This is one "Super" argument!

My father-in-law was over the other night.  He, like me, is a big music fan.  In our discussion we were talking about "Supergroups" and what constitutes them.  For this I'll need your input.

My definition was this:  A Supergroup is a band comprised of at least two musicians who have been in other successful bands. 

His definition was:  A very successful, multi-platinum selling band. 

By his theory, any band that sells a million records could be defined at a "Supergroup."  This is why I believe that the term is overused and thus I seek to clarify.

Let's examine the prototype of the Supergroup, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.  This is a band that featured members of the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, and the Hollies, among other groups and solo careers.  By that, they are a Supergroup because of the reputation that each of the players brought to the band, which, in turn, cranked out several hits in their new venture.

More recently, Velvet Revolver (who are currently looking for a new lead singer) formed with former members of Guns 'N' Roses and STP.  If you want to get technical, their drummer, Matt Sorum, also did a stint in The Cult but that might be just a means of adding to their CV.

In the early 1990's Ted Nugent joined forces with Jack Blades (Night Ranger) and Tommy Shaw (Styx).  They added a drummer of lesser star status and presto, Damn Yankees, a certified supergroup.  A few years earlier, Singer John Waite teamed up with Neil Schon and Jonathan Cain of Journey and session players Ricky Philips and Deen Castonovo (who between the latter two play with everyone from Montrose to Ozzy Osbourne) and Shzaam!*!* Bad English.  Did someone say Supergroup?

What about Asia?  This early-eighties collaboration by Steve Howe of YES, Geoff Downes of the Buggles, Carl Palmer of ELP and John Wetton of King Crimson and Roxy music was arguably not as successful as their other individual projects, but by-gosh, I think we've got another supergroup on our hands, don't you?

There are many other examples that fit this criteria but I'll let you add to it.  Let's look at some other possibilities, shall we?

What happens when an established band looses one of its members and the replacement just happens to be hugely successful in their own right?  Does that turn a super-successful band in to a supergroup?  When Sammy Hagar replaced David Lee Roth as the lead singer of Van Halen, did that then augment Van Halen to Supergroup status?  The same might be argued about the Hindu Love Gods when Warren Zevon sang lead with the guitarist, drummer and bassist of REM, but that might be a stretch. 

To continue this argument, let's try to understand this interesting dichotomy.  Black Sabbath's original line-up of Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward was not, buy my definition, a supergroup.  However, once the revolving membership door began swinging one could argue that Sabbath was elevated to the Supergroup suite.  Take a look:  After Ozzy came Ronnie James Dio (Rainbow), Ian Gillan (Deep Purple) and Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Trapeze).  Not to mention other non-singing members like drummers Bev Bevan (ELO) and Cozy Powell (Whitesnake/Rainbow) and Bass player Bob Daisley (Ozzy/ Rainbow).  Ironically, it was during Sabbath's least popular incarnations that they fit the definitions of a Supergroup.  And, while we're talking about it, what about Deep Purple's more recent line-ups which have included guitar virtuosos Joe Satriani and Steve Morse.  Are they now a supergroup, albeit an old one.

Alright, I got us started, now let's discuss.  My email is dshuttleworth@radio.astral.com.