Bassists that have left great groups

[jnevi9nr]

Alice in Chains, Mike Starr left, replaced by Mike Inez.

good call. forgot about this one.

 

[timbob1986]

D'arcy Wretzky left the Smashing Pumpkins when they were huge. She had some serious drug issues though...

 

[eyeballkid]

There's a fairly unknown known guy named Jason Everman who played with Nirvana and Soundgarden and split from both bands right when they were beginning to get famous. I'd love to pick that guy's brain for an hour and ask him how it felt to be that close to superstardom twice and miss out.

Id bet he feels like he dodged the bullet.

(im here all week!)

 

[Depth_Charge]

Good stuff. Good call on Metallica. What I am looking for is someone that left the band while the band was on top. Who I had in mind was dirk lance from incubus. He left after morning view, back to back mainstream albums that were a hit.

Metallica is interesting. I don't know enough of the details of why he left, but he didn't really leave when they were on top, right?

Depends on your view. They were certainly building back up to full momentum, and had tasted a lot more mainstream success and exposure than the previous lineup had done so.

I'd argue they were as big as they were going to get without a major shakeup of some sort, be it a new (or old) direction in their music, or a lineup change etc...

 

[IncX]

Metallica is interesting. I don't know enough of the details of why he left, but he didn't really leave when they were on top, right?

he left because the old issue of him not having any creative input just got too taxing, add that with him not allowed to create side projects, not to mention, the stress of being bandmates with "loud" guys. he just didn't think it's worth it - maybe hes had enough money and investments that finances wasn't the main thing anymore.

as for metallica being on top... im thinking they got big mainstream recognition in the Black album, and jason left near the part where the "new-new sound" wasn't topping the charts.

the thing with Metallica, is that the live shows are always packed. that's the thing with 80's metal acts... they may be invisible in the charts, but they could always pack an arena, so it still took huge balls to walk away from a metal institution.

-*-

my contribution: Twiggy Ramirez (Jeordie White) quitting Marilyn Manson ... although, i'm thinking he's back now and playing guitar there.

 

[Georynn]

Stuart Zender left Jamiroquai... they haven't been the same since, IMO

 

[more coffee]

Good stuff. Good call on Metallica. What I am looking for is someone that left the band while the band was on top. Who I had in mind was dirk lance from incubus. He left after morning view, back to back mainstream albums that were a hit.

Metallica is interesting. I don't know enough of the details of why he left, but he didn't really leave when they were on top, right?

Metallica were still at the top of the heap when Jason left.

Consider:

The last two albums Metallica released before Jason left were Garage Inc, an album of all covers, and S&M, a live album performed with the San Francisco Symphony.

Garage Inc went 5x platinum and reached number 2 on the US charts
S&M went 6x platinum and reached number 2 on the US charts.

Think about that for a second. A covers album selling 5 million copies, and a live album with a symphony selling 6 million.

Also consider that Metallica was consistently playing multiple consecutive nights in arenas and headlining the Summer Sanitarium stadium tours during that period.

If that's not "the top", I don't know what is.

 

[elgecko]

Roger Waters, Pink Floyd. I enjoy his solo work more than post-Waters Pink Floyd.

 

[elgecko]

Randy Meisner and The Eagles.

 

[xk3smith]

The original bassist for The Roots..... Hub laid down some smooth grooves that help put The Roots on the map. I still miss him chewing on that stick, bobbing his head and bringing the funk.

 

[pgbassman]

Peter Cetera left Chicago to persue a solo career!

 

[odin70]

Jason Newsted left MetallicA. I understand that crap that he went through but still, that took really big balls to walk away from the biggest, most famous heavy band in the world. I am a HUGE fan of both.

I saw "A year and a half with Metallica" yesterday. It was shocking to see how immature and childish James, Kirk and Lars where. Bratz!

 

[Zooberwerx]

Joe Bouchard - Blue Oyster Cult. Brother Albert Bouchard (drummer) was fired in the early 80's. BOC was never the same but it had little to do with loss of the original rhythm section....Al and Joe were the more prolific songwriters IMO.

Riis

 

[jay tay]

Stuart Zender left Jamiroquai... they haven't been the same since, IMO

you beat me to it! I still like Jamiroquai, but No one has really ever filled Zenders shoes.

Also, more recently Owen Biddle leaving the roots! lets hope it pans out for him! Though Hub left the roots also!

 

[HOOLIGAN]

Glen Matlock- Sex Pistols

Replaced by Sid Vicious!
Now I love Sid, but check out early recordings/videos of the Pistols- Glen could really play!!!
Fingerstyle, usually w/ a Ric, he did a bit of busy work with
such simple songs.

 

[Rockmusician]

Stu Sutcliffe - The Beatles, Left while they were playing in Hamburg Germany

Boz Burrell - Bad Company, Left in 1999 and passed away in 2006

John Deacon - Queen Left the band in 1992 but recorded with them in 1997 and has since retired.

 

[foq1978]

Actually, isnt it more that they left Paul?

Depends on who tells the story

But anyway, I think it's a bit strange/funny how people keep bringing Stu Stucliffe as if leaving The Beatles was the worst thing that happened to him around that time...

 

[Zeb Norris]

Can't recall anything memorable from the Rolling Stones since Bill Wyman left

Saint Of Me is an awfully strong song. There are lots of others, but Saint is almost a definition of the band.

 

[Zeb Norris]

Ron Blair quit Petty/Heartbreakers about the time they were becoming huge. Glad to see him back.

Nice guy. He suffered from fear of flying. I guess he got over it.

 

[Rickengeezer]

There's a fairly unknown known guy named Jason Everman who played with Nirvana and Soundgarden and split from both bands right when they were beginning to get famous. I'd love to pick that guy's brain for an hour and ask him how it felt to be that close to superstardom twice and miss out.

I'd rather figure out who his current band is and try to replace him, since that seems to be a good strategy for success.....