British group The Who. Rock Encyclopedia

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 the newly minted band got guitarist Robbie Krieger and drummer John Densmore, who played in the band Rick and the Ravens.

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 a person 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 bass parts with one hand on a special keyboard. (there was no bass player in the group), and the second one was busy with the performance of the usual keyboard passages. The collective approach to its creation also gave originality to the music - 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, Jac Holtzman (president of the Elektra Records record company) and music producer Paul Rothschild specially came to the concert. 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 called "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 recordings 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...

Because of scandalous behavior Jim Morrison on stage, the group was not invited to the 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

British rock band formed in 1964. The original line-up consisted of: Pete Townsend ( Pete Townshend), Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle and Keith Moon. The band gained huge success through extraordinary live performances, and is considered one of the most influential bands of the 60s and 70s, recognized as one of 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 fell into the Top 10, starting with the 1965 hit single I Can "t Explain and albums that fell into the 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 Top 5 album in the US, for it was 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). The ex-drummer was put behind the drum set The Small Faces of Kenny Jones The band finally disbanded in 1983. Since then, they have reunited several times to perform at special events such as Live Aid, as well as reunion tours such as the 25th Anniversary Tour and 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, which hit the Top 10 in both the US and the UK.

Story

The Who started out as The Detours, a band founded by guitarist Roger Daltrey (born March 1, 1944) in London in the summer of 1961. Early in 1962, Roger recruited John Entwistle (born October 9, 1944), a bass player who played in bands founded at Acton County Grammar School, which he and Roger attended. John suggested an additional guitarist - his high school and band friend Pete Townshend (born May 19, 1945). Also in The Detours were drummer Doug Sandom and vocalist Colin Dawson.

Colin soon left The Detours and Roger took over as vocalist. The composition of the group, 3 musicians and a vocalist will remain until the late 70s. The Detours started out covering pop tunes but quickly changed to loud, uncompromising covers of American rhythm and blues. In early 1964 The Detours found a band with the same name and decided to change it. Pete's art school friend Richard Barnes suggested The Who and the name was officially adopted. Shortly thereafter, Doug Sandom left the band and was replaced in April by the young and crazy drummer Keith Moon (born August 23, 1947). Moon, dressed in red and dyed hair, insisted on performing with The Who. He broke the band's drummer's pedal and was accepted. The Who found another way to attract fans when Pete accidentally broke his guitar neck against the low ceiling during a show. The next time the band played there, the fans yelled at Pete to break his guitar again. It broke and Keith followed him by smashing his drum kit. At the same time, Pete developed his "airmill" style of playing the guitar, taking the stage movements of Keith Richards as a basis.

In May 1964 The Who were taken over by Pete Meaden. Midan was the leader of the new youth movement in Britain, called fashion, young people wore stylish clothes and shaved their heads short. Midan renamed The Who to The high numbers. Numbers was what the mods called each other, and High meant taking leapers, pills that mods took to hang out all weekend. Midan wrote The High Numbers' only single, "I'm the Face". This song was an old R&B song with new lyrics about fashion. Despite all of Midan's attempts, the single failed, but the band became the mods' favorite band.

It all happened when two people, Kit Lambert (son of composer Christopher Lambert) and Chris Stamp (brother of actor Terence Stamp) were looking for a band they could make a movie about. Their choice fell on The High Numbers in July 1964 and they became the band's new managers. After a failure at EMI Records, the band's name returned to The Who. The Who rocked London after a Tuesday night show at the Marquee Club in November 1964. The Who were advertised all over London with black posters made by Richard Barnes, including "air-mill" Pete and the slogan "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 Shel Talmy. Pete adapted his song "I Can't Explain" to The Kinks' style and convinced 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 status. Roger controlled the position of the leader in the group with the help of his fists. Pete's growing ability as a songwriter threatened that status, especially after the hit single "My Generation." It's an ode to Mod's outlook on life, with the singer stuttering from an amphetamine overdose, "I hope to die before I'm old." When the single hit the charts in December 1965, Pete, John and Keith forced Roger to leave the group because of his violent behavior. blow.) But Roger promised to be "peaceful" and was taken back.

In the same The time Who released their first album "My Generation." Due to a lack of publicity about The Who recordings in the US and a desire to sign with Atlantic records, Keith and Chris ended their contract with Talmy and signed the band to 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 playing one of his home demos to Keith, Pete joked that he was writing a rock opera. Keith liked the idea very much. Pete's first attempt was called "Quads." This story is about how parents raised 4 girls. 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 special songs, one about "Whiskey Man" and one about "Boris The Spider." This was the start for John as an alternative songwriter for the band, a writer with a dark sense of humour.

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 who is seduced by Ivor the Engine Driver after her man was gone for a year. The album was called "A Quick One", which carried a double meaning, the name of a mini-opera and some sexual innuendo (for this reason, the album was renamed "Happy Jack" in the US, like the single).

With the lawsuit settled with Decca and Talmy, The Who were able to tour the US. They started with a series of short shows 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 wild popularity in the United States. They returned to the US in the summer to play at the Monterey Pop 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 "hellish" reputation was cemented by his 21st birthday (although he was only 20) celebrated at an after-concert party at the Holiday Inn in Michigan. All that really happened was that the birthday cake crashed to the floor, cars were sprayed with a fire extinguisher, ruining their paint, and Keith knocked out a tooth when he slipped on the cake while running from the police. Over time, and with many embellishments by Keith himself, it turned into an orgy of destruction, culminating in a Cadillac at the bottom of the hotel pool. In any case, 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. While their popularity was growing in the US, their UK career 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, did not sell as well as previous albums. It was a concept album designed as a broadcast from a banned pirate radio station in London. This album will later be considered one of the best.

During this fall, 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 what he had learned from Baba's teachings. One such idea was that one who can perceive earthly things cannot perceive the world of God. From this, Pete came up with the story of a boy who became deaf, dumb and blind and, having got rid of such earthly sensations, will be able to see God. Healed, he becomes the messiah. The story eventually became known worldwide as "Tommy". The Who worked on it from the summer of 1968 until the following spring. It was the last attempt to save the band and with the new material he started doing shows.

When "Tommy" was released it was only a moderate hit. But when The Who played the album live, it was a masterpiece. "Tommy" got a big hit when The Who performed it at the Woodstock festival in August 1969. The last song, "See Me, Feel Me," was played as the sun rose over the festival. Filmed and featured in the film, Woodstock, Tommy and The Who became international sensations. Keith also found a way to promote the work by performing "Tommy" at opera houses in Europe and New York. "Tommy" was used in ballets and musicals, the group had so much work that many thought it was called "Tommy".

In the meantime, Pete continued to make demos using a new musical instrument, the ARP synthesizer. To kill time before their next project, The Who recorded a live album at the University of Leeds. "Live At Leeds" became their 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 fantasy story about virtual reality and a boy who discovers rock music. The hero would play an endless concert and at the end of the film he finds the Lost Chord, which brings everyone to a state of nirvana. 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 his songs 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 began to get 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, releasing his songs with 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 power 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. Pete, meanwhile, has begun work on a new rock opera. It was supposed to be a The Who story, but after Pete met Irish Jack, who had followed the band since the Detours, Pete decided to make a story about a The Who fan. It became the story of Jimmy, Fashion, a fan of The High Numbers in 1964. He works a dirty job to earn a GS scooter, stylish clothes and enough leapers to spend 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 travels to Brighton to bring back the glory days of the Mods, but finds the leader of the Mods in the guise of a humble ringer. In desperation, he takes a boat and goes out to sea in a violent storm and observes the Epiphany ("Love, Reign O'er Me").

There were a lot of problems with "Quadrophenia" after recording. It was mixed on a new quad system, but the technology was very inadequate. Mixing the recording to stereo resulted in the loss of vocals on the recording, much to Roger's dismay. On stage, The Who tried to recreate the original sound. But the tapes refused to work and it turned out to be complete chaos. On top of that, Keith's wife left him before the tour and took her daughter with her. Kate drowned out his sadness in alcohol and even wanted to commit suicide. At the San Francisco show opening the US tour, Keith collapsed midway through the show and was replaced by Scott Halpin from the audience. On his return to London, Pete did not have a rest, the production of the film "Tommy" began immediately. It was not Keith Lambert who brought the film under control, but the insane British filmmaker Ken Russell. He rolled out with guest stars Elton John, Eric Clapton, Tina Turner, Ann-Margaret and Jack Nicholson. The result was rather tacky and although it was liked by some of the band's fans, it was a big hit with the public. There were two aftereffects, Roger, who played leading role became a star outside of the group and Pete had a nervous breakdown and started drinking more than usual.

This all reached its peak during concerts at Madison Square Garden in June 1974. When the audience shouted "jump, jump" to Pete, he realized that he didn't want anything anymore. Passion from the performance of The Who began to disappear in him. This led to the band's next album, The Who By Numbers. The album traces the bitter rivalry between Pete and Roger, which was written about in all British music newspapers. Subsequent tours in 1975 and 1976 were much better than the album. But there was a very strong emphasis on playing old material rather than new. After several loud gigs during this tour, Pete noticed that his ears were ringing and the ringing would never stop. A visit to the doctor showed that he could soon go deaf if he didn't stop performing. After 1976 The Who stopped touring. This was the last point of the group's collaboration with managers Keith Lambert and Chris Stump, in early 1977 Pete signed the papers on their dismissal.

After a break of 2 years, the band entered the studio and recorded the album "Who Are You". In addition to the new album, The Who filmed a film about their history "The Kids Are Alright". To do this, they even bought Shepperton Studios. When Keith returned from America he was in a very sad shape, he gained weight, became an alcoholic and looked in his 30s for all 40s. The Who completed the album and the film in 1978 with a concert held at Shepperton on May 25, 1978. After 3 months, the album went to sale. 20 days after, on September 7th, 1978, Keith Moon died of an accidental overdose of a drug prescribed for him to control his alcoholism.

Many thought that The Who would cease to exist after Moon's death, but the group had a lot of projects. In addition to documentary The Kids Are Alright was preparing to release a new movie based on Quadrophenia. From January 1979 The Who started looking for a new drummer and found Kenney Jones (born September 16, 1948), former Small Faces drummer and friend of Pete and John. His style was completely different compared to Moon's which led to the rejection of the fans. John "Rabbit" Bundrick was brought into the band on keyboards and the band was later extended with a horn section.

The new line-up began touring in the summer, playing to huge crowds in the US. But tragedy struck. At a concert in Cincinnati in December 1979, 11 fans died in a stampede. The band continued to tour, but controversy remained about the correctness of this. 1980 began with two high-profile solo projects. Pete released his first really solo album"Empty Glass" ("Who Came First" was a collection of demos, and "Rough Mix" was a pairing with Ronnie Lane). This album was praised along with The Who albums, and the single "Let My Love Open The Door" became very popular. At the same time, Roger released McVicar, an excellent film in which he played a bank robber. This year, Pete's problems have become apparent. He was almost always drunk, playing endless solos or ranting on stage for long periods of time. His drinking led to cocaine, and later to heroin. He began to spend his nights in the company of members of the "new wave" groups, for whom he was God.

Next album Who "Face Dances" was heavily criticized. Despite the quite successful single "You Better, You Bet", the album was considered below the band's previous standards. Roger realized that Pete was destroying himself and offered to stop touring in order to save him. Pete nearly lost his life after overdosing on heroin at Club For Heroes in London and was rescued from the hospital at the last minute. Pete's parents put pressure on him and Pete flew to California to recover and get rid of drugs. After returning, he did not feel confident to write new material for the group and asked to suggest a topic. The band decided to record an album reflecting their relationship to the growing tensions of the Cold War. The result was the album It's Hard, which also addressed the changing role of the male with the rise of feminism. 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 had to record another album under the contract. 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 end of The Who at a press conference on December 16, 1983.

Pete surprised everyone when he started working at the publishing house Faber & Faber. The work did not distract him much from his new interest, preaching against the use of heroin, this campaign lasted throughout the 80s. He also found time to write a book short stories"Horses" Neck" and take off short film about life in the White City. The film features Pete's new horn, keyboard and backing band called Defor. Along with the film "White City," a live album and video "Deep End Live!" July 3, 1985 The Who gathered to perform at charity concert Live Aid in support of starving Ethiopia. The band was supposed to play new song Pete's "After The Fire," but lack of rehearsal led them 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 addition to his film and television work, Roger began a solo tour in 1985. John in 1987. The Who's devoted fans continued to support their work. In February 1988 the band got together to receive the BPI Life Achievement Award. The Who played a small set after the awards ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall. Pete was then writing a new rock opera based on the children's book The Iron Man by Ted Hughes. In addition to the guest artists, Pete brought in Roger and John for two recordings, which were credited as The Who on the album. This led to talk about the reunited team's tour. The tour started in 1989. It was the band's 25th anniversary, but there was a completely different band on stage than in 1964. Pete stuck to an acoustic sound with a different guitarist leading the way. Most of the Deep End lineup was on stage including a new drummer and percussionist. The show included the first full performance of Tommy since 1970 and ended in Los Angeles with an all-star cast including Elton John, Phil Collins, Billy Idol and more. After that, The Who disappeared again, but not Tommy. Pete rewrote it with American theater director Des McAnuff 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 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 in films to spend grand concert at Carnegie Hall on his 50th birthday. The music played by the band and 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, though not together. After that, Roger and John went on a tour of the United States, performing songs Who. Pete's brother Simon was on guitar and Ringo Starr's son Zac Starkey was on drums. In the same summer, a 4-disc box set consisting of songs Who and the MCA label began releasing remastered and sometimes remixed editions of the band. "Live at Leeds" was the first to be released with 8 added tracks, followed by many CDs and 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 reunite 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 generally not announced as The Who, but performed under their own names, but they were still perceived as The Who.

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. 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 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 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 they and so many other people had contributed a lot of money for this tour and couldn't lose it.

On January 11, 2003, Pete was declared addicted to child pornography. He explained that he used his credit card to enter a child pornography site, but then he transferred his savings to a fund against child pornography. Pete was interrogated by the police, his computer was taken away and the whole world called Pete a pedophile and ridiculed his explanation. Four months later, a police investigation analyzed every detail of Pete's story. He was not charged, but he was given a warning and placed on the "sex offenders" list for 5 years. After a year off, Pete, Roger, Pino, Zach and 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.

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.

Compound

Pete Townshend - guitarist, composer, studio keyboardist

Roger Daltrey - vocalist, harmonica

Keith Moon - drummer

John Entwistle - bass guitarist, brass instruments

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, bass player.
• 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 rock performer 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 formation of the Dors, 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 creative activity, but were not successful. 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 soundtracks 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 Dors hits called The End was included in the film "Apocalypse" directed by Francis Ford Coppola, which is dedicated to the Vietnam War.

Discography

Studio session albums recorded at different times in 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.

†
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 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

"The Who"is one of the most influential groups British rock 60-70s. This is another rock band - a long-liver, organized in 1964! They performed as one team for 15 years. After the death of drummer Keith Moon, they continued to perform with new drummer Kenny Jones for over 20 years. To date, only two of the first line-up have 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, The Who took part. There are still people who call this band the best rock band in the world. So what is the secret to 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 amount.

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 of 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. His feature is a hard rhythm and a peculiar attack of the strings with rotational movements of the 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 band 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 if 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 lot of fancy moves. Recognized as one of the best bass players of all time. He had a huge impact on the playing technique and sound of subsequent generations of bassists such as Victor Wootain. 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 spoke of him this way: “Artistically, he is backward, in all other respects, an idiot.”

He didn't care about honor and respect. He lived his own 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.