Page updated Sep. 26, 2023
January 1965
New music releases: A Love Supreme - John Coltrane; "King of the Road" - Roger Miller; "This Diamond Ring" - Gary Lewis and The Playboys; The Return of Roger Miller - Roger Miller
January begins with The Who playing the Ealing Club on the day after New Year's, The Red Lion in Leytonstone on the 4th and back to The Marquee in London on the 5th with The Boys (later called The Action) opening.
On the 2nd, Cash Box reports from Great Britain that "The Who have their first disk issue in America before it hits the countries here" confirming that "I Can't Explain" is first released in the U.S.
Early in the month, David Magnus takes a series of photographs of the band to use in promotional advertisements for their first single.
On the 9th, Melody Maker features their first review of a Who gig. 16 year-old fan Nick Jones raves about the "weird and effective techniques of guitarist Paul Townshend" and declares The Who "must surely be one of the trendsetting groups of 1965." On the day that review comes out, The Who can be found at Club Noreik in Tottenham.
On the 12th, it's back to the Marquee Club with The Boys again opening. The tally shows over £57 is raised at the door but Roger and Keith net only £2 for the night and Pete and John only £1! The following night they are at Wolsey Hall in Cheshunt.
On the 15th, The Who finally get their first record in the U.K. shops as "I Can't Explain" is released on U.S. Decca's U.K. subsidiary Brunswick Records. Derek Johnson reviews it for New Musical Express: "...It's insidious and insistent, with an arresting backing - a blend of Mersey beat and surfing! Keep your eyes on this one..." and Record Mirror declares: "One of the most stylish British groups, pungently presented on a fastish beater with some first-rate vocal ideas. They have a good 'feel' for a song, with a good beat. Might do very well."
On the same day, Pete fills out a third audition application to get his group on the BBC Light Programme. He lists the bassist as "John Brown."
"John Brown", a/k/a John Entwistle, takes a step into stardom and hires a chauffeur, a chap named David Langston who, due to his nose, is quickly nicknamed "Cyrano". Cy Langston will go on to play an important role behind the scenes of The Who, most notably as the author of the song "Early Morning Cold Taxi".
On the 17th, The Who play opening act to P.J. Proby, The Mike Cotton Sound, Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers and Sandra Barry at the New Theatre in Oxford. Thirty-two years later, P.J. Proby will play "The Godfather" during The Who's 1997 Quadrophenia tour. On the 18th, the band returns to headlining at the Technical College in Westminister then back to the Marquee on the 19th
On the 20th, Pete again applies for The Who to audition for performances on BBC Light Entertainment. He lists John Entwistle under his then alias "John Brown" and describing The Who's music, calls it "Generally speaking R&B in a wide sense."
On the 22nd, The Who pre-tape their first appearance on Radio Luxembourg's Ready Steady Radio! at the Marquee Club. The show is broadcast on the 31st. The taping is followed by shows at the Corn Exchange in Chelmsford (23rd), an all-night rave at the Club Noreik in Tottenham (23rd-24th) and the Marquee again (26th). Opening for The Who at the all-night rave is The Muleskinners featuring future Small Faces' keyboardist and second husband to the future Mrs. Moon, Ian McLagan.
On the 29th, The Who begin pushing their fame beyond London, appearing for the first time on Ready, Steady GO! playing "I Can't Explain." To insure a good reception, Kit Lambert packs the audience with The Who's fan club, the 100 Faces and gives everyone Who football scarves to wear.
The Who finish up this busy month where they started, playing The Ealing Club on the 30th.
February 1965
New music releases: "Stop! In The Name Of Love" - The Supremes; "Eight Days a Week" - The Beatles; Introducing Herman's Hermits - Herman's Hermits; The Rolling Stones, Now! - The Rolling Stones
The Who begin their month on the 2nd, Tuesday, at the Marquee Club. There are no dates listed for them until their next Tuesday at the Marquee, the 9th, where they are billed for unknown reasons as "The Who London 1965." The new, longer name remains when they play the Ealing Club in West London on Thursday, the 11th.
On the 12th, The Who head to Broadcasting House for their second audition for the BBC Radio's Light Programme at the ungodly hour for rock 'n rollers of nine in the morning. The BBC sniffily notes that two of the members are 25 minutes late for the recording. Once assembled in Studio S2 The Who perform "Baby Don't You Do It," "Louie Go Home" and "Shout and Shimmy."
On the 13th, two months after they had announced its imminent release, Billboard magazine contains a full-page ad for "I Can't Explain" declaring it to be a breakout hit in Michigan and Ohio.
On the 16th, The Who London 1965 perform at the Marquee Club where they are filmed for French television performing "Heatwave", "Tell Me More", "Shout and Shimmy" and "Smokestack Lightning". The footage is later broadcast on the ORTF TV 2 program Seize Millions De Jeunes March 18. Pete and manager Kit Lambert are both interviewed, the latter in French. Sticking to English, Pete expresses his doubts about marriage and mocks religious belief.
A snippet of footage from around this period also appears, with another band's sound, in the short Carousella, a documentary about the world of Soho's strippers.
The Who London 1965's next show is on the 18th at the Ealing Club.
On the 19th, The Who learn by letter that J.E. Grant has given them the go-ahead to appear on the BBC Light Programme after they pass their audition of the 12th with four votes out of seven. The same day is more good news as "I Can't Explain" makes its first appearance on a British chart, popping up at #45 in Record Mirror. Four days later "I Can't Explain" shows up as well on the New Musical Express charts at #28. The single has been in stores for over a month.
More dates for The Who London 1965 are St. Joseph's Hall in Wembley (21st), the Marquee Club (23rd), the Ealing Club (25th), the Lynx Youth Club in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire (26th) and the Agincourt Ballroom in Camberley, Surrey (28th).
On the 26th, New Musical Express runs a short article on The Who's name changes called "Third time lucky name." It quotes French television producer Alain de Sedouy calling them "a logical musical expression of the bewilderment and anarchy of London's teenagers."
On the 27th, The Who hold an in-store appearance at W.G. Stores, Ltd. in Shepherd's Bush. It may have been on this day that the band is filmed by Lambert and co-manager Chris Stamp miming to "I Can't Explain" at the rear of the Marquee Studio.
March 1965
New music releases: The Sound of Music - Original Soundtrack; Bringing It All Back Home - Bob Dylan; The Early Beatles - The Beatles; "Wooly Bully" - Sam The Sham & The Pharoahs
On the 1st, Roger is the first member of The Who to turn 21.
The Who, still occasionally billed as "The Who London 1965," play their Tuesday residency on the 2nd at The Marquee Club in London. Richard Green later reviews the show for Record Mirror. He says "I Can't Explain", "is not really typical of The Who's style" noting that one of the songs in their set is played for 26 minutes total.
On the 3rd, The Who head out to Le Disque a Go! Go! Club in Landsdowne, Bournemouth, Hampshire. After the show, one of Keith's former dates, a part time model named Sue Ellen, introduces Keith to another model and friend of hers, 16-year old Kim Kerrigan. Keith is instantly smitten, gets her phone number and begins calling her. Within a few weeks Keith begins traveling to Bournemouth to visit Kim every Wednesday, The Who's one day off.
With one young man's fancy turning to love, The Who still have to work, performing at the Ealing Club on the 4th and at Granby Halls, Leicester on the 5th at the "Rag Rave" supporting Manfred Mann. At the latter show, Pete meets and makes friends with a young film student, Chris Morphet, who will become a prime photographer of the early Who.
On the 6th, "Mr. Lambert - Who" receives a court notice to return a guitar, its case, and a piano bass to the music store, plus "cheque return from bank". A copy of this document is later included in Live at Leeds.
If it's Tuesday, it must be The Who at the Marquee Club on the 9th. On the 10th, The Who appear at The Ealing Club then the next day make their first appearance on BBC-TV's Top Of The Pops, miming to "I Can't Explain" in the "Tip For The Top" slot. New Musical Express, however, disagrees as "I Can't Explain" disappears from their Top Thirty in the issue of the 12th.
On the 12th, The Who are back to home base at the Goldhawk Social Club in Shepherd's Bush. Pete later says that it is at this show that he is approached by a group of mods headed by 'Irish Jack' Lyons who tell him that "I Can't Explain" expresses their inability to tell the world what they mean. Pete will go on to take this group as his artistic clients, the audience for whom he writes his songs.
The next night, The Who play an "All-Nite Rave" at Club Noreik in Tottenham, North London then a few hours sleep before appearing at the new Starlite Ballroom in Sudbury, Greenford on the 14th.
On the 15th comes another TV performance, this one on BBC2's Gadzooks! It's All Happening! as they play live "I Can't Explain" and "Shout and Shimmy." Meanwhile, a promo film assembled by Who managers and budding filmmakers Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp appears on the TV programme That's For Me. Footage of The High Numbers performing (and Mods dancing) at the Railway Hotel the previous August are edited together with a recent studio shoot of "I Can't Explain." It is later released on the Who's Better Who's Best video.
The Who get a photo spread in Seventeen magazine in the U.S.
On the 16th, The Who have a Marquee rehearsal. This might be the date when film is shot of Kit Lambert watching The Who perform on the Marquee stage. The footage is later used in the episode "In Search Of Constant Lambert" on BBC-2's Workshop. Also listed that day is a meeting with Shel Talmy for "L.P. routining." Sometime around then The Who record studio versions of "Leaving Here" and "Baby Don't You Do It" at Pye Studios in London that are pressed on acetate but never released. The recording is discovered years later in a Portobello Road record sale and is released on the 1998 issue of Odds and Sods.
On the 17th, David Wedgbury shoots color photographs of The Who against various London landmarks for American Decca Records to use for promotion. One of the photos is used for the cover of The Who Sings My Generation LP released a year later. That night The Who again play the Ealing Club.
On the 18th, excerpts from six numbers performed by The Who at The Marquee Club in February appear on a French Television programme called Seize Millions de Jeunes on ORTF TV 2. It is part of documentary about Mods shot by two French acquaintances of Chris Stamp. A scheduled appearance that day at the Civic Hall in Crawley is postponed until April 18th.
On the 19th, The Who are scheduled to return to IBC Studios for another bit of recording but there is no record of any tracks recorded at this time. The one sure thing for this date is that the group performs at the Public Baths in Royston, Herfordshire that evening. On the same day, "I Can't Explain" reappears on the New Musical Express charts at #23.
On the 20th, Pete tells Melody Maker that The Who's next single will be "You Don't Have To Jerk". Shel Talmy's documentation does not show that The Who ever recorded a track with this title.
On the same date, The Who brush up on their Detroit sound by attending the Motown Show to see Martha and the Vandellas, The Supremes, The Miracles, Little Stevie Wonder, The Temptations and Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames. Afterwards they head over to the Goldhawk for a gig. The next night sees them at the Trade Union Hall in Watford.
On the 22nd, manager Kit Lambert receives a letter stating that their 15 April 1965 gig at the Locarno Ballroom, Swindon has been canceled because the Promoter has had a lot of trouble lately and he feels that THE WHO are not the type of Group that would go well in his Ballroom. Again a copy of this document later appears included in Live at Leeds. Is is not known if "a lot of trouble" happens when The Who play that night at Parr Hall in Warrington, Lancashire.
On the 23rd, The Who are again at the Marquee Club. The next day, The Who record their second appearance on Top Of The Pops for the next night's broadcast.
The rest of the month finishes off with shows at the Blue Opera R&B Club in Edmonton, North London (25th), the Ealing Club (26th), a "Bunny Hop" at the Rhodes Centre in Bishop's Stratford with opening act Cops 'n' Robbers (27th), The Brum Kavern Club, Small Heath, Birmingham (28th), The Marquee Club with The Boys (30th) and the Bromel Club in the Bromley Court Hotel for your dancing pleasure (31st).
April 1965
New music releases: "I Can't Help Myself" - Four Tops; "Crying In the Chapel" - Elvis Presley; "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter" - Herman's Hermits; "I've Been Loving You Too Long" - Otis Redding
On the 1st The Who make yet another appearance on Top of the Pops, again playing "I Can't Explain," then race to Wembley to play a charity event at the Town Hall. They share the bill with Donovan and Rod Stewart and The Soul Agents. Rod the Mod makes moves on Keith's new girlfriend Kim Kerrigan. Fears that she might be stolen away lead Keith to propose in a letter. She accepts.
On the 2nd, The Who have their first session on BBC radio appearing on The Joe Loss Pop Show giving a live performance at the Playhouse Theatre in Northumberland Avenue. Their set that morning is "Heatwave," "I Can't Explain," "Please Please Please" and "Shout and Shimmy". Unfortunately, the tape of this broadcast has been lost (check your closets, Brits, for that old home recording!). Later that evening they appear in Loughton at the Youth Centre.
On the 3rd, in the U.S., "I Can't Explain" reaches its top position in the Billboard charts at #93. Back in the U.K., The Who are featured in an article in Record Mirror: "The group that slaughters their amplifiers..."
That night they probably do exactly that at the London College of Printing, Elephant & Castle in London. From there they head on to The Plaza Ballroom in Newbury (4th), The Lakeside R&B Scene in Hendon with support The Sidekicks (5th), The Marquee Club, London (6th), Dacorum College in Hemel Hempstead (7th), and The Olympia Ballroom in Reading (8th).
On the 8th, at the performance in Reading, Who manager Kit Lambert brings journalists Virginia Ironside from The Daily Mail and future New York Times writer Nik Cohn to witness his boys in action. Unfortunately, Kit spends so much time shmoozing the two at the bar, they miss The Who destroying their instruments. Kit runs up at the end of the set and says to Pete, "Smash another one! I'll pay for it!"
On the 9th, "I Can't Explain" reaches its New Musical Express chart peak at #10. It had been released almost three months before.
More instruments go under as The Who play Stamford Hall in Altrincham (9th), The Cavern in Leicester Square (10th), the Majestic Ballroom in Luton (11th), and The Marquee Club (13th).
As if all this live work weren't enough, The Who also manage to record a new single and practically an album's worth of material on the 12th through the 14th at IBC Studios. According to Roger, he and Pete are locked into a room at 3am the night before the first session and not allowed out until a single is written. The result is their one credited co-composition, "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere". Pete later says it is based on his feelings about the performance style of jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker.
Also recorded over the next two days are the b-side, a cover of Otis Blackwell's "Daddy Rolling Stone," three James Brown covers, "Please Please Please," "I Don't Mind," and "Shout and Shimmy," two Martha and the Vandellas covers, "Heatwave" and "Motorin'"(as "Motorvatin'")," plus covers of Garnet Mimms' "Anytime You Need Me" (as "Anytime You Want Me") and Paul Revere and The Raiders' "Louie Go Home" (as "Lubie Come Back Home") plus one Townshend original "You're Gonna Know Me" later retitled "Out In The Street."
Accompanying The Who during this recording is Nicky Hopkins on piano, taking his first job as a session man after a long hospital stay led to his early retirement from the stage. Hopkins will go on to become the U.K.'s most famous session performer appearing on recordings by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks and many, many others.
Kit Lambert tells the press a few days later that pressure from U.S. Decca for a Who album was the reason for the recording of all the non-single tracks.
With Pete beginning to gather a portfolio of songs, his songwriting royalties are established. During this month, Fabulous Music, Ltd. is formed. The agreement gives Pete one-third of the shares, Essex Music, who had a previous publishing agreement with Pete gets another third and Who managers Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp split the final third.
Back to the salt mine as The Who play the Il Rondo Club in Leicester (14th), the Goldhawk Social Club in Shepherd's Bush (16th) and the "Big Easter Rave" at the Florida Rooms in Brighton (17th).
Also on the 17th, Record Mirror reports that the extra tracks The Who recorded earlier in the week are destined for an LP to be released only in the U.S. and France. The listed tracks are "Please Please Please", "I Don't Mind", "Shout and Shimmy", "Heatwave", "Motorin'", "I'm a Man", and "Leaving Here".
Still more gigs. The Who make £51 playing the Civic Hall in Crawley (18th) which is followed by the Botwell House in Hayes (19th), the Marquee Club, London (20th) and the Waterfront Club in Southampton (22nd).
On the 22nd, Who road manager Mike Shaw hires the Who's first roadie, Dave Langston. Langston, dubbed "Cyrano" or "Cy" because he once headed the band Cyrano and the Bergeracs, only remains as roadie for the next six months but never wanders far from The Who orbit.
That orbit takes him to the Oasis Club in Manchester (23rd), The Ricky-Tick Club in Windsor (24th) followed that night by an all-night rave at The Club Noreik until 6am and the next night at the Trade Union Hall in Watford, the Town Hall in Bridgwater (26th - fee £200).
The Marquee Show of the 27th, the last night of their five-month residency, is recorded for later broadcast on Radio Luxembourg's Ready Steady Radio! Sadly, this tape, too, has been lost. Again check the attic.
This busy month ends with shows at the Bromel Club in the Bromley Court Hotel (28th) and The Town Hall in Trowbridge (30th - fee again £200). A total of twenty-six shows in thirty days! A typical set at this time (jotted down at their Marquee show on the 13th) is "Heatwave, "Motoring", "Shout and Shimmy", "Please Please Please", "I Don't Mind", "Smokestack Lightning" and "I'm a Man".
May 1965
New music releases: My Name Is Barbra - Barbra Streisand; "I'm Alive" - The Hollies; "Cara Mia" - Jay and the Americans; "Yes, I'm Ready" - Barbara Mason
During this month, The Who premiere their new look. Modeled after the then art school of "Pop Art," The Who wear T-shirts with Royal Air Force roundels, jackets covered in war medals and a special jacket made out of the Union Jack. It sparks a fashion trend that remains popular to this day (cf., Ben Sherman).
The Who begin another busy month of live shows on the 1st at the College of Art & Technology in Leicester. At the show a film student named Richard Stanley projects films onto The Who as they perform. Pete strikes up a friendship with the young man and will go on to collaborate on several films with Stanley.
On the 2nd The Who are at the Dungeon Club in Nottingham. They show up two hours late. The same night their April 27th show is broadcast on Radio Luxembourg's Ready, Steady, Radio!
After that The Who play the Majestic Ballroom in Newcastle-upon-Tyne on the 3rd and do not report for work again until they begin a Scotland tour on the 6th at the Two Red Shoes Ballroom in Elgin. Roger drives the van on the 20 hour trip.
On the 7th, they play the Raith Ballroom in Kirkcaldy followed by the New Palladium Ballroom in Greenock on the 8th. The opening acts for the last gig are Studio Six and the Jaygars, the latter featuring twelve-year old guitarist and later member of Thunderclap Newman and Wings, Jimmy McCulloch.
On the 9th, The Who drive down to De Montfort Hall in Leicester to support Tom Jones and Marianne Faithfull. Appearing before The Who are The Naturals, The Squires, The Hustlers, Jon Mark and Al Paige.
Back to London on the 11th for a return performance at The Marquee. The set is recorded and broadcast on the 16th on Radio Luxembourg's Ready, Steady, Radio!
Wednesday sees The Who taking their one day off. Keith still manages to work, sitting in with The Action at Le Disque a Go! Go! in Bournemouth. He was in town visiting his fiancée Kim.
Thursday The Who get back to work at the Public Hall in Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire. News of the gig must not have got out. According to Roger "we played for the first half-hour to a literally, empty hall. Then there was this onrush of drunken blokes from the pub next door, and they let us have it with bottles, pennies and everything. They didn't care what they hit. And some of them got annoyed when we ducked the bottles and they accused us of using swear words in front of their young ladies.."
Things go better the next night playing a cancer research benefit at the Civic Hall in Dunstable, Bedfordshire followed by Neeld Hall in Chippenham (15th), Stratford Town Hall (16th), The Pavillion in Bath (17th) and McIlroy's Ballroom in Swindon (18th).
Their next appearance is for television as The Who perform for Three Go Round at Southern Television Studios in Southampton on the 19th. It is supposedly on the train to Southampton that Pete, still angry that his car (a hearse) had recently been towed away because the sight of it offended the Queen Mum on her morning rounds, writes a vicious put-down of the entire older generation called "My Generation." That night The Who play the Corn Exchange in Bristol.
The following night (20th) they play the Town Hall in Kidderminster.
On the 21st, The Who's second single, "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere" backed with "Daddy Rolling Stone" is released in the U.K. on Brunswick. Derek Johnson in New Musical Express calls is "a wild racer, with just about every conceivable gimmick...it commands attention and should do well." Record Mirror scratches its head and declares: "This one is very weird. Sounds like Flamenco music at the start, all jangly and off-beat Piano appears mysteriously and the guitar break midway is highly electronic and strange. Yet very effective, though hard to describe." Supposedly, all the promo copies sent to radio stations come in a special "pop-art" sleeve. If you have one, I'd really love to see it.
On the 22nd The Who are at the Astoria Ballroom in Rawtenstall, Lancashire with opening acts The Avalons and The Imps.
Also on the 22nd, an article on The Who appears in Record Mirror featuring short and angry quotes from Pete and Keith. Pete: "This thing about smashing amplifiers; well, if we've got a particularly thick audience out in the sticks we do it but sometimes we take the thing down a bit." Keith: "We had to do something ['Anyway Anyhow Anywhere'] that would get away from all the rubbish that people are buying."
On the 23rd, the pre-record an appearance on Thank Your Lucky Stars miming to "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere." On the 24th they play the Majestic Ballroom in Reading after recording a three-hour session on BBC's Top Gear performing "Good Lovin'," "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere," "I Don't Mind," and "Daddy Rolling Stone." The next afternoon they appear on the BBC's Saturday Club performing "Leaving Here," "Please Please Please," "Just You and Me, Darling" and probably on tape from the day before "Good Lovin'" and "Anyway Anyhow, Anywhere." Four of the tracks recorded over these two days are later released on the BBC Sessions CD.
From the BBC the Who head over to the Marquee Club where they pre-record a performance later broadcast by Radio Luxembourg's Ready, Steady, Radio!
The next morning, the 26th, The Who head up to Bristol to hawk their new single on Discs A Go Go at the TWW Television Centre but walk off after producer Christopher Mercer insists they add a pianist to the lineup to mime to Nicky Hopkins' piano part in "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere."
The Who finish out the month playing the Assembly Hall in Worthing (27th), the Ricky Tick Club in Windsor (28th), the Pavilion Ballroom in Buxton (29th) and The King Mojo Club in Sheffield (30th). Prior to the Buxton show, the band is interviewed for The Big L show on Radio London.
On The 31st, The Who fly to Paris to begin their invasion of the continent.
June 1965
New music releases: "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" - The Rolling Stones; "Feeling Good" - Nina Simone; Beatles VI - The Beatles; "I'm Henry The Eighth, I Am" - Herman's Hermits
On the 2nd, The Who have their first concert outside the United Kingdom at the Club au Golf Drouot in Paris. While there they make television and radio appearances. At the same time their first French EP is released featuring an alternate vocal to "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere" that is not released anywhere else officially until 2002. The Who may also have performed at the Olympia Theatre in Paris during this trip but no one has been able to find any documentation that this show actually occurred.
On the 5th 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."
Back in the U.K. on the 4th, The Who appear at Trentham Gardens at Stoke-on-Trent, followed by Loyola Hall in Stamford Hill (5th), St. Joseph's Hall in Highgate (6th), a rare Monday night appearance at the Marquee Club (7th) supported by Jimmy James and the Vagabonds, the Wallington Public Hall (8th) after which they return to the Marquee to record a half-hour appearance on Ready Steady Radio!, the Il Rondo Club in Leicester (9th), the Co-op Ballroom in Nuneaton (11th), the Town Hall in Dudley(12th), the Manor Lounge Club in Stockport (13th), the Town Hall in High Wycombe (15th), the Town Hall in Stourbridge (16th), the Bowes Lyon House in Stevenage (17th) flying there after recording a live appearance on Top Of The Pops, Floral Hall Ballroom in Morecambe (18th), an afternoon show at the Uxbridge Blues and Folk Festival then an evening show at the Cavern at Notre Dame Hall in London (both 19th), the Blue Moon in Hayes (20th), the Town Hall in Greenwich (24th), the Ricky Tick Club in Windsor (25th), another show at the Town Hall in High Wycombe (26th) followed by an "all-night rave" at the Club Noreik ending at 6am (26-27th) then that evening at the Starlite Ballroom in Greenford (27th), the "Bluesville Club" at the Manor House Ballroom in Ipswich (28th), Burton's Ballroom in Uxbridge (29th), and the Town Hall in Farnborough (30th).
If you didn't catch The Who live, you could hear them on radio or see them on TV. They mime to "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere" on the 7th on Gadzooks! It's The In Crowd and on Top of the Pops on the 10th. The Who's Marquee show of the 8th plays live on Radio Luxembourg's Ready Steady Radio!, on BBC TV's Top Of The Pops performing "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere" live on the 17th and on BBC Radio's Top Gear on the 19th (recorded May 24).
And if you missed them live and on radio and TV, The Who were also in the music magazines. On the 5th 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."
No idea when he'd find time to pack, but during the month Pete moves into a £12-a-week, two-room flat at 8 Chesham Place near Belgrave Square in London.
In Beat Instrumental, John Emery reviews an acetate of nine new Who tracks played for him by producer Shel Talmy. The songs are intended for The Who's first album slated for release in the U.S. and France that autumn. Emery gives the titles to eight of the tracks, "I'm A Man," "Heatwave," I Don't Mind," "Lubie," "You're Gonna Know Me," "Please Please Please," "Leaving Here," and "Motoring." Only one, "You're Gonna Know Me," is a band original which leads Emery to remark, "one thing hit me slap in the face just looking at the titles -- the lack of originality in choice of material." Reacting quickly, Who manager Kit Lambert announces in Melody Maker on the 17th that "The Who are having serious doubts about the state of R&B. Now the LP will consist of hard pop. They've finished with 'Smokestack Lightnin'." He says The Who will record a new album of all Pete and Roger originals for release in early September.
On the 16th, Who manager Chris Stamp goes on his first trip to see Decca Records management in New York. The only way he can make the flight is to have his brother, the actor Terence Stamp, downgrade his first-class ticket to two coach tickets as he flies to America to promote his movie The Collector.
On the 17th, Melody Maker says The Who are changing their sound from R&B to hard pop and will start recording a new album starting July 26 - an idea later abandoned.
On the 18th, Roger is interviewed in New Musical Express under the headline "The Who Use Force to Get Sound They Want." He declares "I never want to grow old. I want to stay young forever," but then declares if he were no longer in a group, "I think I'd do myself in."
On the show of the 26th at the Town Hall in High Wycombe, Roger leaves after a short set, but Pete, John and Keith stay to jam with the opening acts singer, Tony Benson. A new singer audition?
July 1965
New music releases: "Unchained Melody" - The Righteous Brothers; "Help!" - The Beatles; Out of Our Heads - The Rolling Stones; "I Got You Babe" - Sonny & Cher
On the 1st, The Who are filmed performing live versions of "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere" and "Shout and Shimmy" for Ready Steady GO! With great luck a kinescope of this show survives and "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere" is later used in The Kids Are Alright and many other Who documentaries. The other song they perform that night, "Shout and Shimmy," has so far only appeared on the 1984 videotape Ready Steady Go! Volume 2.
On the 2nd, The Who start a busy month of shows at The Maple Ballroom in Northampton followed by The Gaiety Ballroom in Ramsey on the 3rd.
Also on the 3rd, "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere" reaches its U.K. peak at #10. The same day Melody Maker interviews Pete under the headline "Well, What Is Pop Art?" Pete declares The Who's next single, "My Generation" will be "anti-middle-age, anti boss-class and anti-young-marrieds."
The 5th has The Who at the Assembly Rooms in Tunbridge Wells then The Manor House in London on the 7th, the opening of that club. Keith gets overheated and has to be carried out by roadies at the end of the set. Keith revives and The Who hurry off to the Olympia Ballroom in Reading (8th), the Locarno Ballroom in Basildon (9th), The Winter Gardens on the Isle of Wight (10th), the Birdcage Club in Southsea (11th), a rehearsal at the White Hart in Acton (12th), The Marquee Club in London (13th) recorded for broadcast on Radio Luxembourg's Ready Steady Radio! on the 18th, and the Locarno Ballroom in Stevenage (14th).
On the 15th, The Who set off for their first ever show in Wales at The Ritz Ballroom in Llanelli with opening act The Iveys (later known as Badfinger). There is a second show that same day at the Glen Ballroom, also in Llanelli.
On the 16th, The Who play the 1965 Cheltenham Festival along with The Yardbirds, Shades of Blue and The Hellions followed by the Town Hall in Torquay on the 17th. Afterwards The Who take a week off from touring to go on holiday.
Also on the 17th, "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere" enters the Dutch charts where it will peak at #17. An even better reception appears on the 20th, as the single hits #3 on Radio London's Fab 40
On the 23rd, New Musical Express publishes a list of The Who's "life-lines". Keith is certainly keeping his plan to "stay young forever." Part of his plan is apparently fibbing about his age as his listing is a year short of his actual birthday.
On the 24th, Billboard magazine runs a short report on a dispute between Shel Talmy and The Kinks' manager Larry Page. While The Kinks were touring in the U.S., Page had recorded a new single with the band, "Ring the Bells", at Gold Star Studios. On their return to the U.K., producer Shel Talmy starts legal proceedings against The Kinks and Larry Page for violation of their contract which required all Kinks recordings to be produced by Talmy. Page and The Kinks soon back down and another single produced by Talmy is released. At this time the Kinks are the biggest act Talmy is producing and his immediate litigiousness over any violation of their contract should have raised a red flag to The Who's management as to what they would face when they broke their contract with Talmy in early 1966.
On the 26th, BBC2 runs Workshop: In Search Of Constant Lambert that features a short clip of his son Kit watching The Who onstage at the Marquee Club the previous March.
On the 27th, it's back to work as The Who pre-tape an appearance on Radio Luxembourg's Ready Steady Radio! at The Marquee followed by the Pontiac Club in Putney (28th) where the band's P.A. blows up after the first set. The Who's first live performance of "My Generation" may have taken place at this explosive set.
Seeing they need help, Richard Cole applies for a position as a roadie for The Who on the 28th. His trial by fire working for them prepares for his future employment as Led Zeppelin's tour manager.
The final two shows of the month are at the New Fender Club in Kenton (30th) and Wilton Hall in Bletchley (31st). At the Bletchley show a girl who likes John brings her friend Karen Astley to see The Who. Afterwards they go out for drinks with the band where Karen kisses Pete, beginning the relationship that will lead to marriage three years later.
August 1965
New music releases: Help! - The Beatles; Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan; "A Lover's Concerto" - The Toys; "I'm Yours" - Elvis Presley
On the 1st, The Who play the Britannia Pier Theatre in Great Yarmouth co-billed with Donovan. The folk rocker doesn't show up for that evening's first show and The Who refuse to play longer forcing the support acts to fill the time.
On the 3rd, a Shindig crew films The Who at Twickenham Film Studio Stage 3 in London. They perform live-in-studio versions of "I Can't Explain", "Daddy Rolling Stone" and a new song, "My Generation". The first song is later included in The Kids Are Alright.
The next day, The Who go upstairs to The Witch Doctor club in St. Leonard's-on-Sea. The BBC films this performance and a clip is later shown on the 1966 TV programme A Whole Scene Going.
Two more TV dates come on the 6th. The Who appear live on Ready Steady Go! At 7pm. Supposedly Roger doesn't perform with them having been ordered not to by doctors for coming down with glandular fever.
However, that doesn't stop The Who from leaving immediately afterward to drive to the Richmond Athletic Association Grounds to play the 5th National Jazz & Blues Festival. Also performing that night are The Yardbirds and The Moody Blues. This set also ends up on television, being filmed by ABC-TV (U.S.) for a December special Shindig Goes To London. Part of their performance of "Shout and Shimmy" later appears in the movie The Kids Are Alright and "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere" on the video 30 Years Of Maximum R&B.
On the 7th, the touring continues; Loyola Hall in Tottenham, London (7th), the Britannia Pier Theatre in Great Yarmouth (8th, 15th and 22nd), the Blue Moon Club in Cheltenham (11th), the Dreamland Ballroom in Margate (12th), The Marine Ballroom at the Central Pier in Morecambe (13th), and The New Georgian Club in Cowley (14th).
The Everly Brothers release their LP Beat & Soul. The Who will pick up a copy and learn several of the arrangements for their live act as well as recording two versions of the original song "Man With Money".
On the week starting on the 16th, The Who make their first stab at recording their next single "My Generation" at The City Of London Studios. Manager Chris Stamp determines the song needs more work. On the 21st he tells Record Mirror the new single will be out 24 September. This is in an article in which Stamp says fans will now be able to buy shares in The Who.
Touring continues at The Assembly Hall in Worthing (19th), The Pavilion in Bournemouth with supporting act Davy Jones [later Bowie] and The Lower Third (20th), The Palais de Danse in Peterborough (21st), a "4-hour Rave" at the Corn Exchange in Colchester (23rd).
At this time "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere" hits its peak in Australia at #12.
From Colchester, The Who continue to the Town Hall in High Wycombe (24th) and the City Hall in Salisbury (26th). On the way to the Salisbury show, Roger rear-ends another car, then suffers a back strain while trying to retrieve his microphone from the crowd.
The Town Hall in Torquay prints posters for a show with The Who and The Telstars for the 27th but The Who do not show up as no contract is ever signed. A poster for the show sells for £1,100 at a Sotheby's auction in the late 1980's. Instead, The Who play The Rang-A-Tang Club at The Carnival Hall in Basingstoke on that date, followed by the Matrix Club in Coventry (28th), the King Mojo Club in Sheffield (29th) and the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, Wales (30th).
The Cardiff show is the first for The Who placed by their new booking agent, Australian Robert Stigwood. Two Stigwood acts, The Merseybeats and The Graham Bond Organization, open for The Who.
On the 28th, Melody Maker runs an article called "The Price Of Pop Art" detailing The Who's insane level of expenditures. The article also claims Pete has amassed 9 guitars while living on the dole. The numbers in the article, later re-printed in the book Rock Dreams, are largely fabricated by The Who's management.
September 1965
New music releases: "Yesterday" - The Beatles; "The Sounds of Silence" - Simon & Garfunkel; Going Places - Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass; Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul - Otis Redding
The Who start off the month on the 1st playing the Top Rank Suite in Hanley.
On the 2nd, while trying to buy a guard dog for their van at the Battersea Dogs' Home, the Who's van is stolen from the parking lot. The van is soon recovered but with a door and £5,000 of equipment missing.
On the 3rd, The Who appear on Ready, Steady, GO! performing "Dancing In The Street" and "My Generation." Earlier in the day, roadie Dave "Cyrano" Langston rents new equipment for the band's performance from the VOX factory. That night they perform at the California Ballroom in Dunstable. The opening act is Mike Sheridan and the Nightriders featuring Roy Wood.
The next night the band take their hired equipment to the Spa Royal Hall in Bridlington (4th), followed by the Town Hall in Farnborough (8th), Borough Assembly Hall in Aylesbury (10th), the Imperial Ballroom in Nelson (11th) and the Oasis Club in Manchester (12th).
On the 10th, Life magazine prints an article on The Beatles. Ringo, asked if The Beatles are a "pop-art" band, says that would be The Who. "It's a new group. When they play they slowly smash their instruments to bits."
On the 13th, Ringo unknowingly makes a contribution to that band as his wife Maureen gives birth to their son Zak Starkey. Thirty-one years later, Zak will become The Who's primary drummer.
On the 15th, half the equipment stolen from The Who's van on the 2nd is recovered during a police raid on a Morden, Surrey flat but The Who still can't get it back as it is held for evidence.
A few more dates before The Who head to the Continent: the Gaiety Ballroom in Grimsby (17th), Drill Hall in Grantham (18th) and the Savoy Ballroom in Southsea (19th).
On the 18th, Keith is interviewed by Melody Maker. "Yes, I do play very loudly and use the drums to their full extent. I keep very close with the bass player, who is just as extrovert in playing as I am. I try to get a jerky complicated beat, especially between my bass drum and snare drum." The article reports Keith's kit is about to be changed to two 14x9 tom toms, two 16x20 tom toms, a metal shell 14x5½ snare drum, a 22x15 bass drum, 20 and 18-inch cymbals and a pair of 15-inch hi-hat cymbals.
On the 20th The Who fly to Amsterdam to perform live for Dutch TV (AVRO Broadcast Association) at Studio Bellevue. The technicians can't get The Who's loud sound balanced and refuse to give Roger whisky to soothe his throat (he'd caught a cold on the boat over) telling him, "you sing or you leave the studio." The first half of the show is broadcast the next evening on Nederland 2.
On the 21st, The Who play for 450 people at a restaurant next to a roller skating rink in The Hague. Having brought no amplifiers, they have to borrow equipment from the group The Hajues but eight songs later The Who have damaged their loaners too badly to continue. The promoters somehow manage to talk two other groups, The Golden Earrings and The Empty Hearts to loan some of their equipment so the show can be finished. The Dutch magazine Boulevard reports that throughout the evening The Who are "in discussion with female fans" in the nearby bushes!
On the 23rd, Pete has a rude awakening after going out drinking with some locals. "They invited me back to their flat for the night but when I woke up the next morning there was a policeman standing by the bed and it was then I discovered they'd all gone and it wasn't their place at all." Pete talks his way out of the situation.
On the 25th, The Who arrive in Denmark to begin their first Danish tour with a 9pm show at the Folkets Hus in Elsinore then rush 20 miles to Copenhagen to play the KB Hallen at Midnight, this set with loaner equipment from the Swedish band The Lee Kings. According to a member of The Namelosers, a Swedish pop band, Roger bursts into the dressing room after the second show and headbutts Keith in the nose because Keith had been playing too loud.
Back in the U.K. on the 25th, a Pete interview appears in Melody Maker. "Now I listen to Kenny Burrel, Wes Montgomery, most of the guitarists' guitarists although I can't use anything they do."
The next night The Who play an 8pm show at the Aarhus Hallen in Aarhus...or rather they attempt to. The audience pelts the opening acts with bottles and trash and turns into a rioting mob by the time The Who take the stage. The band makes it through half of one song before fleeing for their lives as the audience storms the stage and smashes the instruments. Pete later calls it "the best concert we ever played in Denmark."
Backstage Roger angrily blames the others for the group's problems calling them "pillheads," at the time an accurate description. Roger grabs Keith's supply of speed tablets and flushes them down the toilet. Keith goes for Roger's throat. Security has to be called in to remove the singer's pummeling fists from the drummer. Nevertheless they all rush to Aalborg, taking the Fredrikstorv stage to play a 9:30pm show.
A sullen Who travel back to the U.K. where Pete, John and Keith demand that Roger be kicked out of the Who. The managers talk them into allowing Roger to continue for now while they look for another singer.
Roadie "Cy" Langston meanwhile, does leave the Who's employ to join Gary Farr and the T-Bones. He is replaced by former Merseybeats manager Neville Chesters.
October 1965
New music releases: My Name Is Barbra, Two... - Barbra Streisand; Merry Christmas - Andy Williams; "My Generation" - The Who; "Puppet on a String" - Elvis Presley
Despite having been kicked out of The Who after his dust-up with Keith on 26 September, Roger is reinstated at the managers' insistence, at least until they can find a replacement. Roger keeps his fists in his pockets as The Who make a sullen reunion at the Dungeon Club in Nottingham on the 1st.
On the 2nd, The Who make their U.S. television debut on Shindig (ABC-TV) performing "I Can't Explain," "Daddy Rolling Stone" and "My Generation." The segments had been filmed in London two months before. That night they perform at the Agincourt Ballroom in Camberely followed by "The Twisted Wheel" Club in Manchester on the 3rd.
Three days later Roger and the band are stuck together as they travel to Scotland for a tour up north starting at the Kinema Ballroom in Dunfermline on the 6th, followed by the City Hall in Perth on the 8th. John spends his 21st birthday performing at the Market Hall in Carlisle.
The 10th finds The Who at Stockholm airport in Sweden to begin their two-day tour. Unfortunately, their equipment has been flown to Gothenburg for their second stop so the band is forced to borrow instruments from their opening acts The Moonjacks and The Mascots for their show at Johanneshovs Isstadion in Stockholm. The next night they rejoin their equipment to play two shows at the Cirkus Lorensbergs.
Back to London on the 12th for a belated birthday party for John. The next night The Who go into IBC Studio A in London for a midnight session to record their next single. The final release version of "My Generation" is laid down as is another future classic, "The Kids Are Alright." The next day Glyn Johns makes mono mixes of the two songs plus the U.K. b-side to "My Generation," "Shout and Shimmy", that had been recorded in April. He also prepares the 2:42 edited version of "The Kids Are Alright" that will ultimately be released in the U.S.
At the same time, word begins to leak out about Roger's precarious position in the band. Variety reports on the 13th that "The Who lead singer Roger Daltry may quit the group".
Photo courtesy: Jack Lyons
On the 14th, The Who are back on touring schedule playing a skating rink in Cambourne. Before the next night's show at the Hillside Ballroom in Hereford, Who production director Mike Shaw is nearly killed in a traffic accident while driving The Who's equipment van. He ends up in a wheelchair. Future Led Zeppelin tour manager Richard Cole takes over as driver.
The show still goes on at Baths Ballroom in Scunthorpe (16th), the Top Rank Ballroom in Southampton (20th), the Pill Social Centre in Milford Haven (22nd), Rhodes Centre in Bishop's Stortford with opening act The Flowerpots (23rd), the Carlton Ballroom in Slough (24th), the Trade Union Hall in Watford (25th), the Locarno Ballroom in Swindon (25th, obviously changing their minds that The Who were right for their ballroom after canceling The Who in April), the Starlite Ballroom in Greenford (29th), Manchester University (30th) and The Who's only appearance at The Cavern in Liverpool on the 31st.
On the 22nd, The Who appear on the BBC's Saturday Club playing "The Good's Gone", "My Generation" and "La La La Lies" from the forthcoming album.
On the 29th, The Who's new single, "My Generation" backed with "Shout and Shimmy," is released in the U.K. by Brunswick. Derek Johnson says in New Musical Express, "Analyse the ingredients for a hit and you'll find them all in this disc. A storming, raving shake-beat, with crashing cymbals, raucous guitar, reverberating bass and hand-claps throughout - and that's just the backing. The lyric is topical and loaded with teenage appeal, about the snooty approach of some adults to youngsters. Sung with verve, a strong blues feel and an occasional stuttering gimmick, with chanting supporting the soloist."
November 1965
New music releases: A Man and His Music - Frank Sinatra; "Don't Mess With Bill" - The Marvelettes; The Best of Herman's Hermits - Herman's Hermits; The 4 Seasons' Gold Vault of Hits - The 4 Seasons
With their new single, "My Generation", now out, The Who hit the road. The 1st finds them at the Bluesville Club at the Baths Hall in Ipswich. The next evening they are back at The Marquee in London where they break box office records for the venue. It is around here The Everly Brothers' "Man With Money" and Roy Orbison's "Love Hurts" (in the Everly's arrangement) are added to the set list. This show is followed by the Locarno Ballroom in Stevenage (3rd).
The performance on the 4th at Queen's Hall, Barnstaple is cancelled at 10:15pm supposedly because of a Daltrey sore throat although there may have been other Roger problems as the band is then a hair away from kicking their lead singer out of the band. The support group The Spartans fill in.
Evidence that there might have been other reasons for the cancellation are suggested the next day as The Who plus Roger perform "Man With Money," "My Generation" and part of "Shout and Shimmy" live on Ready, Steady, GO!
On the 6th, Pete gives the Record Mirror the most accurate story as to why the Mod in "My Generation" is stuttering: because he is "blocked up" (high) on speed. Sentences later, he denies it. "No, he's not blocked; he just can't form his words".
On the 6th, The Who continue single promotion at St. George's Ballroom in Hinkley followed by The King Mojo Club in Sheffield on the 7th.
On the 8th, Topteen Music Parade claims The Who spend £100 a week on clothes.
On the 10th, The Who go back into IBC Studio A to complete their first album for a Christmas release. "The Good's Gone," "La La La Lies," "It's Not True" and "Much Too Much" are recorded. The next day is taken up by a flight to Manchester to play "My Generation" live on Top of the Pops, then back in the studio on the 12th to complete the album, recording "A Legal Matter" and an instrumental based on The Sufaris' "Waikiki Run" called "The Ox." Nicky Hopkins is present to play piano throughout both sessions and, at one point, he and Keith wander over to another studio and play on The Merseybeats' song "I Stand Accused," Nicky on piano and Keith on gong. The Who's first album that The Who would later claim took six hours to record is actually done from first track to last in seven months of intermittent trips to the studio.
Also on the 12th, is the New Musical Express article "Smashing time costs Who fortune!" Roger is interviewed and says that the members of the band can't stand one another. The following day Pete is interviewed by Disc. He says he wouldn't mind growing old if he could do it like Picasso or Charlie Chaplin.
On the 13th, The Who head across the Channel to play La Locomotive Club in Paris. In the crowd is actress Catherine Deneuve, director Roger Vadim and his current flame, actress Jane Fonda. On the 15th, The Who are back in Old Blighty, playing The Pavilion in Bath followed by the Winter Gardens in Malvern on the 16th.
During this month The Who's managers move their offices to Cavendish Square, just north of Oxford Circus. Also in the building is a booking agent from Australia, Robert Stigwood, now The Who's exclusive booker.
On the 16th, engineer Glyn Johns prepares the final mono mixes of "Out In The Street," recorded in April, and a 2:42 edit of "The Kids Are Alright" and ships the tape off to American Decca.
On the 17th, The Who play Queen Mary College in Stepney then again fly the next day to Manchester for a return appearance on Top Of The Pops performing "My Generation."
On the 19th, The Who replace the Kinks, who have kancelled, on Ready Steady GO! performing "Love Hurts," "My Generation" and again part of "Shout and Shimmy," before rushing over to their scheduled appearance at the Glad Rag Ball at the Empire Pool in Wembley. The London Students Carnival, Ltd. assemble the all-star show at which The Who are third-billed, the other acts being Donovan, The Hollies, Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames, the Barron Knights, Wilson Pickett, Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band, the Birds, the Masterminds, the Golden Apples of the Sun and the Merseybeats. The Kinks again kancel as does future The Iron Man recording artist John Lee Hooker who is replaced by an 18-year old folk singer and future Track Records act, Marc Bolan.
The Who perform in front of 10,000 people, their biggest audience to date but the demands of the gig cannot stop backstage Who tempers from boiling over on stage. Roger complains about the inadequate sound system and storms off halfway through the set. The rest of the band carries on until The Who's sound system is installed at which time Roger agrees to return. Some of the other acts are shouted down or pelted with pennies in what is agreed to be a disastrous concert. Footage of The Who performing "My Generation" is shot by ATV and a snippet is featured in the 2007 movie Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who.
On the 20th, "My Generation" backed with "Out In The Street (You're Gonna Know Me)" is released in the U.S. The single doesn't do well in the States but becomes a gigantic cult influence on recently formed American garage bands.
On the same day Melody Maker breaks the story of the near firing of Roger. They claim that Roger has been fired and will be replaced by Boz Burrell of the group Boz's People. Manager Chris Stamp denies the rumors in "The Who split mystery." However, the rumors are at least partly true (Boz Burrell may have been considered but later said he was never approached for the job). On the night of the 20th all four members show up to play at the Florida Rooms in Brighton.
On the 21st, "My Generation" hits the top of the charts, at least on the charts of the pirate radio station Radio London. Radio Caroline has it stalling at #2.
On the 22nd, The Who tape their Saturday Club appearance at Aeolian Hall, Studio One of the BBC. Songs recorded live in studio are "It's Not True," "The Good's Gone," "La La La Lies," "My Generation" and "Baby Don't You Do It."
The rest of the month is taken up with performances: the Dorothy Ballroom in Cambridge (23rd), the Town Hall in Stourbridge (24th), the Wimbledon Palais (26th), an all-nighter at the Marquee Dance Club in Birmingham (27th), the Oasis Club in Manchester (28th) and the Town Hall in High Wycombe (30th). A show on the 29th at St. Andrew's Hall in Norwich is cancelled after the band's van cannot make it through snowdrifts. A makeup show is planned for 13 December.
On the 27th, "My Generation" reaches its official U.K. peak at #2 being beaten out of first place by The Seekers' "The Carnival Is Over". Also on the 27th, Pete gets a call from ex-art-schoolmate Karen Astley. "We had a long, funny conversation and decided to start seeing each other".
On the 29th, Who producer Shel Talmy masters a recent recording he has made of the band The Untamed covering "It's Not True."
December 1965
New music releases: Rubber Soul - The Beatles; A Charlie Brown Christmas - The Vince Guaraldi Trio; "California Dreamin'" - The Mama's & The Papa's; "Christmas Time Is Here" - Vince Guaraldi
The 1st has The Who performing at Wolsey Hall in Cheshunt. The next day they fly to Manchester to promote "My Generation" on that week's Top of the Pops.
On the 3rd, the Who appear on the Ready Steady GO! TV show performing "It's Not True" and "The Kids Are Alright," then head off...
...to play their last date at their home base, The Goldhawk Club in Shepherds Bush. In the crowd along with the ecstatic Mods is famed Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni soaking up the atmosphere of Swinging London before making a film about it. He is entranced by The Who's act and writes them into his script but The Who ultimately do not perform in the movie. Excuses given are Who manager Kit Lambert asking for too much money, Pete disagreeing with the director on how it is to be shot and Antonioni declaring The Who's show has too much meaning and he wants to express meaninglessness. In any case, Antonioni hires another band, The Yardbirds, to copy The Who's act when the film Blow-Up is shot the following year.
Also on the 3rd, after almost a year of delays, The Who finally manage to release their first album, My Generation. It will go to mythic status years later; its angry cover and loud, thrashing music providing the spark to the garage-rock and punk-rock movements to follow.
One bad review of the album comes on the 4th from Pete himself! Under the headline "I hate it!...Rubbish!...It's Crap!" He tells the Record Mirror he dislikes a lot of the record, complaining about the presence of so many tracks recorded earlier in the year. He says his, John's, and Keith's favorite cut is "The Kids Are Alright."
On the 4th, The Who are at the Corn Exchange in Chelmsford and the 5th at the White Lion Pub in Edgware. The 6th sees the first instance where Keith Moon has to be replaced, due to a bout of whooping cough that leaves him bed-ridden with his mom taking care of him. Viv Prince, formerly of The Pretty Things, takes the drum chair for The Who at the Eltham Baths in Eltham Hill.
On the 8th ITV in the U.K. broadcasts the Glad Rag Ball show from November 19th. On the next day ABC in the U.S. airs the second part of Shindig Goes To London featuring The Who performing "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere" live at the Richmond Jazz Festival.
The Who with Viv Prince on drums soldier on to the Corn Exchange in Bristol (8th), the Guildhall in Portsmouth (9th) and the Empire Theatre in Sunderland (10th).
On the 10th, New Musical Express runs the article "Who admit they're feuding." Keith is asked if there are arguments in The Who. He replies, "Yes, it's Roger. He hates me!" Why? "Because I told him he can't sing." Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones is also quoted in the article declaring, "[The Who] are the only young group doing something new both visually and musically. Originality usually means success."
Roger gets his turn the next day in Melody Maker but chooses to downplay the internal conflicts and turns the discussion to pop art saying The Who are abandoning it.
On the 11th, Billboard reports that "My Generation" is being rush released in France. Meanwhile the new single has just entered Sweden's Tio i Topp charts where it will spend six weeks and peak at #3.
A Moon-less Who can still be seen at the University of Southampton with The Zombies opening (11th), the New Barn Club in Brighton (12th) and the Federation Club in Norwich (13th). For the "Going Down Ball" at the University College of Swansea, Wales (15th), Twink (John Adler) of the Fairies is supposed to have filled in on drums but he says he never substituted for Keith. Chris Farlowe and The Thunderbirds and The Smokestacks support. On the 16th The Who play the Town Hall in Kidderminister with a drummer presently unknown.
On the 14th, "My Generation" tops out at #2 on the official British charts, unable to push The Seeker's limp "The Carnival Is Over" out of the way.
Alan Freeman interviews Pete and John for Rave magazine. Pete claims The Who's sound is affecting his hearing. He also says that the story of him accidentally breaking the neck of his guitar on a low ceiling is false; that he was in fact inspired by the auto-destructive art of Gustav Metzger during art school. He also says of North Englanders, "You'd have to be thick to even live there."
The Who are also the cover story in this month's Beat Instrumental. Pete talks about how unhappy the band is with American Decca's lack of promotion: "[Our first two singles] didn't do anything at all, except in Detroit, because they had practically no promotion at all. If it was Brenda Lee then it'd be a different matter -- they'd probably hold a National Brenda Lee Week to promote her new single."
John, meanwhile, tells Disc Weekly that The Who are now through with the "pop-art" look they adopted back during the summer.
On the 16th, a film of The Who miming to "My Generation," shot in Battersea Park, is shown on Southern's Three Go Round.
On the 17th, Keith is back in his rightful place behind the kit for another appearance on Ready Steady GO!. The Who perform "My Generation" followed by Keith playing "Buttons" in a Christmas pantomime. Pete mimes to Peter Cook and Dudley Moore's comedy song "Goodbye-ee" then The Who perform "Jingle Bells" and an instrumental "You Rang" with John imitating Lurch from The Addams Family TV series.
From there, the band speeds to the Ricky Tick Club in Windsor where Keith survives a half-hour of The Who's set before collapsing. The call again goes to Viv Prince who returns to The Who for shows at The Birdcage in Portsmouth (18th) and the Plaza Ballroom in Guildford, Surrey (19th).
Keith finally makes it for an entire gig at the Marquee Club on the 21st followed two days later with a show at The Pavillion in Worthing then the Pier Ballroom in Hastings (24th).
In the Christmas Day issue of Melody Maker, Who manager Chris Stamp says The Who will record their new single next week. It will be either of two new Pete compositions, "Circles" or "Magic Bus."
The Who make one more TV show for 1965, joining an all-star line-up for Ready Steady GO!'s New Year's special, The New Year Starts Here! They mime to "I Can't Explain" and "My Generation" in a show that also includes performances by The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Dave Clark Five, Tom Jones, Lulu, The Searchers and Dusty Springfield.