The Forgotten Rock Supergroups Rock Fans Need To Know

When the rise of powerhouse bands became evident in its heyday, it’s long been assumed that something influential would burgeon from it. These influential people would, in turn, team up with one another to form what the rock industry labels as a “supergroup.” Supergroups exist to cater to the artists’ exploration of different styles of music and to show everyone that they are more than capable of leading their own band according to their own rules. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Cream, The Traveling Wilburys are some of music’s most successful supergroups, but what about the forgotten ones? Let’s have a refresher by looking at these 10 rock supergroups that you need to know.

 

Cactus

In 1969, Carmine Appice and Tim Bogart formed the group Cactus together with Jim McCarty and Rusty Day. They have managed to provide 4 albums before disbanding five years later.

Eric Clapton’s Powerhouse

Before Cream happened, Eric Clapton formed a group named Eric Clapton’s powerhouse and recruited Jack Bruce, Steve Winwood, Paul Jones, Pete York, and Ben Palmer. They only made 4 songs.

GTR

Progressive rock pioneers Steve Howe of Yes and Steve Hackett of Genesis formed a brief supergroup with Max Bacon named GTR back in 1985. They’re far more successful through, their only album reached no 11 in US charts.

HSAS

Sammy Hagar formed HSAS with Neil Schon (Journey), Michael Shrieve (Santana), and Kenny Aaronson (Foghat). They released an album Through The Fire (1984) and a single, which was a cover of “A Whiter Shade of Pale” by Procol Harum.

Lord Sutch and Heavy Friends

Rocker Lord Sutch came in strong when he formed his band, Lord Sutch and Heavy Friends, and summoned the likes of Jimmy Page, John Bonham, Noel Redding, Nicky Hopkins, and Jeff Beck. The incredible get-together of these powerful men wasn’t well-received, and they quickly split up.

The Dirty Mac

The Dirty Mac was destined to disintegrate since it was only a one-off supergroup meant to entertain people during Rolling Stones’ Rock and Roll Circus television show. But, its members were easily the titans of the music industry: Eric Clapton, John Lennon, Keith Richards, and Mitch Mitchell.

B.L.T.

It was a dream come true that was made possible when Jack Bruce (Cream) formed a power trio together with Robin Trower (Procol Harum) and Bill Lordan (Family Stone). Although Lordan quit before finishing the band’s first album, Bruce and Trower remained on good terms and even released 2 more albums together.

The Gak

The Gak – a slang term for cocaine, was a powerful collaboration of three Metallica members: Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, & James Hetfield with Guns N Roses members: Duff McKagan, Slash, & Axl Rose, and Skid Row’s frontman Sebastian Bach. Talk about a once-in-a-lifetime moment!

Bruce-Baker-Moore

Cream fans couldn’t believe it when former Cream members/occasional enemies Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker team up with Gary Moore from Thin Lizzy & Skid Row to form a power trio Bruce-Baker-Moore. The band broke up after a few concerts, but the thrill they provided was unbeatable.

Mother’s Army

You’ve probably forgotten about this, but Mother’s Army, formed in 1993, contained one of the greatest lineups of artists in the music industry. It consisted of Bob Daisley (Black Sabbath, Rainbow), Carmine Appice (Cactus, Ozzy Osbourne), Aynsley Dunbar (Journey, Frank Zappa), Joe Lynn Turner (Deep Purple, Rainbow), and Jeff Watson (Night Ranger). They released 3 albums and separated in 1998.