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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2021-09-04, 09:54

For some reason I've been on a U2 kick the past 5-6 days (they always cycle around, and I want to hear those first five albums again...Boy through The Joshua Tree. And I'll seek out clips on YouTube (older 80's performances mostly, tied to the above albums.

I know it's fashionable to ding them sometimes, Bono in particular, but I've always been a fan and loved their sound. Especially as a teen and seeing some of those early videos and realizing "this doesn't sound quite like anyone else out there".

It also hit me just how rare they are in that, after 40+ years, it's still the same four guys. Nobody's quit/been fired, OD'd, offed themselves, died via illness/injury. I'm trying to think of any other band that came out/up in the early 80's and the MTV era/revolution that I can say that about. There may be some out there I'm not familiar with, but when I think of all the bands I enjoyed back in the day (and even still to this day), I don't know if any with their original early-80's lineup still intact (or even in existence).

Duran Duran? Close, a few years ago, but Andy Taylor has once again left. They've currently got four of the original five, with a replacement/fill-in guitarist.

The Cars, The Pretenders, INXS, R.E.M., Simple Minds, Van Halen, The Bangles, Big Country, 'Til Tuesday, Spandau Ballet and on and on. And even bands I'm not huge fans of or super familiar with - Metallica, AC/DC, Guns 'n' Roses, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, etc. - don't have their original 4-5 piece lineup. People have died, quit, members departed and returned, etc. No consistent, 40+ year "all the exact same members".

And others - The Police, Thompson Twins, The Jam, etc. - haven't even existed for many years now. Decades, even.

And any bands that are currently "intact" in their original 80's lineup - Poison, Motley Crue , the Go-Go's, etc. - weren't solid/intact this entire time. They've either gone dormant for periods, or have brought in replacements at various times due to an original member departing/getting fired).

If someone can think of a band that came up/got big during that early 80's explosion (all those acts that ruled MTV back in the day) who, like U2, has a lineup that is a) intact to this day and b) never changed in these 40 years, please chime in below. But I don't think it'll be any well-known, mainstream acts.

Two possible exceptions, checking their Wikipedia pages: Pet Shop Boys are shown as having been active from 1981-present with only Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe listed as members. So that might be one to consider? But as a electronic/pop and synth-based duo, there were never any drummers, bassists or guitarists to lose, so that's kind of a cheat. Easier to be a self-contained duo where 1-2 people can do all the synth/drum machine programming/layering, vs. trying to keep 4-5 meatheads, addicts, deviants and ego cases together. And the other is Tears for Fears, which seem to be presented as a duo of the two main guys, Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, but their Wikipedia entry shows past/departed band members, so they may not quality.

Seriously...when you put it up against all the above - and all the countless others I've not even mentioned, it's quite a thing. It wasn't like Adam Clayton or any other member left during the 90's and they marched on with an "unofficial" (not on album covers or promo materials) fill-in bassists for a decade or two (or same with the drummer). In other words, it's not been the Bono/The Edge show with a rotating, fluctuating rhythm session of hired guns for studio and tour work (as is the case with many bands). Those four guys, from that very first video of "Gloria" and them playing on that barge in Dublin, have been the only members of U2 once they released their first album/videos (I'm not counting pre-fame members, mind you...every band goes through people who don't stick around for their first signing/break). But for four-plus decades the world has only seen/known four constant members of U2...Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr.

They must get along well. Or have at least figured out what to do if/when they don't, so nothing gets permanently affected/wrecked?

Pretty impressive, when you think about it, and compare them to all their peers! Quite a feat in that business.

I'd love to know of any others.

Up until about 2-3 weeks ago, I suppose ZZ Top could've been added to that list, but their bassist, Dusty Hill, has died, so. But yeah, they were an intact trio from way back. I would've added them next to U2 (even though I don't really consider them an act that came out/up in the 80's, although their fame grew due to those videos they made).

PS - Apologies for the rambling novel on such a trivial topic. But when I get a notion like this lodged into my head - have any other bands stayed this intact all these years? - I have to chase it a bit. It's how I'm wired.

Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2021-09-04 at 10:19.
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