From Monday 4 November 2024
Flying Solo – Boys Who Left the Band
Choose a song by a male artist who took the leap and went solo after parting ways with their band. The song must be from their solo career, highlighting their journey post-band days.
Esther
IMAGINE. (Ultimate Mix, 2020) – John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band (with the Flux Fiddlers)
Born in Liverpool, Lennon became involved in the skiffle craze as a teenager. In 1956, he formed the Quarrymen, which evolved into the Beatles in 1960. Sometimes called “the smart Beatle.
In 1969, he started the Plastic Ono Band with his second wife, multimedia artist Yoko Ono, held the two-week-long anti-war demonstration bed-in for peace, and left the Beatles to embark on a solo career.
Wilfred
Lionel Richie – Dancing On The Ceiling
The Commodores started out in a pretty unexpected way! They formed while the members were students at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Originally, they just wanted a cool way to spend time and meet people, so they joined forces and began playing gigs around campus and local spots. At first, they were just trying to find their sound, experimenting with funk, soul, and a bit of R&B. Lionel Richie was there from the beginning, and over time, the group got tighter and more polished, finally catching the attention of Motown Records in the early 1970s. Soon enough, The Commodores were opening for major acts like the Jackson 5, which put them on the fast track to fame. Songs like “Brick House” and “Easy” cemented their place as funk and soul legends, and Richie’s ballads gave them an extra dimension.
Fast-forward to Richie’s solo career peak, and along comes “Dancing on the Ceiling,” where he wanted to literally dance on the ceiling. For the music video, director Stanley Donen—yes, the guy who co-directed Singin’ in the Rain—came up with this crazy idea: build an entire rotating room to make it look like Richie was defying gravity. This trick had been done in movies but was basically unheard of in music videos back then. They constructed a massive set that rotated around Richie as he and the dancers “walked” on the walls and ceiling. The effect was mind-blowing but wasn’t exactly a breeze to film! Richie has joked about feeling like he was in a “washing machine” with the spinning. The whole process took a week to shoot, cost over $400,000 (huge for its time), and ended up as one of the most iconic—and trippy—videos of the ‘80s.
So, from a college band experiment to high-budget, gravity-defying solo fame, Lionel Richie’s journey has been anything but ordinary!
Paul
Phil Collins – In The Air Tonight
Philip David Charles Collins LVO (born 30 January 1951) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer, and later became the lead singer of the rock band Genesis. He had a successful solo career, achieving three UK number-one singles and seven US number-one singles as a solo artist. In total, his work with Genesis, other artists, and solo resulted in more US top-40 singles than any other artist throughout the 1980s.
Born and raised in west London, Collins began playing drums at age five. During the same period he attended drama school, which helped secure various roles as a child actor. His first major role was the Artful Dodger in the West End production of the musical Oliver!.
As an accomplished professional actor by his early teens, he pivoted to pursue a music career, becoming the drummer for Genesis in 1970 at age 19. He took over the role of lead singer in 1975 following the departure of Peter Gabriel. During the second half of the 1970s, in between Genesis albums and tours, Collins was the drummer of jazz rock band Brand X.
Collins began a successful solo career in the 1980s, initially inspired by his marital breakdown and love of soul music, releasing the albums Face Value (1981), Hello, I Must Be Going (1982), No Jacket Required (1985) and …But Seriously (1989). Collins became, in the words of AllMusic, “one of the most successful pop and adult contemporary singers of the ’80s and beyond”.[8] He became known for a distinctive gated reverb drum sound on many of his recordings.[9] He played drums on the 1984 charity single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”, and in July 1985, he was the only artist to perform at both Live Aid concerts.
Collins left Genesis in 1996 to focus on solo work; this included writing songs for Disney’s animated film Tarzan (1999), for which he wrote and performed the songs “Two Worlds”, “Son of Man”, “Strangers Like Me” and “You’ll Be in My Heart”, the last of which earned him the Academy Award for Best Original Song. He rejoined Genesis for their Turn It On Again Tour in 2007. Following a five-year retirement to focus on his family life, Collins released his memoir in 2016 and conducted the Not Dead Yet Tour from 2017 to 2019. He then rejoined Genesis in 2020 for a second and final reunion tour, which ran from 2021 to 2022.
Collins’s discography includes eight studio albums that have sold 33.5 million certified units in the US and an estimated 150 million records sold worldwide, making him one of the world’s best-selling artists.[10] He is one of only three recording artists, along with Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson, who have sold over 100 million records both as solo artists and separately as principal members of a band.[11][12] He has won eight Grammy Awards, six Brit Awards (winning Best British Male Artist three times), two Golden Globe Awards, one Academy Award, and a Disney Legend Award.[13]
He was awarded six Ivor Novello Awards from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, including the International Achievement Award. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999, and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis in 2010. Ranked by Rolling Stone at number 43 in the 100 Greatest Drummers of All Time,[14] he was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Classic Drummer Hall of Fame in 2013.[15][16]
Liezel
Gary Moore – Parisienne Walkways
My introduction to Gary Moore’s music—and my infatuation with it—began perfectly: red wine by a roaring fire, debating the merits of “Soul” versus “Blues.”
Moore’s career started in the late ’60s with Skid Row, then continued with Thin Lizzy alongside his friend and frequent collaborator, Phil Lynott. He launched his solo career in the ’70s, reaching new heights with his signature song, Parisienne Walkways.
Known for its soulful melody and expressive guitar work, Parisienne Walkways seamlessly melds blues with rock influences, with Lynott’s vocals adding emotional depth. Moore’s vibrato and phrasing give the song a rich, melancholic feel, becoming his hallmark and making it a revered piece in music circles. Though blues-rock at heart, Parisienne Walkways is widely respected among blues enthusiasts for its depth and authenticity. The solo conveys longing and nostalgia through blues phrasing, balanced by a rock edge that sets it apart, while Moore’s slow, melodic lines capture the blues’ emphasis on feeling over speed.
In live performances, Moore often extended the solo, showcasing his skill and adding layers of improvisation that highlighted the song’s blues roots.
Special fun-fact: Moore’s iconic 1959 Gibson Les Paul, sold to him by Peter Green for around £100, became an essential part of his signature sound.
Hope you love this one, Paul L!
Zosia
Eric Clapton – My Father’s Eyes
Eric Clapton was a member of various groups, the Yardbirds, Cream and others and has been named as one if the most influential guitarist by “rolling stone magazine” ” Time” to name a few. He has been awarded a CBE and remains one of my favourite guitarists. The song I have chosen is”My father’s eyes” which was written for both his father whom he never met and his son Conner. Enjoy
Errol
Paul Carrack – Eyes of Blue (Live at Victoria Hall, Leeds, 2020)
Right – I’m late. Just got home from the airport, so in the interest of time I’ll do an Arno/Chrisna intro. Paul Carrick. Lead singer of Mike and the Mechanics, 2004 – 2007. Has an active solo career. Here’s Eyes of Blue performed live at Victoria Hall in Leeds 2020 as part of Paul’s “Soulfully Distanced” concert.
Chrisna
Robbie Williams – Angels
Robbie Williams’ jump from Take That to superstardom was chaotic to say the least, but it also engineered an enviable legacy of hits.
Despite never really managing to break the States, Robbie has racked up seven Number 1s on the Official Singles Chart and a further 13 (!) Number 1s on the Official Albums Chart. Robbie is now tied with Elvis for the second-most Number 1 albums on the UK chart – only The Beatles have more.
Paul L
Eric Clapton – Steve Winwood (Can’t find my way home)
Steve Winwood aged now 76 was part of The Spencer Davis Group, traffic and Blind Faith. An accomplished pianist and guitarist, here he performs live with Eric Clapton with my favourite of all his songs “cant find my way home. Extraordinary guitar work by him and clapton with two other guitarists demonstrating discipline and polish.
Karen
MAN IN THE MIRROR (SWG Extended Mix) MICHAEL JACKSON (Bad)
Michael Jackson announced his departure from the Jackson 5 in December 1984 after the group’s final performance at Dodger Stadium. He left to pursue a solo career after his album Thriller became the best-selling album of all time and won eight Grammy Awards.
The Jackson 5 had sold more than 100 million records worldwide at the time of their breakup. The remaining members of the group, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Randy, released the album 2300 Jackson Street in 1989. After a brief promotional tour, the group went on hiatus and never recorded another album together.
Richard
Robert Plant and Emelda May, Rock N Roll
The guitarist Jimmy Page composed most of Led Zeppelin’s music while Robert Plant wrote the lyrics and did the vocals. As a team they were dynamite.
The band’s last performance was in 1977.
A reunion performance in 2007 drew 20 million on line demands for tickets – it was the band’s final performance.
Robert Plant was however committed to touring with Allison Krauss. Here he is having fun with Jools Holland and Imelda May, proving that not everyone is over the hill at 75
Deborah
Natalie Merchant – Tower of Babel
have always loved Natalie Merchant’s distinctive voice. She was lead vocalist for 10,000 Maniacs from 1981 until she started her solo career in 1993. She has since released nine studio albums as a solo artist.
This track is from her most recent album, “Keep Your Courage”, recorded last year.
I also love that she is ageing unapologetically.