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Today in Whostory: 6/05/2026

    1965 – The U.S. release of the single “Anyway Anyhow Anywhere” gets a full-page ad in Billboard magazine. This is practically the only evidence that the single is released in the U.S. at this time as it does not make a dent in the U.S. charts. The b-side is a cover of Garnet Mimms and the Enchanters’ soul ballad “Any Time You Need Me”, here called “Anytime You Want Me.”

    1965 – The Who play Loyola Hall in Stamford Hill

    1965 – Pete is interviewed in Melody Maker. “We think the mod thing is dying. We don’t plan to go down with it, which is why we’ve become individualists.” He also declares The Who’s new single, “Anyway Anyhow Anywhere” to be “the first pop-art single.”

     

    Transcription:

    EVERY SO OFTEN, A GROUP IS POISED ON THE BRINK OF A BREAKTRHOUGH.  WORD HAS IT IT’s THE WHO

    They Think the Mod Thing IS Dying….But They Don’t Intend To Go Down With It

    A new name is being hurled around in hip circles – The Who. They are four mods from Shepherds Bush, London. And their popularity is gathering strength in exactly the same way The Animals experienced two years ago.
    Like The Animals and The Yardbirds, The Who are a product of the club scene. Today, with one hit gone and another on the way, they are reckoned by the ‘in-crowd’ to be on the crest of a success wave that could make them the new rave – on a nation-wide scale.
    The Who are Roger Daltrey (aged 20, singer); Pete Townshend (aged 19, lead guitar); John Entwistle (aged 19, bass guitar) and drummer Keith Moon, who is 17.
    Moon is the most popular with fans. They mob him. Already.
    Their music is defiant, and so is their attitude. Their sound is vicious. This is no note-perfect ‘showbiz’ group.
    The Who lay down a heavy beat, putting great emphasis on the on and off beats.
    Moon thunders round the drums. Townshend swings full circles with his right arm. He bangs out Morse code by switching the guitar pick-ups on and off.
    Notes bend and whine. Pete turns suddenly and rams the end of his guitar into the speaker. A chord shudders on the impact. The speaker rocks.
    Townshend strikes again on the rebound. He rips the canvas covering, tears into the speaker cone, and the distorted solo splutters from a demolished speaker.
    The crowds watch this violent display spellbound.
    The Who started a year ago, changing their name from The High Numbers. They played regularly at the Goldhawk in Shepherds Bush, and graduated to the plusher Marquee in London’s West End.
    They were billed in small print and played to audiences of 200 every Tuesday. But word spread. The name intrigued.
    Tuesday audiences grew. They became favourites of the mods: “Have you heard The Who yet?”
    That was the start.
    Mods identified themselves with The Who because The Who identified themselves with them.
    Pop music is often allied to social trends and fashions.
    Pete Townshend wore a suede jacket, Roger Daltrey hipster trousers. They were mods playing mod music.
    It’s an exhausting act to watch. But also highly original and full of tremendous pace.
    What makes The Who click on stage?
    Townshend: “There is no suppression within the group. You are what you are and nobody cares. We say what we want, when we want. If we don’t like something someone is doing, we say so.
    “Our personalities clash, but we argue and get it all out of our system. There’s a lot of friction. Offstage we’re not particularly matey. But it doesn’t matter.
    “If we were not like this it would destroy our performance. We play how we feel.”
    The Who are linking their image with what they call Pop Art.
    They describe their current chart success, ‘Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere’, as “the first Pop Art single,” and they have started designing their own Pop Art clothes.
    “Pop Art is something society accepts, but we represent it to them in a different form. Like Union Jacks. They’re supposed to be flown. John wears one as a jacket.
    “We think the mod thing is dying. We don’t plan to go down with it, which is why we’ve become individualists.”
    Anti-Who people condemn their music as a messy noise. The Who like this; “Best publicity we could have.”
    Their idea of a messy noise is the music of Freddie & The Dreamers, Val Doonican and Ronnie Hilton; “It’s just dozy.”
    Cathy McGowan and assistant editor Vicki Wickham are devout Who followers.
    The Who are modern, short-haired rebels with a cause. There’s sadism in their characters and in their music. But at least what they’re doing is something NEW.

    1965 – The Newcastle Evening Chronicle’s POP SPOT by Maureen Cleave carries an article titled “Paris invites the Who to play”

     

    Transcription:

    Paris invites the Who to play

    THE man charged with putting the Who’s latest song on to sheet music has been sent abroad for a complete rest.  It was too much for him.  “Ad lib morse code effect for 16 bars,” he wrote, pathetically aware that it did not sum up the situation.  Later, finally, desperately, he wrote: “Hit cymbals with microphone,” and departed.

    The Who are a newish group, one of the many to become prominent since the time scheduled for the decline of groups.  London might call them its own local group: which is how it once thought the Rolling Stones in the days when the Liverpool Movement threatened its survival

    The Who are the darlings of “Ready Steady Go,” they are very, very smart indeed though they would shudder to read this.  The faintest hint of trend-setting makes them feel tired.

    The Who are Mods and beloved of Mods and as the Who know that Mods ended just before Christmas (they were buying Christmas presents for their mothers at the time) this lends a sadness and poignancy to their very existence/  “The whole thing still has a chance,” they say.

    But in their heart of hearts they feel proudly, cynically, wearily fin de race.

    THEIR OWN…

    If you haven’t come across their music it is well worth listening to. Their second record is “Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere,” their own composition.  It is so interestingly electronic that they have been invited to play as a mystique concrete concert in Paris.

    There’s a kind of desolate demolition noice in the middle where the versifying appears to fall to pieces.  “I can go anywhere. I can live anyhow. I can do anything for something new,” bawls the singer desperately, and its quite frightening,

    “It’s music for people who’ve been messed around,” someone said “just right for the Mods.” The who prefer to call it “the first true Pop Art single”

    “Unlike other groups when they become successful.” their managers said, “the Who haven’t gone nice at the edges.” They sat around the room wearing peacock colours, in turn filing their nails on an emeryboard.

    They dislike each other intensely a lot of the time. “Ours,” they say, “is a group with built-in hate.  If we liked each other, we probably wouldn’t exist.   Once we took a few days off to go away and hate each other, and when we cam back, we played 20 times better.”

    There are four Who: Roger Daltrey the singer, who has bright yellow hair: John Entwistle who rarely utters: Peter Townsend, who has a long striking intelligent yellow face: and Keith Moon who has bright button eyes which make him look less weary of the world than the others.  Indeed one might go so far as to think he had something to live for.

    A SMASHER

    Some people go to watch the Who in the hope that Peter Townsend (sic) will smash a costly guitar.  He has so far smashed four-hundred pounds worth. Do not think this is pure histrionics.  Any apparent dottiness about the Who’s musical work is carefully contrived.

    The Who have many boys among their fans whom they regard with patronizing affection.  “They’re in a crummy predicament., having to work to live: in respectable places.   They envy our music.

    “They would love to get hold of a £200 guitar and wallop it.  They would like to jump up on the stage and yell about why can’t the kids have pills and how the youngsters are bing put down by people of 40 who want to be 20.”

    Two passions rule their lives: one is music, the other is their personal appearance.  They are most particular about their hair, having it tinted and occasionally done after hours.  Their managers say it’s a war of nerves about their clothes.

    Peter Townsend (sic) explains the Mod and his ways thus: “People of a certain age have to identify with something, don’t they? Two wars gave youngsters before something to identify with.  Our generation had to find something else.”

    And when does a Mod cease the frantic search for the newest and the first and most novel?

    “When he finds his own identity, of course,” said Peter Townsend (sic)

    1965 – Record Mirror carries a brief announcement that The Who will appear on “Ready Steady Radio” on June 13 as well as an ad for The Who’s June 7 Marquee Club show.  Anyway Anyhow Anywhere moves up 9 space to number 26 in the Top 50!

    1966 – The TV Times features Dave Lanning’s “Lanning at Large” where he meets The Who and discusses Union Jack jackets

    1966 – The Who play in Nyköping at The Träffen

    1966 – The Who play in Örebro at the Idrottshuset. During the show the police panic and pull the plug on The Who when the audience rushes the stage. Pete threatens the police and stagehands to get the power back on but after a part of the set the police cut The Who’s power off permanently. John has a rare display of temper and rams his bass guitar through his amp so hard it takes two roadies to get it out.

    1966 – The Popside program featuring The Who recorded on the 3rd airs on Swedish television. Between the shows in Nykoping and Orebro, The Who stop at the home of Gunnel Larsson in Vrena to watch themselves on TV.

    1967 – The Who were scheduled to play at the Top Rank Suite in Swansea but was cancelled because of John’s broken finger.

    1967 – The”Instrumental – No Title” a/k/a “Soddin’ About” is mixed and shelved, awaiting an official release that does not come for forty-two years. Listen to the song on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwVI7F-DdHY:

    1969 – The Who play the first of two nights at the Fillmore East in New York with Chuck Berry and Albert King

    1969 – The Who are photographed by Jack Robinson for a feature in Vogue magazine. The date of these photos was confirmed by the “Official gallery for Vogue fine art photographer Jack Robinson” on an instagram post (https://www.instagram.com/robinsongallery/)

    1971 – Six takes of “Bargain” are recorded at Olympic Studios in Barnes

    1972 – The Who record “Long Live Rock” at Olympic Studios, London. The song is meant as the title track for a never-shot Who television special.

    1975 – Rolling Stone magazine features a review of “Tommy Original Soundtrack Recording”

    1976 – Record Mirror features The Who on the cover with a two page spread titled “Who are the champions” covering their show at Charlton days earlier

     

    Transcript:

    Who are the Champions?

    THE positioning of hands on a major occasion something like this is similar to the football league itself. At the bottom of the queue you find the new arrivals, just promoted into the big league, then come the promising up and comers, then the big contenders, and at the top — the champions.

    Monday’s openers were low-maker who kept the crowd busy as they filed in through the turnstiles and found good vantage point in the stadium. The band are still finding themselves musically, but steadily and identifiable sound is developing and they are a fairly unpretentious bunch.

    Much of the credit is due to Steve Ellis, one of those reassuring names from the past, and on guitar Ariel ‘note’ Bender.

    Their sound filled the bowl shaped natural valley, and the surrounding streets and their Bank Holiday Monday peace shattered — a taste of things to come.

    Next on were Family, or rather Streetwalkers, though opening with ‘Burlesque’ doesn’t exactly help you distinguish, and surely those striped trousers worn by warbler Roger Chapman came from that period too?

    On stage their music is more exciting and loose than reflected on their recordings, sprawling naturally with Chapman the centre of attention attacking the mike stand with tambourine after tambourine and himself.

    The superiority of material from their new ‘Red Card’ album showed with numbers like ‘Run For Cover’ with Roger growling lines like ‘Buddy you don’t owe me a thing’.

    Their act is full of a kind of nervous energy, and they certainly won themselves a few new followers from the massive Charlton crowd, and ensured that people wanting more would catch them on their June British tour.

    Impressive

    The Outlaws would do better if they didn’t go so far as including rain dance in their act to ensure Western authenticity, for it was during their act that the rain made its only appearance.

    Originally they had been the only American act on the bill, only to find that Little Feat had been added and knocking them down the list, but they are used to playing on big bills with bands of the stature of Lynyrd Skynyrd and even the Stones, so they didn’t really seem bothered.

    They feature an impressive front lineup of three guitarists (one in a huge white stetson — more Western authenticity folks) and a bass player, with twin lead players Billie Jones and Hug[hie] Thomasson trading licks and getting down to some solid country boogie.

    There are a lot of country rockers around, and Outlaws don’t seem to add anything new, relying on their rock riffs and post-Allman Brothers buildups, but the crowd lapped it up and the excitement they created made up for the thin sound they sometimes put out. They also paved the way nicely for Little Feat.

    Continuity between the acts was down to the Capital Radio DJs, who played things very safe with mainly oldies, so it became predictable that when the name of the recording artists was announced (usually biggies like Zeppelin, Floyd, Quo etc) it was easy to guess what the tracking would be.

    Adventurous

    Presumably they were giving the crowd what they knew they would like, but some of the buildups were rather odd, eg Tubular Bells just before Little Feat. And whatever happened to those adventurous jocks that used to frequent such concerts a few years back?

    While the Outlaws were busy exchanging licks on stage the first notable exchanges of punches was evident in the restless crowd, a disturbing trend which carried on during the event.

    The crowd was decidedly restless and there were a variety of reasons for this.

    Mainly there were too many people in the stadium. Originally they had planned for 45,000 maximum in the ground, and after all the tickets had been sold the promoters advised people not to turn up on Monday on the off chance of tickets being available.

    But there were plenty of tickets to be got, because the forgers had been at work, and an estimated 20,000 more people saw the gig than first anticipated. This led to crowding and crushing, especially near the front of the stage.

    The situation was further agitated when people near the front stood up to see more of their heroes, thus making it harder for those behind to see, which unfortunately meant a rain of cans and bottles being thrown at the offenders.

    As if that wasn’t bad enough, some of the indiscriminate hurlers weren’t on target, so innocent bystanders were cut up and knocked down by the flying missiles. This led to even more frayed tempers, and the inevitable confrontations and skirmishes.

    The casualties had to be lifted out through the masses and to the first aid workers on the perimeter of the ground.

    Meanwhile, security workers were having a tough time trying to keep out all the gatecrashers.

    There were periodic outbreaks of punch throwing and kicking throughout the late afternoon and evening, and often in the middle of the crowd, making it impossible for stewards to get there in time to sort things out.

    What ever happened to the peace and love crowd?

    Literally tens of thousands of music fans went there to listen to the bands and enjoy themselves, and didn’t mind putting up with a bit of discomfort. As usual, it was the thoughtless few who spoilt it for the masses.

    There were the exhibitionists too of course, such as those who see it necessary to do a bit of daring swinging up on the light towers, and disturbing the delicate equipment needed for The Who’s magnificent lightshow. Though, to their credit, less jokers came down when asked to.

    In the late afternoon the skies opened and the thousands got soaked, with a constant downpour throughout most of the concert. This may have dampened a few spirits but all was forgotten by the time the mighty Who came on stage.

    By the time they arrived, the stage was awash, making Pete’s leaps risky, but he made the most of it by sliding up and down the stage.

    The sound equipment was saturated at this point, but to the credit proved faultless throughout the day. It was even most expensive system ever used costing £7,000 for that day alone, said Bob Wilson of TASCO.

    “This was the first gig with the equipment in this country, and it was especially selected for the three outdoor concerts. The big throw bass speakers proved to be incredible, meaning that even those right at the back were delighted with the sound.

    “It took them three days to set it all up, and then they had the daunting task of having to dismantle it all ready for the next concert this Saturday at Glasgow.”

    Champions?

    …we are

    [Some portions of this page are unclear or partially obscured in the scan.]

    THE BRIGHT lights of Memphis are not the drab streets of Charlton and the Hollywood sunshine is not the London rain, unfortunately for Little Feat.

    From the Californian coast this ‘cult’ band probably the classiest music of the day combining a crisp clipped style with excellent vocal phrasing from Paul Barrere and Lowell George.

    They possibly got the worst reception of the lot.

    Little Feat are not a wet weather festival band. Their excellent laid back approach (except for the pepped up ‘Triple Face Boogie’) would have made them more at home if the temperature had soared into the Eighties, but it didn’t, and no one wants to sit down for an hour or more in the rain.

    People failed to dance because Little Feat aren’t a dance band and they suffered from that malaise.

    But even if they didn’t get the sudden crowd off, they still managed some fine music that at times was so skilfully precise as to be a little unnerving. Their ultra slick professionalism which showed on the playing of almost the whole of ‘Feats Don’t Fail Me Now.’ was awesome.

    The price they pay is to complete divorce themselves from the raw power so often associated with rock — and with which the Who were to be such a success later on. It was music for the head when people wanted it for the body.

    Two huge inflatable cacti and a blancmange mountain hit the stage to herald the playing of tracks from ‘The Last Record Album’ but it was probably ‘Dixie Chicken’ which managed to arouse the damp audience the most.

    Thankfully the band are making a few inside concert appearances during their visit and it would be an oversight to miss them.

    [three square symbols]

    NOW Alex Harvey was a different thing. In their wisdom the organisers had put all the press behind the stage and with Alex’s stage set it was impossible to see his act or even any member of his band.

    The only comment to make is that he was the first performer to make the audience forget completely about the rain and let themselves go.

    Fortunately for you, lucky reader, there is a review of ‘The Sensational Alex Harvey Band’s’ show in Birmingham, on page 9.

    [three square symbols]

    NO ONE should get fooled again. While Bowie and the Stones have been playing musical chairs for this year’s rock crown, there hasn’t been that much limelight on the bother boys.

    Apart from Moony having a word with the lads from the media now and again, it’s been low profile for the Who. Nobody wants to get married on stage, nobody wants to be a fascist.

    It’s nicely ironical then that without the ballyhoo the Who should turn in a performance of a stature rock ’n’ roll as penetrating as their laser beams.

    Anyone who had seen this foursome work out loud know that as far as Bowie and the Stones are concerned it’s a case of no contest. The Who win.

    From the opening of ‘Can’t Explain’ it seemed they were going to pulverise their way through the ball hollow arena.

    You’d seen it all before — Townshend’s jumps, splits and diminished chord pas de deux; Daltrey’s mike catching act — but it didn’t matter. The Who were enjoying themselves with an overflow of powerful energy that charged and re-charged the bedraggled damp army.

    Moony stood on top of his drums to say that was where he belonged, “or top of everything that I do”. Looking like Dan Dare with headphones snugly in his ears, he lacerated, smashed and flailed at one minute, then coolly brought the drumming crescendo up short with a rare piquancy. Moony was out there.

    And he was determined to take the others with him while he made a lengthy speech about Entwistle “the man in black” and traded laughs and smiles with Townshend, Daltrey was mopping the stage with towels.

    The Rock ’n’ Roll control the Who now exercise is overwhelming and they don’t let up. None of your fanciful cosmic lights here; none of your phallic symbols and dragons of confetti; none of your thin white tuxes.

    This is real rock at it’s sexual best. The music is the charisma.

    ‘Tommy’ (yeah they still do that) sounds further out than ever with the “Wizard” and the “Acid Queen” regaining any strength they may have lost over the years. Entwistle stands there keeping the depth rock solid; Townshend looks like he’s being electrocuted and enjoying it; Daltrey is magnificent.

    The peak arrives with ‘See Me, Feel Me’ and the Who switch on the lasers.

    Green beams cut across each other reflecting back off mirrors on the ground’s lighting towers. Then a red beam. Then a fan of green. It’s amazing and tasteful but the rush comes at the end as the song winds up and all the £100,000 lights are poured on the crowd.

    The feeling from high behind the stage is practically inexplicable. The Who had achieved a unity with the Rock N’ Roll that had put them way ahead of any competitor this year. 50,000 or more people reacting at the same second is quite a buzz!

    From ‘Tommy’ it was an easy way home. Wisely missing out ‘Quadrophenia’ they gave the people what they wanted — power, high high power.

    It’s hoped Patti Smith was there to hear how ‘My Generation’ should really sound. And if that song seemed untrue when ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’ with Townshend sliding along the wet stage was the killer.

    Lasers, lights, smoke. The whole place was transformed into a mushroom cloud and everyone was somewhere inside it.

    After a performance like that it becomes almost a joke to think there was ever another British rock act in the race. But no doubt we will get fooled again which will only make the wait for the next Who show so worthwhile.

    LASER ROCK: The Who peak on ‘See Me Feel Me’ as the laser beams are switched on. The whole place was transformed into a mushroom cloud — and everyone was somewhere inside it.

    1976 – The Who continue their “Who Put The Boot In Tour” performing at the Celtic Football Ground in Glasgow, Scotland. 35,000 attend and over £100,000 are donated to charity. That afternoon in the backstage area of the parking lot, Keith fulfills the request of the 11-year old who won the organ from the Tommy film by smashing it with a sledgehammer.

    1979 – The Kids Are Alright soundtrack double LP is released in the U.K. Complimentary reviews come from Chris Welch in Melody Maker, Charles Shaar Murray in New Musical Express and Steve Simels in Stereo Review. Greil Marcus dubs the album “okay” in Rolling Stone, using the review as a platform to damn the song “Won’t Get Fooled Again” for being “stale.” David Hepworth in Sounds gives the record a thumbs-down in a review entitled “How To Flog Dead Horses.” The album peaks at #26 in Britain

    1990 – It is reported that Pete has turned down £2 million from Coca-Cola to use “My Generation” as part of their “Generation after Generation” ad campaign. The Who had previously recorded adverts for Coca-Cola that played on British radio in 1967.

    2005 – The comic strip “Off The Mark” features a reference to The WhoYou can view it here

    2007 – The Who play in Rotterdam at Ahoy

    2007 – Marty Stuart releases his album Compadres featuring a cover of “I Can See For Miles” done bluegrass-style with the Old Crow Medicine Show. Listen to it on YouTube here

    2007 – Pete is interviewed about the writing of Endless Wire in Metro International: “Some of them I started in 2002, when John Entwistle was alive, and he always had lots of songs ready. At that time Roger was promising to write songs as well, so I concentrated on trying to produce songs that were arch, dark and extreme – leaving the lighter stuff to John and Roger.”