As Time Goes By

If you think times have changed regarding putting together a band, you are so wrong. Nothings different, it's still how it was no matter how far back you go. The 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's whatever. Nobody is impervious to the fate that you are destined to experience when you try to build a band.
Bill Haley and the Comets were actually a band with a leaders name in it back in the 50's but most groups in the 50's were solo artist groups with the rest of the players unrecognized. The band members played behind big names like Bobby Darin, Frankie Avalon, Chuck Berry, The Big Bopper with their stories untold. I don't have any Albums of any of these artists so I can't check the covers to see if or how the rest of the band members were noted but if you do have them, tell me. I am definitely curious.
Just like today, most musicians don't care about a spotlight like the stars yearn for, they just want to play, have some fun, earn some money and feel the music. I guess that's how the record companies worked it then. I guess they put bands together from need, "Hey Chuck, we need a drummer. I'll go get one. Wait here." and worked around the talent.




The 60's saw things a whole different way. It was the whole group that made up the band. Whether an American or British group, most were known by their bands name. There were of course, band members that stood out and recognized for their special contributions but it still was about the band. The Beach Boys, The Byrds, The Box Tops, The Monkees, Cream, The Doors, The Who and on and on, all taking huge places in that music era. Notice how many British groups are named. That invasion created a completely different sound that America hadn't heard before and we took to it like a kid to a dish of ice cream. We ate it up. So much in fact, a revolution surfaced between British vs. American groups. A good read on the subject is "Beach Boys vs Beatlemania: Rediscovering Sixties Music" by G. A. De Forest. Nothing says long lasting like the music that shaped generations. I'm glad I was there. 

Then came the 70's with harder rock and even more talent. More of the same but still new. Deeper into drugs and pushing the envelope were Jimi Hendrix, Deep Purple and carry overs from the late 60's making the adjustments into the psychedelics and folk rock, message heavy songs. Led Zeppelin , Black Sabbath, AC/DC were hard rock leaders while James Taylor, Harry Chapin, Linda Ronstadt kept things more mellow. There's one thing that these rockers can be proud of, they have staying power. No matter what age group you're in, you no doubt know songs from the 70's and so will generations to come.

 What can I say about the 80's and 90's? No really, what can I say about the music of the 80's and 90's? I mean really:  Duran Duran, Tears for Fears, The Pet Shop Boys, George Michael, Howard Jones in the 80's? While the 80's were forgettable, the 90's did get some decent stuff from Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, Our Lady Peace, Alice in Chains, Foo Fighters, Sound Garden, Nine Inch Nails, Offspring, Rage Against the Machine. Not that these rank high on my listen to scale, there was some success. I wouldn't dis any of these band members. Just sorry for those that had to try and find their own way along a path dug so deep before them by such ginormous sounds.

                                                                                                                       

There wasn't any easy search mechanism in place to find possible band mates before the internet like we have today. Today you can Tweet, FB, Myspace, Bing, Google on and on to try to find the right people. Not so many years ago, all you had was friends, the newspaper ads, classmates, relatives who played or knew someone that did, to help build the band. Guess what? Even with all these new search aids, it still is tough. Back in high school all I wanted was to play music and do it with guys that cared as much as I did. Forget it. If I found two others that gave a crap it was a miracle.
It's always interesting to meet other players you don't know and listen to their stories. It seems if you've auditioned for a band and they didn't chose you then they must really suck and you didn't really want to be in their band anyway. What losers! 
If you are the one doing the auditioning then you want to give everyone a fair chance but there are so many factors that will guide you in your decision. No one likes to say that age or looks are factors but they likely are in some cases. I just met a guy who just graduated high school who has been in good bands and now in search of new people. He's not having much luck even in this day and age. Most of the people don't want what he wants from the band; dedication, friendship and good music. What a waste to think how many people there are out there looking for that very same thing but can't find him. 
Don't despair. The search continues. ROCK ON!