Saturday, August 2nd, 1969
Keith denies to Record Mirror that he plans to leave The Who.
Transcript:
RECORD MIRROR, Week ending August 2, 1969
In spite of what you might read or hear in other publications, drummer Keith Moon is NOT leaving the Who. Keith is very upset and annoyed about the rumour, and spoke out openly.
“This is all rubbish,” Keith said, although he used very much stronger language. “If I could find out who started this, I'd have their legs blown off.”
Being diplomatic, I changed the conversation and asked if Keith was to follow Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey and take up management.
“Well, it's not really management,” Keith admitted. “I'm just helping them out on the recording side. The group's name is Quintessence, and I'm giving them a few production hints. They're a fun band and we just wanted to make a couple of party records. If someone like Mrs. Mills wants to come along, she's invited you know.
“This isn't necessarily the way things are going with the Who. But we've got to have a hobby. We're spending so much time working in the States and not so much time here as far as gigs go. So we have a few days off. In the interim we're doing whatever we want.
“I wouldn't go into management full-time because it's the same as bleeding booking I'm at it. It's really just a hobby with me as with the others. We have a lot of time off and it's a question of talent spotting for the record company. We're helping other bands who want to record, to record.
“We're interested in getting the best out of the bands that we can. If we succeed in getting the best out of them, then that's all we hope to do.”
To see the Who, you'll get the impression they are happy and play as they want and to hell with the rest of the world. To a certain extent this is so. As Keith says:
“We're just playing our music. We're happiest playing when we're playing our music and it's being appreciated. I can't really define our audience. Sometimes people come to see us through word of mouth rather than seeing a poster billing us.”
‘RUBBISH’
“I'm not leaving the Who” says Keith Moon
KNOCKED OUT WITH ‘TOMMY’
One of the big talking points concerning the Who has been their L.P. “Tommy”. Keith was very pleased with the outcome of the recording.
“I think with ‘Tommy’ it was the first time we ever got the sound we wanted on the tracks,” he said. “With the other L.P.'s, we felt we could have done a lot better. We still feel we could do a lot better, but we're knocked out with ‘Tommy’. It's not as if after this one we have reached an apex. Because this was just a phase in our career. Now we'll go on to something else.
“The idea we're kicking around at the moment for our next L.P. is to do a ‘live’ one. We've never been successfully recorded live. But there again when we get down to it, we might decide against it. We have a lot of work to do yet on the promotion of ‘Tommy’ both in this country and elsewhere. When that is finished we'll be into something else. The thing is we mean what we play and are very sincere.”
The Who is closer now than it has ever been. Both on a musical and social front. They've been together for over six years and for the members to get on well with each other after that time is a sure indication there is nothing happening which would dissolve the group.
DRINKING TOGETHER
“We still go round to each other's houses and out with each other for drinks,” said Keith. “We know each other inside-out and get on well, so if one of us isn't doing anything, they'd ring up the others and have a loon together.”
If there are still people around who think Keith might be leaving because of a slight rumour, forget it. If he ever did decide to go—everyone would know.
IAN MIDDLETON