141-552: The Tommy Tour was a concert tour by the English rock band the Who . It was in support of their fourth album, the rock opera Tommy (1969), and consisted of concerts split between North America and Europe. Following a press reception gig, the tour officially began on 9 May 1969 and ended on 20 December 1970. The set list featured the majority of the songs from Tommy , as well as originals and covers. After multiple rehearsals and warm-up gigs,
282-912: A eulogy at the tribute for Pun Plamondon , with whom he helped found the White Panthers party. Sinclair said, "He was a brilliant character," but went on at such length about his own contribution— so much so that he was interrupted and reminded that "this is about Pun." Sinclair made a career of being a poet and promoter. He also promoted concerts and festivals and helped to establish The Detroit Artists Workshop and Detroit Jazz Center were among his promoted events, as were other concerts and festivals. At Wayne State University he taught Blues history and hosted radio programs in Detroit WDET , New Orleans and Amsterdam. He authored liner notes for albums of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes and The Isley Brothers . Created in 2004, The John Sinclair Foundation
423-536: A pop art group and thus viewed advertising as an artform; they recorded a wide variety of radio advertisements, such as for canned milkshakes and the American Cancer Society , in defiance of the rising anti-consumerist ethos of the hippie counterculture. Townshend stated, "We don't change offstage. We live pop art." Later that year, Lambert and Stamp formed a record label, Track Records , with distribution by Polydor . As well as signing Hendrix, Track became
564-503: A whip on stage, and occasionally leapt into the crowd; Moon threw drumsticks into the air mid-beat; Townshend mimed machine-gunning the crowd with his guitar while jumping on stage and playing guitar with a fast arm-windmilling motion, or stood with his arms aloft allowing his guitar to produce feedback in a posture dubbed "the Bird Man". Meaden was replaced as manager by two filmmakers, Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp . They were looking for
705-544: A ball at that motherf*****," he once recalled, noting they called themselves "acid freeks," spelled with two Es like "free." Sinclair managed the proto-punk band MC5 from 1966 through 1969. Under his guidance the band embraced the counter-culture revolutionary politics of the White Panther Party , founded in answer to the Black Panthers ' call for white people to support their movement. The album Kick Out
846-757: A bootleg recording. The band started another North American tour on 10 October at the Commonwealth Armory in Boston , emphasized by a six-night stand at the Fillmore East in New York City. One show at the Fillmore was attended by Leonard Bernstein , who praised the band for their new music. The Who ended 1969 with a tour of Europe that continued into 1970, including a show at the London Coliseum on 14 December, which
987-572: A commune on Hill Street in Ann Arbor for several years. Marijuana and hallucogenics were commonly used. He was said to be charismatic and theatrical. As the Detroit Free Press wrote: "Gleefully proclaiming the joys of rock 'n' roll, drugs and sex in the streets, John Sinclair reigned as a nationally celebrated troubadour of youth rebellion during the psychedelic era, playing a lead role in making Detroit and Ann Arbor counterculture hot spots with
1128-611: A contrast to the themes on Tommy . The tour included their second appearance at the Isle of Wight Festival . A record attendance in England which the Guinness Book of Records estimated at between 600,000 and 700,000 people, the Who began their set at 2:00 A.M. on Sunday 30 August. Tommy secured the Who's future, and made them millionaires. The group reacted in different ways – Daltrey and Entwistle lived comfortably, Townshend
1269-689: A distinctive disc jockey for New Orleans' WWOZ Radio, the public jazz and heritage station. On March 22, 2006, Sinclair joined The Black Crowes on stage at the Paradiso in Amsterdam, and read his poem "Monk in Orbit" during the instrumental break in the song "Nonfiction". Two days later, he went back onstage at the Black Crowes show in the Paradiso, reading his poem "Fat Boy" during the long instrumental jam following
1410-623: A feature of the Who's live set. By late 1964, the Who were becoming popular in London's Marquee Club , and a rave review of their live act appeared in Melody Maker . Lambert and Stamp attracted the attention of the American producer Shel Talmy , who had produced the Kinks . Townshend had written a song, " I Can't Explain ", that deliberately sounded like the Kinks to attract Talmy's attention. Talmy saw
1551-551: A few times in 1989 . Townshend would lead the group into his Lifehouse vision when they began performing in 1971. The band performed the entirety of Tommy , with the exception of "Cousin Kevin", "Underture", "Sensation" and "Welcome" because they weren't considered suitable for live performance. Aside from the new material, songs such as " Happy Jack ", " A Quick One, While He's Away ", " Young Man Blues ", " Summertime Blues ", " My Generation ", and " Magic Bus " were featured heavily in
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#17328773412211692-482: A follow-up, Townshend insisted that the Who take a lengthy break, as they had not stopped touring since the band started. There was no group activity until May 1972, when they started working on a proposed new album, Rock Is Dead—Long Live Rock! , but, unhappy with the recordings, abandoned the sessions. Tensions began to emerge as Townshend believed Daltrey just wanted a money-making band and Daltrey thought Townshend's projects were getting pretentious. Moon's behaviour
1833-583: A general board member. They issued a CD, Music is Revolution: From the John & Leni Sinclair library with Leni Sinclair. Oak Park, MI: Book Beat Gallery, 2000, a spoken word CD (compiled from 50 hours of historical recordings at the Bentley Historical Library , plus an illustrated book featuring posters and pictures of the MC5, an documenting radical political history. The band and Sinclair lived together in
1974-551: A gig having been on the Ready Steady Go! set with the Beach Boys ' Bruce Johnston . During "My Generation", Townshend attacked Moon with his guitar; Moon suffered a black eye and bruises, and he and Entwistle left the band, but changed their minds and rejoined a week later. Moon kept looking for other work, and Jeff Beck had him play drums on his song " Beck's Bolero " (with Page, John Paul Jones and Nicky Hopkins ) because he
2115-557: A guitarist, Daltrey on rhythm guitar, Entwistle on bass, Harry Wilson on drums, and Colin Dawson on vocals. The band played instrumentals by the Shadows and the Ventures , and a variety of pop and trad jazz covers. Daltrey was considered the leader and, according to Townshend, "ran things the way he wanted them". Wilson was fired in mid-1962 and replaced by Doug Sandom , though he was older than
2256-516: A jazz writer for DownBeat from 1964 to 1965, being an outspoken advocate for the newly emerging Free Jazz Avant Garde movement. Sinclair was one of the "New Poets" who read at the seminal Berkeley Poetry Conference in July 1965. In April 1967, he founded the Ann Arbor Sun , a biweekly underground newspaper, with his wife Leni Sinclair and artist Gary Grimshaw . He was front and center on
2397-565: A lead instrument, playing melodies. In February 1964, the Detours became aware of the group Johnny Devlin and the Detours, and changed their name. Townshend and his house-mate Richard Barnes spent a night considering names, focusing on a theme of joke announcements, including "No One" and "the Group". Townshend preferred "the Hair", and Barnes liked "the Who" because it "had a pop punch". Daltrey chose "the Who"
2538-715: A line-up of other shows on his own radio station, Radio Free Amsterdam . Sinclair was among the first people to purchase recreational marijuana when it became legal in Michigan on December 1, 2019. John Alexander Sinclair Jr. was born in Flint, Michigan , on October 2, 1941, and grew up in Davison . He was a member of the Class of 1960 at Albion College in Albion, Michigan , but he dropped out after his first year. Sinclair subsequently attended
2679-571: A live album. While performances on 14 February at the University of Leeds Refectory and 15 February at Hull City Hall were both recorded, only the Leeds recording was deemed suitable for release, as the bass track was inadvertently not captured during the first few songs at the Hull show. The result was the legendary Live at Leeds , which became a hallmark live rock album. After beginning recording sessions for
2820-461: A lot of weight, though Daltrey later said, "even at his worst, Keith Moon was amazing." Recording of Who Are You started in January 1978. Daltrey clashed with Johns over the production of his vocals, and Moon's drumming was so poor that Daltrey and Entwistle considered firing him. Moon's playing improved, but on one track, "Music Must Change", he was replaced as he could not play in 6/8 time. In May,
2961-453: A peak. After the 1976 tour, Townshend took most of the following year off to spend time with his family. He discovered that former Beatles and Rolling Stones manager Allen Klein had bought a stake in his publishing company. A settlement was reached, but Townshend was upset and disillusioned that Klein had attempted to take ownership of his songs. Townshend went to the Speakeasy where he met
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#17328773412213102-572: A planned new album, the group returned to the United States for a 30-day tour in June and July to support Tommy . In the year since the release of Tommy , the group had become rock superstars and now commanded considerably larger venues than on previous stints in the country, when they played mostly in theatres and colleges. The tour began with the band's final opera house date, as they performed two shows at New York City's Metropolitan Opera House . Following
3243-621: A positive reaction from audiences. After finishing a series of tour dates in San Francisco during June, the Who flew to London to do two shows for the Royal Albert Hall 's Pop Proms concert series. The first show resulted into a fracas involving Teddy Boys who attempted to prevent the band from coming on stage, but the second show went smoothly as the Teds were satisfied with renditions of " Summertime Blues " and " Shakin' All Over ". On 10 August,
3384-552: A roadie. The next single, " My Generation ", followed in October. Townshend had written it as a slow blues, but after several abortive attempts, it was turned into a more powerful song with a bass solo from Entwistle. The song used gimmicks such as a vocal stutter to simulate the speech of a mod on amphetamines , and two key changes . Townshend insisted in interviews that the lyrics "Hope I die before I get old" were not meant to be taken literally. Peaking at No. 2, "My Generation"
3525-504: A series of promotional television interviews, and Entwistle worked on the soundtrack for The Kids Are Alright . On 6 September, Moon attended a party held by Paul McCartney to celebrate Buddy Holly 's birthday. Returning to his flat, Moon took 32 tablets of clomethiazole which had been prescribed to combat his alcohol withdrawal . He passed out the following morning and was discovered dead later that day. John Sinclair (poet) John Sinclair (October 2, 1941 – April 2, 2024)
3666-457: A short European tour , the remainder of 1972 was spent working on an orchestral version of Tommy with Lou Reizner . By 1973, the Who turned to recording the album Quadrophenia about mod and its subculture, set against clashes with Rockers in early 1960s Britain. The story is about a boy named Jimmy, who undergoes a personality crisis, and his relationship with his family, friends and mod culture. The music features four themes, reflecting
3807-579: A short show without any major responsibilities. After the Hermits tour, the Who recorded their next single, " I Can See for Miles ", which Townshend had written in 1966 but had avoided recording until he was sure it could be produced well. Townshend called it "the ultimate Who record", and was disappointed it reached only No. 10 in the UK. It became their best selling single in the US, reaching No. 9. The group toured
3948-474: A song. Sinclair was present for the 2023 Hash Bash. Sinclair died four days before a scheduled appearance at hash bash. It is slated as a Sinclair memorial: "This Hash Bash is the John Sinclair memorial Hash Bash and we will carry on in his name until we win complete freedom for cannabis," said Ann Arbor activist Chuck Ream, calling it absurd that pot is still illegal at the federal level. Starting in
4089-474: A star-studded cast, including the band members. David Essex auditioned for the title role, but the band persuaded Daltrey to take it. The cast included Ann-Margret , Oliver Reed , Eric Clapton , Tina Turner , Elton John and Jack Nicholson . Townshend and Entwistle worked on the soundtrack for most of the year, handling the bulk of the instrumentation. Moon had moved to Los Angeles, so they used session drummers, including Kenney Jones (who would later join
4230-484: A straightforward pop band and enjoyed drugs and practical jokes. They bonded with Moon, who was excited to learn that cherry bombs were legal to purchase in Alabama. Moon acquired a reputation of destroying hotel rooms while on tour, with a particular interest in blowing up toilets. Entwistle said the first cherry bomb they tried "blew a hole in the suitcase and the chair". Moon recalled his first attempt to flush one down
4371-587: A synopsis of the story, before the Who played Tommy at roaring volume. The next day, the band flew to New York to start the North American tour, commencing on 9 May at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit . On 29 May, the band began a three-night residency at Chicago 's Kinetic Playground . They noticed the audience would all stand up at the same time, and stay standing, indicating that live performances of Tommy had
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4512-625: A young, unsigned rock group that they could make a film about, and had seen the band at the Railway Hotel in Wealdstone , which had become a regular venue for them. Lambert related to Townshend and his art school background, and encouraged him to write songs. In August, Lambert and Stamp made a promotional film featuring the group and their audience at the Railway. The band changed their set towards soul, rhythm and blues and Motown covers, and created
4653-591: Is a non-profit organization based in Amsterdam , Netherlands . Its mission is to ensure the preservation and proper presentation of the creative works via poetry, music, performance, journalism, editing and publishing, broadcast and record production of Sinclair. To date, the foundation has produced books, zines, records, and documentaries highlighting his contribution to the historic cannabis legalization effort, rock music in Detroit and psychedelic communitarianism. Sinclair
4794-543: Is about a girl who has an affair while her lover is away, but is ultimately forgiven. The album was titled A Quick One ( Happy Jack in the US), and reached No. 4 in the UK charts. It was followed in 1967 by the UK Top 5 single " Pictures of Lily ". By 1966, Ready Steady Go! had ended, the mod movement was becoming unfashionable, and the Who found themselves in competition on the London circuit with groups including Cream and
4935-521: Is the group's highest-charting single in the UK. The debut album My Generation was released in late 1965. Among original material by Townshend, including the title track and " The Kids Are Alright ", the album has several James Brown covers from the session earlier that year that Daltrey favoured. After My Generation , the Who fell out with Talmy, which meant an abrupt end to their recording contract. The resulting legal acrimony resulted in Talmy holding
5076-591: Is tremendous hypocrisy." Sinclair and Pun Plamondon established a commune at 1510 Hill Street. They founded the White Panther Party, which supported the goals of the Black Panther Party . He was indicted for bombing a CIA office in Ann Arbor, Michigan , on September 29, 1968. Sinclair was somewhat dismissive of the fact that he was imprisoned — something like, 'it comes with the job.' During
5217-569: The BBC , as one of the best live rock albums of all time. The Tommy tour included shows in European opera houses and saw the Who become the first rock act to play at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. In March the Who released the UK top 20 hit " The Seeker ", continuing a theme of issuing singles separate to albums. Townshend wrote the song to commemorate the common man, as
5358-547: The Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, one of the world's forefront opera houses. The band continued to tour North America, emphasized by eight shows done over the course of six days at the Fillmore East in New York City. The Who ended 1969 with tour of Europe that continued into 1970, including a show at the London Coliseum on 14 December, which was filmed for a possible future Tommy film. The group began 1970 by bringing Tommy to various European opera houses . During their tour,
5499-568: The Monterey Pop Festival and released " I Can See for Miles ", their only US top-ten single. The group's 1969 concept album Tommy included the single " Pinball Wizard " and was a critical and commercial success. Further festival appearances at Woodstock and the Isle of Wight , along with the concert album Live at Leeds (1970), established their reputation as a respected rock act. The success put pressure on lead songwriter Townshend, and
5640-632: The Nixon administration as part of Operation COINTELPRO . They allegedly bombed a CIA office in Ann Arbor. While awaiting trial and after being convicted , the government admitted to wiretapping without a warrant . The case went to the United States Supreme Court and was decided in United States v. U.S. District Court , also now famously known as the Keith Case , which held that not even
5781-533: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. The Who evolved from an earlier group, the Detours, and established themselves as part of the pop art and mod movements , featuring auto-destructive art by destroying guitars and drums on stage. Their first single as the Who, " I Can't Explain " (1965), reached the UK top ten, and was followed by a string of hit singles including " My Generation " (1965), " Substitute " and " Happy Jack " (both 1966). In 1967, they performed at
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5922-559: The West End of London . The group experienced a difficult time when touring Denmark in September, which culminated in Daltrey throwing Moon's amphetamines down the toilet and assaulting him. Immediately on returning to Britain, Daltrey was sacked, but was reinstated on the condition that the group became a democracy without his dominant leadership. At this time, the group enlisted Richard Cole as
6063-410: The hippie movement, and thought their violent stage act would stand in sharp contrast to the peaceful atmosphere of the festival. Hendrix was also on the bill, and was also going to smash his guitar on stage. Townshend verbally abused Hendrix and accused him of stealing his act, and the pair argued about who should go on stage first, with the Who winning the argument. The Who brought hired equipment to
6204-516: The 1960s, the White Panther Party , the precursor to the Rainbow People's Party , billed itself as an "anti racist political collective." They hosted free live concerts in Ann Arbor's West Park, until city council ended them. While Sinclair ventured the opinion that LSD was the catalyst that would bring the downfall of Western civilization . Some donned long guns and ammunition belts for photo opportunities and target practice. Some claim that
6345-666: The 1969 Woodstock Festival wherein Yippie activist Abbie Hoffman jumped on the stage and seized a microphone during a performance by The Who . Hoffman managed to shout only a few words about Sinclair's plight before he was forcibly ejected from the stage by guitarist Pete Townshend . With a more successful protest, attended by Stevie Wonder and Bob Seger , John Lennon performed his new song "John Sinclair" on television and recorded it for his next album, Some Time in New York City (1972), though by that time Sinclair had been released. With "directness and simplicity", said one critic,
6486-508: The American tour, the band was one of the headlining acts at the third Isle of Wight festival and embarked on a short European tour shortly afterward. A series of concerts in the United Kingdom followed, the last being a Christmas benefit concert at the Roundhouse in London where they included what was intended to be the last complete performance of Tommy , although it would be played again
6627-685: The B-side, " Instant Party ", and the single was withdrawn. A new B-side, "Waltz for a Pig", was recorded by the Graham Bond Organisation under the pseudonym "the Who Orchestra". In 1966 the Who released " I'm a Boy ", about a boy dressed as a girl, taken from an abortive collection of songs called Quads ; " Happy Jack "; and an EP, Ready Steady Who , that tied in with their regular appearances on Ready Steady Go! The group continued to have conflict; on 20 May, Moon and Entwistle were late to
6768-431: The B-side, "Bald Headed Woman". "I Can't Explain" became popular with pirate radio stations such as Radio Caroline . Pirate radio was important for bands as there were no commercial radio stations in the UK and BBC Radio played little pop music. The group gained further exposure when they appeared on the television programme Ready Steady Go! Lambert and Stamp were tasked with finding "typical teens", and invited
6909-549: The Black Crowes' song, "How Much for Your Wings?". On January 20, 2009, to mark Barack Obama 's inauguration as the 44th President of the United States, Sinclair performed a series of his poems accompanied by a live band, featuring Elliott Levin, Tony Bianco and Jair-Rohm Parker Wells at Cafe OTO in Dalston, East London . In 2011, Sinclair recorded spoken-word for the intro to the song "Best Lasts Forever" by Scottish band The View , produced by Youth . In 2023, Sinclair did
7050-591: The Flint College of the University of Michigan , now the University of Michigan-Flint . During his time at UM-Flint he served on the university's Publications Board, school newspaper The Word , and was the president of the Cinema Guild. He graduated in 1964. Sinclair was music editor and columnist for the Detroit underground newspaper , Fifth Estate , during the paper's growth in the late 1960s. Fifth Estate continues to publish to this day, making it one of
7191-470: The Jams caused some controversy due to John Sinclair's inflammatory liner notes and the title track's rallying cry of "Kick out the jams, motherfuckers !" According to Wayne Kramer the band recorded this as "Kick out the jams, brothers and sisters!" for the single released for radio play; Rob Tyner claimed this was done without group consensus. The edited version also appeared in some LP copies, which also withdrew Sinclair's excitable comments. The album
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#17328773412217332-448: The Jimi Hendrix Experience . Lambert and Stamp realised that commercial success in the US was paramount to the group's future, and arranged a deal with promoter Frank Barsalona for a short package tour in New York. The group's performances, which still involved smashing guitars and kicking over drums, were well received, and led to their first major US appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival . The group, especially Moon, were not fond of
7473-421: The MC5 at the time of their free concert outside the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The band was the only group to perform before police broke up the massive anti-Vietnam war rally . Eventually, the MC5 came to find Sinclair's politics too heavy-handed. He and the band separated in 1969. In 2006, Sinclair joined MC5 bassist Michael Davis to launch the Music Is Revolution Foundation, serving as
7614-461: The MC5 band, the White Panther Party, cutting-edge concerts and flamboyant rhetoric." He proselytized a "utopian dream of a post-industrial society based on leisure and marijuana never went beyond a small group of collaborators.-" seeing to "to mount a "total assault" on the "death culture" of America." He proclaimed the "pig-death machine" to be "anti-life by definition." Sinclair was unapologetic, although he later acknowledged his hippie driven utopia
7755-441: The Sex Pistols ' Steve Jones and Paul Cook , fans of the Who. After leaving, he passed out in a doorway, where a policeman said he would not be arrested if he could stand and walk. The events inspired the title track of the next album, Who Are You . The group reconvened in September 1977, but Townshend announced there would be no live performances for the immediate future, a decision that Daltrey endorsed. By this point, Moon
7896-439: The Tommy Tour with a benefit concert at the Roundhouse in London. The Who's live set changed with the introduction of Pete Townshend 's rock opera Tommy , which they had begun recording the previous autumn. After a series of rehearsals and warm-up gigs, the band gave a preview concert to the press at London's Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club on 1 May. Realising the opera's narrative was too difficult to comprehend, Townshend explained
8037-438: The UK and No. 4 in the US. " Baba O'Riley " and " Won't Get Fooled Again " are early examples of synthesizer use in rock, featuring keyboard sounds generated in real time by a Lowrey organ ; on "Won't Get Fooled Again", it was further processed through a VCS3 synthesizer. The synthesizer intro to "Baba O'Riley" was programmed based on Meher Baba's vital stats, and the track featured a violin solo by Dave Arbus . The album
8178-403: The US again with Eric Burdon and the Animals , including an appearance on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour , miming to "I Can See For Miles" and "My Generation". Moon bribed a stage hand to put explosives in his drum kit, who loaded it with ten times the expected quantity. The resulting detonation threw Moon off his drum riser and his arm was cut by a flying piece of a cymbal. Townshend's hair
8319-420: The US later that month, where Robert Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times described the Who as "the Greatest Show on Earth". The tour was slightly disrupted at the Civic Auditorium in San Francisco on 12 December when Moon passed out over his kit after overdosing on brandy and barbiturates. He recovered and completed the gig, playing to his usual strength. After touring Who's Next , and needing time to write
8460-545: The University of Michigan's Crisler Arena. Various public and private protests culminated in the " John Sinclair Freedom Rally " at Ann Arbor's Crisler Arena in December 1971. The event brought together celebrities including Lennon and Yoko Ono ; musicians David Peel , Stevie Wonder , Phil Ochs and Bob Seger , Archie Shepp and Roswell Rudd ; poets Allen Ginsberg and Ed Sanders ; and countercultural speakers including Abbie Hoffman , Rennie Davis , David Dellinger , Jerry Rubin , and Bobby Seale . Three days after
8601-489: The Who are now the band against which all others are to be judged." Daltrey had significantly improved as a singer, and set a template for rock singers in the 1970s by growing his hair long and wearing open shirts on stage. Townshend had taken to wearing a boiler suit and Doctor Martens shoes. In August, the Who performed at the Woodstock Festival , despite being reluctant and demanding $ 13,000 up front. The group were scheduled to appear on Saturday night, 16 August, but
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#17328773412218742-414: The Who filmed another performance at Shepperton Sound Studios for The Kids Are Alright . This performance was strong, and several tracks were used in the film. It was the last gig Moon performed with the Who. The album was released on 18 August, and became their biggest and fastest seller to date, peaking at No. 6 in the UK and No. 2 in the US. Instead of touring, Daltrey, Townshend and Moon did
8883-507: The Who have continued to perform and tour, most commonly with Starkey on drums, Pino Palladino on bass, and Pete's brother Simon Townshend on second guitar and backing vocals. In 2019, the group released the album Who and toured with a symphony orchestra. The founding members of the Who, Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend and John Entwistle , grew up in Acton, London and went to Acton County Grammar School . Townshend's father, Cliff , played saxophone and his mother, Betty, had sung in
9024-465: The Who stole the show. Townshend later said, "We know that the stage act we had, with Tommy in it, would work under any circumstances, because it had worked many times on tour." The "world premiere" of Tommy took place on 29 September at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, one of the most prestigious opera houses in the world. During the band's entrance, drummer Keith Moon suffered an injury after knocking down two speaker cabinets. The show later became
9165-400: The Who were widely considered one of the best and most popular live rock bands; Chris Charlesworth described their concerts as "leading to a kind of rock nirvana that most bands can only dream about". They decided a live album would help demonstrate how different the sound at their gigs was to Tommy , and set about listening to the hours of recordings they had accumulated. Townshend baulked at
9306-420: The Who). Elton John used his own band for "Pinball Wizard". Filming was from April until August. 1500 extras appeared in the "Pinball Wizard" sequence. The film premiered on 18 March 1975 to a standing ovation. Townshend was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Score . Tommy was shown at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival , but not in the main competition. It won the award for Rock Movie of
9447-415: The Year in the First Annual Rock Music Awards and generated over $ 2 million in its first month. The soundtrack reached number two on the Billboard charts. Work on Tommy took up most of 1974, and live performances by the Who were restricted to a show in May at the Valley , the home of Charlton Athletic , in front of 80,000 fans, and a few dates at Madison Square Garden in June. Towards
9588-413: The accompanying single, "Pinball Wizard", a début performance at Ronnie Scott's , and a tour , playing most of the new album live. Tommy sold 200,000 copies in the US in its first two weeks, and was a critical success, Life saying, "for sheer power, invention and brilliance of performance, Tommy outstrips anything which has ever come out of a recording studio". Melody Maker declared: "Surely
9729-435: The band as a support act. The Detours were influenced by the bands they supported, including Screaming Lord Sutch , Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers , Shane Fenton and the Fentones , and Johnny Kidd and the Pirates . The Detours were particularly interested in the Pirates as they also only had one guitarist, Mick Green , who inspired Townshend to combine rhythm and lead guitar in his style. Entwistle's bass became more of
9870-422: The band played a private show at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club , London in early May 1969 intended to preview Tommy to the press. Subsequently, the band toured North America playing the new album, which was well received by audiences. Following a UK tour, the band played the Tanglewood Music Shed and the Woodstock festival. After Woodstock, the band headlined the second Isle of Wight festival and played Tommy at
10011-441: The band suspended their UK tour to do two contracted appearances at the Tanglewood Music Shed and the Woodstock festival. After playing a show at Tanglewood on 12 August, the band flew to New York to play a set at Woodstock. Due to a fourteen-hour delay, the band became reluctant to play and demanded their $ 12,500 fee. The Who were scheduled to perform the previous day, 16 August, but the festival ran late and they did not take to
10152-421: The band, he conspicuously served as a founding member of the White Panther Party , a militantly anti-racist socialist group and counterpart of the Black Panther Party . Arrested for distribution of marijuana in 1969, Sinclair was given ten years in prison. The sentence was criticized by many as unduly harsh, and it galvanized a noisy protest movement led by prominent figures of the 1960s counterculture . He
10293-448: The band. "Sally Simpson" is about a fan who tried to climb on stage at a gig by the Doors that they attended and " Pinball Wizard " was written so that New York Times journalist Nik Cohn , a pinball enthusiast, would give the album a good review. Townshend later said, "I wanted the story of Tommy to have several levels ... a rock singles level and a bigger concept level", containing
10434-537: The commitment of the group prevented him from releasing solo material. The next album, The Who by Numbers , had introspective songs from Townshend that dealt with disillusionment such as "However Much I Booze" and "How Many Friends"; they resembled his later solo work. Entwistle's "Success Story" gave a humorous look at the music industry, and " Squeeze Box " was a hit single. The group toured from October, playing little new material and few Quadrophenia numbers, and reintroducing several from Tommy . The American leg of
10575-519: The country; Prime Minister John Gorton sent a telegram to the Who telling them never to return to Australia. The Who would not return to Australia again until 2004. They continued to tour across the US and Canada during the first half of the year. By 1968, the Who had started to attract attention in the underground press . Townshend had stopped using drugs and became interested in the teachings of Meher Baba . In August, he gave an interview to Rolling Stone editor Jann Wenner describing in detail
10716-622: The critically acclaimed live album Live at Leeds was recorded during a show at the University of Leeds Refectory , Leeds. After the European tour wrapped up, the band returned to the United States for a tour, starting with two shows at the Metropolitan Opera House , New York City in June. Following the tour, the band played several concerts in Europe, including a headlining appearance at the third Isle of Wight festival in August. The band ended
10857-486: The demands of the music; added to this issue, tour rehearsals had been interrupted due to an argument that culminated in Daltrey punching Townshend and knocking him out cold. At a gig in Newcastle, the tapes completely malfunctioned, and an enraged Townshend dragged sound-man Bob Pridden on-stage, screamed at him, kicked all the amps over and partially destroyed the backing tapes. The show was abandoned for an "oldies" set, at
10998-592: The drumming and, according to Sandom, Townshend immediately turned on him and threatened to fire him if his playing did not immediately improve. Sandom left in disgust, but was persuaded to lend his kit to any potential stand-ins or replacements. Sandom and Townshend did not speak to each other again for 14 years. During a gig with a stand-in drummer in late April at the Oldfield, the band first met Keith Moon. Moon grew up in Wembley , and had been drumming in bands since 1961. He
11139-451: The end of 1976. The release of Who Are You (1978) was overshadowed by Moon's death shortly after. Kenney Jones replaced Moon and the group resumed touring, and released a film adaptation of Quadrophenia and the retrospective documentary The Kids Are Alright (both 1979). The band embarked on the It's Hard Tour in support of their 1982 album, It's Hard . After Townshend became weary of
11280-450: The end of the year, the group released the out-takes album Odds & Sods , which featured several songs from the aborted Lifehouse project. In 1975, Daltrey and Townshend disagreed about the band's future and criticised each other via interviews in the music paper New Musical Express . Daltrey was grateful that the Who had saved him from a career as a sheet-metal worker and was unhappy at Townshend not playing well; Townshend felt
11421-560: The end of which Townshend smashed his guitar and Moon kicked over his drumkit. The Independent described this gig as one of the worst of all time. The US tour started on 20 November at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California ; Moon passed out during "Won't Get Fooled Again" and during " Magic Bus ". Townshend asked the audience, "Can anyone play the drums? – I mean somebody good." An audience member, Scot Halpin , filled in for
11562-657: The entertainment division of the Royal Air Force during World War II, and both supported their son's interest in rock and roll . Townshend and Entwistle became friends in their second year of Acton County, and formed a trad jazz group; Entwistle also played French horn in the Middlesex Schools' Symphony Orchestra. Both were interested in rock, and Townshend particularly admired Cliff Richard 's début single, " Move It ". Entwistle moved to guitar, but struggled with it due to his large fingers, and moved to bass on hearing
11703-422: The festival ran late and they did not take to the stage until 5 am on Sunday; they played most of Tommy . During their performance, Yippie leader Abbie Hoffman interrupted the set to give a political speech about the arrest of John Sinclair ; Townshend kicked him off stage, shouting: "Fuck off my fucking stage!" During " See Me, Feel Me ", the sun rose almost as if on cue; Entwistle later said, "God
11844-415: The festival; Hendrix shipped over his regular touring gear from Britain, including a full Marshall stack . According to biographer Tony Fletcher , Hendrix sounded "so much better than the Who it was embarrassing". The Who's appearance at Monterey gave them recognition in the US, and "Happy Jack" reached the top 30. The group followed Monterey with a US tour supporting Herman's Hermits . The Hermits were
11985-456: The follow-up to Tommy , Lifehouse , was abandoned. Songs from the project made up the album Who's Next (1971), including the hits " Won't Get Fooled Again ", " Baba O'Riley ", and " Behind Blue Eyes ". The group released another concept album, Quadrophenia (1973), as a celebration of their mod roots, and oversaw the film adaptation of Tommy (1975). They continued to tour to large audiences before semi-retiring from live performances at
12126-615: The form of a Writ of Mandamus , which was won at the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and an appeal on certiorari to the Supreme Court. The wiretap evidence was suppressed , and the criminal case dropped. Sinclair eventually left the US and took up residency in Amsterdam . He continued to write and record and, from 2005, hosted a regular radio program, The John Sinclair Radio Show, as well as producing
12267-463: The four personalities of the Who. Townshend played multi-tracked synthesizers, and Entwistle played several overdubbed horn parts. By the time the album was being recorded, relationships between the band and Lambert and Stamp had broken down irreparably, and Bill Curbishley replaced them. The album reached No. 2 in both the UK and US. The Quadrophenia tour started in Stoke on Trent in October and
12408-600: The group in rehearsals and was impressed. He signed them to his production company, and sold the recording to the US arm of Decca Records , which meant that the group's early singles were released in Britain on Brunswick Records , one of UK Decca's labels for US artists. "I Can't Explain" was recorded in early November 1964 at Pye Studios in Marble Arch with the Ivy League on backing vocals, and Jimmy Page played fuzz guitar on
12549-712: The group to release a solo album, Smash Your Head Against the Wall , in May 1971. Recording at the Record Plant in New York City in March 1971 was abandoned when Lambert's addiction to hard drugs interfered with his ability to produce. The group restarted with Glyn Johns in April. The album was mostly Lifehouse material, with one unrelated song by Entwistle, " My Wife ", and was released as Who's Next in August. The album reached No. 1 in
12690-536: The group would be ideal to represent the growing mod movement in Britain which involved fashion, scooters and music genres such as rhythm and blues , soul and modern jazz . He renamed the group the High Numbers, dressed them up in mod clothes, secured a second, more favourable audition with Fontana and wrote the lyrics for both sides of their single " Zoot Suit"/"I'm the Face " to appeal to mods. The tune for "Zoot Suit"
12831-733: The group's regular audience from the Goldhawk Social Club. Enthusiastic reception on television and regular airplay on pirate radio helped the single slowly climb the charts in early 1965 until it reached the top 10. In early 1965, the Who made their first appearance on the television music show, Top of the Pops , at the BBC 's Dickenson Road Studios in Manchester , with "I Can't Explain". The follow-up single, " Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere ", by Townshend and Daltrey, features guitar noises such as pick sliding , toggle switching and feedback , which
12972-456: The group's stage show, among others. In the autumn, they elected to expand the stage presentation of Tommy further, adding songs like "Overture" and "Sally Simpson" that had been skipped in earlier performances; additionally, show-ending performances of "My Generation" were stretched out to reprise certain parts of the rock opera along with other instrumental passages, such as the chord progression that eventually evolved into " Naked Eye ". While
13113-401: The group, they split in 1983. The Who occasionally re-formed for live appearances such as Live Aid in 1985, a 25th-anniversary tour in 1989 with Simon Phillips on drums and a tour of Quadrophenia in 1996–1997. A full reunion began in 1999, with drummer Zak Starkey . After Entwistle's death in 2002, plans for a new album were delayed until 2006, with Endless Wire . Since Entwistle's death,
13254-422: The guitar work of Duane Eddy . He was unable to afford a bass and built one at home. After Acton County, Townshend attended Ealing Art College , a move he later described as profoundly influential on the course of the Who. Daltrey, who was in the year above, had moved to Acton from Shepherd's Bush , a more working-class area. He had trouble fitting in at the school, and discovered gangs and rock and roll. He
13395-586: The imprint for all the Who's UK output until the mid-1970s. The group started 1968 by touring Australia and New Zealand with the Small Faces . The groups had trouble with the local authorities and the New Zealand Truth called them "unwashed, foul-smelling, booze-swilling no-hopers". After an incident that took place on a flight to Sydney , the band were briefly arrested in Melbourne and then forced to leave
13536-630: The invocation of " national security " by the president of the United States could insulate illegal activity from Constitutional rights to privacy ( 407 U.S. 297 (1972)). The charges were dismissed In 1972, Ann Arbor's annual marijuana celebration and toke and smoke fest in the Diag began. This was four months after the John Sinclair Freedom Rally, who was at the time still serving time on his ten year sentence for possession of two joints. John Lennon had come to that rally and penned
13677-418: The issue of legalization of cannabis, and promoted its benefits while decrying is illegality. He was there to prominently buy legal cannabis when it became legal in Michigan. Magdalen "Leni" Sinclair is credited as an unsung hero of the fight for legalization — she took over for John during his two years in prison. The argument for legalization was summed up in a 2011 Sinclair interview, which highlighted
13818-400: The longest continuously published alternative periodicals in the United States. In an era before the internet, he was an influential publisher, columnist and editor of counter cultural newspapers and other documents, some of which still survive. Sinclair also contributed to the formation of Detroit Artists Workshop Press, which published five issues of Work Magazine . Sinclair worked as
13959-461: The lyrics lament Sinclair's intended harsh punishment: "They gave him ten for two—what else can the bastards do?" The event drew 15,000 sympathizers. Sinclair drew a 9 + 1 ⁄ 2 -to-10-year prison sentence in 1969 from Detroit Recorder's Court Judge Robert Colombo for giving two joints to undercover officers. He served 29 months but was released a few days after Lennon, Stevie Wonder, Bob Seger and others performed in front of 15,000 attendees at
14100-550: The mid-1980s, Sinclair wrote a newspaper column on cannabis , titled "Free the Weed". The primary focus of Sinclair's column was the social history of cannabis use in the US; however, he often touched upon the global campaign for its legalisation. From the mid-1990s, Sinclair performed and recorded his spoken word pieces with his band The Blues Scholars, which included such musicians as Wayne Kramer , Brock Avery, Charles Moore, Doug Lunn, and Paul Ill, among many others. He also performed as
14241-516: The most influential rock bands of the 20th century. Their contributions to rock music include the development of the Marshall stack , large public address systems , the use of synthesizers , Entwistle's and Moon's influential playing styles, Townshend's feedback and power chord guitar technique, and the development of the rock opera . They are cited as an influence by many hard rock , punk , power pop and mod bands. The Who were inducted into
14382-825: The next morning. By the time the Detours had become the Who, they had already found regular gigs, including at the Oldfield Hotel in Greenford, the White Hart Hotel in Acton, the Goldhawk Social Club in Shepherd's Bush, and the Notre Dame Hall in Leicester Square. They had also replaced Druce as manager with Helmut Gorden, with whom they secured an audition with Chris Parmeinter for Fontana Records . Parmeinter found problems with
14523-527: The official cause of death, at the Detroit Receiving Hospital , on April 2, 2024, at the age of 82. Hash Bash organizer Jamie Lowell related: ""He's a tough dude, but he has been physically up and down for the last few years for different reasons — he's had diabetes, he's taken some falls, he's had heart surgery," Lowell said" He had been plagued by diabetes and had an open leg sore that became infected with sepsis . A memorial service at
14664-400: The original goal of Hash Bash was total legalization. He said: "They need to get rid of this idiotic, hypocritical war on drugs. Marijuana, there's nothing wrong with it," he said. "It doesn't harm anybody, it's not a dangerous substance, and millions of people use it—and they're just characterized as criminals by these people whose drug of choice is alcohol. So the first thing you get rid of
14805-454: The plot of a new album project and its relationship to Baba's teachings. The album went through several names during recording, including Deaf Dumb and Blind Boy and Amazing Journey ; Townshend settled on Tommy for the album about the life of a deaf, dumb and blind boy, and his attempt to communicate with others. Some songs, such as "Welcome" and "Amazing Journey", were inspired by Baba's teaching, and others came from observations within
14946-416: The project was never broadcast. The Who had not released an album in over a year, and had not completed the recording of Tommy , which continued well into 1969, interspersed with gigs at weekends. Lambert was a key figure in keeping the group focused and getting the album completed, and typed up a script to help them understand the story and how the songs fitted together. The album was released in May with
15087-510: The prospect of doing so, and demanded that all the tapes be burned. Instead, they booked two shows, one in Leeds on 14 February, and one in Hull the following day, with the intention of recording a live album. Technical problems from the Hull gig resulted in the Leeds gig being used, which became Live at Leeds . The album is viewed by several critics including The Independent , The Telegraph and
15228-599: The rally, Sinclair was released from prison when the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that the state's marijuana statutes were unconstitutional. These events inspired the creation of Ann Arbor's annual pro-legalization Hash Bash rally. He was released from prison two days after the rally. In 1972, Leonard Weinglass took on the federal defense of Sinclair in Detroit, Michigan after he was charged with conspiracy to destroy government property along with Larry 'Pun' Plamondon and John Forrest. They had been targeted by
15369-446: The rest of the band, married, and a more proficient musician, having been playing semi-professionally for two years. Dawson left after frequently arguing with Daltrey and was briefly replaced by Gabby Connolly, before Daltrey moved to lead vocals. Townshend, with Entwistle's encouragement, became the sole guitarist. Through Townshend's mother, the group obtained a management contract with local promoter Robert Druce, who started booking
15510-497: The rest of the show. After a show in Montreal , the band (except for Daltrey, who retired to bed early) caused so much damage to their hotel room, including destroying an antique painting and ramming a marble table through a wall, that federal law enforcement arrested them. By 1974, work had begun in earnest on a Tommy film . Stigwood suggested Ken Russell as director, whose previous work Townshend had admired. The film featured
15651-475: The rights to the master tapes, which prevented the album from being reissued until 2002. The Who were signed to Robert Stigwood 's label, Reaction, and released " Substitute ". Townshend said he wrote the song about identity crisis, and as a parody of the Rolling Stones 's " 19th Nervous Breakdown ". It was the first single to feature him playing an acoustic twelve-string guitar . Talmy took legal action over
15792-411: The rock opera remained the focal point of the set into 1970, the band also featured their latest single, " The Seeker " on the 1970 U.S. tour, although it was dropped after two weeks. They also added some material from their in-progress album (eventually abandoned in favour of Townshend's Lifehouse project), performing "Water" and "I Don't Even Know Myself" regularly; "Naked Eye", although unfinished in
15933-778: The same basic set as in August and September, occasionally adding loose versions of Free 's " All Right Now " towards the end of the show. Over the years, several films and albums have been released of the band's concert performances during the Tommy Tour (all are albums, except where noted). Additionally, songs recorded during the tour have been released along with other live and/or studio material: The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey , guitarist Pete Townshend , bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon . They are considered one of
16074-450: The slogan "Maximum R&B". In June 1964, during a performance at the Railway, Townshend accidentally broke the head of his guitar on the low ceiling of the stage. Angered by the audience's laughter, he smashed the instrument on the stage, then picked up another guitar and continued the show. The following week, the audience were keen to see a repeat of the event. Moon obliged by kicking his drum kit over, and auto-destructive art became
16215-520: The spiritual message he wanted as well as being entertaining. The album was projected for a Christmas 1968 release but recording stalled after Townshend decided to make a double album to cover the story in sufficient depth. By the end of the year, 18 months of touring had led to a well-rehearsed and tight live band, which was evident when they performed "A Quick One While He's Away" at The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus television special. The Stones considered their own performance lacklustre, and
16356-483: The stage until the early hours of the 17th. After playing " Pinball Wizard ", Yippie founder Abbie Hoffman interrupted the show to protest the arrest of John Sinclair before getting kicked offstage by Townshend, and the sun rose almost as if on cue during " See Me, Feel Me ". After returning to England, the band headlined the second Isle of Wight festival on 30 August. Though most media attention focused on Bob Dylan making his first British appearance in three years,
16497-478: The studio, was performed in various arrangements on the tour as well, generally during the long show-ending jams during "My Generation". During the final leg, the set list was the same as on the previous leg, with the exception of " Shakin' All Over " now segueing into the rock standard " Twist and Shout "; the band also stopped including Tommy themes in their long versions of "My Generation" and often moved it into "Naked Eye" and " Magic Bus ". They continued to play
16638-414: The toilet: "[A]ll that porcelain flying through the air was quite unforgettable. I never realised dynamite was so powerful." After a gig in Flint, Michigan on Moon's 21st birthday on 23 August 1967, the entourage caused $ 24,000 of damage at the hotel, and Moon knocked out one of his front teeth. Daltrey later said that the tour brought the band closer, and as the support act, they could turn up and perform
16779-702: The tour began in Houston to a crowd of 18,000 at The Summit Arena , and was supported by Toots and the Maytals . On 6 December 1975, the Who set the record for largest indoor concert at the Pontiac Silverdome , attended by 78,000. On 31 May 1976, they played a second concert at the Valley which was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's loudest concert at over 120 dB. Townshend had become fed up of touring but Entwistle considered live performance to be at
16920-443: The whole of America had gone mad." A more enjoyable appearance came a few weeks later at the 1969 Isle of Wight Festival in England, which Townshend described as "a great concert for" the band. According to Townshend, at the end of the Isle of Wight gig the field was covered in rubbish left by fans (which the band's roadies helped to clear up), which inspired the line "teenage wasteland" from their single " Baba O'Riley ". By 1970,
17061-472: Was "Misery" by the Dynamics , and "I'm the Face" borrowed from Slim Harpo 's "I Got Love If You Want It". Although Meaden tried to promote the single, it failed to reach the top 50 and the band reverted to calling themselves the Who. The group – none of whom played their instruments conventionally – began to improve their stage image; Daltrey started using his microphone cable as
17202-501: Was "the crazed guerilla warfare we were waging with the MC5." His death came only two months after MC5 co-founder Wayne Kramer 's death. After a series of convictions for delivery, of marijuana Sinclair was sentenced to 9 + 1 ⁄ 2 to 10 years in prison in 1969 after offering two joints to an undercover female narcotics officer. The final charge was possession of marijuana , The severity of his sentence sparked high-profile protests, including an infamous incident at
17343-525: Was "trying to get Keith out of the Who". To alleviate financial pressure on the band, Lambert arranged a song-writing deal which required each member to write two songs for the next album. Entwistle contributed " Boris the Spider " and "Whiskey Man" and found a niche role as second songwriter. The band found they needed to fill an extra ten minutes, and Lambert encouraged Townshend to write a longer piece, " A Quick One, While He's Away ". The suite of song fragments
17484-612: Was a "naïve fantasy." While managing the MC5 and leading the White Panthers he was able to build the Detroit's Grande Ballroom into one of the leading Midwestern concert venues. He was a forceful driver of Iggy Pop 's now long and successful career. Iggy Pop started as the flamboyant lead singer of the Psychedelic Stooges . Meanwhile, Sinclair spread his rebellious gospel widely, making appearances at high schools and other venues. In Guitar World Sinclair proclaimed that it
17625-562: Was a critical and commercial success, and has been certified 3× platinum by the RIAA . The Who continued to issue Lifehouse -related material over the next few years, including the singles " Let's See Action ", " Join Together " and " Relay ". The band went back on tour, and "Baba O' Riley" and "Won't Get Fooled Again" became live favourites. In November they performed at the newly opened Rainbow Theatre in London for three nights, continuing in
17766-565: Was an American poet, writer, and political activist from Flint, Michigan . Sinclair's defining style is jazz poetry , and he released most of his works in audio formats. Most of his pieces include musical accompaniment, usually by a varying group of collaborators dubbed Blues Scholars . As an emerging young poet in the mid-1960s, Sinclair took on the role of manager for the Detroit rock band MC5 . The band's politically charged music and its Yippie core audience dovetailed with Sinclair's own radical development. In 1968, while still working with
17907-510: Was as aggressive as they became. "One member of the Black Panthers reportedly dismissed the dope-smoking Panthers from Michigan as 'psychedelic clowns.'" However, the dramatic poseurs got the attention of civil authorities. who called "the Panthers "potentially the largest and most dangerous of revolutionary organizations in the United States."" "Everybody was on acid at West Park. We just had
18048-559: Was becoming increasingly destructive and problematic through excessive drinking and drugs use, and a desire to party and tour. Daltrey performed an audit of the group's finances and discovered that Lambert and Stamp had not kept sufficient records. He believed them to be no longer effective managers, which Townshend and Moon disputed. The painful dissolution of the managerial and personal relationships are recounted in James D. Cooper's 2014 retrospective documentary, Lambert & Stamp . Following
18189-404: Was booked for a series of experimental concerts. Townshend approached the gigs with optimism; the rest of the band were just happy to be gigging again. Eventually, the others complained to Townshend that the project was too complicated and they should simply record another album. Things deteriorated until Townshend had a nervous breakdown and abandoned Lifehouse . Entwistle was the first member of
18330-465: Was embarrassed at his wealth, which he felt was at odds with Meher Baba's ideals, and Moon spent frivolously. During the latter part of 1970, Townshend plotted a follow-up Tommy : Lifehouse , which was to be a multi-media project symbolising the relationship between an artist and his audience. He developed ideas in his home studio, creating layers of synthesizers, and the Young Vic theatre in London
18471-423: Was expelled at 15 and found work on a building site. In 1959 he started the Detours, the band that was to evolve into the Who. The band played professional gigs, such as corporate and wedding functions, and Daltrey kept a close eye on the finances as well as the music. Daltrey spotted Entwistle by chance on the street carrying a bass and recruited him into the Detours. In mid-1961, Entwistle suggested Townshend as
18612-787: Was filmed for a possible future Tommy feature. 1970 began with the group bringing Tommy to various European opera houses , a trend they had begun in December 1969 when they performed at the London Coliseum. Included were January stops at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen, and three opera houses in West Germany. The band then focused again on recording
18753-494: Was freed on March 9, 1972, by the Michigan Supreme Court when the possession of marijuana law was declared unconstitutional . He was indicted for an alleged terrorist bombing of a covert CIA office. That matter involved substantial litigation – his case against the government for illegal domestic surveillance was successfully pleaded to the US Supreme Court in United States v. U.S. District Court (1972). It took
18894-406: Was immediately beset with problems. Daltrey resisted Townshend's wish to add Joe Cocker 's keyboardist Chris Stainton (who played on the album) to the touring band. As a compromise, Townshend assembled the keyboard and synthesizer parts on backing tapes, as such a strategy had been successful with "Baba O'Riley" and "Won't Get Fooled Again". The technology was not sophisticated enough to deal with
19035-489: Was married twice. His marriage to Magdalene (Leni) Sinclair ended in divorce in 1988, after a legal separation in 1977. The marriage produced two daughters, Marion "Sunny" and Celia. in 1967 and 1970. Near the end of his life, his daughters were caretakers during his final illness. His second wife was Patricia (Penny) Brown, who he married in 1989. Per the Detroit Metro Times , Sinclair died of heart failure,
19176-575: Was our lighting man". At the end, Townshend threw his guitar into the audience. The set was professionally recorded and filmed, and portions appear on the Woodstock film , The Old Grey Whistle Test and The Kids Are Alright . Woodstock has been regarded as culturally significant, but the Who were critical of the event. Roadie John "Wiggie" Wolff, who arranged the band's payment, described it as "a shambles". Daltrey declared it as "the worst gig [they] ever played" and Townshend said, "I thought
19317-594: Was performing with a semi-professional band called the Beachcombers, and wanted to play full-time. Moon played a few songs with the group, breaking a bass drum pedal and tearing a drum skin. The band were impressed with his energy and enthusiasm, and offered him the job. Moon performed with the Beachcombers a few more times, but dates clashed and he chose to devote himself to The Who. The Beachcombers auditioned Sandom, but were unimpressed and did not ask him to join. The Who changed managers to Peter Meaden . He decided that
19458-497: Was released in January 1969; reviews were mixed, but the album was relatively successful, quickly selling over 100,000 copies and peaking at #30 on the Billboard 200 chart in May 1969 during a 23-week stay. During this period, Sinclair booked "The Five" as the regular house band at Detroit's famed Grande Ballroom in what came to be known as the "Kick out the Jams" shows. He was managing
19599-518: Was singed and his left ear left ringing, and a camera and studio monitor were destroyed. The next album was The Who Sell Out – a concept album paying tribute to pirate radio, which had been outlawed in August 1967 by the Marine Broadcasting Offences Act 1967 . It included humorous jingles and mock commercials between songs, a mini rock opera called "Rael", and "I Can See For Miles". The Who declared themselves
19740-466: Was so unconventional that it was initially rejected by the US arm of Decca. The single reached the top 10 in the UK and was used as the theme song to Ready Steady Go! The transition to a hit-making band with original material, encouraged by Lambert, did not sit well with Daltrey, and a recording session of R&B covers went unreleased. The Who were not close friends either, apart from Moon and Entwistle, who enjoyed visiting nightclubs together in
19881-529: Was so unhealthy that the Who conceded it would be difficult for him to cope with touring. The only gig that year was an informal show on 15 December at the Gaumont State Cinema in Kilburn , London, filmed for the documentary The Kids Are Alright . The band had not played for 14 months, and their performance was so weak that the footage was unused. Moon's playing was particularly lackluster and he had gained
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