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Is It the Original or a Copy Band?
Blurred lines in nostalgia concerts
Just today, I saw a headline on my Google news feed that said no fewer than 6 original bands with no founding members would be touring soon. It made me laugh and then think back on my own experience playing behind oldies bands whose authenticity I questioned.
If a band from yesteryear goes out on the road with zero original members, wouldn’t it be logically classified as a copy band? I mean — if nobody played on the records, how is that different from musicians copping and reproducing parts to sound like a clone of the originals?
Here’s where it’s different: Somebody in the aggregation (or management) owns the right to book the band under its original name. And if you can legally call the band by its original name, the price of that booking will be much higher.
Back in my road-musician days, I backed numerous outfits with varying numbers of the original members. The Crystals had just one original who sang none of the leads. The Belmonts likewise had just one original who sang no lead parts. Likewise, the Moonglows had one who actually did some of the featured vocals. The Shirelles boasted three of the four girls who sang the records. But the lead singer wasn’t one of them. You’re getting the idea. One of the secondary singers had held onto the name…
