Multiple successful musicians?
August 16, 2012 11:07 AM

What musicians were members of more than one big, successful band?

Cosette and I were discussing this earlier and could only think of a few (not including supergroups and solo acts):

Randy Bachman - BTO/The Guess Who
Eric Clapton - Yardbirds/Cream
Slash - GNR/Velvet Revolver
Kim Deal - Breeders/Pixies (neither band was ever really that big but let's call them the cutoff point)
Dave Grohl - Nirvana/Foo Fighters
Paul McCartney - Beatles/Wings

I know we are missing a ton, calling in the mefinforcements.
posted by Cosine to Media & Arts (107 answers total) 9 users marked this as a favorite
The Traveling Wilburys.
posted by Hanuman1960 at 11:10 AM on August 16, 2012


Ronnie Wood was in the Jeff Beck Group, The Faces and The Rolling Stones. Not a bad resume.
posted by merocet at 11:10 AM on August 16, 2012


Hanuman - yeah, I would consider them supergroup for sure, I mean... all those superstars! and Jeff Lynne!
posted by Cosine at 11:11 AM on August 16, 2012


Ben Gibbard - Death Cab for Cutie/The Postal Service
M. Ward - She & Him/Monsters of Folk
posted by jbickers at 11:11 AM on August 16, 2012


Robert Smith was in Siouxie and the Banshees as well as heading up The Cure.
posted by merocet at 11:11 AM on August 16, 2012


Forgot: Ronnie James Dio - Dio, Rainbow and Black Sabbath
posted by jbickers at 11:12 AM on August 16, 2012


Dave Navarro and Perry Farrell
posted by gnutron at 11:13 AM on August 16, 2012


DIO!

\m/ - (head down in shame)
posted by Cosine at 11:14 AM on August 16, 2012


The guys in the English Beat separated out into two other successful bands,

General Public
Fine Young Cannibals
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 11:15 AM on August 16, 2012


Vivian Campbell: Whitesnake and Def Leppard
Robert Trujillo: Suicidal Tendencies, Infectious Grooves, Metallica
posted by DWRoelands at 11:15 AM on August 16, 2012


Jimmy Page - the Yardbirds/Led Zeppelin (as well as countless other session things)
Johnny Marr - Modest Mouse/The Smiths
posted by LionIndex at 11:16 AM on August 16, 2012


Paul Rogers. Free / Bad Company
posted by bondcliff at 11:17 AM on August 16, 2012


The Wikipedia entry for Super Group is helpful for this.
posted by Sara C. at 11:18 AM on August 16, 2012


Greg Hetson - Circle Jerks, Bad Religion, Redd Kross
Brian Baker - Minor Threat, Dag Nasty, Bad Religion
Chuck Biscuits - D.O.A., Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Danzig, Social Distortion
posted by cazoo at 11:18 AM on August 16, 2012


All of Joy Division bar Ian Curtis
Mark Lanegan
Josh Homme
Howard Devoto
posted by anagrama at 11:19 AM on August 16, 2012


Not sure what your definition of "successful" is but, in the UK, there's Damon Albarn - Blur / Gorillaz amongtst other musical projects.
posted by apcmwh at 11:19 AM on August 16, 2012


Does it count if they were in the band before they really hit it big?

David Coverdale: Deep Purple / Whitesnake.
posted by bondcliff at 11:19 AM on August 16, 2012


Carrie Brownstein - Sleater-Kinney and Wild Flag
Kathleen Hanna - Bikini Kill and Le Tigre

Ben Gibbard and Jack White seem to be in, like, every band, ever, over the past decade or so.
posted by Sara C. at 11:20 AM on August 16, 2012


David Crosby started with The Byrds.
Steven Stills started with Buffalo Springfield.
Graham Nash started with The Hollies.

Together they became....
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:20 AM on August 16, 2012


Vince Clarke - Depeche Mode / Erasure
posted by Faint of Butt at 11:21 AM on August 16, 2012


Alex Chilton
posted by anagrama at 11:21 AM on August 16, 2012


Faint of Butt — don't forget Yazoo as well for Vince Clarke
posted by papercake at 11:23 AM on August 16, 2012


Jason Everman
posted by anagrama at 11:24 AM on August 16, 2012


Terry Hall was in The Specials then the Fun Boy Three
posted by merocet at 11:26 AM on August 16, 2012


Dave Mustaine
posted by anagrama at 11:27 AM on August 16, 2012


showing some of anagrama's work:

All of Joy Division bar Ian Curtis: Joy Division/ New Order
Alex Chilton: The Box Tops/ Big Star (?)
Mark Lanegan: Screaming Trees/ Queens of the Stone Age
Howard Devoto: Buzzcocks/ ?
posted by LionIndex at 11:28 AM on August 16, 2012


Neil Finn was in Split Enz and then Crowded House
John Taylor was in Duran Duran and The Power Station
Geoff Downes was in The Buggles, Asia and Yes
Paul Carrack was in Squeeze and Mike + the Mechanics
Bernard Sumner was in Joy Division, New Order and Electronic
posted by dotgirl at 11:28 AM on August 16, 2012


In before scody!

Paul Weller: The Jam/ The Style Council
posted by LionIndex at 11:29 AM on August 16, 2012


Dan the Automator - Gorillaz / Handsome Boy Modeling School / Lovage / Delton 3030
posted by echo target at 11:29 AM on August 16, 2012


Siobhan Fahey from Bananarama and Shakespeare's Sister
posted by merocet at 11:30 AM on August 16, 2012


merocet - nice!
posted by Cosine at 11:30 AM on August 16, 2012


showing some of anagrama's work:

Sorry, Was being lazy posting from my phone..

All of Joy Division bar Ian Curtis: Joy Division/ New Order
Alex Chilton: The Box Tops/ Big Star
Mark Lanegan: Screaming Trees / Queens of the Stone Age / whoever else he pops up with
Howard Devoto: Buzzcocks / Magazine
Jason Everman: Nirvana / Soundgarden (though neither while "big")
Dave Mustaine: Metallica / Megadeth
posted by anagrama at 11:34 AM on August 16, 2012


Melissa Auf Der Mer: Hole / Smashing Pumpkins
posted by anagrama at 11:35 AM on August 16, 2012


Stuart Adamson from The Skids and Big Country

(Thanks!)
posted by merocet at 11:35 AM on August 16, 2012


Jeff Tweedy: Wilco, Uncle Tupelo,
Jay Farrar: Son Volt, Uncle Tupelo
posted by COBRA! at 11:35 AM on August 16, 2012


Ian Mackaye: Minor Threat / Fugazi
posted by anagrama at 11:36 AM on August 16, 2012


Mike Watt: Minutemen / Firehose / Ciccone Youth / The Stooges
posted by anagrama at 11:37 AM on August 16, 2012


(ha)
posted by anagrama at 11:37 AM on August 16, 2012


Greg Lake was in King Crimson before ELP.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 11:38 AM on August 16, 2012


Bob Mould: Husker Du / Sugar
posted by anagrama at 11:38 AM on August 16, 2012


Blixa Bargeld is both Einstürzende Neubauten and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
posted by merocet at 11:39 AM on August 16, 2012


Spencer Krug: Wolf Parade, Frog Eyes, Sunset Rubdown,etc.

(Also Dan Boeckner)
posted by beepbeepboopboop at 11:39 AM on August 16, 2012


If you count studio house bands, there's a ton more - for example, Booker T. and the MGs were the house band for Stax records, so they're the backing band on albums by Albert King, Sam & Dave, Otis Redding, the Staple Singers, etc. Donald "Duck" Dunn was part of the MGs and also did a bunch of other session work. Dude played with basically everyone ever.

Whether or not this counts depends on what you consider to be "being in a band with." Session musicians made the recorded versions of the songs, so that's the 'band' that made the version everyone thinks of as the original, but music used to work differently in the 60s. One guy would show up in the studio, record his songs with the studio band, then go out and do a tour with a totally different band.
posted by echo target at 11:40 AM on August 16, 2012


merocet - Blixa! Damn!
posted by Cosine at 11:40 AM on August 16, 2012


Paul Heaton from the Housemartins and The Beautiful South
posted by merocet at 11:45 AM on August 16, 2012


Pat Smear - The Germs, Nirvana, The Foo Fighters

Henry Rollins - Black Flag, The Rollins Band

Dave Navarro - Jane's Addiction, Red Hot Chili Peppers

The Small Faces and the Faces were very different bands with some of the same members.
posted by John Cohen at 11:46 AM on August 16, 2012


Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman - Operation Ivy and Rancid
posted by John Cohen at 11:47 AM on August 16, 2012


Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway were both in The Housemartins and The Beautiful South.
posted by carbide at 11:48 AM on August 16, 2012


Rod Argent – The Zombies and, uh, Argent.
posted by nicwolff at 11:48 AM on August 16, 2012


Tanya Donelly – Throwing Muses, Belly, and the Breeders
posted by nicwolff at 11:50 AM on August 16, 2012


TWF - I think A Perfect Circle pretty much are the definition of a supergroup. Freese is certainly an interesting case tho.
posted by Cosine at 11:50 AM on August 16, 2012


Whether or not this counts depends on what you consider to be "being in a band with."

Yeah, how about Carol Kaye? The Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel, and many other bands.
posted by John Cohen at 11:52 AM on August 16, 2012


Rod Stewart was in: Jeff Beck Group / Faces
posted by parkerama at 11:53 AM on August 16, 2012


Neil Finn - Split Enz/Crowded House (on preview: curses!)
Paul Weller - The Jam/The Style Council (on preview: curses!!!!)
Mick Jones - The Clash/Big Audio Dynamite (on preview: GOD DAMMIT)

And, as mentioned above, basically everyone from the Small Faces/Faces crew:
Steve Marriott - Small Faces/Humble Pie (the latter with Peter Frampton)
Ronnie Lane - Small Faces/the Faces
Ian McLagan - Small Faces/the Faces (plus session & touring musician for the Stones and a million others)
Kenney Jones - Small Faces/the Faces/the Who
Ron Wood - Jeff Beck Group/the Faces/the Stones
Rod Stewart - Jeff Beck Group/Faces (then solo)

also, has no one mentioned Neil Young? Buffalo Springfield/CSN&Y/Crazy Horse
posted by scody at 11:54 AM on August 16, 2012


What about Eric Clapton? - Yardbirds/Bluesbreakers/Cream/Blind Faith/Delaney and Bonnie and Friends/Derek and the Dominoes
posted by tommasz at 12:00 PM on August 16, 2012


Brian May - Smile / Queen (I know I'm pushing it with Smile)
posted by parkerama at 12:00 PM on August 16, 2012


er, and Roger [Rodger] Taylor too, same bands.
posted by parkerama at 12:02 PM on August 16, 2012


Tom DeLonge - Blink 182/Angels and Airwaves

I was also going to suggest Emily Haines - Broken Social Scene/Metric, but Broken Social Scene is considered a collective, so not sure if it meets your criteria.
posted by wsquared at 12:04 PM on August 16, 2012


Well, Josh Freese is a session drummer, so a lot of those times he's just hired to do the awesome work he always does. I think he was a proper full member of vandals and a perfect circle, though.

You can take Matt Chamberlain in that same vein (i.e. another incredible drummer involved in every record ever). Damn, he even turned down Pearl Jam when they were starting up to take a job in the SNL band. But yeah, Pearl Jam, Fiona Apple, Tori Amos, Edie Brickell and the Bohemians, and an endless list of other stuff.
posted by palbo at 12:05 PM on August 16, 2012


Jerry Harrison was in the Modern Lovers and the Talking Heads, which in my corny new-wave world is pretty hard to beat.
posted by escabeche at 12:10 PM on August 16, 2012


Though one shouldn't neglect David Robinson, who was in the Modern Lovers and the Cars.
posted by escabeche at 12:11 PM on August 16, 2012


Foo Fighters also connects you with Sunny Day Real Estate and The Fire Theft (via Jeremy Enigk and Nate Mendel), and No Use For a Name (via Chris Shiflett).
posted by jbickers at 12:12 PM on August 16, 2012


Glenn Danzig Misfits & Danzig
posted by MinusCelsius at 12:17 PM on August 16, 2012


Glenn Danzig - Misfits / Samhain / Danzig
Dave Navarro - Red Hot Chili Peppers / Jane's Addiction
Greg Hetson - Circle Jerks / Bad Religion & Brian Baker - Minor Threat / Bad Religion (Depending on how you define successful)
posted by teleri025 at 12:21 PM on August 16, 2012


Pete Frame's Rock Family Trees book is awesome for this sort of thing.

Here's some examples.
posted by marxchivist at 12:21 PM on August 16, 2012


Lou Barlow: Dinosaur (Jr) / Sebadoh
posted by anagrama at 12:21 PM on August 16, 2012


Johnny Thunders - New York Dolls / The Heartbreakers
Richard Hell - Television / The Heartbreakers / Richard Hell and the Voidoids
[no to David Johansen - Buster Poindexter a pseudonym, not a band!]
Nick Cave - Birthday Party / Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Robyn Hitchcock - The Soft Boys / Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians

I know those last two are sort of fudging.
posted by parkerama at 12:26 PM on August 16, 2012


Mike Patton: Mr. Bungle, Faith No More, Fantomas, Tomahawk, etc.
Layne Stayley: Alice In Chains, Mad Season
Eddie Vedder: Pearl Jam, Temple of the Dog
Pearl Jam / Green River / Mother Love Bone guys. (Or just all of Seattle grunge, really).
Kim Deal: Pixies, Breeders.
Dimebag Darrel / Vinnie Paul: Pantera, Hellyeah, Damageplan
Brody Dalle: The Distillers, Spinerette
DJ Shadow / UNKLE
Bjork: Sugarcubes, Bjork (I guess there's a lot of people that transition to successful solo careers, not sure if you're interested in that).
Karin Dreijer Andersson: The Knife, Fever Ray.
posted by palbo at 12:26 PM on August 16, 2012


Denny Laine - the Moody Blues and Wings.
posted by agress at 12:27 PM on August 16, 2012


Henry Rollins: Black Flag, Rollins Band
posted by palbo at 12:28 PM on August 16, 2012


OOOh! Stephin Merritt - Magnetic Fields / The 6ths
posted by parkerama at 12:28 PM on August 16, 2012


also, has no one mentioned Neil Young? Buffalo Springfield/CSN&Y/Crazy Horse

Well, I say that Neil is not in Crazy Horse, they are just his backup band, they exist without him and he without them.

CSNY is kinda falling into supergroup territory, but if not then every member counts, which is impressive for sure.
posted by Cosine at 12:28 PM on August 16, 2012


Nick Cave - Birthday Party / Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Robyn Hitchcock - The Soft Boys / Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians

I know those last two are sort of fudging.


Do I need to come up there?
posted by Cosine at 12:29 PM on August 16, 2012


Come on! The 6ths are no less obscure than, say, Fever Ray or Sunset Rubdown.
posted by parkerama at 12:33 PM on August 16, 2012


Band to Band also does well for this sort of thing, although I don't think there's any filtering available for fame level or supergroups.

Band to Band partially brought to you by MeFi's own go vegan
posted by LionIndex at 12:34 PM on August 16, 2012


Hadn't thought about more metallic territory:

Max Cavalera - Sepultura/Soulfly
Tomas Lindberg - multiple Swedish death metal bands including At the Gates and The Great Deceiver
AND ONCE AGAIN we find ourselves connecting with the Foo Fighters, when we get to Thomas Fischer (Celtic Frost, Hellhammer, etc.) who was in Probot with Dave Grohl.

(Frankly, if you open the door to include black metal, pretty much every artist was in at least three or four successful bands.)
posted by jbickers at 12:44 PM on August 16, 2012


I don't know if you guys know this, but George Clinton was in both Parliament AND Funkadelic. Did I just blow your mind, MetaFilter?
posted by .kobayashi. at 12:45 PM on August 16, 2012


Miho Hatori was in both Cibo Matto and Gorillaz
John Coltrane was in the Miles Davis Quartet and the Thelonious Monk Quartet, prior to his solo career.
posted by chrisulonic at 12:54 PM on August 16, 2012


Speaking of Dead Weather, Alison Mosshart -- The Kills / Dead Weather

Thao Nguyen -- Thao and the Get Down Stay Down / Thao + Mirah

Billy Corgan -- Smashing Pumpkins / Zwan (ok, maybe that's overly generous)

Ryan Adams -- Whiskeytown / The Cardinals (kind of borderline...)
posted by threeants at 1:03 PM on August 16, 2012


Blixa has already been covered, but Alexander Hacke of EN also was (is?) in Crime and The City Solution, and Mick Harvey from Crime and The City Solution was in the Bad Seeds.
posted by Dr Dracator at 1:13 PM on August 16, 2012


Dave Mattocks and more notably Dave Pegg were in Fairport Convention and Jethro Tull, and then back to Fairport.
posted by Gungho at 1:14 PM on August 16, 2012


Tina Weymouth and Chris Franz: Talking Heads/Tom Tom Club
posted by trip and a half at 1:15 PM on August 16, 2012


Johnny Marr already mentioned as the Smiths and Modest Mouse, but also The The and Electronic and um the Cribs.
Lemmy: Hawkwind / Motorhead
Gary Mounfield ("Mani") The Stone Roses / Primal Scream
Bobby Gillespie: The Jesus and Mary Chain / Primal Scream
Jason Pierce: Spacemen 3 / Spiritualized
Warren Ellis: The Dirty Three / Grinderman / Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds / Transmetropolitan (OK, not that last one....different Warren Ellis).
Jim Sclavunos: Teenage Jesus and the Jerks / Sonic Youth / The Cramps / Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds / Grinderman / many others

OK, some of those weren't big selling but they were hugely influential and important.
posted by Infinite Jest at 1:19 PM on August 16, 2012


Micki Steele - Runaways and Bangles

Kasim Sulton - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts and Utopia (Maybe a stretch, although I'd argue he was as responsible for Joan's late 80s hits as anyone...)
posted by SuperSquirrel at 1:38 PM on August 16, 2012


Also, Ronnie DeVoe was in both New Edition and Bell Biv Devoe.
posted by chrisulonic at 1:40 PM on August 16, 2012


Bill Bruford drummed for Yes before joining King Crimson.
Boz Burrell was in King Crimson and Bad Company.
posted by saladin at 1:58 PM on August 16, 2012


Are you implicitly ruling out jazz? Because jazz people swap quintets/quartets/sextets all the time. Miles Davis played with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Cannonball Adderly, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Bill Evans etc. etc. at various points in the lifecycle of his quintet.
posted by juv3nal at 2:11 PM on August 16, 2012


Joe Walsh -- The James Gang / The Eagles / successful solo career of course
posted by dancestoblue at 2:43 PM on August 16, 2012


John Wetton - King Crimson/Roxy Music/Uriah Heep

Wayne Shorter - Miles Davis Group/Weather Report
posted by 99percentfake at 2:55 PM on August 16, 2012


Rick Grech: - Family, Blind Faith, Ginger Baker's Air Force, Traffic, KGB, Gram Parsons.
Jorma Kaukonen: - Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna.
David Nelson:- New Riders of the Purple Sage, David Nelson Band, Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band, Phil Lesh and Friends.
Sandy Denny:- Fairport Convention, Strawbs, Fotheringay, Led Zeppelin (studio)
Peter Green:- John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Fleetwood Mac, Peter Green Splinter Group, Gass.
Buddy Miles: - Ruby & the Romantics, Ink Spots, Delfonics, Wilson Pickett, Electric Flag, Mike Bloomfield, Jimi Hendrix, Band of Gypsys, John McLaughlin, Carlos Santana, Bootsy Collins, The California Raisins.
posted by adamvasco at 3:02 PM on August 16, 2012


Stanley Clarke: - Return to Forever, Chick Corea, Jeff Beck, Clarke/Duke Project, SMV, Animal Logic, George Duke
Chick Corea many many bands as well as own and short term collaborations, he started with Cab Calloway.
Aynsley Dunbar: - The Jeff Beck Group, David Bowie, Frank Zappa, UFO, Whitesnake, Journey, Jefferson Starship, Lou Reed, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Sammy Hagar, Michael Schenker, Jake E. Lee, The Mojos.
posted by adamvasco at 3:17 PM on August 16, 2012


Skip Spence - Moby Grape/Jefferson Airplane
posted by 99percentfake at 4:06 PM on August 16, 2012




Rick Danko, Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, and Garth Hudson: The Band/Bob Dylan's backing band

Robert Quine: Richard Hell & the Voidoids/Lou Reed/Matthew Sweet/Material/John Zorn

I have a whole list of others but they pretty clearly don't fit into the "big, successful" requirement.
posted by voodoochile at 6:19 PM on August 16, 2012


Johnny Marr also played in the Pretenders for a bit.

Mick Harvey also played in the Birthday Party (so did Blixa for one EP) and C&tCS

Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine has played with Primal Scream off and on since 97.

Peter Christopherson: Throbbing Gristle & Coil

Genesis P-Orridge: Throbbing Gristle & Psychic TV

Patricia Morrison was in the Gun Club and Sisters of Mercy

Lemmy was in Hawkwind before Motorhead

Mike Rutherford was in Genesis & Mike + the Mechanics

Dean Wareham fronted Galaxie 500 and Luna
posted by K.P. at 6:27 PM on August 16, 2012


Blake Sennett -- Rilo Kiley and The Elected
(the latter might not really be big and successful enough to count, I admit.)
posted by dizziest at 9:56 PM on August 16, 2012


Mark Ibold: Pavement/Sonic Youth
posted by LionIndex at 10:09 PM on August 16, 2012


Sun Ra was in Fletcher Henderson's big band and of course led the Arkestra.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 10:40 PM on August 16, 2012


Dave Parsons: Transvision Vamp / Bush
posted by bongo_x at 10:56 PM on August 16, 2012


Warren Haynes was in the Allman Brothers Band and Gov't Mule
posted by a humble nudibranch at 11:49 PM on August 16, 2012


Omar Rodríguez-López and Cedric Bixler-Zavala, from At the Drive In to Mars Volta.
posted by safetyfork at 5:36 AM on August 17, 2012


Jared Warren: Karp / Big Business / Melvins
Coady Willis: Murder City Devils / Big Business / Melvins
posted by safetyfork at 5:40 AM on August 17, 2012


Matt Pike: Sleep / High on Fire
Steve Albini: Big Black / Shellac
David Pajo: Slint / Tortoise
Jason Noble (rip): Rodan / Shipping News / Rachel's
posted by safetyfork at 5:43 AM on August 17, 2012


Gram Parsons - The Byrds/Flying Burrito Brothers?
posted by naoko at 6:59 AM on August 17, 2012


Big/Successful is up for debate here:
Janet Weiss: Sleater-Kinney / Quasi / Steven Malkmus & The Jicks
John McEntire: Tortoise / Sea and Cake
Charles Spearin (bass): Do Make Say Think / Broken Social Scene / Feist (touring)
posted by obscurator at 8:07 AM on August 17, 2012


Blake Schwarzenbach - Jawbreaker, Jets To Brazil

Bob Weston - Shellac, Mission of Burma
posted by namewithoutwords at 9:45 AM on August 17, 2012


Adrian Belew - Zappa/Bowie

And also King Crimson and Talking Heads.

John Wetton - King Crimson/Roxy Music/Uriah Heep

And also U.K. (though perhaps that's best forgotten).
posted by klausness at 12:03 PM on September 1, 2012


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