Re: WHO sells out?? --- cause "it's HARD"

[JB2TheWho@aol.com]

Hey, there, Beau!

Once again, thanks for an extremely eloquent as well as insightful letter. I
selected a brief passage which I have cited below - it's so well thought out
and written, IMHO, that I hope you hold onto it - it should end up published
in some form/some day (I say this as the son of a rather well known novelest,
two novelests in fact, AND as a certified "hack, wanna-be" burned out
free-lancer myself). Seriously, though, s$#t that good doesn't grow on trees,
and where you're on a roll as strong as the one you are clearly on, thing
long and hard before tossing anything..seriously!!

I also have to congraduate you for using what is perhaps my favourite WHO
quote, one which I use constantly and one which, for rerasons I am at a loss
to explain ("I can't explain...I think it's senility..."), I had never, until
reading your most excellent letter just now, had quoted back to me by
anyone..I refer, of course, to KEITH'S immortal "We WHOOOOOED it" (referring
to how "SUMMERTIME BLUES" has come to be thought of amost entirely as a WHO
original and not a cover). 

What you said about the interplay of the band and PETE in terms of the
creative effort, and specifically the lyrics, also struck me as right on
target!! I have a great example from that poingent final album, "IT'S HARD",
as well....

It involves the "title" tract, "IT'S HARD". Interestingly, the song started
out, (i.e. was submitted to the group by PETE in DEMO form), as a REJECTED
song called "POPULAR". It had/has the same body of individual verse...(i.e.
"Any wimp can weap, but a few can cry, ", but oddly, it's the chrous that's
was changed as the song was eventually accepted by the band with the new
chrous and title, "IT'S HARD"..

And it makes quite a difference...In the original, instead of the refrain,
"IT'S HARD, IT'S VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY HARD...", the original was more
egocentic and specific (same melody).."I just wanna be popular, I don't
really care WHO you are, I jusr wanna be popular...! POPULAR!!"

BTW, I think I have found the ULTIMATE Roger Daltry trivia question and I
would be fascinated to know if you or anyone had the answer (I don't)!! I
only came across it yesterday while watching a special on one of the Ted
Turner cable networks called something like "The greatest commercials of all
time". Anyway, there were some interesting moments, werein the movers and
shaker in advertising did some serious talking about trends and technique in
advertsing and TV commericals in particular. One expert, in voice-over,
commented upon the fact that "Major celebrity endorsements of specific
products has ALWAYS been one of our biggest winners..." As this was being
said, about 10-12 famous faces, all identified by name at the bottom, flashed
briefly across the screen..

AND LO AND BEHOLD...about half way through, there was a close up of ROGER,
along with his name at the bottom to remove any doubts. Now, the ULTIMATE
TRIVIA QUESTION is...WHAT PRODUCT DID ROGER ENDORSE SO SPECIFICALLY??

I was only able to come up with one clue. The photo of Roger, obviously taken
at the time of the endorsement, showed him in that rather appalling
"Ultra-short" haircult we wore for the 1982 "Farewell Tour", so that would at
least put a date on it.. Other than that, it was clearly from a specific ad
and endorsement (as opposed to be a still from a movie or something such as
that).

Although I would never think of ROG as truely "selling out", I imagine that
he told his fair share of s$#t from PETE et al, especially when one recalls
the marvellous album cover of "THE WHO SELL OUT". 

Anyway, if ANYONE knows what product ROG apparently endorsed, then that
person IS GOOD! Thought you might have a clue..???

Thanks again for a brilliant and well wrought letter and collection of
thought! IMHO, I do think I have to right proper consider you as none other
than an "ACE FACE", and I'm sure that many of our fellow gheezers might well
join me in that sentiment. (Why don't we talk more "MOD" on this board every
so often...to honor KEITH if for no other reason....The terriffic book about
him, "FULL MOON" actually has a rather thorough "MOD" glossary in the back
for those "QUADROPHRENICLY-deprived souls who do seek the bleedin truth, eh?!

Once again, well said, Beau!

Regards,


JB2---TheWHO!!





In a message dated 97-07-07 18:01:10 EDT, Beau.McCrury@ucop.edu (Beau
McCrury) writes:

<< f the artistic process.  It evolves.  That artistic
 license is given out and used not only by Pete but by other members of the
 group.  I could very easily see Pete submitting a song to The Who and them
 fiddling around with it further, or as Keith once said 'we who'd it'.  Also
 I think that the artistic process doesn't have to stop with recordings.  I
 feel that the artistic process can continue with the listener.  For example,
 listening to a symphony with the lights out, your mind starts to wonder and
 potentially can create very wonderful ideas.  One of the reasons that I find
 the music of The Who so personal is that I have taken it into my own
creative
 space and well, I Beau'd it.  And I think that's one of the reasons the
Digest
 is so valuable because we all get to see what The Who mean to others and
what
 we have all done to it.
  >>