THE WHO IN MAY (A History)

[briancady@juno.com (Brian S Cady)]

THE WHO IN MAY

10 Years Ago This Month (1988)

 "Won't Get Fooled Again" is released in the U.K. and the Netherlands as
a single backed with  "Bony Moronie (live)" and as a 12" with "Dancing In
The Streets (live)" and "Mary-Anne With The Shaky Hands."  It fails to
chart.


15 Years Ago This Month (1983)

The Who meet to find out why they are not spending the month recording a
new album.  Pete informs the others that he wants to quit The Who.


20 Years Ago This Month (1978)

On the 2nd, "Music Must Change" is recorded at Ramport Studios and Goring
Studios, London.  Keith, unable to properly play the song’s ¾ rhythm,
does not drum on the track.  He is replaced by the sound of Pete’s foot
squeaking a floorboard in his home studio.

During this month according to Roger, he and Glyn Johns come to blows
while having an argument about the recording of  strings on some of the
tracks for "Who Are You."  Jon Astley, Pete’s brother-in-law, takes over
the remaining production on the album.  The songs recorded under his
stewardship are "New Song," "Guitar And Pen (alternate?)," and "Sister
Disco."  After recording is finished Pete and Jon Astley prepare the
final mixes.

On the 25th, a group of Who fans and others who manage to get tickets are
the audience for the filming of The Who performing "Won’t Get Fooled
Again" and "Baba O’Riley" for the movie "The Kids Are Alright" at their
Shepperton Studios.  "Won’t Get Fooled Again" is performed twice;
director Jeff Stein felt the first take was inadequate and manages to
piss off the Who enough that they put on a great performance.  It is
Keith Moon’s last time to play with the Who.  Afterwards,  the audience
is invited out into the garden for what is then planned to be the cover
of the "Who Are You" LP.  They are separated into groups of four and
lined-up facing backwards behind the individual members of the Who.

On the 26th, Roger, Keith and some of the audience from the previous day
return to Shepperton Studios to film the "laser-show" insert for "Won’t
Get Fooled Again."  It takes three hours and Keith drums through all of
it.  It is Keith’s last public drumming.


25 Years Ago This Month (1973)

On the 26th, Roger’s solo single "Giving It All Away" backed with "The
Way Of The World" appears in the U.S. charts.  It peaks at #83 in
Billboard and #60 in Cash Box.


30 Years Ago This Month (1968)

On the 3rd, The Who perform at the Pre Rag Ball At Hull University. The
Who were the third choice for the ball after cancellations by Jimi
Hendrix and The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown.  The opening act is the
English Amboy Dukes.

On the 4th Melody Maker prints an article by Chris Welch of Melody Maker.
Welch visits Pete's flat and hears a demo version of "Now I'm A Farmer." 
Pete tells him it is from an opera he is writing called "The Amazing
Journey" about a deaf, dumb and blind boy who has dreams and sees himself
as the ruler of the cosmos.  It is the first public mention of what comes
to be known worldwide as "Tommy."  That night The Who perform at
Mountford Hall, Liverpool University.

On the 11th, they play Strathclyde University in Scotland.

On the 17th, "Drummer admits secret marriage,"  Go magazine breaks the
story of Keith’s marriage to Kim and that he has a young daughter.  Up
until this point manager Kit Lambert had imposed a ban on news that Keith
was wed.

"Call Me Lightning" backed with "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" is released in
Europe by Polydor.  On the 18th it enters the Dutch charts and peaks at
#38.

On the 20th, Pete marries Karen Astley at the Didcot Registry Office in
Berkshire.  They soon move into a £16,500 Georgian townhouse in
Twickenham overlooking the Thames.

On the 22nd, "Dogs" is recorded at Advision Studios, London.

On the 24th, The Who play City University in London.

On the 29th, "Melancholia" and "Fortune Teller" are recorded at Advision
Studios, London.


35 Years Ago This Month (1963)

On the 17th, The Detours perform at The Park Hotel, Carnival Ballroom in
Hanwell, West London.

On the 19th, Pete turns  18th

On the 24th, The Detours are at The Grand Ballroom in Kent.


53 Years Ago This Month (1945)

On the 7th, the European part of World War II ends with the unconditional
surrender of Germany.

On the 19th, Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend is born at Chiswick
Hospital in West London.


                                     -Brian in Atlanta

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