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Pete, Bowie, Live Aid, Miracle Cure



I only write these when I'm at work so I have to wait til Monday for the
extra weekend helping; unfortunately this week I'm also working a
graveyard shift til Friday, so I'm dead by the time I read the list. 
What I'm saying is, you all get a break this week. Not the usual daily
dose.

Prof. Brian on Pete and feedback:  THANK YOU for that bit of research. 
That's the kind of thing I joined this list for!  The history, the
details.  Thus given this new date (Dec 63 - Feb 64) and the witnesses
involved, particularly Doug Sandom (the Pete Best of the 'Oo), I readily
accept the fact that Pete must be the feedback man.  
PS:  Max the Mod really saw The Detours in Dec 1963.  Now THAT HURTS! 
Max wherever you are: Stories, stories!!

JB -2-The Who:  Loved that Bowie story.  I've read a bunch of times how
Bowie idolized Townshend before he himself made it.  There's a story
that right after Bowie cut "Space Oddity" and well before his career
took off he asked Pete what he thought of this new song.  He never heard
what Pete thought.  Years later, Pete was a guest guitarist on Bowie's
newest album (Scary Monsters, '80, I think?) and as Pete was leaving one
day he said something like "Oh yeah, by the way, I think that "Space
Oddity" song will do all right".  Here's another Who influence story:
An up and coming rocker is hanging out at a Who concert with his pal (I
think his manager).  As WGFA reaches the deafening final verse, "Meet
the new boss..." both men stand mesmerized by the raw power of the
band.  The manager turns to his young friend and says, "That's you. 
You're the new boss."  The name stuck.  Say what you will for or against
Springsteen, but it's still a tribute to the legend of The Who.  Bruce's
nickname had validity to him because it came from a classic Who song. 
Anyway, the real bosses went back to England at the end of that tour.

God bless you Ronnie Lane.  Thanks for Itchycoo Park, Ogden's Nut Gone
Flake, and of course Rough Mix.

Mike:  Kenny Jones played with the Who at Live Aid in '85.  Larry
Mullens had his work cut out for him already since U2 gave the
performance of their lives at that gig.  Phil Collins on the other hand,
played in both England and America on the day of Live Aid (caught a
Concord jet) and performed his solo act following which HE did indeed
take Bonham's place during Led Zeppelin's long awaited set.  I was about
thirty feet away (ahh me!).  Here's another bit of trivia, and in
keeping with my X-files-like belief that The Who struggle and somehow
persevere against some kind of weird hex.  I was there at Live Aid in
Philly all day and although there were moments when the satellite feed
from the show in London would wink out for a few seconds there was only
one major satellite disaster all day.  I figured it out later: 
Seventeen hours of music, seventy live bands beamed from TV satellite
from Philadelphia and London (and Stockholm?) to the largest television
audience in history.  Two billion people watched Live Aid at the same
time.  Everything went without a hitch for this global charity event.  A
worldwide celebration of kindness, music and common humanity...But one
band would have to make the sacrifice for all mankind's sake.  Out of
seventeen hours of music, out of seventy different world class bands,
five whole minutes out of one legendary band's allotted twenty minute
set would be lost in space.  In the middle of this perfect day, in the
middle of this universal moment, in The F-king Middle of The Who's
performance the F$#% #$%!! satellite lost its $%@^%! link to
Philadelphia.  One second Roger was swinging a mic, then... there was
nothing, like the void before creation.  I and several thousand others
went berserk and started screaming at the top of our lungs.  "What the
4%#$ is going on!!"  Poor Bill Graham (yes that Bill Graham) came out to
the front of the stage and told ninety five thousand people, "Um..the
satellite's got a problem..we're working on it".  To which we all
basically replied, "Well send another F#$%#! satellite up you F#@зе!!" 
I couldn't believe it.  I still can't.  My one last chance (I figured)
to see them and even the heavens conspired against it.  I have to admit,
it was hilarious to watch Bill Graham off camera in the wings cursing
like a raging sailor at everyone.

Who therapy:  If you're a real Who fan, like Ms Ledbetter says, you've
probably had therapy (myself included).  If you're a real Who fan, you
definitely could use therapy.  Those songs are bottled rage; there's a
reason why WE need to hear them.  Airjamming to "Who Are You" and WGFA
kept me from breaking a lot of windows, but not all of them.  Show me a
Who fan who never felt the urge to demolish something and I'll show you
a fair weather Who freak.

- --Leo