AN incomparable band and one that has been a pillar of the UK’s rock ‘n’ roll scene for over 50 years, The Who continue to inspire, enchant and empower droves of fans on a day-to-day basis.
Given that they’ve been such a cornerstone of the world’s collective musical community, it should come as no surprise that their career has been filled with interesting tidbits, stories moments and facts that you may not be aware of.
In celebration of their huge show at SSE PRESENTS: The Who at The SSE Arena, Wembley this Saturday, we’ve picked out 10 things that you may not know about the band we’ve all come to know and love.
1- Keith Moon was a surf rock fanatic
Despite being one of the founding fathers of ‘Maximum R&B and a drummer that knows no equal, Keith Moon’s musical tastes were a bit less raucous than one might expect. The legendary drummer’s favourite form of music was actually the sun-drenched sounds of surf rock and his favourite song of all time was The Beach Boys’ 1964 hit ‘Don’t Worry Baby’.
2- David Bowie was a big fan
The late, great David Bowie may have left his indelible imprint on many of the artists that are operating today, but ‘The Thin White Duke’ was known to have a penchant for the gritty stylings of Pete Townshend’s legendary compositions. The legendary musician’s adoration of the band spilled over onto his 1973 LP Pin Ups on which he covered ‘I Can’t Explain’ and ‘Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere’.
3- Music runs in Pete Townshend’s family
Despite being known as one of the most innovative guitarists in rock ‘n’ roll history, Pete Townshend is not the first of his family to venture into the world of popular music. his father Clive Townshend was a prominent jazz musician, playing in groups such as The Royal Air Force Dance Orchestra and The Squadronaires.
4- Who Are You?
While their moniker may be among the most world famous in rock ‘n’ roll, The Who considered various other monikers before finally landed upon their iconic name. When Pete Townshend joined the band alongside Roger Daltrey and John Entwistle, they were known as ‘The Detours’ and would later try out ‘The High Numbers’ under the advisement of their first manager Pete Meaden. Their debut single ‘Zoot Suit’ was released under this name and was the beginning of their association with the ‘mod’ movement.
5- John Entwistle: Greatest Bassist Ever
2011 saw The Who’s dearly departed John Entwistle crowned the best bassist of all time by the readers of Rolling Stone Magazine, fending off competition from Flea, Paul McCartney, Geddy Lee and others.
6- Magic Bus
8th October 2007 saw The Who play a show in Hanover to 40,000 VW owners in celebration of the VW Bus’s 60th anniversary. The set (of course) featured their 1968 classic ‘Magic Bus’.
7- A Flip Of The Coin
Fuelled by concerns that their guitar smashing antics would be deemed too similar by the crowd at The Monterey Pop Festival, The Who and Jimi Hendrix determined who would perform first on the bill via a coin toss. The Who emerged victorious while Hendrix went on to douse his guitar in lighter fluid and set it on fire later that night.
8- Lifehouse
Much of the band’s legendary ‘Who’s Next’ album was originally conceived as another rock opera in the vein of ‘Quadrophenia’ and ‘Tommy’ entitled ‘Lifehouse’. Set around a loose concept of a futuristic, dystopian world in which rock ‘n’ roll no longer existed, some of the other songs which were earmarked for the production later ended up on Pete Townshend’s solo album.
9- The World’s Loudest Pop Group
31st may 1976 at Charlton Football Ground saw the Who scoop the Guinness world record for the loudest pop group, clocking in at an ear-shattering level of 120-decibels from a reading at 59 metres
10- Covering The Stones
Released on the 30th June 1967, The Who released cover versions of The Rolling Stones’ ‘The Last Time’ and ‘Under My Thumb’ as a show of solidarity to their peers after Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were jailed for drug charges. They planned to continue to release re-imaginings of their songs but they were fortunately released soon after.
