Melody Maker - Bands Using MM Adverts

Bands Using MM Adverts

Advertisements in Melody Maker helped assemble the lineups of a number of major bands, including:

• Jet Black met Hugh Cornwell (then of the band Johnny Sox) after reading an advertisement in Melody Maker magazine. Cornwell joined Black in The Stranglers in 1974.
• Bill Bruford placed an ad in 1968 that was answered by Jon Anderson and Chris Squire to form the founding lineup of Yes.
• Rick Davies, backed financially by Dutch millionaire Stanley August Miesegaes, formed Supertramp, the "band of his dreams" in 1969.
• Deep Purple found the then-unknown David Coverdale in 1973.
• Depeche Mode placed an ad in 1981 and found Alan Wilder.
• Vince Clarke of Erasure found Andy Bell in 1985.
• The original members of Suede recruited guitarist Bernard Butler in 1989.
• Steve Hackett of Genesis put an ad in MM that was answered by the band frontman Peter Gabriel in 1970.
• Annie Haslam of Renaissance (band) responded to an ad in MM and was invited for audition and became the lead vocal in 1970.
• Wang Chung got its start when Jack Hues met Nick Feldman after answering Feldman's ad for a musician in 1977.
• Noel Redding, the bassist of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, auditioned for The Animals after responding to an ad. Eventually the bassist of The Animals, Chas Chandler, introduced him to Jimi Hendrix.
• Limahl teamed up with band 'Art Nouveau' and formed Kajagoogoo from an advert he placed in MM.