# Band Combo - Guitar, Kybd, Bass, Drums **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 22, 2002, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-combo-guitar-kybd-bass-drums/120210 "2002-07-22T12:48:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-combo-guitar-kybd-bass-drums/120210/1 "2002-07-22T12:48:08Z")
I have been trying to think of a band that had only four pieces - Guitar, Keyboards, Bass and Drums - where one or more of the instrumentalists was also a vocalists - that made it really big. Yeah, Lennon and McCartney played piano, but the Beatles are traditionally thought of as guitar, guitar, bass and drums Who, Zep - in the studio keyboards were a factor, but typically Vocal, guitar, bass and drum Journey, Bon Jovi - obviously 5 piece with vocal, guitar, keyboard, bass and drum about the only one I can think of (but it’s Monday a.m. and my brain is working slow) is the Talking Heads when Jerry Harrison played keyboards - Guitar/vocal (Byrne), Keyboard (Harrison), Bass (Weymouth) and drum (Frantz) What other popular, reasonably long-running bands had this combo? And why do you think it appears so rarely? ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-combo-guitar-kybd-bass-drums/120210/2 "2002-07-22T14:50:20Z")
**Tears For Fears** and **Duran Duran** come to mind…I’m sure there are a lot of other bands from the 80’s that fit this description. **Faith No More** was a 5-piece band with this setup. The lead singer, Mike Patton, didn’t play any instruments. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-combo-guitar-kybd-bass-drums/120210/3 "2002-07-22T14:55:52Z")
28 years of **Rush** , baby. Geddy - Bass, Vocals, Keyboards Alex - Guitars, occasional keyboards Neil - Drums ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-combo-guitar-kybd-bass-drums/120210/4 "2002-07-22T15:42:56Z")
I don’t know about **Duran Duran** ’s current line up, but back in the days of the New Romantic movement, they had 5 players (3 Taylors, Le Bon, Rhodes) so by definition, they didn’t have the 4 player set up I am referring to. **Tears for Fears**? I don’t think of them as a band - just Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith with some other players - at least in their heyday… As for **Rush** , again, 3 players - granted, they play all of the required instruments, but that is not what I am looking for. I am looking for a 4-piece band with Keyboard, guitar, bass and drum where the vocals are handled by one or more of those four, and that has been a durable, well-known band for some time… Ideas? Maybe this is proof as to how hard it is to come up with an example… ---
**Author:** ![horhay\_achoa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@horhay\_achoa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/horhay_achoa)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-combo-guitar-kybd-bass-drums/120210/5 "2002-07-22T16:26:40Z")
Phish and Zony Mash come to mind. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-combo-guitar-kybd-bass-drums/120210/6 "2002-07-22T20:55:26Z")
How about… 1. The Guess Who went through many lineup changes, but the “classic” lineup (1969-70 or so) was Burton Cummings on piano/vocals, Randy Bachman on guitar, Jim Kale on bass and gary Peterson on drums. 2. Genesis, for a while at least. After Peter Gabriel left, they made several albums as a 4 man band, with Phil Collins on drums/vocals, Steve Hackett on guitar, Mike Rutherford on bass, and Tony Banks of keyboards. 3. Pink Floyd, in the 70s, had Roger Waters on bass/vocals, David Gilmour on guitar/vocals, Rick Wright on keyboards, and Nick Mason on drums. 4. In the 1970s, Grand Funk had a line up of Mark Farner on guitar/vocals, Mel Chacher on bass, Don Brewer on drums/vocals, and Craig Frost on keyboards. That’s a start. If I think of more, I’ll post them. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-combo-guitar-kybd-bass-drums/120210/7 "2002-07-22T20:56:36Z")
Oh, I forgot… Asia had John Wetton on bass/vocals, Steve Howe on guitar, Carl Palmer on drums, and Geoff Downes on keyboards. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-combo-guitar-kybd-bass-drums/120210/8 "2002-07-22T21:03:02Z")
More… The original lineup of King Crimson was Greg Lake on bass/vocals, Robert Fripp on guitar, Ian MacDonald on keyboards, and Mike Giles on drums. It’s hard to think of AMERICAN bands that fit the OP’s requested format, but there seem to be a lot of English bands that do. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-combo-guitar-kybd-bass-drums/120210/9 "2002-07-22T21:13:47Z")
And then there’s… The short-lived Blind Faith, with Steve Winwood on keyboards/vocals, Eric Clapton on guitar/vocals, Rick Grech on bass and Ginger Baker on drums. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-combo-guitar-kybd-bass-drums/120210/10 "2002-07-22T21:53:03Z")
The early **Kinks** – Dave on guitar, Ray on both guitars and keyboards, Peter Quaife on bass, and Mick Avory on drums. **Mountain** – Leslie West, guitar; Corky Lang, drums; Felix Pappalardi, bass; Steve Knight, organ **Procol Harum** – Once Matthew Fisher left, Their records had a four-person line-up. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-combo-guitar-kybd-bass-drums/120210/11 "2002-07-23T01:32:12Z")
**Booker T. and the MGs** **The Cyrkle** ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-combo-guitar-kybd-bass-drums/120210/12 "2002-07-23T01:50:56Z")
The Electric Light Orchestra (1979-1983): Jeff Lynne: Guitars, vocals Kelly Grocutt: bass, backing vocals Richard Tandy: keyboards Bev Bevan: drums ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-combo-guitar-kybd-bass-drums/120210/13 "2002-07-23T12:58:26Z")
Cool - I knew they were out there. Pink Floyd and Genesis are particularly :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-combo-guitar-kybd-bass-drums/120210/14 "2002-07-23T13:18:00Z")
The Band… Guitar, Bass, Drums, Piano, AND Organ. Of course, they all doubled and tripled on everything from mandolin and saxophone to trombone and accordion, but the basic lineup featured Richard Manuel’s piano and Garth Hudson’s organ, with only Robbie Robertson on gee-tar. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-combo-guitar-kybd-bass-drums/120210/15 "2002-07-23T13:47:09Z")
Queen Freddie Mercury (vocals/piano) Brian May (guitar/vocals) Roger Tayler (drums/vocals) John Deacon (bass/no vocals) ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-combo-guitar-kybd-bass-drums/120210/16 "2002-07-23T14:58:58Z")
Well shoot, _I’m_ in a band that has that lineup. We’re called “Several Sinners” and we play blues and classic rock. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-combo-guitar-kybd-bass-drums/120210/17 "2002-07-23T15:56:06Z")
**Level 42** - Mark King (bass, vocals), Phil Gould (drums), Boon Gould (guitar), and Mike Lindup (keyboards). ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-combo-guitar-kybd-bass-drums/120210/18 "2002-07-23T16:19:52Z")
At the time of the album _Making Movies_, Mark Knopfler’s brother David had left **Dire Straits** , reducing it to a quartet: Mark Knopfler (guitar, vocals), John Illsley (Bass), Roy Bittan (Keyboards), and Pick Withers (Drums). ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-combo-guitar-kybd-bass-drums/120210/19 "2002-07-23T16:31:43Z")
Another one: **New Order** - Peter Hook (bass), Stephen Morris (drums) Bernard Sumner (guitar, vocals), Gillian Gilbert (keyboards) ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-combo-guitar-kybd-bass-drums/120210/20 "2002-07-23T16:38:08Z")
Still another: **Mr. Mister** - Steve Farris (drums), Steve George (keyboards, vocals), Pat Mastelotto (guitar), and Richard Page (bass, vocals) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-combo-guitar-kybd-bass-drums/120210.md?page=2)