I believe in keeping things positive, so I am compiling a list here of super groups that earned the moniker. In no real particular order--except for perhaps number one--here is a list of what I consider some of the best super groups assembled...whether by chance, determination, or a desire to clean up financially.
Super Group is defined as a band made up of members who were successful solo artists and/or members of other successful bands. A very simple definition really and a clean way to sum it up. So on we go...
#1- Cream has been hailed by many as the first super group, and it is certainly one of the best. Eric Clapton had recently left John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker (as famous for their fights as they were for their music) had played with Manfred Mann, Blues Incorporated, and the Graham Bond Organization. Together this trio brought an ever appreciative audience such classics as "White Room," "Sunshine of Your Love," "Strangebrew," and Tales of Brave Ulysses." They were together for less than two years, breaking up permanently in 1968, yet managed to sell over 15 million albums...not a bad career in and of itself. Their blend of traditional and modern blues, hard and psychedelic rock, and that ever popular wah-wah pedal, made Cream truly a band for the ages. However the constant fighting between Baker and Bruce almost doomed the band from the start.
#2- Blind Faith was another group that successfully brought Eric Clapton together with Ginger Baker...and added fellow rock heavyweights Steve Winwood and Rich Grech. I believe Winwood had left Traffic again; the "John Barleycorn Must Die" LP started out as a solo project...and more musical magic was thrust upon the masses. The band's only album (self-titled) was released in 1969 and included such gems as "Can't Find My Way Home," "Had to Cry Today," and a phenomenal cover of Buddy Holly's "Well Alright." The album itself has quite a history--and not only for the music. The original cover was of a topless young girl rumored (falsely) to be Ginger Baker's daughter. Banned in several countries including the US (where an alternate cover was used), Blind Faith managed to sell 500,000 copies in the first month of release...which fueled the appetite of the record labels for more groups like this that could bring in big sales fast. But as fate would have it, another super group was doomed from the start...mix high expectation levels from the public, huge sales expectations coupled with the demand for a steady flow of albums to sell from the suits behind the scenes, four huge egos, and you have a fairly volatile potion just waiting to blow...
#3- Bad Company was the spawn of Free, where Paul Rodgers was the lead singer and Simon Kirke the drummer. Not often thought of as a super group per se, the band was comprised of musicians who were successful in their own right prior to coming together in Bad Company. Boz Burrell previously played bass with King Crimson and Mick Ralphs was with Mott the Hoople on guitar. The original BC line-up lasted nine years--a long time for a super group--and released several excellent albums. Despite their huge success and popularity, album sales were a roller coaster and in 1982 Paul Rodgers wanted out. The band reformed in 1984 without Rodgers, who by then was busy with The Firm. Bad Company continued on without the success of their original line-up until Rodgers returned in 1998. Different line-ups ensued as Burrell left and Kirke retired from live performing. As good as they were, they never recaptured that original spark...
#4- Emerson, Lake, & Palmer was known just as famously as ELP, and had originally been put together as a super group for the ages. Built on excess, this trio sold out a 20,000 seat show before ever releasing an album...not an easy thing to do. Coming from the Nice, King Crimson, and Atomic Rooster, the band infused jazz, electronics, keyboards, and classical music into their sound. ELP also helped bring progressive rock to a more mainstream audience. But alas, as the story is so often told, ego trips and in-house fighting led to the dissolution of another gathering of exemplary talent. They released two dismal albums (for all the talent they had) to meet contractual obligations; "Love Beach" and "In Concert." Over-the-top percussion and synthesizers upon synthesizers brought ELP as many detractors as fans. I for one enjoyed their music, and still consider "Tarkus" one of the better progressive albums I have heard. Break-ups and reunions through the 80's and 90's marked the end of what was intended to be a musical dynasty.
#5- Travelling Wilburys were as much fun as they were good; unfortunately the untimely death of Lefty Wilbury before the second album was recorded led to an early break-up of the band. This was a super group that was able to check egos at the door and just have some fun. George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne, and Tom Petty each had reached superstar status in their own right, so there probably wasn't much left to fight about. Although two studio albums were released, the first was much more commercially successful. Nelson Wilbury has also passed through the veil, so a reunion is highly unlikely. The one super group I can think of that never toured, the Travelling Wilburys had a great sound that was just the right mix of five talented musicians. Their first hit, "Handle With Care" was originally recorded as a B-side for a George Harrison single...but the band decided the song was too good to lay on the wrong side of the turntable and put out their own LP instead.
#6 The Plastic Ono Band formed in 1969 and produced some very good albums. Basically The Beatles sans Paul McCartney along with Yoko Ono, Klaus Voormann, Alan White, Keith Moon, and Eric Clapton. Quite a line-up and quite a band. The band was widely perceived as a release for Lennon after the break-up of the Beatles, and the live performances were well received.
#7 Hindu Love Gods took R.E.M., removed Michael Stipe, and added Warren Zevon. Their cover of "Battleship Chains" on the one album released in 1990 is fantastic.
#8 Liquid Tension Experiment Mike Portnoy, Jordan Rudess, Tony Levin, and John Petrucci put together some amazing progressive metal on the first two albums LTE I and II, and followed that up with a third release in 2007 called "Spontaneous Combustion." Most of the songs on this third album were improvisational jams. They also released a fourth album, "When the Keyboard Breaks: Live in Chicago" under the name Liquid Trio Experiment 2." This was a live recording of improvised music recorded when Rudess' keyboard malfunctioned on stage and he was unable to fix it. Sometimes the best things are not planned...
#9 Chickenfoot led by Sammy Hagar, the original trio (along with Michael Anthony and Chad Smith) added guitar master Joe Satriani when they realized they were on to something big and needed to do things right. Their first album was released in 2009...and despite being an additional project for Smith, who also plays drums for Red Hot Chili Peppers, the band did release a second album and has been touring. Apparently Chickenfoot is just too much fun and too damn good to stop the music...
#10 The Super Super Blues Band came together in 1967, made up of Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Otis Spann, and Howlin' Wolf. I just wish I was old enough in 1967 to listen to, enjoy, and appreciate what their sound must have been like...if only...
So there you have it; a list of ten Super groups in no particular order...because ranking them would be akin to asking who the better guitar player is--does it matter? Each has a style and their own particular sound. And in the case of the ten groups listed here, each is better than the sum of its parts. Trying to decide which band is better takes away from the reason the bands were formed in the first place--the music.
I know I have listed only ten groups here and there many, many more...if you have a favorite that isn't listed here my apologies...does not mean I do not like them. Quite the contrary; I am not too proud to admit I might not have heard them play yet. In that case, please fill me in as I am always ready for more music lessons. There are also some super groups that in my opinion are really not-so-super...but I will refrain from listing them here. No point in arguing and since it is my blog I get to choose what goes into it.
I chose the track below as much to educate me as to entertain you. I have heard the Super Super Blues Band on the radio a few times, mostly on syndicated shows about the history of the blues. I was pleasantly surprised (but not shocked) to find there were several posts on YouTube for this band. The way they interact live along with the playing is magic...luckily it was captured on tape and laid to vinyl so the masses would be able to appreciate it too. Enjoy...
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