Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle, Keith Moon

THE WHO PHOTO COLLECTION

(Click on photos in gallery below to view larger version with instructions for ordering)

Phoenix Municipal Stadium – 8/17/68

Appeared with Quicksilver Messenger Service

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The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend and bassist John Entwistle. They were joined shortly after by drummer Keith Moon and became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction. The Who have sold about 100 million records, and have charted 27 top forty singles in the United Kingdom and United States, as well as 17 top ten albums, with 18 Gold, 12 Platinum and 5 Multi-Platinum album awards in the United States alone.

The band developed from Daltrey’s band, the Detours, and rose to fame in the UK with a series of top ten hit singles, boosted in part by pirate radio stations such as Radio Caroline, beginning in January 1965 with “I Can’t Explain”. The albums My Generation (1965), A Quick One (1966) and The Who Sell Out (1967) followed, with the first two reaching the UK top five. They first hit the US Top 40 in 1967 with “Happy Jack” and hit the top ten later that year with “I Can See for Miles”. Their fame grew with memorable performances at the Monterey Pop, Woodstock and Isle of Wight music festivals. The 1969 release of Tommy was their first major commercial success, reaching number 4 in the US charts. Various sources estimate the album has now sold over 20 million copies internationally. This was followed up by the successes of Who’s Next (1971), Quadrophenia (1973), The Who by Numbers (1975), and Who Are You (1978). With the exception of The Who by Numbers, all of these reached the top 5 of the US charts, with by Numbers making the top 10. Also successful was the live album Live at Leeds (1970), and the soundtrack album The Kids Are Alright (1979), reaching number 4 and 8 on the US charts, respectively. The Who have sold about 100 million records, and have charted 27 top forty singles in the United Kingdom and United States, as well as 17 top ten albums, with 18 Gold, 12 Platinum and 5 Multi-Platinum album awards in the United States alone.

Keith Moon died at the age of 32 on 7 September 1978, after which the band released two studio albums, the UK and US top five Face Dances (1981) and the US top ten It’s Hard (1982), with drummer Kenney Jones from The Small Faces/The Faces, before disbanding in 1983. They re-formed at events such as Live Aid and for reunion tours such as their 25th anniversary tour (1989) and the Quadrophenia tours of 1996, 1997, 2012 and 2013. In 2000, the three surviving original members discussed recording an album of new material, but their plans were temporarily stalled by Entwistle’s death at the age of 57 in 2002. Townshend and Daltrey continue to perform as the Who and in 2006 they released the studio album Endless Wire, which reached the top ten in the UK and US.

The Who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, their first year of eligibility; the display describes them as “Prime contenders, in the minds of many, for the title of World’s Greatest Rock Band.” TIME magazine wrote in 1979 that “No other group has ever pushed rock so far, or asked so much from it.” Rolling Stone magazine wrote: “Along with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, the Who complete the holy trinity of British rock.” They received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the British Phonographic Industry in 1988 and from the Grammy Foundation in 2001, for creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording. In 2008 surviving members Townshend and Daltrey were honoured at the 31st Annual Kennedy Center Honors.

THE WHO – Discography

• My Generation (1965)
• A Quick One – 1966 UK LP A Quick One (1966)
• The Who Sell Out – 1967 UK LP The Who Sell Out (1967)
• Exciting – 1967 Japan LP 60’s “Best Of” and Compilations (1960’s)
• 1969 – UK LP Tommy (1969)
• Live At Leeds – 1970 UK LP Live At Leeds (1970)
• Who’s Next – 1971 UK LP Who’s Next (1971)
• Tommy – 1972 USA LP Tommy (With the London Symphony Orchestra) (1972)
• Quadrophenia – 1973 UK LP Quadrophenia (1973)
• Odds & Sods – 1974 UK LP Odds & Sods (1974)
• Tommy – 1975 UK LP Tommy (Soundtrack) (1975)
• The Who By Numbers – 1975 UK LP The Who By Numbers (1975)
• Who Are You – 1978 UK LP Who Are You (1978)
• The Kids Are Alright – 1979 UK LP The Kids Are Alright (1979)
• Quadrophenia – 1979 UK LP Quadrophenia (Soundtrack) (1979)
• Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy – 1971 Venezuala LP 70’s “Best Of” and Compilations (1970’s)
• Face Dances – 1981 UK LP Face Dances (1981)
• It’s Hard – 1982 UK LP It’s Hard (1982)
• Who’s Last – 1984 UK LP Who’s Last / The Who Live (1984)
• Two’s Missing – 1987 UK LP Who Rarity Collections
• The Singles – 1984 Germany LP 80’s “Best Of” and Compilations
• Join Together – 1990 UK LP Join Together (1990)
• 30 Years Of Maximum R&B – 1994 USA CD Box Set 30 Years Maximum R&B (1994)
• Live At The Isle Of Wight – 1996 UK CD Live At The Isle of Wight (1996)
• My Generation: The Very Best Of 1998 – USA CD 90’s “Best Of” and Compilations (1990’s)
• BBC Sessions – 2000 USA CD BBC Sessions (2000)
• The Blues To The Bush – 2000 USA CD The Blues To The Bush (2000)
• The Ultimate Collection – 2002 UK CD 00’s “Best Of” and Compilations (2000’s)
• The Encore Series – 2002 USA CD 2002 Live “Encore Series” CDs (2002)
• Live At The Royal Albert Hall – 2004 Germany CD Live At The Royal Albert Hall (2003)
• 2004 Encore Series – 2004 USA CD 2004 Live “Encore Series” CDs (2004)
• Live From Toronto – 2006 Holland CD Live From Toronto (2006)
• Endless Wire – 2006 USA CD Endless Wire (2006)
• View From A Backstage Pass – 2007 European Union View From A Backstage Pass (2007)

 

The Who – I Can See For Miles – 1968

THE WHO – Links

• http://www.thewho.com/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Who