The Who In September

[Brian Steven Cady <cadyb@mindspring.com>]

10 Years Ago This Month (1988)

On the 26th, MCA releases the following Who albums on CD in the U.S.:  "The
Who Sings My Generation," "A Quick One (Happy Jack)," "The Who Sell Out,"
"Magic Bus," "Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy," "Odds and Sods," "The Kids Are
Alright," "Who Are You" and "Who's Last."  In addition, a 3 inch CD single
is released containing the songs "My Generation," "I Can't Explain," "Happy
Jack" and "I Can See For Miles".

15 Years Ago This Month (1983)

On the 11th, Pete reviews the novel Nostromo for The Mail On Sunday.

Rolling Stone reports that, except for one lawsuit, the Cincinnati case has
been settled out of court.

Pete has a meeting with Mo Ostin, chairman of Warner Brothers Records.
Pete tells him he doesn’t want to continue with The Who and wants to find
some way to dissolve their contract with Warner Brothers.

20 Years Ago This Month (1978)

On the 6th, Keith and his girlfriend Annette Walter-Lax attend a party in
honor of the birthday of the late Buddy Holly held by Paul McCartney at
Peppermint Park, London.

The 6th becomes the 7th as Keith and Annette then go to the midnight
premiere of The Buddy Holly Story.  They only make it through part of the
movie when Keith decides he wants to go home.  When they get home Annette
cooks a meal of lamb cutlets.  He goes to sleep watching The Abominable Dr.
Phibes.  Around 7:30am Keith wakes up and demands that Annette cook him a
steak.  He watches some more Phibes while he eats.  After he finishes he
goes right back to sleep.  Annette discovers that Keith is dead around 4pm.
Jackie Curbishley calls Keith’s flat at 5pm to set up a meeting.  She gets
Dr. Dymond instead who tells her the news.  After informing her husband
Bill she calls Pete.  John is in the middle of an interview at his home in
Ealing when Pete calls and tells him.  John breaks down in front of the
journalists.  Pete also calls Roger telling him that "He’s gone and done it."

On the day of his death, Rolling Stone prints a cover story about The Who
by Dave Marsh in which Keith talks about his new enthusiasm about The Who
and the need to discipline his personal life.

On the 8th, just 24 hours after Keith’s death, Pete, John and Roger have a
meeting and announce in a press release that The Who will carry on without
Keith.  The results of the initial post-mortem are released to the press.
Keith died of a drug overdose, the drug as yet unknown.

On the 9th, the Saturday papers announce that Keith died of an overdose of
Heminevrin.  At the Knebworth Festival, the drummer for Blondie kicks his
drums over saying "That’s for Keith Moon!"  The Tubes close their show with
a Who medley.

On the 10th, the Sunday Times reveals that Heminevrin should only be given
in a hospital setting.  Patients should never be allowed to dose themselves.

On the 13th, Pete, Roger and John attend Moon's funeral at Golders Green
Crematorium.  Also there are Eric Clapton, Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman.
Roger sends a floral tribute representing a champagne bottle through a
television set screen.

Pete records "Brooklyn Kids," "Praying The Game" and "The Ferryman" at
Abbey Road and "Football Fugue" at Olympic Studios.  They are later
released on Another Scoop.

Creem carries a lengthy article written before Keith’s death by Barbara
Charone.  Pete is not concerned by new wave band’s and critics’ attacks on
The Who.

On the 16th, Melody Maker reports on the many Who projects in the pipeline
despite Keith’s death, Including the filming of "Lifehouse," to start in
early 1979.  Billboard magazine has the headline: "Moon death caused by
drug o’dose."  Details surrounding his death, or even what drugs, are not
given. NME reports that The Who will not seek a permanent replacement.

On the 18th, the coroner’s inquest into the death of Keith Moon is held.
It is determined that his death was caused by an accidental overdose of
prescribed Heminevrin tablets, that there had been a "minimal" amount of
alcohol in his bloodstream and that Moon was not in a suicidal state at the
time of his death.  There were 26 undissolved Heminevrin in his stomach
amidst a total of 32.

On the 20th, the "Who Are You" LP is certified platinum by the RIAA.

Rolling Stone prints a eulogy to Keith by Greil Marcus, who calls him the
best drummer in the history of rock.

The reviews of the "Who Are You" LP come in.   Positive reviews come from
Barbara Charone in Creem, 
Sam Sutherland in High Fidelity, and Dick Nusser in Billboard.  Griel
Marcus gives it a mixed review in Rolling Stone, calling it "strangely
confident" but that it shows that Keith’s playing "seems to have lost most
of what he had."  Negative reviews come from Ira Robbins in Crawdaddy who
says the album suffers from "overproduction, underwriting, and lyrical
obesity," and Billy Altman in Creem who says that after hearing it he never
wants to hear any further new Who albums.

25 Years Ago This Month (1973)

On the 14th, Roger solo single "Thinking" backed with "There Is Love" is
released.

Around this time, John and his band Rigor Mortis release "Do The Dangle"
backed with "Gimme That Rock 'N' Roll" in France and Japan.

John begins work on the "Odds and Sods" LP.  The current line-up for tracks
is "Little Billy," "Postcard," "Join Together (long version)," "Don’t Know
Myself," "Pure And Easy," "Long Live Rock," "Water," "Naked Eye," "Now I’m
A Farmer," and "Put The Money Down."

At Shepperton Studios, The Who are rehearsing for the upcoming tour.  At
the same time, a film crew is supposed to be filming their live versions of
"Quadrophenia" songs for use as promotional videos.  Roger gets angry after
they run through most of the piece and he discovers that the crew have not
been rolling film.  He begins to berate the crew.  A drunken Pete rushes to
their defense, telling Roger that "you’ll do what you’re told" and poking
him in the chest.  The roadies hold Roger back fearing his anger.  Pete
tells them to let him go and throws a punch at Roger but misses.  Roger
swings and connects with an uppercut that knocks Pete out on the floor.
Roger, terrified that he has killed Pete, accompanies him to the hospital.
Pete recovers a few hours later, but the idea of filming The Who performing
"Quadrophenia" is abandoned.

On the 28th, "5:15" backed with the three year old recording of "Water" is
released in Britain.  It peaks at #20.

Right before the 29th, Keith’s wife Kim decides she has finally had enough
of Keith’s physical and emotional abuse and insane lifestyle and leaves him
also taking their 7 year old daughter Mandy.  Keith tries to track her
down, but when he realizes she is gone for good, he begins to increase his
already sizable drinking.  Most of those around Keith begin to notice a
steady deterioration in him beginning at this point.

30 Years Ago This Month (1968)

On the 1st, The Who return to London from the U.S.  They say they are going
into the studio to ready an album for Christmas.

On the 7th, the U.S. magazine "Eye" publishes the lyrics to several rare
Pete compositions; "Party Piece from Rael" with more a complete version of
lyrics than on the album, plus two Pete songs, "Joker James" (copyright
1968) which would ultimately appear on the "Quadrophenia" soundtrack and
"Join My Gang," the song Pete had written in 1966 for Paul Nicholas.  On
the same day, The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown's "Fire," with an associate
production credit from Pete, hits the U.S. charts.  It peaks at #2.

On the 19th, "Magic Bus" backed with "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" is released
in Britain.  Incredibly it actually does worse that "Dogs," peaking at #26.
 In Sweden "Magic Bus" is backed with "Mary Anne With the Shaky Hand" and
in most of the rest of Europe with "Bucket T."

On the 21st, Melody Maker prints an interview with Pete and on the 22nd
there is one in The New York Times.  In both, Pete talks about how much he
prefers touring in the U.S. to the U.K.  In Melody Maker, he also makes his
first public announcement that he no longer uses LSD.

On the 22nd, The Who go into the studio for the first known official
recording session for the "Tommy" rock opera.

35 Years Ago This Month (1963)

On the 7th, 	Melody Maker runs an ad for Marshall Amps listing the Detours
as clients.

One known date for the Detours is at the Club Druane in Notre Dame Church
Hall, Leicester Place, London on the 13th.

50 Years Ago This Month (1948)

On the 16th, Kenny Jones is born in London

				-Brian in Atlanta