Super group or Supergroup, what’s the difference?

There is something of a debate going on in the “What are you listening to…” thread today and I thought I’d ask the question and encourage a broader discussion in a dedicated thread.
My understanding of a “Supergroup” was a group comprised of musicians from other successful groups, getting together for special projects. These ‘Supergroups’ tend to burn Hot & Fast and then the various components return to their previous roles or move on to pastures new.
Several notable examples I can think of are Led Zeppelin, Black Country Communion, Asia et al.
For me, The Beatles were a super group, but not a ‘Supergroup’… :thinking:
Discuss :wink:

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In reality there is no such thing as a ‘Supergroup or super group’, it is all totally subjective.

If you don’t like what a group of musicians produce they you are hardly going to call them ‘super’ in any way shape or form.

I guess that the terms came about as the music press started to get traction, I suppose that the journalists of the day were the influencers of the era and created buzzwords and tags to hang on what they were hearing.

I’m reminded of Reginald Perrin. Super, Great. :rofl:

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Oh, absolutely @Oxfordian . The media love nothing more than creating labels to pin on people.
BUT
I honestly believe, love ‘em or hate ‘em, the ‘Supergroup’ label was based in a formula of sorts🤷🏻‍♂️
For instance, imo, Rush are a Super Group but they are not a Supergroup, as they only ever played together.
Transatlantic on the other hand would definitely be a ‘Supergroup’, as the group was formed by highly regarded artists who came together periodically purely for the purpose of making something different and then either going back to original groups or to do something else.
I think they kind of become Super Groups if they form up and stay together as a band for an extended period.
Or am I living in a fantasy land…:roll_eyes:

Does any of it actually matter?

Its just a tag.

No, but it could make a fun debate :wink:

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I’ll get the beer in :wink: :wink:

….and the Popcorn :popcorn: :joy:

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What happens if you have a ‘SG’ and then another high name joins, do they become a Super Super Group?

e.g. CSN to CSNY

Saw the disagreement in the other thread. There’s nothing to disagree about, really, because everyone is correct. My work here is done.

From Cambridge Dictionaries:

supergroup
noun [ C ]
UK/ˈsuː.pə.ɡruːp/ US/ˈsuː.pɚ.ɡruːp/
a group of pop, rock, or jazz musicians playing together who are also famous separately :
It was considered one of the first supergroups because each member had had considerable success in other bands.
He formed a supergroup with jazz legends Stanley Clarke and Jean-Luc Ponty.

a very famous and successful group of pop musicians :
The movie features the music of '70s Swedish supergroup Abba.
He was one third of the prog-rock supergroup Emerson, Lake, and Palmer.

Blind Faith seems to me to be the epitome of a “supergroup”.

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Perhaps the same difference between a Super Cap and a SuperCap

image

I’ll get my own coat…

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Blue Note, Prestige and other Jazz labels got together Supergroups for almost every recording different leader but the same pool of musicians interchanged as both sidemen and band leaders.

Also true of some Reggae and Soul labels not Supergroups to most I suspect but Supergroups to me all the same.

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So you have nothing better to do on a Saturday than encourage pointless debates?:sunglasses:

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In fairness Bjorn, it wasn’t a Saturday when I posted the thread and isn’t pointless debate the Raison D’etre of a public forum such as this…? :thinking: :wink:

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Good answer and of course you are absolutely right :sweat_smile:

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My recollection is that the term supergroup was initially used to describe Blind Faith

And much less pointless than the endless debates on Hicaps, cables and racks.

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I think the Traveling Wilburys trumped them - not sure if you could assemble anything more special even with access to everyone still alive now - there’s a challenge!

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Nah, nobody famous in that band…. :grinning: :grinning:

OK , maybe George Wotshisname

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