The early 1970s boasted some incredible music, and much of that music is still loved today. However, some of the more underrated songs of the era, particularly those released in 1971, were made by bands and musicians that virtually disappeared after releasing them.
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The following three bands scored big hits in 1971. And to mainstream audiences, they virtually disappeared without a trace after releasing those hits. However, they didn’t actually disappear. They’re all still technically together today. Let’s find out what actually happened to them after 1971, shall we?
The Stampeders
The Stampeders might seem like an odd addition to this list if you’re Canadian. This folk rock outfit from the Great White North stayed on the Canadian charts from 1967 well into the end of the 1970s, and continued their streak of charting in Canada after they got back together in 1992. For US listeners, though, it seems like The Stampeders made it big in 1971 with the song “Sweet City Woman”, and then disappeared without a trace.
Naturally, The Stampeders didn’t actually disappear. They simply struggled to connect with US audiences. Their follow-up song, “Devil You”, charted in the US, as well as a few other tracks through the 70s, but none of them were massive hits. They certainly didn’t struggle to connect with their native country’s audiences, though. Following consistent success on the Canadian charts, the band continues to perform live concerts today.
Ten Years After
Depending on how you look at it, the blues-rock outfit Ten Years After either blew up in 1970 or 1971. In 1970, their song “Love Like A Man” was a hit across UK, Europe, and North America. However, the British band didn’t quite break through in the US yet. They definitely did so by 1971, when their song “I’d Love To Change The World” became a Top 40 hit in the US and Canada. After that success, though, the band never made it to the Top 40 on any chart again. What happened?
No matter how talented a band is, maintaining chart success is hard. Plus, several members of Ten Years After had released solo material following the band’s success in 1971. The band was simply coming to its natural (first) end. They released their final album of the 70s, Positive Vibrations, in 1973 before calling it quits. Each member went on to pursue solo ventures, work in music publishing, and music production work. In the early 1980s, though, the group was convinced to perform a reunion set at Reading Music Festival. That performance kick-started a true comeback, and the band has released several albums since then.
Coven
Remember the 1971 action drama, Billy Jack? You might remember that film’s theme song, “One Tin Soldier”. The band that performed the song, Coven, found great success with their cover of this 1969 tune. The song made it to No. 26 on the Hot 100 chart. And, more or less, the band never had a Top 40 hit again.
Coven makes it to our list of bands that disappeared after 1971 because they never charted substantially again, but they certainly didn’t “disappear” entirely. The group continued to produce music until their first breakup in 1975. As of 2007, the group has gotten back together. Some might know Coven by all the discourse surrounding their influence on Black Sabbath, too.
Photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns
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