Biggest missed opportunities in music?

The splintering of the Kingsmen after "Louie, Louie" became a big hit. Perhaps they were never more than a bar band. But perhaps they would have gotten lucky, had a few more hits.

Terence Trent D'Arby believing his ego

Jorma Kaukonen says that when Jefferson Airplane reformed in the late 1980s he wanted them to play concerts and then record an album. But Kantner and Balin (and the label) wanted product to push on the tour so they recorded a bombastic, forgettable album.

I always wonder about the problems tgat keep Meat Loaf and Jim Steiman from working more. In their case bombastic works, since they cornered the market on 300 pound singers doing 10 minute Wagnerian songs

 

Dylan's post-Blonde on Blonde work. I mean BonB was ahead of its time, with a strange sound of its own. After that it was country & folk, returning to a more normal mode instead of the rolling excitement.

The Kinks 70s work after Muswell Hillbillies - seemed like (at least to me) that the band lost their way. They could have been something big in rock but decided to pursue that vaudville/musical hall sound.

The Hollies - so much cheese - strings and over the top harmonies - hiding a band that really could rock out; Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress and parts of their album "Write On" being evidence of that.

 

Not completing and releasing SMiLE in 1967.

 

The Beach Boys cancelling their set at Monterey Pop.

 

FREE (that should end the thread, IMHO)

Blind Faith - being thrown into the spotlight too soon and not being given the time and privacy to develop their music and grow together as a band.
The Yardbirds - not taking a half year or so break, reconcile, kick Micky Mouse and return in late 1968 or so with a "Truth"-ish/Zeppelinesque Blues Rock tour de force when the Blues finally had its boom.

 

The loudness wars not being nipped in the bud and Sony abandoning SACD.

 

But you can't copy an LP onto another LP, and a home printer isn't usually big enough to print out a 12" cover at full size.
On the other hand, you can copy a CD onto a CD with a 5" home-printed cover.

 

Of course, but to say the vinyl format is completely exempt from 'pirating' is a bit silly.

 

3D printers might eventually fix that

 

Danny Gatton not touring after his major label debut 88 Elmira Street. Gatton hated to tour, but perhaps had seized the moment and toured behind 88 Elmira Street - one of the greatest guitar albums ever - his career would have had a different trajectory. Also, he should have tried to establish himself in Europe - where there may have been a better appreciation for his phenomenal musicianmanship. As it was, he did tour after the follow Cruisin' Dueces -where I got the chance to see him - but he missed his moment to have maximum impact.

 

Steve Marriott lighting that cigarette & falling asleep.

 

Give it time... soon, you'll be able to load some vinyl into a 3D printer and replicate vinyl at home....

 

Biran Jonestown Massacre sabotaging their own industry showcase at the Viper Room in front of industry muckety-mucks who were carrying a million dollar contract and who wound up ducking out the back exit...



Q: Is that blood on you?
A: Yeah...
Q: From where?
A: From people's faces...

 

Always thought it was a shame that Stewart Copeland & Stanard Ridgeway didn't do an album together.

 

Complete with warps and off centre spindle holes!

 

George Harrison letting Phil Spector mix or add to much Spector sound to All Things Must Pass.

 

VeeJay not hanging on to The Beatles, losing the rights for peanuts.

 

Tom Johnston getting hooked on smack and kicked out of the Doobies...

The Eagles taking an 18 year vacation

Lowell George giving up way too early...

 

Wendy Waldman promising a new solo album by early 2014, and then only releasing one lame, overproduced song in May 2015.

 

Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page rarely working together.

 

Microdisney disbanding, and Sean O'Hagan slowly but surely losing his melodic skills with every High Llamas album, opting instead for increasingly self-indulgent copy/paste pastiches of Brian-Wilson-meets-Morricone that any massive fan of either artist with minimal savoir-faire could produce, WHILE proclaiming that it is more adventurous that the "tired old 3-minute song" formula. Me, I found him more inventive in said tired format.

 

Pink Floyd not patching things up and coming out with a new album before Richard Wright died

 

To me, the biggest "missed opportunities" were always what Buddy Holly and Otis Redding might have gone on to do. The Beatles were toast by 1969, so any collaboration thereafter is pure fantasy, and Led Zeppelin is the rare band that got it absolutely right in ending things with Bonham's death. The Who could have learned something there, among many others that just stayed too long. And since the Stones last great record was in 1982, I hardly stay up nights wondering what they might have come up with in 1991. The Eagles in 1994? Spare me, please.

 

Harry Nilsson following up the down right incredible Nilsson Schmilsson with the equally delightful but quirky and most definitely non commercial Son Of Schmilsson and A Little Touch of Schmilsson In The Night.

Both marvelous records but they both helped insure that Harry would remain essentially a cult artist.

And some think that was Harry's plan all along.

But then, Harry let his prodigious drinking get the best of him, and permanently damaged his voice during the recoding of the shambling mess known as Pussycats while locked in a destructive alcoholic haze and trying to sing with hemorrhaging vocal cords.

His later albums, while containing some nice songs here and there, never attained the overall greatness of his early albums, partially due to that magnificent voice being marred forever.

 

Jimi not teaming up with Miles, Herbie etc. In general, Jimi. What a loss.