long-lived bands

Subject: long-lived bands
From: Jack Campin
Date: 08 Jul 09 - 01:05 PM

I just got a tweet for a 23rd-anniversary gig by the Turkish "Grup Yorum". Which reminded me of the Battlefield Band, who have current members who weren't even born when the band first formed. Buena Vista Social Club have older players than either, I'm not sure if the band itself is older.

What are the oldest-established bands in folk/trad music, from anywhere?

Subject: RE: long-lived bands
From: Mary Katherine
Date: 08 Jul 09 - 01:44 PM

I guess it depends on what's meant by "band" - the Kingston Trio, who are still touring, have been around since the late 1950s, but there is no one now with the group who was in it when it was founded, although the name continues.
Ditto the Limeliters - no original members are left, but the group name continues and they still tour.
And, of course, ditto the Vienna Boys Choir, whose membership has changed constantly over the past 70-80 years!
Peter, Paul & Mary have always performed with the original three members, although since Mary's serious illness Peter and Noel sometimes perform as a duo. I think they started in 1961-62, so 48 years.

Subject: RE: long-lived bands
From: Jack Campin
Date: 08 Jul 09 - 02:01 PM

I had the Kingston Trio kind of group in mind - hadn't realized they were still in existence. (The Vienna Boys' Choir is no sort of trad group by anybody's standards).

Subject: RE: long-lived bands
From: Matthew Edwards
Date: 08 Jul 09 - 02:09 PM

Does the Kilfenora Ceili Band count? 100th birthday in 2009!

Matthew

Subject: RE: long-lived bands
From: Jack Campin
Date: 08 Jul 09 - 03:02 PM

Kilfenora are going to be hard to beat.

It occurred to me that there are older Highland pipe bands, but they're mostly part of army regiments or police forces. I think there may be one originally-all-amateur pipe band about 100 years old but I can't remember what it is.

Subject: RE: long-lived bands
From: Nicholas Waller
Date: 08 Jul 09 - 04:36 PM

Does The Copper Family count? Hard to know when they start, I suppose.

Subject: RE: long-lived bands
From: Rifleman (inactive)
Date: 08 Jul 09 - 04:50 PM

The Copper Family
their official website

Subject: RE: long-lived bands
From: fretless
Date: 08 Jul 09 - 04:51 PM

New Lost City Ramblers, who began in teh late 1950s, count as a long-standing representative of the Old Time revival groups. There was only one membership change in their 3-person group, and that was relatively early on. There is a documentary about them due out this summer: Always Been a Rambler.

Subject: RE: long-lived bands
From: Leadfingers
Date: 08 Jul 09 - 04:53 PM

Cuckoo Oak from Shropshire have only been going for about Thirty years , and only Twenty or so with the current line up .

Subject: RE: long-lived bands
From: Splott Man
Date: 09 Jul 09 - 05:27 AM

The Blind Boys of Alabama have at least 70 years under their belts.

in the allied arts, the Besses o't Barn Brass Band have their origins in the 18th Century.

Subject: RE: long-lived bands
From: GUEST,PeterC
Date: 09 Jul 09 - 03:26 PM

53 years for The Rakes.

Subject: RE: long-lived bands
From: Rifleman (inactive)
Date: 09 Jul 09 - 03:39 PM

Ummmm...Fairport Convention - 42 years

Subject: RE: long-lived bands
From: Rifleman (inactive)
Date: 09 Jul 09 - 03:43 PM

and........ The Oak Ridge Boys

The group was founded in 1945 as the Oak Ridge Quartet, so that gives them 64 years

Subject: RE: long-lived bands
From: Wolfhound person
Date: 09 Jul 09 - 04:32 PM

High Level Ranters

40+ years - 2 original members still going.

Paws

Subject: RE: long-lived bands
From: Rifleman (inactive)
Date: 09 Jul 09 - 04:36 PM

Fairport has one original member, Simon Nicol, The Oak Ride Boys, no surviving original members.

Subject: RE: long-lived bands
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Jul 09 - 10:54 AM

Triggers broom effect http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSmSTpRUeLs

Subject: RE: long-lived bands
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
Date: 10 Jul 09 - 11:07 AM

The Mills Brothers were a major African-American jazz and pop vocal quartet of the 20th century producing more than 2,000 recordings that sold more than 50 million copies and garnered at least three dozen gold records. The Mills Brothers were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998. Now in its third generation, they began professionally in 1928 and actually performed locally before that. That would give them 81 years combined performing. The last I heard, the grandson of one of the original brothers was still performing with a former member of The Platters as a new iteration of the Mills Brothers. Such widely differing performers as the late Dean Martin and the BeeGees cite them as a major influence.

I know they're not folk singers, but boy are they good!

Subject: RE: long-lived bands
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 10 Jul 09 - 11:11 AM

The Wurzels..



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