# Who were some relatively untalented members of otherwise-talented bands? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 14, 2011, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681 "2011-03-14T18:16:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681/161 "2011-03-23T05:32:03Z")
Well, Ringo was lovable, whereas at one time or another one should expect to get annoyed at each of the other three. To modify what I said, I think he was really just the least prolific as a named songwriter. George was, well, George Harrison; Paul knew how to write pop like nobody; John was able to play off Paul pretty well (and a little of his later stuff is quite good). Ringo was always the guy making their rhythm sections work, so when you hear a Ringo song, it seems like basic generic Beatles. Arguably he really did give them a basic sound, but the fan expectation is that he’s a drummer, so how important could he be? ---
**Author:** ![spymaniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@spymaniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spymaniac)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681/162 "2011-03-23T06:27:43Z")
Grant Hart from Husker Du…can’t stand his drumming, don’t like his voice, and his songs are mediocre compared to Bob Mould’s…IMO. Even his drumkit sounds horrible on their earlier albums. I think the only song I really like by him is ‘Don’t Want To Know If You Are Lonely’ ---
**Author:** ![diku](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@diku](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diku)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681/163 "2011-03-24T18:52:27Z")
> [@spymaniac](#): > > Grant Hart from Husker Du…can’t stand his drumming, don’t like his voice, and his songs are mediocre compared to Bob Mould’s…IMO. Even his drumkit sounds horrible on their earlier albums. I think the only song I really like by him is ‘Don’t Want To Know If You Are Lonely’ Thank you. Listen to Warehouse Songs and Stories. Almost all the Bob Mould songs are fantastic, you can skip the Grant Hart songs with no loss. ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681/164 "2011-03-24T19:04:37Z")
[CITE???] ISTR hearing on some television program that at one point, Bon Jovi (okay, not a very otherwise-talented band as things go) fired their bassist for being bad at playing the bass, which would be one of the less rock n’ roll ways ever to be thrown out of a band. I don’t think I made up (hearing that at least) but no details (and if it happened on day 2 of garage band practice, hardly very germane to the OP). Anyone remember any more detail? ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681/165 "2011-03-24T19:42:55Z")
> [@Huerta88](#): > > [CITE???] > ISTR hearing on some television program that at one point, Bon Jovi (okay, not a very otherwise-talented band as things go) fired their bassist for being bad at playing the bass, which would be one of the less rock n’ roll ways ever to be thrown out of a band. I don’t think I made up (hearing that at least) but no details (and if it happened on day 2 of garage band practice, hardly very germane to the OP). Anyone remember any more detail? Alex John Such was the bass player and he was fired after a few albums. Can’t recall if it was due to bad bass playing, not being a good enough member of the Bon Jovi family (apparently they take pride on their All-for-One approach)…maybe he spoke to the media out of turn?? ETA: [Wiki link](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alec_John_Such) > [@](#): > > According to interviews with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora in an episode of Behind the Music, Such was dismissed from the band for unsatisfactory performance during live concerts. Also his quality of session recordings during the Cross Road album were a contributing factor to his dismissal from Bon Jovi. However, viewers were not able to hear his side of the story; he declined to be interviewed by the show. > > On Bon Jovi’s Biography special Richie Sambora claimed that Alec “was tired” and that with Bon Jovi’s ambitions “you need to keep up”. Whether Such was fired for subpar performances, quit on his own merits, or left for other reasons has still not been definitively answered. It is still a heated topic for debate among Bon Jovi fans to this day. > > Such gave an interview with David Ling for a magazine and gave details of behind the scenes information and was asked to leave. Bon Jovi once said “what goes on in the family, stays in the family”. Jon tried to sue David Ling over the controversial quotes at first stating Ling was exaggerating, but Ling had the entire interview with Such on tape to back up the story.[2] Ah, that last paragraph was what I was thinking of about the “stays in the family” part of the issue… ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681/166 "2011-03-24T20:07:07Z")
A great rock drummer is one who plays beats that don’t overpower the rest of the band. For these purposes Ringo is perfect. A showy drummer would have been a detriment to the Beatles. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681/167 "2011-03-24T21:33:08Z")
I suppose I should mention Anthony “Top” Topham, the first guitarist in the Yardbirds… not that he was bad, just that he got replaced by three blokes named Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681/168 "2011-03-25T01:58:08Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > A great rock drummer is one who plays beats that don’t overpower the rest of the band. For these purposes Ringo is perfect. A showy drummer would have been a detriment to the Beatles. - “13 Reasons to give Ringo some respect” [http://medisinmusicforthemasses.wordpress.com/historically-influential-drummers/](http://medisinmusicforthemasses.wordpress.com/historically-influential-drummers/)\* ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681/169 "2011-03-25T02:18:38Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > That was my point in originally naming him. Every time I’d hear a great Stones bass line, it would turn out to have been played by someone other than Bill Wyman. If it wasn’t Keith, it was someone from outside the band like Robbie Shakespeare. I’m not saying that Wyman NEVER played well, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard of Charlie Watts or any of the Stones’ guitarists so consistently deferring to outside players. > > If I’m wrong on this, please educate me. I think you’re absolutely right. Back in the 60’s I read some reviewer who referred to Bill’s bass playing with the Stones as “utilitarian”; I agreed then, and still do. I don’t know how well Bill can or can’t play, but I think that for whatever reasons, his heart was never in the Stones, and it showed. And as you obviously know, the list of Stones songs with Keith on bass is longer than many people might expect. . [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681.md?page=8)