RE: Rog vs. Pete and Face Dances

[Sigel James Civ 10 ABW/LGCW <James.Sigel@usafa.af.mil>]

> roger punched pete in the mid 70s, he was sacked from the band in 65-66
for 
> his attitude, he was a gang kid with a cockney accent..the band has put up

> with a lot too!

The story as I heard it (from a Rog interview) was during Quad sessions Pete
was being an asshole and going nuts.  There was a point where he was raging
at Rog and there was a bunch of roadies holding him back because he said he
was going to kick Roger's ass.  Rog explains it as him standing there with
his arms folded while the roadies kept the raging Pete at bay.  Apparently,
as Schrade so eloquently put it, Pete called Rog a cunt one time too many
and Rog "calmly" told the roadies to let Pete go.  Pete allegedly charged
Rog and Roger laid him out with one punch; knocked him cold.  The story
takes a funny turn as Rog describes a weeping Keith trying to revive Pete
while crying uncontrollably - "You killed him, you bastard!  You killed
Pete!!"  The story ends with Pete getting out of the hospital and returning
to the sessions a few days later only to brain Roger over the head with his
guitar when Roger least expected it!  Lord knows, just how much of the story
is true, but I always found it one of my favorite Who legends.

As for the mention of being "spared" Face Dances and the "weak" songs Pete
wrote during the period I agree somewhat, but nobody has mentioned the fact
that on Face Dances, the Who employed the producer Bill Szzmandnakkieana (or
however you spell it) who had produced the Eagles.  He just didn't capture
the Who's sound, and the Who in their quest for a different direction chose
him to produce for this reason.  For my money, it was a disasterous choice.
Mellow, chick-band sound just didn't gell well with the band that was known
as a "wall of sound".  Don't you think?

Be well Who-ligans....

Jim in Colo Springs

"...we're a crappy old band really.  But we like to have fun."  PT