Thanks juice for the spot-on posts.

I think listeners will determine what a group is, not someone telling us that if Ringo Starr toured as The Beatles they wouldn't be The Beatles. They might be, but I doubt it. It depends on who would buy the tickets. Jagger could probably dump half or more of The Rolling Stones and they'd still be called The Rolling Stones.

Being a Beatles fan, I know their history and when McCartney left there was talk of adding Billy Preston and just going on as The Beatles like that with perhaps Lennon playing bass or getting another bass player. McCartney was even OK with it, but the group eventually decided they didn't want to do it. If Harrison and/or Lennon [[just one of the two) were alive today and decided to re-unite with Starr and get one other guitar player and call themselves The Beatles, they'd be The Beatles. If Starr opted out, they'd still be The Beatles.

I've seen The Beach Boys play numerous times in numerous lineups. Saw them with Brian Wilson and without. Saw them before Dennis and Carl died, and after Dennis died. [[Now it's a circus with Love's group and Jardine's group.) But there was Love, Jardine, Brian Johnston, and they played Beach Boys music.

So I'll take my Tops as I want to. My first concert was without Levi and as I noted here with Theo, who won me over as the night went on. I wanted to see the living legend Levi, but it didn't happen. But THE FOUR TOPS still delivered the concert, didn't they?

Which brings me to The Spinners, who many fans only consider the group during the Phillippe Wynne years. REALLY? He was there like 7 years at the most -- a glorious seven years, yes. John Edwards was given the freaking Theo treatment when he first replaced Wynne, boos raining down [[boy, soul fans are a tough bunch!), but John hung in there for 18 f--king years -- is that enough for people? Maybe he should've gone for 25, perhaps THEN would they be considered the REAL Spinners. Interesting how Wynne [[who at times was a tough teammate in the group) is given a free pass. They didn't boo him because he replaced Cameron. See, we can play this game all day. We can pick and choose who are the real groups and who are not. Damn straight Jean Terrell was a real Supreme, otherwise I'm not grooving to "Stoned Love" and "Up the Ladder" and those great duets with The Four Tops, right? To me they're The Supremes and Jean IS A Supreme. No grudge for me, I'm a Diana Ross fan, too.

To me some of the original Four Tops stuff wasn't that great, like "Catfish" which makes me ill. Some of those later albums -- with the original four -- sucked. Is that the REAL group or not? Sure doesn't sound like HDH to me.

Somehow heavy metal, rock, and country groups accept changes, while soul fans have oh so tough standards and aren't afraid to boo the replacements. Count me out of that garbage, sorry.

As for this latest incident, I hope Theo returns. Why? Because I love seeing him perform for The Four Tops -- the real Four Tops in my book.