Pick a Day

Music History Events: Band Dynamics

April 7, 1975 After a show in Paris, Ritchie Blackmore leaves Deep Purple to form Rainbow. He is eventually replaced by Tommy Bolin.

December 31, 1974 Having lost guitarist Bob Welch, Fleetwood Mac make an offer to Lindsey Buckingham, but he comes as a package deal with his girlfriend, Stevie Nicks.More

December 12, 1974 Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor leaves the band. Ron Wood eventually replaces him after several candidates are auditioned.

November 23, 1974 Gary Wright leaves Spooky Tooth to launch a solo career.

November 21, 1974 Marty Balin, who founded Jefferson Airplane in 1965 but left in a welter of conflict with Grace Slick and Paul Kantner, reunites with the band, now known as Jefferson Starship, at a show at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. At first he claims to be a "hired gun," but he gradually comes back to the band full time, delivering their hit "Miracles" on their next album, Red Octopus.

October 4, 1974 At a concert in Wales, Thin Lizzy introduce their new lineup, with new additions Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson providing a twin-guitar attack.

June 8, 1974 Rick Wakeman departs Yes for a solo career, returns two years later, and leaves again after four years.

March 19, 1974 Jefferson Airplane re-form with most of their original members and kick off their tour at Auditorium Theatre in Chicago as Jefferson Starship. They drop the "Jefferson" in 1984 and become simply "Starship."

February 1, 1974 Guitarist Eric Bell leaves Thin Lizzy due to ill health brought on by alcohol abuse.

August 11, 1973 Rather than join Paul McCartney in traveling to Nigeria to record the band's latest album, Band On The Run, Henry McCullough and Denny Seiwell both quit Wings, forcing Paul, wife Linda, and Denny Laine to record the album as a trio.

July 2, 1973 Brian Eno quits Roxy Music over a spat with lead singer Bryan Ferry.

June 29, 1973 Deep Purple "Mark II," the most famous incarnation of the band, comes to an end after a show in Osaka, Japan, with lead singer Ian Gillan abruptly quitting the group. Bassist Roger Glover leaves soon after; for "Mark III," they're replaced by David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes.

June 24, 1973 Blues Project reunite for a concert in Central Park.

May 29, 1973 The Byrds break up when founding member Roger McGuinn performs his first solo concert at New York's Academy of Music. Use of "The Byrds" name gets sticky in ensuing years, and in 1989 McGuinn plays some shows with original members Chris Hillman and David Crosby to stake their legal claim to the name.

May 28, 1973 Ronnie Lane leaves The Faces, and will be replaced by Tetsu Yamauchi on bass.

March 7, 1973 Columbia Records throw a party at Max's Kansas City in New York City to celebrate the newest addition to the label's roster, Bruce Springsteen.

February 17, 1973 Free play their final live gig in Hollywood, Florida, as Simon Kirke and Paul Rodgers leave to form Bad Company.

February 1, 1973 Gladys Knight & the Pips leave Motown's Soul label for a new career at Buddah.

January 4, 1973 The Allman Brothers Band publicly announce Lamar Williams as their replacement for recently deceased bassist Berry Oakley.

November 25, 1972 Hollies lead singer Allan Clarke announces that he's leaving the group. (It doesn't take.)

July 16, 1972 Smokey Robinson performs his final show with The Miracles at the Carter Barron Amphitheater in Washington, DC. At the end of the show, Smokey introduces his replacement, 20-year-old Billy Griffin.

June 5, 1972 Maureen McGovern quits her full-time secretarial job in order to follow her dream of being a professional singer.

December 31, 1971 David Clayton-Thomas and Fred Lipsius play their last show with Blood, Sweat & Tears at a concert in Anaheim, California. Clayton-Thomas goes on to a solo career.

December 21, 1971 Martha and the Vandellas officially disband.

November 8, 1971 Paul McCartney throws a party at London's Empire Ballroom to officially launch his new group, Wings.

September 20, 1971 Peter Frampton leaves Humble Pie to begin a solo career.

May 23, 1971 Iron Butterfly breaks up.

December 31, 1970 Paul McCartney sues to dissolve The Beatles partnership and breaks ties with Allen Klein, whom the other three members have chosen to manage their affairs. The case drags on for years until the partnership is finally dissolved in a 1975 private agreement.

October 1, 1970 Rolling Stone reports that Curtis Mayfield is leaving The Impressions, the group he formed with Jerry Butler in 1958. In his time with the group, Mayfield wrote and produced songs for The Impressions that defined the sound of Chicago soul in the '60s, including "It's All Right" and "Keep On Pushing."

September 3, 1970 The Dave Clark Five call it quits after ten years.