At what point does a legacy group replace so many members that it becomes a cover band?
In a recent post about THREE DOG NIGHT‘s upcoming concert at Westgate Las Vegas, one commenter wrote “They should call it ‘One Dog Night’ since only one original member remains.” Similar thoughts were offered on the upcoming AMBROSIA show, noting that founding member/vocalist David Pack left (or was ousted, depending on the source) after thirty years.
Those remarks got me thinking…at one point does a band replace so many members that it’s no longer itself? We take for granted that musicians and vocalists come and go. Life happens, people retire, some die, or the group decides on a new direction that leaves members behind.
Even more common is friction within a group. The Beatles, The Clash, New Order, The Smiths…the situation is as familiar as the music. Sometimes bands work things out and regroup (The Eagles, Duran Duran, Black Sabbath), often with internal shake-ups or a new lead singer (Genesis, AC/DC, Van Halen). But when most original members are no longer on stage, is it fair to perform under the same name?
Frankie Valli’s The Four Seasons has been a rotating list of names since the early 1970s (see below). Dozens of musicians and singers have come and gone, with Las Vegas singer Justin Michael Rodriguez joining in January 2024.
Frankie Valli and Four Seasons line-up (graph via Wikipedia)
Last fall, TEARS FOR FEARS rocked Fontainebleau Resort’s BleauLive Theater for three nights. The response was so overwhelming that an additional set of shows was scheduled for this February. What’s unique about TEARS FOR FEARS is that the 80s group was always about its two frontmen…Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. The pair came together in 1981 and pumped out a string of hits before separating in 1990.
Orzabal released two more albums under the TFF banner before reuniting with Smith a decade later. 2022 saw the debut of THE TIPPING POINT, a long-in-the-making collection of new songs that propelled the duo back into the public eye. Multiple tours have supported it and a live-recording release.
While the supporting artists in Tears For Fears have changed, the group has always been about its two leads. There’s no question that fans come to see Curt and Roland. It’s inconceivable that either could be replaced and continue successfully under the same name.
The same is true for AIR SUPPLY. Scheduled to perform their 50th-anniversary shows at Westgate this year, the group has an incredible supporting band. Yet without the unique voices of Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock, it wouldn’t be AIR SUPPLY. At 74 and 75 years of age, respectively, they still fill concert halls and arenas.
Then there’s LITTLE RIVER BAND, an Australian rock group that enjoyed Stateside success in the seventies and eighties. John Farnham replaced Glenn Shorrock in 1982 as lead singer, beginning a wave of membership shuffles. Over thirty players and vocalists have come and gone through the years. The 1976 line-up was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association Hall of Fame….but in 2004!
The new album “Window To The World” put LITTLE RIVER BAND back on the charts in 2024. Its first single “Help Is On The Way” reached the #1 position in Australia. That’s ironic, considering that no current member is native to the land that spawned it.
Various lawsuits have disputed ownership of the band’s name and material. No current performer was part of the original lineup. This begs the question “Isn’t 2025’s LITTLE RIVER BAND (left) just a tribute act?”.
If all of that sounds confusing, how about Electric Light Orchestra? The English rock band, eventually shortened to ELO, formed in 1970 with Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood, and Bev Bevan. Wood departed in 1972, leaving Lynne as sole frontman and producer/arranger. Lynne disbanded ELO in 1986, prompting Bevan to continue as ELO Part II, later renamed The Orchestra.
Are you confused yet? Brace yourself, as this gets even more convoluted. In 2016, Jeff Lynne launched Jeff Lynne’s ELO with Richard Tandy, who had joined the original group in 1971. Tandy died in early 2024, leaving Lynne as the sole surviving member to finish the group’s farewell “Over And Out” tour.
The problem is that Jeff Lynne’s ELO sounds very different from Electric Light Orchestra, despite Lynne’s leadership. Two new ELO albums were an extension of his solo career, peppered with sounds from his Traveling Wilburys days. At least the “Over And Out” tour played the band’s greatest hits, with the XANADU album being a noticeable omission.
The once-terrific CROWDED HOUSE began in 1986 with Neil Finn, Nick Seymour, and Paul Hester. After disbanding in 1996, Finn and Seymore reformed in 2020 with three new members.
The response to the current line-up has been disappointing outside of their native New Zealand. The latest album, 2024’s Gravity Stairs, is generic, dull, and borderline unlistenable…a sad chapter to a once-innovative band. Sorry, guys, but the “House” is way overcrowded now.
Crowded House, then and now
This feature was inspired by a recent conversation with a well-known singer/songwriter/producer. A respected industry vet, they offered their take on this complex subject to VEGAS 411 readers:
“I think this article brings up a really interesting conundrum. At what point does the personnel of the group supersede their music? One could make the argument that the personnel is as equally important as the material. “
“There are instances where bands have gone on to have arguably bigger careers once a key member left. Use Van Halen as an example. They had huge success with David Lee Roth as their frontman but greater success with Sammy Hagar. Was Van Halen still ‘Van Halen’? The argument would (point to) “yes.” Is Journey still ‘Journey’ without Steve Perry? I guess the question answering itself would be yes.”
“Where it gets squirrely is a band such as Ambrosia when the lead singer, who wrote the material and was the voice of the group, is replaced by an original sideman. Is that truly Ambrosia? There may be some original members still playing, but it seems weird that they are making money off the idea that they ARE Ambrosia.”
The true essence of a band can be many things, from its lead singers to its founding members. But what determines if a band is authentic and worthy of its legacy name? The answer may lie with the individual listener. If new albums and live appearances satisfy longtime fans of an established name, that alone may be enough.
In Part Two, podcast host Mike Hanks (above) weighs in on this heavy question. Click here to read it.