Are these the best transatlantic bands ever?

12 October 2024, 16:00

We take a look at some of the most successful bands that have brought together musicians from both the UK and the US.

Fleetwood Mac began life as a London blues band, but became huge stars as a British-American soft rock giant in the 1970s.

Which other bands out there could be considered transatlantic? And how many band members from each side of the pond does it really take for a band to be considered so? Take a look at our rundown here.

1. Fleetwood Mac

   

   Fleetwood Mac's history of band members is so convoluted that they need a chart on their Wikipedia page to keep track of all the comings and goings over their 50 year career.

   The band was formed in London in 1967 by guitarist Peter Green and drummer Mick Fleetwood, but the "Mac" was bassist John McVie who took his time on deciding whether to join Green's new group. The first Fleetwood Mac album featured Green, Fleetwood, McVie, plus guitarist Jeremy Spencer.

   The first American to briefly join the band was Californian Bob Welch in 1971, but it was when Fleetwood were scouting studios in Los Angeles that they were introduced to folk-rock duo Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks and released their eponymous album in 1975.

   The classic Fleetwood Mac line-up that recorded Rumours featured British musicians Fleetwood and McVie, plus McVie's Lancashire-born wife Christine Perfect, plus Americans Buckingham and Nicks.

2. Garbage

   

   Garbage consist of Scottish frontwoman Shirley Manson (from Edinburgh) and American musicians Duke Erikson (from Lyons, Nebraska), Steve Marker (from Mamaroneck, New York) and Butch Vig (from Viroqua, Wisconsin).

3. The Monkees

   

   Often coined as the first manufactured boyband, the Monkeys were an American pop band made up of Micky Dolenz (from Los Angeles, California), Michael Nesmith (from Houston, Texas), Peter Tork (from Mansfield, Connecticut) and English actor and singer Davy Jones (from Openshaw in Manchester).

   Davy Jones is credited as one of the reasons Bowie changed his name from David Jones.

4. The Pretenders

   

   The Pretenders were formed in March 1978 by Akron, Ohio's Chrissie Hynde, and three English musicians all from Hereford: James Honeyman-Scott who played guitar, backing vocals and keyboard, bassist Pete Farndon and percussionist Martin Chambers.

   The band's current line-up sees them joined by British singer-songwriter and guitarist James Walbourne and Welsh artist Carwyn Ellis.

5. The Jimi Hendrix Experience

   

   The Jimi Hendrix Experience saw Seattle-born guitar icon joined by English drummer and backing vocalist Mitch Mitchell (from Ealing) and English bassist Noel Redding (from Folkestone)

6. The Police

   

   Sting - otherwise known as Gordon Sumner - was born in Northumberland, guitarist Andy Summers hailed from Poulton-le-Fylde in Lancashire, while was drummer Stewart Copeland was a native of Alexandra, Virginia.

7. Wings

   

   Liverpool's favourite son Paul McCartney formed his post-Beatles band with his Scarsdale, New York-born wife Linda Eastman and guitarist Denny Laine from Tylseley, Birmingham. They employed talent from both sides of the Atlantic, including Americans Denny Seiwell and Joe English, Northern Ireland's Henry McCullough, Scotsman Jimmy McCulloch and Londoners Geoff Britton, Steve Holley and Laurence Juber.

8. Crosby, Stills & Nash

   

   Crosby, Stills & Nash were a folk rock supergroup made up of American singer-songwriters David Crosby (from Los Angeles, California) and Stephen Stills (from Dallas, Texas) and English singer-songwriter Graham Nash (formerly of The Hollies and hailing from Blackpool!).

   They were later joined by Canadian legend and singer-songwriter Neil Young (from Toronto).

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