Solo artists who have gone on to success as part of a band

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Further to the "musicians who have been in 2 successful bands" thread, i've always had trouble naming any musicians who started out as a solo artist then went onto further success as part of a band. It's just that it usually seems to be the other way around.

By "started out" i suppose i mean had released a record or received some acclaim, if not great commercial success, and by band i'd prefer to shy away from supergroups, but hey.

― Michael Lambert (Michael Lambert), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 22:15 (twenty years ago)

new pornographers to thread

― jim p. irrelevant (electricsound), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 22:18 (twenty years ago)

Brian Connolly --> Sweet

He was a solo teen idol pop artist in the mid to late 60s, though barely known.. The Sweetshop was the name of the group that surrounded what would have otherwise been his solo efforts. Get Chinn and Chapman, get some makeup and glitter, truncate the name, and wig wam bam!

― dali madison's nut (donut), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 22:20 (twenty years ago)

I think Marc Bolan qualifies, if you count the really early stuff before John's Children.

― dali madison's nut (donut), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 22:22 (twenty years ago)

I forget if Bjork ever had a solo history before K.U.K.L. or Tappi Tikarrass or Sugarcubes.. either way, she not only went on to success via a band, she came back bigger solo again!

― dali madison's nut (donut), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 22:23 (twenty years ago)

Ah! I forgot about both of those.

I suppose there's Bowie/Tin Machine, but whether you'd call TM a success is another matter!

There's also Jim O'Rourke/Sonic Youth, but i didn't really mean people who'd joined an existing band - that's a thread in itself.

RE Bjork - she released a solo record as a child that was successful in Iceland pre KUKL, so iguess she counts too.

― Michael Lambert (Michael Lambert), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 22:26 (twenty years ago)

Sammy Hagar

― Christopher Costello (CGC), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 22:27 (twenty years ago)

oh, wait. i forgot about montrose.

― Christopher Costello (CGC), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 22:31 (twenty years ago)

RE Bjork - she released a solo record as a child that was successful in Iceland pre KUKL, so iguess she counts too.

Well, if it was released before Tappi Tikarrass (which was her very first band), then it would certainly count.

― dali madison's nut (donut), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 23:25 (twenty years ago)

Sean O'Hagan ---> High Llamas.

― dali madison's nut (donut), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 23:26 (twenty years ago)

mmmm, couldn't tell you!

― Michael Lambert (Michael Lambert), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 23:26 (twenty years ago)

does devendra banhart count?

― sovietpanda (sovietpanda), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 23:36 (twenty years ago)

Dan The Automator -> is Gorillaz a supergroup?

Darren Emerson joined Underworld when he was already an up & coming DJ, I believe

― StanM (StanM), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 23:49 (twenty years ago)

Stuart Price (Jacques Lu Cont/Les Rythmes Digitales/Man With Guitar/Paper Faces/Pour Homme/Thin White Duke) -> Zoot Woman

― StanM (StanM), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 23:51 (twenty years ago)

Another solo "meh" --> band "ah yeah" --> solo "I'm king, muthafucka" : Dr. Dre

― dali madison's nut (donut), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 23:53 (twenty years ago)

John Cale worked with John Cage and then started up the Dream Syndicate with LaMonte Young before The Velvet Underground. Lee Ranaldo and Thurston Moore played for Glenn Branca before Sonic Youth started, but I only know all of this from their later famous bands' biographies, so I wouldn't know if "acclaim" or even "success" can be used...

― StanM (StanM), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 00:03 (twenty years ago)

Christine (Perfect) McVie.

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 02:14 (twenty years ago)

It was all uphill for Dylan after joining the Wilburies.

― billstevejim (billstevejim), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 02:25 (twenty years ago)

Robert Bradley (..later with " Blackwater Surprise)

― Steve Gertz (sgertz), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 02:28 (twenty years ago)

Nico?

― Cunga (Cunga), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 03:05 (twenty years ago)

John Cale worked with John Cage and then started up the Dream Syndicate with LaMonte Young before The Velvet Underground.

he didn't "work" with cage, and although he came to the states on a fellowship for composition, he wasn't exactly an established "solo artist" by any means.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 03:09 (twenty years ago)

ice-t (body count)

freddy fender and flaco jimenez (texas tornados)

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 04:18 (twenty years ago)

I was going to say Mos Def (Black Jack Johnson), but I guess Black Star counts as a non-solo project.

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 04:21 (twenty years ago)

Trevor Rabin: three solo albums (which went nowhere) before joining Yes and scoring with "Owner of a Lonely Heart"

Davy Jones: I believe released one solo album (titles such as "Put Me Amongst the Girls" and "Song for a New Love" spring joyfully to memory) before The Monkees.

― Joe (Joe), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 04:47 (twenty years ago)

Damn it! Someone stole my Bowie/Tin Machine joke!

What about all the guys who ended up in the Travelling Wilburys? That kinda counts, I guess.

― vartman (novaheat), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 06:05 (twenty years ago)

John Cale worked with John Cage and then started up the Dream Syndicate with LaMonte Young before The Velvet Underground.

he didn't "work" with cage, and although he came to the states on a fellowship for composition, he wasn't exactly an established "solo artist" by any means.

Ah. I sit corrected. Thanks.

― StanM (StanM), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 06:51 (twenty years ago)

Dr Dre went band - band - solo ("Surgery", which is all about him, was a World Class Wreckin' Cru record)

― kit brash (kit brash), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 08:08 (twenty years ago)

BJ Cole -> The Verve

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 08:23 (twenty years ago)

Genius -> Wu-Tang Clan

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 08:25 (twenty years ago)

charles manson, har har

― älänbänänä (alanbanana), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 08:27 (twenty years ago)

Joe Walsh. Sort of.

― D.I.Y. U.N.K.L.E. (dave225.3), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 12:51 (twenty years ago)

I suppose he didn't go on to further success, but Eminem did join D12 and sold some records.

― Roz (Roz), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 14:24 (twenty years ago)

Joe Walsh. Sort of.
didn't start out as a solo artist, though.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 14:32 (twenty years ago)

hence, the "sort of"

― D.I.Y. U.N.K.L.E. (dave225.3), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 14:50 (twenty years ago)

prince --> prince and the new power generation

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 14:57 (twenty years ago)

I suppose he didn't go on to further success, but Eminem did join D12 and sold some records.

Wasn't he already a member of the group before his solo career? Not that D12 had any records out back then.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 15:00 (twenty years ago)

Bruce Hornsby---->Grateful Dead

What about Jimmy Page & Paul Rogers----->The Firm?

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 15:03 (twenty years ago)

Paul McCartney. After some pop success with his solo album on LiverPool records, he joined the Beatles.

― Lawrence the Looter (Lawrence the Looter), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 15:12 (twenty years ago)

Yep, I've got "Paperback Writer" the 'novel' too.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 15:18 (twenty years ago)

'Genius -> Wu-Tang Clan'

and the RZA too!!

― Robin Goad (rgoad), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 17:21 (twenty years ago)

Not a single satisfying answer -- tough question!

― Mark (MarkR), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 17:47 (twenty years ago)

neil young -> CSNY -> solo (recent thread)

bert jansch -> pentangle

strung out coltrane -> miles davis quintet

― theo, Wednesday, 21 December 2005 19:14 (twenty years ago)

neil young - Buffalo Springfield first...

― D.I.Y. U.N.K.L.E. (dave225.3), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 19:15 (twenty years ago)

Jansch is good!

I was thinking that the Traveling Wilburies kind of count, but what i really mean is someone who started out solo, started to forge a career at some level (not just playing a few solo shows here and there, actually making progress) but then went and formed a band (not just a backing band, a creative unit) and found further success.

I realise the criteria are quite specific, but it's something that i've wondered to myself for quite a few years. I think the closest we're likely to get is maybe Dylan/Wilburies or (even closer) Bowie/Tin Machine - hugely successful solo artist starts "supergroup" or vanity project.

Could possibly count Brendan Benson - solo then The Raconteurs with Jack White (as well as the EP he did as part of Mood Elevator), but that's currently unreleased.

― Michael Lambert (Michael Lambert), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 19:19 (twenty years ago)

Dr Dre went band - band - solo ("Surgery", which is all about him, was a World Class Wreckin' Cru record)

That's right. I had the record, and I remember the name "Dr. Dre" being more prominently featured than "World Class Wreckin' Cru", but technically this was a "band" indeed. So scratch Dre.

― dali madison's nut (donut), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 19:31 (twenty years ago)

DJ Shadow -> U.N.K.L.E. (only a guest, though)

(James Lavelle: label boss, not a solo artist. Ivo Watts-Russell: label boss, not a solo artist (also: This Mortal Coil = supergroup?) )

Nils Lofgren ? Not really

Tough question indeed...

― StanM (StanM), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 20:31 (twenty years ago)

Ed Rush and Optical (both established drum 'n bass solo artists) -> Ed Rush & Optical

― StanM (StanM), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 20:56 (twenty years ago)

I wanted to say Stephen Duffy --> Lilac Time, but his Duran involvement kind of ruins that one.

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 21:36 (twenty years ago)

What we're seeing here is that once an artist has tasted solo success they have no desire to return to a band.

― Mark (MarkR), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 21:38 (twenty years ago)

(xpost to myself) Ruined also by the Lilac Time's lack of success.

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 21:42 (twenty years ago)

Marc OTM

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 21:44 (twenty years ago)

c=k

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 21:44 (twenty years ago)

Ed Rush and Optical (both established drum 'n bass solo artists) -> Ed Rush & Optical

and to bigger success, Decoder and Substance -> Kosheen

― Brian Miller (Brian Miller), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 21:48 (twenty years ago)

How about people that rise to prominence in one band, have success solo, THEN form a new band? That's sort of cheating but I think it gets at one interesting side of the question, which is the whole "once they've tasted solo success, they have no desire to return to a band" thing that Mark is on. For example, Paul McCartney post-Beatles - "Another Day" was certainly a decent-sized hit, right? And everybody loves Ram (okay, that's technically with Linda).. but he still wanted the "band" thing and hence, Wings. Chris Cornell would be another example, although his success as a just-by-himself solo guy was kind of limited.

― Doctor Casino, Wednesday, 21 December 2005 22:17 (twenty years ago)

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