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The Who In March



The Who In March

March 1994 (5 Years Ago)

On the 1st, Roger’s 50th birthday, "The Who’s Tommy" wins the 1993 Grammy for
Best Musical Show.

March 1984 (15 Years Ago)

On the 3rd, Roger's "Walking In My Sleep" backed with "Somebody Told Me" (the
12" also has "Gimme Some Lovin'" on the B-side) hits the charts.  In Britain it
peaks at #56.  In the U.S. it reaches #62 in Billboard and #73 in Cash Box.

Pete records the demo "The Shout" at his home in Twickenham.  It eventually
surfaces on his "Another Scoop" LP.

On the 17th, Roger’s first album for Atlantic Records, "Parting Should Be
Painless," enters the U.S. charts.  It peaks at #102.  On the same day, David
Gilmour's "About Face" with two songs Pete wrote for him, "Love On The Air" and
"All Lovers Are Deranged," hits the British charts.  "White City Fighting,"
which will end up on Pete's "White City," was written for this album but was not
used.

March 1979 (20 Years Ago)

The soundtrack to the Sex Pistols' film "The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle" is
released containing a cover of "Substitute."

March 1974 (25 Years Ago)

On the 1st, Roger is the first member of The Who to reach the then dreaded age
of 30.

On the 2nd, New Musical Express runs a profile of Terry Kennett, the young man
who played Jimmy in the "Quadrophenia" booklet.

In Hit Parader, Pete provides details of the mixing of Quadrophenia and why it
didn’t end up as a quadraphonic album.

Late in the month, Keith leaves England behind, ostensibly for tax purposes, and
he and his right-hand man Dougal Butler move to the Beverly Wiltshire Hotel in
Los Angeles.  Shortly after his arrival, Keith begins work on a solo album.  The
producer is The Beatles’ Mal Evans.  Keith records his favorite Beach Boys song,
"Don’t Worry Baby," at the Record Plant in Los Angeles with John Sebastian, Mark
Volman, Howard Kaylan, Jesse Ed Davis and session drummer Miguel Ferrer.

On the 31st, the King Biscuit Flower Hour in the U.S. and Canada broadcasts an
edited version of The Who’s December 4th, 1973 concert.

March 1969 (30 Years Ago)

On the 1st, The Who perform at the Mothers Club in Birmingham.

On the 7th, "Pinball Wizard" backed with "Dogs Part 2" is released in Britain. 
It reaches #4 and is The Who’s first single to go beyond #10 in two years. 
However, it is not without controversy.  BBC disc jockey Tony Blackburn attacks
"Pinball Wizard" as distasteful and declares "there is no excuse for the
lyric."  New Musical Express magazine also attacks the song running a picture of
Pete with the headline "Is this man sick?"

On the 14th, The Who play the Corn Exchange in Cambridge.

Recording is completed on the rock opera.

Keith and his wife Kim appear on the cover of the Daily Mirror.  Keith says he
wants to buy Kim a title.

On the 22nd, "Pinball Wizard" is released in the U.S.  It comes in a picture
sleeve which says that the song comes from the opera "Tommy (1914-1984)."  This
is the first mention of the opera under the title "Tommy."  The single peaks at
#19 in Billboard and #15 in Cash Box.  That same day, New Musical Express runs
an interview with Pete under the headline "Who try to ward off trouble."  In the
interview, the opera is still referred to as "Deaf, Dumb and Blind Boy."

On the 28th, Pete and Karen's first daughter, Emma, is born.  That same day Go
magazine runs an article about the opera which is now officially referred to as
"Tommy 1914-1984." Kit comments in the article that the opera will eventually be
filmed.

March 1964 (35 Years Ago)

Around this time, Pete and Richard Barnes move out of their flat at Sunnyside
Road into a converted ambulance where they live for 3 weeks until they take the
flat above Pete's parents.

On the 7th, The Who play a wedding reception for Joan Wilson whose brother had
played drums with the Detours in 1963.  The reception was held at Old Oak Common
Institute in Shepherd’s Bush, London.

On the 13th, Melody Maker cites The Who in an article about the burgeoning R&B
scene.  The same issue has an ad for Marshall Amps citing The Who as clients.

On the 26th, two days of skirmishes break out between Mods and Rockers at
Clacton.  The British tabloid press leaps on it, describing it as an invasion
and begins to write articles trying to understand what these Mods and their
enemies the Rockers are all about.  With this event, Modism moves beyond the
London cult and begins to go national.

On the 27th, the first pirate radio station, Radio Caroline, begins
broadcasting.  Situated on ships in the ocean around the U.K., pirate stations
play the hard rock ‘n’ roll and rhythm ‘n’ blues that are not played on the BBC.

March 1944 (55 Years Ago)

On the 1st, Irene and Harry Daltrey are crouched in the Shepherd’s Bush
Underground station during an air raid.  Irene begins to go into labor and the
two have to brave the streets to get her to Hammersmith Hospital where she gives
birth to Roger Harry Daltrey.

		-Brian in Atlanta