Band member that contributed the least , but gladly rode the wave of success?

First one I thought of. He’s a great guy, quick to give props to Randy and he can sure sing but damn did he get a good break joining there band at the end of their original run. And then being invited to the reunion/resumption- it could have been Meisner if Henley/Frey has wanted him

 

Roger Daltrey a weak link?!?! Absurd!!

Ringo Starr still looks like he can't believe this actually happened to him, granted he is a very good drummer

 

You obviously never attended a live Who performance or heard rocks most transcendent scream YEEEAAH! in WGFA

 

I never saw them live, but was a drummer for 40 years and considered Moon the top rock drummer ever!
I’ve seen screaming loud, crystal clear video of them at their peak live, and studied it quite closely. I’ve always
like lots of Pete’s songs done by himself instead of with Roger. No doubt, Roger’s voice is a defining voice in Rock.
The post was made after I first joined, and I was testing the waters. (Believe me, I caught tons of flack and
rightfully so). Such an intelligent group, and I watch myself a little closer these days. But the group responds
well to conflict. I’m glad to see this thread still circulating this long later. It is funny though...every few months, I still get called out(heh-heh).

 

I guess the question remains, after all of the various responses on this thread, who among us would not contribute little and still gladly ride the wave of a group's success, if they could? What's that old saying about casting the first stone? But at the same time, in that position, I would be happy to give credit where credit is due if somebody else was doing all of the heavy lifting.

 

At least you accept constructive criticism openly

 

I heartily agree, Mr. Fletcher.

 

who was that guy in T. Rex who stood next to Marc Bolan playing bongos or something ?

unlike singing, songwriting, guitar playing Bolan or the backup bass player and drummer he never seemed to do anything apart from just playing bongos or hand drums or whatever...I never saw him even sing backup vocals on TV shows at least

I often thought had he gone out alone as a one man solo act as 'of T.Rex' fame

it would be; 'Jeepster - 'bipperty bopperty...'
'Hot Love' - 'bipperty bopperty...'
then 'Ride A White Swan' - 'bipperty bopperty...'

SORRY I'm sure he WAS the band really and Bolan merely an afterthought...just seemed to me this guy (whose name I forget) did nothing much that any audience member or your Grandmother could not have covered while Marc Bolan was doing all the main work for the duo

o.k. outraged T.Rex fans convince me otherwise

 

yea, Mickey Finn. They were a hippie dippie acoustic two-piece until Ride A White Swan or Hot Love --can't remember which. Not sure why he stuck around after Bolan started to rock.

 

Money and fame perhaps ?

 

I have to be honest

my band had a drummer who played guitar and keyboards and vocals
lead guitarist / bass player / keyboardist and vocals
rhythm guitarist / 2nd lead guitar, bass guitar and vocals
bass player who also played guitar, keyboards and backup vocals
keyboardist who played guitar and sang lead and backup vocals...

....while I just did handclaps...

 

I think Mickey Finn was there for the same reason as Andrew in Wham!; neither Marc Bolan nor George Michael wanted to be solo acts before they broke big. Both were very popular with (female) fans at the time.

 

Not sure if he's been mentioned already but John McVie seems to not have really contributed much at all apart from his surname and steady but unspectacular bass to fifty years plus of Fleetwood Mac. Though I guess he may have been the anchor that kept it together while the more mercurial talents shone then imploded around him.

 

Masta Killa of Wu-Tang Clan

 

Michael Clarke, original drummer for the Byrds. A double demerit for touring as "The Byrds" in the 80s when he was the only original member of the group....

According to Wiki:

"He had never played drums and, after joining the Byrds, not having a drum set, practiced on a makeshift kit of cardboard boxes and a tambourine, but he did have real drum sticks. According to lead guitarist Roger McGuinn's web site, Clarke was hired by McGuinn and Gene Clark for his resemblance to Rolling Stones' guitarist Brian Jones."

 

Sorry man, everyone has their opinion, but this is Twilight Zone.

 

All the band members at one time or another. A good band is one where all the members contribute, some more than others at times and the others at other times.

 

I suppose back in the sixties it could be said of Gary Leeds in The Walker Brothers re their recordings

- tho' to be fair he DID play drums live for them and he suggested the Americans try their luck in swinging sixties UK plus did more than either Scott or John re the 'PR' stuff

but Gary never played on any sixties Walker Brothers tracks - I think he had a previous recording contract issue

Scott took lead vocals, John the high harmony vocals and each had their solo songs features on albums but Gary never sang back then

As far as I know his two songs and lead vocals on 'Nite Flights' were his sole contribution in the seventies too, as he only seems to be in the photos on 'No Regrets' and cover illustration on 'Lines' albums

He DID front his own band and recorded singles on CBS as Gary WALKER and The Rain so I'm not saying Gary never did anything, but re the sixties Walker Brothers studio recordings he was not a group member as such

 

Well he must have been doing something right to stay in the group for 50 years. You can have the greatest guitar player ever, but if the rhythm section stinks, then you have a crappy sounding band.

 

John McVie did a pretty good job as bass player in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers too - notably with Eric Clapton then with Peter Green

I think John was next to get to read the Beano too...!

 

strangely enough, his shortcomings as a drummer may have been key to the development of the band's early period sound. he couldn't play too much beyond simple straightforward parts, and it kept them working within that same framework. i have boots/concerts from those early 80s tours and while he didn't have amazing technical skills, i didn't hear too many mistakes or incredibly wrong parts. but he knew what he could and couldn't do, and served the songs.

in contrast, they lost their first keyboard player because he was skilled, but he didn't want to play one-finger/one-note keyboard parts.

 

I'm just here to say Mickey Hart and I'll die on that hill

 

Bruce Johnston did some terrific stuff with his good friend and partner Terry Melcher, both as Bruce and Terry and The Rip Chords, so I feel terribly, (or should that be Terry-bly?), for mentioning him in this context, but in the context of The Beach Boys, he seems to be a bit like this, sad as it is to admit for a longtime fan. He came in at the peak and pretty much harvested the rewards. Surely a band with accomplished and dare I say legendary songwriters like Brian, Carl and Denis Wilson, as well as Mike Love, (say what you will about him, but he wrote some cracking lyrics!) could do without the "Disney Girls" and "I Write the Songs" guy! Oof, now that was a bit of a ramble! Hope it ain't too hard to get what I'm saying!

 

Joey Kramer?