Before the big time: the musicians who missed out

 
14 March 2013
The Weekender

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Clive Burr, the former Iron Maiden drummer who has tragically died at the age of 56, left the band before it really hit the big time.

Towards the end of his life, his former bandmates staged benefit gigs for him and formed the Clive Burr MS Trust Fund to help raise money for his living costs as he struggled with multiple sclerosis.

London-born Burr was in the heavy metal band for three years – enough time to play on the first three albums, the self-titled debut in 1980, Killers which was released in 1981 and the chart-topping The Number Of The Beast from 1982. After he left, Iron Maiden went on to sell more than 85 million records worldwide.

We take a look at some other artists who got out at the wrong time.

THE BEATLES

Pete Best is probably the most famous example. Considered by many as the band’s original drummer, he was invited to join The Beatles in 1960, and having passed his school exams – unlike the others – he decided that playing with the group in Hamburg would be more fun than teacher-training college. However, his drumming was apparently not up to scratch and he was dismissed by manager Brian Epstein in August 1962. Epstein has since written that “though he was friendly with John, [Best] was not liked by George and Paul.” Best, now 78, married his wife Kathy in 1963 and the couple have two daughters. He now tours with The Pete Best Band and has upcoming show dates in March, July and August this year.

THE ROLLING STONES

In 1969, guitarist Mick Taylor was invited by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards to rehearse with them following Brian Jones’ dismissal from The Rolling Stones earlier that year. In December 1974 - by which point Taylor had appeared on albums Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street with the band - he announced at a party with Jagger that he was quitting. In later interviews, he has said the members used to “fight and argue all the time” and he was peeved that he didn’t get writing credits for some of the songs. Taylor has since recorded songs with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Jack Bruce, Bob Dylan, Sasha Gracanin and members of the Rolling Stones. Taylor also played on Midnight Rambler at the Stones’ London shows on November 25 and 29 last year.

MOTORHEAD

On the grounds that a joint cover of the song Stand by your Man with all-girl band The Plasmatics was too silly and compromised their principles, guitarist “Fast Eddie” Clarke flounced out of Motorhead in 1982, just after they made it with the Ace of Spades album in 1980. Clarke later toured America with Fastway, producing the band’s album Say What You Will – Live. The most recent update was the Fast Eddie Clarke Anthology released on Sanctuary Records which included music by Clarke that covered his years before and after Motorhead. He is now 62 and Motorhead is still going strong.

ATOMIC KITTEN

Kerry Katona, 32, was an original member of the girl band Atomic Kitten which was formed in 1997 with Natasha Hamilton and Liz McClarnon. Their single Right Now rose to Number 10 in 1999 while See Ya hit Number Six. When a later album flopped, Innocent Records allowed them to make one more single, Whole Again which stayed at the top of the chart for four weeks. However, while she featured in the original song and video, a pregnant Katona left the group and was quickly replaced by Jenny Frost. Atomic Kitten went on to have success with singles The Tide Is High and Be With You before splitting up in 2004. Katona's career took a different direction - she has been on reality TV shows I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here and Celebrity Big Brother. Last month she rejoined the original band members to make more music with them in 2013.

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