Music History Events: Band Dynamics
December 29, 1967 Dave Mason announces that he is leaving Traffic, just as the group is releasing its debut album. Unlike the other members of the group, Mason didn't want to collaborate on writing songs, setting up something of a rivalry with fellow founder Steve Winwood and prompting Mason to pursue a solo career.
December 10, 1967 The previously unknown San Francisco group The Steve Miller Blues Band signs to Capitol for an unprecedented $750,000, dropping "Blues" from their name in the process.
November 9, 1967 In a battle of egos, The Byrds's Roger McGuinn boots David Crosby from the group. Crosby is replaced by Gene Clark and goes on to form Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
October 9, 1967 Doc Severinsen, already a member of the house band on NBC-TV's Tonight Show, replaces Skitch Henderson as its leader.
September 29, 1967 Mickey Hart joins Grateful Dead as its new drummer.
September 14, 1967 The Rolling Stones part ways with their longtime manager Andrew Loog Oldham. The group assumes management duties themselves.
September 1, 1967 A young guitarist named Boz Scaggs joins The Steve Miller Band, the blues band led by his childhood friend, Steve Miller.
September 1, 1967 The Beatles meet up at Paul McCartney's house in London to decide what to do following the death of their manager, Brian Epstein. They decide to be their own managers, and McCartney takes the lead on most business decisions. With hefty responsibilities outside of music, things get tense and the group breaks up two years later.
August 25, 1967 After a two-year bout with stage fright, Beach Boys founder and resident genius Brian Wilson returns to playing live with the band.
July 10, 1967 Kenny Rogers leaves the The New Christy Minstrels and forms The First Edition, who have a hit the next year with "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)."
April 2, 1967 Steve Winwood leaves The Spencer Davis Group to form Traffic with Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood and Dave Mason.
March 18, 1967 Steve Winwood announces plans to form Traffic.
March 4, 1967 Steve Winwood and his brother, Muff, announce they are leaving The Spencer Davis Group. Steve forms Traffic later that year.
February 15, 1967 Music students at Chicago's DePaul University form a seven-piece rock ensemble called The Big Thing. Later, they would change their name to Chicago Transit Authority, and then, simply, Chicago.
February 8, 1967 The duo Peter and Gordon announce their split.
November 30, 1966 The brilliant but erratic guitarist Jeff Beck officially leaves The Yardbirds after a year and a half in the band. He later forms the Jeff Beck Group.
October 12, 1966 The Moody Blues split up, with Denny Laine signing a solo deal with their label, Deram. The group re-forms a month later with new members Justin Hayward and John Lodge.
October 5, 1966 The Jimi Hendrix Experience forms in London.
September 29, 1966 Jimi Hendrix meets the final member of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, bassist Noel Redding, when Redding unsuccessfully auditions for Eric Burdon's new Animals lineup at the Birdland club in London.
June 17, 1966 Peter Green joins John Mayall's Bluesbreakers.
June 4, 1966 Janis Joplin arrives in San Francisco to join Big Brother & the Holding Company as their new lead singer.
May 20, 1966 When John Entwistle and Keith Moon are late for a Who show at the Rikki Tik club in Newbury, England, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey go on with the opening act as their rhythm section. Entwistle and Moon show up halfway through, and after the show Moon announces that he and Entwistle are leaving to form a duo. All is well a week later when they patch things up.
March 3, 1966 Buffalo Springfield is formed (as "The Herd") by Neil Young, Stephen Stills and Richie Furay.
March 1, 1966 Gene Clark announces that he is leaving The Byrds, citing fear of flying as the reason. He is not replaced, since the group has three other vocalists: David Crosby, Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman.
January 28, 1966 Brian Poole announces his departure from The Tremeloes.
October 31, 1965 Lead singer Wayne Fontana leaves his group The Mindbenders.
July 6, 1965 Marty Balin starts recruiting members for the band that will become Jefferson Airplane.
March 27, 1965 Jeff Beck joins The Yardbirds as a replacement for Eric Clapton.
January 18, 1965 Paul Simon drops out of law school to pursue music full-time.
June 5, 1964 The first recording featuring David Bowie is released. He's still known as David Jones when "Liza Jane" by David Jones and the King Bees comes out.
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