Consumer fraud: Don't go see Little River Band

[Mike Blakesley]

We went to a Cheap Trick concert this past summer at the South Dakota State Fair in Huron, SD. Cheap trick was AWESOME as always, they rocked the house until the house couldn't stand still anymore.

I was pleased that Little River Band was going to be the opening act. I'd always liked their music, had several of their albums and considered myself a fan. They sounded fine -- maybe a little mellow for a Cheap Trick concert -- but still good. But, the vocalists in the band just didn't sound...right. Also, during their show they never said anything along the lines of "This was a hit for us back in '78" or anything like that.

So when we got home, I checked the Wikipedia entry on them and found that the touring lineup contains none of the original members....in fact, the longest-serving member in the touring band joined in 2000 -- some 20 years after their hits were recorded! So the current Little River Band is, in effect, a cover band.

If you want to see the real original singers and songwriters, Beeb Birtles, Glenn Shorrock and Graeham Goble, they have toured, most recently in 2007, but they've been blocked from using the LRB name. They toured under the name Birtles Shorrock Goble. (Not quite as catchy.)

So...ticket buyer beware.

 

[Rudy]

Yeah, I'd be pissed too. In the big band jazz world, there are plenty of bands that travel as what they call "ghost bands" but mainly due to the band's namesake having been long gone from the world. The bands still play the same charts, and the band often had a few notable members from a more recent incarnation of the band (such as when Frank Foster led the Count Basie Orch.). But, it's not the same.

I'm tempted to say the same for Styx. One founder is persona non grata (DeYoung), and the other two (the Panozzo brothers) are not in the band either--John passed away, and Chuck isn't into the music anymore. JY and Shaw are good on their own, don't get me wrong, but to travel under the name Styx is just a money-grabbing farce IMHO.

At least the main act was good; had I paid for LRB and seen a covers band, I'd definitely be complaining.

 

[A&Mguyfromwayback]

The Wikipedia listing is misleading in one way; Wayne Nelson actually joined the band in 1980 as bass player/vocalist (I know he sings lead on some of the later singles). I guess he left the band for a year or so, came back and has led the band since 2000. He lives in San Diego, and I used to work with him a lot in the studio when I lived there. Great guy and great singer. But you're absolutely right - the original guys who sang on that run of hits that everyone associates with LRB are not in the band now. (And San Diego isn't quite Australia. ) At least someone's keeping the music out there.....

 

[A&Mguyfromwayback]

And Mike, you're also right -'Birtles Shorrock Goble' is perhaps the least memorable band name I've ever heard in my life. (No one considered, say simply, 'BSG'? 'Big River Band'?............)

 

[Dave]

"Birtles / Shorrock / Goble"???? Sounds more like a law firm than a rock band...!

I've been a big LRB fan in my day & had seen an audience member on SOLID GOLD wearing a Little River Band jacket on, (w/ his back towards the camera & a few acts before they went on) as it was an episode that band was on, playin' "Lonesome Loser"; "Cool Change", too, I think...!

Sorry these guys & Styx (& I think even REO Speedwagon) aren't "the real deal" these days... I believe The Kingston Trio had also fallen the same fate in recent times... So has The Brothers Four... And don't forget the "reincarnated versions" of The Temptations (members of that group have departed--maybe mostly by death, or have had offspring taken over)... And isn't only ONE member of The Four Tops alive???? (And, yes, the usually "not as vocal" Abdul "Duke" Fakir is the only "original member" left...!) And what about The Mills Brothers????

I could go on...!

-- Dave

 

[LPJim]

In 1999 the Kingston Trio had two of the 3 original members, Nick Reynolds and Bob Shane, in the lineup. Reynolds has since passed on and Shane no longer tours, leaving George Grove, who joined after John Stewart left, as the only long-term member.

Otis Williams is the only remaining original Temptation. They sometimes tour with the 4 Tops as "Temps and Tops," with Fakir the lone original Top. James Young and Tommy Shaw (who joined in '76) are the only vintage Styx the the current lineup.

JB

 

[Rudy]

James Young and Tommy Shaw (who joined in '76) are the only vintage Styx the the current lineup.

Technically, JY is the only true "original" Styx member, having joined The Tradewinds (the Panozzos and DeYoung) along with Curulewski around 1970. Shaw only joined for the sixth album, Crystal Ball, replacing John Curulewski, who left right after Equinox was recorded and prior to the tour for that album.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Sorry these guys & Styx (& I think even REO Speedwagon) aren't "the real deal" these days...

REO still has 3 of the guys who were with the band during their heyday, including Kevin Cronin on vocals. The only 80s band that really got away with changing lead singers is Journey...they are amazing at finding Steve Perry soundalikes!

 

[Rudy]

Journey--what a topic. Their latest singer actually sounds less like Perry than the other one or two they've had, but actually sounds pretty good. If you look way back, too, Perry was a later addition to the group--they started as an instrumental spinoff of Santana.

Chicago's had a carousel of lead singers also. Same deal--they found a Cetera sound-alike as a bass player. At least the Doobie Brothers retooled their sound once Michael McDonald left the band, back to having Patrick Simmons and Tom Johnston as the lead vocalists (as on their earlier 70s albums).

For that matter, the story with REO is even more convoluted. After their first album, REO's T.W.O. album featured newcomer Kevin Cronin on vocals. Not content with the outcome, they replaced Cronin for the next three albums. Since commercial success was not forthcoming, they changed vocalists...only, they brought back Cronin, with the 1976 R.E.O. album. And from there it was a success.

At least Genesis knew when to call it quits. They tried Ray Wilson (from Stilskin) but bombed miserably. Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins both had similar voices that suited the music, but Wilson was too "dark" in vocal coloring and just didn't work out. Genesis did regroup for a tour a couple of years ago, but unfortunately Phil can't play drums anymore due to some nerve damage in his hands or arms IIRC.

One needs a scorecard, apparently.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I never liked any R.E.O. much after that "R.E.O." album came out. Everything from HI INFIDELITY on sounded too overproduced to me. Plus I hate it when good rock bands stoop to ballads to sell more records. (Yes I'm talking to you, Aerosmith. "Dream On" was great, but after that...)

 

[Rudy]

This is our "vent on classic rock" thread.

Hi Infidelity was a huge album for us in high school. So were the J. Geils albums Love Stinks and Freeze Frame. Asia and Survivor were the new bands on the block at the time--Asia had a few good tracks on their first album, but beyond that, not much. Aerosmith, AC/DC, Kansas, Sabbath, Santana, etc. were big also. Nobody really ever played Toto or Styx in school, Genesis was over most of my classmates' heads, and you occasionally heard about Journey. When MTV started up, it brought us a lot more music--The Police were popular here because of that.

I can see how a lot of the music like this was "of its time." And I can relate that a lot of us really prefer the band's early or more popular music over what they'd do after their popularity had fallen off. Ask anyone what Styx did after Kilroy, or Journey did after Frontiers, or Geils after Freeze Frame, and they'll have to think for awhile.

And when I was 16, I never imagined I'd be talking about our teenage music 30+ years later as "oldies"!

 

[A&Mguyfromwayback]

Obviously you haven't gone to see your nephew play a gig, have him introduce a tune by saying 'we'd like to really take it old school now', then play a song from 1998......

 

[Rudy]

Obviously you haven't gone to see your nephew play a gig, have him introduce a tune by saying 'we'd like to really take it old school now', then play a song from 1998......

If I heard that from a nephew or kid of mine, I'd probably instantly burst out in liver spots...