Why do some bands have only three members

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A.� There are a variety of reasons why some bands stick to three people, instead of the more conventional four or five, but the difference in band relationships can make the group dynamic more interesting.

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Q.� How

A.� Being in a band is rather like being married ' without a lot of the cosy moments! You spend a large amount of time with your 'partner' (the other band members), working hard at your 'marriage' (the band's career) and you find a lot of the same pressures are brought into your life. You argue about where you are going together, about money, and about your relationship. If there are four, or even five or more of you, this takes some of the pressure off, because the load is spread more evenly, but a three-piece band usually ends up with a 'two against one' scenario.

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Q.� For example

A.� Well there are plenty to choose from ' some of whom have made their disagreements more public than others. The most high profile is probably The Supremes, who part way through their career metamorphosed into Diana Ross And The Supremes, an example of the 'one' surviving and thriving, and the 'two' getting left behind.

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Q.� Are there more like that

A.� There are. The Jam are another example of the same principle at work ' Paul Weller moves on to a new band, and then a solo career, becoming a pop icon along the way, while his erstwhile band mates far rather less well. Bassist Bruce Foxton is now bass player for Stiff Little Fingers, still a gigging band but hardly in the same musical stratosphere as The Modfather, and drummer Rick Buckler has retired from music completely and runs furniture restoration business.

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Remember The Bachelors About as cute and cuddly as a pop trio could be, but behind the scenes it was obviously a different story, ending up with the two brothers, Con and Dec Cluskey, falling out with third member John Stokes. John still tours as The Bachelors, but anyone coming along to see the brothers' twinkling Irish smiles will feel let down ' they are no longer with the group, and two replacements make up the trio today.

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The Thompson Twins also came apart when Tom Bailey and Alannah Currie got together off-stage as well as on, leaving third member Joe Leeway to exit the band en route to America, and obscurity.

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Most famous has to be Bros. Twins Matt and Luke Goss, and third member Craig Logan, but it was the glamour boys who ended up losing the most. Logan was ditched after serious health problems curtailed his input, but he walked away with a seven-figure payoff, while The Goss Bros stuck around long enough to go bankrupt.

Q.� Do three-piece bands always end in acrimony

A.� Probably no more so than any of their four or five member colleagues, and plenty go on to lasting fame and fortune. The Bee Gees are a sterling example of not only keeping it in the family, but also keeping the hits coming, for themselves and others. The Brothers Gibb, elder brother Barry and twins Maurice and Robin are a shining example of brotherly love, and a career as top notch song writers that has allowed them to laugh at themselves far longer than any critics, although of course, The Bee Gees are in the enviable position of being able to laugh all the way to the bank.

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Q.� Are there three piece bands where no two-against-one happens

A.� There are ' rock superstars Cream are a good example. Guitarist Eric Clapton, bassist Jack Bruce, and drummer Ginger Baker did not especially see eye to eye during the band's time together, although allegedly allegiances changed on an almost daily basis. The Police found bassist and songwriter Sting falling out so violently with drummer Stewart Copeland that their scuffles led to injury ' Copeland sustained cracked ribs after a particularly vigorous dressing room exchange of 'musical differences'. Prog rock superstars Emerson Lake And Palmer never denied that it was common musical ground rather than firm friendship that kept the band together, but they deny the hyped 'differences' that the press created, and remain in frequent contact today.

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Q.� Is a three-piece band a better idea

A.� The major reason for making your band the size it is should be the style of music that you make. It is possible for bands of four or five to shrink down to three and still carry on, Duran Duran, Genesis, and The Who have all done it ' the impetus is the sound, if you get that right, you can climb over a whole list of personal problems, and keep you career going as long as you want.�

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