Bands Reunited
Bands Reunited was a television program produced by VH1 in 2004. Hosted by Aamer Haleem, the show documented the attempted reuniting of a formerly-popular musical ensemble for a special concert in either London or Los Angeles.
A show normally consisted of the crew first hunting down the ex-members of the band (often first in disguise) one-by-one, and convincing them to agree for the one-time concert; the members were "contracted" by signing a record album by their former band. The band members were then interviewed, usually focusing on the reasons of the breakup. The final segment would consist of the formal reunion of the band in the rehearsing studio, and a joint interview about why the group parted ways. If the reunion was successful, the episode ended with the final performance.
In 2005, VH1 attempted to get the British band The Smiths back together, but the show abandoned its attempt after its host Aamer Haleem was unsuccessful in his attempt to corner Morrissey before a show.
Bands which have appeared
Note: The bands that did the reunion performance are noted, as well.
| Band | Formed | Disbanded | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Flock of Seagulls | 1980 | All members reunited | |
| ABC | 1981 | Only Martin Fry and David Palmer reunited, performed with Nick Beggs of Kajagoogoo | |
| The Alarm | 1981 | 1992 | All members reunited |
| Berlin | 1982 | 1987 | All members reunited |
| Dramarama | 1983 | 1994 | All members reunited, performed "Anything, Anything" |
| The English Beat | 1978 | 1983 | David Steele and Andy Cox refused to participate, the remaining members reunited. |
| Extreme | 1985 | 1996 | Nuno Bettencourt refused to be filmed on camera. After a conversation with Gary Cherone (who wasn't sure on participating either), they decided it wasn't a good time to reunite. Since then, they have reunited in 2004 and 2006. |
| Frankie Goes to Hollywood | 1980 | 1987 | All members reunited, but Holly Johnson refused to perform |
| Haircut 100 | 1980 | 1983 | All members reunited |
| Information Society | 1985 | 1993 | All members but Kurt Harland reunited, no performance |
| Kajagoogoo | 1982 | 1985 | All members reunited |
| Klymaxx | 1979 | All members reunited, but Cheryl Cooley did not participate in the performance due to friction between her and the other bandmates for starting up her own version of Klymaxx without permission. The original members have reformed and are performing as of 2006. | |
| The Motels | 1973 | 1987 | All members reunited |
| New Kids on the Block | 1984 | 1994 | Jonathan Knight and Jordan Knight agreed to reunite but Joe McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood declined to participate in the reunion. Donnie Wahlberg and Danny Wood declined an on camera interview so they didn't reunite. |
| Romeo Void | 1979 | 1984 | Original Saxophonist Benjamin Bossi was unable to perform, due to hearing loss. He met with his former bandmates, however, and watched the taping of the band's reunion performance from a nearby trailer. |
| Scandal | 1982 | 1985 | All members reunited, but due to the death of bass player Ivan, they were forced to hire a replacement. |
| Squeeze | 1974 | Jools Holland refused to participate, did not reunite. | |
| Vixen | 1981 | All members reunited |
Criticism of the show
The artificial nature of parts of the show and the contractual arrangements behind it have been criticised. For example, Kurt Harland of Information Society has detailed his negative experiences with the programme.[1]