Worst Career Move?

[bearhart74]

Karen Carpenter.."im not really that hungry"
Falco - "sure ill drive"

 

[Bob_Ross]

John Rutsey, Rush's original drummer especially since diabetes can be reversed and prevented with nutrition and discipline. They may not have gone as far without Peart but....

I just watched some Rush documentary on cable TV not too long ago, and they made it seem like Rutsey was fired for lack of skill/ambition. He basically had risen as far as his talent would allow, and Geddy & Alex were striving for a bit more musically-speaking, ideas that were beyond John's reach. Note, I'm not a Rush fan at all so I have no idea how true that is, but the documentary seemed to make that very clear, and made no mention of Rutsey's health/diabetes.

...unless I slept through that part?

Mick Taylor quitting the Stones?

That was the first name that came to mind when I saw the thread title. I think Mick had to leave when he did, and I'm sure at the time he couldn't imagine it being considered a "bad career move" since it seemed to be a "mandatory survival tactic". But given the arc of his career since, I do wonder if he ever thinks "ah, crap, I shoulda stuck around for a few more years ...and opened up a 401K."

Look at Genesis, for example. At the time, people thought Peter Gabriel was nuts for bailing, but in the end he was crazy like a fox.

I see what you did there.

it took four outside writers to come up with that turd of a tune, including Bernie Taupin(and a guy named Peter Wolf, but not that Peter Wolf).

The Peter Wolf who co-wrote and produced "We Built This City" was formerly a keyboard player in Frank Zappa's band. While it wouldn't surprise me to learn that he still can't look at himself in the mirror, I'm sure all he has to do is look at his bank statement to assuage any misgivings about that career move. In addition to going from being an extremely modestly salaried sideman with a per diem that probably wouldn't buy a cup of coffee and a sandwich nowadays, he went from being told exactly what to do every minute he was onstage to having complete musical autonomy on the projects he worked on.

Then again, I hope he also invested well, because he doesn't appear to have been a high-profile figure in several decades.

 

[GZboat]

The Brian Auger comment is as uninformed as it is disrespectful/dismissive; first of all, being in the Experience was no path to a long, financially successful career. So, what did Noel Redding do after being booted out, besides playing in a succession of floundering bands and dying an alcoholic in obscurity before he was 60? Even Mitch Mitchell, Hendrix's greatest asset, couldn't seem to get it together musically later on, in spite of being one of the most notable British drummers of all time. After suffering through heroin addiction, he sustained himself financially by selling off(for a considerable sum)the white Woodstock Strat which had been in his possession for years. Billy Cox ran a pawn shop. While Hendrix did employ keyboardists in the studio(Steve Winwood and Mike Finnegan the best known)and in the occasional jam, the way his music was structured in live performance, organ or whatever would have just been in the way. That doesn't mean that, had he lived, additional instruments wouldn't have enhanced his work, but he would have had to change his musical direction; we'll never know how that would have worked out. As far as Auger is concerned, while certainly no household name, he is no nobody, and I'm sure he has had no regrets. Besides giving Rod Stewart his first break, way before Jeff Beck, he had a band, Trinity(one of the, if not the first, organ/bass/drums bands in rock), that was successful in the UK, and went on to greater renown as backing band for jazz/blues singer Julie Driscoll, and that quartet had a number of hits. Granted, UK only, never could really crack the US market, but it's not like that didn't happened otherwise, there's been scores of worthy British bands that remained cult followed in America. What he did have going in America, in the 70's, was the Oblivion Express band, that got plenty of US FM radio airplay and gigs. He's played with Eric Burdon off and on for years, and has a current band fronted by his daughter. I saw them a few years back at a small jazz club in North Hollywood, the Baked Potato, and they were smoking. Oh, and he has the distinction of being the first (pop)keyboardist to rock the harpsichord, on the Yardbird's "For Your Love" session.
As far as the Monkees/JHE fiasco, can you say 'publicity stunt'? There's no such thing as bad publicity, and all those mothers who were outraged that their little innocent daughters were subjected to that noise by one of 'those people' just helped Jimi's rep as someone who was mad, bad, and dangerous to know, which of course sell records, even though it was furtherest from the truth. The Badfinger situation, I'd have to agree, one of the all-time saddest stories of being f'd in the music business, I wouldn't wish that on Bieber(well, maybe...).
Speaking of Jools, she certainly blew my preadolescent mind...

still at it...

Yeah, who's this guy? How'd he get in here?

Not shabby company...

Brian Auger was certainly no "nobody", but he sure didn't give Rod Stewart his first big break. That honor goes to Long John Baldry (in the Hootchie Coochie Men) more than anybody else. By the time of Steampacket (the earliest reference I can find to Rod and Brian working together), Rod already had a solo deal with Decca Records.
Greg

 

[Mr_Moo]

Yeah from the interviews and documentary footage i have seen, they hazed him pretty badly, like throwing pie in his face on stage, and it was also during hetfield's alcoholism issues and ulrich was always just ulrich. Plus newsted wanted ti have side projects and metallica wasn't happy about that. All in all i think everyone won on the newsted- trujillo switch.

I feel sorry for Trujillo. Have to wonder what they're pulling on him.

Although the "Jason was a crap bassist" crap they come out with now.....give us a break. There are two musical weak links in that band, and neither of them have ever been the bass player.

 

[Jim622]

Terry Kath forgetting weapons safety
Steven Tyler going country
Aerosmith - after ....say 1985

 

[TheMaynorD]

I feel sorry for Trujillo. Have to wonder what they're pulling on him.

Although the "Jason was a crap bassist" crap they come out with now.....give us a break. There are two musical weak links in that band, and neither of them have ever been the bass player.

Trujillo seems like a more laid back guy than Newsted. Also a better bass player in my opinion. But Hetfield also has been to rehab, ulrich got a life coach to teach him not be a jerk, and they also took everything they learned from the Newsted failure and tried to fix it. But yes the bass player has always been the strong point of that band no matter the occupant of the position.

 

[7615]

As Page was scouting around for players initially, he had his eye on BJ Wilson, Procol Harum’s drummer, who was no slouch(just check out his work on “Power Failure”). PH was doing fairly well at the time, just coming up the ranks, so jumping ship for a big question mark project wasn’t in the cards for him. Wilson wasn’t as bombastic as Bonham, so even if it had come together with him and Reid, it wouldn’t have been LZ as we know it, probably would have only lasted a couple of years.

That would have been interesting. Wilson could play any style including orchestrally. Listen to his drumming on “About to Die”. A supporting part but so unique. I always thought his skills and musical choices made him one of the best drummers in rock.

 

[petrus61]

The Chance indeed. I think it was later renamed “the last chance”.

It’s still just “The Chance”. I’ve played for about 20 people a couple times there too .

 

[jerry]

That would have been interesting. Wilson could play any style including orchestrally. Listen to his drumming on “About to Die”. A supporting part but so unique. I always thought his skills and musical choices made him one of the best drummers in rock.

I agree, one of the most underrated drummers in rock. Ian Paice too.

 

[EddiePlaysBass]

For myself, not taking our singer's request to work on one of his originals seriously. He took it to his other band and they did like the idea of doing originals.

They're going to release their 3rd studio album / 5th overall album soon. Me, I spent some time in a Top40 band that went nowhere, then reunited with an older band, and that went nowhere... Yeah, bad move on my part!!

 

[jamro217]

How did #2 negatively affect Jimi? Still a God last time I checked ...

Yes, but that tour didn't do anything to help.

 

[JimmyM]

Yes, but that tour didn't do anything to help.

I think it totally helped. It certainly won him cool points from his fans that the teeny bopper Monkees crowd wouldn't care. And album sales weren't hurt in the least. What hurt his career was drug abuse and death, not opening for the wrong band.

 

[popcat]

I think it totally helped. It certainly won him cool points from his fans that the teeny bopper Monkees crowd wouldn't care. And album sales weren't hurt in the least. What hurt his career was drug abuse and death, not opening for the wrong band.

Yeah, and The Monkees got free guitar lessons.

 

[Mr_Moo]

John Lydon invites his friend John Ritchie to join the Sex Pistols. The firing of Glen Matlock basically ensured that the Pistols would never get beyond a certain point, musically. As far as I understand Lydon regrets bringing Ritchie into the band, who would be about 19 at the time. Nowadays Ritchie, aka Sid Vicious, would be recognised as a vulnerable individual with additional support needs, but in 1977 he was just the thick barely literate lad obsessed with Bowie. You take a guy from absolute squalor and anonymity, who probably wasn't going to go very far in life, and turn him into a genuine living, breathing rock star. A very bad idea!

Many people, and I notice this disproportionately from Americans, seem to hate Ritchie mercilessly. He was the talentless moron who killed his girlfriend and was never plugged in at gigs. I think it is way too easy just to hate the guy without really trying to understand where he came from or why he ended up both a murderer (potentially) and dead. This is a guy who got to dress up as his hero Johnny Thunders; it isn't exactly surprising that he went off the rails. That doesn't excuse the murder however, but he was just a kid basically.

If the Pistols hadn't fired Matlock and brought in Lydon's vain, idiot friend then Ritchie would have been either a petty thief or a cab driver or something. Bad career move!

All true, but for me, at the time, Sid made the Pistols great. The mistake some people make is thinking that he was the bassist, rather than an additional frontman.

 

[Mr_Moo]

Nugent has been a narcissistic asshat for decades.

On the side of the defence, he does declare in that article that he's an even more worthless sack of poopie than Rick Perry, Ted Cruz, et al. So Ted must have some sort of self awareness. Perhaps it's all a parody act.

 

[Mr_Moo]

I wish I lived in a world were Hendrix lived to get into fusion...

View attachment 2879662



Oh man it's even worse then I could have imagined:



I wonder if they were at least empty, that seems like the only way a venue would let that slide. I don't understand why he needs 2 assault rifles either... Seems like he's overcompensating for something

What does the Secret Service actually do all day?

 

[Sunset Shalom]

What does the Secret Service actually do all day?

Make sure Ted Nugents assault rifles aren't loaded

 

[Mr_Moo]

The Brian Auger comment is as uninformed as it is disrespectful/dismissive; first of all, being in the Experience was no path to a long, financially successful career. So, what did Noel Redding do after being booted out, besides playing in a succession of floundering bands and dying an alcoholic in obscurity before he was 60? Even Mitch Mitchell, Hendrix's greatest asset, couldn't seem to get it together musically later on, in spite of being one of the most notable British drummers of all time. After suffering through heroin addiction, he sustained himself financially by selling off(for a considerable sum)the white Woodstock Strat which had been in his possession for years. Billy Cox ran a pawn shop. While Hendrix did employ keyboardists in the studio(Steve Winwood and Mike Finnegan the best known)and in the occasional jam, the way his music was structured in live performance, organ or whatever would have just been in the way. That doesn't mean that, had he lived, additional instruments wouldn't have enhanced his work, but he would have had to change his musical direction; we'll never know how that would have worked out. As far as Auger is concerned, while certainly no household name, he is no nobody, and I'm sure he has had no regrets. Besides giving Rod Stewart his first break, way before Jeff Beck, he had a band, Trinity(one of the, if not the first, organ/bass/drums bands in rock), that was successful in the UK, and went on to greater renown as backing band for jazz/blues singer Julie Driscoll, and that quartet had a number of hits. Granted, UK only, never could really crack the US market, but it's not like that didn't happened otherwise, there's been scores of worthy British bands that remained cult followed in America. What he did have going in America, in the 70's, was the Oblivion Express band, that got plenty of US FM radio airplay and gigs. He's played with Eric Burdon off and on for years, and has a current band fronted by his daughter. I saw them a few years back at a small jazz club in North Hollywood, the Baked Potato, and they were smoking. Oh, and he has the distinction of being the first (pop)keyboardist to rock the harpsichord, on the Yardbird's "For Your Love" session.
As far as the Monkees/JHE fiasco, can you say 'publicity stunt'? There's no such thing as bad publicity, and all those mothers who were outraged that their little innocent daughters were subjected to that noise by one of 'those people' just helped Jimi's rep as someone who was mad, bad, and dangerous to know, which of course sell records, even though it was furtherest from the truth. The Badfinger situation, I'd have to agree, one of the all-time saddest stories of being f'd in the music business, I wouldn't wish that on Bieber(well, maybe...).
Speaking of Jools, she certainly blew my preadolescent mind...

still at it...

Yeah, who's this guy? How'd he get in here?

Not shabby company...

When I was a kid, we had a record called Brian Auger Julie Driscoll and Trinity. I was vaguely aware that there was some kind of a story behind it, and that they were some sort of supergroup (before I'd heard the term). I just knew that it was a great record.

 

[jamro217]

I think it totally helped. It certainly won him cool points from his fans that the teeny bopper Monkees crowd wouldn't care. And album sales weren't hurt in the least. What hurt his career was drug abuse and death, not opening for the wrong band.

Good point. Did you know that organist Lee Michaels (best known for his 1971 hit "Do You Know What I Mean?") used to jam with Jimi? Any of that material would be interesting to hear.

 

[sharpiemarker]

To be frank drugs and alchohal. Besides that, not surrounding myself with the best players I could have. Better musicians and positive people would have made me focus better and tried harder. Still no regrets I had a lot of fun on the way