)
• musiker-board.de , April 7, 2015: supergroup
• rollingstone.de : Supergroup (October 2, 2017)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Alexander Hopkins McDannald (Ed.): The Americana annual: an encyclopedia of current events . Americana corporation, 2000 (English).
2. ^ How Cream Defined the Rock Power Trio. In: rollingstone.com. Accessed September 7, 2019 . 
3. ^ Ginger Baker, drummer (birthday August 19, 1939). In: WDR ZeitZeichen. Retrieved September 7, 2019 . 
4. ^ Stuart Rosenberg: Rock and Roll and the American Landscape . iUniverse, 2009, ISBN 978-1-4401-6458-3 (English).
5. ^ Siegfried Schmidt-Joos , Barry Graves : Rock-Lexikon. Rowohlt, Reinbek bei Hamburg 1973, updated and expanded ("6th") edition 1975, reprint 1978, ISBN 3-499-16177-X , p. 180.
6. ↑ prophetsofrage.com (October 2, 2017)
7. ↑ spiegel.de , May 19, 2016: Rage Against Enemy Hill (October 2, 2017)