If Music Could Talk

I was just trying to think of another instance in rock history where a band who were as big as the Clash were in 1982/83 fired a key member for no clear reason? I can't think of any off the top of my head.

I'm not talking like the Beatles firing Pete Best (or even the Clash getting rid of Keith Levine)...I've always equated this to the Beatles firing Paul McCartney in 1966/67.

Just looking for another example of a very popular band sacking a key member for no clear reason (at least at the time).

Maybe a bit of a stretch but is it comparable to Brian Jones being flung out the Stones?
He was ( arguably ) the heart and soul of the band and the reasons behind his sacking were dubious ( and personal );
he also behaved in a self-destructive/attention seeking manner and didn't help himself with his behaviour/antics.

I think there probably was a clear reason for the band sacking Mick — they just weren't getting along with each other, tensions likely exacerbated by Bernie's presence. Joe mentions as much in one of his '84 rants, about how it's such a drag to play music when everyone's miserable. Plus that Elizabeth Taylor in a filthy mood crack in Westway.

I think with Brian Jones - while he was a key cog for several years - by the time he was tossed - the guy was a mental and physical wreck, hardly contributing. There is that famous exchange where he shows up at the Beggars Banquet sessions and meekly asks what he can play and Mick shoots him a withering glance and says, "I don't know, Brian? What caaannn you play?"

Plus, the Stones had their song-writing team intact.

I get the reasons behind why Mick Jones was fired (even if there are several different reasons that have been given)...I just don't get the logic behind hey, we can get rid of the guy who writes (most) of the music and who is a legit genius.

There is another quote (I think from Paul) where he admits they made a mistake and believed "anyone could write a punk song" or something like that.

I guess the intent of my question is simply has this ever happened before? Has a band ever fired someone who was so important to the group that they were essentially committing musical suicide?

IIRC, Paul described his and Joe's position as "we decided 'we're grown men and we can't put up with this anymore'" — like, the relationship had obviously deteriorated to the point where they couldn't/didn't want to write music or perform together.

In response to the question, maybe Matlock and the Pistols?

Or Topper and The Clash?

That's a tough one, other than Brian Jones nothing really compares to Mick. A couple of months ago the BBC asked the question 'What happened to members fired from famous bands?'...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/81 ... c94f830357

<edit> not forgetting the sacking by telephone of Limahl from Kajagoogoo, also 1983.

Matlock and the Pistols, as Inder said, is definitely one. Perhaps a case could be made for Ace Frehley, the most musically talented member of KISS. Ozzy and Sabbath. Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd.

All very different of course, but The House of Love losing Terry Bickers and Suede losing Bernard Butler are two examples of bands losing their genius guitar players at their critical / commercial peak and never being quite the same again (though Suede kept doing well commercially).

Depeche Mode lost Vince Gill (who wrote virtually their entire debut album and who went on to success with Yazoo and Erasure) after their first album, but this did not seem to slow them down much.

On the vocalist front, Van Halen continued on without David Lee Roth after their biggest album and somehow Echo and the Bunnymen released an album without Ian McCulloch immediately after the peak of their US popularity.

Not sure of the exact reason for any of these departures though.

drowninghere wrote: ↑

08 Oct 2017, 2:06pm

All very different of course, but The House of Love losing Terry Bickers and Suede losing Bernard Butler are two examples of bands losing their genius guitar players at their critical / commercial peak and never being quite the same again (though Suede kept doing well commercially).

Depeche Mode lost Vince Gill (who wrote virtually their entire debut album and who went on to success with Yazoo and Erasure) after their first album, but this did not seem to slow them down much.

On the vocalist front, Van Halen continued on without David Lee Roth after their biggest album and somehow Echo and the Bunnymen released an album without Ian McCulloch immediately after the peak of their US popularity.

Not sure of the exact reason for any of these departures though.

Vince Clarke was DM.

101Walterton wrote: ↑

08 Oct 2017, 2:19pm

drowninghere wrote: ↑

08 Oct 2017, 2:06pm

All very different of course, but The House of Love losing Terry Bickers and Suede losing Bernard Butler are two examples of bands losing their genius guitar players at their critical / commercial peak and never being quite the same again (though Suede kept doing well commercially).

Depeche Mode lost Vince Gill (who wrote virtually their entire debut album and who went on to success with Yazoo and Erasure) after their first album, but this did not seem to slow them down much.

On the vocalist front, Van Halen continued on without David Lee Roth after their biggest album and somehow Echo and the Bunnymen released an album without Ian McCulloch immediately after the peak of their US popularity.

Not sure of the exact reason for any of these departures though.

Vince Clarke was DM.

You sure about that...

drowninghere wrote: ↑

08 Oct 2017, 4:00pm

101Walterton wrote: ↑

08 Oct 2017, 2:19pm

drowninghere wrote: ↑

08 Oct 2017, 2:06pm

All very different of course, but The House of Love losing Terry Bickers and Suede losing Bernard Butler are two examples of bands losing their genius guitar players at their critical / commercial peak and never being quite the same again (though Suede kept doing well commercially).

Depeche Mode lost Vince Gill (who wrote virtually their entire debut album and who went on to success with Yazoo and Erasure) after their first album, but this did not seem to slow them down much.

On the vocalist front, Van Halen continued on without David Lee Roth after their biggest album and somehow Echo and the Bunnymen released an album without Ian McCulloch immediately after the peak of their US popularity.

Not sure of the exact reason for any of these departures though.

Vince Clarke was DM.

You sure about that...

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I'd put a monkey on it.

drowninghere wrote: ↑

08 Oct 2017, 2:06pm

All very different of course, but The House of Love losing Terry Bickers and Suede losing Bernard Butler are two examples of bands losing their genius guitar players at their critical / commercial peak and never being quite the same again (though Suede kept doing well commercially).

Depeche Mode lost Vince Gill (who wrote virtually their entire debut album and who went on to success with Yazoo and Erasure) after their first album, but this did not seem to slow them down much.

Yeah...DM got a lot better after Vince Clarke left. I'd say a better comparison is when Alan Wilder left. A lot of people underestimate his contribution.

I can't remember Did the Pogues sack Shane Macgowan or did he leave on his own? if he did get sacked that would be one.
Edit: Just remembered the band had a good reason for sacking him.

drowninghere wrote: ↑

08 Oct 2017, 2:06pm

All very different of course, but The House of Love losing Terry Bickers and Suede losing Bernard Butler are two examples of bands losing their genius guitar players at their critical / commercial peak and never being quite the same again (though Suede kept doing well commercially).

Depeche Mode lost Vince Gill (who wrote virtually their entire debut album and who went on to success with Yazoo and Erasure) after their first album, but this did not seem to slow them down much.

On the vocalist front, Van Halen continued on without David Lee Roth after their biggest album and somehow Echo and the Bunnymen released an album without Ian McCulloch immediately after the peak of their US popularity.

Not sure of the exact reason for any of these departures though.

I wouldn't use Echo & The Bunnymen as a back up here, as the album is awful and no-one in the band mentions it now. They had had plans to 'split' for a while, and with that album going out under a group name it meant the split lasted a lot longer.

Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑

08 Oct 2017, 1:42pm

Matlock and the Pistols, as Inder said, is definitely one. Perhaps a case could be made for Ace Frehley, the most musically talented member of KISS. Ozzy and Sabbath. Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd.

That's probably a bigger than Clash firing Mick.