Who group. British group "The Who"

"The Who"- one of the most influential British rock bands of the 60s and 70s. This is another long-lived rock band, organized in 1964! They performed with one line-up for 15 years. After the death of drummer Keith Moon, they continued to perform with a new drummer Kenny Jones for more than 20 years.Today, only two of the first line-up survived - Roger Daltrey and Pete Townsend, but they are in vests, because they still continue to delight the audience with performances.So at the closing of the XXX Olympic Summer Games in London was not without the participation of The Who.Still alive people who call this group the best rock band in the world.So what is the secret of The Who's success?Let's figure it out.

On the popularity of "The Who" in the Soviet Union, I will again judge from my bell tower. Yes, we knew about the existence of such a rock band and that they became famous for breaking instruments on stage. Their music was not played at the dances. With all the desire, it was impossible to repeat such a frantic, unbridled sound of the bass guitar and drums. I would not say that everyone was a fan of her, but there were fans, albeit in a small number.

You should have seen their performances. How many times have I said this phrase? That's why they are rock bands, that you need to watch and listen to them live. At concerts, the secrets of success are much easier to understand. Enormous energy, improvisational approach to performance, individuality and much more. And these tools are also crushing. The receiving party, knowing about such predilections, after the final chord hastily carried away expensive equipment from the stage. But, of course, it was not possible to carry everything away. Such a mess looked, perhaps, to put it mildly, funny.

So, the first and unique composition The Who.

Roger Daltrey (March 1, 1944) – lead vocalist, songwriter, plays some harmonica and guitar. He showed himself as an interesting actor, starring in the films: "Tommy", "Comedy of Errors", "Listomania", etc. At one time he was a real leader in the group, showing his strength in front of the rest of the participants. They were going to kick him out after he hit the drummer. But Daltrey apologized, reconsidered his attitude and promised not to bully again. Thus, they reined him in and showed their place.

Pete Townshend (May 19, 1945) - guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, composer and lyricist of almost all the band's songs. Never played long solos. Its feature is a hard rhythm and a peculiar attack of the strings with the rotational movements of a straightened right hand. Such a technique, which Pete came up with, is called the "Air Mill". Here he had no equal. As there was no breaking of instruments after the performance before.

Once, by accident, in the final jump, he broke the neck of the guitar. The crowd liked it very much. At the next concert, she demanded the same. So Pete began to destroy the equipment and he was supported by the drummer. From this behavior, The Who stood out sharply from the rest of the rockers. (By the way, I experienced for myself what kind of action it is to break guitars when I broke my own on asphalt in public. Half of the crowd, as in hypnosis, half in ecstasy.)

Townsend played a large role in the development of British rock, organizing grand festivals, inviting their many friends to them. So he, at one time, helped Eric Clapton get out of drug addiction. If not for Pete, there would be no Eric, whom we see and listen to now. Although, he barely got out of this shit in the 80th.

John Entwistle (October 9, 1944 - June 27, 2002) bassist, multi-instrumentalist. In fan circles, simply "The Ox" (Bull). On the stage - phlegm. A minimum of emotions, a static figure, only fingers flicker. He used the bass as lead guitar. Powerful game technique, a bunch of fancy moves. Recognized as one of best bass players of all times. He rendered a huge impact on the playing technique and sound of later generations of bassists such as Victor Wooten. He had a wide range of voice: from children's falsetto to low bass. He held matches behind his back when Keith Moon blew up toilets. He died in 2002 as a result of a heart attack from a cocaine overdose.

And, finally, the main participant of the killer rhythm section - Keith Moon (08/23/1946 – 09/07/1978) - virtuoso drummer One of the first to use two barrels in performances. The brightest and most unpredictable personality in the composition. He was a drummer from God and a man not of this world. Half the glory of The Who can be safely given to him. In high school, an art teacher said of him: “Artistically backward, otherwise an idiot.”

He didn't care about honor and respect. He lived his life. After smashing drum kits, his second favorite activity was blowing up hotel bathrooms. He lowered the explosive device into the toilet and flushed it. There was an explosion that destroyed the toilet along with the sewer. “Porcelain flying in the air is simply unforgettable!” he said.

Alcohol, drugs served as a means of self-expression for all participants, and only he experienced joy, shocking others. But all these scandalous antics were more humorous than malicious. Here is another example. One day, on the way to the airport, Moon strongly insisted on returning to the hotel, allegedly he forgot something and he definitely needed to return urgently. A luxury limousine pulls up to the hotel. The whale shoots out of it like a bullet and runs to his room. Takes the TV and throws it out the window into the pool. Returning to the car, he says with relief: “I almost forgot!”

He could easily enter into the image of anyone: from Hitler to a sexy lady, from a priest to a young schoolboy. He died suddenly in his sleep on September 7, 1978 from an overdose of sleeping pills. At autopsy, doctors found 32 tablets (!), six of which dissolved, which led to cardiac arrest. A strange coincidence - 32 tablets and 32 years of life. He was recognized as one of the greatest drummers in the history of rock music. He entered the Guinness Book of Records as the drummer who destroyed the largest number of drum kits on stage.

The Dors are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965. The Doors instantly became popular, even the usual promotion in such cases was not required. The Dors group, whose photographs did not leave the pages, became the first in the record number of sold "gold" albums, and eight such records were sold in a row, which has never happened in the history of rock music.

Such success is due to the unusual style of performances and the unsurpassed talent of the soloist, Jim Morrison. The music of The Doors was beautiful, acted hypnotically: those who listened to the first track did not leave until the rest were heard. This phenomenon of the Dors group was studied by psychologists, but they could not explain the reason for such super-attractiveness.

A bit of history

In the summer of 1965, Ray Manzarek and Jim Morrison met, who had once known each other. Young people discussed the situation in American show business and decided to create a rock band. Both had good data, Jim Morrison wrote poetry and composed music, and Ray was already a professional musician at that time. They were later joined by John Densmore, drummer and backing vocalist. At the same time, guitarist Robbie Krieger was accepted into the group. The Dors group did not escape the so-called turnover, the musicians left and returned several times. Only Morrison and Manzarek never doubted the correctness of the choice.

This composition is considered the main one, but, in addition to the main participants, outside musicians were periodically invited to record discs and hold concerts. These were bass and rhythm guitarists, keyboardists and harmonica virtuosos, without whom blues compositions could not take place.

The Dors group differed from similar musical groups in that it did not have its own bass player. For session studio recordings, he was invited, and in concerts the bass guitar part was imitated by Ray Manzarek on the Fender Rhodes Bass keyboard. Moreover, he did this with one hand, and with the other he played the main melody on the electric organ.

Musicians invited to participate in concerts

• Douglas Luban, bass player, has been featured on three studio albums.
• Angelo Barbera, bassist.
• Eddie Vedder, lead vocals.
• Raynal Andino, drums, percussion.
• Conrad Jack, bass guitarist.
• Bobby Ray Henson, rhythm guitar, percussion, backing vocals.
• John Sebastian, blues harmonica.
• Lonnie Mac, lead guitar.
• Harvey Brooks, bass guitar.
• Ray Neapolitan, bass guitar.
• Mark Banno, rhythm guitar.
• Jerry Sheaf, bass guitar.
• Arthur Barrow, synthesizer, keyboards.
• Bob Globe, bass guitar.
• Don Wess, bass guitar.

Soloist of the group "Dors"

Jim Morrison, vocalist, composer, author of poems for his own songs, was born on December 8, 1943 in the family of a naval officer. He is one of the most notable and charismatic musicians of the 20th century. All creative life The singer was associated with the Dors group, which he himself created with pianist Ray Manzarek.

According to Rolling Stone magazine, Morrison is considered the greatest performer rock music of all time. The history of the musician is a series of successful projects created by him in collaboration with other members of the Dors group. The philosophical approach to life brought to the work of Jim Morrison that special flavor that was absent in the songs of other representatives of rock music of that time. The fascination with the works of Friedrich Nietzsche, Arthur Rimbaud, the work of William Faulkner,

Morrison studied at the Faculty of Cinematography in Los Angeles, where he managed to make two author's films, and these works did not concern music, but were full of philosophical reflections. In 1965, after the creation of the Dors group, Jim Morrison devoted himself entirely to rock music. And just six years later, on July 3, 1971, he died of a heroin overdose.

The Dors without Jim Morrison

After the death of the soloist, the rest of the participants tried to continue their creative activity, but had no success. Songs that had a hypnotic effect on the listeners, such as Jim Morrison's Riders On The Storm, were no more. The Dors group ceased to exist.

Further projects

In 1978, the Dors' album An American Prayer was released, featuring phonograms of Jim Morrison's own poetry readings. The recitation was combined with musical and rhythmic accompaniment of other members of the group. The installation was done by a simple overlay method.

This project was also not successful, neither commercially nor artistically. Some critics called the album blasphemous. And some compared it to a masterpiece cut into pieces by Pablo Picasso, when each of the fragments individually is of no value.

In 1979, one of the famous hits of the Dors group under titled The End was included in the film "Apocalypse" directed by Francis Ford Coppola, which focuses on the Vietnam War.

Discography

Studio session albums recorded in different time at the studio:

1. The - Recorded in January 1967, the first "gold" format, sold over 2 million copies.
2. Strange Days ("Strange days") - created in October 1967.
3. Waiting For The Sun ("Waiting for the sun") - the album was recorded in July 1968.
4. The Soft Parade ("Soft procession") - the disc was released in July 1969.
5. Morrison Hotel ("Morrison's Hotel") - released in February 1970.
6. L.A. Woman ("Women of Los Angeles") - the album was recorded in April 1971.
7. Other Voices ("Other Voices") - created in October 1971 as a symbolic farewell to the untimely departed Jim Morrison.
8. Full Circle ("Full circle") - an attempt to record an album with new songs in July 1972, with a dedication to the anniversary of the death of the main soloist.
9. An American Prayer is an abortive compilation of Morrison's poetry set to music.

The Who are a British rock band formed in 1964. The original line-up consisted of: Pete Townsend, Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle and Keith Moon. The band gained huge success through extraordinary live performances and is considered as one of the most influential bands of the 60s and 70s, and one of the the greatest rock bands of all time.

The Who became famous in their homeland both due to their innovative technique - breaking instruments on stage after a performance, and due to hit singles that hit the Top 10, starting with the 1965 hit single "I Can" t Explain "and albums that fell into Top 5 (including the famous "My Generation") The first US Top 10 hit single was "I Can See For Miles" in 1967. In 1969, the rock opera "Tommy" was released, becoming the first album to hit in the Top 5 in the US, followed by "Live At Leeds" (1970), "Who's Next" (1971), "Quadrophenia" (1973) and "Who Are You" (1978).

In 1978, the group's drummer Keith Moon died, after his death the group released two more studio albums: Face Dances (1981) (Top 5) and It's Hard (1982) (Top 10). drum set ex-drummer of The Small Faces Kenny Jones was imprisoned. In 1983, the group finally broke up. After that, they reunited several times for performances at special events: the Live Aid festival in 1985, the band's 25th anniversary reunion tours and the performance of "Quadrophenia" in 1995 and 1996.

In 2000, the band began discussing the topic of recording an album of new material. These plans were delayed by the death of the band's bassist John Entwistle in 2002. Pete Townsend and Roger Daltrey continued to perform under the name The Who. In 2006, a new studio album called "Endless Wire" was released, which reached the Top 10 in both the US and the UK.

Group history

Origins (1961-1964)

The Who began as The Detours, a band founded by guitarist Roger Daltrey in London in the summer of 1961. In early 1962, Roger recruited bass player John Entwistle, who had played in bands founded at the Acton County Grammar School that he and Roger attended. John suggested an additional guitarist - his high school friend Pete Townsend. Also in the group were drummer Doug Sandom and vocalist Colin Dawson.

Colin soon left the band and Roger took over as vocalist. The composition of the group: 3 musicians and a vocalist will remain until the end of the 70s. The Detours began by covering pop tunes, but soon began to cover American rhythm and blues. In early 1964, The Detours found out that there was a band with the same name as theirs and decided to change it. Pete's art school friend Richard Barnes suggested the name The Who and the name was officially adopted. Shortly thereafter, Doug Sandom left the band and was replaced by young drummer Keith Moon in April.

The Who found a way to attract fans after Townsend accidentally broke his guitar neck against a low ceiling during a concert. During the next concert, the fans yelled at Pete to do it again. He broke his guitar and Keith followed him, smashing his drum kit. At the same time, "airmill" appeared - a style of guitar playing invented by Pete, which was based on the stage movements of Keith Richards.

In May 1964 The Who were taken over by Pete Meaden, the leader of the new British youth fashion movement. Midan renamed The Who The High Numbers (Numbers was what the mods called each other, and High meant drinking lipers, pills that mods took to spend the whole weekend in discos).

Midan wrote The High Numbers' only single "I'm the Face" (the song was an old R&B song with new lyrics about fashion). Despite Miden's best efforts, the single failed, but the mods fell in love with the band. At this time, young director Keith Lambert (son of composer Christopher Lambert) and actor Chris Stump (brother of actor Terence Stump) were looking for a band they could make a film about. Their choice fell on the group The High Numbers. In July 1964 they became the group's new managers. After the failure at EMI Records, the band's name was re-named The Who.

The first successes and disagreements in the group (1964-1965)

The Who rocked London after a late-night performance at the Marquee Club in November 1964. The Who were advertised all over London with black posters made by Richard Barnes, including "air-milled" Pete Townsend with the words "Maximum R&B". Shortly thereafter, Keith and Chris encouraged Pete to start writing songs for the band in order to get the attention of The Kinks producer Shell Talmi. Pete adapted his song "I Can't Explain" to the style of The Kinks songs and persuaded Talmy. The Who signed him to a contract and he became their producer for the next 5 years. Talmy, in turn, helped the band secure a deal with Decca Records in the US.

Pete's early songs were written in opposition to Roger's macho stage persona. Roger held the position of leader in the group by force. Pete's growing ability as a songwriter threatened that status, especially after the hit single "My Generation". When the single hit the charts in December 1965, Pete, John and Keith forced Roger to leave the group due to his violent behavior (this happened after Roger discovered Keith's drugs and flushed them down the toilet. Keith tried to protest, but Roger knocked him out with one blow ). Roger later promised to be "peaceful" and was taken back.

First albums (1965-1966)

In the same The time Who released their first album "My Generation". Due to a lack of promotion in the US and a desire to sign with Atlantic Records, Keith and Chris ended their contract with Talmy and signed with Atlantic Records in the US and Reaction in the UK. Talmy responded with a counterclaim that completely halted the release of the next single, "Substitute". The band then paid Talmy's royalties for the next 5 years and returned to Decca in the US. This event and extremely expensive replacements for destroyed instruments soon left The Who heavily indebted.

Keith kept insisting that Pete write songs. While showing Keith one of his homemade demos, Pete joked that he was writing a rock opera. Keith liked the idea very much. Pete's first attempt was called "Quads". It was a story about how parents raised 4 daughters. When it was discovered that one of them was a boy, they insisted on raising him as a girl. The band needed a new single and this first rock opera condensed into the short song "I'm a Boy". In the meantime, in order to earn money, the band started making the next album, with the stipulation that each member of the band should record two songs for it. Roger managed only one, Keith - one song and one instrumental. John, however, wrote two songs - "Whiskey Man" and "Boris The Spider". This was the start of John's career as an alternative songwriter with a dark sense of humor.

There wasn't enough material for a new album, so Pete wrote a mini-opera to close the album. "A Quick One While He's Away" is a story about a woman waiting in separation for her husband, who is seduced by a racing driver. The album was called "A Quick One" with some sexual innuendo (for this reason, the album and its single were renamed "Happy Jack" in the US).

After settling a lawsuit with Decca and Talmy, The Who were able to tour the US. They began with a series of short performances at D.J.'s Easter concerts. Murray the K's in New York. The collapse of the equipment they had abandoned in England was revived and the Americans were in awe. This was the beginning of The Who's wild popularity in the United States.

They returned to the US in the summer to play the Monterey Festival in California. The performance brought The Who to the attention of San Francisco hippies and rock critics, who would soon establish Rolling Stone magazine.

They toured that summer as the opening act for Herman's Hermits. It was during this tour that Keith's reputation as a wild party-goer was cemented by the celebration of his 21st birthday, despite being only 20, celebrated at an after-show party at the Holiday Inn in Michigan. The list of deeds is truly impressive: the birthday cake fell to the floor, fire extinguishers were sprayed on cars, and Keith knocked out a tooth slipping on the cake while running from the police. Over time, this turned into an orgy of destruction, culminating in a Cadillac at the bottom of the hotel pool. The Who were banned from staying at Holiday Inns, and this, along with occasional hotel room crashes, became part of the legend of the band and Keith.

"The Who Sell Out", "Live At Leeds" and rock opera "Tommy" (1967-1970)

While their popularity was growing in America, their career in the UK began to decline. Their next single "I Can See For Miles", the most successful single in the US, only reached the Top 10 in the UK. The success of the following singles "Dogs" and "Magic Bus" was even less successful. Released in December 1967, "The Who Sell Out," sold worse than previous albums. It was a concept album designed as a broadcast from a banned pirate radio station. This album would later be considered one of the band's best albums.

During this slump, Pete stops taking drugs and accepts the teachings of the Indian mystic Meher Baba. Pete would become his most famous follower and his later work would reflect his knowledge of Baba's teachings. One of his ideas was that one who can perceive earthly things cannot perceive the world of God. From this, Pete had a story about a boy who became deaf, dumb and blind and, having got rid of earthly sensations, was able to see God. Healed, he becomes the messiah. As a result, the story became world famous as the rock opera "Tommy". The Who worked on it from the summer of 1968 to the spring of 1969. It was the last attempt to save the band and they began to play new material.

When Tommy was released, it was only a moderate hit, but after The Who started playing it live, it became a masterpiece. "Tommy" made a strong impression when the band performed it at the Woodstock festival in August 1969. The last song, "See Me, Feel Me", was played at sunrise. Filmed and featured in the film Woodstock, The Who became an international sensation. Keith also found a way to promote the album by performing it at opera houses in Europe and America. Ballets and musicals were staged on "Tommy", the group had so much work that many thought that its name was "Tommy".

Meanwhile, Pete continued to compose songs using a new musical instrument - the ARP synthesizer. To kill time for their next project, The Who recorded live album at the University of Leeds. "Live At Leeds" became the group's second worldwide hit.

In 1970 Pete had an idea for a new project. Keith made a deal with Universal Studios to make the film "Tommy" with him directing. Pete came up with his idea, called "Lifehouse". It would be a fantastic story virtual reality and a boy who discovered rock music. The hero would play an endless concert and at the end of the film would find the Lost Chord, which brings everyone to the state of nirvana.

"Who's Next" (1971)

The band organized concerts open to the public at the Young Vic Theater in London. The audience and the band itself had to film during the concert. Everyone would be part of the film, their life stories would be replaced by computer sequences with synthesizer music. But the result was disappointing. The audience simply asked to play old hits and soon all the band members got bored.

Pete's project was shelved and the band went into the studio to record the songs Pete had written for Lifehouse. So the album "Who's Next" was recorded. It became another international hit and is considered by many best album groups. "Baba O'Riley" and "Behind Blue Eyes" played on the radio, and "Won't Get Fooled Again" was the band's closing show throughout their career.

As their popularity grew, the band members became dissatisfied with the sound of Pete's songs. John first launched his solo career with Smash Your Head Against The Wall before Who's Next. He would continue to record solo albums throughout the early 70s, giving vent to his songs steeped in dark humor. Roger also started a solo career after building a studio in his barn. The single "Giving It All Away" from his album "Daltrey" hit the UK Top 10 and gave Roger the boost he had in the band.

Using this charge, Roger launched an investigation into the financial affairs of Keith Lambert and Chris Stump. He discovered that they were misusing the band's financial fund. Pete, who saw Keith as his mentor, took his side, leading to a crack in the group.

"Quadrophenia" (1972-1973)

Pete, meanwhile, has begun work on a new rock opera. It was supposed to be a The Who story, but after Pete met one of the ardent fans who had followed the band since The Detours, Pete decided to write a story about a The Who fan. She became a story about Jimmy - fashion, a fan of The High Numbers. He works a dirty job to earn money for a GS motor scooter, stylish clothes, and enough pills to get through the weekend. High doses of AIDS lead to the fact that his personality is split into 4 components, each of which is represented by a member of The Who. Jimmy's parents find the pills and kick him out of the house. He comes to Brighton to bring back the glory days of the Mods, but finds the Mod leader turned humble hotel porter. In desperation, he takes a boat and goes out to sea in a violent storm and observes the appearance of God.

There were a lot of problems with Quadrophenia after recording. It was mixed on a new stereo system that did not work quite adequately. Mixing the recording in stereo resulted in the loss of vocals on the recordings, to Roger's dismay. On stage, The Who tried to recreate the original sound. The tapes refused to work, and everything turned into complete chaos. On top of that, Keith's wife left him before the tour and took her daughter with her. Keith drowned his sadness in alcohol and even wanted to commit suicide. At the San Francisco show opening the US tour, Keith passed out in the middle of the show and was replaced by Scott Halpin, who was invited from the audience.

Film "Tommy" and "The Who By Numbers" (1975-1977)

On his return to London, Pete did not have a rest, the production of the film "Tommy" began immediately. The film was not controlled by Keith Lambert, but by the insane British filmmaker Ken Russell. He launched work with guest stars: Elton John, Oliver Reed, Jack Nicholson, Eric Clapton and Tina Turner. The result was rather tasteless and, although liked by the band's fans, was not a big success with the public. There were two consequences: Roger, who starred in the film, became a star outside of the group, and Pete suffered a nervous breakdown and started drinking more than usual.

Everything reached its peak during concerts at Madison Square Garden in June 1974. The audience shouted to Pete - "jump, jump", and he realized that he didn't want anything anymore. The passion for performing The Who began to cool down. This can be seen on the band's next album, The Who By Numbers. It traces the bitter rivalry between Pete and Roger, which was written about by all British music publications.

Subsequent tours in 1975 and 1976 were much better than the album. There was a lot of emphasis on old material. After 1976 The Who stopped touring. This was the end of the band's collaboration with managers Keith Lambert and Chris Stump; in early 1977 Pete signed the papers for their dismissal.

"Who Are You" and change (1978-1980)

After a two-year hiatus, the band entered the studio and recorded the album "Who Are You". In addition to the new album, The Who made a film about their history "The Kids Are Alright". To do this, they bought Shepperton Film Studios. After returning from America, Keith was in a very sad shape - he gained weight, became an alcoholic and looked 40 in his 30s.

In 1978, The Who finished recording the album and filming with a concert at Shepperton on 25 May. After 3 months, the album went on sale. 20 days after that - September 7th, 1978 Keith Moon died of an overdose of a drug prescribed to him to control his alcohol addiction. Many thought that The Who would cease to exist after the death of Moon, but the group still had a lot of projects. In addition to documentary"The Kids Are Alright" was preparing to release a new film based on the album "Quadrophenia". From January 1979 The Who started looking for a new drummer and found Kenny Jones, former drummer for The Small Faces and a friend of Pete and John. His playing style was very different from Moon's, which led to his rejection by the fans. John Bundrick was brought in as the keyboardist for the band. later group was supplemented by a brass section. New composition The band began touring in the summer, playing to huge crowds in the US. At a concert in Cincinnati in December 1979, a tragedy occurred - 11 fans died in a stampede. The band continued to tour, but controversy remained as to whether it was the right thing to do.

1980 began with two solo projects. Pete released his first full solo album"Empty Glass" ("Who Came First" (1972) was a collection of demos, and "Rough Mix" (1977) was a pairing with Ronnie Lane). This album was ranked along with The Who albums, and the single "Let My Love Open The Door" became very popular. At the same time, Roger released the film "McVicar".

Recent albums and breakup of the group (1980-1983)

In 1980, Pete's problems became apparent. He was almost always drunk, playing endless solos or ranting on stage for long periods of time. His drinking developed into a cocaine addiction and later into a heroin addiction. He began to spend his nights in the company of members of the "new wave" groups, for whom he was God.

The Who's next album, Face Dances, was heavily criticized. Despite the quite successful single "You Better, You Bet", the album was considered to be of lower quality than the band's previous standards.

Roger realized that Pete was destroying himself and offered to stop touring in order to save him. Pete nearly died after a heroin overdose at Club For Heroes in London and was rescued in the hospital in the last minutes. Pete's parents put pressure on him and Pete flew to California for treatment and rehabilitation. After returning, he did not feel confident to write new material for the band and asked to be suggested a topic. The band decided to record an album reflecting their attitude towards the growing tension cold war. The result was the album It's Hard, which looked at the changing role of the male with the rise of feminist sentiment. But both critics and fans did not like the album, as well as "Face Dances."

A new US and Canadian tour began in September 1982 and was called a farewell tour. The final show on December 12, 1982 in Toronto was broadcast worldwide. After the tour, The Who were contractually required to record another album. Pete began work on the album "Siege", but quickly abandoned it. He explained to the band that he was no longer able to write songs. Pete announced the breakup of The Who at a press conference on December 16, 1983.

Solo projects of members and association (1985-1999)

Pete started working at the publishing house Faber & Faber. The work did not greatly distract him from his new occupation - preaching against the use of heroin. This campaign lasted throughout the 80s. He also found time to write a book of short stories, Horses' Neck, and film short film about life in the White City. The film features Pete's new band, Defor. Along with the film "White City", a live album and video "Deep End Live!" On July 3, 1985, The Who came together to perform at the Live Aid charity concert in support of the starving people of Ethiopia. The band was supposed to play new song Pete's "After The Fire", but due to lack of rehearsal, they had to play old songs. "After The Fire" went on to become Roger's solo hit.

In the 80s, Roger and John continued their solo careers. In 1985, Roger began a solo tour, and in 1987, John. Loyal fans of The Who continued to support their work.

In February 1988 the band got together to receive the BPI Life Achievement Award. After the awards, the band performed at the Royal Albert Hall. Pete started writing a new rock opera based on the book "The Iron Man" written by Ted Hughes. Among the guest artists, Pete includes Roger and John for two recordings that were signed by The Who on the album. This led to talk of a reunited team touring. The tour began in 1989. It was to coincide with the band's 25th anniversary, but the line-up was very different from what it was in 1964. Pete stuck to the acoustic sound with a different lead guitarist. Most of the composition Deep bands End was on stage including a new drummer and percussionist. The show began the first full performance of "Tommy" since 1970 and ended in Los Angeles with stellar composition, including Elton John, Phil Collins, Billy Idol and more. After that, Pete rewrote the Tommy album with American theater director Des McAniff into a musical that included moments from Pete's own life. After its first run at La Jolla Playhouse in California, The Who's Tommy opened on Broadway on April 23, 1993. The Who's fans had mixed feelings about the musical, but theater critics in London and New York loved it. With it, Pete won Tony and Laurence Olivier Awards. Pete's next work is also autobiographical. "Psychoderelict" is about a reclusive rock star who is forced into retirement by a dastardly manager and a conniving journalist. Despite a US solo tour, the new work did not receive much attention.

In early 1994, Roger took a break from acting to hold a grand concert at Carnegie Hall to celebrate his 50th birthday. The music played by the band and the orchestra was a tribute to Pete's work. Roger not only invited many guests to sing Pete's songs, but also invited John and Pete to play on stage. After that, Roger and John went on a tour of the United States, performing songs by The Who. Pete's brother Simon was on guitar and Ringo Starr's son Zach Starkey was on drums. The same summer, a 4-disc box set consisting of songs from The Who was released. The MCA label began releasing remastered and occasionally remixed editions of the band. "Live at Leeds" was the first to be released with 8 added tracks, followed by many CDs with bonus tracks, artwork and booklets. 1996 began with the creation new group The John Entwistle Band, which toured the United States. The band's new album, "The Rock," was sold at the show and after the show, John met with fans.

In 1996, it was announced that The Who would get back together to play "Quadrophenia" at a charity concert in Hyde Park. The show on June 26th combined Pete's multimedia ideas and some ideas from the Deep End/1989 tour, accompanied by Roger's band. It was supposed to be only one show, but 3 weeks later The Who played a show at Madison Square Garden in New York and began a North American tour in October. They were not announced as The Who, but performed under their own names.

The tour continued in Europe in the spring of 1997 and after another 6 weeks in the US. In 1998 Pete and Roger finally reconciled. In May, Roger presented Pete with a list of grievances about Pete's neglect of the band since 1982. Pete burst into tears and Roger heartily forgave him.

Concert activity (1999-2004)

On February 24, 2000, Pete posted the 6-disc box set Lifehouse Chronicles on his website. The Who's new tour began on June 25, 2000. Roger pushed Pete to write new material, which made the release of the new album a reality. Pete's attempts to promote The music The Who achieved soundtrack success when the television series C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation chose "Who Are You" as the theme song for the series.

After the September 11 attacks, The Who performed at a charity festival for police and firefighters on October 20, 2001. This concert was broadcast worldwide. Unlike many members, whose sets were filled with gravity and restraint, The Who put on a real show. The band played at the Royal Albert Hall charity festival in support of children with cancer on February 7th and 8th 2002. These shows were John's last.

On June 7, 2002, John died in his sleep at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas from a cocaine-induced heart attack. It happened the day before big tour US group.

The band's fans were shocked when Pete announced that the tour would take place without John. Session bassist Pino Palladino replaced him. Critics and fans have cursed this decision as yet another example of fundraising. Later, Pete and Roger explained they and so many other people had contributed a lot of money for this tour and couldn't lose it.

After a year of hiatus, Pete, Roger, Pino, Zach and the Rabbit performed as The Who at the Kentish Town Forum on March 24, 2004. On March 30, the band's new best-of compilation, Then and Now! 1964-2004" with brand new songs 13 years later "Real Good Looking Boy" and "Old Red Wine" which was a tribute to John

"Endless Wire" (2005-2007)

In 2004, the band toured Japan and Australia for the first time. February 9, 2005 Roger received an order from Queen Elizabeth II of Britain for his charitable work.

On September 24, 2005, Pete posted the novel The Boy Who Heard Music on his blog. Written in 2000, this sequel to "Psychoderelict" provided the basis for many of Pete's new songs. After premiering new songs on the Rachel Fuller show, the band began a new tour that included both new and old songs. On 17 June 2006 the band performed in Leeds, at the same university where they recorded their famous live album 36 years ago.

The new album "Endless Wire", which includes acoustic and rock songs, as well as a mini-opera based on "The Boy Who Heard Music", was released on October 31, 2006. The album was originally planned to be released in the spring of 2005 under the working title WHO2. The date was postponed due to drummer Zach Starkey being involved with Oasis' Don't Believe the Truth album and touring. The album immediately after the release took 7th position in the chart of Billboard magazine. Its fragments are included in the performance program of The Who Tour 2006-2007.

THE DOORS. OPENING THE DOORS

Of all the epithets that the press and critics have ever given to the group, "original" would be the most appropriate.

She really burst into rock music with an extraordinary whirlwind, just as quickly swept through the tops of the charts and died out so unexpectedly after the death of her charismatic leader. However, many compositions still inspire musicians, haunt fans and push them to dangerous experiments.

Birth of a legend

More than one book has been written about the history of the group, films and documentaries have been made. The milestones in the formation of a musical group can be traced step by step, and only two of the living members of the group know what really happened from this. However, fans are unlikely to ever know all the secrets and mysteries of this iconic group, because the legend cannot be destroyed, otherwise it will not become a symbol of freedom and intransigence.

Fast forward to 1965 California. Hot summer, the beaches are full of youth, the spirit of rebellion and rebelliousness, denial of canons and rules of conduct is in the air. It was in this atmosphere that two young people met on one of the beaches of Los Angeles. It was Ray Manzarek. Before that, they had already seen each other at the film school, so the conversation started as a friend. Jim told Ray that he was passionate about writing songs, but he didn't have the courage to show them to anyone or sing them. Manzarek insisted and heard the song "Moonlight Drive" from Morrison's lips. The composition made such an impression on Ray that he immediately offered Jim to put together a group, especially since he was familiar with several musicians and could lure them from other bands.

Morrison did not hesitate for a long time and agreed to a creative adventure that predetermined his entire (albeit short) later life. So guitarist Robbie Krieger and drummer John Densmore, who played in the band Rick and the Ravens, got into the newly minted band.

Infinity The Doors

A month later, the formed composition of the team made the first demo recordings of their creations. Then Morrison came up with a laconic name for the group. This idea came to Jim after reading The Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley. The author in the preface wrote a phrase from William Blake's poem: "If the doors of perception were clean, everything would appear to man as it is - infinite." The creativity of the group has become just as endless, timeless and events. A more controversial team in the United States of America in the 1960s was not to be found.

The uniqueness of the group was confirmed not only by the charisma of Jim Morrison, but also by the creative abilities of other members of the team. For example, John experimented with drums, Ray played with one hand on a special keyboard bass parts (there was no bass player in the group), and the second one was busy with the performance of the usual keyboard passages. The originality of the music was also given by the collective approach to its creation - each of the participants brought to the song a piece of their vision of the final product.

The popularity of the group was added by regular performances in local clubs. In one of them, Jak Holtzman (president of the Elektra Records record company) and music producer Paul Rothschild. By the way, Arthur Lee, the vocalist of the rock band Love, advised them to hear the live performance of the odious band. Yak and Paul did not regret at all that they visited the famous Whiskey A Go Go and witnessed such an impressive performance. Morrison was so outraged at the end of the program that he began to shout out not very decent phrases from the stage. The owner of the club could not stand this and broke the contract with the group. Therefore, the proposal of the music label for cooperation with the band arrived just in time.

Psychedelic by Morrison

It took the musicians just a few days to record their debut album, The Doors. From him they opened their doors to the world of recognition and success. The song "Light My Fire" made them national idols within a few months and put them on a par with rock bands such as Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead. Fans were fascinated by the strong and unique voice of Jim Morrison, his brutal appearance, crazy energy and tight leather pants. These attributes instantly made him a sex symbol among young people.

He did not consider himself as such at all. On the contrary, at first he was even embarrassed to turn to face the audience, performing his mystical songs, he felt insecure on stage. He tried to suppress his fear of publicity with the help of alcohol and psychedelic drugs. He was thrown from one extreme to another, which often led to scandals and problems with law enforcement agencies. Although this only fueled interest in his person and the group as a whole. They were invited to popular TV shows and trendy clubs, all of America spoke about them. Creativity met the needs of the era - young people wanted to hear unusual rebellious texts and see cheeky behavior on stage. Fans poured into the concerts in droves, there were even clashes with the police when the performances took place in open areas.

Whether under the influence of the managers of the recording studio, or for some other reason, the new album was more understandable to the masses. listener. Last song the 11-minute composition "When the Music's Over" sounded, which finally secured the frontman and the group's reputation as a rock guru. Critics suspected commercial interest in this, finding the band's rebellious image too feigned. Morrison, in his characteristic manner, responded to such reproaches with only ambiguous phrases.

The third album, which was hardly given, did not escape attacks, because the vocalist was already addicted to constant alcohol doping. Despite all the problems, the album managed to reach the first line of the American charts. By the way, the group has never left the top echelon of the charts.

Dorzomania

In the summer of 1968, Jim, Ray, Robbie and John embarked on their first overseas tour. At first they were met by London, where glory thundered at that time, then the whole of Europe obeyed the “doors”. Only in Amsterdam did the band take the stage without a vocalist, Morrison was so drugged that he was unable to perform.

Now it is difficult to say what made the still young Jim so quickly drive himself into the grave. It's no secret that many rockers of that era were constantly using psychotropic substances. Someone looked for inspiration in them, they helped someone forget yourself. But the outcome of such experiments with one's own body was often predictable.

At times, Morrison managed to pull himself together and work productively. So it was with the creation of a new album, the song "Touch Me" from which again blew up the minds of admirers of their work. The band's producer then managed to secure a performance at the legendary Madison Square Garden in January 1969.

Trouble began two months later, when the team performed in sunny Miami. More than seven thousand people came to the hall to listen the most popular group and see the musicians live. Morrison could hardly stand on his feet and hardly realized that he was shouting to the public. The concert had to be interrupted, and the band's frontman received a subpoena for indecent behavior on stage. For a year and a half, prosecutors tried to find witnesses to how he took off his pants right at the speech, but none of those who were interviewed as a witness confirmed this information.

Last tour of The Doors

Paradoxically, neither alcohol, nor drugs, nor added extra pounds prevented Jim Morrison from singing as before, captivating thousands of listeners. The album "The Soft Parade" turned out to be even more pop, and the critics considered the disc "Morrison Hotel" to be optimistic. This allowed them to conclude that that the vocalist sorted himself out and returned to his former form. However, this was a mistake. He continued to get in trouble with the law, and his behavior defied any explanation.

The members first tried to find another vocalist, but replacing the idol of millions is not so easy, so it was decided to continue as a threesome. Manzarek, Krieger and Densmore released two more albums and musical accompaniment to records of Morrison's poetry. After that, the team actually ceased to exist, although there were no official announcements about this from anyone.

Robbie Krieger and Ray Manzarek on the Walk of Fame

Already in the 21st century, the musicians teamed up again and created a project together with vocalist Ian Astbury, without inviting only John Densmore. The former drummer could not stand such an insult and went to court demanding to change the name of the band. The court granted his claim. And in 2013, Ray Manzarek died, so only guitarist Robbie Krieger and drummer John Densmore remained from the original line-up of the band.

The team existed in active work for only 6 years, leaving music lovers a lot of material for research and search for answers. Separate singles are still being released, books and films are being released, old records are being re-released, which means that the history of the group is not over.

DATA

The famous director Oliver Stone made a film in 1991 about the history of the band with the same name. Manzarek, Densmore and Krieger were involved in the creation of the film, but they did not really like the final version. Maybe they just left something a secret...

Due to scandalous behavior Jim Morrison on stage, the group was not invited to iconic music festivals - international festival Pop Music at Monterey, California in 1967 and the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair in 1969.

Updated: April 9, 2019 by: Elena

†
Kenny Jones

The Who became famous in their homeland both due to their innovative technique - breaking instruments on stage after a performance, and due to hit singles that hit the Top 10, starting with the 1965 hit single "I Can" t Explain "and albums that fell into Top 5 (including the famous " My Generation") The first hit single to hit the Top 10 in the US was "I Can See For Miles" in 1967. The rock opera Tommy was released, which became the first album to hit the Top 5 in the US, followed by "Live At Leeds" (), "Who's Next" (), "Quadrophenia" () and "Who Are You" ().

The Who found a way to attract fans after Townsend accidentally broke his guitar neck against a low ceiling during a concert. During the next concert, the fans yelled at Pete to do it again. He broke his guitar and Keith followed him, smashing his drum kit. Then there was the "airmill" - a style of guitar playing invented by Pete, which was based on the stage movements of Keith Richards.

Pete's next work is also autobiographical. "Psychoderelict" is about a reclusive rock star who is forced into retirement by a dastardly manager and a conniving journalist. Despite a US solo tour, the new work did not receive much attention.

In early 1994, Roger took a break from acting to hold a grand concert at Carnegie Hall to celebrate his 50th birthday. The music played by the band and the orchestra was a tribute to Pete's work. Roger not only invited many guests to sing Pete's songs, but also invited John and Pete to play on stage. After that, Roger and John went on a tour of the United States, performing the songs of "The Who". Pete's brother Simon was on guitar and Ringo Starr's son Zach Starkey was on drums.

That same summer, a four-disc box set consisting of The Who songs was released. The MCA label began releasing remastered and occasionally remixed editions of the band. Live at Leeds was the first to be released with eight added tracks, followed by many CDs with bonus tracks, artwork and booklets.

1996 began with the formation of a new group, The John Entwistle Band, which toured the United States. The band's new album, The Rock, was sold at the show and after the show, John met with fans.

In 1996, it was announced that The Who would get back together to play "Quadrophenia" at a charity concert in Hyde Park. The June 26 show combined Pete's multimedia ideas with some of the ideas from the Deep End/1989 tour, accompanied by Roger's band. It was supposed to be only one show, but three weeks later The Who played a show at Madison Square Garden in New York and began a North American tour in October. They were not billed as "The Who", but performed under their own names.

The tour continued in Europe in the spring of 1997 and after another six weeks in the US. In 1998, Pete and Roger finally reconciled. In May, Roger presented Pete with a list of grievances about Pete's neglect of the band since 1982. Pete burst into tears and Roger heartily forgave him.

Concert activity (1999-2004)

On February 24, 2000, Pete posted the 6-disc box set Lifehouse Chronicles on his website. The Who's new tour began on June 25, 2000. Roger pushed Pete to write new material, which made the release of the new album a reality. Pete's attempts to promote The Who's music as soundtracks hit the spot when the television series C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation chose "Who Are You" as the show's theme song.

After the September 11 attacks, The Who performed at a charity festival for police and firefighters on October 20, 2001. This concert was broadcast worldwide. Unlike many members, whose sets were filled with gravity and restraint, The Who put on a real show. The band played at the Royal Albert Hall charity festival in support of children with cancer on February 7th and 8th 2002. These shows were John's last.

On June 27, 2002, John died in his sleep at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas from a cocaine-induced heart attack. It happened the day before the start of the band's big US tour.

The band's fans were shocked when Pete announced that the tour would take place without John. Session bassist Pino Palladino replaced him. Critics and fans have cursed this decision as yet another example of fundraising. Later, Pete and Roger explained that they and a lot of other people contributed a lot of money for this tour and could not lose it.

After a year of hiatus, Pete, Roger, Pino, Zach and the Rabbit performed as The Who at the Kentish Town Forum on March 24, 2004. On March 30, the band's new best-of compilation, Then and Now! 1964-2004" with brand new songs 13 years later "Real Good Looking Boy" and "Old Red Wine" which was a tribute to John.

"Endless Wire" (2005-2007)

Daltrey, Townsend, Karin. 2005 year

In 2004, the band toured Japan and Australia for the first time. February 9, 2005 Roger received an order from Queen Elizabeth II of Britain for his charitable work.

On September 24, 2005, Pete posted the novel The Boy Who Heard Music on his blog. Written in 2000, this sequel to "Psychoderelict" provided the basis for many of Pete's new songs. After premiering new songs on the Rachel Fuller show, the band began a new tour that included both new and old songs. On 17 June 2006 the band performed in Leeds, at the same university where they recorded their famous live album 36 years ago.

• A Quick One (December 9)
• The Who by Numbers (October 3)
• Who Are You (August 18)
• Face Dances (March 16)
• It's Hard (September 4)

Notes

Links

• Joe Giorgianni's Who Page Fan site dedicated to The Who
• The Who.info