The Best ‘Supergroup’ Ever?

[Barry]

Before I start this thread and seek member’s nomination for 'The Best Supergroup Ever', I should add that the term ‘supergroup’ was only coined in the late ‘60s. I believe the first combination of musicians to be accorded this title was Cream, a coming together of bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker, who both played with the Graham Bond Organisation, and guitarist Eric Clapton, formerly with the Yardbirds and then John Mayall’s ‘Bluesbreakers’. The title was also used to describe Crosby Stills Nash and Young and later Emerson Lake and Palmer.

There have been other ‘optimal’ combinations of musicians, especially in the jazz genre – how about the line up on Miles Davis’s ‘Kind of Blue’: Cannonball Adderley; John Coltrane; Bill Evans etc.? Or how about bassist Charles Mingus with saxophonist John Handy and drummer Danny Richmond?

These might seem a little arcane and, I suspect, jazz is not a prime interest to many members. So I’ll put forward a more recent optimal combination of musicians: The Travelling Wilburys.

The Travelling Wilburys are for me the ‘dream team’ of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty. All these had already achieved a successful career, fame and fortune. What I love about their work is here we have five musicians with nothing to prove and are happy just to play together ‘for the fun of it’ – and coming up with some cracking rock ‘n’ roll on the way. It’s great to play whilst driving!

cwqhdRs4jyA

Sadly they only made two albums and Roy Orbison died before the second album had been recorded. Now only three of the original members survive.

So that is my nomination. What are yours?

[lurcher]

I agree entirely about the Wilburys. But for me one of the best combinations of talent was Miles's band at the time of "In a silent way"

Miles Davis – trumpet
Wayne Shorter – soprano saxophone
John McLaughlin – electric guitar
Chick Corea – electric piano
Herbie Hancock – electric piano
Joe Zawinul – organ
Dave Holland – double bass
Tony Williams – drums

I would also mention the players on Joni Mitchell's Shadows and light tour.

Joni Mitchell - electric guitar, vocals
Pat Metheny - lead guitar
Jaco Pastorius - bass
Don Alias - drums
Lyle Mays - keyboards
Michael Brecker - saxophone

But that just me .

[Rare Bird]

Emerson Lake and Palmer

[Haselsh1]

Emerson Lake and Palmer

I'll second that one...

Along with early Yes and very early Genesis

;)

[colinB]

I dont listen to them much but i would have loved to see Cream live. British jazz rhythm section with blues guitar and Marshall stacks.

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

Blind Faith

[Barry]

I'll second that one...

Along with early Yes and very early Genesis

;)

I wouldn't call either of those 'supergroups' (well not in the sense that the members of either group played in other notable groups before they played in the groups you name. Otherwise one would have to include a near endless number of acts: The Beatles, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Pink Floyd .... You get the idea.

[Barry]

Blind Faith

Agreed - one of the shortest lived 'supergroups'; made just the one album.

[The Grand Wazoo]

The trouble with most supergroups is that they rarely fulfil anyone's expectations.
I'd agree with Barry that the 'Kind of Blue' Miles Davis band were something rather special, but then so was the one he assembled for Bitches Brew, which included:

Wayne Shorter
Joe Zawinul
Chick Corea
John McLaughlin
Dave Holland
and Jack DeJohnette



How about the Jeff Beck Group? Look who the first album has on it:
Jeff Beck
Rod Stewart
Micky Waller
Ronnie Wood
Nicky Hopkins
Keith Moon
Jimmy Page
John Paul Jones

The Plastic Ono Band
John Lennon
Yoko Ono
Eric Clapton
George Harrison
Klaus Voormann
Alan White
Ringo Starr
Keith Moon

Katmandu
Peter Green
Ray Dorset (Mungo Jerry)
Vincent Crane (Atomic Rooster)

BBM
Jack Bruce
Ginger Baker
Gary Moore

Also:
Ginger Baker's Air Force, Humble Pie

The best for me would be Bad Company - members from Free, Mott the Hoople & King Crimson

But as far as record sales go, the best supergroup has probably got to be Band Aid

[Spectral Morn]

ASIA :)


Carl Palmer, Steve Howe, John Wetton, Geoffrey Downes

Saw them live.....fantastic.

Yes on the Union tour...

Steve Howe, Tony Kaye, Rick Wakeman, Trevor Rabin, Chris Squire, Jon Anderson, John white, Bill Bruford. All playing on one circular stage :rave:


Regards D S D L

[DanJennings]

maybe not the best ever, but certainly excellent:

Oysterhead:

Les Claypool (Primus) Trey Anastasio (Phish) and Stewart Copeland (The Police)

[John]

not best but certainly worth a mention Catus

[Grez]

The Hellecasters

John Jorgenson (Lead Guitar)
Jerry Donahue (Lead Guitar)
Will Ray (Lead Guitar)
Alan Thomson (Bass)
Steve Duncan (Drums)

I saw them more than once and they were amazing!

[John]

The Hellecasters

John Jorgenson (Lead Guitar)
Jerry Donahue (Lead Guitar)
Will Ray (Lead Guitar)
Alan Thomson (Bass)
Steve Duncan (Drums)

I saw them more than once and they were amazing!
Me too freekin awsome live I would love to get the first album on vinyl sometime

[Reid Malenfant]

Sorry to interupt guys, but here is Supergroup (http://www.discogs.com/Supergroup-Supergroup/release/52698) ;)

Must admit even i had to laugh at Prof Phartiphuckborlz :lolsign:

:eyebrows:

As you were :)

[The Grand Wazoo]

The Golden Palaminos was a bit of a variation based on the supergroup theme.
There were three core members - Anton Fier, Bill Laswell and Nicky Skopelitis. Around that core was built a band (or bands) made up of a vastly varied assemblies of musicians.

Some of the contributors included:
John Zorn, Bob Mould, Michael Stipe, John Lydon, Jack Bruce, Richard Thompson & T-Bone Burnett.

I've got 2 albums - Visions of Excess & Drunk With Passion - the first is better than the second. Some good cover versions too - a couple of Lowell Georges and a Moby Grape for starters.



Box of Frogs was a pretty similar concept. The Yardbirds with knobs on!
Three of the original Yardbirds:
Chris Dreja
Paul Samwell-Smith
Jim McCarty

......with a procession of different vocalists and guitarists - for example:
Jeff Beck
Rory Gallagher
Jimmy Page
Steve Hackett
Graham Parker
Ian Dury
Roger Chapman
Graham Gouldman

[magiccarpetride]

So that is my nomination. What are yours?

The Beatles Anthology group. Three of the biggest, most famous musicians ever (Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr) laying it down over a few rejected tracks by another super famous (albeit dead) superstar -- John Lennon.

That's a supergroup if there ever was one.

[John]

I wouldn't call either of those 'supergroups' (well not in the sense that the members or either group played in other notable groups before they played in the groups you name. Otherwise one would have to include a near endless number of acts: The Beatles, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Pink Floyd .... You get the idea.


Please refer to above

[Beechwoods]

CSN+Y... though for me they only sounded any good at Woodstock. The albums were a disappointment.

Sky... though I think they only became regarded as a supergroup in retrospect. Prior to joining up they were for the most part 'just' amazing session musicians.

I'm not really a big one for Supergroups :)

[ourdogmax]

What about Pink Floyd or Led Zepplin.
Or are they too run of the mill to be regarded as supergroups. :scratch:
I appreciate not everything they did was that great.But still...:band:

[Beechwoods]

Floyd in particular comprised folks for whom it was their first proper band. I'm with Barry that a supergroup needs to be a band comprising people who were super before they came together as their new uber outfit...

[ourdogmax]

Ah, I'm with it now Nick.
Kind of like, Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe.
Will they do.

[Beechwoods]

Something like that! Or Fat Les.

[ourdogmax]

So, you met my sister.:lol:

[Alex_UK]

Them Crooked Vultures fit the brief, and one of the better recent ones, IMHO

[chris@panteg]

Liked them :)

What about The Pentangle ' a folk supergroup ! one of my fave's anyway:)

[Spectral Morn]

Floyd in particular comprised folks for whom it was their first proper band. I'm with Barry that a supergroup needs to be a band comprising people who were super before they came together as their new uber outfit...

+1

That too would be my understanding of "Super Group"


Regards D S D L

[WAD62]

...strangely no one has mentioned Yes with Trevor Horne! mmmm

How about a more recent 'prog' supergroup, I'm sure that a lot of you chaps out there would enjoy Battles if you were to give them the time...worth a listen anyway. Mind you you've probably already heard them on Honda and Audi adverts.

From 'Wiki'

"Battles is an American experimental rock supergroup, founded in 2002 in New York City. The band's current line-up comprises guitarists Ian Williams (formerly of Don Caballero and Storm & Stress), Dave Konopka (formerly of Lynx), and drummer John Stanier (formerly of Helmet)."


IpGp-22t0lU

[WAD62]

Them Crooked Vultures fit the brief, and one of the better recent ones, IMHO

You beat me to the punch...

[Spectral Morn]

...strangely no one has mentioned Yes with Trevor Horne! mmmm

How about a more recent 'prog' supergroup, I'm sure that a lot of you chaps out there would enjoy Battles if you were to give them the time...worth a listen anyway. Mind you you've probably already heard them on Honda and Audi adverts.

From 'Wiki'

"Battles is an American experimental rock supergroup, founded in 2002 in New York City. The band's current line-up comprises guitarists Ian Williams (formerly of Don Caballero and Storm & Stress), Dave Konopka (formerly of Lynx), and drummer John Stanier (formerly of Helmet)."


IpGp-22t0lU

Re the Drama period Yes (and I do like the album a lot) I would have to say No because neither Geoffrey Downes or Trevor Horn had done much of interest before that period. The Buggles were okay (Second album better than first) but their excellence only came after imho.

I suggested Asia earlier as they were/still are made up of four musicians who have high standing with other groups.

Regards D S D L

[Rare Bird]

The thing with Supergroups especially within the domain of the type of music i listern to is that the lesser mainly underground bands that never made it are better groups imho & because of this is very rarely listern to the big boys

[Pete The Cat]

Deep Purple, no contest. Eg Mark IV = ex Episode Six, Trapeze, James Gang.

Effectively a supergroup in each of their guises they also spawned an era of other supergroups by dint of rotating members and collaborations. Eg Dio = ex Rainbow, Sabbath, Sweet Savage, Wild Horses ; Whitesnake = ex Deep Purple, Cozy Powell's Hammer, Paice Ashton Lord.

Not quite with you chaps re Them Crooked Vultures, bit too much Josh Homme offcuts and not enough JPJ and Grohl IMHO.

Pete

[Jonboy]

I keep coming back to the Traveling Wilburys as previosly mentioned, it reminds me of driving through France with the family, we played it on most journeys to our destination when the kids were small :)

[Beechwoods]

Hatfield And The North?

Pip Pyle from Gong, David Sinclair from Caravan, Phil Miller from Matching Mole. I must admit when I discovered them, via Caravan, I was blown away. No point in YouTube clips... they were defintely an album band :)

[s70rmp]

At the moment I'm really enjoying Chickenfoot
Sammy Hagar
Michael Anthony
Chad Smith
Joe Satraini

Looking forward to the new cd next year.

The blu ray get your buzz on is on my Xmas want list

[degsy]

How about the "7 Worlds Collide" session put together by Neil Finn (Crowded House) which included:

Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam)
Johnny Marr (Smiths)
Sebastian Steinberg (Soul Coughing)
Ed O'Brien
Phil Selway (both Radiohead)
Lisa Germano

One week of concerts in Auckland and one CD/DVD release (which I guess hardly puts them in the "super" group bracket) but a fantastic session just the same. :)

[Rare Bird]

er No!v:lolsign: