Bassists that have left great groups

[ThaCoast]

Dee Dee Ramone left the Ramones. He was replaced by CJ Ramone, I think an improvement.

HEll no!!! That was complete disaster. Besides, well into the 80'a, they started having tension in the band. And it got worse. And when C.J. joined, they went heavier and faster. I'm sorry but after Dee Dee left the Ramones, it was down hill from there.

 

[Chrisk-K]

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

+1 billion


Pete Cetera leaving Chicago
Greg Lake leaving KC

 

[darius8]

Quote:
Stuart Zender left Jamiroquai... they haven't been the same since, IMO
+1 billion

+2 billion

 

[jetbike]

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.

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He has had (arguably) as interesting a life as anyone in music.

 

[alec]

Noel Redding left the Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1969 at the height of their popularity, never really heard much from Noel after that point.

The last I heard (some time ago in Bass Player IIRC), he was playing in a Hendrix tribute band...

 

[ThaCoast]

The last I heard (some time ago in Bass Player IIRC), he was playing in a Hendrix tribute band...

Well, not anymore. The whole Jimi Hendrix Experience band are in rock and roll heaven playing together again.

 

[pbassnut]

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?

I'm not hugely knowledgeable about Metallica or their inner workings, but I did see some kind of Behind the Music type of documentary on them and it didn't seem like they were very nice to Jason Newstead ... he seemed like a second class citizen in the band and didn't appear to have the freedom to play the bass as he saw fit.

 

[Goatee220]

I'm not hugely knowledgeable about Metallica or their inner workings, but I did see some kind of Behind the Music type of documentary on them and it didn't seem like they were very nice to Jason Newstead ... he seemed like a second class citizen in the band and didn't appear to have the freedom to play the bass as he saw fit.

I think that would drive any artist away, regardless of the gig. To have no creative input in Metallica as well as not being allowed to do anything creative on your own would be really psychologically taxing after a while. He probably got to the point where he had enough money and clout to leave and do his own thing. Kudos to him for doing it.

 

[JMimbs]

John Paul Jones considered leaving Zeppelin while they were recording Physical Graffiti.