Posted on 04/06/2009 1:24:01 PM PDT by JoeProBono
I make it 21 - but it's not a record. That, I think, goes to one man and his revolving door of backing musicians.
I was wondering the other day which band boasts the highest numbers of past and present members. Who can rival Spinal Tap, from that bit in the film where David St Hubbins said he wouldn't miss Nigel Tufnell any more than any of the other "37, 38" members of the band.
The first suggestion from the floor was UFO, the British heavy rock band who've been banging away for nearly 40 years now. The band that launched the career of guitar god Michael Schenker, who went on to form The Scorpions. And for a while 21 members looked like a winning total.
Bad Company, now without any original members, couldn't beat it (with 19 members), nor could Yes (16) or Deep Purple (14). The Yardbirds aren't even close with 17, nor Manfred Mann with 11.
But then UFO got blown out of the sky. Firstly by news of Guns N' Roses new axeman, DJ Ashba, which incredibly takes the rockers' roll call to 22 (with Axl Rose as the only constant) and then John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, who weighed in with 30, including luminaries such as Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce.
But I think we have a winner. It looked like David Coverdale might have sneaked it, with the 36 "friends" he has shared the stage with in almost as many years in Whitesnake. The same number of band members as Spinal Tap, would you believe!? Another similarity.
But edging it is indie veterans The Fall who, to my calculations, have racked up 38 band members, coming and going around the irrepressible main man Mark E Smith. Is it he who doesn't like his bandmates, or the other way round, I wonder? I could take a guess.
So is that really a record? Can anyone do better?
In high school I used to sneak out of the house late at night and drive down to the Stone Pony with my sister and her friends on Thursday nights to see the Jukes while hoping Bruce would show up. That was a long time ago but the jersey shore was an exciting place to be way back then.
I don't know why Johnny and the Jukes never made it big. They certainly had the talent. Maybe Johnny's battle with alcohol and drugs held them back. It's good to see they're still doing shows (even though Johnny's well into his 60's).
ELP, they toured with a freakin’ orchestra. ;’)
Jethro Tull has gone through a bunch of changes, but I don’t think they’ve cracked 30 (there are ways I could check, but I don’t wanna).
Quix, to a white courtesy phone, please.
Of all the great tag lines on FR Yours is the best lol everytime I see it..
No author credit? Again?
I guess they figured that would stretch the movie's believability beyond its already epic proportions.
That might have been a wee bit unrealistic. :)
Thanks! :)
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